Claudia Black is a badass. Ben Browder is okay too.

While I am ecstatic that the entire series of Farscape, season for season the best sci-fi series of all time (just ask Kanye West), will be out in a new DVD box set this November, I’m a bit upset. I spent over $400 collecting the four seasons individually, including season 1 which was out of print for so long. Currently, my collection of Farscape takes up two whole shelves in my DVD collection.  This new sleek box set looks like it will take up less than a quarter of that. Awesome, and yet upsetting.

Still, it doesn’t answer the biggest question on most scapers’ minds. It’s beer o’clock, where are my Farscape webisodes? I am hoping that the re-release of the series on DVD is just a way of building interest in the return of the series. So, I’m going to buy the new set and I hope other scapers will too. Huge DVD sales could translate into another series, or maybe a feature film, like Serenity.

Sylar from Heroes

The best part of a date is when you get to scream and grab onto your boyfriend. He pretends that he hasn’t peed his pants and then casually wraps his arm around you with a smirk on his face. You smile and hide yourself inside his shirt, happy to have finally had the opportunity to touch him. Which villains are your best choice for snuggle up dates? This is your blockbuster/tv night list for next week!

There isn’t a woman alive who wants to see Denzel Washington as the bad guy. In Training Day, he plays bad cop Alonso Harris. The intensity of his role ensures constant arm grabbing and a much needed rescue after the movie is over!

To this day, whenever The Terminator Aires, popcorn bowls fly and men and women sit frozen together in silence as the beloved Arnold Schwarzenegger hunts down Sarah Conner. No one sleeps alone or with the lights out after watching this!

Okay, we remember Tom Cruise flipping bottles of liquor, dancing around in his underwear and that cocky smile of his… Does a woman like to see such a gorgeous man play the role of Vincent in the movie Collateral? A part of him takes out bad guys but you still need to hold a nice strong man’s hand through it.

Scorpius and John Crichton

If you’ve ever been a fan of the TV series Farscape then the name Scorpius, played by Wayne Pygram, sends shivers down your spine. The half Sebacean, half Scarran hunts the gorgeous John Crichton, played by Ben Browder, puts him the aurora chair (torture chair), injects a neural clone in his brain and kills anyone who gets in his way; or just because he feels like it. He is a villain with a purpose which makes him all the more dangerous to anyone he meets. Never doubt him or question him. For if you do, you’ll find him plotting your elimination. Grab your boyfriend, husband or date. You are going to need each other to get through an episode of Scorpius.

And, my favorite of all? The one that airs every Monday night. Yes, Hero’s villain Sylar played by Zachary Quinto. He is a newer actor without a past of happy go lucky movies/shows to remind you that he isn’t really the bad guy. Uh huh, the serial killer who at first you hate him for slicing brains in half so that he can take their ‘powers’ for himself but then love after you see him do small acts of kindness that seem out of his character and then hate him again when he betrays them after all. That’s right, Sylar is the face you see at night when you hear your clock tick-tick-ticking in the background. Roll over and stay close to the one you love and pray you don’t have a special ability that he desires.

It’s hard to believe the live-action-meets-puppeteering sci-fi series Farscape is a decade old, but that’s the occasion that brought Brian Henson and stars of the show to Comic-Con International Friday to announce a new complete series DVD set.

Don't call me Crackers

If you dig Sci-Fi or SyFy or whatever the frak it’s calling itself nowadays and you watch Friday nights (or Tivo it because, heh, I’m assuming you’re out on Friday nights, right?), then your captain of interstellar delight will have been wearing an SG-1 uniform and trying to dial the gate to save the planet as Colonel “Cam” Mitchell.  But those of us that are crazy ass Ben Browder fans want Farscape back so we can enjoy the crazy/sexy/cool antics of John Crichton, can I get a “Hell Yeah!”

Not only did Henson Productions and Sci-Fi hit the jackpot with casting mostly unknown Browder as the astronaut who jumps through a wormhole, the fans got a funny, versatile, and sexy lead who was part cowboy, part nerdy pilot, and all sass before Joss Whedon had even thought up Firefly.  Browder was wowing audiences globally with his sharp wit and ability to take any crazy scenario they threw him in and sell it with complete confidence.  Puppet exiled leader as nasty foil?  Check.  Leather-bound ghast in cockroach form haunting his brain?  Check.  Blue alien ladies?  Oh, hell yeah, check!  Move over Kirk…Crichton not only outdoes you…he gets the girl in the end of the series…AND in the mini-series the fans fought to bring back…AND in the completely different series as both Browder and his romantic sidekick Claudia Black keep the faith for Farscape fans all the way into Stargate SG-1. 

Ben Browder, after winning several Saturn awards, would probably love to branch out and needs a good agent to help that along.  But you know, everyone loves the hero.  And there ain’t much sexier/funnier in the galaxy than Ben Browder’s Crichton.

Hi, my name is Stacie…and I’m a Smallville addict.  Every season, I think I’m going to be able to give it up.  Especially after season 6 & 7.  Enough with the CLANA!  Please!  I had to learn to watch the show on mute.  While reading a

I believe I can fly!

magazine….and painting my toenails.  And I was just going to catch the Season 8 opener to prove to myself that yes, I can stop, the magic is over.  And then the damn producers of the show did the unthinkable:  they put Tom Welling, aka Clark Kent, aka Superman, in a business suit.  Oh…..shizzle.  *Sigh*  It’s game over, game over.  Hooked all over again.  Are you kidding me?  Give up the opportunity to see Tom Welling every week…in a suit and tie?!  I don’t have the power to resist that.

Never mind the fact that the producers also threw cutey Justin Hartley (aka Green Arrow) on the show to, uh, liven it up.  Nope, unnecessary.  If you don’t think Tom Welling is one of the hottest looking guys EVER, well, then you must have your eyes closed.  It took my a long time to pick a picture for this post…who could pick just one Tom Welling picture?  It’s like trying to eat one Pringles potato chip!  It’s bad for you but you can’t just eat/see one.  Maybe the suit with the messy hair.  Maybe the classic shirt off with the ‘S’ painted on.  Maybe one of the beefier stills from an early season when he’s playing up the hunky farm boy.  God, who cares~!  Any will do. 

And I’ll play the game again, wishing that Tom Welling breaks out to do other things while secretly wondering when they are going to have Supes fly on the show.  He’s been able to act pretty much every which way you can, even doing some directing now, which is great.  And just like our good friend Ben Browder, success can sometimes be a death knell for a long and varied career.  But considering how many of us were aghast that the movie producers cast anyone BUT Tom Welling to play Supes in the movie revamp, I think he’ll probably always have a place in front of the camera if he wants it.

Hi…I’m a happy Tom Welling addict, ready for yet another season of Smallville…bring on the ZOD!

You're damn right I shoot first!

And ending this week’s Hot Guy Friday from waaaaaaaaaay out there is truly a Long Time Ago and a Galaxy far far away…you know, the 70’s.  But one can’t always go for the perfectly pretty boys and forget the scruffy looking nerf-herders with a hearts ‘o gold.  The ones that prefer a straight fight to all that sneaking around.  Of course, I mean Harrison Ford in the role that made him, Han Solo.   He wasn’t pretty and young Mark Hamill, who’s unfortunate accident and more unfortunate role in Corvette Summer likely short-changed the rest of his career.  He was simply a carpenter who fixed George’s house and looked enough the part of a luggie hick in a cowboy hat that George would cast him in American Graffiti. 

But Han Solo was the perfect match for Ford, sarcasm with a touch of genuine naivete, scoundrel with a heart of gold.  So popular was his rogue creation that George fought against his own storytelling instincts and let Han Solo live.  Which short circuited something in George’s brain and the next thing we have Teddy Ruxpin defeating the most powerful army in the universe…with sticks…and rocks…and happy dances.  Yes, you can blame all of the other poor decisions in the Star Wars-verse on Han Solo’s handsomeness overwhelming George’s sense of the myth.  The best buddy has to die.  Well, no not in this case.  Han Solo even gets the girl after confirming that incest does not run in the family.

Sci-Fi writers must’ve been equally whacked in the head because they attempted to write this wrong by having Leia, ambassador and royal chick, marry someone else.  Um, yeah.  After bearing Han Solo twins.  Uh, yeah.  What is wrong with you people!?  You froze him in carbonite.  Get off him!

But no matter, Harrison Ford used Han Solo for all he was worth before beating up Nazis, stealing sacred rocks, avoiding snakes and Spielberg wives in movies.  Now, if he could avoid any more lame ass reunion movie ideas between Spielberg and George (and yes, I still want my $10 back!) , Han Solo and Indiana Jones might be able to have a nice beer in a cantina somewhere in Harrison Ford’s mind.  Harrison’s ears might be longer than the earring he wears and weigh more than his new wife Calista, but we’ll always have Han Solo…forever frozen in celluloid hawtness.

May the Hawt be with you!

Ben Browder

This was another tough decision. There was a Stargate panel for the new show at the same time as this one, but I just couldn’t pass up a chance to see Ben Browder and Claudia Black.

Along with them was one of the writers and Brian Henson, Jim’s son, who sounds like a cross between Kermit and Rizzo the Rat. Very cool.

Claudia and Ben clearly adore each other, sharing jokes and whispering to each other during the chat, and everyone on the panel was clearly still dedicated to Farscape and doing whatever they can to keep it alive, either in comics or animation or whatever they can pull off.

Farscape is back on DVD in a new box set soon, so keep an eye out.

Claudia Black

(This is Peter Facinelli for those who don't know)Now, alot of men couldn't pull off the 'slightly-too-short-trousers' look, but he totally can. Check out those ankles!! :wolf whistle: lol

GAWD why don’t I pay more attention to the convention circuits!!!??? This year I have so far missed out on David Morrissey(His dance to ‘These Boots are Made for Walking’ by Nancy Sinatra WITH Tennant is just bliss!!! He’s also the guy who shudda been the next Doctor after Tennant…Not this young Matt Smith guy…far too young…for my taste at any rate.. at least 30 plz!) at CollectorMania Midlands, in April, there were a fair few actors/actresses at this convention that I like, 2 from Being Human, folks from Star Wars, Indiana Jones…

Morrissey on the left, Tennant on the right. GAWD I wish Morrissey was the next Doctor instead of Matt Smith... Morrissey had it DOWN. He did it so very well in the Xmas ep...

At the CollectorMania at Milton Keynes I missed Nathan Fillion(Capt Mal, Richard Castle, Captain Hammer!!:wooop:), Ben Browder(Crichton!!), Leonard Nimmoy, Phillip Glenister and Naoko Mori(Tosh!!! Tosh was awesome.. why’d she have to die… (had to cut spoiler to the Children of Earth eps… since the US aint seen em yet… bah.)

This I found just after I'd decided on another pic. So...very....hot!!!!

And lastly, the London Film and Comic Con, where none other than Peter Facinelli will be attending… both days… :sob: Not only him, but Sendhil Ramamurthy too! The lovely Mohinder, who seemed to go a bit off the rails the last series or so… AND Jewel Staite!! AND Danny Trejo!! And Tom Baker, Eve Myles(yaaaaaay!), Paul McGann and Danny John-Jules!!(Cat from Red Dwarf AND the best librarian from Storymaker!(Funny UK kids show on BBC)) Thats not even half, there are so many people there…. GAH wish I was there… wish I’d remembered it was this weekend! It totally crept up on me…

Roadkill PFach. Poor thing...

Pics of Peter Facinelli came from the all powerful Peter Facinelli Gallery, at the official site for him.

The pic of David Morrissey + David Tennant came from the Telegraph site.

The pic of Nathan Fillion came from here, which seems to be a site devoted to hot guys in glasses. Which I LOVE!!! Megane-Otoko ftw!!!

Tout d’abord, voilà comment ces tops auraient dû être faits, si vous voulez mon avis :
- Top Cinéma Actrices
- Top Série Actrices
- Top Ciné Acteurs US
- Top Série Acteurs US
- Top Actrices UK/Australia
- Top Acteurs UK/Australia
- Top Acteurs Asia
- Top Actrices Asia (ou un mix acteurs/actrices pour l’Asie)

Voilà ! Ainsi, j’aurais pu couvrir comme il se doit ! Vous n’imaginez pas les sacrifices qu’il faut faire pour donner le jour à un top acteurs de séries pour ma personne ! C’est défier le système là !

J’ai éliminé d’office l’Asie, comme ça, pas de complications. Trop de bons acteurs ces derniers temps sur mon écran, hard business. D’ailleurs, comme les Anglais, ils ont tendance à aller et venir entre le petit et grand écran (particulièrement en Corée – je ne sais pas trop pour le Japon), ce qui complique bien la tâche, on en convient ! Voilà pourquoi, il aurait fallu un top spécialement UK.

Bref, voici ma petite sélection, very Sci-fi, vous vous en doutez. De toute façon, si vous me lisez sur Critictoo, il ne va pas vraiment y avoir de surprise dans le package, j’ai exprimé mon amour pour ces acteurs depuis belle lurette ! Et, c’est toujours par ordre alphabétique !

1/ Ben Browder

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? Farscape

Avis : Difficile de ne pas tomber sous le charme de Ben Browder, si vous avez suivi Farscape. Et si, en plus, comme moi, c’est une de vos séries préférées, que vous avez vu un nombre incalculable de fois  les épisodes, écouter les commentaires audio, suivi l’actualité de l’acteur… Ben joue bien, écrit bien, et devinez quoi ? C’est un fan de SF! Franchement, comment ne pas être dans ce top avec tant de qualités ?

2/ Damian Lewis

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? Band Of Brothers, puis Life

Avis : Une histoire un peu compliquée me lie à Damian Lewis. En effet, avec BOB, j’étais totalement tombée sous le charme ! Mais total, j’ai même essayé de suivre son parcours. Difficile, il faut bien le dire quand ils sont anglais et internet, ce n’était pas ce que c’était aujourd’hui, et moi, pas ce que j’étais aujourd’hui. Nos routes se sont séparés pour mieux se retrouver avec Life !

3/ David Hewlett

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? Stargate

Avis : Je vous rassure, je ne vais pas faire tous les acteurs de la franchise. Alors, comme Ben Browder, si vous me suivez, vous savez déjà que David Hewlett est quelqu’un que j’aime bien, sur petit comme sur grand écran. Comme beaucoup de monde, la première fois que j’ai dû le voir, c’était dans Cube, mais je n’ai vraiment commencé qu’à m’interesser à l’acteur quelques années plus tard. Et puis, il est le légendaire Rodney McKay, indispensable à la survie d’Atlantis!

4/ David Morrissey

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? Je ne sais pas

Avis : En fait, au départ, je ne pouvais pas encadrer David Morrissey. Vraiment. La pilule ne passait pas du tout, j’avais un problème avec lui. Je ne peux pas dire que je le trouvais mauvais, ce serait un mensonge. Peut être que j’avais un problème avec son accent, que j’adore aujourd’hui par ailleurs. Bref, je ne sais pas. Ce qui fait que c’est venu progressivement. Petit à petit, j’ai commencé à l’aimer, à le trouver bon. Cela s’est fait naturellement, et maintenant, son nom me motive pour regarder une production.

5/ Dean Winters

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? Oz

Avis : Je vous jure, le truc de fou, j’ai failli oublier Dean Winters. Qu’est ce qui ne tourne pas rond. Dans un moment de confession tout à fait malsain, je craquais total sur Ryan O’Reily, ce que, je le précise, n’est pas le genre de sentiments que suscitait beaucoup Oz, hein! Quoiqu’il en soit, sur le petit écran, on se voit pas mal lui et moi (disons que depuis Oz, j’ai vu tout ce qu’il a fait sur le petit écran, j’ai quelques trous avant), il a donc eu largement le temps de me convaincre (ce qui n’est pas vraiment nécessaire quand on a joué dans Oz et Homicide).

6/ Jamie Bamber

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? BSG / L&O : UK

Avis : Il y avait Tricia Helfer parmi les femmes, il y a donc Jamie Bamber parmi les hommes, mais je vais être honnête, si je l’ai toujours trouvé doué, il est vraiment bon dans L&O:UK. C’est drôle quand on y songe, beaucoup doivent penser qu’il y a moins de matériel, et étrangement, l’acteur est d’un charismatique à toute épreuve. Oh, mais il était déjà très bien dans BSG, hein, autrement, il ne serait pas là.

7 / Kevin McKidd

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? Rome

Avis : Dans Rome, on pourrait mettre tout le casting. Perso, j’adorais Max Pirkis – qui n’a rien fait depuis, il suit des études et apparemment, il est à Cambridge – et je ne vous parle pas de James Purefoy ou Ciaran Hinds (on ne parle pas de révélation pour aucun de trois là)… Bref, un magnifique casting, mais la question, c’est comment j’avais pu, pendant toutes ces années, passé à côté de Kevin McKidd ? Il était dans Trainspotting, mince alors! Pour ma défense, on s’est un peu croisé, mais pas tant que ça. Depuis, c’est bon, on ne se quitte plus!

8/ Matthew Macfadyen

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? Spooks

Avis : J’adore Spooks, bourré d’acteurs avec lesquels on ne veut plus se séparer après. Si ce n’est que Matthew, ce fut le premier. On va et vient entre la télévision et le cinéma, en bon british qui se respecte, et moi aussi, je vais et vient entre les deux. Le système n’est pas infaillible, mais jusque là, ça va, on se croise régulièrement, et c’est plutôt cool. Et, je ne peux que vous conseiller de regarder Spooks, si ce n’est pas déjà fait. Les premières années ont un peu vieilli, mais quand même, ça vaut largement un peu de votre temps.

9/ Michael Chicklis

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? The Shield

Avis : Comme pour d’autres, la révélation fut The Shield, que si vous n’avez pas vu, vous savez ce qui vous reste à faire. Ne serait-ce que pour votre background sériephilique, c’est plus qu’incontournable, et c’est une de mes séries préférés (notez : 4 acteurs de ce top joue dans une de mes séries préférés – j’ai un manque total d’objectivité!). Il était une motivation pour Les FF, et j’adore quand il croise ma route!

10/ Michael Shanks

Comment a-t-il gagné ses galons ? Stargate

Avis : Ai-je quelque chose pour les Michael ? Juste une coincidence. Je ne vois pas trop quoi vous dire ici, car je pense que tout lecteur de Critictoo a du noter mon fort penchant pour Michael Shanks. Après tout, je ne vois pas quelle autre preuve que le visionnage de téléfilm Sci Fi il faudrait pour prouver tout le bien que je pense de lui ? Il n’y en a pas de plus grande, les fans de Michael Shanks, ils sont comme ça, que voulez-vous! Et Sci Fi le sait! (et lui, il doit nourrir sa famille et payer les factures).

Bonus : Kyle Chandler

Je n’ai pas pu me résoudre à ne pas poster une photo de Kyle Chandler, et en regardant sa filmo, je me suis dit que c’était dommage qu’il était si sous employé. Enfin, je sais que les demoiselles qui regardent FNL en pince surtout pour les joueurs, c’est normal, ils sont plus jeunes et athlétiques, mais si vous avez lu mes critiques, vous vous en doutez, moi, c’est le coach que je préfère!

Allez, l’aventure s’arrête là! Il y a plein d’autres acteurs qu’on ne se lassera jamais de voir, et qui ne sont pas dans cette liste! Quelle idée de faire des tops acteurs, je vous jure. On se parle dans deux mois, et je pense que quelques noms auront changé

Credit and thanks to Raingirlkm from TWoP for the title of this blog.

So back when the US had a cowboy for President, Veronica Mars was still on the air, Jay Leno was boring us five nights a week (oh, wait, he’ll still be doing that this Fall – nevermind), and the channel formerly known as the Sci Fi channel was still known as the Sci Fi channel (Syfy means STD in Polish, douchebags!), it was announced that there would be 10 new webisodes produced for Farscape.

Farscape, arguably the best science fiction television series in history (sorry, Battlestar Galactica) was canceled abruptly in its fourth season despite the promise of a fifth season. A mini-series, The Peacekeeper Wars, was produced to tie up some dangling plot lines but the show still had more stories to tell and the characters were so damn sexy, leaving fans wanting more. So the STD channel, er, I mean Syfy, decided to throw the fans a bone with a promise of 10 webisodes that may or may not reunite Aeryn “Badass to the Bone” Sun with her husband and baby-daddy John “Crazy as a Mo-fo” Crichton.

Well, that bone has turned out to be some kind of c**k-tease because it’s been 2 years since that announcement went out and there’s no signs that production has begun or any updates on the main cast’s respective websites. As an exasperated fan, I need to know how much longer I must wait. You can’t count on the fact that Ben Browder never seems to age or that Claudia Black will still be hotter than most starlets on TV when she’s well into her 50’s (she’s 37 now). I’m not sure who is in charge, but if you are reading this and you know someone who has clout on this project, LIGHT A FIRE UNDER HIS/HER ASS!!

Stargate Atlantis stunt coordinator James "Bam Bam" Bamford takes aim on the show's Vancouver, B.C. set. Photo courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios

James Bamford is looking for a fight today on the Stargate Atlantis set. It’s OK, though, seeing that he is the show’s stunt coordinator. When it comes to one of our heroes duking it out with a bad guy, a Wraith jumping from a dizzying height, or even a guest-star taking a fall, Bamford, or “Bam Bam,” is responsible for making sure everyone knows what he or she is doing and, above all, is safe while doing it. His season five on-set “duties” began in earnest with Broken Ties, in which Ronon Dex once again goes up against his former Satedan friend Tyre, played by Mark Dacascos.

“First off, Mark Dacascos is just a master and a true martial artist,” says Bamford. “He’s not an actor who learned how to fight, but rather a fighter who learned how to act, and is a treat to work with. Having him perform my choreography is truly an honor. I began really early choreographing this particular fight in Broken Ties, and it went on for so long that they [the producers and director] actually cut out almost half of it. The episode itself was over time-wise, which is why we had to edit down the sequence. However, what’s cool is when the season five DVD comes out, you’ll see the entire fight as a special feature. Ivon Bartok [DVD special features producer] followed us around with a camera in the early choreography stages and came to all the rehearsals, so you’ll get to watch a really progressive version of the rehearsal process. And  think the fight on the DVD will be my original full-length version, which I’m excited about.

Bamford sets the stage for a stunt. Photo courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios

“Insofar as the actual choreography, the first challenge was designing a new sword for the Tyre character,” continues the stunt coordinator. “Every martial artist prefers different things about his weapons so I spoke a couple of times with Mark over the phone about dimensions, handle, grip and whatnot for his sword. In the end, he said, ‘Go ahead with whatever you think will work for me, Bam Bam. I trust your opinion.’ So I played around with different swords, and James Robbins [Atlantis production designer] did the conceptual drawing for it. Our model shop then built the actual weapon, and between all of us we came up with a nice, light and yet dangerous looking blade.

“From there, I had to get a stunt double for Mark, who was still down in Los Angeles, and I stepped in as Jason Momoa’s [Ronon Dex] double. Usually what I try to do is figure out the beginning of the fight or how to get into it, and then from there the brain just flows and things unfold organically. Jason wanted to show a growing and then explosion of anger or betrayal at one point in the fight, so I left one section where he could have his own personal stamp. We worked with Jason for a few days, and then Mark flew into town and we started to teach him his side of the fight. We taught him away from Jason, and vice versa. Throughout the rehearsal process, Mark was like, ‘Thank you so much for this wonderful fight.’ He was very complimentary from beginning to end, and when he and Jason finally came together to do the fight they were absolutely perfect. They jumped right into it and it was something to see, that’s for sure.”

Bamford on-set with Jason Momoa (Ronon Dex). Photo courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios

In the season five Atlantis episode Tracker, Ronon and Dr. McKay (David Hewlett) must match wits with Kiryk, a Runner who has abducted Dr. Keller (Jewel Staite) while on an off-world mission. Once again, the stunt coordinator had the opportunity to work with a professional who was well-versed in the art of stunt fighting.

“We had Mike Dopud playing a character named Kiryk, and in addition to being an actor, Mike has worked as a stunt guy as well,” explains Bamford. “His character and Jason’s had two on-screen fights, but I didn’t have access to Jason – he was out of town and not available for rehearsals. I had to put everything together with Jason in mind but not physically there, so I rehearsed with Mike and he did quite well. When we subsequently started plugging Jason into the rehearsals it was just minutes here and there on-set. He didn’t even see one of the fights until the day he got to set, so I had to teach it to him bit by bit as we were shooting. As usual, Jason picked up the choreography very quickly. I showed it to him and the camera was literally rolling five minutes later.

Bamford and company are suited up for action. Photo courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios

Prepping for some on-screen work. Photo courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios

After their six-week-long summer 2008 hiatus, Bamford was back on-set with the Atlantis cast and crew to start work on The Prodigal, an action-packed episode with some intense fights involving the half-human, half-Wraith Michael (Connor Trinneer). “We shot our first big fight sequence on our second day back from hiatus,” recalls Bamford. “So everyone had been traveling about and had to return to work and try to remember some fight choreography.

“I had rehearsed the fight sequences and put the footage on an instructional DVD that I gave to Jason and Connor. Yes, they had that to study, but even though you might have something in your head, it doesn’t give you the actual rehearsal time needed to build true muscle memory. So the actors had very little time to practice and sort of had to go off their memory of the DVD. It’s like learning Kung Fu from a book, which is very difficult unless you’re a master. So the hiatus ate into most of our rehearsal time, but, once again, the actors pulled things off and there are some amazing fights in this episode.

Bamford runs through a fight sequence from "The Prodigal" with Jason Momoa. Photo courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios

Bamford gives his actors some instruction on hand-to-hand combat. Photo courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios

“Following The Prodigal, we went into Remnants, which features a well-known character [Acastas Kolya, portrayed by Robert Davi] that you’ll recognize. At the moment [mid-August 2008] we’re filming Infection as well as prepping for Identity and Vegas. James Robbins, Rob Cooper [Atlantis co-creator/executive producer] and John Smith [executive producer] are actually in Las Vegas doing location scouts for certain scenes. Part of Vegas is set in the desert and there’s some driving involved along with plenty of stunts. Then after that is the season [and series] finale Enemy at the Gate, which should be a lot of fun to do.”

While working on Atlantis, Bamford was asked by writer/director Robert C. Cooper to also serve as fight coordinator for the first made-for-DVD Stargate SG-1 feature film The Ark of Truth. “Ark was a great opportunity for me because I got to work with Robert Cooper, which I love,” says the stunt coordinator. “He writes for himself to direct, and he writes things a little bigger because he knows exactly what he wants to see, so we get to do things on a grander scale for Rob.

Jason Momoa hanging around on-set with Bamford. Photo courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios

“I think we had three days scheduled to do the main fight involving Ben Browder [Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell], which is way over and above what we usually get. I mean, we usually get four to six hours to do a fight, so three days was fantastic. Because SG-1 is such a well-oiled machine, we managed to get it done in a day-and-a-half, which was terrific. I had previously worked with Rob on [the season three Atlantis episode] Doppelganger, which had a large fight sequence. He enjoyed the choreography that I’d brought to Atlantis and wanted to extend that type of feel and look onto Ark of Truth. Needless to say I had a blast.”

Steve Eramo

As noted above, all photos courtesy of and copyright of MGM Studios, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

Farscape individual dvds

This is a great list of each dvd not by box set but disk. I can’t wait for the complete series release of Farscape DVD the series!

If you buy them used you will save a lot over new disks too

Post in but I say it is a better show, better effects, better written and much more creative.

The third Stargate series marches rapidly toward its February shooting date, and pre-production is moving along at a rapid pace. Writer-producer Joseph Mallozzi has been updating fans on the show’s progress this month at his blog.

“Brad and Rob did a terrific job of kicking things off in thrilling fashion,” Mallozzi said of the premiere episode’s script. “The script is fast-paced and fun; its characters unique and engaging. My favorite: Dr. David Rush. Oh, he’s going to be a handful. Originally planned as a two-parter, Brad and Robert quickly discovered that there was simply too much story for such a tight frame, so the series opener is now looking like a three-parter.”

The complete writing staff from Stargate Atlantis is back to kick off the new series, including showrunners Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, plus Carl Binder, Martin Gero, Alan McCullough, Paul Mullie, and Mallozzi himself. (While Wright previously expressed an interest in bringing in new writers, there is no news yet on whether that will happen.)

Stories for the rest of Season One are being spun in the writer’s room at The Bridge Studios. “Brad has laid claim to #4, a story that is right up his alley,” Mallozzi continued. “Speaking of perfect pairings, I couldn’t think of anyone better than Carl Binder to write #5. Rob is eyeing #6 which offers a most intriguingly SF door in, while #7 and #8 have yet to be claimed.”

Martin Gero’s first script “involved a long, long discussion on the workings of a certain technology which forms the impetus to another terrific character-driven story.”

The team has left episode nine temporarily on the shelf to discuss episodes 10 and 11, which would typically be a mid-season two-parter for a Stargate series. But “I hesitate to call it a two-parter because, the way these episodes have developed so far, there are a threads that run through all the stories, in essence making this season one big 20-parter,” Mallozzi said.

Mallozzi will write episode 10, and Mullie number 11. The producer teased: “Ticking clocks, twists and turns, alliances, betrayals, and a surprise guest!”

Set on board an Ancient vessel called the Destiny, Universe follows Colonel Everett Young and a team of young and largely untested men and women. Stargate Universe will be more of a character-based show with more deliberate story arcs, as opposed to the more stand-alone, action-based nature of Atlantis and even SG-1.

But many fans are nervous about the new series and its apparent differences from what has made Stargate what it is over the past 12 years. Others, however, believe that this sort of change is just what the franchise needs in order to be reenergized.

“Stargate Universe is a series that draws on established mythology yet blazes a bold, new path for the franchise,” Mallozzi told fans. “It’s definitely more character-centered and intimate in its exploration of the interpersonal dynamics that will drive a lot of the shipboard developments (and, no, I’m not talking about romance). The premise of this ship hurtling through uncharted territories offers up unbounded story possibilities, yet also forces us to adopt a very different approach toward alien encounters and planetary investigation. Twin themes mentioned over the course of today’s conversations: survival and sacrifice.”

“The premise of SGU is … more intimate — a limited group of people trapped aboard a space ship hurtling through distant space — and therefore necessitates a more intimate form of storytelling.”

Mallozzi also said that the design of the Destiny is close to being decided. There is also a new Universe version of the M.A.L.P. probe in the works, the series is expected to premiere in the U.S. next July.

Non sono mai stato un grande appassionato di Stargate-SG 1, mi è sempre parsa un po’ troppo stiracchiata, sono andati avanti per dieci stagioni in cui è successo tutto e il contrario di tutto, anche se alla fine hanno recuperato non tanto per la trama (’sta storia degli Ori, Merlino e i priori mi ha lasciato perplesso) quanto per Ben Browder (ma quando lo invitano ad una convention di fantascienza italiana? Che credo che se me lo vedo dal vivo mi prende un infarto, ma almeno muoio felice)

Quindi ho visto con scarsissimo appagamento Stargate the Ark of Truth, che proprio su queste vicende di quella manica di cazzari dei priori è centrata.

Invece mi sono assai divertito su Stargate: Continuum, che riprende il filone classico dei G’ouald. Ci sono tutti gli elementi tipici di un film di genere (quindi linee temporali alternative, in cui è possibile che gli sceneggiatori si tolgano ogni sfizio, compreso ammazzare un po’ di personaggi che sarebbero altrimenti intoccabili).

Però questa zuppa è girata molto bene, il regista l’ha resa mai noiosa e anzi avvincente, gli attori mi paiono un po’ più espressivi del solito (che Stargate non è che sia mai stato questo trionfo del teatro scespiriano trasposto su grande schermo) e sopratutto il protagonista è proprio Ben Browder in tutta la sua magnificenza.

Since I finished Farscape a few weeks ago, I’ve been watching old episodes of Stargate SG-1 from seasons 9 and 10 to review Ben Browder’s performance and compare/contrast.

Browder’s performance in Farscape is much grittier. After about half a season, he is able to step into his character and really shine. His performance is brilliant – everything from his the way he talks to how he deals with harsh situations shows how great of an actor he is. His character – an American astronaut lost in space – beautifully portrays the classic American man on an adventure. He is, in many amazing ways, the American cowboy in space. He goes on adventures, is mostly loyal to his friends, shoots his gun at bad guys and gets the girl in the end.

Browder’s performance in Stargate SG-1 (the 9th and ten seasons of which are often called “Farscape SG-1″ because of the cast migration) is more innocent. Stargate is a much cleaner sci-fi story than Farscape. Browder’s character is still definitively American, but in a much different way.

Stargate is a lot more defined by a set of guidelines than Farscape is. Anything could happen in Farscape, from a character dying to a perfect “twinning” of a character to the universe being destroyed by wormholes (which ultimately didn’t happen – but reminds me of my favorite Farscape quote – “This is your universe. This is your universe on Wormholes”).

All-in-all, I would say that Ben Browder is one of the most underrated and brilliant actors of our time.

Currently, one of my goals is to get an autograph from him at a convention.

Watch Another Terrific Video of Watch the Reactions of Cast & Crew During the Stargate Continuum Premiere in Vancouver

http://stargate.mgm.com/specialops/link.php?urlid=25&id=2256

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Stargate Now has an Official Stargate Fan Page on Facebook!

Check it Out Now and Don’t Forget to Tell All Your Stargate Friends….

http://stargate.mgm.com/specialops/link.php?urlid=24&id=2256

….and as always….

….Have A Very Stargate Day!

Respectfully Submitted by a Member of the Stargate Special Ops Team.  If you want to have lots of Stargate fun, click below and join the Special Ops Team today!

http://stargate.mgm.com/specialops

Created at least in part due to popular demand, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars will provide some closure to fans who were dismayed by the demise of the popular science fiction television show in 2003 and campaigned mightily to bring it back. Indeed, this miniseries (originally broadcast over two nights on the Sci-Fi Channel) will likely appeal primarily to the Farscape faithful, as the somewhat convoluted storyline may prove baffling to the uninitiated.

A brief bit of backstory explains how John Crichton, an astronaut from Earth, went through a wormhole and ended up on Moya, a living spaceship, with a motley group of aliens, including D’Argo (Anthony Simcoe), Chiana (Gigi Edgley), various puppet characters (designed by the Jim Henson Company), and Aeryn (Claudia Black), Crichton’s love interest, who’s expecting their first child. As The Peacekeeper Wars begins, our heroes find themselves in the middle of a war-to-end-all-wars between the lizard-like, implacably evil Scarrans and their rivals, the Peacekeepers. Crichton is the lynchpin in all of this, as his knowledge of “wormhole technology” is coveted by all, including his old nemesis Scorpius (Wayne Pygram), who captured and tortured Crichton back in season 1 and with whom Crichton must now form an uneasy alliance against the Scarrans.

Over the course of the three-hour miniseries, we get lots of weird- and cool-looking aliens, some nice sets and special effects, plenty of battles, and lots of portentous talk about the fate of the universe–nothing especially original, but all presented with outstanding production values. There’s drama and action, love and betrayal, tragedy and triumph, war and, ultimately, peace, with a suitably spectacular ending (and a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey). With a 30-minute “making of” documentary among the DVD special features, The Peacekeeper Wars is a fitting way to end the Farscape saga. –Sam Graham

Farscape – The Peacekeeper Wars is available at Amazon for $9.99. To Order click here
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Other Products of Interest

• Farscape – The Complete Fourth Season
• Farscape – The Complete Third Season
• Farscape – The Complete Second Season
• Farscape – Season 4, Collection 3 (Starburst Edition)
• Farscape – Season 4, Collection 2 (Starburst Edition)

Ben Browder interview in Cinema Spy