BlackGeekdom Science-Fiction from a Different Perspective

Persons Unknown followed the story of seven people who were abducted and placed in a seemingly abandoned town in the middle of nowhere. They wake up in a hotel with no knowledge of how or why they are there. The hotel, the streets of the town, and the other buildings are all filled with cameras and microphones. During the first few weeks of their captivity, they are subjected to psychological and physical stresses (torture). They also try to escape several times without success since the town is surrounded by some sort of impassable microwave energy wall. Once, they actually make it through the wall only for all of them to pass out, possibly due to an implant, and awaken back in the town.

The secondary plot follows Mark Renbe, a journalist and the ex-husband of one of the abductees, Janet Cooper. Renbe is attempting to find Janet to not only investigate the unusual circumstances of her disappearance but to also reunite her with their daughter, Megan. Another subplot involves Joe Tucker who at first seems to be an abductee like the other six people but is later revealed to be an agent of “The Program,” those responsible for the abductions and what is going on in the town.

Now that I’ve explained the important plot details, let me explain why I think the show failed in the end. Initially, the show was advertised as a mini-series event and that “All will be answered” at the end of the summer. The only thing that the show didn’t do was to provide answers, or at least the answers for which I wanted answers. 1) How did they decide who to abduct? 2) What is the purpose of “The Program? It has to be more than just finding individuals who show great promise. 3) What is The Program? 4) What’s going to happen to Kate Damatto and Ambassador Fairchild? Those are just a few of the questions that I have. These questions wouldn’t be so bad if I knew that there was going to be another season.

I will commend the writers for creating a show with an original premise. The series finally was a well written episode, if they were setting up more seasons. Am I supposed to just assume that The Program continues on? Why not go out with a bang and have the characters that we (the audience) grew to care about escape and somehow expose The Program, or find a way back to their lives, or even make new lives, instead of being stuck in a loop. Usually, when a series or mini-series comes to an end, there is closure. Fans of this show, however few there may be, won’t have any closure. The conspiracy continues and the plight of our characters isn’t changed. It would be like Battlestar Galactica ending after Crossroads Part 2 with the revelation of who the hidden cylons are. Or it would be like Lost ending after the fifth season finale The Incident when Ben kills Jacob, Ilana opens the metal crate to reveal Locke’s body, and Juliet smashes the nuclear core and detonates the bomb. You can’t end a series that you know is coming to an end with a cliff hanger and not expect people to be a little perturbed.

Maybe it was a case of the writers not knowing how to end the show, but that’s ridiculous. You knew going in that it was going to end. There really isn’t any excuse. I might have been happy with just showing Joe and Mark in a new town starting the cycle over again, but you also show me our original abductees (minus Joe) in a hotel built into a ship out at sea in the middle of nowhere (incidentally the ship is named Almas Perdidias which translates into Lost Souls). They are then told “Welcome to Level 2,” by a now sinister looking Night Manager. What the hell is Level 2? Why didn’t they just scrap this group like the normally would do? If The Program is trying something new, what exactly are they trying? The writers seem to have no problem with raising even more questions.

Maybe I’m being too hard and literal. I actually did like the show, and if there were going to be more seasons, I would watch. But the ending bothered me. I dislike false closure on my TV shows. Maybe this’ll spawn comic books or webisodes, or even some decent fan fiction. One can only hope.

Posted under Articles, Fanboy Rants, Reviews, Television

Source: USA Weekend

Idris Elba who is most known for his role as Stringer Bell in The Wire is currently starring in Takers, a heist film opening this weekend.  He talked about Takers and Thor in USA Weekend.   Here is an excerpt from that interview:

You just finished your stint filming Thor as the Asgardian warrior Heimdall. How was that?
It was dope. It was an interesting genre of film to make. I had never done comic book stuff, so that was really great.

What was the coolest part?
Just the bigness of the show. It’s so epic, these huge sets were just amazing to look at. And they really pat attention to detail. When you read the comics, you see all the drawings, and to actually see them in real life, it’s like, “Whoa!”

Do you see yourself doing another superhero character or are you good with the crime dramas?
I have a deal with the Marvel Studios team, a four-picture commitment. I’m sure I’ll be back in something cool.

Looks like he’s going to be in more Marvel Entertainment films, but he didn’t spill the beans, or he may not know yet, about what role or roles Marvel has in store for him.  I know that many people like the idea of him playing T’Challa, the Black Panther.  He certainly has the gravitas and the acting chops to pull it off.  Read the rest of the interview here.

Posted under Articles, Comics, Interview, Movies

I admit that I can be more than a little negative about upcoming movies that look like bad ideas.  So, in order to do something different, I am going to write positive things about a movie which should be avoided at all cost.  I am going to give you 10 reasons I am going to go see Conan.

1.  Jason Momoa: I liked Jason Momoa’s character in Stargate: Atlantis.  If he plays Conan with the same amount of intensity that he played Ronin, then you can be sure he’s going to throw everything he has into the role.  I want to see him do well.  The Sci-Fi Fantasy genre could use a good young minority lead actor.

2.  Mickey Rourke: Mickey Rourke will most likely be cast as Conan’s dad.  This is  a good choice.  No one in Hollywood is as rugged and haggard looking as Rourke.  He’s been riding his success in the movie The Wrestler and has turned it into numerous upcoming roles, especially as Whiplash in the upcoming Iron Man sequel.  He’s a great actor, and is especially good at playing characters who aren’t necessarily evil, but have a skewed moral compass.

3.  Conan:  I am a fan of the character Conan.  Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer starring Arnold Schwarzenegger are a couple of my favorite movies.  It makes me happy to see a possibility that the franchise could be resurrected.  Conan the Cimmerian is one of the few comics I follow every month.  He’s a great character who often times finds a way to come out on top no matter the odds.  He’s relentless, unforgiving, and fears nothing.

4.  Arnold Schwarzenegger:  Just a whisper of a rumor that he could make an appearance in the movie.  That would be worth seeing it.

5.  I saw Pathfinder (Marcus Nispel director of Conan, also directed Pathfinder) and 10,000 B.C. in the theaters….If I can spend good movie theater money on them, I can do the same for Conan.

6.  Epic Fantasies are the reason I go to the movies.  And I believe that Conan is going to be an epic fantasy.  The interest level is so high for a Conan movie, and the studio has to be hoping for a franchise, so this has to be bigger than Pathfinder and 10,000 B.C.

7.  Bob Sapp. MMA star Bob Sapp is apparently cast as a villain according to /Film.  Sapp  was pretty impressive in the last match I saw him in.  So, the fight scenes will be good.  And it’ll keep him off the streets.

8.  It’ll be in 3-D more than likely, and I haven’t seen any 3-D movie in the theater, ever.  Not even Avatar.  Actually, when I was 11 I saw Starchaser: The Legend of Orin in 3-D, but I don’t count that. (at least I think I saw it in 3-D)

9.  Djimon Hounsou:  This movie will open up the possibility that the Thulsa  Doom movie starring and produced by Djimon Hounsou will become a reality. Thulsa Doom was an immortal sorcerer who was originally played by James Earl Jones in Conan the Barbarian.  He’s a prominent character in the comics and in.  According to Lobo, this movie will give us a chance to see an African culture that isn’t Egyptian in a movie.

Okay. I came up with 9.  It was an ambitious list to begin with.  Oh, and Conan the Cimmerian or Conan the Barbarian is a character created by Robert E. Howard.  There’s a really good movie called The Whole Wide World starring Vincent D’Onofrio as Howard.  Check it out.

Posted under Articles, Movies, Rumors

Official Press Release from Wakanda Ministry of Tourism:

In a unprecedented move the Government of Wakanda is offering a few lucky souls the opportunity to visit the country of Wakanda.   In order to improve diplomatic relations with the rest of world,  King T’Challa and his Queen Ororo has order the issuance of several hundred visas to the country.   The decision reverses  the country pre colonial policy of closed borders.

King T'Challa and Queen Ororo welcoming visitors

To apply for visas please contact your nearest Wakanda  Embassy or Consulate.

Wakanda is located in equatorial Africa, it is surrounded by the nations of Narobia, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, and was named for its native inhabitants, the Wakandans. Wakanda is a nation of vast contrasts.  It has managed to maintain its tribal heritage and cultural and yet it  is one of the most technological nations on the planet

Geography

Mount Wakanda

No other country on earth can offer the visitor as much to see and do. Within the borders of a single country, you will find savannahs rich with big game, timeless cultures unchanged by the modern world, pristine beaches and coral reef, equatorial forests and mighty snow-capped mountains like Mount Kanda  and  Mount Wakanda, searing deserts and cool highland retreats.   You will also find the World most valuable natural resource the Vibranium Mound.  Wakanda offers endless opportunities for adventure, discovery, relaxation; more than you would ever expect

Climate

The Queen Changing the Weather

Generally the climate is warm and humid at the coast, cool and humid in the central highlands, and hot and dry in the north and east. Across most of the country, rainfall is strongly seasonal, although its pattern, timing and extent vary greatly from place to place and from year to year.  Rainfall peaks in most areas are in November and April.   Due to the recent union of King T’Challa and his Queen Ororo the weather has become even more pleasant thanks to our Queens weather controlling abilities.

Culture

Pather Cult Ceremony

From the prehistoric records of early man to the present day, Wakanda has been a land of unending change, contrasts and diversity.   Untouched by the influences of the outside world, it has develop its own unique culture. This is the nation’s greatest strength- the ability to blend the best of many worlds into a strong, singular identity.   Lead by its monarch King T’Challa head of the Panther Cult,  it has managed to balance tradition and technological advancement to become one of the worlds most powerful nations

Places to See

Vibranium Mound

Black Warrior Creek, Central Wakanda Palace, Charms of the Chilling Mist, Crystal Forest, Domain of the White Gorillas, Jabari village, Mount Kanda, Mount Wakanda, N’Jadaka village, Panther Island, Paradise Forest, Piranha Cove, Primitive Peaks, Resuraction Altar, River of Grace & Wisdom, Serphent Valley, T’Chaka Path, Techano-Jungle, Torment Forest, Tranquility Temple, Twisted Visions Lake, Vibranium Mound, Warrior Falls, Woods of Solitude

Posted under Articles, Comics

Source:  SciFi Wire

Tyrese Gibson is an actor, singer and producer who can now add "comic-book creator" to his ever-expanding resume: The first issue of his debut comic, Tyrese Gibson’s Mayhem, will be published in August by Image Comics.

I am intrigued by Gibson’s venture into the comic book realm.  I don’t know much about the book or the character, but the cover alone are enough for me to be interested.  If you aren’t convinced by that alone, read the SCI FI Wire’s exclusive phone interview with Gibson about the book.  I think we should all support him.

Read the original article and interview here at SCI FI Wire.

Posted under Articles, Comics

Source:  Sci-Fi Wire

Jasika Nicole plays Astrid Farnsworth on ABC’s Fringe.  Astrid is an FBI agent assigned to assist Walter Bishop in his lab.  Sci-Fi Wire has posted an interview with Jasika about plans for Astrid in season 2 of Fringe, now that Fox has renewed it.

Jasika Nicole, who plays Astrid Farnsworth on Fox’s sci-fi series Fringe, told SCI FI Wire that the show’s writers have promised to explore her character’s backstory in future episodes—though likely not before the end of the first season. Astrid is an FBI agent who works as Walter Bishop’s (John Noble) lab assistant and usually serves basic mechanical functions like hooking up electrodes and monitors.

"They’ve been working on that for a really long time, and they want to make sure that it’s perfect," Nicole said in a phone interview last week. "That’s why we haven’t seen it yet. So I’m hoping that it’s going to come in season two. We will not get that episode in season one, but I’m pretty sure that it will happen in season two, and I can’t wait to find out what’s in it, let me tell you."

Read the full interview at Sci-Fi Wire.

Posted under Articles, Television

First posted 10-25-2007

I thought we should revisit the list.  If the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles or Dollhouse bites the dust, where would they  fit on this list?  What about Journeyman?  Life on Mars?  Eli Stone?  Pushing Daisies?  My Own Worst Enemy?  Stargate Atlantis?  Anyone else have any suggestions?

Let’s face it, we’ve all had television shows that we wish weren’t canceled. But for some reason, science fiction fans have been denied quality shows. Actually, we do know the reason: ratings. You can go to any science fiction convention and still find people getting together and having panel discussions about shows that have been long gone. It isn’t like these shows don’t have fans or even in some instances started out with good ratings. Many times the shows were killed when the network got greedy and wanted to move a show to take advantage of high ratings only to lose the audience, or moving a show to get higher ratings, and the low ratings the show had disappeared. Sometimes, budget, production problems, or conflicts between producers and studios sent shows to an early death. Here is a list of shows that we thought were pretty good and were canceled before their time. Be wary, there are spoilers ahead.

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Posted under Articles, Television

There are certain reference in geek subculture that we all get.  A week ago I was talking to a friend about Morris Chestnut being signed to star in the remake of the series “V.”  Her response:  “What’s that?”   Everyone who is a geek knows about “V” whether they watched it or not.  This isn’t a test, but it could be a rough measure of where you are on the geek scale.  Some are harder then others.  But for the most part, if you are a geek, then you’ll know the movies where these quotes originate.

1.  Open the podbay doors, HAL.

2. This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.

3. I only have one rule. Everyone fights. No one quits. You don’t do your job, I’ll shoot you myself. You get me?

4.  We are the knights who say “Ni.”

5. Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.

6.  Come with me, if you want to live.

7.  So say we all.

8.  I have looked into the eye of the island, and saw that it was beautiful.

9.  No. Try not. Do… or do not. There is no try.

10.  They don’t advertise for killers in the newspaper. That was my profession.

11.  Damn them.  Damn them all to hell.

12.  Where does he get those wonderful toys?

13.  I’m on Planet X looking for a dweeb who wears green fatigues. He wears glasses.

14. I know this sounds crazy, but ever since yesterday on the road, I’ve been seeing this shape. Shaving cream, pillows… Dammit! I know this. I know what this is! This means something. This is important.

15.  What’s happened to me? I must be dreaming. I feel like I can take out the world.

16.  Who’s the man? Huh? Who’s the man? Wait till I get another plane! I’m a line ya friends up right beside you! Where ya at, huh? Where ya at?

17.  It’s a robot.  Ash is a god damn robot.

18.  Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.

19.  Even though you’ve been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered.

20. I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death.

Bonus:  How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life, wouldn’t you say?

Posted under Articles

In a previous post, I said that Dualla was the 5th cylon.  I was wrong.  It has since been revealed that Ellen Tigh is the final cylon.  Point of fact, she was not even on my list of possible cylons.  I mean, how was I supposed to know that she would die and be resurrected?  Does it all make sense?  I don’t know.  She collaborated with the cylons on New Caprica.  Twice Saul has thought that she was dead.  However, I still hold out hope that there is something to Dualla.  I know she killed herself in “Sometimes a Good Notion” but that doesn’t mean she’s going to stay dead.  She was humming the song and she also seemed to have a connection to the doll that she found on Earth.  But back to Ellen.  Anyone who says that they saw it coming is lying.  But I will say that the whole story, or at least the part that has been revealed so far, by Anders is quite intriguing.  It raises many questions.  Who created the cylons that lived on Earth?  How did they come to leave Kobol and separate themselves from the other Tribes?  Were the skinjobs and the centurions created by the same person or people?

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Posted under Articles, Fanboy Rants, Television

Spaceballs is considered a comedy classic.  I say it’s more of a cult classic, but it is also a sci-fi movie.  It was funny when I saw it as a kid, and as an adult, I still think it has some funny parts.  The scene where the black guys are coming the desert with a pick is just classic.

To me, The Running Man is one of Arnold’s great movies.  Okay, the movie might seem hookie to you, but where else would you find Yaphet Kotto, Maria Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson, Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura, Mick Fleetwood and Dweezil Zappa all in a science fiction movie based on a book written by Steven King?

Posted under Articles, Movies