Review (Sort of): Star Trek Into Darkness

It took me a few weeks and a second viewing to write this so-called review. It's hard when I am not a fan of any of the previous Star Trek TV series or movies. I watch Star Trek because of J.J Abrams. I love his Star Trek (2009) and I've watched it so many times on DVD. Still, I can't call myself a Star Trek fan, because I simply don't know enough about the culture. I am more a Star Wars girl.

I recently saw Mr William Shatner live in person at an Oz Comic Con where he talked about the Star Trek culture. My brother is also a huge Star Trek fan, and he always said stuff (not Klingon) that I don't understand -- mostly about the characters and the technology. I knew Star Trek stuff through some pop references from The Big Bang Theory. Hey, I know who Wesley Crusher is, and it has nothing to do with bowling, right? 

I don't think I write a great review about Star Trek, but I can tell you this -- Chris Pine has dreamy sexy blue eyes. His head is a bit funny, but those eyes.. oh baby! My mind in the gutter already! I am officially one of the Pine Nuts. I have seen one of his other works, This Means War, which was a complete shit, but I hope he will get better scripts from now on. Jack Ryan, I am definitely watching it!

The new franchise is definitely gathering a whole new generation of fans. I think each generation of Star Trek, since the 60s, has their own fan base. My bro likes Captain Picard the best and he admits he never really gets into the original one either, which was true a classic, I know! I too tried watching the original series -- three episodes -- but I couldn't carry on. I love Mr Shatner best in Boston Legal! LOVE!

What I love about the new Star Trek is J.J's direction. This guy can really tell a story via the visual, together with the music, editing and dialogues -- awesome! If it wasn't directed by J.J, I probably would skip the movie in the first place.
 

So... what about Star Trek Into Darkness? It's dreamy. I can't get over how sexy those blue eyes are! I always like Zachary Quinto, he was in 24 and Heroes. This guy has star quality! And I admit him a lot! Simon Pegg's Scottie was funny no matter how you looked at him. Karl Urban was solid like bones! I am gonna meet him next month at Supanova, I think he was funny. Bruce Greenwood was soooooo awesome! It was so sad Christopher Pike died! So sad! And Zoe Saldana is growing on me, I always enjoy the on screen chemistry between Uhara and Spook. John Cho will always be Harold to me, but he kicked ass as Zulu. Anton Yelchin -- yay Kyle Reese -- had his moments to shine as Chekov. The scene-stealing Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan was awesome and creepy. I am sure he makes a lot of Sherlock fans happy. Yeah Cumberbitches! Quinto and Pine certainly carried the bromance so well. LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! I actually cried when Kirk died. Specifically, when he did the Vulcan sign. Awwww... Quinto can do one perfect tear too.

There wasn't a single dull moment Star Trek Into Darkness. And I think there were less lens flares in this one. The music was awesome, really really love the editing -- visual and music. Love the cast chemistry! Love it! Overall I love it -- for the love of blue eyes! I give it 9 out of 10. I deduct one point because it was 7 minutes less than Iron Man 3 and there was no bonus footage. HA!

Chris Pine's blue eyes are ridiculously distracting to the extreme! Jesus Christ!

This has been a fan-girl 'review'. Sue me! 

So, what do you think of the movie?

Star Trek - Australian Premier

J.J Abrams is in Australia! OH MY GOD! Do you know how exciting this is? I still cannot process it. I cannot!

Star Trek: Into Darkness premiered in Sydney, Australia last night with cast -- Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban. Here are some press shots and redcarpet photos. Source: JustJared and JustJared

The cast and JJ took time for a photo session just outside the Park Hyatt Hotel in Sydney. NICE! What a glorious day!! The premier took place at Event Cinemas on George Street.

SWOON!!! 

So, last night, I watched Star Trek twice. One without commentary, one with it. It's awesome! I cannot wait! 

But Iron Man III. I'll be watching it this week when it opens in Australia. A review is imperative! Watch this space.

Too Scared to Watch Bad Things

I am a pop culture enthusiast. I love TV, movies and music. I love them. Sometimes when things come out, I'm like "this could be the best or worst thing ever." And I am too scared to watch it. 

You know how I feel about NBC's Smash. Season one was strange, it has more downs and ups. I do like the musical numbers occasionally, but the writing, the pace, the tone, as well as the acting were all over the place. I am too scared to watch season two. It's a matter of watching it in one go when the DVD is out, so I would only suffer 10+ hours (but do I really want to pay to watch it if it's crap?), or do I download it now and suffer for over ten weeks? 

I love Ewan McGregor, I'd watch anything he is in it. I watched The Island for him to show my support. Now, I know Jack and The Giant Slayer is due to come out and I am thinking I will watch it for Ewan and Stanley Tucci, no matter how bad this movie might be. This movie certainly took advantage of the genre trend -- we have Once Upon A Time and Oz The Great and The Powerful, and Snow White and the Huntsman etc. I consider myself as a semi-big fairy tale genre fan, but why am thinking twice about watching this film?

I love Wicked! This is the one thing I wish someone is making a movie based on my favourite musical of all time. I'll watch it ten times! But then Oz the Great and the Powerful came through. I mean, it won't be another few years until we are ready to watch another movie based on the Wizard of Oz. Damn you Oz the Great and the Powerful. The trailer looks great and I have heard some good comments about it. This week, I will watch it twice with different friends. If it's worth blogging about, I will write a review about it.

Recently, I was being a good friend and watch Anna Karenina with my friend. I have never been so bored in my life watching a movie, the last I was cursing the script and everything about a movie was Van Helsing. I appreciate the artistry of Anna Karenina, but the pace wasn't carried out in the entire film. The cast performance was good, but too good it was depressing (which was kinda the point) and I wasn't in the mood for depressing movie. And there was a rat in the cinema during the last 15 minutes of the movie. I was freaking out. I lost my concentration completely, but kinda hoped that the rat appeared earlier so I could go home early! And I had no idea how the movie ended except Anna Karenina killed herself. By then I was ready to walk out.

And then there is Hansel and Gretel, I don't care what anyone said, I'd watch it for Jeremy Renner, who I think it's hot! But I've been putting it off for weeks, now the movie is no longer playing in my local cinema! Crap!

But, good things do happen. And they will happen very soon!!! Iron Man III and Star Trek Into The Darkness!! Hello!!!!! I've been watching far too many Star Trek related interviews of Chris Pine, Zach Quinto, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy on YouTube than I should!I don't know what happened there, but I fast tracked the end of my data usage the other night. I think I am a little obsessed with J.J Abrams than I care to admit. I think the rewatch of Star Trek is imminent.

I Love Star Wars

Photo by David Eger. It's funny, because when I was working on this blog, I was listening to the song New York State of Mind. 

I don't play dress up and hang posters, but I love Star Wars. There are flaws, but I can forget them. The Star Wars stories remains influential to today's pop culture. Star Wars was inspired by the Joseph Campbell's ideas on a hero's journey and the power of myth. Many writers are still influenced by these ideas. A hero's complex is heavily embedded on TV shows and movies, TV drama such as Supernatural is a great example of that. 

I am a female fan of Star Wars. I don't know what that tells you. Whatever. People have different reasons for loving Star Wars. Sometimes people tend to look at it as a gender thing. But for me, this is a genre that appeals to me, and Star Wars is the greatest piece of artwork to study, especially for a student of writing such as myself. As someone who grew up under an uninspired education environment, I can honestly say I learn more about literature in pop culture than in school. There is just so much to learn. George Lucas is still taking me to school after all these years. I am not embarrassed to admit I love Star Wars, especially when I go to Baby Showers and all these twenty-something young mums profess their love for The Real Housewives, or worst, Fifty Shades.

The dark side is there. You don't have to fit in and it is cool to be different, and George taught me that. 

By David Eger

The point of this blog post, really, is to share with you what I saw yesterday. WIRED has this great article about the work of David Eger, an artist, who created some of the best Star Wars-inspired photos. Check this out here! You can follow David Eger on Twitter. 

J.J Abrams -- The Force Is With You

"What do you think of a J.J Abrams Day at Comic Con, George?"

Let me start by saying this: J.J Abrams is insane! If he is not an alien, he must be a super human being who is capable of attracting the force to be with him. I am beginning to think that Bad Robot has successfully cloned J.J Abrams in order for him to be involved in God-knows how many TV shows, new pilots and movies. Apart from the massive news in intergalactic proportion that J.J will be directing Star Wars VII, he also has two new pilots which have been ordered by NBC and Fox respectively.

'Who are you' is not the question... It is.. WHAT ARE YOU? Don't get me wrong, I admire J.J as a filmmaker, I love his work. But his plate is so full, I honestly don't have a clue about how he does it! May be he is half human half machine? May be he is Vader?

I am calm. I am really calm! 

Following the announcement of Star Wars VII, VIII and IX, Disney/ Lucasfilm have named the director, producers and writer for Star Wars VII. The news could not get any bigger that this. I know having Joss to direct The Avengers was huge, but just when I thought news couldn't get any bigger, it did. It was announced that J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars VII, which is scheduled to be released in 2015. Star Wars VII is being written by Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3; Little Miss Sunshine; The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), produced by Kathleen Kennedy (Lucasfilm), Bryan Burk (Bad Robot) and J.J Abrams (Bad Robot), with Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg serving as consultants. 

So, ok.. here is what I think.

I totally think J.J Abrams is the right choice. He is not the only choice, but he is the right choice. He is the most in-demand director on planet Earth. I don't doubt him for a second. He will do an awesome job. Everyone will love him -- the cast, the crew, the studios and the audience. George loves him and he loves George. J.J is THE director every Hollywood celebrities want to do a movie with right now. The Academy or Foreign Press may not think he is award worthy, but who cares when you're loved by fans and studios! He is the new Spielberg and Eastwood. Get over it! Who knows? May be he will beat Christopher Nolan to win a major award for genre stuff.

J.J came out and said he wasn't interested in directing the new Star Wars when the announcement of the movies was made awhile ago. But I think George Lucas/ Lucasfilm must have been very convincing during negotiation. Was it aggressive negotiation? Was it money? Was it the creative control? Will J.J. have any creative input into the story? There must be something he couldn't say no to. May be George was using the force -- "This is the movie you want to direct."

Over the past few days, the web is swamped with speculations of the story directions. I see that there are a lot LOST references. Daddy issues and strong female characters, I get! But flash sideways? I like the idea but I think it's too LOST. Keep in mind, J.J. is not writing the story, he may have creative influences on the story direction but Michael Arndt is writing the script -- which can be seen as the bible that sets the direction not only for VII but for VIII and IX too. 

As an Oscar winning writer, I have not doubt Michael Arndt will produce great dialogues, characters and stories. I love Star Wars, but we have to admit, the scripts could have been a lot better. And I think this is the hole Arndt can fill. His writing suits today's audience, as does J.J's craft. Lens flare, anyone?

What I want is very simple. There is no Star Wars without a Skywalker. My hope is that there will be a Skywalker in the story. I will live if there isn't a Skywalker in it. But Supernatural isn't the same without Sam and Dean; 24 isn't the same without Jack Bauer; and 007 isn't the same without James Bond. Star Wars certainly isn't the same without a Skywalker!

We don't know when the story will take place and what the focus will be. But the force is strong with this lot. 2015 is set to be a massive MASSIVE year of genre movies. The Avengers II aside, Star Wars VII is going to make me cry! 

This news is so big I cannot process it! Wait until I hear about the cast, I think I am going to be sick!

Eric Kripke's Revolution - The Premiere Review

Revolution is a brand new drama created by Eric Kripke, who also serves as an Executive Producer with J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and Jon Favreau. The premiere is written by Kripke and directed by Favreau. The story takes place in the post-apocalyptic world without electricity. Revolution definitely reminds me of a number of recent dramas such as Jericho, Terra Nova, Falling Skies, Lost and Terminator Salvation. I have also previously blogged about the documentary Life After People which may or may not have inspired the theme and the landscape of the story. Despite the familiar elements, Revolution shows great promise and I will definitely keep tuning in. 

The premiere sets up a great journey for our group of heroes including the series stars Billy Burke as Uncle Miles, Tracy Spiridakos as Charlie, Graham Rogers as Charlie's brother Danny and Zak Orth as Arron. We then have the Militia soldiers Giancarlo Esposito as Neville and David Lyons as Monroe. We also have the 'not sure if they are the good guys or the bad guys' including Maria Howell as Grace and J. D. Pardo as a militia solider Nate. The cast is not as big as Lost, but there are enough there to build a great plot. A few characters definitely have some prior history between them, the story is set to give it a reasonable attention. The premiere raises a lot of questions which will be answered through out the season. Kripke is the kind of writer who doesn't just throw questions without answering them. He doesn't just create characters who serve no purpose to the bigger picture.

Revolution focuses on the 'WHAT IF' story -- What if the electricity is turned off? What kind of world would we be living in? And what kind of human beings would we become? How do we pick ourselves up after the apocalypse? The last scene of the episode contains one of the biggest questions of all "WHAT NOW?" which in itself contains a lot of other questions -- What causes the blackout? Who is behind the blackout? What is their agenda? What happen in the past 15 years? What is the relationship between Ben (Charlie's father), Uncle Milies and Monroe? What's with the amulet? What's the deal with Grace and her Dharma Initiative-like workstation? Who is on the other side of the communication? What happens to Charlie's mum Rachel? Played by Elizabeth Mitchell, Rachel is said to have died, but I seriously doubt that she is dead. Clearly, Rachel is aware of the big 'problem' and I can't wait to see Mitchell's return to the show. Of course, these are just some of the questions to be answered by Kripke and the team this season. No way I am letting this show off my radar.

In an recent interview, Kripke speaks of some of the similarities between Revolution and Supernatural, and everything else that influences hi such as Lords of the Rings, Star Wars and Joseph Campbell's concept of the hero's journey. While Favreau reckons Kripke's work goes beyond these influences, it is a post-apocalyptic version A Game of Thrones. I can only assume he is referring to the epicness and the complexity of the hero's journey, and relationship between characters, and how everything intertwines in the grand scheme of things. 

The premiere ticks a lot of boxes. The story is very well paced, well directed, well written and well performed. I enjoy the dialogues and the interactions between characters, there is a lot of good chemistry. The main characters are well defined and I think this show will be very heavy on character development. I love the fact that Charlie is this female version of Luke Skywalker or simply Arya Stark in A Game of Thrones, and Uncle Miles is the 'older version of Dean Winchester and Han Solo'. The way he takes down the entire team of Militia soldiers all by himself is like John McClane in Die Hard or Lara Croft in Tomb Raider or MacGyver. The post-apocalyptic landscape is believable and beautiful. The sword and bow fighting scenes are quite awesome. We are in the future but our tools are back to basic. The music is composed by Christopher Lennertz, who also did Supernatural. Revolution's soundtrack is not overpowering the main plot and it is very subtle. The closing credit music is definitely in the spirit of A Game of Throne. 

There are a few scenes which remind me of Lost -- the airplane Charlie and co discover in the field trip; the turned over bus that Charlie and Danny investigate at the beginning of the episode is like the hatch; the computer Grace uses in the last scene looks just like the one used by the Dharma Initiative; the journey across towns is very Lost-like. There are also a few scenes remind me of Supernatural -- the muscle car and AD/DC at the beginning of the episode is a treat for Kripke's fans, and the amulet in Supernatural went to the bin but the one in Revolution is established as an important piece of power source or a key. And then there is the family theme -- Ben is like John Winchester and Rachel is like Mary Winchester; the sibling relationship of Charlie and Danny is like Dean and Sam; and the whole "You're supposed to look after him" speech between Ben and Charlie reminds me of John Winchester and Dean. 

There is something for everyone. Personally, I love the post-apocalyptic kind of stories. I think Revolution is intriguing, it's mysterious, it has a lot of questions, it is character driven, it is about family, and it is about the near future we could find ourselves in. What would Apple and Google do?

Overall, I am very happy with Revolution. Having comparing the show with Lost and Supernatural, Revolution deserves to be viewed independently from the previous work of Kripke and Abrams. I think the show will prove its worth to fans and critics. I am a big fan of Eric Kripke's work and I will definitely keep watching it. There is so much there to keep me coming back for more. What do you think of Revolution? 

PS: Seeing Supernatural is the priority of this blog, I will review Revolution every few weeks rather than giving an in depth review every week. I hope you can come back and let me share my thoughts with you. 

Revolution Extended Preview; Life After People

It is like watching a movie trailer, except it isn't a movie trailer. It is the extended trailer for Eric Kripke's new epic baby. Although I am not sure if 'baby' can be epic.. but there is always a first time. So here it is, the extended trailer of NBC's Revolution, premiering on Monday, September 17th on NBC. Check your local guide for details.


I don't know Tracy Spiridakos who plays Charlie in Revolution, she was on Syfy's Being Human, but I don't remember her at all. It seems that Charlie could be similar to A Game of Thrones' Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke) in terms of the journey of becoming a strong female character. Charlie is prominently featured in the trailer, and for some weird reason I really like that take on the strong female character. Tracy Spiridakos, like Emilia Clarke, can be a superstar by the end of the season!

I have NOT watched the finale of Once Upon A Time, what does it mean to Giancarlo Esposito's character? Intriguing! I am three episodes away from the season one finale of OUAT, I may or may not start writing about it as fairytale is not my usual forte.

There is a documentary by the History Channel which I got into a few years called Life After People. It is probably one of the most intriguing documentaries I have seen ever! It is features a series of amazing computer generated footages on what might happen on Earth if humanity suddenly disappear. Real life scientists, structural engineers and other experts also talk about a number of scenarios, and the impact of human extinction on the environment and the civilization humans left behind. If you are really into the post-apocalyptic genre, I highly recommend this documentary. You won't be disappointed with the footages and the scenarios the document presents. I got the DVD from a local store, I am sure it is easy enough to find a copy.

PS -- I have been swamped with writing papers for my study, which is good in a way because I really want to do well and I am really a lot about writing process. I have a few fun special feature ideas which I would like to focus on in the next few months for the Impala's Trunk, and don't forget the Supernatural season seven awards feature (written by my Twitter friends and myself). So busy! Before we know it, season eight of Supernatural will be here!

Revolution - Mythology, questions and answers

I love Lost as you know, but there are unanswered questions. It is fun to let viewers' imaginations run wild and interpret anything they like based on what they know and see on the show. But it also gets frustrating for some viewers! But you can't deny the fact that Lost is one of the most talked about shows in recent years. It gets you talking about it!

When it comes to watching JJ Abrams's shows such as Lost, as a viewer I kind of half expect what Ron Weasley would call it "you're going to suffer but you're going to be happy about it."

To me, Revolution is about Eric Kripke. If you're too familiar with Abrams' works and you're kind of thinking 'oh jeez, it's Lost all over again.' Try look at it as a Kripke baby, and it is! Let's be honest, Master Kripke is driving the show's mythology, answers and questions. What I love about Kripke's style of story telling is that yes he throws a lot of questions to the audience but he always gives you answers, as he did in Supernatural. As a viewer, you think about the questions for awhile, it drives you nuts for awhile, but at the right moment before you go completely insane, he gives you answers. And then you worship him! Apart from Kripke's story telling style, if you are unfamiliar with his style, he is a big fan of epic storyline, everything plays a part in a grand scheme of things. Expect the 'family is everything, without family people can't survive" theme. Expect a lot of character driven stuff. For some reasons, I don't think his signature use of 'sense of humor', 'one liners' and 'pop culture reference' will be as prominently featured on Revolution as Supernatural, but we'll see.

And for Revolution, he has already said that he has lined-up all the questions and answers, which is AWESOME! I really cannot wait to watch the show. While I know very little about the cast, I do know Elizabeth Mitchell has joined the show. I like Juliet on Lost, which I thought was surprising considering her introduction wasn't that riveting, but once they'd gone back in time to Dharma time, her character grew on me. And, I kind like her performance in V. Anyway, I know the kind of performance Elizabeth Mitchell can deliver, so at least there is no powerhouse acting I can expect from the show.

When talking about Supernatural at Comic Con, Eric Kripke referred it as his 'child growing up and going to college" and he is so proud of it. Supernatural is in good hands and it is not broken, he trusts Jeremy Carver who he calls him as one of the best writers on Supernatural. The two has chemistry in the writing room and you can tell how impressed Kripke was during the In The Beginning commentary on the season five DVD. If you haven't watched the episode with their commentary, I highlight recommend it.

So, anyway, that's all I have for Revolution -- premieres on Monday, September 17th (10pm) on NBC.

Peace out!

[Update] Comic Con Reminder

[Sexy nerds, I have updated the below post, see orange. There are a few guest changes, main for the Game of Thrones panel. And also the Comic Con Goodie bags designs are out...check out the Supernatural one below. Not long to go!!!] 

Nerds, get ready for Comic Con 2012! Who is exciting? I am but too bad I am not going to be there. That means, I will be pretty much glued to Twitter to get the latest and the hottest from this year's event.

As a reminder, here are a list of panels that I'll be following in real-time:

At Comic Con

(In order of appearance)

Friday July 13 (12:30pm) -- Firefly 10-Year Anniversary

Guests: Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, and Summer Glau. (Ballroom 20)

Friday July 13 (2:45pm) -- Game of Thrones

Guests: Alfie Allen, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Richard Madden, *Rose Leslie, George R. R. Martin, and Carolyn Strauss (Hall H).

[*Update: Kit Harington and Lena Headey have unfortunately cancelled their appearance due to conflict of schedule. And Lord Snow has an injured ankle. Guess Ghost wasn't there to help. Rose Leslie (aka Ygritte) has been added to the panel. At least one Targaryen will be there.. and not one Lannister this year! You know they could bring Mamoa back..]

Friday July 13 (5:30pm) -- Joss Whedon 

Guest: The one and only, Mr Joss Whedon (Ballroom 20)

Saturday July 14 (11am) -- Once Upon a Time

Guests: Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Dallas, Lana Parilla, Emilie De Ravin, and Meghan Ory (Ballroom 20)

*NEW! Saturday July 14 (1:00pm) -- Misha Collins, Jim Beaver and Mark Sheppard (Channel Surfing, the IGN TV podcast)

Guests: Misha, Jim and Mark will join other guests for this special live recording podcast session, hosted by the very awesome Eric Goldman of IGN.

Saturday July 14 (2:30pm) -- Ben Edlund

Guest: The one and only, Mr Ben Edlund (Room 8)

Saturday July 14 (6pm) -- Revolution

Guests: Eric Kripke and stars Billy Burke, Giancarlo Esposito, Tracy Spiridakos, and J.D. Pardo for a screening and Q&A. (Room 6BCF)

Sunday July 15 (11:15am) -- Supernatural returns to Hall A!!

Guests: Join Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Jim Beaver and Mark A. Sheppard, as well as new executive producer Jeremy Carver and consulting producer Ben Edlund for Q&A. Fans will also see an exclusive video presentation featuring series highlights, as well as a portion of the special features from the upcoming Supernatural: The Complete Seventh Season DVD and Blu-ray release. (Hall H)

(Meaning? We may not get to see any clips from the episode that is currently directed by Jensen. I think because of the season seven finale cliffhanger, it will be a little premature to show fans anything. I kinda like that.)

[Update: WB has revealed their shows' goodie bags.. I tell ya, I would love to have the Supernatural.. think they may sell it at Supernatural Conventions sometimes.. hummm. Damn you Supernatural for causing damages to my wallet!! See all WB designs here]



For a full schedule visit the official website of Comic Con.

 Off-Sites Panels -- Nerd HQ

The nerds are back! The Nerd Machine will host a number of off-site panels -- Conversations for a Cause. Here are a few panels I will be keeping an eye on...

Thursday July 12 
12pm -- Chuck

Friday July 13
4:30pm -- Nathan Fillion

Saturday July 14 
3pm -- Joss Whedon
4:30pm -- Damon Lindelof

Sunday July 15
3pm – Jared Padalecki   
4:30pm -- Zachary Levi

Last year's panels were recorded, so look out for any signs of videos if you can't get tickets to attend.

For a complete schedule, you can visit Comic Con Geeks and Zap2It for more details.

Comic Con news -- Firefly reunion; Revolution

This is the moment Firefly fans has been waiting for you. It's been ten years since Joss Whedon's Firefly embarked on a journey that ended far too quickly, it was almost illegal for FOX to cancel it. Since then, the show became a hot topic attracting endless questions from fans whenever they get the chance to ask Joss questions at talks and conventions. For those who have seen the special feature on the DVD...how many times have you cried over it?

It's time to hug. Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Sean Maher, Summer Glau among others will celebrate with fans its 10th anniversary on Friday July 13 in Ballroom 20 (12:30-1:30pm). Source: ACESHOWBIZ

In other news, here is the mock up of the Revolution banner on the Hilton Hotel building. Oh EPIC! The show is hosting two preview screenings and a panel session at Comic Con this year on Saturday July 14. According to report, the banner will be on the side of the Hilton Bayfront. If you're there, please tweet a photo. Source: EW

A mock up..

Eric Kripke is one of TV most adorable show-runners: industry report

Booyeah! A New York based real-time analytics and strategy company, Networked Insights (NI), put together some interesting data (that I as a TV junkie totally care) based on the TV ecosystem on the social web. This kind of analytics are increasing becoming important because finally real-time social data is recognised as something tangible and not just random gibberish from fans. Social TV is important especially for media buying and planning. Of course, Social TV is important to networks. CW, for example, they know Supernatural is a hot show because social data tells them so. Can you imagine if Social TV was around for Firefly?

“Networks can now optimize TV show marketing and content around what’s resonating with viewers in real-time.” Sean Reckwerdt, Lead Analyst and Cultural Anthropologist, NI (Can I have a job please?)

Lost Remote has an exclusive insight from the NI report. Four show-runners were listed --  Kevin Williamson (The Vampire Diaries), Dan Harmon (Community), JJ Abrams (everything else) and Eric Kripke (Supernatural). The report basically tells us fans adore Eric Kripke, there was a huge spike in mentions on his birthday.

Source: Lost Remote

OK.. you'd think a professional report should have, I guess better, reasons than Kripke's birthday tweets to back this up. However, stuff like this is important! Afterall, they were monitoring the spike, the movement from social networks. I'd like to think that I and my friends on Twitter have something to do with it.. Together we rule the galaxy! Mwahaha...

NI's CEO Dan Neely also explained why marketers should be paying attention to showrunners’ social buzz. Again, two words -- JOSS WHEDON -- imagine again if social was around for Firefire. Fans trust showrunners!! Fans are more savvy and passionate about their shows, fans know their stuff.

Gone are the days TV viewers just watched whatever crap was put in front of them. Now, fans are smarter, fans are no longer passive viewers. And social breaks the geographic barriers, not only social tells what local viewers are saying, social also tells what international markets are saying too. That's where the money is!

So, tweet on tweeple... Networks and analytics companies do listen to us. Social is important is you want your TV shows to stay around (or go).

TWEET TWEET TWEET AWAY!!! 

Comic Con goodies -- Revolution & Arrow get limited edition collectible hotel keycards

Warner Bros has been doing this for a few years to promote their TV shows on a series of limited edition collectible hotel keycards which will be used by participating hotels at Comic Con. This year, three of their new shows will get the special promo -- Revolution, Arrow and 666 Park Avenue.

"The Revolution keycard opens hotel doors every time — no blackout here!" From the WB Press release

"The Arrow keycard features star Stephen Amell as the Arrow in an all-new in-character photo." From the WB Press release

If you are not going to Comic Con, you may be able to the limited edition collectible hotel keycards on eBay. Just saying...

Fans can watch the full-length pilots of both Revolution and Arrow at the Warner Bros. Television’s Preview Night screening at Comic-Con on Wednesday, July 11, or during the show's panel sessions -- Arrow on Friday July 13; and Revolution on Saturday July 14.

Source: For full article and press release, check out Collider

Watch this space for more details as we count down to this year's Comic Con!

Preview: Kripke/ Abrams / Favreau's REVOLUTION

I watched the newly released clips of NBC's new show Revolution. Long time visitors know that I've been covering the story from the moment Kripke and Abrams started working on the story. I think Jon Favreau is brilliant choice to direct the Pilot.. You go big or you go home.

You can watch all the clips here. Revolution is certain looking very big, very epic and very Lost/ I Am Legend/ Supernatural/ Jericho. (But no zombies.) I am really looking forward to this show and there will be reviews, news etc.. While I don't know the cast too well, I'm in for Kripke, Abrams and Favreau. I am a huge fan!

Kripke being the master of writing and ideas, Abrams being the seasoned producer and Favreau being the director of the first Iron Man movies, and producer for The Avengers and the up-coming Iron Man. This formula has success and epic written all over it!

In an interview at yesterday's Up-Front, Favreau gave us some insights into his involvement and how the team dynamic going to work this season:

"I’m going to be involved. I’m going to be a producer on the show, and I’m as soon as I’m done out here, I’m going to go back and hit the writers room and Eric is going to be breaking stories for the new season with J.J. and myself, and then hopefully either direct or be involved some way for future episodes." -- Jon Favreau. Full interview is on The Hollywood Reporter.

Revolution is coming this Fall on Monday nights on NBC. Glad the show is not on FOX!

The Revolution website is up, you can also follow the show on Twitter @NBCRevolution 

NBC Picked Up Eric Kripke's Revolution

Source: EW  & Examiner

Surprise..! NOT! I knew NBC would pick up the series Revolution! Jon Favreau actually tweeted before I went to bed last night that he had some happy news. I knew it!! So excited about this new Abrams and Kripke adventure! I am just so excited! I can't wait to watch it.

Of course, it's a bit pre-mature to love it, but I don't care! I hope it's good! But seriously, on paper, it looks like a winning team -- Abrams, Kripke and Favreau. Favreau has only directed the Pilot of the show, but it's a good start, right?! Not sure how many episodes have been ordered but the show is heading to New York on May 14th to attract a group of potential advertisers. I guess we'll know soon!

AND... here is an Easter Egg for you. Favreau has been tweeting recently about working on the score for the show with Christopher Lennertz. Lennertz previously worked on the score for Supernatural, which earned him a nomination for an Emmy for Outstanding Musical Composition in a Series for his score for the pilot in 2006.

Revolution follows a group of people struggling to survive in a world where all forms of energy have mysteriously disappeared. Cast includes Billy Burke (Twilight), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) and David Lyons (The Cape). It does sound very much a cross between Fallen Skies and Jericho, but who cares?! It's Kripke's new baby! 

Source: EW  & Examiner

Jon Favreau Joins Team Kripke/Abrams for NBC's Revolution

Sorry, I am a bit late for the party.. I brought the suit!

Jon Favreau has been tapped to direct the pilot of NBC's Revolution as reported by Deadline.

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am. I was on the bus this morning, minding my own business and checking tweets, and BAM there it was -- the headline! I thought I was dreaming...or something...(as I've been only having a few hours sleep at night...I think it's work related.) The director choice was totally unexpected! I mean...Jon 'Happy' Favreau!? I think he has just completed the perfect formula for TV for the next decade...

J.J Abrams + Eric Kripke + Happy = AWESOMESS!

What are they going to tell us next? That Tom Welling is gonna be in it? (No.. I just made that up...) but you know what I mean? Like...I don't think the cast will be disappointing. I know this is too early to tell and I am just being a crazy fangirl about it, but Revolution has EPICNESS written all over it. If there is one project that has the potential to be the next Lost, this is IT!

Favreau has a comedy pilot in the works called Tweaked. Of course, Kripke and Abrams have like eleven projects on their plates. What if they all get picked up? OMFG!

Can you imagine the three of them together on stage in Hall B at Comic Con?

Give me Revolution NOW!

Kripke's Revolution - My Two Cents

You bet your size 6 ass he can deliver!

Already branded as the "highly anticipated" one, Revolution has attracted some really interesting initial analysis. I read this article which focuses on whether NBC is the right place for the show; what kind of rating it needs to stay alive, and what if another picks it up etc.. Like I said.. interesting!

It's a bit tense to start thinking about all that, but I guess when you create a TV show, these are the elements the executive team and the network have to consider. And these are the things critics start asking.. Pitching a great story for a TV show is one thing, building a business case is another.

Will Revolution deliver in terms of story and rating? J.J Abrams does not make crap. Eric Kripke does not make crap. If Abrams is going to do what he did on Lost, you bet Kripke and Bryan Burk will do a Damon Lindelof-Bryan Bur-Jack Bender. I think the series' fate lies in the hands of Kripke and Burk -- we are talking about their team dynamic, the story, the writers, the cast and of course rating. Revolution could potentially become the next Lost in terms of scale and epic-ness. I think this is the only way to stay alive on a network like NBC -- GO BIG.. LIKE LOST BIG!

I, for one, hope to see at least one full season and a Hall H appearance at Comic Con (yeah, I know Hall H is a bit ambitious). I would hate to see another The Cape or ... is there a shorter-lived show?

Good luck guys!

Check out the article on BuzzFocus.

Eric Kripke & J.J Abrams -- Up-Coming Projects Including 'Revolution'

Eric Kripke's Revolution (the pilot) has been greenlit by NBC. Kripke is joined by J.J Abrams and Bryan Burk as Executive Producers. A short description has surfaced on a few websites:

“In this epic adventure thriller, a family struggles to reunite in a post-apocalyptic American landscape: a world of empty cities, local militias and heroic freedom fighters, where every single piece of technology — computers, planes, cars, phones, even lights — has mysteriously blacked out … forever.”

Craveonline also mentioned that Deadman the TV series which Kripke is currently tied to as well, may also get a pilot. The CW has picked up a few pilot recently, but Deadman is not on the list, yet. The interesting thing is, J.J Abrams is also producing other pilots for other TV networks including Shelter, its pilot has already been picked up by the CW. Speculation is that should Revolution and/ or Shelter get picked up as a series, we will see them in Fall 2012. Read the full article on Craveonline.


Just how many projects is J.J Abrams currently involved? Let's see...

Star Trek Sequel (movie, director/ exec producer)
Cloverfield (movie, exec producer)
Alcatraz (TV, exec producer)
Person of Interest (TV, exec producer)
Fringe (TV, exec producer)
Revolution (TV, exec producer)
Shelter (TV, exec producer)

That's seven known projects including movies and TV series (am I missing any others?). I am beginning to think that he is a machine... I mean.. does the guy sleep? I mean, even if he is the creator of the above TV shows and exec produces them and let others to be the showrunners, he still needs to be involved. He will direct and write a few episodes at least, right? I gotta say, I am a huge fan of Lost, I love what JJ does, I love his ideas! But the only project I truly care about is Revolution and Kripke's other baby Deadman, I hope it gets pick up for a season!  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?!!!!??!!

Kripke is SUPER busy too. Apart from Revolution and Deadman, he is still involved as the consultant producer for Supernatural. And he is also the writer and director for the movie, Haunted. If 'Kripke' is a religion, I will go to church for him every Sunday.

JJ Abrams & Eric Kripke Team Up for NBC's Revolution

This is my dream team.. I know I have many, but this is beyond word. I was really really happy when I learnt JJ Abrams and Eric Krikpe have teamed up to develop a new TV pilot for NBC called Revolution. Source: TVLine

No further details have been released, but it will be an 'epic adventure thriller'. I so want to watch this. Please get a full ride!

Kripke is also developing a TV show based on DC Comic, Deadman for the CW network. He is also a Consulting Producer for Supernatural, which he created, for those who don't know. Kripke is also writing for a feature horror movie, Haunted. Does he sleep at all?

I am assuming only one of his TV projects will get the green light, I mean he can't be in two places at once. But it is not impossible to have both new shows to get the green light. And I hope they both do! The NBC one looks more promising, not discrediting Kripke (he is my hero), just that JJ is a hot property right now, he is the Chris Nolan of TV land.

I can't get enough of Kripke. I miss his work, I miss his story, I can't wait to see more good stuff from him.

Speaking of not getting enough (not the naughty way), I really need more Ben Edlund and Jeremy Carver, I love their writing, I love their episodes. I guess that's why I am so excited about Supernatural 7.02 Hello Cruel World, and Carver's Being Human. This is probably my favorite new show on TV right now. It's pretty full on sometimes, but I like it a lot.

Stay tuned for more Kripke news.

Comic Con 2010 - Best of Day 1

When I woke up this morning, my Twitter time line was exploded with Comic Con tweets. Thanks all who tweeted. Sleep well, eat well, drink more! Because my life depends on you for the next few days!

Here are a few things I care about:

I was catching all the live tweets during work today. How could I not do that? I couldn't miss the Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams panel! Seriously! I am officially (again) excited about The Avengers, Joss Whedon is definitely directing it, he is still working on the script etc.

Check out the full report by Comic Book Resources. You can also watch the video of the panel at SpoilerTV. You can also check out Whedonesque and follow them on Twitter.

I have recently, very recently... in fact it was two nights ago, finished watching Firefly. It was a great series! I can see why fans are so in love with the series. Whedon is clearly an original thinker and it's inspirational. I can't wait to see what he's got for The Avengers, which is like one of the biggest movies.

Cast of The Big Bang Theory was at the signing today. CBSTweets posted some really awesome photos on Twitpic today. Go there now and check them out! You can also follow CBS on Twitter.

Source: CBSTweets

The Big Bang Theory panel is on today (Friday 23 July) at 12:45pm. The panel will be moderated by Wil Wheaton. Did you know, you can also follow Kunal Nayyar (aka Dr Koothrappali) on Twitter?

MTV Splash Page has live stream too, so go check it out here. They also have a dedicate page on SDCC. They posted a photo yesterday, it's gotta be one of my favorites.

Source: MTV Splash Page