Defiance

The Scy Fy channel has joined the post-apocalyptic television trend with its own offering, Defiance. Set on Earth, decades in the future; but it is not the Earth that we know.  Years of terraforming (following an extensive war) have transformed the landscape of the world, making it barely recognizable. The cause of the apocalypse was the invasion of the Voltan (a conglomerate of seven species) and the war that ensued.  The series begins shortly after both sides declare a truce.

The two main characters in the series are former Marine Joshua Nolan (played by Grant Bowler) and his "adopted" daughter, Irisa (Stephanie Leonadis).  The fact that Irisa happens to be Irathien (think Klingon but cuter) adds to the quirky relationship that the two share.  Nolan's character is your characteristic tough guy who knows how to handle himself in a fight, but there is also another side to him that just can't help from trying to do what is right- despite the trouble it gets him into.  Irisa, like others of her species, just loves a good fight and is anything but the kind of girl who needs daddy to protect her in an apocalypse.

The pair, who are trying to get to Antarctica (the legendary Shangri-La of post-apocalyptic Earth), get side-tracked to the city of Defiance. The city, formerly known as St. Louis, made its mark on history by being the first place that Earthlings and Voltans defied their leaders by putting down their weapons and vowing to live together in peace.  Joshua and Irisa soon learn that the peace in Defiance is only skin deep.  Beneath the surface are enough power struggles, intrigue, and drama to last a life time.

This is the first "pure" science fiction show to come out this decade and good visual effects along with a strong story line may elevate this series above the list of failed shows like V and Terra Nova. For the Scy Fy channel, it is a change from their usual entertaining Scy Fy comedies like Eureka and Warehouse 13, but is strongly reminiscent of the wild west feel of Firefly.  Unlike many recent science fiction shows, Defiance has an underlying sense of hope: a hope that the new inhabitants of Earth can somehow pull together despite their differences.

Defiance is still a diamond-in-the-rough. The characters need more time to develop and the writing could use some tweaking, but the potential is there for a show that can be both entertaining and thought provoking.  As we watch the handful of species struggling to understand the strange customs and worldviews of each other, we cannot help but draw comparisons to real life situations going on around us.  Yes, there is a lot of potential for Defiance, but we'll just have to wait a few more episodes to see if the show will live up to that potential.

Oblivion

There is a lot of buzz about Tom Cruise's newest film, Oblivion, which premiers in theaters on Friday, April 19th. The trailers are real teasers; giving us just enough to whet our appetites, but not enough to give away the story line behind the movie. Touted as an "intelligent sci-fi action" film, the movie is set 60 years in the future- after Earth has sustained an alien attack.  The movie revolves around Jack Harper (played by Tom Cruise), who is the last man on Earth.

Trivia: This is the third movie in which Tom Cruise has played a character named Jack.  The other two are Legend and Jack Reacher.

In a recent interview with Fandango, Tom Cruise talked about his perspective of the movie, which is unique in several ways. To him, the movie expresses the personal, emotional journey of Jack Harper. (A large part of the movie is made up of solo scenes with Cruise.) Along that journey, our protagonist finds love when he meets the tough and sexy, Julia (played by Olga Kurylenko). Jack and Julia's romance is set among a backdrop which Fandango calls "visually stunning."

For those who have been disappointed with the recent flood of predictable and recycled sci-fi offerings, this movie is for you.  Oblivion is reputed to provide a fresh and unexpected story line with lots of plot twists and surprises.  Be on the lookout for the scene which Cruise calls "the most unique fight scene I have ever done."

If the previews are any indication of the movie, Oblivion seems destined to be a hit.

The Nerdist

I became a fan of Chris Hardwick after watching his highly entertaining show, Talking Dead, on AMC. His quirky sense of humor and knowledge of all things geek were the perfect combination for a talk show centered around a zombie apocalypse. (It also helped that he is a southerner like me.)It was a pleasant surprise when the network decided to expand the show from 30 minutes to an hour because of its popularity with the viewers of Walking Dead.

Now, television viewers in Britain have discovered the hilarious Hardwick and given him his own show on BBC America.  The Nerdist comes on Saturdays at 10 PM, following the hit series, Doctor Who. This season's first episode aired immediately after the premier of part two of Season 7 and, appropriately, covered what was going on with the Doctor and Clara.

The second episode covered the zombie craze, a topic of which Hardwick is well versed.  The Nerdist does not allow itself to fall into the quagmire of talk shows in which the guests just sit around and talk about themselves. In this most recent episode, guests Michael Rooker and Robert Kirkman played "Fantiques Roadshow," in which they attempt to rate the worth of several collectibles.

Another highlight was the appearance of former Doctor Who companion, Karen Gillan (Amy Pond), as a zombie in a series of faux commercials for post-apocalyptic cosmetics.  Only Amy Pond could make a zombie look beautiful, sexy, and scary- all at the same time.

Slated to appear on upcoming episodes of The Nerdist are Arthur Darvill, Elijah Woods, Betsy Brandy, and Eliza Dushku.  I don't know about you, but I plan to grab a cuppa, turn on the telly, and enjoy season 2 of The Nerdist.

The Appeal of a Zombie Apocalypse

Zombies are all the rage right now. Whether watching Walking Dead or racing in a local Zombie Run, there is nothing like the Living Dead to get your adrenaline pumping.  The question that no one seems to be asking is "What is the appeal of a Zombie Apocalypse?" After all, can we imagine any more horrible situation to be in than a world overrun by the walking corpses of our friends and families, whose only desire is to devour us alive.

To me, the answer is in that perverse tendency in human nature to push the envelope.  Throughout time, the human race has sought the danger and excitement of new frontiers. We explored new continents, reaching into every remote corner and climbing to the top of every mountain. We plumbed the depths of the oceans and conquered flight. And when there were no frontiers available on this planet, we turned our gaze to the stars.

The only problem was that this "final frontier" was only open to a privileged few.  For those born with an adventurous heart, there was no more promise of exploration or adventure- only the monotony of everyday life. And so those with an explorer's spirit must live vicariously through the lives of fictitious adventurers like James T. Kirk and Amelia Pond.

Yet no other adventure challenges the mettle of an individual than a zombie apocalypse.  We sit, comfortably secure on our own couches, and imagine how we would respond to the end of the world.  Would the horrors of that reality reduce us to a trembling blob of zombie jello? Or is there, at the very core of our being, a seed of greatness that only needs the field of adversity to germinate and grow?

Yes, a zombie apocalypse is possibly the worst thing that could ever happen.   But in contemplating its possibility, we cannot help but take a long, hard look at ourselves and wonder what that inner person is really like. In the most horrific of circumstances, our true self comes to light- no longer shackled by the niceties of civilized society. Deep inside us, is there a villain or a hero? A victim or a leader? 

It may be that the appeal of a zombie apocalypse is in the fact that it causes us to look into the depths of our own souls and ask the really hard questions.

Or it could just be that we love a good fright. After all, what is there not to love about a walking corpse that wants to eat your face?!

My Search for the Unearthly

For thousands of years, mankind has been interested in the unearthly things that are an inescapable part of our earthly existence.  We have feared those things that "go bump in the night;" while, at the same time, maintaining a fascination with all that is paranormal.   As a child, I experienced a series of unearthly events that forever changed the way that I looked at the world.

I grew up under the shadow of that mystery and acquired an insatiable desire to learn more about that part of our world that is termed "supernatural" or "paranormal".  An archaeologist by day, I spent my spare time doing another kind of digging: digging through historic documents, verifying eye-witness accounts, and separating the facts from the fraudulent.

As a scientist, I tend to approach a paranormal subject from an analytical way.  Yet as a person who has actually experienced the paranormal, I realize that there are things that exist which are outside our present understanding of science.

This blog will look at some of the things that I have uncovered while digging for the truth. I hope that you will join me each Thursday as I investigate a topic or event that can only be described as "unearthly."