Discovering the Secret in Berkeley

It's been a long time since we had a new post here, since Whedonopolis gets priority for all my Whedon-verse posts. There are times, though, where I get to do such stories that someone else at that site has covered.

Nearly three weeks ago, I got to see the long-buried (thanks to MGM's financial problems) movie, The Cabin in the Woods, made by the words and thoughts of Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard--and Goddard directing. My take on it is still here, with the post-picture discussion.

Dread-Central was part of a new round of screenings over the past two weeks, including one this past Wednesday at the Shattuck Cinema in Berkeley.



While we couldn't bring cameras because Lionsgate said so, this was a much more active crowd compared to the one in Anaheim. It really helped when before the movie, Drew said the crowd should be as rowdy as it wants to be as the story unfolds. As my story said at the Anaheim screening, this movie takes a familiar horror story than sends it to places you'd never expect. That goes from what the college students do to where they wind up. I can only wonder what will happen on April 14th, when the "secret" is finally revealed and we can all talk about it. I can just hear the reaction of people being told who exactly is "behind the curtain" as far as the plot is concerned.
Again, no names. April 13th. This movie..your only hope to avoid giving money to a movie that is an even bigger horror, even if it does include Larry David as a nun.

So, what was the place like?

The Shattuck Cinema used to be a department store, but they renovated it for theaters in a section of town where one can choose from at least 15 movies in a three-block radius..and not under the same roof. The theaters themselves are uniquely decorated. They may be small but they are very nice places to check out a movie. My theater had a King Tut feel to it

I went there about 2:30, and found two people in line. An hour later, it was up to ten, and I decided to join in. The chairs are leather with very fancy cup holders. I was n the balcony where they had couches. It was like being at home, but with a very big screen and a stage. The place was filled about ten minutes after the screening was supposed to start. In my section there were a couple of kids that would be too young to see this movie. When you see it for yourself, you'll know why.

Drew and Amy Acker were introduced before the movie. Amy looked great but had cut her hair. That's too bad, since she looked great on Grimm recently with long hair.
Since this was my second time seeing it, I looked for some of the key moments that made this movie special, including how many scenes would have looked better in 3-D (I'd say maybe four or five).

Afterwards, Drew looked pleased abut how things went, especially about how people cheered for a certain item that Starbucks would be reluctant to sell. He also admitted that there are two characters that may remind viewers of Joss and Drew, and they're easy to spot. Again, no names. Go see the movie and you'll see what it is. I'm not the Hollywood Reporter.
He also explained how he tried to get a job being part of John Carpenter's movie, Vampires, in New Mexico. He didn't make it, but wound up working for a TV movie called Scattering Dad with Olympia Dukakis. Apparently it, too, had to wait a couple of years to be shown. Anyway, both movies were being filmed in the same area, which game Drew a chance to visit the set, and eventually meet Carpenter.

Then the discussion went to the chances of a sequel, and what Drew and Joss would have wanted to add to the movie. He also briefly discussed the chances of another Cloverfield movie. He said it depends on getting the right story.

Yes, Amy were there, too. She, too, was excited about working about the movie, and with Richard Jenkins, who...does something. You'll see.

The screening series will be ending soon, then everyone else will see The Cabin in the Woods. You'll find out why in every preview screening, there's one guy who appreciates this movie after the recent string of incredibly disappointing flicks. Seems Silent House is often mentioned.

Also, it gave me a chance to really get to use the BART system. I only used it to get from Fremont to San Francisco..and that was 30 years ago. Heading to Berkeley is good, too, and I may do that again soon. For now, though, I have another special movie screening in San Francisco this weekend. It's a movie I could see on iTunes, but meeting Morgan Spurlock after his Comic-Con movie is something I hope to do.

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