Geekfest Rants

Con Memories Part III - by Steve Vivona

As Day Two of the Con loomed snowstorms, hailstorms and thunderstorms beset Southern California while the east coast was enjoying record highs. Saturday is traditionally a crazy day at a three-day event like this. 

On Friday, people are generally working and they program “lesser” guests and on Sunday many of the guests pack up and leave early. Creation is nothing if not savvy and they tend to leave one or two heavy hitters to the bitter end on Sunday.

As I mentioned previously I enjoyed Grand Slam because it offered more than just “Trek.” Saturday’s major events included a few “Trek” guests but the really big ones were from “Firefly,” and “Lost,” two of my favorite shows.

 

The Hubris of Trying to Improve Upon God - by Tony Rossi

“Some things are not ours to tamper with; some things belong to God.”  That’s a line from the Season 4 episode of the science fiction TV series, “Fringe,” called “Novation,” but it reflects a theme that’s run throughout the show’s history.

Created by “Lost’s” J.J. Abrams, “Fringe” revolves around the FBI’s Fringe science investigation team led by Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), Dr. Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his son, Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson). About 20 years ago, Walter was a ‘mad scientist’ type who performed experiments on children, using them as guinea pigs to push science beyond any previously-held human and moral boundaries. He felt that anything that can be accomplished should be accomplished regardless of the laws of nature or the dignity of human beings. Walter pushed that idea even further when he discovered a parallel universe made up of the same people alive in this world, but in slightly-altered circumstances.

Click here for the rest of this article:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2012/02/the-hubris-of-trying-to-improve-upon-god/

Con Memories Part II - by Steve Vivona

 

(When last we met, Steve had arrived in LA and quickly ran to a screening at the Egyptian in Hollywood, attended by Leonard Nimoy and Jack Larson. We pick up as the con begins in full force!)

After an exhausting day, I awoke ready to face the relentless push of Grand Slam. If all you want to do is watch the stars do their Q & A’s it can be quite leisurely, but if you want autographs, photos, etc. it can get a tad stressful running from place to place, trying to ensure you don’t miss anything. 

Convention Memories - by Steve Vivona

For those of us living in the Northeast the convention situation is abysmal. The only one worth its salt within a 100-mile radius is Chiller. While they have great guests it is a disorganized nightmare that gets worse with each passing year. 

Back around 2004, I really got into the convention scene in a big way. I traveled to the West Coast three years in a row and, aside from the exorbitant prices, they were the best con experiences I ever had.

Other shows held nationally in places like Michigan, Florida and Texas are better organized but their guests are strictly the B-list and the same year after year. Creation, for all their price gauging and silly rules, is still the best game in town. They get the A-list stars of sci-fi (and their prices reflect it) and they provide the best possible con experience going. 

The Best Movie of the 80s - by Steve Vivona

I remember the 80s very fondly. I loved television, and in years prior I zoned out on a hefty diet of baseball games and sitcoms. Thanks to the advent of cable tv I could now watch “Cannonball Run II” 5 times a week!

I got my first VCR in 1984 and starting taping my favorites. In 1986 I received my second VCR after haranguing my parents endlessly so I could have one in my room (many thanks to my friend Ray who sped up the process by crashing into me on my bike thereby netting me a sympathy gift!)

I started renting new releases at the video store, copying them and gorging myself on multiple viewings.

Big titles for me then included “Lethal Weapon,” “Running Scared,” any “Rocky” film, “Robocop,” "Predator," “Commando," etc. But there was one that stood above them by leaps and bounds.

A friend of mine saw a commercial for “Highlander,” and thought it “looked cool.” That meant we should see it. The film received such limited distribution that my father had to drive us about 15 miles to the nearest theater to see it.

"The Hunger Games" versus "Twilight" on the Big Screen - by Kea Alwang

Looking back, it was the trailers for Twilight and The Hunger Games that influenced how quickly I needed to see those films: I wound up waiting to see Twilight (and all its successors) on DVD, yet I attended a 9:20 a.m. showing for The Hunger Games the first day it was out. 

  

Now, book-wise ... I love both series, but if pressed to pick one over the other, Twilight would edge out Hunger Games by a fang's width. So what made me wait to see Twilight the film on DVD, yet juggle my schedule around to catch The Hunger Games on opening day? 

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK HERE: http://www.keaalwang.com/2012/03/the-hunger-games-versus-twilight-on-the-big-screen.html

The Missing "Star Wars" Links: Episode IV - A New Hope - by Carlos Perrone

As we examined on a previous editorial, the history of missing Star Wars deleted scenes is finally being completed with the recent release of the Star Wars Blu-rays.  Let's take a little time to break down what we got with Episode IV - Star Wars: A New Hope.

Uncle Forry - by Steve Vivona

 

Back in 2000, the opportunity of a lifetime fell in my lap when I was invited to cover a series of celebrity interviews being conducted in Beverly Hills by a friend who had his own talk show. I was thrilled beyond measure to say the least.

Being a film buff, I knew California was the center of the universe for movie making, and I planned to use the trip for my own purposes, and tour as many studios as I could reasonably squeeze in. I had one goal above all others though, and that was to tour the “Acker-Mansion,” home of Forrest J Ackerman, sci-fi fandom’s #1 guru, and creator of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine.

“Uncle Forry,” as his acolytes knew him, possessed the largest collection of science fiction, horror and fantasy-related memorabilia in the known universe, and for decades he opened his home to eager young fans every Saturday for a tour. I extended my trip by one day just so I could visit the Promised Land. I’d be damned if I was going to miss out on such an opportunity.

 

Episode 76 - Ralph McQuarrie Retrospective Tribute

Today's episode of GFR discusses the enormous contributions of the late Ralph McQuarrie to the Star Wars mythos. We'll hear thoughts from Carlos and wife Kim, the Steves and special contributor James as they reminisce about this visionary artist and how his unique style breathed life into George Lucas' creation.

 Episode 76 - Ralph McQuarrie Retrospective Tribute

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Saving the Part of Yourself That Matters Most - by Tony Rossi

How far would you go to get revenge on someone who hurt a person you loved? That’s the question at the heart of a 2011 episode of the CBS series, “Person of Interest” titled “Cura Te Ipsum,” a Latin saying which translates to “Heal thyself.”

In case you’re not familiar with “Person of Interest’s” premise, Harold Finch (Lost’s Michael Emerson) is the creator of a machine that uses pattern recognition to identify people about to be involved in violent crimes. He recruits presumed-to-be-dead former CIA agent, John Reese (The Passion of the Christ’s Jim Caviezel), to help him stop these crimes before they happen. Both men have secrets in their past that motivate them to help others, especially Reese who has killed people in his CIA work, losing a part of his soul in the process.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK HERE:  http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2012/02/saving-the-part-of-yourself-that-matters-most/