The setting for the 1982, John Carpenter movie, "The Thing" starring Kurt Russell.                                                            

As some of you may know, recently I received a couple of books based on the movie "The Thing."   I really like them, they are good reads.  Well I just found a site that is dedicated to "The Thing" and the original novella it is based on by John W. Campbell entitled, "Who Goes There."  

There are tons of things on this site including memorabilia, original artwork associated with the novella and the movie.  Different novelizations of it and much more!  There is even an offer by Alan Dean Foster to personally autograph any copy of his movie-tie in book! 

The site is called Outpost #31  http://www.outpost31.com/books/books.html  check it out, it's fun and considering there is a prequel to the movie in the works, it may be worth checking out!

These books or short stories or novellas finally made it!!


The DragonRiders of Pern (all 19 books)  bought by a small Canadian Film company whose previous credit that I'm familiar with is the Ginger Snaps Back movies.  Decent films but nowhere near the budget of Lord of the Rings...  Maybe less is more.  We'll wait and see!  With the proper backing...I have high hopes!

Temeraire-- Peter Jackson is connected with project as a director. The series is set during an alternate history version of the Napoleonic Wars, in which dragons not only exist but are used as a staple of aerial warfare in Asia and Europe. The dragons of the story are portrayed as sentient and intelligent, capable of logical thought and human speech. 

The series centers primarily on events involving Temeraire (the titular dragon) and his handler, Will Laurence. The first book of the series centers on how Laurence, formerly a Captain in the Royal Navy, becomes Temeraire's handler, and their early training in preparation for battles against Napoleon's aerial fleet.

Elfstones of Shannara and Sword of Shannara-- directed by Mike Newell

Neuromancer-- starring Hayden Christiansen and directed by Joseph Kahn

Spin-- After witnessing the onset of an astronomical event that has caused the sun to go black and the stars and moon to disappear, Tyler, Jason, and Diane learn that the darkness has been caused by a time-altering, alien-created artificial barrier and that the sun will be extinguished in less than forty years. 

Robert Charles Wilson's thriller, "Spin" was published in 2005 and won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2006.  Olympus Pictures and Rob Morrow's Bits & Pieces Picture Co. are producing the feature. No word as yet on casting and director.

Flight of the Navigator

Robocop 3-D

Short Circuit

Total Recall

Escape From New York

Judge Dredd

Dune

and the horrible list goes on and on!  I kid you not!!  Please don't do Robocop in 3-D!  I beg of you! Please!  And I liked the 80's, I really did.  Let's just leave the 80's in the 80's.


But these movies are in development now!  Write your congress person.

I had to put this in because of my recent gifts to my self from Amazon... see the article "I just got some new books in the mail..."

Anyways, about The Thing.  It is suppose to be a prequel and is said to be set in the Norwegian camp, you remember how the movie begins with the Norwegian guy chasing the dog while in the helicopter...

It looks like it will be released by Universal Pictures and will be written by Ron Moore of Battle Star Galactica fame and directed by  Matthijs Van Heijningen.

The film will focus on how the alien was discovered by the Norwegian research team in Antarctica, before it found its way to MacReady and company.

What I've read thus far about the characters, the script and the plot is not good.  So I won't bother repeating it here.   


Well at any rate just because the script is finished it does not mean that it is the actual shooting script.  So who knows! 

I never know what to call this version of the franchise cause technically we've already had a Star Trek 2 back in 1980 something or another...don't get me wrong I'm still a fan.... I never know how to catalog other than the year of the movie's release.  So here goes... a sequel is in the works for Star Trek i.e. 2009.  Course, you don't have to be a student in Warp Drive Theory in order to figure that one out. 

But here's what we know so far...

It would seem that there is a chance that William Shatner can make an appearance in Star Trek 2 if this recent interview with director J.J. Abrams is anything to go by:
"It was a foregone conclusion that we wanted Shatner in the [first] movie. The problem was that his character died on screen in one of the Trek films. And because we decided very early on that we wanted to adhere to Trek canon as best we could, the required machinations to get Shatner into the movie would have been very difficult to do given the story we wanted to tell and also to give him the kind of part that he would be happy with.

In terms of moving forward, I am open to anything. I would love to figure out something. There's going to be more opportunity to work with him again. I would love to work with him. We speak. We actually have a lunch date planned. I'm a fan. I'm a friend of his. Or, he's at least a friend of mine. He may say otherwise on his blog today. I have no idea. But, I really couldn't like him more and would love to work with him."

But apparently Leonard Nimoy won't be showing up even though his "older" Spock ended up in the same timeline as the younger, new Spock played by Zachary Quinto (Sylar in Heroes).

As he said in a conference call over the weekend:

"I frankly doubt that I will be called upon again. I think I was useful in the last film to help bridge between the original characters, the original actors, and the new cast. They have a wonderful new cast in place, and I'm sure they'll move ahead with them. I don't see, at the moment, why they would need me in the next film, although, if they called me, I'd be happy to have a conversation about it."

The upcoming Star Trek movie has no title as yet.

The writers behind the first movie (Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof) are currently working on a screenplay.

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot turned out to be an unexpected box office hit this year, which managed to attract both new viewers to the franchise without alienating old fans too much.

Paramount Pictures is envisaging a summer 2011 release date.

      I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the film "Pitch Black" 2000 starring a cast of unknowns, little knowns and other character actors.  It turned out to be a pretty decent film.  However when I saw that it was written and directed by David Twohy, the writer/director of "The Arrival" 1996 starring Charlie Sheen, I thought "I can dig it."  The Arrival was another one of those great Science Fiction-y films.  You know the kind us scifi geeks pay to see a couple of times and then spend hours on the internet chatting about the what-ifs in the movie. 


So when I discover he pinned and directed a sequel to Pitch Black, i.e. "The Chronicles of Riddick" 2004, I was mildly curious.  So eventually I saw the theatrical release and I was not happy.  Then I saw the Director's Cut....NOW THAT WAS A GOOD MOVIE! 

We won't mention the inconsistencies in the backstory and the plot line between both movies... but whatever. 

The problem was that cut of the movie would have given the theatrical release an R rating or could only be shown on HBO.  Either way it was a much better movie that had been trimmed way too much.  TRUST ME ON THIS ONE.  THE DIRECTOR'S CUT IS MUCH BETTER!  IT EXPLAINS A LOT OF THINGS that the theatrical release left hanging and it had the feel of a science fiction novel.  That was the cool part about it. 

Anyways, onto the head line....

Third Riddick movie starring Vin Diesel as an intergalactic bad ass. (Chronicles of Riddick was the 2004 sequel to 2000’s Pitch Black, the sci-fi actioner that first brought Vin Diesel to the attention of mainstream audiences.)

According to Vin Diesel a script for an as-yet untitled Chronicles of Riddick sequel has been finished and they are scouting for filming locations in New Zealand right now.

David Twohy who wrote and directed the two films have apparently written the screenplay for the Chronicles of Riddick sequel (which will probably be released in 2012).

It is not clear whether Twohy would return to direct as well.

He had the following to say on the topic a while back on his blog:

Okay, okay, now on to the really important stuff like "What the f**k is happening with RIDDICK?" Yes, I get your emails demanding another movie; yes, I keep bumping into you guys in airports and at conventions and I take your pleas to heart. All I can say now is "We're talking about it." The DVD numbers were really good - we know that, and some potential financiers know that. But if another movie surfaces, it probably won't be a Universal movie and probably will be an independent movie. Which means we'll have to make it for substantially less than the last instalment. But that's okay. PITCH BLACK was $22 million all in. Maybe it's time to go back to our roots - as we go on to The UnderVerse.

Thanks Scifi Movie Page and Fantastique Zine

I could rehash the article but here it is in full from the Scifi Movie Page....

Untitled Alien Prequel (2011)

Starring: TBA
Director: Ridley Scott
U.S. Opening Date: 2011                 

THEY SAY

Back in 2004 director Scott told Empire magazine that “we have an idea for a fifth one, all about the Jockey. He wasn’t an Alien; he was another race. They use Alien eggs to overrun planets, then kill the Aliens with an antidote and take the worlds for themselves. Bacteriological warfare.”

(The giant so-called “Space Jockey” was briefly glimpsed during the early scenes of the first Alien movie where the spaceship crew investigates a distress signal and comes across an alien derelict spaceship. See the pic here.)

Since then the project was pretty quiet until 31 July 2009 when it was announced that Ridley Scott, who had proposed video artist Carl Erik Rinsch (who also happens to be his daughter’s boyfriend!) as director to revive the Alien franchise for Fox, is apparently going to direct the long-rumoured Alien prequel himself.

Screenwriter Jon Spaihts is writing the script for this prequel to the original 1979 movie, which coincidentally is also celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

Scott Free, Ridley and Tony Scott’s company, will produce the film.

In a 2009 interview the director indicated a possible change in direction for the plot to give the story a more “human focus.”

“It's a brand new box of tricks,” the director said. “We know what the road map is, and the screenplay is now being put on paper. The prequel will be a while ago. It's very difficult to put a year on Alien, but [for example] if Alien was towards the end of this century, then the prequel story will take place thirty years prior.”

“I never thought I'd look forward to a sequel,” he said. “But a prequel is kind of interesting. I’m looking forward to doing that.”

Thanks Scifi Movie Page

I never claimed that this blog was a means of getting late breaking news so please forgive if this old news for some of you.  Even though I have known of this news for some time, I like it so much I have to post it! (Even if I already have-- please forgive I am holding down a full time job and going to grad school at the same time). 

Anyways enough of the chit-chat.  One of my favorite actors-- who happens to be the star of one my favorite scifi movies is a candidate for a Ph.D. 


Peter Weller, star of Robocop, Robocop 2, Screamers (see earlier article about Philip K. Dick and Second Variety) and 24 is an Academic.  Yes this tough talking no nonsense kind of guy is a Ph.D candidate at UCLA.  He holds a Master's Degree in Italian and Renaissance Art from Syracuse University.  He presently is finishing his Ph.D in Italian Renaissance Art History.  He is an Adjunct Faculty member at Syracuse University too!

Okay for me here is the really cool part: 

I first found out his academic doings when I watched the A&E show "Engineering an Empire."  And I'm like he's one of the contributors?  What's that all about?  So I looked it up on the internet and Voila!  There he was academic credentials and all. 

But considering this is a scifi et. al. blog here's the cool connection.  The director of that series, "Engineering an Empire" was Christian Duguay!  The director of "Screamers"-- which is from the Philip K. Dick short story "Second Variety."  I just love the feel of that movie, it's so Science Fiction-y, it's cool.  It's atmospheric.  It's dramatic.  It's technical.  Special Effects are there without overwhelming the movie and the story has good pacing.  It's a scifi lover's dream...  At least I think so. 

Anyways here's one of the reviews for Peter Weller's performance as a teacher by an actual student in his Roman Engineering Class:  "In 1987, armed with an intellect that defied God himself, and a dream to star in the greatest movie ever made, one man personified that which is grace. That which is inspiration. That which is...ass kicking. That man is Peter Weller."

Pretty Cool Hunh!?
 

Recently over the holidays, in the midst of my shopping frenzy I got to searching on Amazon and somehow came upon a review for John Carpenter's "The Thing."  Being a fan of the movie, I had to go and put in my two cents and I once I was done making my deposit, I decided to do a little indulging. 

I did something I hadn't done in years...I indulged my obsession.  This particular obsession leaned towards my admiration for the movie The Thing and writer Alan Dean Foster.  Of course when I found a copy of his movie tie-in of, I had to buy it.  And then I when I found out about the orginal short story in which everything was based i.e.  The Thing (1982)--> The Thing From Another Planet (1951)--> Who Goes There (Like 1930 something) of course I had to have it.   And I found it!  So I ordered a copy of John W. Campbell's Novella, Who Goes There!  Along with a copy of the latest Star Trek movie (I'm not that literate) anyways....I've been waiting with baited breath for my copy of the book. 

I recently checked amazon and it recorded that it was delivered to my doorstep, like yesterday.  And I'm like really?  Where?  Of course it was on the dining room table neatly wrapped under a pile of junk.  But it was there!  I was so happy, my hands were trembling when I opened it!  It's so cool.  Okay, so I'm like reading it and there is a forward from the original writer of Logan's Run, William F. Nolan who himself penned a screen treatment of The Thing in 1978 and it's in this book!  Cool! 

Of course this isn't the treatment that Carpenter used, because he went with his own version but it's still in here and being a fan of this type of scifi, I am ecstatic. 

The words on the first page leap out at you!  Here's a sample,

"The place stank.  A queer, mingled stench that only the ice-buried cabins of an Antarctic camp know, compounded of reeking human sweat, and the heavy, fish-oil stench of melted seal blubber..."

I feel like I'm there already.  Incidently, this all happened within the past 30 mins or so...and I had to put down the book to blog about this. 

I am so excited I am also going to invest in William Nolan's trilogy of Logan's Run.  Now yes, the special effects were cheesy however it is a good story...and it was based on a book too! 

Anyways, happy reading!

With the problems with secret infiltrations into our nation, we can't be too careful even if it is Christmas!! That's why our government put or best man on the case Jack Bauer to infiltrate this plot by a secret organization to-- well just watch you'll understand.

Merry Christmas?  Or a Secret Plot to Overthrow the Government?  You be the judge!

- X

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