Tag Archives | Science Fiction

Native Soil

Nosferatu

There is a place in Finland called Vampula.

That is all.


What If Steve Jobs Were a James Bond Villain?

Word is that the following video is a promo for, but does not actually appear in, Ridley Scott’s upcoming Prometheus film, which takes place in the Alien universe but whose precise connection to the Alien franchise is not yet clear. The speaker, Peter Weyland, is presumably connected with the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, the main (human) antagonist in the Alien movies; Weyland and Yutani companies, not yet yoked by hyphens, figure in the (chronologically earlier) Alien vs. Predator movies.


Sherlock Holmes versus Spock

So whoever it is that Cumberbatch is playing, it’s a) someone very strong and skilled at fighting (since he seems to be kicking Spock’s butt), but b) not transcendentally or supernaturally powerful (which would seem to scotch the rumour that Cumberbatch is playing Trelane of Gothos):

 
(CHT AICN.)

At least we now know how Holmes survived the end of “The Reichenbach Fall.” He was beamed up!


Blue Octavo Wavelength

I’ve got two conferences coming up, and I don’t [have/get] to leave town for either of them.

Kafka's Castle?

First up (2-3 March) is the Auburn Philosophy Department’s annual conference; the topic is the philosophy of colour, and the speakers are some of the top names in the field. (I went to high school with one of them; he played my slave in Plautus’s Bacchides.) Poster here, other info here. The schedule hasn’t been posted yet, but sessions run 9-5 on Friday and 10-5 on Saturday, at the Auburn art museum.

Next (8-10 March) is the Austrian Scholars Conference; schedule here. I’ll be speaking on “Austro-Libertarian Themes in Three Prague Authors: Čapek, Kafka, and Hašek.” Czech your calendars!


Darth Who?

I saw The Phantom Menace in 3D. It wasn’t much different from watching it in 2D.

The post-credits Vader breathing that was in the original theatrical release but inexplicably removed from the dvd version is back in the new 3D release.

This time Ian McDiarmid (in Senator mode, not Sith mode) kept reminding me of Doctor Who. I realised it was because, both in his expressions and in his voice, he was a bit like Tom Baker, but mostly quite a lot like Sylvester McCoy.


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