October 31, 2006

Battlestar Galactica

     I decided to take pretty much everyone's word for it and give the "new" Battlestar Galactica a test run. I remember Battlestar from my youth. It was a campy tv show on after the cartoons on Saturday morning. With effects and story that just didn't do it for me like Star Wars did, I was mostly disinterested. But EVERYONE online, including a lot of people who's opinions I really value, claim that the new series on the Sci-fi channel is one of the best, if not THE best show on television.

      I learned that there was a test pilot/miniseries on before the show was greenlit for a complete season which introduces us to the characters and the basic storyline. Although not completely necessary, it is recommended to watch this first before jumping into the series. The pilot mini-series was OK, but nothing super spectacular. Enough though, that it kept my interest and convinced me to at least try the first disc of season 1. Again, although not terrific, the first few episodes of season one were better than the pilot and were enough to keep my interest and compel me to get disc 2 of the first season. Now finished with disc 2, I see what all this fuss is about and realize that this really is a great show.

      My real love is still for "Lost," but now that I'm caught up with "Lost," it is only on once a week. Not to mention that season 3 of Sawyer and the gang is hardly what it once was. "Battlestar" is fresh and new for me and since it is on DVD and currently in its third season, I can sit and watch 3 hours of it and know I still have plenty more to go before I am caught up.

      The storyline has truly taken off into some compelling and suspenseful storytelliung. And this new overhauled, revisioning of the series looks and feels great. It's gritty and military-esque. Not campy and fantasy-like. The physics of ships and space is something original we don't see too much of in sci-fi epics. And let's not forget the acting. Although most of the acting is only slightly better than average, there are glimpses of brilliance by veteran actor Edward James Olmos, who really takes a less is more approach to his role as Captain Adama. He is FANTASTIC to watch.

     Besides drawing the usual and obvious sci-fi geeks (i.e. me), critics say it offers the only fresh take on terrorism, religion, gender, abortion, civil liberty, democracy and corporatization to be found on TV.

From TV.com:
     "[Is Battlestar Galactica] The Best Show on Television in 2005? Yes, according to Time Magazine, Rolling Stone and New York Newsday. Praised by The New York Times, The National Review, The New Yorker, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune and many other publications, Battlestar Galactica won a prestigious Peabody Award in the spring of 2006."


      If you've got nothing better to do and you like sci-fi (GOOD sci-fi), I highly recommend giving "Battlestar Galactica" a chance. It's very little like the original show with smart writing, great characters (specifically Adama and Dr. Gaius) and damn cool action sequences. If you do decide to try it, give it at least through disc 2 of the first season and I promise it will hook you.


     "There are those who believe... that life here... began out there. Far across the universe. With tribes of humans... who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians... or the Toltecs... or the Mayans... that they may have been the architects of the Great Pyramids... or the lost civilizations of Lemuria... or Atlantis... Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man... who even now fight to survive... somewhere beyond the heavens."




~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 28, 2006

It's Saturday Night!

     I spent the evening watching a 1980 episode of "Wheel of Fortune" on youtube.


~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 26, 2006

Illinois Owes Me a Handjob

     Crappiest state ever. At least their highway system is. Dangerously narrow, weaving freeways that are all under construction. Though the speed limit is 45 through these areas (which is pretty much the entire city of Chicago), everyone goes 70 and the posted limit is enforced in no way.

     There are approximately 15 toll booths in a 20 mile stretch of road that will cost you roughly $20 to pass through (one way). This is not an exaggeration. $1.60 per booth and they are spaced out about every 5 miles. There is no "throw your exact change in the basket" thingy. Instead, you have to stop and give your money to a booth worker; including waiting for change.

     As I am not from their crappy state, I'll never see the effects of that money and was not pleased. But even if I lived there, I don't know what they do with the literally millions of dollars they must make every single day as there IS NOT ONE rest area through the entire state (at least between Indiana and Wisconsin). This is infuriating. And, about 2 miles from the border, you must pay a toll to leave the state of Illinois.

     They also have sharp nails lying everywhere to flatten out-of-stater's tires to delay their trip and get even more of our money.

     Top all of this off with the fact that they have built so many new buildings in the past 15 years in the downtown area, that I can't see the "Adventures in Babysitting" building hardly at all on their sky-line (even if I could look at the skyline for more than a second and half before being forced to watch the road as it weaves left to right over an uneven lane change with lines painted everywhere and concrete barricades instead of anything resembling a shoulder and two large semi-trucks looming over me, behind me and infront of me that threaten to squash my car into oblivion).

     It would be cheaper, quicker and safer to drive through Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky and Indiana to get to your destination while travelling across country than driving through Illinois.

     So like I said, Illinois owes me a hand job.



~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 20, 2006

We've Come out of Hyper-Space

     Hats off to Mike at the Sears spaceport outside of Chicago for retro-fitting the debris damaged Falcon with extra alluvial dampers and hydro-spanners so she could make her final jump to lightspeed. He made the modifications in record time and I appreciate it. Made it into the starbase Toronto with time to spare. Cheers to Capt. Mike!


~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 18, 2006

After Dark

     Be sure to watch my coverage over the next few days of The Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

Catch all the action HERE




Ramble on...
~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

Fantasy

     Here's the final line-up of my NBA fantasy team for the 06-07 year.
Names and their eligible positions:

Jermaine O'Neal (C,F)
Zach Randolph (F)
Ron Artest (F,G)
Tony Parker (G)
Kobe Bryant (G)
----backups:
Shareef Abdur-Rahim (F)
Manu Ginobli (G)
Mike James (G) - Go Wolves!


     Our league starts six guys per week, so I need to decide which of my back-ups I want to start. What really sucks, is I don't seem to have a back-up center. So if O'Neal goes down, I'll have to pick from the less-than-desireable crop that's left in the pool.


~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

Hold the Mail!

     So before leaving on my trip (please don't rob my apartment), I went to USPS.com and requested a hold on my mail. I had to enter my name, address and phone number and VOILA! My mail will be held. No verification of who I am, just easy as that.

     Now, though I am greatful for the ease and short notice of my request, does it strike anyone else as odd that all you have to do is type someone's name, address and phone number into the system and the US Postal Service will start witholding their mail? Good practical joke to play on someone as long as they aren't expecting anything important.


~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 13, 2006

Environmentalist

     I've been living in my current apartment for almost exactly a year now and I just finished off only my second roll of paper towels since living there. I try to always use a rag whenever possible and my sleeve for a napkin.

     How's that for conservation? I'm pretty damn proud of myself thank you.



~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 12, 2006

It's Early October

Good thing I tuned up the ol' Arctic Cat sled last weekend ain't it?




~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 06, 2006

8-3

My heart hurts.




~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 03, 2006

Album Releases

Beck (purchase)
Evanescence (steal online)
Amos Lee (purchase)
The Killers (download)
The Decemberists (download)



~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com

October 01, 2006

Twins Bring it Home

     The MN Twins just took the Central Division championship and the Oakland A's will be in town on Tuesday and Wednesday. I guess I have to take work off since I have seats.

With Puckett lookin' down, I don't see how we can lose. I'll see you at the World Series!





~Drewbacca
MoviePatron.com