A toymaker plans to unleash a wave of killer toys on Christmas morning to satisfy a deal with a demon but she needs the blood of a Toulon relative, the creator of the living puppets Blade, Pinhead, Six Shooter and Jester. 

Directed by – Ted Nicolaou 

Written by – David S. Goyer, C. Courtney Joyner, Ted Nicolaou, David Schmoeller 

Starring – Corey Feldman, Vanessa Angel, Danielle Keaton, Silvia Suvadova, Nikolai Sotirov, Vilizar Binev, Anton Falk, Dessi Morales, Jodi Nelson, Paul Rawson 

I haven’t seen anything about Demonic Toys before but I am a huge fan of Puppet Master so I was looking forward to watching the latest installment featuring my favorite killer dolls. Plus it’s got Corey Feldman! How bad could it be? Well, it’s so bad that I really wanted to just turn it off. I’ve been trying to maintain a holiday themed movie viewing every day for this month but this was hard to sit through. 

It’s a made for cable movie which should have tipped me off in the first place and there’s only one semi good death in the whole movie. In fact the thing that I was most looking forward to, the puppets, spend most of the movie standing around doing nothing. The acting is awful and Corey Feldman is supposed to be the father of Vanessa Angel meanwhile they really look to be about the same age. How do they get around this fact? Throw some grey tints in Feldman’s hair and make him talk in a lower, gravly voice. Sorry, not buying that at all. 

A few of the Demonic Toys. Not really demonic looking though!

It is set at the holidays though so it fills that void for holiday themed flicks. The point of the film is to have all the kids in the world get a Demonic Toy for Christmas. When Christmas morning comes around, the toymaker will sacrifice a virgin (Vanessa Angel), Toulon’s daughter, to bring the toys to life and slaughter all the innocents in the world. This fills the toymakers deal with a demon so she can rule the world. It’s up to Robert Toulon (Corey Feldman) to save the day with his puppets. Now I assume they must be in California because there isn’t a drop of snow anywhere. We are treated to a bumper of a close up of a Christmas tree telling us how much time is left until Christmas morning so we don’t forget about the holiday massacre that’s to come. 

Blade and Pinhead return to battle the Demonic Toys.

Maybe if this movie had gone straight to DVD there would have been more blood in the film. That would have let me enjoy the film and forget about how terrible everything else about it was. Sadly it’s made for cable so we get one scene where a guys eyeballs burst out of his head. All this movie did was make me wish I had the other Puppet Master films so I could watch those and get some real enjoyment. The puppets in this one end up being nothing more than shiny table ornaments and the Demonic Toys are more vulgar than demonic. I’m sure the other Demonic Toys films are far better because I’m sure there’s plenty of them out there. 

Even though it’s a terrible movie, it still involved Christmas so my current streak of holiday films remains intact even if my brain is a little more mushy today because of it! 

Under the mistletoe – Will

It was a Halloween to remember with kangaroos and blue-handed bodies

In “Scary Monsters and Super Creeps,” the show attempted to answer the question:  “What caused the flashforwards?”   Alas, the answer was perhaps more confounding than the question.  For as Simon (Dominic Monaghan) attempted to explain quantum mechanics in simple terms to the blonde on the train, we were all left scratching our heads over how Schrodinger’s Cat Theory actually worked.  In Simon’s example, you have to imagine that in your hand you are holding a tiny cat and a poisoned sardine, and if you fold your hand closed, the cat is given two choices: either the cat eats the poisoned sardine and dies, or it doesn’t and lives.  You will not know until you open your hand which option the cat chose. Thus, it is up to the cat to decide if it wants to live or die.  It is only after you (the observer) open your hand that you will discover the cat’s fate — and quantum physics says that until you open your hand both eventualities occur at the same time.  But, according to Schrodinger’s Cat Theory, the miracle of quantum mechanics is that the observer gets to decide.

 This is a mind-bender.  Are there two parallel realities?  Is it up to each of us to decide which reality will exist?  However, applying Schrodinger’s Cat Theory, as the woman noted, “The cat had already made up its mind.”

 Also following this vein, the series seems to be focusing on whether each character will choose to eat the poisoned sardine or not.  Does each move forward to make their visions a reality or move away and resist their visions to become a reality?  Mark (Joseph Fiennes) and Olivia (Sonya Walger) are pushing against allowing their visions from coming true.  Mark does not want to return to his dark days of alcoholism and a failed marriage, and Olivia does not want to abandon her marriage and find love with another man she does not know.  Additionally, Demetri (John Cho) does not want his vision to come true either, for he does not want to be murdered.

Continue reading article at:

http://scifitvzone.com/2009/11/08/flashforward-scary-monsters-and-super-creeps/ 

The truth never sets anyone free, it just shackles them to a nightmare

Following the premise, “What if it happened before?” Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) enlisted fellow FBI Agent Al Gough (Lee Thompson Young) to contact a hacker to get CIA satellite imagery on Somalia from December 1990 – and they got just what they needed:  photos showing several tall pylons in the middle of nowhere in Somalia.  However, before they can run down this lead, the team is called to Washington, D.C. to answer to a Senate Intelligence Committee who is vetting each intelligence branch to determine which one should run point on the black-out investigation.  It wants to consolidate money and data under one government branch. Thus, the FBI has to justify its Mosaic investigation or they could lose their funding.     

 With an admonishment from Stanford Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance), “Just keep your mouth shut.  If you tell anyone else about this, we are DOA,” Benford must hide what he saw in his flashforward vision about his drinking.  For once anyone hears that he was impaired at the time, it casts doubt on the credibility of the FBI’s entire investigation.  But, at the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings, everyone subjected is to lie detector testing because the “CIA believes this was a targeted event designed to bring about the collapse of our government.”  Despite passing the lie detector test, Mark is asked to testify before the committee and, while subject to cross-examination before the committee, he revealed that he was investigating crow attrition (the mass death of crows) as a sign that the black-out was not an isolated incident and may have happened before.  He was also forced to reveal that he saw masked gunmen coming to kill him in his vision, which he felt validated the Mosaic investigation as it must have yielded fruit or why would anyone want to kill him.  But when asked, “Why is everything in your recollection so hazy and disjointed?” Mark could not give an adequate answer as to why he could not remember more than 30 seconds or so, when everyone else could remember in startling clarity every moment of their 2 minute and 17 second visions.  He only continued to state that the Mosaic investigation is a way to construct a picture of what the world will look like in 6 months and it has proven more reliable than theories that the black-out was due to the work of aliens, pharmaceutical companies, or China.

Unbeknownst to Mark, Senator Joyce Clemente (Barbara Williams) had a personal ax to grind.  As she reminded Wedeck, if only she could prove what he did 6 years ago, she would be the President of the United States.  But then she cryptically said, “If you sit by the river long enough, you’ll see the bodies of your enemies float by,” and shared that in her flashforward vision, she saw herself as President.  It was chilling as she said, “As impossible as that may be, it’s a nice thought, isn’t it?”   But it was also prophetic.

Continue reading article at:

http://scifitvzone.com/2009/11/08/flashforward-gimme-some-truth/ 

Lulled into a false sense of security

This episode was by far the most surprising to date.  It lulled you into thinking this was the same thing we had begun to expect over the course of the last few episodes, and then out of the blue, it delivered a blow not seen coming.  It was not even a death-blow.  It was just a major shocker.  The “black swan” was not Ned (Keir O’Donnell), the guy who thought he was going to turn into an African American; the “black swan” was Lloyd Simcoe (Jack Davenport).  I guess it is true when they say the best way to hide something is to hide it in plain sight.  For I never once suspected that Lloyd had anything to do with the blackout.  Thus, seeing the final scene of the episode where he takes the call from Simon (Dominic Monaghan) was a surprise.  The hair on the back of my neck and arms rose as I heard Simon tell him, “Talking to me is one of those little inconveniences you’re going to have to put up with now that we’re responsible for the single greatest disaster in human history.”

As continuity goes, it was cool to see Alda Hertzog (Rachel Roberts) again — the blonde terrorist that Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes) and Demetri Noh (John Cho) had been chasing at the time of the blackout.  She fooled them by cryptically telling Demetri that his time was running out and then sending them on a wild-goose chase.  (Side-note:  There’s a lot of bird references in this show with crows, black swans and now geese.)  As riveting as the interrogation scenes were, it was rather mind-numbing to watch them actually go to Indio to the restaurant and chase a petty drug dealer.  However, Alda, for all her resistance to answering their questions, was actually a fount of information.  Alda was the one that ultimately gave us two significant clues.  The first was about the “black swan” theory.  She explained that a black swan is something so out of the ordinary that it is used to describe events beyond the realm of the ordinary.  The second clue she provided was regarding the Sufi parable about an old man and a young boy with a candle and the old man asks the boy where the light comes from —  and the young boy blows out the candle and tells the old man, “if you tell me where the light went, I will tell you where it came from.”  The black-out and the reveal that Lloyd Simcoe was involved with it were the “black swan moments.”  As for the significance of the Sufi parable, perhaps that was to illustrate that it does not matter how the black-out occurred and that they needed to focus on the why it happened. For Alda told Mark, “you’re ignoring the most profound question:  why?”  It is not “who” or “how” that really matter, but the question of “why.”  Like with the boy and the candle, the disappearing light is not the point.  The point is that it happened.  Thus, accept it and address the more pertinent question. 

Continue reading article at:

http://scifitvzone.com/2009/10/22/flashforward-black-swan/

Do the ends ever justify the means?

When ABC first debuted the new television series FlashForward three weeks ago, the world sat riveted in front of their TV sets. It was an adrenaline rush that left the audience breathless for more. Based on the book of the same name by Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer, the series version of FlashForward began with the calamitous events that occurred on a seemingly normal day when the entire planet came to a stand-still. For 2 minutes and 17 seconds, virtually every human-being blacked-out and fell to the ground. It was a world-wide disaster as airplanes fell out of the sky, cars collided, and a multitude of horrific events occurred because there was no one conscious. But FlashForward is not merely a disaster show. It is about what happened during those mysterious 2 minutes and 17 seconds, for everyone was not simply unconscious, they were given a glimpse of their future. They were able to see exactly where they would be in 6 months – what they were doing and who they were doing it with. The real story driving the series is whether each will see their vision of the future come true. For some, that is horrifying and for others, it is everything they’ve prayed and hoped for.

Initially, the central characters are an FBI agent, Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes), his partner, Demetri Noh (John Cho), his boss, Stan Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance), and Mark’s wife, Olivia Benford (Sonya Walger, better known as Penny from Lost). They are the characters that we are first introduced to and whose flashbacks we experience. It is also Benford who first clued in that there may be a conspiracy afoot, as his flashback revealed to him that he was investigating the flashforward event in relation to something called the Mosaic Collective. For his partner, Demetri, he had a more alarming realization: he did not experience a flashforward vision, which led him to believe that he may not be alive in six months. Then for Benford’s wife, Olivia, her vision was perhaps the most disturbing of all as she saw herself having a romantic liaison with another man – a man she had not even met yet. For all of these individuals, their visions have not brought them peace and comfort in what lies ahead. To the contrary, they will do everything they can to prevent their visions from coming true.

Continue reading article at:

http://scifitvzone.com/2009/10/12/flashforward-137-sekunden/

1. Community – Set at the fictional Greendale Community College, Community focuses on a group of students that vary in age and ethnicity who inadvertently form a study group for Spanish class due to Joel McHale being an asshole. While not a big fan of The Soup, McHale’s acerbic wit has always appealed to my sensibilities. He’s quick on his feet and gives off equal parts charismatic charm and weaselly dickishness. Chevy Chase has been funnier in the first three episodes than he has been in the last decade. So far, the show demonstrates a voice and focus that most shows don’t get until midway through their second season, and a case can be made for each character being the “break out” of the group. My lone concern is that the nature of community college means that they’ll all be done with Spanish 101 by January, leaving no need for a study group, but the writers have been good enough so far that I doubt that’ll be a big enough problem to hold them back from telling good, funny stories.

2. FlashForward -  The premise is that the entire world blacked out for two minutes and seventeen seconds. Those that didn’t die during the blackout experienced a vision of themselves six months into the future. Unfortunately, the creators seem to be in such a rush to get to an end point of the story that they don’t seem concerned enough to show the interesting parts of the story they already have. For example, the first half of the first episode was so awesome beyond words that I wanted to keep watching THAT show as opposed to the one that kept going after the half-hour mark. Think about how interesting the idea of the black out is all by itself yet they gloss over it without dealing too much with the consequences outside of the visions. Hell, call the show BlackOut as opposed to FlashForward and then slowly reveal that people had visions of the future as time goes on. Deal instead with the chaos that ensues from such a huge disaster. If people all over the world pass out for two and a half minutes, there are plenty of stories about the immediate aftermath of that event to fill half of season one. Consider the semi-trucks that are the lifeblood of the country’s food and drug supply and how many of them crashed during that time. Not only would the roads be tied up for weeks, but there would be widespread panic over the shortages that resulted. Think about the economic advantages some countries have over others since half of the globe would probably be asleep during the black out period anyway, so the damage they incur would be minuscule by comparison. All of the principal players are treating the event as if it were a minor inconvenience as opposed to a global or near-global catastrophe. This is a time when decompressed storytelling would work better, but they seem to have locked themselves into telling the story without regard to what makes the story fascinating and have even locked themselves in for the real-time April 29-30, 2010 date that everyone envisioned. That blows. These are a lot of complaints for a show just two episodes old, but I like the premise (and John Cho) and I want it to be good, yet David S. Goyer seems determined to undermine my desires at every turn. I’m giving FlashForward at least six episodes in the hope that they find a good rhythm, mostly because Lost is ending around the time the first season of this will be over and I would like something smart and intriguing to replace it.

3. Bored To Death – After his girlfriend leaves him because he apparently smokes too much pot and drinks too much white wine, Jonathan Ames decides to deal with his depression by solving mysteries from clients he finds on Craigslist. Besides utilizing Jason Schwartzman, an actor I find adorable and endearing, Bored To Death also incorporates a regular dude into a film noir setting. Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson play supporting roles and both guys have enough talent to be great supporting players in anything. The fact that HBO broadcasts this show gives me a lot of hope that it’ll not only grow into something really special but confidence that the network will actually give it the time to do so.

Honorable Mentions: Cougar Town, Modern Family and Glee

Quando Flash Forward incontra la Oceanic Airlines. E gli sceneggiatori continuano a divertirsi...

Los Angeles, una giovane donna, un medico chirurgo, chiede al proprio assistente di infilarle i guanti, per strada due agenti investigatori scattano delle foto di nascosto, su un pontile in riva al mare uno sconosciuto sta trovando il coraggio per puntarsi al collo una pistola. Intorno a loro, l’umanità è occupata in gesti altrettanto quotidiani ed eccezionali destinati però a infrangersi su una misteriosa barriera temporale. Un black out addirittura globale, un’assenza di 2 minuti e 17 secondi, in cui sette miliardi di persone vengono proiettati sei mesi dopo, nel futuro.

Una pausa per niente innocua, perché al risveglio chiunque non solo comincerà a domandarsi il perché di quella finestra aperta d’improvviso sul destino lontano, ma dovrà fare i conti nell’immediato con uno scenario di distruzione. Sospeso infatti il controllo umano sul mondo, la vita riprende nell’apocalisse, tra scene di incidenti di ogni tipo. Due agenti dell’Fbi, sopravvissuti come molti, dopo il risveglio dal flash forward, al delirio di rottami di auto e veicoli di un traffico squassato, cercheranno di scoprire cosa sia accaduto.

Mentre si attende per l’inizio del 2010 la stagione finale di Lost come un ultimo pezzo di presente sull’isola, concesso al fedele telespettatore, è sbarcata in Italia su Fox, e in contemporanea mondiale, a pochi giorni dall’esordio Usa, la nuova serie tv Flash Forward (prodotta sempre dalla Abc che tenta già di traghettare i futuri orfani di Lost) portando con sé una storia fatta di schegge di futuro. E il futuro in tempo di crisi, è l’agognata chimera di tutti. In prima riunione dell’Fbi, veniamo a sapere che tutti hanno sognato nel futuro lo stesso giorno, quel 28 aprile del 2010 distante appena sei mesi e non vent’anni come ha pensato Robert J. Sawyer, l’autore del libro a cui si ispira la serie creata da Brannon Braga e David S. Goyer (l’uno produttore di molti Star Trek, e l’altro sceneggiatore dei Batman di Nolan, compreso il Cavaliere oscuro). Basteranno sei mesi per iniziare a chiedersi non solo dove saremo e cosa faremo, ma anche, ora che ne abbiamo avuto un primo precario assaggio, come ci arriveremo?

Se lo domanda anche il protagonista Joseph Fiennes, che salendo sopra la propria macchina schiantatasi su un ponte di L. A., guarda stupefatto la città devastata. Poco dopo vedrà in tv da Londra le immagini del Big Ben in fiamme. E qui Flash Forward alza il tiro, provando a vendere tutto di sè fin dalla prima puntata, andando oltre le necessità naturali di un esordio. Dopo la prima puntata i protagonisti incerottati di Flash Forward sanno già che direzione prendere, anche se ancora abbagliati: tentare di ricostruire un mosaico aperto dove i pezzi di presente, in attesa di nuove scosse, si mescolano ai frammenti di futuro.

In scena, per descrivere l’apocalisse di incidenti, Flash Forward usa un ritmo altissimo, la regia e il montaggio sono da blockbuster (nulla da invidiare ai paesaggi urbani di Io sono leggenda con Will Smith o persino della Londra dei Figli degli Uomini di Cuarón), tanto che ci si stupisce di vedere tutto questo dentro un prodotto tv, o forse la tv si è creata nuovi confini che scavalcano quelli del cinema? Poi c’è la costruzione narrativa: tracce e trame lanciate in più direzioni, intrecci che già vengono suggeriti ma tutto resta aperto, complice lo scenario mondiale.

Flash Forward infatti allarga lo stupore dei suoi protagonisti a tutto il mondo. Abituati come pubblico a una complicità immediata con le serie tv, dobbiamo credere -come fosse Lost- che qui la storia si dipani per mille isole con mille aerei precipitati? Di fronte a tanta globalità, sembrano davvero piccole le faccende intime della coppia protagonista che nello spiraglio del 2010 vede una possibile rottura. Eppure Flash Forward riesce a trasmettere il nudo timore del privato. Riuscirà a contenere i sospiri di milioni di coppie? Forse, chissà.

Il ricordo va ai Visitors dove tutto il mondo riceveva la visita dei finti amichevoli marziani (che proprio l’Abc riprodurrà in autunno), ma poi si seguivano solo le gesta dei resistenti di una città. Los Angeles è ancora una location d’elezione e fin qui, l’unico atto di fede dello spettatore di Flash Forward. Per tutto il resto, ci si consegna fiduciosi e curiosi, anzi preparati al mosaico temporale. Perchè dagli anni 80 di Visitors molto è cambiato. Non c’è più un cinema da scalzare, ma una lepre da inseguire sullo stesso terreno, ovvero Lost, e per ogni nuova serie che dichiari subito le sue ambizioni, si apre la caccia. Lo ha dichiarato anche Marc Guggenheim, executive producer di Flash Forward: «Siamo in un mondo Post-Lost. Le regole sono state cambiate, come l’Nba dopo Michael Jordan. Oggi diamo oramai per scontato che al pubblico siano familiari gli indizi, le mitologie, i viaggi nel tempo. Come perfettamente imprescindibili, grazie a Lost».

Robert J. Sawyer  is the author of the book Flash Forward. 

Robert J. Sawyer and David S. Goyer

And yes, he made an appearance  in the pilot episode.  I had no idea, well, I don’t know what he looked like.  I guess that’s why.  But I do now.  Regardless, I love hidden cool facts like this.  I’m a big fan of films/shows putting important figures in the background.  This element of hidden appearances  kind of started with Alfred Hitchcock.  He would show up in the background of all his films.  But some sites are calling Robert J. Sawyer’s appearance a cameo.  But what is actually a cameo?  The Hitchcock and R.Sawyer appearances are more as a background performer (an extra).  They are sort of hidden so your eye has to look for them.  Cameo’s are usually when a real famous person appears briefly on screen but they usually have a line or 2.  It’s also done so the viewer notices it and not has to pause and search.  Cameo’s are not usually someone just in the background.  Robert J. Sawyer is on the phone next to Olivia, so it may be considered a cameo.  He is right in the foreground.  But is he famous enough?  Well, if he made a cameo in Batman, sure it may not be considered a cameo but a bit part.  But the fact he is the author of Flash Forward, it may qualify as a cameo.  I can’t remember if he actually spoke in the scene but it sounds good to me.  Thanks to FlashForward TV for the photo :

Robert J. Sawyer on the left.

Flashforward

Acabo de ver el segundo capítulo de ‘Flashforward’, la nueva serie de la ABC norteamericana, y estoy más que encantado con ella. Ya tenía grandes esperanzas puestas antes de que se comenzase a emitir, pero tras haber entrado ya levemente en ellla, estoy realmente impresionado.

‘Flashforward’ trata de que en un momento concreto, la humanidad por completo pierde el conocimiento a la misma vez y durante los mismos 2 minutos y 17 segundos. En ese desvanecimiento, cada una de las personas del planeta tiene una visión concreta de un momento exacto y puntual del futuro, seis meses adelante, del 29 de abril de 2010. Dicha premonición es precisa para cada uno, y si en ella aparecen otras personas, para ellas también será la misma. Es decir, que si A sueña con B en un sitio X, ese B habrá soñado con A en el mismo sitio X, independientemente de si se conocen o no.

Evidentemente, durante los 2m17s que todo el mundo está inconsciente se producen infinidad de accidentes y muertes, y el gobierno americano rápidamente se pone manos a la obra para investigar lo sucedido… y hasta aquí puedo escribir. No quiero estropear la serie a quien no la haya visto aún, o esté esperando a verla por la tele. Pero lo que tengo claro es que en ausencia de ‘Lost’, ‘Flashforward’ va a ocupar su lugar como la gran serie del año que no pueda dejar de ver mientras se emita.

Espero que tenga éxito de audiencia porque cuenta con un presupuesto enorme y un buen reparto, tanto delante de las cámaras como detrás, con gente tan interesante como el propio autor de la novela homónima en la que está basada o el guionista de peliculas como ‘El Caballero Oscuro’. Promete mucho.

What did you see?

It’s really rare to find a pilot of any television series to hook you in its first episode. Glee had me laughing and feeling good while Defying Gravity had me believing in the human race and that anything was possible.

Then there’s FlashForward. There are few times where I can remember screaming at my television, especially in the first episode of a series. ABC’s latest had me doing just that.

Imagine if everyone in the world blacked out simultaneously for the same amount of time.  Now imagine while everyone’s unconscious, each individual sees a glimpse of his or her future – all on April 29th, 2010 at 10pm.

This crazy concept is based from Robert J. Sawyer’s novel. David S. Goyer, who is known for the The Dark Knight, joined Sawyer in creating the series. Leading that cast is Joseph Fiennes who plays a recovering alcoholic/F.B.I. agent who tries to make sense of the blackout. His partner, John Cho, fits into his role perfectly and finally proves he can only play more than just a stoner.

ABC viewers are used to seeing glimpses of the future and time travel with shows like LOST, but not necessarily with this cast. So, they decided to add some familiar faces with Sonya Walger (Penelope) and Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) whom we recognize. As Entertainment Weekly reported, Monaghan signed on without even looking at the script. His character wasn’t in the pilot, but if he didn’t see a word of dialogue, his character Simon must be one of a kind.

It’s more than just the onscreen talent that they managed to borrow, they also used some of the story elements. The similarities are stunning. Just watch the first scene. The only things different are the actors and the locations.

I don’t find that insulting though. LOST does many things well. I found the first season compelling not just by the bizarre happenings of the island but by the characters themselves. Each week we followed a new castaway and learned more about their past. Who would’ve thought that Hurley was a multimillionaire? Here, it’s the opposite. I’m intrigued because of each character’s future. There isn’t one that’s predictable, therefore we’re promised conflict and change. And we’re not just following members of the government; we follow doctors, tradesmen, even a babysitter.

How do you put the pieces of the future together? Well, you get a big bulletin board and start to put the puzzle together. Duh, haven’t you ever watched Life? Unquestionably, the board worked best in Prison Break. If the writers of that show ever needed to find a way to get Michael Schofield out of a jam, they used a photograph from his Chicago condo or one of his many tattoos. I’m sure we’ll be seeing the board a lot – especially since it was in Fiennes’ flash forward.

However, I have a concern. When you’re aiming for a certain date, in this case April 29th 2010, other series have shown episodes of incredible buildup followed by a disappointing finale or even a more disappointing second season. This was the route Heroes took in its first and best season. They stopped the nuclear explosion in New York, but destroyed the franchise.

This is why I’m frightened. The pilot hooked me. So much so, I’ve committed to watching the whole season. All I ask is don’t build up to something that doesn’t pay off. They should be all right since they’re following a novel – which has an ending. But I’m curious if they can establish themselves for five or six seasons? Dexter was based on a novel which took place over the first season and has continued on with great success. Will this do the same?

After nine episodes, I’ve lost faith in Defying Gravity. Glee has kept me laughing but none of the stories have hooked me. If ABC is promoting this as the next LOST, please, keep us interested, keep us guessing, and keep me yelling at my television because FlashForward has serious potential.

And that’s the view from my basement. If you want to watch the episode, click here.

DEDICADO A CHACAL, también conocido como el chico de los números

El mundo catódico está que arde esta semana aquí en Estados Unidos. El lunes dio el pistoletazo de salida para todas las series, así el lunes hubo entrega doble del doctor jonkie más famoso de Fox. Sólo os puedo reseñar lo que dice la publicidad, que para salvarse deberá ayudar a otros pacientes, y eso no lo verá con buenos ojos su psiquiatra. Os recuerdo que estuve en el concierto de U2, ese fue el motivo por el que me perdí la premiere.

El martes pudimos ver el piloto de “The Forgotten”, que podríamos traducir como “Los olvidados”. Esta serie está protagonizada por Christian Slater, que da vida a Alex Donovan. Esta producción del todo poderoso Jerry Bruckheimer viene a ser una variante de “Caso abierto”, no ha tenido mucha repercusión mediática. A mi me pareció más de lo mismo. Nada reseñable. Bueno sí, que por fin el señor Slater ha encontrado el lugar que le pertenece y de donde nunca debió salir, el mundo catódico. Y no sé yo si continuará, porque la repercusión ha sido muy escasa.

“THE FORGOTTEN”-TRAILER

El miércoles todos esperábamos el estreno de dos series, la primera suponía el reenceuntro de Courteney Cox con las grande audiencias en EEUU, tras el fracaso de “Dirt”. Para ello ha regresado un territorio cómodo para ella como actriz, al de la comedia con “COUGAR TOWN”. La serie no está mal. Courtney interpreta a Jules una mujer divorciada de mediana edad, que posee un hijo de unos 14 años que va al instituto, y dos amigas que no se aguantan entre ellas. Una es más joven, rebelde y comparten trabajo, se dedican a vender casas, y la otra es más conservadora y de la misma edad de la protagonista. Las grandes situaciones cómicas nacen de cómo todos esos mundos tiran de Jules hasta que la situación es insostenible. Por ejemplo, porque la sociedad entiende que un hombre puede salir con una mujer de menor edad que él, y en el caso de una mujer no. Esta serie escrita por Kevin Biegel, guionista habitual de “South park”, “Scrubs” o del film, “Yo, yo mismo e Irene”, juega  a ser rebelde, todo lo que se puede ser dentro del Prime Time. ¿Continuará? Quién sabe. Puede que sí, sobretodo si explotan la bis más cómica de la actriz. Aunque siempre le quedará la franquicia “Scream” donde refugiarse para pagar la hipoteca. A mi me pareció un piloto correcto en el que no han terminado de explotar todas las posibilidades, me hizo sonreir, punto.

“COUGAR TOWN”-PROMO

Luego pudimos ver el piloto de otra serie, esta tenía como aliciente que estaba basada en los personajes de la novela de John Updike, se llama “EASTWICK”, y sí, como bien os imagináis es una readaptación del libro “Las brujas de Eastwick“, que en su momento fue llevada a la gran pantalla en 1987 por George Miller, con un elenco de quitar el hipo, integrado por Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon y Michelle Phiffer, y en ella aparecía en un personaje secundario Veronica Cartwright, si nuestra queridísima Lambert de “Alien”, que vuelve a interpetar a Bun. Bien, Ashley Benson, Rebecca Romijn y Lindsay Price sustituyen al trío cinematográfico, y Jon Bernthal es el encargado de luchar contra la imagen de un Nicholson en pleno estado de gloria. La única que repite es Miss Cartwright, que acaba en coma, y no sabemos que juego dará en la serie porque si en el primer capítulo ya cae en coma, a saber que le tienen deparada los guionistas a esta gran actriz. La serie como bien os podéis imaginar es más pueril, porque se emite en Prime Time, así que el sexo es muy edulcorado. Y ahí es donde flaquean las tres actrices, porque no tienen ni la fuerza ni el carisma para poner a tono a la audiencia sin enseñar nada que no deba ser visto en este horario. No saben ser sugerentes, al igual que Jon Bernthal que le faltan kilos de mala leche para interpretar un personaje tan peculiar y con miles de dobleces. Entre el reparto hemos podido ver al protagonista de Kyle XY, que por fin Matt Dallas abandona papeles de teenager, para interpretar a hombres hechos y derechos, lo hace bien y salva su parte del guión, es de los mejorcitos del reparto, todo sea dicho.

“EASTWICK” -TRAILER

Pero claro, el plato fuerte de la semana estaba por llegar. Imaginaos que un buen día supuestamente todos perdemos la conciencia a la vez durante dos minutos y 17 segundos, y nos trasladamos al futuro, concretamente a la fecha 29 de abril del 2010. Seis meses después.  Esa es la propuesta del episodio piloto de la serie “FLASHFORWARD”, basada en el libro homónimo de Robert J. Sawyer en el que se realizará una crónica de lo que pasa cuando el mundo se “desconecta” durante dos minutos y 17 segundos y se provoca una imagen del futuro que afecta a todos por igual. La adaptación ha corrido a cargo de David S. Goyer que posee un currículo un tanto irregular desde haber participado en el guión de “Batman Beguins” y “El caballero oscuro” a películas de peor calidad como “The unborn” que en España se estrenó bajo el título de “La semilla del mal”, y por Brannon Braga, que ha sido guionista de “Star Trek: la próxima generación”, de la mítica “24” o de la segunda entrega de “Misión Imposible”. Estos dos escritores anoche aseguraron en un videochat en la web de la cadena ABC, donde les hicieron una entrevista en exclusiva, que ya tienen escrito el final de la primera temprada, así como el final de la serie. El piloto lo ha dirigido Goyer y seamos francos, el arranque más “Lost” no puede ser, y no lo digo para mal, sino como un acierto. Se han gastado la friolera de 7 millones de dólares en crear un ambiente absolutamente apocalíptico, y los resultados son muy bueno, la factura del piloto es impecable, y muy interesante la trama, que en parte parece heredera de “Lost”, pero en este caso se trata de un único salto temporal, y a partir de aquí los guionistas juegan con el destino y la posibilidad de alterarlo. Porque a algunos les gusta lo que han visto, pero a otros no, porque inclusive mueren.

“FLASHFORDWARD”-TRAILER

Los homenajes a “Lost” recorren el piloto desde una vaya donde se anuncia la compañía aérea “Oceanic” hasta la aparición en uno de los papeles principales de Sonya Walger, que da vida a Penny en ‘Perdidos’, y aquí interpreta a Olivia, una cirujana casada con un policía exalcohólico llamado Mark Benford, interpretado por otro conocido actor, hablo de Joseph Fiennes, que entre otras cosas participó en su día en la película ‘Shakespeare enamorado’.  Y remataron el capítulo con la aparición de Dominic Monaghan, sí amigos, el Charlie de “Perdidos” Lo que está claro es que de los cuatro pilotos este si que está llamado a continuar, a nosotros nos entusiasmo la propuesta, el resto ya veremos si desaparece de parrilla o no, os mantendremos debidamente informados.

“FLASHFORWARD” – Promo 2

Después pudimos ver en la CBS el inicio de la segunda temporada de “EL MENTALISTA” con títulos de crédito renovados, con un aire más pop, pero las tramas siguen la misma línea, con los mismos actores Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Amanda Righetti y Tim Kang, que van resolviendo casos, pero la gran novedad es que les han apartado del caso de psycho killer JOHN, el rojo, que os recuerdo había matado a mujer e hija de Patrick, porque sostienen que el víctima, y por eso no debe estar involucrado, así entra en juego un nuevo personaje que obviamente no se llevará nada bien con el equipo, porque será quien esté al mando de esa investigación. Así que más de lo mismo. No ha grandes novedades, al igual que las habido en CSI, en sus múltiples variantes, Vegas, Miami.

“EL MENTALISTA” - New Fall Series Preview

Esta noche arrancan las nuevas temporadas en la CBS de “Medium”, “Entre fantasmas” y “Numbers”, si hubiera algo que reseñar, os lo haría saber. Pero sin duda alguna y es el siguiente hito de la semana, aquí todos esperamos a las nueve horas del domingo no para ver el arranque de la nueva temporada de “Mujeres desesperadas” con boda incluida o “Caso abierto”. No. Todos estaremos ante el televisor a las nueve de la noche porque queremos y ansiamos ver la inquietante cuarta temporada del psychokiller más famoso de la ciudad de Miami, hablo de “DEXTER” que por lo que podemos ver en los anuncios va a ser papá.

“DEXTER” TRAILER CUARTA TEMPORADA

Los dos siguientes platos fuertes en el terreno de la comedia arrancan el lunes en la CBS, son la nueva temporada de “Cómo conocí a vuestra madre” y “The Big Bang Theory” que a estos les dejamos en Alaska pasando frío.

Por cierto, me despido de vosotros con un anticipo, el 3 de noviembre arranca el remake televisivo de “V” en la cadena ABC, ayer lo anunciaron a bombo y platillo, lo único que me llamó la atención es que pudimos ver a Juliet, la lostie en uno de los papeles principales. Ya os contaremos que da de sí. Para abrir boca os dejo con el trailer.

V – TRAILER

Have you ever noticed that the anticipation of a future event can bring out every emotion imaginable?  I remember quite clearly sitting in my room when I was younger imagining every form of punishment my parents could have possibly given me as I waited for my sentence to be handed down.  To this day I feel the fear of being punished was worse than the actual punishment. 

Well for the past 6 months or so I have been anticipating this night for one reason and one reason only, Flash Forward.  In some ways I was excited about the new show because I am a huge fan of a show that takes it’s time unfolding.  I enjoy getting wrapped up in the mysteries and lives of the characters.  Oh sure I still watch shows that are self-contained and every problem, save a few, will be resolved in 48 minutes.  But I have no loyalty to those shows.  If I miss them it doesn’t matter because I know that next week I won’t have missed much at all.  So I admit I was worried tonight.  I had spent so many hours reading articles, talking about the show with my friend (an obsessive geek just like me), and nearly going into hysterics when I found out Dominic Monaghan was joing the show,(Oh if only I could have gone to Comic-Con..one day Mendie one day) that I just knew I would be disappointed.  There was just no way this show could live up to all the anticipation.  Boy was I wrong.

I first must give major points to the cinematographer for their use of colors to enhance the mood of the story.  Soft warm tones when the world was a safe and familiar place and sharp cool tones when the world is no longer safe and is now unknown.  Too many shows either go for bright, vibrant colors or colors that are so dark you can barely tell what’s happening in a scene.  The second major points I have to bestow on the show is the Oceanic Airlines billboard that was visible.  Very nice nod to my favorite obsessive show Lost.  

I especially enjoyed how they got straight to the events that lead up to the flashforward and the flash itself. (Very well done by the way) Instead of dragging it out over a couple of episodes.  It was also a nice twist to show that some people shared the same flash instead of having them all be separate and disconnected.  About halfway through the premiere I found myself no longer taking notes and had settled into just watching.  The moment I was worried wouldn’t come, came.  I was following the show with rabid interest.  No longer was I looking for points to put in my review.  No I was now following with the intent of trying to figure out the puzzle that had been laid before me. 

Now don’t get me wrong it had some down points that could work against it if they continue down the same path.  And that is all the parallels to Lost.  The beginning shots seemed as if they were copied from the pilot episode.  Although they were shot with an amazing attention to detail.  There also seems to be a recurring theme with numbers on this show as well.  Though that may have been critical eye jumping into overdrive.  Hopefully ABC will pick up the show for more than the 13 episodes originally ordered so they have time to work out the kinks.  Because I have found my new obsession and I for one can not wait for next week.

Having had the unique opportunity to attend a sneak-peek screening of ABC’s new television series FlashForward, I can say without a doubt that it is utterly riveting. From the first moment it is an adrenaline rush of calamitous events that occur on a seemingly normal day when the entire planet comes to a stand-still. For 2 minutes and 17 seconds, every living human-being blacks-out and falls to the ground. This is disastrous for those driving cars, flying planes, operating machinery, surfing along the coast, or who are in the middle of a critical surgery. When they awake, the world has literally fallen apart. But it is not merely a disaster show. It is about what happened during those mysterious 2 minutes and 17 seconds. For everyone was not simply unconscious, they were given a glimpse of their future. They were able to see exactly where they would be in 6 months – what they were doing and who they were doing it with. The real story is about whether each will see their vision of the future come true. For some, that is horrifying and for others, it is everything they have prayed and hoped for.

Initially, the central characters are a FBI agent, Mark Benford (Joseph Fiennes), his partner, Demetri Noh (John Cho), his boss, Stan Wedeck (Courtney B. Vance), and his wife, Olivia Benford (Sonya Walger, better known as Penny from Lost). They are the characters that we are first introduced to and whose flashbacks we experience. It is also Benford who first clues in that there may be a conspiracy afoot as his flashback revealed to him that he was investigating the flashforward event in relation to something called the Mosaic Collective. For his partner, Demetri, he has a more alarming realization, he did not experience a flashforward vision which leads him to believe that he may not be alive in six months. Then for Benford’s wife, Olivia, her vision was perhaps the most disturbing of all as she saw herself having a romantic liaison with another man – a man she has not even met yet. For all of these individuals, their visions have not
brought them peace and comfort in what lies ahead. To the contrary, they will do everything they can to prevent their visions from coming true.

Continue reading article at:

http://nicegirlstv.com/2009/09/24/flashforward-flashes-on-our-screens/

Title: Batman Begins
Year: 2005
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer, story by Goyer, based on characters by Bob Kane
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman
Music: James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer
Distinctions: currently #107 on IMDb’s Top 250
Length: 140 minutes
Synopsis: an orphaned millionaire learns to fight crime
How I saw it: in the theater twice, 2005; on video a number of times (have on DVD), most recently yesterday
Subjective Rating: 10/10
Objective Rating: 7/10 (points off for dialog, cinematography and music)

The ultimate super hero movie. When I went to see it for the first time, I had huge expectations, and it blew them all away. Sure, like any sensible person, I like The Dark Knight better. But this one has become my basis of comparison.

Un film del 2009, regia di David S. Goyer, con Odette Yustman / Gary Oldman / Cam Gigandet / Meagan Good. Prodotto da Universal Pictures (87min)

Horror / Thriller

Casey Bell odiava la madre che l’aveva abbandonata da bambina. Ma una serie di eventi inesplicabili aiutano Casey a capire le ragioni del suo abbandono. Perseguitata da sogni spietati e inesorabili e ossessionata da un fantasma che la tortura nelle ore di veglia, si rivolge all’unico consigliere spirituale, Sendak, che può fermare il fantasma.
Con l’aiuto di Sendak, Casey scopre il responsabile della maledizione che tortura la sua famiglia dai tempi della Germania nazista – una creatura capace di possedere qualunque cosa e qualunque persona e il cui potere aumenta con il crescere delle persone o delle cose che riesce a possedere. Una volta allontanata la maledizione, Casey, per sopravvivere, decide di chiudere la via d’accesso che la collega al mondo dei morti: la porta aperta da una creatura mai nata.

In the winter of 1998, I saw Dark City in the theater, and it threw open the doors of my imagination like no film before it and few films since. I was one of the few. Released to mixed reviews and a confused marketing campaign — the studio, New Line Cinema, didn’t know how to promote its peculiar fusion of sci-fi, film noir, and existentialism, so they sold it as a horror movie — the film earned a meager $14 million at the United States box office and only $27 million worldwide … Read the rest of my review at Culturazzi.org