SciFi TV

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: beebs

Everything I see has it at 1.22 million viewers.. pretty sure DVR numbers come much much later too. Maybe we're looking at different numbers..

Regadless, I'm hoping this turns into an upward trend. quote>

I do as well, at least for Caprica.  Don't really care for SGU at all, but for fans of the show, that wouldn't be a bad thing imo.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Actually, I did have a nice nap.  I feel much refreshed.

Since I don't watch Caprica any more, no comment.

I missed the last eipsode of SGU, but I've pretty much stopped watching TV for some reason.  Maybe its because I have recently recovered my reading vision, so I have my nose buried in a book and a classical FM station playing on the cable.

I am hoping the mid-season change-over in the new year will bring some nice surprises.  Even an updated Star Trek couldn't be all bad.

[Easy Bakes 253]

They are updateing The Incredible Hulk live action TV Show.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

They are updateing The Incredible Hulk live action TV Show.quote>

If goes the Bixby route where they made the Hulk a weakling, or use an actor in green paint, it won't fly.  How many actors do you know that are 7' and weigh a thousand pounds?

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: blade2k5

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

They are updateing The Incredible Hulk live action TV Show.quote>

If goes the Bixby route where they made the Hulk a weakling, or use an actor in green paint, it won't fly.  How many actors do you know that are 7' and weigh a thousand pounds?

quote>

I would expect a CGI Hulk.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

I would expect a CGI Hulk.quote>

I would hope they go that route, but this is network tv we're talking about.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

The two characters are really incompatible.  The Hulk can easily be done by CGI, but they'll have to put a few episodes in the can so they can keep up with it.  I don't think CGI is as tricky as it once was.  The research scientist character should be played more like Dr. Frankestein from the novel by Mary Shelly.  An innocent who was overwhelmed by his creation.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

The two characters are really incompatible.  The Hulk can easily be done by CGI, but they'll have to put a few episodes in the can so they can keep up with it.  I don't think CGI is as tricky as it once was.  The research scientist character should be played more like Dr. Frankestein from the novel by Mary Shelly.  An innocent who was overwhelmed by his creation.

quote>

The difference between Dr. Frankenstein and Bruce Banner is that Banner didn't intentionally create the Hulk, whereas Frankenstien intentionally created his monster.  The Hulk came about because Banner tried to save an idiot teenager who wandered onto a Gamma Bomb test site and in the process of saving that teenager, Banner was bathed in gamma radiation when the bomb went off.  So mirroring Banner after Frankenstein will not work and will be seen as ripping off Mary Shelly.

[Easy Bakes 253]

I actulay liked the Hulk TV Show. was on about the same time as the original BSG,  6 million doller man, Logans Run,Carrol Burnett, Kojak, MASH, Rockford Files Man those were the days....

 

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

I actulay liked the Hulk TV Show. was on about the same time as the original BSG,  6 million doller man, Logans Run,Carrol Burnett, Kojak, MASH, Rockford Files Man those were the days....quote>

I didn't like the Hulk series for the simple fact it went against canon, and not in a good way.  I remeber those shows, but only watched BSG and the Six Million Dollar Man.  Didn't watch Logun's Run, Kojak, MASH or the Rockford Files.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: blade2k5

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

I actulay liked the Hulk TV Show. was on about the same time as the original BSG,  6 million doller man, Logans Run,Carrol Burnett, Kojak, MASH, Rockford Files Man those were the days....quote>

I didn't like the Hulk series for the simple fact it went against canon, and not in a good way.  I remeber those shows, but only watched BSG and the Six Million Dollar Man.  Didn't watch Logun's Run, Kojak, MASH or the Rockford Files.

quote>

my Kid brain liked Logans Run ( the movie ). I saw it again recently and didnt remember it being that bad.

The Black Hole held up much better.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

By preference in that bunch I would watch MASH.  Several reasons:

• I was in high school when that police action was on.  If it had continued another year, I probably would have joined up and gone over.
• The prototype character for General Beswick (the chief medical officer, Korea) lived across the street from me at one point
• War is hell, and this show says that with a sense of tragic humor
• I like Alan Alda.  He is one of the premier entertainers of our time

[blade2k5 1,523]

In case anyone is interested, at long last the two Hobbit films have been greenlit.  'Bout darn time.  Production starts in Feb and the first part is due for release on Dec. 19, 2012.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: blade2k5

In case anyone is interested, at long last the two Hobbit films have been greenlit.  'Bout darn time.  Production starts in Feb and the first part is due for release on Dec. 19, 2012.

quote>

these should have been made years ago.Amazing how something that will generate billions in ticket and DVD sales

was delayed for money.

But at least Jackson is doing them. I realy enjoyed District 9,  thou he just produced on that one.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Its really not that long a book.  Why two films other than box office take?  Where will it split?  There is really no good spot to divide the plot without messing up the continuity.

Oh, well, I guess the Hollywood mavins will find a way to milk this cow.  That is, if her udder doesn't burst from the wait for the kind hands to do it.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes

these should have been made years ago.Amazing how something that will generate billions in ticket and DVD sales

was delayed for money.

But at least Jackson is doing them. I realy enjoyed District 9,  thou he just produced on that one.quote>

First of all, New Line Cinema screwed Peter Jackson out of millions so Jackson sued to get what was rightfully his, which in turn New Line stated that Jackson would have nothing to do with the Hobbit films.  Because of that decision by New Line, they were taken to court again by the Tolkien estate over who rightfully owned the rights to the Hobbit, them or New Line.  For the past few years, MGM has had money issues when two of it's founders bailed on the company and formed a new one.

Recently, the original director, Guillermo Del Toro, left the project due to all the delays and once again put it on hold.  Now that a possible deal has been struct with Warner Bros and possiblt Lionsgate, the project is back on and Peter Jackson will most likely not only produce, but also direct and write the screenplay with his Weta Co doing all the FX for the film.

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

Its really not that long a book.  Why two films other than box office take?  Where will it split?  There is really no good spot to divide the plot without messing up the continuity.

Oh, well, I guess the Hollywood mavins will find a way to milk this cow.  That is, if her udder doesn't burst from the wait for the kind hands to do it.quote>

They are not splitting the book into two equal parts.  The second film will bridge the gap between the Hobbit and Fellowship Of The Ring.  Also, even though it's only a 286 page book [paperback version], there is a lot going on in the book that could potentionally eat up a lot of screen time, like the goblin tunnels under the Misty Mountains where Bilbo meets Gollum and finds the One Ring, the ensuing escape from the goblins as the party escapes from said tunnels.  There's also their misadventures in Mirkwood that could eat up a lot of screen time in itself, as well as the battle against Smaugh at the Lonely Mountain.  Then you have everything inbetween.  IMO, trying to cram the entirity of the book into a 3-hr film would mean leaving something out, which will not go over well with fans.  Have faith in Peter Jackson, he did a stand job on the LOTR films, far better than anyone else could have dreamed of or accomplished.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

So, does that mean that enough research has been done to track what happens to Sauron after his expulsion from Mirkwood to his arrival at Orodruin?  That's a lot of stuff to gather up.

Is anything in the works to do the prehistory on the second age?

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

So, does that mean that enough research has been done to track what happens to Sauron after his expulsion from Mirkwood to his arrival at Orodruin?  That's a lot of stuff to gather up.

Is anything in the works to do the prehistory on the second age?quote>

To your first question, we'll have to wait to find out when the movies come out.

To your second question, nope.  The Hobbit will be it as far as I know.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Garn.  I was hoping they would do the story of Luthien.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

Garn.  I was hoping they would do the story of Luthien.quote>

I'd like to see all of the Lost Tales turned into films and/or tv series, but there is probably not a wide appeal for those works to do so.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Make a great project for some group wanting to do something that could be archival.  A lot of it would have to be CGI.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

Make a great project for some group wanting to do something that could be archival.  A lot of it would have to be CGI.

quote>

You have to get the rights to do so first and it's my understanding that the Tolkien estate hold those rights pretty close to the belt and don't sign them away to just anyone or any studio.  They need to be impressed and assured the works won't be turned into garbage like 99% of the adaptions Hollywood does.

It would be nice to see it happen, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for it to.

[blade2k5 1,523]

News broke yesterday about another BSG spinoff, only this time it's more action and deals with the first Cylon war in which a young William Adama took part in.  The new series will be called Blood & Chrome.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Aha, a movie with maybe a TV spinoff.  I hope it isn't as turgid as BSG.

You know, one of the things I really can't take is all this technological terrorism that is about in these films.  I assume that none of these so-called writers can read.  Haven't they ever heard of the three laws of robotics?  Dr. Asimov would spin in his grave.

The basic rules for 'intelligent' robots were laid down nearly 75 years ago, so maybe the little darlings who are doing the writing have done the usual, and ignored history.  It is likely that their parents were not even conceived when Dr. A. was teaching in Boston.

Notwithstanding the rush to technology, no machine should ever deliberately harm a human being.  The premise is silly.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

Aha, a movie with maybe a TV spinoff.  I hope it isn't as turgid as BSG.

You know, one of the things I really can't take is all this technological terrorism that is about in these films.  I assume that none of these so-called writers can read.  Haven't they ever heard of the three laws of robotics?  Dr. Asimov would spin in his grave.

The basic rules for 'intelligent' robots were laid down nearly 75 years ago, so maybe the little darlings who are doing the writing have done the usual, and ignored history.  It is likely that their parents were not even conceived when Dr. A. was teaching in Boston.

Notwithstanding the rush to technology, no machine should ever deliberately harm a human being.  The premise is silly.quote>

You really need to get un-stuck on this supposed [yawn] 3 laws of robotics.  Isaac Asimov wasn't the end all-know all of robotics.  It was nothing more than a plot device for his novels.  It's that simple.  Doesn't mean every single story with robots has to follow suit.  You know how BORING that would get?  Extremely.  You're excuse for not liking this is silly.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: blade2k5

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

Aha, a movie with maybe a TV spinoff.  I hope it isn't as turgid as BSG.

You know, one of the things I really can't take is all this technological terrorism that is about in these films.  I assume that none of these so-called writers can read.  Haven't they ever heard of the three laws of robotics?  Dr. Asimov would spin in his grave.

The basic rules for 'intelligent' robots were laid down nearly 75 years ago, so maybe the little darlings who are doing the writing have done the usual, and ignored history.  It is likely that their parents were not even conceived when Dr. A. was teaching in Boston.

Notwithstanding the rush to technology, no machine should ever deliberately harm a human being.  The premise is silly.quote>

You really need to get un-stuck on this supposed [yawn] 3 laws of robotics.  Isaac Asimov wasn't the end all-know all of robotics.  It was nothing more than a plot device for his novels.  It's that simple.  Doesn't mean every single story with robots has to follow suit.  You know how BORING that would get?  Extremely.  You're excuse for not liking this is silly.quote>

Besides we already have robots programmed to kill people.

Take your average guided missile , they have the ability to avoid objects in thier path to the target.

programed to do that but once released can also avoid unexpected objects as well. they are certinaly not programed to not hit thier target if is sees a human.

but  that is silly too.

 

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

We don't have intelligent robots that kill people.  There is a considerable difference between a self-aware mechanical being and an automaton programmed to perform some destructive task.

The reason I like Asimov's rules is that they are ethical, and if done right on the build of the robot, binding to destruction.  If you think being chased around by a self-aware mechanical being is exciting, remember that you would not stand the chance of a nitrocellulose cat being chased through the rings of Dis by an asbestos dog.

Being intentionally killed by a self-aware robot like a cylon is tantamount to fighting with a new species, which BSG tends to imply.

BTW, people are killed by robots by inadvertence quite often.  If you are inside the radius of some of the machines in a car plant doing maintenance on it, and it is not turned off and safetied, you could be mashed if it swung around according to its programming.  Please understand that these gadgets are peripherals to some central computer somewhere in the vicinity, and not self-aware robots.

Remember that the term robot for a mechanical man was coined by Karel Capek in his play R.U.R. and his robots were quite deadly when it came to serving man.

Cautionary tales of improperly constructed self-aware robots abound these days, but some technological companies are coming quite close these days.  I don't think there is anyone inside Asimo any more.  Honda is getting there.  I am sure others are too, so terror tales of rogue robots are perhaps not in the public interest at this point in time.

If you want a TV example of a self-aware robot, take a look at the performances of Brent Spiner in the Star Trek character Mr. Data, and some of the adventures he has with his rather defective colleague Lor.  Maybe its a matter of programming, but AI is a long way from achieving what is shown in fictional opere.  And remember that Mr. Data can and does kill, but he is very disturbed, usually, by doing so.  I think your cylons lack proper introspection.

Of course, the other side of the terror coin is that the military will somehow lose control of an entity such as Skynet (Terminator movies.)  Now in this one, the beasties have time travel and look like people.  Now that is serious terror as far as I am concerned.  I especially liked the idea of the Mark II guy who was some kind of liquid that could reconstitute itself if separated.  Now, I've seen that before in tales of various arcane monsters, but this guy was really terrifying.  Blast furnace, anyone?

One of the greatest disappointments to date are the computer languages such as Common Lisp and Prolog.  Neither one was ever able to live up to the expectations of the people who invented them.  Don't hold your breath waiting for an AI language capable of making some computer sentient.  If it happens, it will be a huge assembly level program written by some guy who hasn't been born yet.  VHLL's have too much overhead to produce the kind of efficiency that would be needed.

[Meg 368]

As Heinlein pointed out (I think it was in the Number of the Beast), the three laws of robotics are fine for a book but how do you implement them in the real world?   How do you put those kinds of constraints on a robot?   It requires ethical thinking that many human beings haven't mastered.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

We don't have intelligent robots that kill people.  There is a considerable difference between a self-aware mechanical being and an automaton programmed to perform some destructive task.

The reason I like Asimov's rules is that they are ethical, and if done right on the build of the robot, binding to destruction.  If you think being chased around by a self-aware mechanical being is exciting, remember that you would not stand the chance of a nitrocellulose cat being chased through the rings of Dis by an asbestos dog.

Being intentionally killed by a self-aware robot like a cylon is tantamount to fighting with a new species, which BSG tends to imply.

BTW, people are killed by robots by inadvertence quite often.  If you are inside the radius of some of the machines in a car plant doing maintenance on it, and it is not turned off and safetied, you could be mashed if it swung around according to its programming.  Please understand that these gadgets are peripherals to some central computer somewhere in the vicinity, and not self-aware robots.

Remember that the term robot for a mechanical man was coined by Karel Capek in his play R.U.R. and his robots were quite deadly when it came to serving man.

Cautionary tales of improperly constructed self-aware robots abound these days, but some technological companies are coming quite close these days.  I don't think there is anyone inside Asimo any more.  Honda is getting there.  I am sure others are too, so terror tales of rogue robots are perhaps not in the public interest at this point in time.

If you want a TV example of a self-aware robot, take a look at the performances of Brent Spiner in the Star Trek character Mr. Data, and some of the adventures he has with his rather defective colleague Lor.  Maybe its a matter of programming, but AI is a long way from achieving what is shown in fictional opere.  And remember that Mr. Data can and does kill, but he is very disturbed, usually, by doing so.  I think your cylons lack proper introspection.

Of course, the other side of the terror coin is that the military will somehow lose control of an entity such as Skynet (Terminator movies.)  Now in this one, the beasties have time travel and look like people.  Now that is serious terror as far as I am concerned.  I especially liked the idea of the Mark II guy who was some kind of liquid that could reconstitute itself if separated.  Now, I've seen that before in tales of various arcane monsters, but this guy was really terrifying.  Blast furnace, anyone?

One of the greatest disappointments to date are the computer languages such as Common Lisp and Prolog.  Neither one was ever able to live up to the expectations of the people who invented them.  Don't hold your breath waiting for an AI language capable of making some computer sentient.  If it happens, it will be a huge assembly level program written by some guy who hasn't been born yet.  VHLL's have too much overhead to produce the kind of efficiency that would be needed.quote>

Not saying you don't have a point about ethics in human terms, but you have to understand that the Cylons are more than simple robots with simple intelligence programming like Asimov was talking about.  They are in a sense, a new species of sentient beings created by humans who decided to play with gods fire and got burned when they enslaved them.  Even though the Centurions are more 'robot' looking than the skin-jobs, they are self-aware because of the avatars, copied memories of dead people who are downloaded into their MCP [meta-cognitive processor] chip, a program created by Zoe Graystone, daughter of the man who created the Cylons.  The whole basis of Caprica is to show how the Centurions became self-aware and their belief in monotheism [belief in one, all powerful god] and why they rebelled against their masters.

The skin jobs [from BSG] on the other hand can feel pain, love, all the emotions we humans feel.  That makes them a sentient species, similar to humans, but slightly different.  In BSG, Cavil [played by Dean Stockwell] had inhibiter chips implanted into the Centurions, to dumb them down and prevent them from turning on their masters.  The only reason this wasn't done by Daniel Graystone in Caprica is because he never realized what he was doing and what it could lead to.  He never thought that far ahead and considering the decadence of the Twelve Colonies society, that shouldn't come as a surpise.  Their society was ripe for a downfall and fell they did, hard.  Of course there's a lot of mysticism spread through out the Galactica universe, but that's just part of the story and I have no issue with it.  Just adds more depth to it, like what Frank Herbert did with Dune and the kwizsat haderach [i know I didn't spell that right].

I know this isn't the best written argument, but I think you can get the gist of what I'm trying to say.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Blood and Chrome looks like a good movie or show.