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Jane Espenson blogs about the 2008 Emmy Awards

2008-10-01T00:03:23Z

This may sound silly, but one of my most favourite things about Jane
Espenson's blogs is the fact that she always tells you what she ate for
lunch. Me being the foodie that I am...I just love it.

Mona

Janeespenson.com

Jane Espenson blogs about the 2008
Emmy Awards

So last week I took a break from my
never-ending stay up here in Vancouver with the Battlestar TV movie, to
go back home just long enough to attend the Emmy award ceremony. And it
was wonderful. Oh, I know the hosting was terrible and the show was
long, but there’s something so lovely for me about being out in that
audience full of all the people who entertained me when I was growing
up — Betty White! Tommy Smothers!

And afterwards, there’s the Governor’s
Ball, in which the star power is even more dense and they give you a
map of where everyone is seated, so if you want, you can go watch John
Hodgman eating his appetizer or Howie Mandel apologizing to everyone.

I didn’t actually see him apologizing.
I’m just assuming.

I met Stephen Colbert, who was just as
charming as you could ever want. He’s a sci-fi fan! I sort of knew that
from interviews, but it was darn cool to hear him say it. I also saw
Betty White locked in intense conversation with Phylicia Rashad out by
the limo pick-up area. What was that about? And I ran into our own
Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park in the ladies’ room, where they both
looked beautiful despite fluorescent lighting. All in all, a wonderful
night. Did I tell you met Stephen Colbert? I got to hold one of his
writers’ Emmys. Hefty little lady. (The Emmy, not the writer.) Plus, I
met Stephen Colbert. If my typing fingers could dance...

But the best part of the night was part
of the acceptance speech of Jay Roach, who won for directing Recount.
I’m paraphrasing, but the good bit went something like:

...and Danny Strong, who wrote a great
script that really inspired us all to do this...

That’s significant not just because Danny
is one of my dearest friends. It also has a lesson for all of us about
our own writing. The truth is, I gently counseled Danny against writing
the Recount script. There were too many obstacles — the real life
events he wanted to chronicle were so recent. Everyone knows the
ending. The tone is tricky. But, primarily, I was concerned because
there’s really only one place to take such a project: HBO. If they
don’t want it, there aren’t a lot of second options. And I had no sense
that there was a lot of enthusiasm gathering out there for a movie
about the 2000 Florida recount.

Here’s what I didn’t take into account.
Just as a forest fire makes its own wind, Danny’s script made its own
enthusiasm. Jay Roach said as much — the script fueled the project.

Does that mean that you should drop that
spec pilot and instead write a movie about the financial bailout plan?
Heck no! Do all the practical things first, but when you’ve got your
specs in a line and you’re taking aim at your dream project, don’t let
others’ opinions keep you from doing something that you just know you
can deliver. Danny ignored me and as a result he wrote the Best Made
For Television Film of the year. Go Danny, and congratulations!

Lunch: leftover squash agnolotti with
extra parmesian cheese from the Italian restaurant right across the
street from my hotel room

Master of Sci-Fi: Joss Whedon (TV Week article

2008-10-01T00:02:53Z

Tvweek.com

Master of Sci-Fi: Joss Whedon (TV Week
article)

Joss Whedon became a staple of sci-fi TV
with his series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Angel” and “Firefly.”
However, he said his highly anticipated “Dollhouse,” slated for a
midseason debut on Fox, is a genre show mostly in its framework.

“There isn’t really a lot of sci-fi
accoutrement,” he said. “It’s very much a deconstruction of human
relationships. The genre element is really there just to let us examine
the different ways that people can behave in these situations.”

The show, starring “Buffy” and “Angel”
alum Eliza Dushku, is described as a drama about a group of special
agents who are programmed with knowledge and abilities for a specific
mission, only to have their memories wiped clean after they’re done.

“It’s only been a few years that [the]
genre has even been taken seriously on the major networks,” Mr. Whedon
says.

“I think that there is a perception that
we’re making TV for young boys, and that’s part of where the network
and I have come at things kind of differently,” Mr. Whedon said,
alluding to recent discussions with executives over the creative
direction of the series that led to a three-week break in production.

Production on “Dollhouse” resumed
Thursday, and the show is still on schedule for an early 2009 premiere.

With respect to the Fox network, Mr.
Whedon feels he is “definitely dealing with better people” who are
“very clear, direct and honest,” which is creating a better environment
than for his short-lived “Firefly.”

“My primary focus is making sure that
‘Dollhouse’ is the show it can and should be, and that feels like it’s
on track,” he said.

wd: Buffy and Quality Television

2008-10-01T00:02:28Z

from Tlchiro.blogspot.com

Buffy and Quality Television

Quality Television (Not Educationally
Related)

As we get toward the end of another term,
and as the combined weight of all out efforts begins to bear down on
us, I thought I would take one blog entry and not write about
education, research, evidence-based practice, or educational
technology. Instead, I wanted to focus just bit on passion, in the
sense of each of us finding something we can be passionate about. I
remember that when Dr. Christine Choate had just arrived at Palmer
College and was holding an initial meeting of the research department,
she asked each of us to talk about something we collected. What came
out of that ice breaker went far beyond just being a set of interesting
comments. We learned about each other that day, and found a depth and
breadth of interests that was surprising in how people’s interests lay.
I suspect that the same would be true were I to poll each of you. But
in this case, I’ll offer up my own comments on one of my passions,
quality television.

Let me start by saying that I don’t
really watch TV like other people do, or so I believe. Of course, it is
one way of relaxing at the end of a long day, but I do not view TV as a
form of escapism. Instead, it is a form of investment. You see, for me,
the characters are everything, not the plot or storyline; I invest in
the character. You can view a program such as CSI: Crime Scene
Investigators as a forensics procedural, or you can view it as a
continuing story involving the growth of the characters. For me, it is
the latter, and it is that fact that brings a deeper reading of the
show to my pleasure in watching it. But hold that thought.

The writer Kristin Thompson defines
quality television as having "a quality pedigree, a large ensemble
cast, a series memory, creation of a new genre through recombination of
older ones, self-consciousness, and pronounced tendencies toward the
controversial and the realistic" (1) From modern perspectives, the
program most people would define as quality television is HBO’s The
Sopranos. But this is not the program I view as exemplifying quality
television. I have another in mind.

For anyone who knows me, that program
would be Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Okay, so now we have a blog post
dedicated to chiropractic education that is singing the praises of a
now-cancelled television program about a teen-age cheerleader who is
the one person in the world to fight off the threat of vampires. So sue
me. :-) What makes this program quality television is that it has
probably the best written scripts in TV history, scripts which exhibit
self-awareness and memory, so that little bits that appear early in
season 2 turn out to have major implications in season 5, where the
characters grow, where good and evil are not dichotomous, where
everything is shades of grey. Where the episodes range from the
hysterically funny to the bone-crushingly painful and poignant, and
where everything that everyone does has implications that later have to
be addressed. It is no wonder that a cottage industry has arisen around
the academic study of Buffy; there is a major online journal devoted to
it (http://www.slayageonline.com/),
many books, and yearly conferences which are attended by scholars in
philosophy, religion, media studies, cultural analysis, film and video,
etc. And still it remains hard to get people to see past the name of
the program, which is the primary reason people do not watch. Yet, it
is rich viewing.

Last year added a new program to my list
of quality television. This was the spectacular HBO program In
Treatment, which was an experimental series that revolved around the
patients seen by a cognitive therapist, Paul, played by the actor
Gabriel Byrne. The conceit was that the program was broadcast 5 days a
week (weekdays), with each day of the week dedicated to a different
patient: Monday was Laura, Tuesday Alex, Wednesday Sophie, Thursday
Jake and Amy, and on Friday, Paul himself sees his own former mentor
Gina. So the program required commitment from viewers since the
storylines, while each able to stand alone, made better sense and had
better resonance when viewed in total, since events that occur during
the course of therapy in one patient have implications for what happens
when Paul sees his other patients and in how he relates to his wife.
The acting was superb, and Diane Wiest won an Emmy last week for her
portrayal of Paul’s therapist Gina. But the break-out role was played
by young Australian actress Mia Wasikowska as Sophie, a truly damaged
young gymnast whose story goes nowhere you think it will. This is the
mark of quality television; you know all the tropes (young gymnast who
won’t eat equals anorexia… except, it doesn’t) and the program subverts
them. (PS. The DVD arrives in mid-October).

In my pantheon of quality television, I
would include Buffy, In Treatment, The Sopranos, The Wire, The X-
Files, CSI: Crime Scene Investigators (Las Vegas only), NYPD Blue, The
West Wing, The Simpsons, Six Feet Under, Deadwood, and Lost (which
actually I dislike intensely). And truth is, when I watch, I am looking
not only at the story, the characters, the memory and everything else,
but for material I can even build into my lectures, presentations and
professional writings. It’s the best of all worlds.

[Fwd: Michael Muhney's blog (he screentested for Dollhouse AND Bones! ::sniff::)

2008-10-01T00:01:58Z

Oh my goodness, how lovely does this man sound? Dang, I love Tahmoh
Penikett, but--couldn't Joss have found something for Muhney as well?!
Or Bones; now I'm gutted that he didn't get the part of DB's brother.
I'd love to see this man on my TV screen again.

Mona

Community.livejournal.com

Michael Muhney's blog (he screentested
for Dollhouse AND Bones! ::sniff::)

I can’t believe I’m using this movie as a
source of optimism and hope, but, have you watched the movie "Dumb and
Dumber"? It’s been years for me, but I vividly remember the scene where
Jim Carrey’s character asks what the odds of a girl like him and a guy
like her are of getting together. She finally says, "One in a million."
He takes this huge pregnant pause, those of us watching know he’s gonna
be destroyed and completely deflated, but his body language changes, he
gets a huge grin and replies, "So you’re sayin’ I have a chance!" That,
my hobbits, is the optimism we all need right now. The country, the
economy, the insanely small amount of jobs and productions out here in
Hollywood has made for a very unique year out of my 11 years in this
business. I’ve not ever seen myself, and so many others, have so few
opportunities. That will all turn around soon, I’m positive of that.
And when it does, we will all be dancing in the streets (please be
careful and watch out for oncoming traffic).

So, I have had an amazing opportunity to
bond with my newborn daughter this year (she’s now 9 months old) and
I’ve done a couple big vacations and caught up on tons of t.v. shows on
DVD and Tivo. I have been running in the canyon for almost 7 months now
and dropped 18 pounds of "sympathy" weight. I’m ready for a show!

This year I have had some cool
opportunities (however few) and have come close to some cool stuff.
There is the spin-off character of House that I met with FOX on, the
role of David Boreanz’s brother on Bones, an awesome pilot by my friend
John Avnet (who just directed Pacino and DeNiro in a movie and directed
stuff like Risky Business and Fried Green Tomatoes and directed me in
Boomtown a few years back), and recently had a meeting over at Sony
(who I filmed my pilot 11 months ago for) on a new pilot (and I ran
into my friend Jason Dohring—we were reading for the same role, funny)
that seems really fantastic. The pilot seems to me to be a cross
between "Pushing Daisies", "Entourage", "Ugly Betty" with a little
"Jerry Maguire" mixed in. Sadly, those are just about the only things
that have surfaced this entire year. Normally, any other non-strike,
non-forclosure, non-economic-bank-crisis-stock-market-crash year all
those auditions and meetings would take place in 3 to 4 weeks.

My highlight of this crazy year has been
the fact that I was directed by Joss Whedon. Yes, read the previous
sentence again, it’s not a type-o. I actually met with Joss around
March of this year for the "Dollhouse" pilot. It was a fantastic
experience and the fact that he is someone I want to work with heavily
in my future, I feel that now we’re just a job away from that goal. I
ended up making it through all the hoops and tested for the lead FBI
character. Joss wanted to have me and one other guy screen test over at
FOX with Eliza and that was an absolute treat. When he directed me and
Eliza it really gave me a glimpse into what kind of director he is
(which strengthened my resolve even more to work with him in the
future) on set. I really like his style and energy. I got a geeky
moment (and thought, Holy Frak!) when I saw who I was testing against,
as I have only a few favorite shows and he is on one of them. I feel
like Joss made a very strong choice with Tahmoh and I’m excited to see
the show this January. Funny how things work, I would’ve preferred to
star in that show, but maybe it’s his next one. Who knows? I just know
that I have only a handful of guys out there that I really admire (and
can quote lines from their shows) and he is one of them. One day soon,
hobbits.

You tell me that I’ve got a
one-in-a-million odds and I’ll reply, "So you’re saying I have a chance!

movie -- Terminator 4

2008-05-30T12:11:05Z

New "Terminator" Story Details

By Garth Franklin
Friday, May 23rd 2008

image

This morning Warner Bros. Pictures issued a start of production notice for
"Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins", a little late as shooting began
over a fortnight ago in New Mexico.

What is interesting though is that it provides a new plot synopsis, and two
new cast additions - Charlotte Gainsbourg as Kate Connor (the role Claire
Danes played in "Terminator 3") and Jadagrace as Star.

As for the story:

"In the highly anticipated new installment of "The Terminator" film
franchise, set in post-apocalyptic 2018, Christian Bale stars as John
Connor, the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its
army of Terminators.

But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the
appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory
is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent
from the future, or rescued from the past.

As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an
odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they
uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind."

The film remains in production at the Albuquerque Studios and on location
throughout New Mexico, and is scheduled for a North American theatrical
release May 22nd 2009.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080523a.php

20 Things You Never Knew About BtVS

2008-05-30T12:10:18Z

http://jtmtzrwj.blogspot.com/2008/05/20-things-you-never-knew-about-btvs.htm
l

20 Things You Never Knew About BtVS

1. Despite the cast and crew's dedication to perfection, the 144 episodes of
Buffy have plenty of goofs - lapses in visual continuity, contradictions
with earlier mythology and more. The first recorded goof occurs in the
opening scene of "Welcome to the Hellmouth". The top button of Darla's
blouse is initially undone, but when she puts on her game face, it's
magically done up. The last goof appears in the end of "Chosen." When
Sunnydale collapses into the crater, there's no sign of the sea, despite it
being firmly established as a coastal town. However, it is possible that the
Scoobies escaped inland, and the ocean side of the town just isn't visible.

2. Alyson Hannigan is allergic to plaster dust, which caused problems during
the filming of "The Body". When Xander punches his hand through the wall
after Joyce's death, Alyson's right eye and face swelled up and she had to
be taken to the hospital. The crew still had to complete the scene before
Aly left the set, and if you look carefully, only one side of her face is in
shot throughout that scene.

3. Tara gives Giles a rubber monster as a leaving present in "Bargaining"
and says "Grr, argh" - clearly a reference to the monster in the Mutant
Enemy logo. The Mutant Enemy monster was drawn by Joss, who also supplied
its voice. The logo has altered specifically for various episodes. In
"Amends" the monster wears a Father Christmas hat, in "Becoming, Part 2" the
monster says "I need a hug", In "Graduation Day Part 2" he wears a
graduation cap, In "Once More With Feeling" he sings his "Grr, argh", and in
"Storyteller" he says "We are Gods". The name Mutant Enemy is a lyric from
the song 'And You and I' by prog rock legends Yes. It's on their album,
Close to the Edge.

4. The most popular first run episode of Buffy on American TV was
"Innocence," which received a Nielsen rating of 5.2 or 5,096,000 American
households. Least popular was "Puppet Show" with a Nielsen rating of 1.9 or
1,843,000 households. Buffy's highest chart position on American TV was 62nd
place out of all Prime Time shows for Season Five's "Real Me."

5. Joss Whedon's original plan for bringing the character of Tara back
involved Buffy being given the chance to play a mystical get out of jail
free card - "One completely reality altering thing that she could have - she
could bring Angel back to her, she could do anything she wanted," noted Joss
at a recent convention appearance. "At the end of the episode she basically
comes to Willow and says 'Look at these shoes I got!' and Willow's like
'What?' 'I got these really awesome shoes. I wanted them, and now I have
them!' and Willow's like 'You used the wish for shoes?' and Buffy says, 'Of
course not, you idiot,' and walks out of the room and Willow turns around
and Tara's standing behind her.

6. Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy) celebrated her 19th birthday in style. It was
on the set of the Season 3 episode "Gingerbread," whilst filming the scene
where her character was being burned on a pyre. "When they lit me up they
yelled 'Fire in the hole' and everybody started to sing 'Happy Birthday'".
Despite Amy turning into TV's most famous rodent since Roland Rat shortly
after this, the actess is allergic to one of their favorite foods - cheese!

7. Of all the guest musicians to have played at the Bronze, only one was
ever given any dialog. Aimee Mann gets the immortal line: "Man, I hate
playing vampire towns" as she exits the stage in the episode "Sleeper."

8. In "The Dark Age," Xander discovers a picture of a youthful Giles with
leather jacket and bass guitar. Sadly, Anthony Stewart Head's own photo
album didn't contain anything suitable, so the Buffy production crew faked
the photo by superimposing his head onto the body of Sex Pistol's bassist
Sid Vicious. Vicious has been cited by many as the primary influence on the
character of Spike, although the fellow punk and bleach-blond Billy Idol was
also a major visual influence.

9. Five actresses (excluding stunt doubles) have played the character of
Buffy during the course of the TV show. Aside from Sarah Michelle Gellar,
Mimi Paley played young Buffy in "Killed by Death." Mimi also played
Mulder's sister, Samantha in The X-Files. Candice Nicole played her briefly
in "Blood Ties" as Dawn 'remembers' her fake past. Alexandra Lee played
young Buffy in "The Weight of the World" and her photo is used in all
subsequent photos of the character as a child. Finally, Eliza Dushku plays a
body-swapped Buffy in "Who Are You?" On a side note, Giselle Loren took over
the role for the two Buffy video games and will voice her in the planned
Buffy Animated Series. An uncredited actress was also used to stand in for
Buffy during the Angel episodes "Soul Purpose" and "The Girl in Question"
and let's not forget Kristy Swanson in the original film.

10. Nicholas Brendon's real name is actually Nicholas Brendon Schultz.
Professionally he uses his middle name as his surname. Likewise, his brother
Kelly is really called Kelly Donovan Schultz rather than Kelly Donovan.
Anthony Stewart Head only calls himself that in America because there's
already an actor called Anthony Head working there. Tony is credited as
Anthony Head for all his UK work. Eliza Dushku's middle name is Patricia.
Ms. Calendar's name was originally Nicki, but was changed to Jenny to avoid
confusion with 'Nicky' Brendon.

11. If it hadn't been for age restrictions for actors working irregular
hours, another actress might have been cast as Buffy ahead of Sarah Michelle
Gellar. "The only person for me who was a contender for Buffy that I had to
eliminate immediately was Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek)," notes Buffy's
casting director, Marcia Shulman. "[But] because of the nights shoots and
the length of hours [and because] Katie was not yet 18... I couldn't put her
up for the part." Katie went on to star alongside Marc Blucas in the film
First Daughter. It's a bit like Season 4 might have been, only set in the
White House.

12. The destruction of the original Sunnydale High School for "Graduation
Day Part 2" didn't win the Buffy crew any friends. Sound and vibrations from
the explosion, filmed at Torrance High School, California, woke up many
residents and set off car alarms, causing locals to ban any future Buffy
episodes from filming there. Producer Gareth Davies revealed.
"Unfortunately, when we warned them we were going to blow it up, we
neglected to say when, and when it went up at 5 am in the morning...
Torrance is still upset with us actually." The crew were eventually allowed
to return nearly 3 years later. "I've already heard of one phone call from
some irate lady saying 'You should be punished for what you did 3 years
ago,'" Gareth noted at the time.

13. You probably knew that writers/producers Marti Noxon and David Fury have
both made cameo appearances in episodes of Buffy, singing in "Once More with
Feeling" and "Selfless" but did you know that Jane Espenson briefly appears
as a lunch lady in "Band Candy," and Andy Hallett can be seen sitting at the
back of the UC Sunnydale lecture hall in a scene from "Hush?" Joss Whedon's
only Buffy cameos are as the radio announcer in "I Robot, You Jane" and
overdubbing Angel's heavy breathing during the sex scene flashback in
"Innocence." He was too embarrassed to ask David Boreanaz to do it.

14. Angel, Lyle and Tector Gorch and Pike (from the Buffy film) are all
named after characters from the classic Sam Peckinpah film The Wild Bunch -
a favorite of Joss Whedon's and while it wasn't the inspiration for the
character's name, did you know that the U.K.'s late, lamented Queen Mother
was affectionately known as Buffy?

15. Everyone knows that Buffy's address is 1630 Revello Drive, but Giles'
address was only revealed recently, when Fox auctioned off his $10,000
cheque to Buffy from "Life Serial". The address on that is 3441, Oakhurst
Lane, Sunnydale, California. Although you can't see all of Giles' ZIP code
on the cheque, it starts 900, which contradicts the Sunnydale ZIP code 95037
seen on Buffy's college rejection letter in "As you Were." Mind you, that
claims she lives at 1630 Crewtview. Giles banks at the City Trust & Savings
Bank on the corner of Third and Main, by the way.

16. Joss nicknamed Marti Noxon "Suicide Girl" for the first year she worked
on the show, "because all of my projects had a theme of wanting to off
yourself," Marti explains.

17. Despite being far more hands off during the show's final years, Joss
Whedon has still written or co-written the greatest number of Buffy episodes
(27), with Marti Noxon and Jane Espenson both in second place with 23
episodes apiece. Joss has also directed the most episodes (20), sharing the
honor with James A. Contner. David Solomon directed 19 episodes.

18. Nerf Herder fan Alyson Hannigan persuaded Joss Whedon to use the band to
write the Buffy theme tune. A nerf herder is a kind of shepherd/rancher from
Alderaan, referred to but not seen in the original Star Wars film. Nerf
Herder performed at the Bronze in the episode "Empty Places." Oz's band,
Dingoes Ate My Baby, was named after a famous line uttered by Meryl Streep
in the film A Cry in the Dark, based on the true story of an Australian
court case surrounding a woman who claimed her child had been taken and
killed by one of the creatures.

19. It's possible that Michelle Trachtenberg's first Buffy appearance was in
the Season 4 episode "Restless" rather than Season 5's "Buffy vs. Dracula".
When Xander is talking to Buffy in the sand box during his dream, we also
see a second Xander in the ice- cream van. There are a group of children
queuing to the right of the van, but if you look to the left there's a girl
with long, straight brown hair - who looks very similar to Dawn. Although we
only see this girl from the back, Sarah Michelle Gellar apparently took
Michelle Trachtenberg to the Buffy set on one of the days this episode was
being filmed, which adds to the possibility that it could be her. As we
know, there were many references to the arrival of Dawn in this episode -
perhaps Joss and Co. decided that it may be fun to actually sneak the
actress in there as well.

20. Buffy's birth date has changed several times. In "I Robot, You Jane" its
given as both 24 October 1980 an 6 May 1979. In "Nightmares" her gravestone
reads 1981-1997, and in "The Gift", it says 1981-2001. The official date is
widely believed to be 19 January 1981, as that's the date many of Buffy's
birthday episodes have aired on US TV. She also claims to have been born on
the cusp of Aquarius, which ties in with that.

posted by jtmtzrwj @ 10:07 PM

Variety review of "A Seagull in the Hamptons" (stars Morena Baccarin)

2008-05-30T12:08:58Z

From Variety.com -

Variety review of "A Seagull in the Hamptons" (stars Morena Baccarin)

A McCarter Theater Co. presentation of a play in two acts written and
directed by Emily Mann, adapted from "
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/057119270x?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov. Set, Eugene Lee ;
costumes, Jennifer von Mayrhausen ; lighting, Jane Cox ; original music,
Baikida Carroll ; sound, Karin Graybash ; production stage manager, Cheryl
Mintz. Opened, reviewed May 9, 2008. Runs through June 8. Running time : 2
HOURS, 20 MIN.

Maria - Maria Tucci
Nicholas - Brian Murray
Alex - Stark Sands
Nina -
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000bw7qx6?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Morena Baccarin
Philip - David Andrew Macdonald
Ben - Larry Pine
Lorenzo - Daniel Oreskes
Paula - Jacqueline Antaramian
Milly - Laura Heisler
Harold - Matthew Maher

Despite a decided imbalance in the modernization of Anton Chekhov's "The
Seagull,"
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/1557834903?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Emily Mann's crisply staged "A Seagull in the Hamptons"
roosts on the McCarter Theater Co.'s stage sustaining the rueful mood and
texture of shallow folks wallowing in self pity - this time at a posh Long
Island seaside beach front. Gone is the bleak Russian landscape of the late
l9th century, but the durable echo of Chekhov's emotions remains.

In Mann's revised text, old Uncle Nick bemoans the fact that he is "all
dressed to the nines with nowhere to go." The line prefaces the faithful
tone and texture of this update even if it gains nothing from intrusive
contemporary references to a game of Scrabble, a trip to Saks Fifth Avenue,
a jitney in place of a carriage, the name-dropping of Judi Dench and Meryl
Streep, and a half-dozen explosive profanities.

The wistful tale of unfulfilled lives manages to survive, however, thanks to
some keen ensemble playing. As Maria, the vain, fading actress Chekhov
called Arkadina,
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/8520801579?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Maria Tucci draws a vivid picture of a mean-spirited
parent and recklessly passionate lover. But the inward grace and glow that
ultimately gives the play its sweep and focus is missing.

Brian
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0571197108?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Murray renders a small jewel of a performance as
disgruntled curmudgeon, Nicholas (Sorin in the original), who maintains "old
people should never be born."

Less high-strung than the role is often performed, restlessly symbolic young
bird Nina is played by Morena Baccarin with a sweet balance of
impressionable spirit, appealing naivete, abandoned hope and ultimate
disillusionment. As the wan, neurotic Masha (now named Milly), Laura Heisler
creates a dolefully bland portrait that works quite nicely.

David
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0937944092?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Andrew Macdonald misses the weary defeated elegance of
writer Trigorin, dubbed Philip this time around, and his unrestrained
passion for the young Nina borders on predatory. As impetuous Alex
(Konstantin), Stark Sands doesn't quite capture the complexity of the
troubled romanticist and dubious playwright, despite his youthful vigor.

The role of the cynical doctor has been underwritten in this adaptation, but
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0765318253?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Larry Pine (repeating the role he played in Mike
Nichols' starry Central Park production seven years ago) finds just enough
moments to convey the timeworn medic's complete indifference.

Mann's staging respects the small understated values of Chekhov's soulful
people, despite having recklessly transported them to a modern social
setting where they appear somewhat uncomfortable. The distinctive set
depicts an atmospheric sandy beach backed by a distant summer home in the
dunes, and a sparsely furnished interior for the second half.

Wizard Universe article on Joss & "Astonishing X-Men"

2008-05-30T12:08:33Z

From Wizarduniverse.com -

Wizard Universe article on Joss & "Astonishing X-Men"

JOSS
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0785117334?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> WHEDON / JOHN CASSADAY

Some celebrate new beginnings with a party. Others prefer a glass of
champagne. For Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, however, neither of the
aforementioned options could quite possibly compare with a good,
old-fashioned "fastball special." The return of the famed Wolverine/
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000kgarpw?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Colossus offensive maneuver (perhaps the most
recognizable battle tactic in Marvel Comics history) turned the
ultra-talented creators of the first 20-odd issues of
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000mve9ay?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Astonishing X-Men into a pair of.well, keyed up
fanboys.

"Joss and I were talking it over on the streets of San Diego," Cassaday
recalls, "and we must have appeared not unlike big kids talking about their
favorite toys. I couldn't wait to do it. What a way to say, 'Hey, we're back
in business !'" The scene, which Whedon described as "a two-page, giant
shout-out to the history of the X-Men," was but one of many unforgettable
events from the creators' Eisner Award-winning run.

Whedon and Cassaday firmly entrenched themselves in the ranks of superstar
creative teams by taking comicdom's most popular team and painstakingly
returning it to its superheroic roots. Unencumbered by the usual hassles of
continuity and company-wide crossovers, Whedon and Cassaday could-and
did-cut loose, strutting their stuff by resurrecting old characters
(Colossus), debuting new ones (Armor, Blindfold, Ord) and unveiling the
team's sleek new costumes. "When I first took over the book," Whedon
recounts, " [Marvel Editor-in-Chief] Joe [Quesada] said, 'Can you put them
back in costume ? We think we'd like to do that.' I was like, 'Okay, as long
as John has a hand in shaping them.'

"I saw that panel [from issue #1, in which the new costumes first appeared]
the way any fan would. I don't see sketches from John, the way I do other
artists. He just draws the thing and shows it to me and I say, 'Yes, thank
you. That's exactly what I wanted.' When I saw that I was like, 'Yeah,
that's a badass team.'" Cassaday explains he was trying to make that first
in-costume shot "bold, but not over the top. I did what I could to dress
them more or less in their original fashions," he says. "I feel simplicity
and a certain uniformity is the key with the design of the X-Men."

While Cassaday took care of the stylistic redesign of Marvel's
never-really-Merry Mutants, Whedon focused his prodigious skills on the
internal dramatic elements that have made the scions of the
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000nnzpyk?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Xavier Institute so beloved. "He so got it," Cassaday
says. "The heart of what works best for the X-Men. The soap opera of these
wildly different people whose emotions and personal struggles are as
interesting as their powers."

__._,_.___

Fox begins the viral campaign for Dollhouse

2008-05-30T12:08:14Z

From Fox.com -

Fox begins the viral campaign for Dollhouse

Click on the link :

http://www.fox.com
<http://www.fox.com/futurefox/blogs/index.php/2008/05/22/38573000-civilians->

Brian Lynch Q&A on "Angel: After The Fall" (audioblog)

2008-05-30T12:08:09Z

From Bloglynch.blogspot.com -

Brian Lynch Q&A on "Angel: After The Fall" audioblog (pt 1)

Click on the link :

http://ia360921.us.archive.org/2/items/Questions1_844/Recording01.m4a

Brian Lynch Q&A on "Angel: After The Fall" audioblog (pt 2)

Click on the link :

http://www.archive.org/details/Questions2

J.J. Abrams, Joss Whedon and fewer commericals: Oh my!

2008-05-30T12:06:52Z

http://blogs.pioneerlocal.com/entertainment/2008/05/jj-abrams-fringe.html

J.J. Abrams, Joss Whedon and fewer commericals: Oh my!

By Jennifer Thomas on May 22, 2008 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |
TrackBacks (0)

Last night, during the "American Idol" finale, I saw my first promo for the
new Fox series "Fringe," that will air Aug. 26. I'd already read up on the
show in interest since J.J. Abrams ("Alias," "Lost") is involved. The show's
other two creators, Alex
Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, also were involved with "Alias" and are working
on the upcoming new "Star Trek" movie with Abrams.

The show's premise sounds intriguing -- a female FBI agent who gets together
with an unstable scientist (John Noble) and the scientist's doubting son,
(Joshua Jackson, Pacey on "Dawson's Creek"). It's supposed to be a sort of
cross between the "The X-Files" and "The Twilight Zone," with what I could
tell from the longer promo online, looked like dashes of "Lost and "Alias"
thrown in the mix, too.

As if that weren't enough, another creator of my trifecta of favorite TV
shows -- in fact tops on my list -- Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer,"
"Firefly") also has a show, "Dollhouse" that will air on Fox in January. The
show stars Eliza Dushku (Faith on "Buffy") and includes Amy Acker (Fred on
"Angel," Peyton on "Alias") and follows a group that uses agents, dubbed
dolls, to carry out missions for their clients, and then wipes those agents
memories clean to start all over again.

And both "Fringe" and "Dollhouse" will premiere with Fox's Remote-Free TV
experiment, which means they'll run with about half the commercials. Of
course, "American Idol" probably had enough commercials to fuel the next 50
fall seasons on Fox.

Now if only the third member of my trifecta, Rob Thomas, the creator of
"Veronica Mars," would have worked on something more interesting than the
new "90210" pilot on the CW, to which they've now officially added Jenny
Garth to the cast as a school guidance counselor. But I guess you can't have
everything.

Bones set report from Zap2it.com

2008-05-30T12:06:12Z

An interesting article, as this set report took place during the filming of
the finale, so it hints at the implications of this episode; it also talks
about the shooting schedule for the next season.

Mona

From Zap2it.com -

Bones set report from Zap2it.com

It's April on the set of
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000ht3p60?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Bones. The beautifully dressed stage that represents
the Jeffersonian is bathed in a murky haze and smells of manufactured smoke
and Chinese food. The Gormogon killer has struck again.

To be fair, craft services deserves the credit for the Chinese aromas. The
Gormogon is only responsible for the odor of sulfur, which is pumping from
long tubes onto the set, setting the stage for the show's third season
finale, which will air on Monday, May 19.

A bomb has gone off at the Jeffersonian, but I probably shouldn't tell you
who its victim was. I probably shouldn't mention which regular member of the
cast is wearing tattered gloves and having his or her hands slathered with
KY-Jelly to simulate what looks to be a potentially crippling injury. I
probably shouldn't tell you what's happened to
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000kbawde?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> David Boreanaz's Booth in the aftermath of the bullet
he took to the chest in last week's episode, except to say that Boreanaz is
the only major cast member I didn't talk to for this story.

Any context for the explosion and the events of the finale might, in fact,
might be damning.

As Bones creator Hart Hanson puts it, "We can't have you getting the
context. Because if you knew what happened at the beginning, it would be a
disaster and if you knew what happened at the end it would be a disaster."

The most important thing that can be revealed about the finale is that not
only will the Gormogon return, but the killer's reign of terror will come to
an end after a season of steady investigation.

"He worked slowly into this," reflects T.J. Thyne of the killer, whose
appearances have been woven into the third season. "He's been around a while
at this point."

"I'm glad he's back, though," adds
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000ozwycs?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Tamara Taylor. "It's just such a creepy, creepy
storyline."

"Creepy" is, in fact, the first word that comes to several of the stars'
lips when attempting to describe the killer, known for his appetite for
flesh-eating and skeleton sculptures.

"It's pretty creepy, when you think about it," agrees
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000ikdscy?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Emily Deschanel, whose Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan
somewhat gives the show its name. "Maybe because I got buried alive by The
Gravedigger, I'm more terrified of the Gravedigger ? But now it's hitting
close to home with the Gormogon thing. It's creepy, the secret society
thing, killing all these people off, and just secret societies in general.
And then you have people eating not just one person, but they've invited
people to dinner, quote-unquote."

In the process of catching Gormogon, the Jeffersonian team will inevitably
have to reveal his (or her) identity, a process that's stymied fans of the
show throughout the season.

"There really haven't been that many clues and I don't think anyone could
have guessed," Taylor, who plays Dr. Cam Saroyan on the FOX drama, admits.

Thyne, known to fans as Dr.
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0771041721?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Jack Hodgins, insists, "I had a few hunches."

He doesn't offer to share.

Don't expect Hanson to offer any hints either. Quite the opposite.

"I'm not telling you who it is, but it's shocking," Hanson offers. "It's
shocking and it's not not someone you have never seen before. No. Yes it is.
It is someone you've not... No. No. It's not not someone you've seen
before."

Did Hanson just confuse himself ? Or is the Gormogon indeed somebody we've
met before this season ?

Johnfrancisdaley_bones_240Another person not prone to giving away excessive
information is
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000niiuva?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> John Francis Daley, whose baby-faced shrink Dr. Lance
Sweets also first appeared earlier this season, which more than a few
viewers suspect isn't a total coincidence.

"I can't really get into it, but everyone gets to go to a pretty dark place
by the end of the season," Daley says.

Michaela
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000khk300?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Conlin, whose Angela Montenegro has spent much of the
season trying to track down her first husband to open the door for new
nuptials with Hodgins, says that there are certain advantages to the murky
places the finale gets to go.

"This episode in particular, it's a very intense episode," Conlin says.
"When I read it, I nearly fell off my chair. I think it's incredibly
surprising for many reasons and shocking from start to finish. The great
thing about these episodes is that we're all working together in the show. A
lot of times the show will be split between David and Emily and maybe T.J.
and me, but this episode is a lot of us working as a team and those are
always... they promote a lot giggling on the show."

Perhaps the combination of giggling and intensity is why Thyne says, "It's
been a rollercoaster, this episode. Emotionally, it's been a crazy
rollercoaster for the actors as well as the characters. There's a lot
happening."

And where will the episode find our heroes when it ends ?

"Devastated in the beginning," Taylor says. "Devastated at the end."

A few other highlights from the visit to the set of the Bones finale :

Hanson, on the show's odd and frenzied spring production pace : "We finish
this episode that we're shooting now, which is the season finale. Then we
shoot four more episodes, which will air after the two-parter that we shoot
after that, at the end of June and then we go back and start shooting again
for episodes that go... one episode goes before those four - are you
confused yet ? - and the rest come after that. And there's a lot of
storylines to keep in mind to tell the actors."

Thyne, on the occasionally frustrating lack of romantic resolution for Jack
and Angela : "I feel like Jack. I feel like that guy in real life. He's in
this relationship and he's head-over-heals and he just has no idea where
it's going. He can't push too much because that'll maybe scare her away and
can't hold on too tight either. It's unfortunately, I feel like as an actor
it's been tough to get that flow with the storyline, but the character's in
even more confusion than I am. It's tough, but I hope we get to see where
that relationship leads and I hope it's a positive place."

Eric
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000invq8e?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Millegan, on the yet-to-be-revealed mystery of what he
character went through in Iraq : "In the first episode we found out that I
didn't quite fit in and I was sent home early, but we didn't know much more
than that and I actually asked
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000j12ewm?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Stephen Nathan, one of our executive producers, at the
beginning of the season 'Is there anything you could give me, that maybe I
could play ?' And he was like, 'You've been to Iraq. And now you're back.'
That was his instruction for me. In other words, it was something I was
going to learn more about as the season went along. And we'll cover it. All
in due time."

Deschanel, on being asked to sing in last week's episode : "I was not great,
but I can carry a tune usually. Sometimes I go off key a little bit. It was
and terrifying at the same time, which good. It was good to face fears..."

__._,_.___

Firefly Shipworks Ltd. - the website

2008-05-30T12:05:46Z

Very funny, and very well done. It presents itself as a site that supplies
transport ships for 'you and yours'

Mona

From Fireflyshipworks.com -

Firefly Shipworks Ltd. - the website

Click on the link :

http://www.fireflyshipworks.com/

__._,_.___

Pilot L.A. screening news (Dollhouse mentioned)

2008-05-30T12:05:26Z

from Whedon.info -

Pilot L.A. screening news (Dollhouse mentioned)

Hollywood's desperate scramble to have something solid to show TV buyers
from around the world at the L.A. Screenings had a happy ending during the
weekend.

There were fears that the dearth of
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b00006fdbs?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> pilots resulting from the WGA strike would make the
annual international event a washout. But screenings held by at least two
major studios, Fox and CBS Paramount, had usually cautious buyers
applauding.

The complex set for one of Fox's big pushes at the Screenings,
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000063iot?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Joss Whedon's sci-fi fantasy "Dollhouse," went up in
less than two weeks. Footage for a pilot was in the can in as much time. And
yet the series created considerable buzz among buyers over the weekend based
on just an eight-minute showcase.

Over at CBS Paramount, producer Jonathan Prince was working until the last
minute on tweaks to a full pilot for the new
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000etr9w4?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Benjamin Bratt series "The Cleaner," based on the true
story of a man who dedicates his life to rescuing addicts. The pilot drew
applause from Latin American buyers Saturday and a thumbs up from Venesion's
international acquisitions manager Soledad Leiva Garcia.

Disney-ABC International Television held a screening Sunday for "
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b0015hzap2?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian" for about
400 of its international clients and announced international launches for
the sitcom "Project Gary," the sci-fi drama "The Middleman,"
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000jr6wlk?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Steven Bochco's drama "Raising the Bar" and the
ensemble comedy "Roommates," among others.

The Canadian buyers wrapped up a lot of business in the first few days. CTV
picked up a slate of Warner Bros. International Television series, including
the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/1417604301?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Eleventh Hour," based on a U.K. format ; the midseason
procedural "The Mentalist" ; and J.J. Abrams' "Fringe," the Fox sci-fi drama
series. CTV did not buy new U.S. series sight-unseen, only fall shows for
which there was a pilot.

Rival CanWest Media picked up Fox's "Dollhouse," the CW's "
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b0012em5di?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Beverly Hills, 90210" spinoff and CBS Paramount's
serialized midseason murder mystery "Harper's Island," among others.

__._,_.___

Amber Benson & Adam Busch to co-direct independant feature

2008-05-30T12:05:16Z

From Lampbr.com -

Amber Benson & Adam Busch to co-direct independant feature

Click on the link for what's available. The project is called Drones.

http://www.lampbr.com/project-detail.asp
<http://www.lampbr.com/project-detail.asp?id=17> ?ID=17

Scifi.com snippet on Dollhouse & its origins

2008-05-30T12:05:03Z

From Scifi.com - By Ian Spelling -

Scifi.com snippet on Dollhouse & its origins

Joss
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000hvprx2?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Whedon, creator of the upcoming Fox SF series
Dollhouse, told SCI FI Wire that he came up with the show's concept during a
lunch meeting with star Eliza Dushku, a longtime friend and colleague, who
played Faith in Whedon's
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000aq68ri?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

"It came from my conversation with Eliza about her, about her life, her
career, about what everybody wanted from her, what they wanted her to become
and what she was trying to become," Whedon said in an interview last week
during Fox's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. "That's really
what the show is about. It's about plumbing the depths of our identity."

Dollhouse stars Dushku as Echo, a member of an underground, illegal group of
people who've had their personalities wiped clean, enabling them to be
imprinted with any number of new personalities to carry out missions at the
behest of their handlers. The people, called "Actives," live in a spa-like
facility called the Dollhouse, and everything seems to be going according to
plan until Echo begins to experience self-awareness and feels compelled to
uncover the truth about her identity.

"It's sort of taking the role of a Frankenstein monster and saying, 'Who am
I ? Who created me ? Why am I like this ? What's good about me ? What's bad
about me ? What's eternal about me ? And what's just evanescent ?'" Whedon
said. "And everyone in the show is dealing with that same issue, but for a
different reason. That, to me, is the heart of the thing : 'Well, who are we
?'"

Fox has picked up Dollhouse for seven episodes. On a weekly basis, Whedon
said, viewers will see Dushku as different characters. Echo will have a new
engagement every week and, as a result, a new purpose and a new personality
each week, too.

"The exciting thing-and part of the other reason I created the show-is that
Eliza is very versatile, and this will be a chance for her to play 100
different people," Whedon said. "They'll all be her-she's not going to wear
old-person makeup or anything like that-but they'll all be from very
different social strata, with very different agendas and very different
motivations and very different things. Every week [Echo] will have an agenda
that's evil or decent or sexual or romantic or altruistic. It can be
anything."

The show's other characters include Adelle (Olivia Williams), a Dollhouse
leader ; Boyd (Harry Lennix), Echo's handler ; Topher (Fran Kranz), the
morally ambivalent programmer who wipes the Actives' memories ; Dr. Claire
Saunders (Amy Acker, late of Whedon's Angel), a doctor who feels protective
of the Actives ; Paul Smith (Battlestar Galactica's Tahmoh Penikett), an FBI
agent inching closer to the Dollhouse ; and Sierra (Aztec Rex's Dichen
Lachman) and Victor (Enver Gjokaj), Echo's fellow Actives.

"There will be a flow-through of the show as well, about [Echo] and the
characters surrounding her and how the Dollhouse works, how it doesn't work,
and her burgeoning self-awareness," Whedon said. "Between these engagements,
she's this complete innocent and starts to go, 'Hey, here I am in the
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000ql97de?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Garden of Eden. What's this apple, and what do I do
with it ?'" Dollhouse will premiere in early 2009.

Jewel Staite joins Stargate Atlantis full-time

2008-05-30T12:04:33Z

Sliceofscifi.com - By Michael Hickerson -

Jewel Staite joins Stargate Atlantis full-time

Changes coming for new season of Atlantis

When Stargate : Atlantis return to SciFi later this month for its fifth
season, fans can expect to see a few changes.

One of the most notable will be some new sets for the hit series. During a
recent press visit, reporters were given a behind the scenes look at some
familiar sets as well as new standing set for a Wraith hive-ship. (Standing
sets are those that are used in multiple episodes). The ship includes a
"distinctly insectile throne for the Wraith Queen" and is "more elaborate
than earlier Wraith ships."

In addition to the set changes, there will be some changes to the regular
cast.
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000hezey6?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Amanda Tapping is bowing out of the fifth season of the
show to work on the recently picked up series Sanctuary. Taking her place as
the head of the SG:A team will be genre-favorite Robert Picardo. Picardo is
reprising his role as Richard Woosley from previous appearances in the
franchise.

Also this season,
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000ijfjdg?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Jewel Staite will become a full-time cast member as Dr.
Jennifer Keller. Staite described Keller as growing more comfortable with
her place in Atlantis this season. "She steps up to the plate a little bit
more," Staite said. "She's becoming more courageous."

And Atlantis fans will be happy to hear that actor
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000icnwx2?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Paul McGillion has signed for four to five episodes
this year. No word yet on exactly which role he'll be playing-Carson Beckett
or the clone of Beckett we met last year.

Finally, Tori Higginson who plays Elizabeth Weir has left the series. Weir
was initially schedule to appear in a recurring role this year on Atlantis.
However, Higginson will not be returning to the series according to reports.
There's no word yet on how this departure could impact several on-going
plotlines on the long running series.

The fifth season of Atlantis kicks off later this summer on SciFi.

10 vampires that don't suck on Ifmagazine.com

2008-05-30T12:04:17Z

Spike is at no.4, and Angel at no.3!

Nosferatu is at no.2, and the no.1 slot is owned by Dracula...so I think our
guys did pretty well. For the Forever Knight fans, Nick Knight gets an
honourable mention.

Mona

From Ifmagazine.com -

10 vampires that don't suck on Ifmagazine.com

Click on the link :

<http://www.ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=2800>
http://www.ifmagazine.com/feature.asp ?article=2800

Joss, Eliza & Tahmoh - 3 reasons to already love 'Dollhouse'

2008-05-30T12:03:43Z

From Whedon.info -

Joss, Eliza & Tahmoh - 3 reasons to already love 'Dollhouse'

Joss
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000p07ohm?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Whedon,
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000wcn8q4?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Eliza Dushku and Tahmoh Penikett-those are three big
reasons I can't wait to see "Dollhouse" when it debuts on Fox in January
2009.

2009 ! Yes, we have to wait forever for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator
Whedon's first series since 2002's "Firefly" to come to TV.

I have little doubt that "Dollhouse," about an underground group that
imprints its "actives" with personalities and abilities needed to carry out
specific missions, won't be worth the wait. I loves me some science fiction,
after all.

Whedon's never let me down in that department in the past. I'm a big fan of
his "Buffy," "Angel" and "Firefly." I love the way he combines humor with
drama, witty dialogue with slapstick moments and believable characters with
sci fi freakiness. And if the "Dollhouse" clips I've seen are any
indication, he's adding some real bendy plot twists to the mix.

Whedon also excels at creating bad-ass
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/1590710533?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> female characters. There's River Tam from "Firefly,"
and of course Buffy. You can add the dark slayer Faith Lehane from "Buffy"
and "Angel," who was played by Dushku.

It's nice to see Dushku back on TV kicking butt. "Dollhouse" should offer
the actress great opportunities, since she plays Echo, one of the actives
who gets a new persona and skill set for each assignment.

Somehow Echo's personality wasn't completely lost, because she begins to
investigate the Dollhouse, the lab where the organization does its work and
the actives live.

"It's really perfect for my personality, which is kind of ADD. It's nice to
not have the same wardrobe every day," Dushku told Entertainment Weekly.

Tahmoh Speaking of wardrobe, I'm hoping Penikett's is kind of sparse, or at
least he wears those sleeveless shirts he's always in as Helo on "
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b00129w6le?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Battlestar Galactica." Wow. Easy on the eyes much ?

Penikett plays FBI Agent Paul Smith, who also is investigating the
Dollhouse. I hear he and Echo eventually become involved romantically too.
Penikett's a
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0312966547?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> great actor and I'll enjoy seeing him move beyond Helo
and "BSG," which ends its run next year.

This is one show I am so looking forward to watching. And by the way, Fox
has upped its order to 13 episodes from the originally reported seven
episodes.

Here's another clip that gives us a hint of the direction the show may take
in its first season. In it Echo and Agent Smith argue over Echo's missing
sister.

It could be a deliberate ploy to mess with Smith's investigation of the
Dollhouse, or Echo could actually be taping into memories that weren't wiped
clean.

Here's how Fox describes "Dollhouse" :

Echo (Eliza Dushku) is an "Active," a member of a highly illegal and
underground group who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can
be imprinted with any number of new personas.

Confined to a secret facility known as the "Dollhouse," Echo and the other
Actives including Sierra (Dichen Lachman) and Victor (Enver Gjokaj) carry
out engagements assigned by Adelle (
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b0009wieam?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Olivia Williams), one of the Dollhouse leaders. The
engagements cater to the wealthy, powerful and connected, and require the
Actives to immerse themselves in all manner of scenarios-romantic, criminal,
uplifting, dangerous, comic and the occasional "pro bono" good deed.

After each scenario, Echo, always under the watchful eye of her handler Boyd
(
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000cqn9ku?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Harry Lennix), returns to the mysterious Dollhouse
where her thoughts, feelings and experiences are erased by Topher (Fran
Kranz), the Dollhouse's genius programmer.

Echo enters the next scenario with no memory of before. Or does she ?

As the series progresses, FBI Agent Paul Smith (Tahmoh Penikett) pieces
together clues that lead him closer to the Dollhouse, while Echo stops
forgetting, her memories begin to return and she slowly pieces together her
mysterious past.

"Dollhouse" revolves around Echo's blossoming self-awareness and her desire
to discover her true identity. But with each new engagement comes a new
memory and increased danger inside and outside the Dollhouse.

Runaways--

2008-05-30T12:03:34Z

Our own Joss W. was the scripter for this for a while---wouldn't it be neat
if he did the screenplay? (Probably too busy now to direct)

Marvel's RUNAWAYS headed to the big screen!

Ahoy, squirts! <mailto:quint@aintitcool.com> Quint here. I'm a big Marvel
fan, but I only really looked into Bryan K. Vaughan's RUNAWAYS series during
the Civil War crossovers. I'm not a big fan of the super stylized cartoony
art (something that almost got me to stop reading Amazing Spider-Man a year
or so back), so I didn't stick with it. I am a big fan of Vaughan's Y: THE
LAST MAN books, so I'm sure if I buckled down and started from issue one I'd
get into it, but I have yet to do that.

It's about the super powered teenage children of super villains who run away
from home and band together as a group of goodies.

<http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i92601a875c> Marvel has announced that they're going forward with
RUNAWAYS, putting it on the slate with flicks like CAPTAIN AMERICA, IRON MAN
2 and ANT MAN to hit sometime between now and 2011. Thoughts?

It's Nikki Wood's Coat: Race In the Buffyverse

2008-05-30T12:03:03Z

From Saeva.livejournal.com -

It's Nikki Wood's Coat: Race In the Buffyverse

So, for my Film In American Society term paper I wrote on the subject of
race in the Buffyverse. It's long, topping out at just over 7,000 words, and
contains spoilers for the entirity of Buffy,
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000lwl72c?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Angel, and some of the supplemental canon material from
the post-series comics. It's also, as of yet, un-betaed so any typos,
misplaced words, or factual errors are mine. Note for MetaFandom people :
Please keep in mind this was written for an audience that has not seen Buffy
or Angel. Therefore, I was unable to include some of the more complicated
plot issues, such as Jasmine, due to page limitation and difficulty
conveying the storyline to those who are not familar with the canon.

Author : [info]saeva Subject : Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel the Series
Premise : An examination of race portrayal and relations on Buffy the
Vampire Slayer & Angel the Series. Warnings : Spoilers for all seasons,
racial language, non-generous interpretations of the text. Author's Notes :
This essay entirely owes its existence to Gianduja Kiss's vid Origin
Stories. I only regret that, due to page limitation in the assignment, I was
unable to include discussion of her vid within the essay itself. Even if you
do not read the quite possibly teel dear essay, please go and watch the
video. A picture sometimes is worth a thousand words and in this case a four
minute video is worth seven thousand.

* * * Dead Bro Walking : Characters Of Color In Joss Whedon's Buffyverse

For a generation of media consumers writer/director/producer Joss Whedon
gave a name and face to teenage angst. The name was Buffy the Vampire Slayer
and the face was
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b00004rcq8?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Sarah Michelle Gellar, a 5'2", 100 pounds soaking wet,
blonde former child soap star that would take up the role of the title
character of Buffy and be hailed by critics as the face of pop feminism.
Buffy, which began its run in January of 1997 and hit the status of cult
success by the middle of its second season a year later, was not Whedon's
first foray into popular media or even his first take on vampire slaying. He
had begun his career in Hollywood as a sitcom writer, getting small jobs on
Roseanne in the late 80s and Parenthood in the early 90s, before
successfully pitching the idea for a vampire comedy to Twentieth-Century
Fox. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - the movie - was the ideal parody of the
often busty horror genre. Instead of the flighty blonde cheerleader being
the big bad monster's chosen victim, she was hunting him and looking good in
heels while doing it. Despite having hunk of the moment, Luke Perry, playing
the damsel, er, "dude" in distress the movie only made a small splash in the
box office and the franchise might have died there if not for Whedon's firm
belief that Buffy still had a story to tell. And she would get a second
chance, five years later, when then fledgling and now defunct "teen-focused"
network The WB picked up the show as a mid-season replacement. Add a
loveable cast of "Scooby Gang" sidekicks and one adorably dorky
mentor-in-tweed, plus a star-crossed vampire love interest, shake a little
for flavor, and the WB had a hit on its hands.

Six years and a different network later, Buffy entered its final, seventh
season with a TV series spinoff, comic book series, dozens of tie-in novels,
and even action figures to its name. It, and sibling show
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b0006hc5hi?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Angel the Series, also had a reputation with some fans
that were less than impressed with the way the two series handled race. In
the twelve years combined that Buffy and Angel were on the air only a scant
dozen of the speaking part characters were characters of color - one can
literally count them on the fingers and toes of one person. Only one was a
main character with a person of color as a regular cast member. Only three
were major reoccurring characters, with top billing in the guest credits.
The rest were relegated to single episodes or supporting positions in
multiple episode arcs where the show never explored the character and,
instead, used the character to explore a white character's dramatic arc
instead. Even being generous with what calls a "minority " by including the
ilk of multicultural (but still predominantly Western European)
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b00004rcq8?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Charisma Carpenter and Italian descended Robia LaMorte
(who played an outcasted Romani in Buffy's second season before being the
first permanent death of a reoccurring, non-villain character for the show)
the statistics still remain almost shockingly low for a franchise that
valued itself on its diversity of characters. But more jarring than the
blatant lack of characters, and actors, of color on the shows were the fact
that when characters of color did show up they were almost inevitably evil,
insane, or quickly no longer of the living (or undead, for that matter).

For Buffy, the younger and less "edgy" of the two shows, the first character
of color to make it out alive and with all faculties, and body appendages,
attached was
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0965298418?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Robin Wood. Introduced in the premiere of the seventh
season as the new principal of Sunnydale High School - where Buffy's once
mystical little sister Dawn was starting her freshman year - many fans
immediately began to wonder how long Robin Wood would remain on the show.
After all, besides being the principal of a school on the Hell Mouth (the
last principal was eaten by a giant god-snake-cum-mayor and the one before
that by a pack of students possessed by hyenas), he was black and characters
of color had a poor track record in the fan-coined "Buffyverse." Some fans
even started up a fan run community on the social blog site LiveJournal. In
honor of the six year tradition of dead minorities in Buffyverse's wake they
called it Dead Bro Walking*. After the show ended its run, the community
remained "[to keep] the candles burning for people of color in scifi,
fantasy, and horror" and now exists primarily as a forum for discussion
about race, or the lack thereof, in television genre shows.

To understand the creation of the community and the resulting shock when
Wood survived the series finale, one has to go over the history of the
Buffyverse to see exactly how deep the whitewash of this paranormal universe
goes. Buffy began with a principle cast of four people, Buffy, her best
friends Willow and Xander, and her school librarian/Watcher mentor
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0743449495?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Rupert Giles. Her nemeses, besides the creatures of the
night, are in popular girl Cordelia Chase and Chase's gaggle of giggling
fashionistas that originally try to welcome born and bred
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/0979394562?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Los Angeles valley girl Buffy Summers until they
realize she is just a bit strange. The role of Cordelia, who would later
become a full-time character and then move on to be a main character on
Buffy spin-off Angel, originally went to Bianca Lawson, a black actress.
Lawson had to turn down the role due to contractual obligations to do the
short-lived television comedy "Goode Behavior." After Lawson pulled out,
Charisma Carpenter was cast but Lawson was kept in mind by the Buffy casting
department and would later return in a guest starring capacity. In the first
season of Buffy the closest one came to diversity was in character Willow
Rosenberg's Jewish heritage (the red-haired, pale Willow would, by the
middle of the second season, convert to Paganism) and Rupert Giles's
seemingly upper crust English background.

The first character of significant color to appear on the show, which does
not include western European LaMorte, would be played by Bianca Lawson. In
the final episode of Buffy's first season Buffy fights The Master, the
season one "Big Bad," and though she ultimately triumphs she does briefly
die from drowning before being resuscitated. In the Buffyverse mythos, which
states that "To each generation a Slayer is born" and that "she alone must
stand against the darkness," this means that Buffy's time as Slayer is
technically up and though she retains her Slayer abilities the line is
passed on to former potential Kendra. Kendra, no last name, is from
Jamaicasome unspecified tribe in Africa and was surrendered by her parents
at a young age to train as a potential Slayer with her Watcher Zabuto.
Unlike the voraciously social, energetic Buffy, Kendra has no social life to
speak of and retains no ties to her family - her entire life is focused on
being part of the Slayer lineage. Kendra originally appears to beat down a
dark force rising in Buffy's adopted town Sunnydale, not realizing that
though she was called Buffy remains alive and fighting. In the end, she
assists Buffy in fighting off the season two "Big Bads" and rescuing Buffy's
on-again, off-again vampire boyfriend Angel before returning to Africa.

At the end of the season she returns with a warning that a now evil Angel is
going to try and open the Hell Mouth beneath Sunnydale using a demon named
Acathla. Kendra's Watcher has given her a sword that can send Acathla back
to his stone-like slumber and Kendra passes this sword on to Buffy, feeling
that the more experienced and personally invested Slayer would be the best
one to wield the weapon despite Kendra's greater skill at blades. When
Buffy, the Scoobies (which now include Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and recent
addition Oz), and Giles set a trap for the Big Bads Spike and Drusilla,
Kendra remains to keep watch as now witch-powered Willow attempts to restore
Angel's soul and turn him good again. Because of Kendra's unfaltering
loyalty to the cause and authority, the ghostly (pale) and English-born
vampire Drusilla, who contains some witch-like paranormal powers of her own,
is able to easily hypnotize Kendra's mind and slits the Slayer's throat
while Kendra stands there passively. Buffy arrives too late, finding her
fellow Slayer dead on the ground and her other friends missing. In the end,
thanks to the sword that Kendra provided and Willow's persistence in
completing the spell, Buffy is able to close the mouth to Hell - though she
must send the now once again re-souled Angel to Hell in the process.

(...)

Click on the link for the full article :

<http://saeva.livejournal.com/127714.html>
http://saeva.livejournal.com/127714.html

Scifi.com reviews scripts for "Dollhouse" and "Fringe"

2008-05-30T12:01:54Z

From Scifi.com -

Scifi.com reviews pilot scripts for "Dollhouse" and "Fringe"

FOX will announce its 2008-09 schedule at its upfront presentation to
advertisers on Thursday (May 15), but fans have already been anticipating
Dollhouse and Fringe for months.

Created by J.J. Abrams with frequent cohorts
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/1417905271?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Robert Orci and
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000gt4dz8?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Alex Kurtzman, Fringe is expected to have a place on
the fall schedule, launching with a two-hour pilot believed to be budgeted
in the $10-million range and directed by Alex Graves (Journeyman). The cast
of the X-Files-esque drama is led by relative newcomer Anna Torv - hoping to
catch a little of the magic Abrams gave to Keri Russell, Jennifer Garner and
Evangeline Lilly - but includes familiar faces including Joshua Jackson
(Pacey !!!), John Noble (Denethor !!!) and Lance Reddick. Viewers will
likely have to wait a little longer for Dollhouse, which seems destined for
midseason.
<http://amazon.com/gp/product/b000fhzlos?ie=utf8&tag=buffynu-20&link_code=em> Joss Whedon is writing and directing the pilot, which
brings Eliza Dushku back to primetime. I've read the script for each pilot.
Keeping in mind that between rewrites, casting and directing choices
original pilot scripts can be as different from the eventual pilot as night
and day, here are a few first impressions :

Dollhouse

Written by Joss Whedon

What It's About : Echo (Dushku) is a Doll. She's a young woman imprinted by
a group of shady scientists as a blank-slate-for-hire. Depending on how
she's programmed, she can be a glorified prostitute, the ideal wedding date
to make your ex-girlfriend jealous, a butt-kicking bodyguard or a
sympathetic confidante. She can be anything you want. And she's not the only
Doll in the Dollhouse, a vast holding facility overseen by Adelle DeWitt
(Olivia Williams). When Echo hasn't been imprinted by programmer Topher
(Fran Kranz), she's supposed to be a blank slate, but Topher and Dr. Claire
Saunders (Amy Acker) are beginning to notice signs of learned behavior from
Echo, signs of memory. If Echo's becoming self-aware, that might be the
break to help Paul (Tahmoh Penikett), a federal agent trying to get to the
bottom of the Dollhouse urban legend. How It Reads : A good pilot should do
one of two things : It should either lay out the blueprint for the rest of
the series or it should intrigue you so much that you can't wait for the
second episode. Fringe falls into the first category. It leaves almost
nothing to the imagination in terms of what's coming next. Dollhouse falls
into the second category. Whedon's script builds into a mystery that's as
much philosophical as science fiction. The introduction to the show's
universe is immediately disorienting, but also enthralling, as Whedon mixes
elements of the conspiracy thriller with what threatens to become a profound
meditation on identity. Dollhouse comes across as darker in tone and slower
in pace than anything Whedon has previously attempted and while there's
humor sprinkled throughout, the sensation at the end is one of overarching
menace and also sadness. The pilot script concentrates on only three or four
main characters, though several others are introduced in passing, and it
offers no stand-alone elements. After reading the pilot, I'm ready to go on
the journey with Whedon even though I can't figure out what the week-to-week
plot of the show is going to be.

How It Might Play : Since Desperate Housewives and Lost made the major
networks want to dive back into the serialized drama business, viewers have
made it clear that they're cautious about starting a show that might get
cancelled mid-story. Dollhouse feels like the sort of show that might have
been better suited for FX or HBO or Showtime, where Whedon's devoted
audience could make a show a hit. But Dushku had a talent deal at 20th
Century Fox TV and with FOX and this is totally her vehicle, the sort of
role that most young actresses would kill for. Since Echo is constantly
being other people, Dushku is in position to go from action star to sex
kitten to child-like innocent in the course of a dozen pages. It's Dushku's
show, but the pilot suggests potentially meaty roles for Williams, Kranz,
Acker, Penikett and Harry Lennix, as Echo's trainer. While recognizably
Whedonesque, Dollhouse finds Joss going in different direction, one that may
be less quippy and less plot-driven than some might expect. The fans will
still love it, I suspect, but will Dollhouse be able to find an audience
beyond the Whedonverse ? I'm not sure. So this could be one of those "Enjoy
it while you've got it" gems.

Fringe

Written by J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

What It's About : When something disturbing, unexplainable and just a bit
icky happens to the passengers on an international flight, FBI Agent Olivia
Warren (Torv) begins an investigation that leads her to Dr. Walter Bishop
(Noble), a renegade scientist whose unorthodox experiments into fringe
phenomena led arrests and eventually institutionalization. Warren can only
get Bishop out with the help of his estranged son Peter (Jackson), a young
man with a genius IQ, but questionable morals and motivation. The son isn't
ready to reconcile with his father, the father isn't ready to be
reintegrated into the outside world and Olivia isn't ready to serve as
babysitter, but the form an unlikely team. How does the airplane tragedy
relate to The Pattern, a race of unexplained occurrences sweeping the world
? And what does any of this have to do with the mysterious Prometheus
Corporation, one of the world's most forward-thinking companies ? And what
do we make of Broyles (Reddick), the head of the Homeland Security's newly
formed Fringe Division ?

How It Reads : The script I read feels like an early draft. It's rife with
typos and comes in at more than 110 pages, far longer than any two-hour
pilot could handle. Once 20 pages of the script are trimmed, I'm assuming
the pilot will play far better. The script has an X-Files meets Altered
States meets Alias vibe that's immediately familiar and comfortable. The
actual plot of the pilot could probably have fit into a standard hour, but
Abrams and Company are making the effort to give the material a global scale
and the script plants at least a half-dozen potential running mysteries that
will allow Fringe to have both serialized elements and also
freak-of-the-week plots. The set-up of these three individuals against a
vast corporate/government conspiracy has been fruitful for Abrams in the
past and there's no reason to believe that it won't work here. While Abrams
has always been able to write carefully delineated female characters, Olivia
is initially the weakest link in the show's core trio, another strong,
career-minded female whose personal life threatens to undermine her
professional prospects. The inevitability of strained will-they/won't-they
romance between Olivia and Peter already has me rooting for an expanded role
for Astrid, the FBI underling to be played by Jasika Nicole.

How It Might Play : For FOX, the best thing about Fringe - other than
getting into the J.J. Abrams business, of course - is that the series has
the potential to partner with almost any established show on its schedule,
depending on how they spin it. It's the story of two bickering partners
solving crimes and flirting ? Team it with Bones. It's the story of a
brilliant and eccentric man with limited social skills ? Let's match it with
House. It's about a strong, single woman doing whatever she has to do to
save the world ? Sounds like a match with Terminator : The Sarah Connor
Chronicles. While I can't speak for Torv, the other lead roles seem
perfectly cast, though Fringe isn't going to be sold as a star-driven show.
It's going to be sold as FOX's attempt to reclaim the X-Files demo that the
network has jeopardized with the swift cancellation of too many shows from
folks like Whedon and Tim Minear. The script lends itself to a large-scale
pilot and it should leave viewers knowing exactly what to expect in the
episodes to come, which is more than can be said for...