"Being Human" Holds its Own
Syfy has carried reimagined series before, take Battlestar Galactica for example. However, Syfy's newest series, Being Human, is different in that the original series is currently still on television in its third season on the BBC. Many people have been hesitant on whether or not to tune in to Syfy's version, especially fans of the original. After watching the first three episodes and talking to some of those involved in the show, however, I think everyone should give it a shot. Syfy's version can definitely hold its own.It's true that the general story line is the same - a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost become roommates, and because of the success of franchises like Twilight and True Blood, that may be enough to pull a certain demographic in. Some of the rules and myths of supernatural creatures are of course the same, but it is almost unavoidable that there would be an overlap with all of the other shows out there. However, this show is nothing like the other current popular shows with similar themes.
All three characters long for normality and consider themselved cursed. As you would expect, Aidan, the vampire (Sam Witwer; Battlestar Galactica, Smallville), tries (and at times fails) not to kill humans, as does Josh (Superman Returns, Fanboys), the werewolf played by Sam Huntington, who turns once a month. Meanwhile Sally, the ghost (Meaghan Rath; Prom Wars, 18 to Life) who haunts the friends' new apartment, learns what it means to be ethereal and struggles to live without being able to interact with others, or even to leave the apartment.
Having only seen a couple episodes of the original, I cannot say how similar certain storylines are, but from what I have seen, regardless, they are very enjoyable, even if some were familiar. The producers and actors of the show have stated in various interviews that even if certain situations are the same, they may be handled completely different on the new series. And it's great that Syfy also gets thirteen episodes compared to BBC's six to develop the story during the first season.
I found the stories compelling and the characters believable in their struggles. The scripts were well written and I was really surprised when each episode was over because it moved so quickly and was quite eager to start the next.
Review: The Walking Dead 1x03, "Tell it to the Frogs"
By Karen Moul
As The Walking Dead approached the halfway point of the season, the writers took a step back and gave us some character development and group dynamics. Episodes like this are needed to sustain the major themes through the rest of this season and into next. While it seemed as if not a lot happened, we had a huge advance in the Rick-Lori-Shane storyline. Add in some compelling action among the supporting cast and overall this was another excellent episode.
The Grimes family reunion was handled beautifully. I actually had a knot in my stomach waiting for Shane and Lori to see Rick. I can't remember the last time a TV show made me feel that much tension and anticipation, probably not since Lost. Sarah Wayne Callies was excellent in this scene, in just a few moments you could see the disorientation on Lori's face, then the recognition, and perhaps a split second of joy before her expression turned to horror. Andrew Lincoln's reactions as Rick saw his son were also moving. Nice work all around.
As The Walking Dead approached the halfway point of the season, the writers took a step back and gave us some character development and group dynamics. Episodes like this are needed to sustain the major themes through the rest of this season and into next. While it seemed as if not a lot happened, we had a huge advance in the Rick-Lori-Shane storyline. Add in some compelling action among the supporting cast and overall this was another excellent episode. The Grimes family reunion was handled beautifully. I actually had a knot in my stomach waiting for Shane and Lori to see Rick. I can't remember the last time a TV show made me feel that much tension and anticipation, probably not since Lost. Sarah Wayne Callies was excellent in this scene, in just a few moments you could see the disorientation on Lori's face, then the recognition, and perhaps a split second of joy before her expression turned to horror. Andrew Lincoln's reactions as Rick saw his son were also moving. Nice work all around.
Dark Times Are Ahead in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"
Part one of the seventh story in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, opened Friday worldwide. The craze for the young boy wizard first started over thirteen years ago when Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was first published in London and continued to grow when the first movie was released in 2001. Nine years later, the fanbase still continues to expand as theaters around the world were sold out for opening night. The movie brought in $125.1 million domestically for the opening weekend, with the worldwide total coming in at $330.1 million."Skyline" Will Pull You In
If you have seen the trailer for the science fiction thriller Skyline, which opens in theaters today, you may think you have the movie figured out, but you would be wrong. The previews have had people comparing Skyline to movies such as Independence Day or War of the Worlds, but they were intentionally misleading. The creators of the film, Colin and Greg Strause, who also directed the film, did not want people feeling like they knew the movie from the trailers; they wanted them to be surprised. Yes, the movie has fantastic special effects, and yes, it is about aliens taking over, but that's not what lies at the heart of the film. You won't see governments making plans to annihilate the aliens. You'll instead see a group of people fighting for survival in the best ways they know how. Some will try to run; others will stay behind. What would you do? The story follows Jarrod, played by Eric Balfour (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 24, Haven), and his girlfriend as they travel to meet Jarrod's friend Terry (Donald Faison; Clueless, Scrubs), who now is living it up in a penthouse in Los Angeles. The group wake up after partying to what at first is assumed to be an earthquake, but they soon discover it to be much more. Blue light streams in through the windows and one of Terry's friends (Neil Hopkins; Lost, Castle) goes to check it out and suddenly disapears. Jarrod's journey starts, when while trying to help, he is pulled into the light himself, only escaping presumed death by the help of his friends as they struggle and eventually pull him back. They watch in terror as the spaceships' lights take a hold of the people of LA, and the aliens eventually venture into the buildings to capture the rest.
The group struggles to make the right choices to survive the invasion. The twists in the movie will surprise you, and as Eric Balfour, the star of the movie said in a recent, exclusive interview with Sci Fi Vision, "It's not your Disney alien movie. There's no happy ending."
Review: The Walking Dead 1x02, "Guts"
By Karen Moul
The Walking Dead was back this week with another great episode. It was perhaps not as excellent as the pilot but still worthy of an A-. At first look, "Guts" seemed to offer slightly less action than last week's episode, but that was mostly due to time contraints. The pilot was 90 minutes, and this week we had to settle for a normal one-hour show. But that hour gave us fast-paced storylines, great effects and very creative use of zombie guts.
The worst part of the episode? Nothing ruins an opening scene like seeing your two most hated characters having sex in the dirt. Ew. Shane's not an unattractive character. His conversation with Rick in the pilot made me think he is a jerk who doesn't like women all that much, and he seems to rule his little band more by bossiness than true leadership. And during a zombie apocalypse he thinks it's funny to sneak up behind someone and scare her? Very funny, jackass. He's lucky Lori was unarmed. Of course she's not too attractive either, she abandoned her comatose husband and she seems pretty into having sex with a jerk. So thanks writers for the sex scene, but I'd prefer to look at that zombie eating the rat.
The Walking Dead was back this week with another great episode. It was perhaps not as excellent as the pilot but still worthy of an A-. At first look, "Guts" seemed to offer slightly less action than last week's episode, but that was mostly due to time contraints. The pilot was 90 minutes, and this week we had to settle for a normal one-hour show. But that hour gave us fast-paced storylines, great effects and very creative use of zombie guts. The worst part of the episode? Nothing ruins an opening scene like seeing your two most hated characters having sex in the dirt. Ew. Shane's not an unattractive character. His conversation with Rick in the pilot made me think he is a jerk who doesn't like women all that much, and he seems to rule his little band more by bossiness than true leadership. And during a zombie apocalypse he thinks it's funny to sneak up behind someone and scare her? Very funny, jackass. He's lucky Lori was unarmed. Of course she's not too attractive either, she abandoned her comatose husband and she seems pretty into having sex with a jerk. So thanks writers for the sex scene, but I'd prefer to look at that zombie eating the rat.
AMC's Monster Hit: "The Walking Dead"
By Karen Moul
Caution - Spoilers!
It looks like AMC might have a hit with The Walking Dead, the new six-part series based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman. Sunday night's opener drew 5.3 million viewers, more than any series premiere this year on any cable network, according to SpoilerTV. It was also the highest audience for any series ever on AMC (the season finale of Mad Men drew half as many viewers.) Most critics seem to think if AMC can hold a good chunk of that audience, a renewal is likely.
This show deserves it. AMC has assembled a dream production team that includes Kirkman, writer/director/producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), and effects and makeup guru Greg Nicotero, whose credits include more than a hundred feature films. Together they created a show that satisfies die-hard zombie fans as well as viewers new to Kirkman's story. And the network has clearly put some money into this show - great production values, great special effects (for TV), great music. The zombies look awesome.
Caution - Spoilers!
It looks like AMC might have a hit with The Walking Dead, the new six-part series based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman. Sunday night's opener drew 5.3 million viewers, more than any series premiere this year on any cable network, according to SpoilerTV. It was also the highest audience for any series ever on AMC (the season finale of Mad Men drew half as many viewers.) Most critics seem to think if AMC can hold a good chunk of that audience, a renewal is likely.
This show deserves it. AMC has assembled a dream production team that includes Kirkman, writer/director/producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), and effects and makeup guru Greg Nicotero, whose credits include more than a hundred feature films. Together they created a show that satisfies die-hard zombie fans as well as viewers new to Kirkman's story. And the network has clearly put some money into this show - great production values, great special effects (for TV), great music. The zombies look awesome.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - It's a Hit, But Does It Live Up to the Hype?
It may be the third movie, but the fan craze has not abated, if anything the fan base for Twilight continues to grow as The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is released around the world. Tickets for the midnight release of the movie were sold out weeks in advance as fans of all ages readied themselves for the third installment. The movie set a midnight release record of $30 million, and was also the largest grossing Wednesday opening of all time, earning $68.5 million in the first full day. The results for the first week were a total of $187 million domestic and $287 million worldwide.
Alice in Wonderland is All About the Visuals
One of the first things that will draw people to see Alice in Wonderland is the visuals, which do not disappoint. While the 3-D experience does not quite reach that of Avatar, released earlier this year, it is still a delight and well worth the money. The visuals are what one comes to expect from Tim Burton, who directed the film. The worlds are colorful and whimsical and bring the story to life.Fringe Finale Left Us Hanging
Since late last season, Fringe has been moving towards the inevitable convergence of the primary universe and the parallel one in which William Bell resides and the Peter we know came from. The winter finale finally brought this to fruition. The Final Season of Lost Starts with a Bang
Lost started its sixth and last season with a bang literally, continuing where it left off last season with the detonation of a hydrogen bomb. Fans were left to wonder last season on the future of the characters, two in jeopardy of dying, but would history be rewritten and save them all? 
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!