Heroes Season 2.3: Kindred (Spoilers)

What an ending! So I guess the question becomes - are Isaac’s paintings inevitable? So far, they are pretty accurate.

Peter Petrelli - Heroes PicturesIn Ireland, Peter agrees to help the brother thieves (what are their names?) rob an armored car that will be collecting soccer betting money from Pinky’s Sportsbook. As they tell Peter their plans, he reads one of the brother’s minds to learn he’s going to take the money and run. The other brothers don’t buy it and they go ahead with the robbery as planned. (Without masks - surely, the guards that survived got a glimpse of everyone’s faces? Perhaps it’s just me, but going after a bookie’s stash doesn’t seem like the smartest way to make quick dough without repercussions.) Sure enough, after the deed is done, the brother turns on his family and shoots Peter in the chest before he can react. Fortunately, Peter regenerates quickly and the bullets pop out of his body as his wounds close. Angrily, he does uses a psychic throat grab to pin the backstabber against the wall while Kaitlyn pleads for her brother’s life. Peter finally lets the guy go, winning the family’s trust (enough to allow them to tattoo their crest on his arm), and regain his coveted possession box. Later, he sits with Kaitlyn fearing the contents of the box - who was he? She tells him to forget about it for awhile and kisses him. (Keep reading →)

Heroes Season 2.2: Lizards (Spoilers)

Still no sign of Niki, DL, Micah, and Sylar but woohoo - the Haitian’s back! Good episode tonight though significantly more commercials than last week.

Peter Petrelli - Heroes Pictures - Episode 2.2: LizardsPeter’s been kidnapped and tortured by three Irish thieves who really want their shipment of iPods. When Peter won’t tell them where their stash is, they send caitlin, Ricky’s sister in to clean him up. She’s not really needed as Peter heals faster than Buffy (yeah Claire!), but the two bond enough that later, Peter is willing to defend her from a few guys that break in and want to have their way with her. Ricky returns and isn’t happy that Peter just knocked out the son of the guy he owes a lot of money to, but uses it to his advantage. He’ll give Peter the box with all his possessions if Peter agrees to help them repay their debts by working a job with them. (Keep reading →)

Heroes Season 2.1: Four Months Later (Spoilers)

It is four months later and our heroes have moved on with their lives - sort of.

Mohinder is lecturing to anyone who will listen about the virus he’s been studying that gives humans extraordinary powers and asking for financial backers to support him. After his presentation, a man named Bob offers to take him to lunch, where he then assures Mohinder he has sufficient funds to finance his research at any cost. To prove he means what he says, he takes a silver teaspoon and changes it into solid gold. We learn later on in the episode, this is all part of Noah and Mohinder’s greater plan to take down The Company. (Keep reading →)

Forget Mickey, Harry Potter Comes to Orlando

Harry Potter Amusement ParkAlthough the series is finished, it looks like Harry Potter will continue to deliver the big bucks as an amusement park at the Universal Orlando Report. BusinessWeek reports that the developers hope to rake in $250-500 million when construction completes in 2009 (tenatively).

The details, however, are as secret as the ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was before the book, the last in J.K. Rowling’s seven-volume series, came out in July. Bill Nassal Sr., whose 135-employee, $30 million Nassal Co. designs faux rocks and other props, had to sign a confidentiality agreement just to talk with Universal. Says Nassal: “We can’t say a word about any of this.”

RIP Robert Jordan

Robert JordanWheel of Time author, James Oliver Rigney, who wrote under the pen name, Robert Jordan, died Sunday, September 16, 2007 at age 58. His death was announced by his cousin on his blog (which I have yet to actually be able to access - but you can read a mirror of the letter here).

Last year, he was diagnosed with the rare blood disease, amyloidosis, but seemed to be in good spirits when he updated his blog. He had posted pictures with his head shaved and a full beard and talked like a fighter. He was being treated by the Mayo Clinic’s Amyloidosis Research Group.

It was rumored that Jordan would be releasing his 12th and final book in the Wheel of Time series in 2008. According to TarvalonForums, the story will be finished - probably by his wife, Harriet, how may also publish companion materials that goes into more detail about the world.

Links: Charleston, SC Local News, LA Times, Making Light, Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin

Is Science Fiction Obsolete?

Should science fiction be based on science? Over the years, sci fi writers have had differing philosophies, with Jules Gabriel Verne (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) arguing for making his stories scientifically plausible while HG Wells (The Time Machine) preferred to leave science up to scientists and made up his own realities for the sake of his readers’ entertainment.

Now, Bruno Maddox argues, most of the “science” in “science fiction” is just bad and much of the stuff imagined is the subject of modern science so where should the genre go from here? He also points out that science has caught up with the imaginations of sci-fi authors: (Keep reading →)

Heroes - Episode 23: How To Stop an Exploding Man

*** This episode summary/review contains spoilers ***

So much has happened this season that I decided I’d write up an episode summary with commentary and pictures for this last episode. Over the summer, I’ll probably do something similar (though not as extensive) for each of the episodes so I’m ready for the new season in September 2007. (Keep reading →)

Hobbit House To House JRR Tolkien Manuscripts

HobbitHouseWhat do you do if you’re a major Tolkien fan with a huge collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and artifacts - and way too much money? You hire architect Peter Archer to build you a Hobbit House straight out of the novels.

Check out the site - the pictures of the place are amazing! (via Boing Boing)



Fantastic Four Trailer + Spiderman 3 Success

Apple as the newest Fantastic Four trailer Rise of the Silver Surfer up. The movie will be released June 15, 2007.

Speaking of movie releases, it looks like Spiderman 3 was a blockbuster. Studio estimates put the first three day total at $148 million, which breaks the previous record debut of $135.6 million set last summer by “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.”

I purposely avoided the opening weekend rush, but hope to check it out one night this week.

Real Life Super Heroes: Citizen Prime

Citizen PrimeBoing Boing just posted on this self proclaimed “Valley Superhero,” Citizen Prime. Here’s a business executive in Phoenix who dresses up in body armor, a leather mask and a yellow cape and goes out patrolling the town a few nights a week.
(Keep reading →)

Next Page »