DMBainbridge’s blog

Season Four Shooting Again
Season four was going to be all shot at once to decrease production costs but the writers strike kind messed that up. They only got about half of it scripted and filmed. Well, shooting begins today for the second half of season four - which is great because that means that the show is getting its intended ending. Executive producer Ronald D. Moore has stated that the break in production allowed the writing team to reevaluate their intended ending story for the series and make some tweaks here and there to further improve the story and fix some story aspects that the writers felt didn't quite work. Unfortunately, the long hiatus in production means that we will probably see a very long break in the airing of the second half of the season and there are rumors that it might not air until 2009.

Caprica Gets the Green Light
The long rumored BSG prequel series, Caprica, is getting out of production hell with a two hour tele-movie which, if successful, will serve as a back door pilot for an ongoing series. Caprica will take place 50 years before the current show and feature the Adama family (and an 11 year old William Adama). The show will revolve around the technology that creates the Cylons and the family struggles of the Adama family. The show has been described as Battlestar Galactica meets Dallas. Personally, it doesn't sound like a great mix to me but since it is BSG related, I'll be watching it. The movie is expected to air this fall.

No Josh Whedon Directed Episode
The producers of BSG had asked Josh Whedon to direct an episode of BSG for the second half of the season. Whedon is a fan of the series and was reportedly very interested in directing an episode but had to back out do to the production delay of season four and his commitments to the upcoming Fox series "Dollhouse".

BSG Top Ten
The BSG actors are making the rounds on talk shows to promote the premier of season four in a week and a half. This included doing the Letterman Top Ten last Wednesday. Not all of the jokes were great (it seemed like the Letterman writers really didn't know much about BSG, to be honest) but there were a few standouts.

 
BSG Website to Get More Stuff (Webisodes?)
The BSG website has mostly been unaccessible lately (well, if you go there you get some promo for season four instead of all of the other stuff that used to be there). Apparently, it will "relaunch" at the start of season four and their have been reports of more webisodes coming in the future. Hopefully, they will be as good as the Razor webisodes that featured a younger William Adama.

BSG Season Three on DVD
Season three finally came out on DVD last week and it was worth the wait as it features over 15 hours of bonus features including the Resistance webisodes, David Eick's video blogs, deleted scenes and an exclusive extended cut of episode 9, "Unfinished Business" that features 25 minutes of never before seen footage.

Two BSG Specials Air This Friday
Two new BSG specials will air this friday on SciFi at 10:00 and 10:30 pm. The first will feature a story recap of the series up till the end of the season three. The second will talk about the phenomenon of the BSG fans and feature interviews with celebrity fans and their thoughts on the series. Celebrity guests include Josh Whedon, Joel Mchale, Seth Green, Jesse L. Martin and Scott Ian. 

This has got to be just about the strangest promotion I have ever seen. Apparently the deal is is going on in NY and LA. During the season four premier of Battlestar Galactica (April 4, 10 PM on SciFi), if you call one of the participating pizzeria's and tell them "I want a frakkin' pizza!" then they will ask you a trivia questions about the season premier and if you answer it correctly then you get a free pizza. Part of me wants to say that this has to be fake but it looks legit based off the websites I have seen it posted on.

11:14 (2003)*
7 out of 10
I actually watched this a few weeks ago, I just forgot to add it in my previous post of this type. 11:14 is a small movie in scope and probably budget but it is very effective. The plot is done in sections with each revolving around different people who's lives all become connected at a specific time through random circumstances.

Gone Baby Gone (2007)*
8 out of 10
Ben Affleck should just stick to directing because this movie was much better than probably the last three movies I had seen that starred Ben Affleck. Also, it seems that his younger brother is a much better actor than him. Anyway, Gone Baby Gone was a surprisingly good movie about a younger Bostan couple who are private detectives investigating the kidnapping of a little girl.

A bout de souffle (1960)*
aka Breathless
5 out of 10
I really wanted this movie to knock it out of the park for me but it was only just "good". I enjoyed it its quirkiness and the whole french new wave feel of the movie but I had a hard time empathizing with the main character.

Snatch (2000)*
8 out of 10
I finally watched Snatch after owning it for a good six months and having never seen it before. It was quite good.

Le Samourai (1967)*
8 out of 10
This movie was right up my ally. The story is about a hitman who lives his life according to bushido. It's done in a neo-noir style with carefully planned a detailed cinematography. The only negative thing that I can say about it is that the deliberate pacing made if feel a little slow in a few parts.

* Previously Unseen

Running Total: Thirty Eight (25 previously unseen)

Favorite Genre Numbers:
Samurai/Jedaigeki: 0
Zombie: 0
Noir/Neo-noir: 11
Spaghetti Westerns: 1

With the upcoming release of season three and the premier of season four both less than a month away I'm going through and rewatching all the miniseries, seasons 1 and 2 and the Razor tele-movie of Battlestar Galactica in preparation.

Generally, I do things like this in moderation. When I watch seasons of a show I typically keep to only a handful of episodes per week. I like to really think about the stuff and take the time to digest it and I feel that watching five or six episodes at once or just doing a lot of any of the same thing actually hinders me from enjoying it more. For instance, when I go for a few months without watching a samurai movie then the next samurai movie I watch I enjoy even more because I have not seen one in a while and I'm really pumped for it. Plus you get to enjoy the process for longer and there are some times when the thought of going home to watch a baddass space battle on a drama with great writing and cool characters really gets me through the day.

Since I started at the beginning of February, I've been able to watch an episode three or four nights of the week and give myself plenty of time to keep pace with where I need to be so that I'm ready for season three when it comes out on March 18 and then I have to watch all twenty episodes of that by April 4 (I'll have to double up on some days) when season four premiers. Of course, I guess I could have just watched this video of a recap of BSG in eight minutes. Its pretty good, kind of funny and only leaves out a few cool plotlines.

Love it or hate it, many of you lost an hour of sleep last night due to Daylight Saving Time? Worth It? Do you like it more/less now that Daylight Saving Time occurs earlier (and later) in the year?

I like it generally. I like the fact that it is brighter later in the evening. Often with winter I feel like I'm just held up in the house waiting for spring so that I can go outside and do outdoor work and all of that which I enjoy. The daylight later makes it a little easier to handle.

Since getting my graphics card, I've been mostly gaming on the PC lately but not exclusively.

The main game I've been playing is Titan Quest. I recently got its expansion, Immortal Throne, off of steam. Actually, I got the Gold Edition of the game, which came with the expansion and then I ported my character over. I've put around 30 hours into Titan Quest and I'm nearing the end of the core game. I usually get about a half hour in at lunch, when I go home from work and then maybe another hour or so at night. I'm having fun with it and it is possible that I'll play through the game again with my character on a harder difficulty since I'm still quite a ways away from maxing out all of the skills that I would like to have on him.

I've also occasionally been playing Galactic Civilizations II with the Dark Avatar expansion. It is a very deep game and there are a lot of ins and outs to learn but I'm getting there. If I didn't have Titan Quest, I would probably be playing this like mad because I really enjoy it, but it could stand to be a bit more accessible and less intimidating.

On the 360, I've been playing Rez HD as kind of a quick casual game. It's a rail shooter where the sound effects and music all go in tune with the players actions. The trance music and unique control scheme make it a pretty fun game.

This last week on the 360 I've been playing the Call of Duty 4 multiplayer stuff on Xbox Live. COD4 is probably the best FPS I've ever played and the multiplayer is done exceptionally well with its unlockable perks and leveling system. It is a very aggressive multiplayer where firefights don't always result in jumping and circle strafing like Halo does and camping and sniping doesn't really pay off. I'm still figuring out which weapons and attachments I want to use since I'm so new to it.

I was playing Stranglehold on the 360 but I haven't really been enjoying it much. It almost feels like a chore to play it so I imagine that I'll be giving it up.Maybe I'll get inspired one day to just finish the game on normal or something.

Eventually, I would like to pick up Overlord for the 360 on the cheap (i.e. used) and the Civ IV expansion Beyond the Sword. Lately, I've been feeling a hankering for some Civilization and Civ IV with both expansions should be a totally awesome and deep game. I'm interested in trying out Sins of Solar Empire and Supreme Commander for the PC. Also, Dark Sector for the 360 looks promising and I really hope that Viking: Battle for Asgard is decent.

I Quattro dell'apocalisse (1975) *
aka Four of the Apocalypse
4 out of 10
On paper this movie sounded great. A spag western directed by Lucio Fulci. Even the plot sounded interesting on the back of the DVD. Man, was it a disappointment. So slow that I had a hell of time getting through it.

North by Northwest (1959) *
8 out of 10
I had never seen all or even most of North by Northwest before. Honestly, I was very surprised by just how engaging and enjoyable it was considering its age. The suspense was still good and the comedy still worked. I'd have to say that it is probably the most enjoyable and maybe even accessible Hitchcock movie I've seen.

Point Blank (1967) *
9 out of 10
Point Blank is not a 9 out of 10 for everybody - it is just really my kind of movie. They could have just called it "Lee Marvin is a Total Badass". Marvin plays Walker, a man who is double crossed, shot and left for dead by his friend and wife after robbing a crime money courier at a drop on Alcatraz. Surviving, Walker seeks revenge on his friend and his small share of the money by killing his way through the ranks of a large crime syndicate corporation known as The Organization. The movie is kind of a neo-noir with some cool psychological and surreal elements thrown into some unique and interesting direction and cinematography and plenty of well done violence and suspense scenes. If the plot sounds like Payback that's because they are based off the same book. Just know that Point Blank is even better.

Narc (2002) *
7 out of 10
I like small movies with limited budgets like Narc. To be honest, in some ways I think it is better than Training Day. Also, it is one of the movies where Ray Liotta actually does a good job. But Busta Rhymes in a really serious role? Really?

C'est arrive pres de chez vous (1992) *
aka Man Bites Dog
aka It Happened in Your Neighborhood
7 out of 10
Man Bites Dog is filmed as a documentary being done by some independent film makers about a serial killer and is presented as their actual footage. The filmakers with him while he performs his murders and eventually they get sucked into it and start helping him. The movie is done as a very, very dark comedy in a fashion but it also makes a statement about media glorification. A couple scenes were fairly disturbing to be honest but overall it was a good movie.

Be Kind Rewind (2008) *
7 out of 10
This is a really good movie with some great laughs. Not everything I wanted or hoped it would be but I enjoyed myself. Part of the problem that I have with the movie is that the people in it are pretty dumb about how they "sweded" the movies. If they hadn't filmed over the original tapes and used the original packaging, they probably would have been fine. Also, copyright laws do not include parodies which "sweded" movies clearly are so the MPAA or whoever could not stop you in anyway or destroy your stuff. Anyway, that part of the plot was pretty ridiculous but I wont gripe about it any further.

The Night of the Hunter (1955) *
8 out of 10
Robert Mitchum's LOVE and HATE finger tattoos have be copied and parodied in so many different movies. It is really too bad that this movie was received so poorly when it was first released (though I can understand why) because stylistically it is very progressive and the use of light and dark and shadows is very powerful. Also, the main character of the movie is like a 10 year old boy and the movie makers leave these two kids completelly defenseless from Robert Mitchum's character (who is scary as hell) in a somewhat surreal and spooky world.

* Previously Unseen

Running Total: Thirty Three (20 previously unseen)

Favorite Genre Numbers:
Samurai/Jedaigeki: 0
Zombie: 0
Noir/Neo-noir: 9
Spaghetti Westerns: 1

The Academy Awards is the biggest celebrity back patting event out there but everybody seems to actually care about it, so here are my picks:

Best Picture: No Country for Old Men
The only movie nominated that I have not seen is Atonement because I think it looks pretty boring. I think it should be a toss up between No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood but I'm pretty certain that No Country for Old Men will win it out. There Will Be Blood has really grown on me since I've seen it (the over done quoting of "I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!" by just about everybody notwithstanding) and I think they are both equally great movies. But Fargo should have won best picture in '96 but lost to The English Patient so it is almost like they owe the Coen brothers one, so the Academy could play catch up with No Country For Old Men (though it is still deserving of the award) and let it sweep some of the awards.

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Daniel Day-Lewis is totally awesome in this movie. He is so damn powerful in it. As much as I like all of the nominees, and even though he has already won before, Daniel Day-Lewis deserves the award. Also, I'm glad to see Viggo Mortensen get nominated for Eastern Promises. He was great in that and his Russian accent was great.

Best Actress:  Julie Christie - Away From Her
I'm pretty sure that Away From Her came out in 2006 so I don't know how Julie Christie is in contention. Lots of buzz is around Ellen Page for Juno, but, c'mon, how hard is it to act like a snarky teenager? I doubt that the Academy will give it to her. Other than Juno, I have not seen any of these movies so Julie Christie is just my best guess.

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Bardem is just scary in this role, but, to be honest, I think a lot of it is just the role itself and how scary he is made to appear due to the presentation of the story. That being said, I still think they will give it to him. Also, think that Paul Dano should have been nominated for There Will Be Blood.

Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Since Cate Blanchett isn't winning for Elizabeth! Part Deux, she will get handed this one. Also, Ruby Dee in American Gangster? I think she had one major scene! Hmm...she is still my second choice.

Best Animated Feature: Ratatouille
I think that Persepolis looks really good and I want to see it. But everybody saw Ratatouille so it is a shoe in. Everybody told me that Surfs Up sucked. Also, The Simpsons Movie should have been nominated.

Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men
This is a complete toss up, really. Actually, it is a pretty stupid category. Like anybody goes out and reads all five of the original sources of the nominees and then compares them to the scripts used in the movies. They just pick whatever script they like the best and you know it.

Best Original Screenplay: Juno
I don't really think that Juno should win but I think that it will. For me, the dialog tried a little too hard to be hip and cool to the point that it was unbelieveable, home skillet. Personally, I would rather see Michael Clayton win this one.

Best Direction: Joel and Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
The Coen Bros. have won this in almost all of the "major" awards leading up to the Oscars and not giving it to them would almost be a snub at this point. Also, they deserve it for No Country for Old Men as the presentation of the story and the action was superb.

Last week I got inspired to keep track of all of the movies I was watching throughout the year after seeing vicious pretty's goal to watch 50 movies that she had not seen before. Thus far, I've done much better than usual and I've watched quite a few movies. Netflix started coming this week but we only got movies that the wife wanted because mine were not available. I still watched them though with the wife. So, here goes:

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
5 out of 10
Man, I really remembered this movie being much better than it was. Maybe that was just because I was a kid when I saw it but really it is a pretty sub par Disney movie.

Stardust (2007)*
7 out of 10
Stardust is a really good fantasy romantic comedy kind of movie. The wife totally loved it and now wants to buy it. I enjoyed it but I don't know that I would actively seek out another viewing.

Wargames (1983)
6 out of 10
Wargames hasn't aged very well, but it is still a very good movie. I totally love the big NORAD set and the cool screens that show the nukes going from Russia to the US and viceversa. It really makes me want to go play some DEFCON: Everybody Dies.

The Thief Lord (2006)*
5 out of 10
The wife really wanted to see this after reading the book. It is a very capable family friendly movie with a bit of fantasy thrown into it. Pretty funny and all that but it just isn't great.

Wuthering Heights (1992)*
5 out of 10
I really did not enjoy this movie but it was very good for what it was. It's really my problem not enjoying the genre or the story. The wife really liked it so there you go.

The Boondock Saints (1999)
7 out of 10
Boondock Saints is a love it or hate it movie. It certainly has some major faults (mediocre acting in parts and a pretty ridiculous plot) and is kind of a Tarantino rip off but it is a fun action movie with some really well done sequences. I can understand why some people really don't like it but I try not to overthink the movie too much and so I enjoy. Also, I love Willem Dafoe's totally over the top acting and Billy Connolly is really cool when he comes in half way through - really Billy Connolly should get more work.

Brazil: Director's Cut (1985)
8 out of 10
Brazil is a little different than your typical dystopian film. It is kind of like 1984 but also a black comedy. I love it.

* Previously Unseen

Running Total: Twenty Six (13 previously unseen)

Favorite Genre Numbers:
Samurai/Jedaigeki: 0
Zombie: 0
Noir/Neo-noir: 7
Spaghetti Westerns: 0

Note: Hopefully, I'll be getting some movies from Netflix that particularly interest me next week.

I typically only play certain genres when I'm gaming on my computer. I stay away from FPS and stick mostly to strategy and sand box games. I also delve into other things here and there - right now I'm playing the point and click, hack, hack, hack and slash Titan Quest. But besides that and the occasional obsession with the Roller Coaster Tycoon series (my favorite sandbox games) I mostly stick to the strategy genre and my favorite being Civilization. Civilization II is probably my favorite PC game of all time. I don't even want to think about how many times I've stayed up much too late just to get "one more turn" in playing Civ II, III, and IV.

I've realized that what I like about Civilization is that it is a 4x game. 4X is a type of sub-genre of the strategy genre where you eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. They are typically very deep and very involving games that require the player to play for very long periods of time just to finish a single game. They usually have technology trees, require or at least give the option to the player to completely micromanage their race/civilization/society. They often have alternate win conditions such as diplomacy or being elected Imperious Leader of the galaxy or some such. (Sure, you do some variations of these four things in most RTS games but for some reason those just don't count as 4X games...I don't know why - probably because they are too fast paced and don't offer enough depth.)

So, realizing that the 4x aspects of the game were what keeps me coming back to the Civilization series, I decided that I should try my hand at another 4x game to see how that game controls my sleeping habits.  I thought I'd try a space based game since that is where most of the genre is located. The granddaddy of the space based 4X games is Master of Orion II. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like playing a nearly twelve year old game that runs out of DOS (apparently the Win 95 version is inferior) so I had to look to newer games. I settled on Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords and its expansion Dark Avatar. I have yet to install it yet (Titan Quest is distracting me as is reading over the manual and some newb guides for GalCiv) but hopefully I will soon. And, hopefully, I won't be a walking zombie at work from lack of sleep...or maybe I should wish for that since it would mean that the game was really good.