Best laid plans and Trailer Time

I was going to post a review last week of a magazine. Then I was going to do it this week. I've had zero time to read. Which is funny, since I got laid off last Tuesday. They let me work out the rest of the week and so far this week I've been buried in wedding preparations (the big day is a month away) and helping with a benefit concert for a musician friend with cancer. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. We also lost another friend to cancer (one of my fiancé's groomsmen) and my fiancé and his brother reconciled while I was getting laid off. Then there's applying for unemployment, filing a claim with the labor board (still haven't been paid by the new owner for my last week), getting the brakes fixed on my car, etc. I'm really gonna need that honeymoon!

I have started reading William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher. It would be a great idea for an activity at a sci-fi convention or meet-up. Do a table reading. It's much better done aloud. It would make a great Saturday Night Live skit, but I don't know if I'll still find it so amusing half-way through. I mean, we know what's gonna happen. The quirky fun will get old I'm afraid. But here's an excerpt for you.

C-3PO          ---Thou shalt not label me
              A mindless, brute philosopher! Nay, nay,
              Thou overladen glob of grease, thou imp,
              Thou rubbish bucket fit for scrap, thou blue
              And silver pile of bantha dung! Now, come,
              And get thee hence away lest someone sees.
R2-D2   Beep, meep, beep, squeak, beep, beep, beepm meep, beep, whee!
C3PO    What secret mission? And what plans? What dost
              Thou talk about? I'll surely not get in! 
                                                                     [Sound of blast.
              I warrant I'll regret this. So say I!
                                                      [Exit C-3PO into escape pod.

So, here I am being lazy again. I hope you don't mind.

The Colony. Hmmm. Looks like another zombie movie. Yum. Yum. This one comes out in September. Why do they bury this information, so you have to dig for it? Just sayin'.


Gravity. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. I'm fans of both. :)


We have to wait six months for this one, but it looks great.

Shakespeare's Star Wars and may the Fourth be with you!

Happy Fourth of July! Declare your independence from the mundane today! 





I can't wait to dig into this lovely little book. Mind you, I'm reading two books and a magazine at the moment. Pretty neat trailer, eh?



In Minister of Chance news, the prologue and all five episodes of this fabulous sonic movie are available for download at iTunes for free. Meanwhile, their Kickstarter campaign needs your help as they bring the story to the screen as a feature movie. Visit www.ministerofchance.com to download the sonic movie and help them get the feature film going. This is a spin-off of sorts from the Dr. Who series and stars Julian Wadham, Lauren Crace, Jenny Agutter (Logan's Run anyone?), Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann. The sound and acting is top-notch. I've reviewed more than one episode here on Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys. Put Minister of Chance in the google search box on the right to find them.

The magazine I'm reading is the second volume of Galaxy's Edge. So far, I'm liking it better than the first. Some of the stories are riveting. The full review will follow next week. Meantime, my review of issue one is available here and volume three was just released on the first. Get it at Phoenix Pick's site, where you can also download a free novel. This month's Phoenix Pick's free book is Rogue Queen by L. Sprague de Camp. The description calls it a ground-breaking science fiction novel that was the first to explore sexual themes. Really? I find that hard to believe. Anyway, you can read it for free, so nothing lost. See what you think. The code to enter at Phoenix Pick is  9991539 and is good through July 2013.

May the Fourth be with you!

Trailer Cache

I have been invited to a number of press screenings in LA. Unfortunately, I live in Northern California and my reviewer's schedule has prevented her from attending premieres and press screenings. So, I guess I could use an additional reviewer there. If you live in LA and want to try your hand at reviewing, drop me a line. I can't pay you, but you'll certainly have bragging rights with your friends that you saw that great sci-fi, fantasy or horror movie already while they're waiting for it to hit the theaters. Meantime, here are some trailers with you.

Here's a flick you can view now on Netflix. Gotta love those Indie filmmakers!

Acclaimed Indie Horror Parody PELT Hacks Its Way To Netflix

LOS ANGELES (September 10, 2012) – Osiris Entertainment’s award-winning horror feature PELT is now available on Netflix. Since it hit the festival circuit, PELT gained a fast following for its quick-witted parody on the “girl meets psycho” formula by bringing together an unmatched cast with an unwavering screenplay orchestrated by Prison Diaries director, Richard Swindell.

PELT introduces viewers to beautiful Jennifer and her friends as they embark on a backpacking excursion deep into the woods of Caveland Kentucky despite dire warnings from local residents. Sudden, gory death hides behind every bush when they come “chest to chest” with an evil as old as the trees.

The film stars Ashley Watkins (1000 Ways to Die) as Jennifer, while the titillating triumvirate is completed by Marie Bollinger (Hell-O-Ween) and Sara Zurell (90210, No Ordinary Family).

Winner – Outstanding Film, Audience Choice Award – Big Bear Horror Film Festival

“PELT was a wonderful film to work on and I can’t wait to share it with viewers through Netflix,” said Swindell. “I am proud of our incredibly talented cast and crew who turned this project into a one of a kind film that holds its own next to any ‘big budget’ offering.”

Listen...above the crackling of the campfire...is that the sound of a twig snapping or your best girlfriend's neck? Check out PELT on Netflix today!

The Minister of Chance giveaway! Three people will win!

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. I have some presents for you. Call them Christmas presents, Hanukah presents, Solstice goodies, whatever you want, but have at them and enjoy a beautiful weekend!

First, to get you in the mood, is the Hobbit trailer, in case you haven't seen it yet.



Let's have a couple more, shall we?


The Dark Knight Rises - Official Trailer [VO-HD] by Eklecty-City

And Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is playing this weekend!



My fabulously talented friend, Camille Picott, is giving away here short story "Warming Demon". Her Raggedy Chan was reviewed here by Lyda Morehouse. Camille's writing is an exquisite blend of fantasy and fairy tale that puts a face on cultural persecution for young readers. Keep checking back for a review of her next novel: Nine-tail Fox right here.

I'm bloody balmy about the The Minister of Chance. Check out my full review of episode one. Episode two is every bit as awesome.

Listen to the prologue of The Minister of Chance below and leave a comment describing the princess' first observation of the Ambassador. What did she expect him to have? The first person to do so wins the first two episodes.

The first person (and this has to be someone other than the first and third winner) to tell me the ambassador's name will also win the first two episodes.

Finally, name the actor who plays the king (and be someone other than the first two winners) to win the first two episodes as well.




Come on people. I want episode three, so listen, like them on facebook, tweet them and tell all your friends. They make great Christmas presents for those who have waited too long to mail something in time. You just send them the code in an email. How easy is that?

Friday miscellany

I have some tid-bits for you all this fine (rainy here) Friday.

I heard on David Brin's blog that Worldcon in Reno (Renovation) is offering a college credit course on teaching science fiction! How awesome is that?

2010 Nebula awards, presented on May 21st went to the following:

Novel
Connie Willis for Blackout/All Clear (Spectra)

Novella
Rachel Swirsky for "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen's Window" (Subterranean, Summer 2010)

Novellette
Eric James Stone for "That Leviathan, WHom Thou Has Made" (Analog Sept. 2010)

Short Story
Looks like there's two winners! Kij Johnson's "Ponies" (Tor.com 1/17/10) tied with Harlan Ellison's "How Interesting: A Tiny Man" (Realms of Fantasy 2/10)

Ray Bradbury Award
Inception

Andre Norton Award
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Prathett (Doubleday; Harper)


How fun is this? A primer for relating to a sf/f geek can be found over at Author's Echo. Make sure to add your two cents!

Here's an eye-opening article by Kristine Kathryn Rusch for my writer-readers out there. We keep hearing how the publishing world is changing. After a while, we tune it out and figure it will right itself eventually or we'll dip a toe here and there into the new paradigm and see how it goes. Well, it's not going away and we need to get with the program I guess.

Now let's peek at movies:

Chronicles of Humanity: Descent and Friday teasers

Last night I watched all 8 episodes of a new science fiction webseries made with Moviestorm. Damien Valentine is writer (with Kim Genly), director and editor. Said Damien, "Every frame of every scene was created using just one computer thanks to Moviestorm..." Episode one was released Tuesday (April 26th). It even had a big screen showing in the UK.


The story opens in the 24th century with an "accident" on a Titan mining colony. The only survivor happens to be a reporter, which seemed contrived until I saw the episode explaining how she happened to be that far from the blast. She suspects the government is behind the explosion that devastated the colony and mining facility. She ends up on a freighter with a couple, Adam (Charlie Allen-Wall) and Ravyn (Gabrielle Pugliese) that want to help her after her traumatic experience.

Meanwhile, Admiral Yasuko (Kim Genly) lays her evil plots using the unsuspecting Capt. Heyman and her black ops agent/assassin.

I don't know what the limitations are with Moviestorm, but for a DIY (do-it-yourself) animated movie, it's not bad. The storyline and script held my attention. Some of the voice actors gave performances that would be nearly flawless if I closed my eyes. The mouth animation and stilted movements were a little distracting. Worst of these was an embrace that came out of nowhere and seemed to miss. I mean their arms didn't connect right. And it didn't fit right with the dialog.

Richard Grove (Captain Heyman) delivered his dialog with authority, character and a natural flow, as did Ingrid Moon (Commander Fulmer). Authority and being comfortable in that captain's chair is important. Need I mention Scott Bakula as Captain Archer of the Enterprise? I actually joined a Star Trek message board just so I could post "Archer must die!" Captain Heyman, on the other hand, I could listen to all day and hang on his every order.

And Commander Fulmer had just the right amount of spunk. Her personality added spice to the bridge.

Katherine McDonald needed more action scenes. I wanted to see her actively investigating and snooping, not just hearing about it afterward.

I encourage you to check it out. If nothing else, it will inspire you to do great things with one computer yourself.

****
GeekChicDaily LA launched today. It's an e-newsletter to keep geeks in LA informed of the latest local science fiction haps, including "film festivals, gallery openings, comic/anime/manga conventions, gaming tournaments and signings, as well as profiles of local artists and personalities."

A little bird told me there are more steampunk Pinkerton episodes on the way. Stay tuned for more about The Pinkerton Files. Meanwhile, you can read my review of the first episodes here (You'll find a Falling Skies trailer there, too.).

Also, I'm dying for some more Minister of Chance. I'm thinking that if more people buy the first episode, they'll release the episode two sooner. Money talks, right? Check out Minister of Chance for your own entertainment and so I can get my MOC fix! Read my review.

TNT sent me a press kit that included the first two episodes of its new science fiction series,Falling Skies, and a cool cotton, drab olive shoulder bag. I'm thinkin' it could easily double as Browncoat (Firefly) gear. You'll see a review of the series complete with an interview with Connor Jessup very soon. Falling Skies premieres on June 19th and stars Noah Wyle. It's a DreamWorks Television production with executive producer, Steven Spielberg.

TRAILER TIME!
Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Immortals. Happy Friday and enjoy the trailers!

Never Let Me Go won't let you go

NEVER LET ME GO
Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro
Screenplay by Alex Garland
Directed by Mark Romanek
Starring Keira Knightly, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield
Photo by Alex Bailey

Review by Emily Bettencourt

I originally read the novel Never Let Me Go, by British-Japanese author Kazuo Ishiguro, as a senior in high school, working on our world lit unit, and I loved it. When I saw that there would be a movie adaptation, I was both excited and filled with trepidation---after all, nobody likes to see one of their favorite novels butchered on the silver screen.

Mark Romanek didn't let me down. The film adaptation, starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly, and Andrew Garfield, was just as delicate and thoughtful as the novel had been. In an alternate-reality version of the year 1952, a medical breakthrough has allowed the average lifespan of a human to extend well beyond 100 years. However, this new longevity comes with a price: The harvesting and transplant of vital organs from artificially-replicated human beings raised for the sole purpose of organ donation. The film follows the life of a girl named Kathy H (Mulligan), one of these donors, as she grows up and becomes more aware of her world and the role she has to play in it.

The leads in this film, Carey Mulligan (probably best known for her role as Kitty Bennett in Pride and Prejudice), Keira Knightly (Pirates of the Caribbean), and Andrew Garfield (Red Riding and The Social Network), are incredible actors on their own, but they come together to deliver a powerful performance as students who were all raised at the same grammar school in the English countryside. They each have a certain subtlety to their performance that allows them to collectively convey the more delicate aspects of life---things like being hurt by something too beautiful, the ache of loving someone you can never have, and the knowledge that one day, you will die, perhaps without ever discovering what your life was really about.

Beyond actor performances, I don't think that I can emphasize enough how stunning the cinematography was in this film. Each shot seemed to be rendered for maximum impact, and cast in a palette of muted browns, greys, blues and greens that reflected both the typical weather of England (where the film is set) and the drab loneliness of existence as someone whose entire purpose in life is to die. The play of light and shadow, too, contributed to the tone of the film, and the soundtrack---done by Rachel Portman, known for her work on films like Chocolat and Mona Lisa Smile---was subtle but eloquent, contributing to each scene rather than distracting.

Overall, Never Let Me Go was a stunning film adaptation. Though the movie is undeniably sad (and will probably cause at least one minor existential crisis), I think it's definitely worth seeing at least once.

Friday miscellany

A great big congrats to Ellen Datlow for earning the Horror Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award! Comics editor/artist/writer Al Feldstein also won the award. Dubravka Ugresic’s Baba Yaga Laid an Egg scored the 2010 James Tiptree, Jr. Award. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor made the honor list.

I just got my World Fantasy Convention ballot for nominations. Must do that soon. So many good books to choose from! I'll have to block out half a day just make my nominations.

I interviewed Robert Sawyer (again) this morning. You'll see that, along with a review of WWW:Wonder the beginning of April when it hits the shelves. I have at least three more interviews in the works.

I haven't done any lazy linking for a while.

I09 provides "10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Doctor Who"

This one's been done before, but rarely with such graphic style. Technological Prophecies: "Predictions [by sci-fi authors] Ahead of Their Time".

"The 80 Greatest Science Fiction Books for Kids"

My buddy, Sue Bolich shares: "4 Steps to Advancing Your Writing Career"

Obviously comic book heros on the big screen is still a thing. I'm glad.







Here's a contest you might find worthwhile from My Daily Clip:

We are excited to announce that in celebration of the launch of their new iPhone and iPad app, MY DAILY CLIP, SPHE is giving Twitter users a chance to win 365 DVDs.

You have until April 11th to follow @MyDaily Clip and tweet "Give me my movies! #MyDailyClip" to be entered for a chance to win a DVD for each day of the year.

Enter now: http://twitter.com/#!/mydailyclip

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Download the app for free at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-daily-clip/id423054595?mt=8

You may not have time for a feature-length movie, but you always have time for a clip!


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My Daily Clip is the ultimate daily companion for every movie fan. Receive a new movie clip on every day of the calendar year and search by special themes to unearth a classic scene, share a teary moment, or access action and adventure. My Daily Clip delivers perfectly edited and high quality video, served via adaptive streaming, to optimize the user viewing experience. Connect with Facebook to share clips with your friends, test your knowledge through embedded movie trivia, or purchase the feature-length movie directly from iTunes all from inside the beautifully designed iPhone and iPad application. You may not have time for a feature-length movie, but you always have time for a clip. My Daily Clip.