Much Ado About Avengers In The Woods..with Buffys

Being an overnight guy for a Sacramento radio station, I hear a lot about how the Mayans are predicting the end of the world next year because their calendar runs out, or how a comet from millions of miles away somehow set off Occupy Wall Street.

Well, I say 2012 is the Year of the Whedoncalypse, where his mighty hand, and maybe his ears, nose and throat, will shove the Earth into a new state of consciousness, based on the belief that spending millions of dollars on a 3-D movie that blasphemes The Three Musketeers is an embarrassment to our species.

This is really based on that surprise announcement Sunday night that Joss made his version of Much Ado About Nothing at his house with a hefty amount of Whedonverse alumni while no one was looking. We've been too keyed up about The Avengers we didn't know he had this idea in the back of his mind. What's more, he did this on his vacation and his wife was OK with it. That's because it's the beginning of Bellwether Studios, a micro-studio where new technologies and getting around typical studio suits can be the new road to good movies.

Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof as Benedick and Beatrice is a great selling point right there. Wesley and Fred/Illyria together again. Come to think of it, could Illyria, a God to a God, be intrigued by playing Beatrice? Sure, once she realizes blasting demons who sneaked into the play can be dealt with at intermission. I think Amy would add a dash of Illyria playing this role. while Alexis added some Wesley with a trace of the goofy news anchor he played in How I Met Your Mother.

Add Nathan Fillion as Dogberry, Sean Maher as Don John, Fran Kranz as Claudio, Clark Gregg (our favorite SHIELD agent) and Reed Diamond of Dollhouse, and you've got something. The whole press release is here, and it looks like we'll have to wait until March to see it at a film festival near you. Sadly, there isn't one near me, but maybe someone could start one to get this movie to Sacramento.

You should also thank Dr. Horrible for this, too. Making that internet musical for a pittance for the net, leading to massive DVD sales and applause everywhere, showed that you don't need the big studios to get a movie made, or even the usual indie guys like IFC Films. Just do it yourself, get actors who want to make movies for the fun of it and to sharpen their skills, and off you go. Heck, using cable companies and streaming media aside from Netflix can solve distribution problems. Kevin Smith has proven that with Red State.

The best benefit, of course, is seeing our favorite actors from the Whedonverse more often. Wouldn't you like to see Sean Maher despite the fact The Playboy Club is out of business, or Fran after the Dollhouse is closed, or Amy or Nathan? Course ya do.

Now a flood of links: the website for the movie, followed by the Entertainment Weekly article that includes Amy and Alexis together,and looking all Shakespeare like in a 21st Century world.

Of course, that's only the beginning. The Avengers is coming in May, but before that we FINALLY get to see Cabin in the Woods after the MGM bankrupcy drama. Let's also not forget it's Buffy the Vampire Slayer's 15th anniversary...and 20 years since that movie was shown. I was really disappointed by the blu-ray release of that movie. Why no cast reunion, or even more outtakes? C'mon, guys, she gave the WB a reason to exist. You should have worked harder. Then, again let's have the TV Buffy in blu-ray with new extras. That would be even better. Your move, Fox Home Entertainment.
Oh, and Firefly is ten years old in 2012. Browncoats assemble!

Sorry, SMG, But You Look Better Staking Vampires

I tried to give Ringer a fair chance, because it is Sarah Michelle Gellar's return to TV. It's an interesting idea: a story of twin sisters reunited after a long estrangement, one apparently disappears, and the other takes her place to hide from a gangster who wants to kill her; the problem is apparently the other twin made a lot of enemies and was also awful to her husband and stepdaughter.

If it was just about that, I might stick around, but it looks like the show is stuck on Bridget (the god twin by comparison) getting surprised by how awful Siobhan (the bad twin) really was. She learns Shiv had an affair with her best friend's husband, and even talked about killing said best friend. She has a strained relationship with her husband, while her stepdaughter points out Siobhan stole hubby from his first wife. We also find out Siobhan made a lot of enemies, including one that may want to kill her.

All the while, Siobhan is scheming somewhere in Paris. She apparently wants to kill Bridget, who everyone thinks is Siobhan, and start a new life. Thing is, she's pregnant, but the show doesn't think that's important because it hasn't been mentioned since episode three. Bridget has the problem of faking Siobhan's pregnancy, and some of us think that Bridget is pregnant..but isn't.

Also, we have the worst FBI agent in the history of moving pictures. One day, Nestor Carbonell has to explain how he could play an FBI agent so inept. He can blame the writing, and he'd be right. Agent Machado not only can't tell the difference between Siobhan and Bridget, but in his search for Bridget to put away Gangster Guy, he never thinks to talk to the husband. See, Andrew, the husband, thinks Siobhan is an only child. Everyone did, until Gemma (the best friend) suddenly noticed "Shiv" didn't have that cooking scar. Moot point, since Gemma is dead or kidnapped, thanks to Siobhan, who is above it all and convinced no one will ever figure it out. That last plot point convinced me that there's no point in sticking around.

I like Sarah Michelle Gellar when she is taking charge, not scared out of her wits tyring to fake being someone else, and finding out awkwardly how awful her sister was. Maybe she figures she's part of a plan where she dies for her sister's sins, while Bad Twin has a new life as Cora Farrell. Add the fact that Siobhan is smarter than everyone else including incompetent law enforcement.

Compare this to ABC Family's The Lying Game, about long-separated twins who trade lives, but one of them doesn't come back because she's looking for their birth mother. At least the Rich Twin gets mistaken for the other twin, and she has to deal with the consequences. The only thing that would get me interested in Ringer is if Siobhan is mistaken for Bridget, and she has to live HER life for a while. Otherwise, waiting for Bridget to be mistakenly killed has lost its charm. There's also a plotline where Juliet the stepdaughter is having problems in a public high school, and a younger teacher played by Jason Dohring is the only one on her side. Since this is the CW, Juliet has to fall in love with her teacher. It's a miracle this doesn't happen on The Secret Circle.
Well, they are guaranteed 22 episodes, and that's enough time to make the show more compelling. Take out "Bridget is targeted for death" and replace it with "Siobhan is trapped in Bridget's world", and that might help. Of course, how long would Bridget force Siobhan to be trapped? Not long, and Shiv will betray Bridget and no one will notice.

There are other shows that have my attention, including Revenge. At least Emily Van Camp is Emily Thorne, or rather Amanda Clark (although I prefer Emanda Clarke-Thorne), a take-charge gal who has every right to destroy a massively rich couple who totally ruined her life a lot more than they can imagine or care (if they could). It's getting to the point, though, that innocent lives will be taken in this long battle, but it can't be helped. I suspect Emanada may face jail time even though Victoria and Conrad Grayson, the targets of her vengeance, committed more crimes against her. They'll get theirs, too, but Emanda will have to face punishment, even if she lists the evidence of their crimes against her. After that, she still wins..and probably expects to cease to exist when it's all over. I still like Emanda because she's a gal of action, instead of someone who has to pretend, and wonders when will she be exposed, and then dead.
You also have to admit Madeline Stowe is scary as Victoria Grayson. Maybe she should be the evil queen on Once Upon A Time instead.

I also like American Horror Story, which is really disturbing drama, and kind of exciting, too. I also think that if the show has a second season, Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton won't be part of it because the creators will kill their characters off, and admit the real star is Jessica Lange. I also have hopes for Grimm, if they can only make the lead character more interesting. When your sidekick outshines the lead actor, you're in trouble. Add that to competing against science in Fringe, and two other demon hunters in Supernatural, and Grimm will have a tough time attracting viewers.

Xander is coming to Sacramento

Nick Brendon, “Xander” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is among the guests at the 2011 Sacramento Sci-Fi Horror Show on Saturday, September 24th at the Scottish Rite Center at 6151 H Street in Sacramento. He’ll be talking to fans and signing autographs as well. Other guests will include Marina Sirtis from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Tickets are 10 dollars, and more information is available at http://www.sachorror.com/

Should Buffy Go Blu, If It's Not The TV Show?

I checked out the latest DVD column from Aint It Cool News, and it mentioned that next week, along with the Star Wars Blu-Ray release that everyone hates, we'll get the blu-ray version of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Fans of the TV show have been at a fever pitch about when the blu-ray version of the TV show will be available. Some of Joss Whedon's other shows have gone blu, including Firefly, Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible. Even Serenity has a blu-ray release. I have that DVD. So why not Buffy, and Angel for that matter? Is it cost, music royalties, deciding on the artwork for the package? Demand for those shows in blu-ray is quite strong. The decision should be obvious.

Now, making a blu-ray of the original Buffy movie would be a good idea, if you added something the regular DVD doesn't have. I checked the specs for the blu-ray release from the Foxconnect.com site. It's exactly the same as the regular DVD. The cover picture may be different, but that's not enough. This movie is more than just regular filler on a couple of cable channels these days, It's the movie that eventually saved the WB, and led to girl power on TV (and, we guess, Twilight)
Next year is the 20th anniversary of the movie. Why not have a cast reunion? Seeing Kristy Swnason, Luke Perry, Paul Reubens, Hillary Swank and David Arquette discuss the movie would be a hoot. Add cameos from Ben Affleck and Seth Green, and you have something even better. Notice I didn't mention Donald Sutherland, who played Merrick. I'm not sure he'd be part of the cast reunion. If you add Joss, though, that would REALLY be something.

Also, AMC had a TV show called "Backstory", where it talked about how certain movies were made. One of those movies was Buffy. It was how I found out Alicia Silverstone and Katies Holmes almost got the title role. Why not add that episode to the blu-ray?
So, Fox is hoping to get a few more bucks by making a blu-ray DVD of the Buffy movie with no additional extras. That, I think, is a waste of time. If you want a blu-ray, it should be updated compared to the original DVD. It should have more features. Otherwise, getting the regular DVD would be just fine.

So, Fox Home Entertainment, make up for the dull blu-ray version of the Buffy movie and approve the blu-ray version of the Buffy TV show...and Angel, too. After all, Buffy's 15th TV anniversary is coming up. A release date of next March should do it.

The Dog Days Aren't Over

Two weeks until early Fall starts.
It used to be that Sacramento residents had the perfect bridge from summer to Labor Day. It was called Cal Expo, but it hasn't been the same since they moved the State Fair up a month. Now, all we have as a bridge to the fall is the NFL pre-season.

We also have movies, but not as big as the blockbusters between Memorial Day and late July. You know things are winding down when instead of looking forward to Captain America, you have three 3-D movies that are barely 1.5-D in entertainment value.
We got the message when The Help cleaned the clocks of Conan, Spy Kids 4 and Fright Night because its 3-D was in the script. I saw Fright Night, but only in 2-D. I didn't miss much, really. Colin Farrell and David Tennant are the reasons why you should see this movie. Farrell was the most bad-ass vampire this side of Angelus. Buffy would nail this guy, but it would take some time. Tennant was great as Peter Vincent II, this time as a Criss Angel type. Despite the fact it didn't take the movies by storm, even it was a cut above Conan and Spy Kids 4, I'd like to see a follow-up with Peter actually being part of a vampire-hunting group.

I also saw Deadly Sibling Rivalry with Charisma Carpenter doing the "twintrigue" thing. She was scary as the bad twin, hoping to take over the good twin's life. Despite the Good Twin's Daughter figuring out what's going on, Bad twin gets some help from dumb police who never thinks to use DNA to figure out who is who. The story even added a reason why Bad Twin hated her sister. An even nicer twist was how Good Twin came out on top, but only because it was necessary.

Despite that, it got me thinking: how will Ringer keep up its "twintrigue" for longer than 13 episodes? Sure, we'll see a bunch of flashbacks with Sarah Michelle Gellar as Rich (and possibly bad) twin Siobhan and Poor Twin Bridget interacting. However, if FBI agent Nestor Carbolelli doesn't figure out Bridget has a twin sister, and is being forced to impersonate her, then he's too dumb to be an FBI agent. This might drive people away, or remind people of a show in the 1990s where an evil twin frames his good twin for a string of murders, and the cops never figure it out. I think it was actually a plot in In Plain Sight, only the cops did figure it out, and had to deal with it. I figure if Bridget is cleared, but not-dead-after-all Siobhan tries to take over Bridget's life to hide from her enemies, and then Bridget returns the double-cross a couple of times, then we could have something for two seasons. I don't think it can last long after that. Then again, with the option of buying DVDs of shows that even last one season or two (coughFireflycoughDollhouse) maybe you can get away with that. Well, we'll see.

Then there's Doomsday Prophecy, which used to be Doomsday Scrolls except they forgot to make some scrolls. Jewel Staite is great as an archaeologist helping a book editor avert the end of the world, thanks to a videotape from some crackpot author who got his prophecies by holding an ancient rod. Add the fact the government is after the rod, and frames the author and archaeologist for the author's murder as part of a coverup/capture,and it really gets weird. What's more, the book editor used the rod twice to figure out who to trust, and that's cheating. What disappointed me is the ending, where the general behind the search turns out to be nuts, and his insanity is even more disappointing. They also added one twist about the book editor which was unnecessary. The idea that SyFy can make an interesting TV-movie may be more far fetched than having a big mega-shark jump six miles to bite an airplane in flight.

So, at least there is September, where we have a moon landing we never knew about, an epidemic, and a movie about how the Oakland A's got good with little money.

What If Buffy Wrote "Last Friday Night?"

Katy Perry was hoping that her latest song, "Last Friday Night" would hit #1 in the Billboard Top 100, and apparently set a new record.
I will admit it's the first time I've willingly bought one of her tunes, thanks to getting hooked on it during Comic-Con. I just thought what if you changed the song about a girl who partied a little too hard into one about a Slayer recovering from another typical night where she clobbered vampires to save mankind, or a significant chunk of it.
I came up with something, but before I do that, I did find a LOT of parodies on YouTube. We have "Because I'm White", a Harry Potter version, and a good one devoted to the rioters in Vancouver after the last game of the Stanley Cup.

Of course, I can't make something like that without willing accomplices. So, I just have the lyrics. It's called "Every Damn Night".
Picture this as Buffy waking up from another world-saving battle. So, sing along to the tune of "Last Friday Night". You, too, Sweet.....

I survived this night of doom
Wooden stakes all over the room
There’s a zombie in my bed,
He’s one of the Sleeping Dead
Werewolves passed out in the lawn
All their fur and pants are gone
Vampires cooked in a BBQ
But no bite marks or a bruise

Videos of my fight
Ended up online
I'm screwed
Oh well
Some publicity
Might be good, maybe
I hope
Blerg!

Every Damn Night
From Twilight to Breaking Dawn
I tell the vampires that it’s on
Though they’ll never will be gone
Every Damn Night
I am called the Chosen One
Have a job that’s never done
But I’m still second to none
Every Damn Night
I went slaying in the park
Killed six vampires in the dark
And they never left a mark
Every Damn Night
I’m a Supernatural Cop
And I know I just can’t stop. Whoa!
Every Damn Night
Do it all again
Every Damn Night
Do it all again

The apocalypse’s stopped, I guess
But I ruined my best dress
Had to burn that nightclub down
Where those vampires stayed in town
Watchers won’t like this at all
And they just won’t take my call
Here comes Fox and TMZ
They ask who I’m supposed to be

I’m the Slayer, you see
It’s my destiny,
which sucks, of course
But I prove my worth
And stop Hell on Earth
Or a Bad Horse, you see?

Every Damn Night
I got chosen at 15
My life’s anything but serene
But I’m better than Sam and Dean
Every Damn Night
Don’t ask if I get some nookie
My love life is not like Sookie
But I swear I am no rookie
Every Damn Night
So, be patient, if you please
This ain’t Vampire Diaries
Or that Stephanie Meyer cheese
Every Damn Night
Yeah, the risks I take are real
Should get a medal and book deal
And why not?
Every Damn Night
Do it all again
Every Damn Night
Do it all again

S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y
S-L-A-Y

( Chorus )
Every Damn Night
From Twilight to Breaking Dawn
I tell the vampires that it’s on
Though they’ll never will be gone
Every Damn Night
I am called the Chosen One
Have a job that’s never done
But I’m still second to none
Every Damn Night
I went slaying in the park
Killed six vampires in the dark
And they never left a mark
Every Damn Night
I’m a Supernatural Cop
And I know I just can’t stop. Whoa!
Every Damn Night
Do it all....again

Comic-Con: Doctor Horrible Live, Looks Broadway-Ready

As Comic-Con slowly faded away Sunday night, and people were seeing a Joker or Sailor Moon walking down the street,
some attendees decided to visit the 10th Street Theater to see Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog in a new way: a stage musical
Chinese Pirate Productions put this show together, and had attracted big crowds for more than a week.
Even Zack Whedon, who co-wrote the show, decided to check it out. His brief review on Twitter: "If you are a dr horrible fan the live production is AMAZING. 10th Ave Theater. It runs through the 30th. Go!"

The producers did a wise thing and re-tooled the story to make it a Broadway production. All of the familiar scenes are there, but there are also dancing homeless people, and Captain Hammer groupies. Even his henchman Moist is more
involved, as Dr. H spies on Penny's date with the Captain. They even have "special effects" that show how Dr. H is able to take control of the van with the Wonderflonium. It's used several other times, especially when hey re-create the laundromat where Dr. H and Penny Talk.
In "My Eyes" we see Penny and Dr. H sing on opposite sides of the stage, while the homeless are dancing and Captain Hammer tries to get out of the way. We even have a PSA from the
Captain about how we should be vigilant, especially towards science geeks. The climax where Dr. Horrible finally becomes the super-villain he's wanted to be, including membership to the Evil League of Evil, is chilling, especially when
he dons his new uniform.

Nathan Turner is great as Dr. Horrible. He's evil but he is sincere about wanting to save the world by ruling it. I also liked Michael Minto as Captain Hammer. He comes across as a Big Man on Campus, but you start to root against him when he
confronts Dr. H about his relationship with Penny.
Jane Lui is also wonderful as the love of Dr. Horrible's life. Her voice did remind me of Felicia Day's portrayal, but she made the role her own with her own style of portraying a girl who still had hope for people.

The production will run one more weekend, and there's more information at www.IWantToSingAlong.com

Comic-Con: the TARDIS Has Landed

Hall H at Comic-Con has been th home for the biggest events from the Avengers to Twilight, Cowboys and Aliens to Amazing Spider-Man.
It was the obvious choice for the Doctor Who panel with Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. It's safe to say that was packed very quickly.
Others, however, found another way to see Matt and Karen: all they had to do is pay around 40 bucks, and see some nerd rant about things before the main event.
Since this nerd is Chris Hardwick, and it's his Nerdist podcast, that's OK. He filled 4th and B with hundreds of Whovians very quickly, and even had a second show.

I was in the middle of the audience, and managed to get some good pictures of Matt and Karen...



and even something that never happened to Tom Baker, or Katy Manning...



See, they give out burritos after every Nerdist show, and what you see above will never happen again.

Matt and Karen talked about how they got on the show and settled into their new roles. Karen said she was stunned about how big we Yanks are for the Doctor. Well, it all started with PBS, then DVDs in the years when we had no new Who episodes. That's how...and those Dr. Who cons we used to have in the 1980's. Both were a big hit with the fans. If only I got my burrito cover signed by them.

Before that, it was still really good, especially Chris talking at length with Wil Wheaton. We found out about Wil's experiences at Comic-Con back in the days when it was just about comics, and maybe a movie or two. He had a great story over how he was reluctant to speak to Adam West until a Playboy playmate helped break the ice. We also found out both Wil and Chris are MST3K fans. They truly have taste.

After this, I may consider going to a Dr. Who con in L-A next February. It's not as expensive or crowded, for one thing, and it should be a hit.
Now I found out who was at the second show: Doug Benson, Judah Freidlander (world champion of the world, that is), and the Rifftrax/MT3K crew. Either way, I would have been just happy, but I prefer being with Doctor Who. That doesn't happen too often, and I might bump into Mike a lot sooner.

So, getting back to Doctor Who, they just posted the preview for the rest of the season. First off, it's about four weeks away, and they'll be rerunning the first half like crazy. Second, it's has some trippy visuals, like Hitler, a forest, ans River Song wearing an evil monocle. She better be kidding, or Amy will tell River she's a bad daughter (just remember the last two minutes of the last episode). That being said, that is nothing compared to being threatened by a puppet version of the executive producer, Stephen Moffitt...



There was also a question about whether we will some of the companions from days gone by. Dr. Martha Jones and Donna would be possibilities, but how about Tegan or Nyssa, or Ace? I have a wild idea: we find out Victoria Waterfield wound up marrying a descendant of Jaime McCrimmon. Hey, why not? If they could find Ian Chesterton, and the temptation is too great, that would be the ultimate...and Donna's grandfather would be the one who would arrange it.

If you couldn't be there. here's a link to the article from the Nerdist website. You can download the podcast directly or by iTunes.

Comic-Con, the Day After

Five days of activity, and I wind up with a burrito cove shaped like a TARDIS, two Sonic Screwdrivers (one as eBay bait), some comic books, a picture of me with laser eyes, and some angry ideas on how this place should start being press-friendly!!

One suggestion: every press person should request a spot on which panel one want to see. Then, Comic-Con sets aside spots for the major sites (People, AP, AOL Onine, and the like) and have a drawing for the other smaller sites. It's better than reporters standing in line for three hours only to be turned away. I am very happy the guys took pity, and let me sneak into the Joss Whedon annual address, and later the Guild. A press lottery would be fair, and better than this:



Also, Comic-Con should have a YouTube channel for ALL of the major panels. They tape this stuff for TV, and they should share it with those who did or did not go to the con. It would be a better alternative to amateur videos.

There were some small victories: discovering the Flaming C art movement, being with Alan Tudyk up close, and even talking to Bladezz from The Guild. I was thisclose to talking to Felicia Day, but she had another place to go. She was the hardest working Codex in show biz this weekend. If there is a next time, I'll take it. Also, I took a picture of Nathan Fillion and Molly Quinn as the idea Browncoat family...



Next year, there will be more movies, and attempts to create new franchises that will replace the outgoing sagas like Twilight and Harry Potter. There will also be new TV shows, whether cable, network or web. It'll be the same old Comic-Con, getting bigger all the time.
While I did gripe about the lines, I will come back....for Joss, Felicia, the Whedon alumni, and maybe a chance to meet a real big shot.
Granted, that might even happen elsewhere in the year, including Wondercon in San Francisco (which is still a manageable size), but when it happens at Comic-Con, everyone will notice.

Comic-Con: Behold The Flaming C...Art Museum?

You know, this was supposed to be a joke.
When Conan O'Bren asked someone with Warner Brothers animation if he could make his own super hero, it was just a joke.
Goggles? Purple spandex? Fishnet stocking, Oxfords? An oven mitt? Jai Alia xistera?
The Flaming C?

Yet, the Flaming C is a new symbol of strength and power, for truth, justice and the Late-Night way. Besides, he's got it all over that Crimson Chin.

Seeing the opening of the Flaming C retrospective at an art museum at 5th and J proves that. Look at these fine comic book specimens..







Now that's art.

It pulled in a big crowd Thursday afternoon, and should bring in even more. Some say that maybe the Flaming C himself may appear, although others say he's already in San Diego cleverly disguised as a zombie who's too pale to be bitten. Stay tuned

Comic-Con: I'm Here, and That's All I Know

I've had a chance to look around and get registered, but it's still not certain which panels I will get to see. Some are confirmed, like a panel on the evolution of webseries with Felicia Day, the Knights of the Guild Live Podcast, seeing Castle and Merlin, and maybe Sarah Michelle Gellar from a quarter-mile away.

The big news is that people would stay in line for 48 hours or more to see some glimpse of the new Twilight movie. Wisely, everyone who ws on line agreed to keep their places in line while they got their passes.



A nice edition is a Skybridge from the Hilton Bayfront to Petco park. It's quite flashy. Too bad the bottom of the bridge is spoiled by the most bizarre looking Smurf I've ever seen.



Hammer Improv was a gas at 4th and B. Felicia was not there because she has a busy day. Still, the group was great, mocking Game of Thrones, Inception, the Jurassic era and the problems of having an imaginary friend. Greg Aronowitz, propmaster for The Guild, was also there to provide props to the group, which explains...





and why the show ended in a world filled with Jeff Lewises, or Vorks to you Guild fans.

What's next? Well, it will be a while until my next post, but once I have time to type, you'll like what you see. It will include a movie premiere, Buffy in a new form, and a bunch of Firefly cast members talking

Ten years ago, the Bronze closed, but the spirit lives on

Ten years ago, the WB Bronze, one of the first great fan message boards, closed. Through dumb luck, I found a website in the UK that has the final page of the WB Bronze before it closed on July 10th, 2001. If you want to get nostalgic over how we communicated with each other before Facebook, Twitter and even TV Without Pity, just click here, and read the final farewells, including mine.

My webpage at impalergeneral.com still has a memorial to the Bronze, and what it means to me. Can you imagine if Twitter and Facebook were around in the late 1990's? We would have blown those two sites up every hour on the hour when we find out Angel's a vampire, Buffy dies but only for a couple of minutes, Angel loses his soul because of true love, she kills him to stop the end of the world, Faith shows up, then turns evil, Dawn shows up, Buffy dies, etc. etc. Instead of that, we had a nice sturdy message board that allowed us to express ourselves and our love for the Buffyverse.
I also want to thank @spikmeister and spik.me.uk, because that's where the final Bronze page resides in a piece of internet heaven, plus other things that will make us nostalgic and feel old at the same time.
2012 will be a big Whedon year: 20th anniversary of the Buffy movie, 15th anniversary of the Buffy TV show and 10th anniversary of Firefly. Attention must be paid, and will.

Comic-Con, the Only Event Where I Pack Two Weeks Ahead of Time

It must be getting close to Comic-Con, because I'm already starting to pack, and looking over what I still need. Shaving cream, for one thing.

I already have a list of panels I'd like to see. Funny that Joss Whedon, who once packed Hall H with JJ Abrams, is now making a "small" appearance at the Hilton Indigo before The Knights of Good theoretically give us a peek at new episodes of their show. On the other hand, Joss won't be so "small" once he talks abut The Avengers, and when and if Cabin in the Woods will be released in October after all.
Buffy season 9 on Dark Horse will be mentioned, too, although I'm not interested because Angel is Twilight, and Buffy will never forgive him for that unless he dies for her. I may be interested if it's obvious it's the last hurrah for the Scooby Gang before the next generation of Slayers show up. Yep, it's been that long, and it's a given it will end in three years Buffy and Angel will die in each other's arms, and they dissolve into dust. That's the happiest ending they'll likely to get...darn it.
Then again, I expected Castle to take a bullet for Kate Bennett at the end of last season, and it turned out she was the one who was shot. That, and people never thinking The Voice would actually make American Idol nervous. So, who knows?

Looking over my schedule, it seems to lean a lot towards Buffy anyway, with SMG and the Ringer panel, another panel which will look at why LGBT fans prefer Buffy, and a lot of Buffy alumni and how they are involved in the wider geekverse, from Jane Espenson and Drew Greenberg to Marti Noxon.

However, there's also Doctor Who. Two years ago, someone from the BBC took a picture of me with a Fourth Doctor scarf. I asked why our favorite Time Lord doesn't come to San Diego more often..in our current time, not 100,000 year from now and 150 years ago. If you have the DVD from "The End of Time", I'm in the Comic-Con section, making that dumb remark. I mean, I never thought Matt Smith and Karen Gillan would actually have time to come to San Diego, because they have a season to shoot...but it's in 2013 mostly. Soooooo, we see Matt in a panelo or two, and hopefully Karen too, plus an appearance with Chris Hardwicke, and the Hall H event on the last day. I haven't been this close in more than 25 years, so I'm going for this.

I also notice that when the panel for Breaking Dawn finishes in Thursday July 21st, that does not mean the number of Comic-Con attendees will drop in half,. Taylor Lautner will be around for Abduction, which is basically the Bourne Jr. Identity plus Spymaster Ellen Ripley, and Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman/Thunder God. At least it proves these actors want to be more than just the Twilight gang. It's an example the Hogwarts Alumni also want to realize.

The final schedule, however, is not set in stone yet. Maybe I'll meet Matt and Karen...and even SMG...in the press room. Maybe I'll get into a trade party, aside from a couple I've already scheduled. We shall see. Just check this space and Whedonopolis for all the action.

What if...Queen V Gets Stung?

As Anna, leader of the Visitors, looked down on Earth, she was even more satisfied with herself than ever.
She and Amy, the hybrid child who just killed her father Ryan, had successfully blissed nearly all of Earth. Now, the humans would do her bidding, worshiping her, all the while heading towards their very extinction.
Then, suddenly, it stopped.
The Bliss had stopped. The humans had woken up to what was happening, and starting attacking the Visitors.
Worse of all, Chad was no longer Anna's best friend in the media.
Anna could not understand what was happening. She had thought she had conquered this world. Why had the Bliss stopped?
Then, it occurred to her. Her ultimate nightmare....being dumped for Charlie's Angels, the Next Generation.
She could only turn to Amy and say, "Well, don't just stand here, put me out of my misery."
"Why?", Amy said, "You're not my mother."
"Dammit!", Anna says, "You've been contaminated by the human DNA. Oh, why didn't I go to Wondercon and bliss that crowd, too?"
"You're kidding yourself, Anna, as you always have."
"MOM?"
"Yes, dear, and I'm using the term ironically," a bloody but recovering Diana said. "Apparently Lisa got out, tore her clone limb from limb, and revived me and Tyler. He'll be up and around in a day or two. They're also working on Ryan."
Anna walked forward, stunned in silence. She looked down at the humans below, and quietly asked, "You forsake me in favor of a show where Snow White lives in Maine? That's even worse than being foolish Humans!!"
"Yes, dear," Diana said, "but maybe being genetic vampires, as we have been all these years, isn't worth it either. We would have been ruined by the human DNA. It's just a pity it won't make better TV than The Event."
"Guards, put my sad excuse for a daughter in my dungeon, where she has a TV that only has ABC on it. Kimmel will temporarily ease the pain, until Good Christian Bitches premieres."
"Uh, actually it's Good Christian Belles," Anna weakly said.
"I know. I just wondered if ABC would actually have a show title like that"
"All right, Anna, hands....did we miss something?" It was Erica, who was with her new boss, Lars Tremont, and their army.
"Mike Donovan?", Diana said.
"No," Lars said. "I knew him, though."
"Oh, cut it out, Mike," Diana said. "What's the difference, now that we're off the air and ABC is offering three different versions of Desperate Housewives? Oh, and Erica...that is who you are, right?...your son was severely wounded by very ugly sex, but he'll be OK soon. A bit gun shy about sex, but Lisa will fix that, I'm sure."

You know, I wasn't surprised that V would not be renewed. When you go to Twitter, and there's not really a lot of buzz to bring it back for another season, then you know the end is near.
The real tragedy of course, is Marc Singer will not help Elizabeth Mitchell blast the Visitors to Kingdom Come. Maybe they can use him in The River, which is all about a search for a missing explorer complicated by evil magic and science.
What also bugs me is that ABC strung along V for so long, and Warner Brothers fell for it. While the main hall was filled for Mitchell and Singer, seeing them have so much enthusiasm for a season that would never come was really heartbreaking. We should have gotten eight more episodes to wrap things up. Instead, V is yet another sci-fi show with no ending, just like Symbiotic Titan.

Guild Director Gives Big Hint About Season 5

Fans of Felicia Day's hit webcom The Guild also listen to the podcast, Knights of the Guild, made by two guys named Kenny and Jenni. They talk about the show (sometimes), themselves (a lot), the casts, the fans and updates on the show. During last season, they added a bonus podcast about the previous episode for added insight.

It also has a semi-regular feature called "Guild Something" with director Sean Becker and Marketing Boss Brian Kameoka. They get some fan questions and try to answer them. Then the discussion turned to the upcoming season, which is expected to start by July (hopefully just before Comic-Con). Becker says preparations are about to start on the new season, and it looks like The Knights of Good are going on the road. As you recall, last season ended with the gang getting invited to a convention that's connected to their favorite RPG, which is World of Warcraft-ish. It looks like the new season (and this is just my guess, folks) is seeing the gang preparing to go, and all the things that happen on the way. Sort of like one of those teen road pictures, including the one that has Seth Green as an alleged Amish guy.

As Sean says, "We're moving out of that familiar area of the offices and we're going on like a road trip to a convention." He says this could be "The Guild: The Movie", although I would argue season 3 was the Guild movie with the gag breaking up over the threat of a rival guild, then reuniting.
In any case, Becker said a Guild movie could have been recreating the three-part Codex comic book story, but in this case it looks like the story will be a road trip. In my mind, this may appeal to more people because there's been a ton of road trip movies, and people are bound to relate to all the trouble the KoG have trying to get to the convention.

Again, as Becker said in the podcast, "But I feel like being familiar with the Guild, and seeing them kind of go out and into the world even further, and we've seen what happens when they even come out of their rooms, and now they're going to get out of their town, which is great." He predicts things may get underway by April 23rd or so.

You can download the podcast through iTunes or by visiting the Knights of the Guild website, which also has lots of stuff about the podcast and the show.

ETA: The Guild's Facebook page revealed they will film a specific scene at the Long Beach Comic-Con early on April 23rd. For the sake of the KoG, it better not be the scene where they finally get to the con....eight seconds after it ends. Knowing this show, and how it filmed the last scene of season 3 first (yes, the "What have I done with Fawkes...nude?" scene), it might wind up that way. After all, it's supposed to be a road movie this year.

Wondercon: Why did they have a V panel?

I brought this up in my other Blogger site: why did Wondercon decide to not feature Chuck, Smallville's final episodes or Supernatural on Sunday, but have panels on two shows that may not come back?

This is especially puzzling for V. ABC hasn't said if it will return in the fall or early 2012, just in time for the Mayan prophecy to kill us (and if they incorporate that with the Visitors, I'm out).

Despite this, executive producer Scot Rosenbaum was optimistic. Elizabeth Mitchell and Marc Singer were even more so. Singer, who was in the original 80s version, was added in the season finale a few weeks ago as the head of Project Aries, a group organized to fight Anna and her people after she blissed everyone on Earth. He was especially hopeful the show would return. He talked about joining the show as if he was returning to a place he had never been before. His role as the head of Aries isn't like Mike Donovan in the original, but close to it. He especially liked seeing Jane Badler again, even though this was just before Diana, her character, got killed by Anna.

Mitchell was also very excited about the new season because Erica would finally have more battles with the Visitors. Her character still doesn't know her son, Tyler, was killed by an evil clone of Lisa (Anna's daughter). Mitchell admitted she liked being a female protagonist..and that she once wished she could be Han Solo.

Rosenbaum also gave the clearest example of why the Visitors arrived: they want to kill the humans, of course, and take our DNA to spur their evolution. In fact, they've done this in other worlds. However, they've never had our type of DNA, including how to be human. It would have been better if that was revealed at the start of season 2. Maybe the story would have been easier to follow, and there would be stakes people could identify with. Sure, we have the hybrid who is Ryan's kid, but she seems to have embraced her alien side by killing him. That may show her human side won't affect her, but maybe it will when her body matures.

There also wasn't much mention of Morena Baccarin, whose chilling portrayal of Anna was one of the most popular parts of the show. They did mention that Baccarin developed a killer smile, literally, that is an important part of Anna.

The panel did fill the Esplanade, and the crowd was very enthusiastic. Still, it's not certain if that will convince ABC to give the show once more season. Rosenbaum sure had a lot of ideas he'd like to show, like bringing back Badler to show how Anna deposed her. If they did that, would we see the Visitors as they really are, rather than human form? Add the arrival of Project Aries, a Blissed Human Race willing to worship Anna above all, Lisa now stuck in the dungeon, and those major deaths, and you have enough for another year. Thing is, it would even be better if the 5th Column actually accomplished something.

If there is one more season, ABC will probably approve ten more episodes, with the assurance the humans finally make some headway, and win if they have enough time. It would also be competing against another alien invasion show, Falling Skies. That show also got big exposure at Wondercon, and those who went to that panel probably went to the V panel, too. The edge Falling Skies has is Steven Spielberg as executive producer.

Rosenbaum, Singer and Mitchell will soon see if their enthusiasm will be enough to get a third season, and make sure Anna's killer smile/smirk is wiped right off. Personally, I think it's more likely the network will turn its attention to a Christian version of Desperate Housewives rather than a war of the worlds.
If so, I'd like to see Singer and Mitchell in something. They have a lot to contribute as actors, and they should get something if ABC won't let the humans beat the aliens.

It's Been A While

It's February, and a few weeks after we celebrated Buffy Summers' 30th birthday...even though she's 23 as of the end of season 8 Dark Horse version. It makes you wonder if in the Buffyverse she will live to be 30.
I hope so. Imagine what she can do with social media and YouTube.

And for the gal who plays her, Sarah Michelle Gellar, it looks like she'll soon be back on TV with that pilot called Ringer. Imagine a girl who hides from the mob by being her rich twin sister...only to find the twin may be crooked and marked for death, too. What's more, the twin may have faked her own death, and could wind up with HER twin's problems. I don't know how long this will last, but CBS better be smart enough to give us an ending to this, no matter what. This will give SMG something to sink her teeth into while Joss is busy with The Avengers. So, for those who pray SMG will be back as Buffy (mini-series, of course), you can still hope.

However, it may be the end of the TV line for Summer Glau...for a while. The Cape is doomed, and it's due to a boring hero, an annoying family storyline, the hero's sidekicks would make a better series, etc. Some also blame Summer because she looks like a blank slate as Orwell, the crime-fighting blogger. Well, blame the writers, I say. I think we're not supposed to know her true identity, either. It's been speculated her dad is the evil Peter Chess Fleming, who is responsible for framing the cop who winds up being The Cape. It's bad enough she was introduced too quickly, and that the stories have been dumb.

Joss, of course, had the perfect model. He prepared for just one season, paced all the storylines including the confrontation with the Master, and made sure everyone turned out to be real people.
With The Cape, he could have done this (or I would have): in the first two hours, Vince develops his new role with the help of the Carnival of Crime, Orwell is seen in the shadows until episode four, Fleming tries to terrorize Palm City into giving more police power to him by episode seven, Vince's wife sees her husband wasn't the Cape by episode 9 but is threatened by Fleming's goons by episode 10, and we have the final confrontation between Vince and Fleming in episodes 12 and 13. It winds up as a draw, but Fleming's bid to own Palm City will be delayed. The good guys hide but they prepare for round two. The writers front-loaded their season with too many facts which wind up as nothing, and that's why the show is cut short.

Despite this, we're gonna wish The Cape is back to find out what the F is The Event, which is also bogged down by too many details which mean nothing. It's also back after a long wait, and I doubt people will give it a second chance if they can't understand it.

As for Morena Baccarin, as the Alien queen with the permanent self-satisfied "Foolish Humans!" smirk, chances for V to continue next season aren't too good, but better than The Cape. I think what is supposed to happen in a few days may boost its chances. Let's just say Diana (not the 1980's version) and her prediction that Anna's daughter will continue the "double-cross your mom for fun" family tradition will come to pass.
Thank goodness. It's been way too easy for Anna, and she's not as fun as the original Visitors.

So far, we know Nathan Fillion's TV career will stay strong as Castle will be around at least through 2012. That's why ABC will keeping giving Fox programming suits Christmas cards.
We also know Felicia Day and her Guild will be back, but what is her #mysteryproject? Could it be Epitaph 3, continuing that Dollhouse saga? Making such a project for the net make a lot of sense, because it can be popular that way.
We shall see.