With prep on Whispers less than a week away, I decided to do a little research to put me in the proper frame of mind. And so, over the weekend, I picked up my research materials – I Am Legend, The Mist, 30 Days of Night, 28 Weeks Later, and The Devil’s Backbone – figuring I’d finally put out those pink pages this morning and then spend the next couple of days getting creeping out. Alas, ‘twas not to be. We had our last Whispers casting session this morning, gave Alan notes on the revised Queen, I did a quick rewrite of the Sheppard-McKay cafeteria scene from Broken Ties that I’ve requested be re-shot, had lunch and, when all was said and done, simply ran out of time. I did manage to check out the special features included in The Mist two-disc collector’s edition and have to say – for a movie about mist, there’s very little behind-the-scenes discussion about the mist. Bummer. Oh, and I never did get around to putting out those pinks. Maybe tomorrow. When I’ll probably be working on those season 5 synopses.
Nonetheless, a productive day in that we have made our final choices on Teldy, Dusty, and Porter. As Marty G. put it: “It’s going to be a really strong cast.” Once the deals have been closed, I’ll let you know all about ‘em.
Today, half a mailbag. I’ll pick up the back half and more tomorrow…
Sheena writes: “The “YPF” website doesn’t seem to have a listing, so I was just wondering if there’s a listing somewhere that I’m missing…?”
Answer: The release date for Martin Gero’s movie, YPF, has been moved to June.
Kathie writes: “Did you have a chance to look at the tribute to dogs that I gave you?”
Answer: It’s up on my fridge. Thanks.
Thornyrose writes: “The closing of the 1998 characters was also gratifying, handled in a low key way that still sent a shiver down my spine.”
Answer: I agree. I thought the ending was particularly chilling, checking in with our characters one final time before the planet meets its end.
Fsmn36 writes: “I suspect most people will have a distaste for Peterson, but I found him rather fascinating. He was the most complex character, not so much a villain as a roadblock, or an anti-hero. I wanted to see further into his future, to see how his preparations lasted. Did he survive the whole effect locked away? Or at some point, did he ultimately fall like everyone else because without people working on the crisis, nothing contained it?”
Answer: I believe the latter. Which is what made our final scene with him all the more unnerving.
AV Eddy writes: “Reading the 1998 sections made me want to stock up on canned goods and polish the shotgun…”
Answer: True! Every time I read one of these apocalyptic novels (ie. Parable of the Sower, Alas, Babylon) I head down to my local supermarket and by a trunk load of bottled water and canned food.
AV Eddy also writes: “It took me a while to realize there was no Internet in Timescape.”Answer: Now that you mention it, yes, that was the one element in the story that really bumped me.
Dyginc writes: “I was wondering when the Baron and Cookie Monster might start giving out advice?”
Answer: I’ll make an announcement about the Baron and Cookie’s special advice column in the coming days.
Essaytch writes: “ It is my belief that, like objectivity in science, the segregation of past, present, and future is also impossible.”
Answer: As time goes on, I’ve grown more inclined to adopt this philosophy as well. So, given this view, how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
Do the actors get annoyed when you request to completely re-do an entire scene? How long will the re-shooting take?
No captions on pictures. Is that doll thing for Teyla’s baby or is it some sort of alien we have yet to encounter in the Pegasus galaxy?
Hello Joe,
Speaking of Anne Teldy… any word on how she is doing?
Prayers are still in progress, but her sister has not posted or did I miss somehting?
Thanks
Patricia
oooooo that doll looks evil!!!!
Nice dvds..
So, given this view, how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
Free will all the way (goes well with the multiverse theory) I will never ever ever give up the notion that the future is what you make of it. I don’t believe in luck or destiny. Looking back, I suppose a big piece of this is rebellion on my part, I had heard way too much of that “predestination” crap when I was younger. In my view, if “destiny” were true, all women would still be barefoot & pregnant in the kitchen.
DD
Hey you missed Shaun of the Dead from your zombie collection. But I guess you’re looking for scary not funny.
Are you a fan of the Shaun and Hot Fuzz movies?
I can’t watch them without a Cornetto.. or three.
Hi Joe!
You’re starting to scare me! LOL! I thought Vengeance was pretty darn creepy for a Stargate ep – big, big, big badass bugs and Michael waaaay over the top in evil, but based upon what you’ve written in your (damn) blog and the movies you’re reviewing, Whispers is gonna scare the holy crap outta me!
Where’s my nightlight?!
Can’t wait to find out what Maj. Teldy looks like!
eddy
NO explanations on the pictures? especially the creepy rag doll? Interesting that you’d watch the “extras” disk but not the movie itself. Still trying to work out the f/x for Whispers? And synopses? Is this for the whole season, and when will we get to eyeball them? And in reference to YPF, what are the plans for the movie in terms of dvd and/or electronic release through Amazon or iTunes? Somehow I dont see a movie with that title playing locally. If it manages to make it to DC I’ll make the trek. Thanks for taking the time to post on what’s apparantly been a full day of toiling to ensure we get our Atlantis fix on schedule.
Joe,
30 days of night…how was it????did it scare you at all??
Well, I know I didn’t read the book, but why don’t I go ahead and butt in with some thoughts on time travel, anyway.
I think the time travel scenario that I find most interesting is the multiverse theory, that if you did go back and change something, you’d only be creating another universe where that change occurred, while not actually affecting your own. For one, it means that there are all kinds of possibilities for parallel worlds, both much better and much worse than the original. It also makes any attempt at time travel in order to change the past quite futile, as you wouldn’t actually be changing your own universe, and if a new universe is created whenever anything could go more than one way, then one was already created when the event originally occurred, so going back to change it and create another universe would be repetitive. Of course, this also causes a bit of a logical problem for universe-crossing stories, such as “Ripple Effect” (which I watched recently). As soon as each of those teams left their home universe, their universe split, creating one where they left and one where they didn’t (at least two, possibly more). That was the fundamental problem of the show Sliders (or the premise behind it, anyway). The moment those people got sucked out of their universe, their universe no longer existed, as it had splintered off into, again, at least one where they left and at least one where they didn’t. They should have given up trying to get back home immediately, because they no longer truly had a home to get back to.
Of course, that’s all in fiction. When it comes to what I really think about the future, I tend to think of it as pretty much already set. I don’t know that I’d use the word “fate”, because I think we certainly are able to make choices to affect our own lives. I guess I sort of think of time, or my life, as a book. (This is quite useful when I’m doing some unpleasant or boring task; I can imagine simply skipping ahead in the book to a point after the task is done, which keeps my mind occupied somewhat.) But I suppose the question is, what if we could look ahead in the book? If we knew the future, could we change it? Well, that’s the whole point, isn’t it? We don’t, so we have no way of knowing. Just because I may be about to drive off a cliff because my brakes have failed, the fact that I jump out of the car at the last moment and save myself doesn’t mean that I cheated death, only that I was always going to take that action. (Only a hypothetical scenario, thankfully.) So, I suppose I do see time as a single, fixed line, the future as set as the past. The difference is, the only one who completely knows what the future holds is God (or, theoretically, any being that exists outside of time). To us, because we don’t know it, it’s a mystery, and we may like to think that we cheat fate by taking some drastic or unpredictable action, or by finding a way to avoid what we view as inevitable, but really we were always going to do that, so we changed nothing. (Which isn’t to say that if we simply sit around and do nothing, dramatic things will happen; if we do nothing, then we were always going to only do nothing.) It’s like in the Bible, where it says, “those God foreknew, he also predestined”. Just because God (someone who can see the whole of time) knows what choices we’re going to make, that doesn’t mean we don’t have the free will to make them.
Sorry for the ramble, and I don’t know if that’s very clear, but I just thought I’d throw my thoughts in, as your last question answer got me thinking. (I really am not putting words together well tonight. Sorry.)
That…thing (because calling it a doll is NOT RIGHT) is going to haunt my nightmares. I assume it’s from Whispers?
Yep, definitely nightmares. Many…many nightmares.
So, given this view, how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
The past is fixed and cannot be changed, so have no regrets. The future is uncertain and cannot be predicted, so have no fears. All we can control is our actions in the present, hoping that, through them, we can make our futures better than our pasts.
That’s my philosophy on life, anyways =)
Free will exists as the only fixed point would be now. All other points of past present and future are (to use some techno babble) in flux. That’s how I see it anyway.
That doll .. . wasn’t there a creepy as hell Night Gallery about dolls? When I was 14, I used to keep all my world dolls lined up on shelves in the bedroom until that episode. I took them all down and stuffed them in boxes before I could sleep. I’d forgotten about that bit of my past completely until I saw the creepazoid doll sketch. Thanks for dredging up another nightmare icon from childhood, right along with trees which tap the window, rabbit topiary, and Unidentified Things Under the Bed. Fear? Terrorists and fundies and dirty bombs? Nope, sentient vegetation, wicked dolls and keeping my feet tucked under the blankets so the dust trolls don’t nibble my tootsies off.
So, given this view, how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
drldeboer Said:
Free will all the way (goes well with the multiverse theory) I will never ever ever give up the notion that the future is what you make of it. I don’t believe in luck or destiny. Looking back, I suppose a big piece of this is rebellion on my part, I had heard way too much of that “predestination” crap when I was younger. In my view, if “destiny” were true, all women would still be barefoot & pregnant in the kitchen.
DD
Debra Said:
The past is fixed and cannot be changed, so have no regrets. The future is uncertain and cannot be predicted, so have no fears. All we can control is our actions in the present, hoping that, through them, we can make our futures better than our pasts.
That’s my philosophy on life, anyways =)
Ladies, lovely posts…I couldn’t say it any better!
Free will rules!
Kimberly
Hey Joe,
Please don’t end the episode you’re working on similar to the ending of The Mist. It was very powerful, but had me sad for days.
Also, I’m confused. How many dogs do you have and what are their names? And are they siblings? Did you adopt them from a shelter?
Oh my laws, what is that doll-thing? It looks like something Leatherface would have had as a child.
…And now I kind of want one.
Enjoy your research.
Saw both the mist and Legend.. Both had endings that mess with your head, but one thing I will say about Steven King is he always puts a moral in his stories, a theam of good versus evil and a point of view that you think you like until he show’s it’s true colors. The mist made me heart sick. But man did that movie make me think. You should have quite the movie feast with those, let me know how 30 days and 30 nights is, didn’t see it in the theater because I’m a big big chicken and through most of my horror theater experiences I spend a good portion of them watching from under my shirt or sweater or fingers with just enough space to freek me out, like I said a chicken. 😉 Hope you’ll answer my anoying questions from earlier tonight, thanks Nicole.
I loved I Am Legend and 28 Days Later (weeks one was okay). Haven’t seen the other two. For some reason, I’ve always like end of the world, everyone dead, we are the only survivors movie.
Knowing that, that doll seriously made my skin crawl when I scrolled to it. Expect some frightened ‘there was a doll out to get me’ 2am posts.
Your, Thornyrose’s, and several others’ comments on Timescape’s ending make it clear that I really messed up on reading well. Not like that’s a first by any means, but still. Between that and “The Terror Bard,” I hope I’ve learned now to keep paying attention despite feeling confused, or bored, distracted, whatever, when I know there’s something to be gained from keeping on.
As to whether the future is set by destiny or we have the free will to change it, I firmly hold the latter position. Moreover, I’d argue that even those who believe the future is predetermined should live as though it’s not. The debate can be approached both as an issue of ethics and morality, and as one of pure reason, with the same result: If individuals give up both the responsibility and the privilege of acting in a way they sincerely believe will advance humankind’s best interests, then they can’t expect anyone else to act in such a manner, either. The obvious result is that societies and their creations will begin to deteriorate in every way. History amply bears out such a position, and I see no reason to expect that general principle of cause and effect to change.
Of course, none of this is to say there’s no latitude for error or imperfection either for individuals or for populations: as I see it, mercy is as important to the equation as is the exercise of intelligence. No one person or group is omniscient, and recognition of one’s own faults should bring a willingness to show grace when faults are seen in others. – I know that leads toward a whole other arena of debate, but I think the recognition and acceptance of human failure should never be used as an argument against the capacity of humans to a) adapt, b) overcome adversity, and c) improve the milieu for themselves and however many others each person can affect in a positive way in his/her lifetime – our human lapses notwithstanding.
Answer: As time goes on, I’ve grown more inclined to adopt this philosophy as well. So, given this view, how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
I believe it is a bit of both. We can, by our actions, change certain things in our lives, and perhaps in the lives of others. For instance, the choice to drink and drive may cause your death, or that of another – it is an avoidable situation that hinges on our personal decision, a decision that can alter lives and futures.
So I don’t believe in predestination – afterall, if we each have a determined day to die, then why bother with doctors and hospitals since – despite medical treatment, or lack thereof – we would live or die regardless? Why have brakes on our cars, or air traffic controllers, or locks on our doors? None of that would help us either way if we are already destined to perish on a particular day and time. Why go to school if we are predestined to be smart, or stupid? Why work if we are predestined to be rich, or poor? Yeah – the whole predestination thing just doesn’t work for me.
However, I think there is a bigger picture – the universal picture – that we are not able to control. We can only control our place in it as it goes in one direction, or the other. Can we prevent ALL war? Not based on current human nature. But we can control, perhaps, our personal involvement in it. Can we prevent ALL disease, or all natural disasters? Not based on current sciences. But we can control how we react to it – the steps we take to help ourselves or others, and so on and so forth. It helps me appreciate that some things just DO happen, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t do something about how I am affected by those events or conditions. Will the way I respond affect the bigger, universal picture? I doubt it, but it might make a small difference in a small corner of it…and from there, who knows.
Wow. An entire post without mentioning you-know-who… 😉 Amazing. I’ll make up for it next time. 😀
das
Hey Joe,
Just wondering what prompted you taking C restaurant off your recommended list?
Also, you mentioned a while back that you might be revisiting a story like the shelved SG-1 episode Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow for Atlantis. Is that still in the works? Have you guys already filled all the slots for Season 5? I can’t wait for July!
Jean
Sheppard-McKay cafeteria scene
You just said the magic words! I adore cafeteria scenes, and one specifically between them?? You can probably hear my heart going pitter-pat all the way in Vancouver …
Okay, everyone, is it just me, or does that doll make anyone else think of Lilo’s doll, Scrumps, dressed in Old Skool Strawberry Shortcake’s clothes? O_o (Okay, I’m showing my age, I guess — both mental and physical! XD …)
So, given this view, how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
The past may be fixed but how we view it can change, so it remains open to interpretation. How I view a set point in time is going to be filtered by the here and now: the past is tainted by the present. And hey, we might just not be privy to all the information at the time we’re making judgement on an event that occured.
Regarding the future I believe that it’s not set out and isn’t predestined – however humans do repeat patterns of behaviour and we live within certain organisational structures (economic structures like captialism, political structures like democracy, communism etc) and this is going to direct where things head. And because we don’t tend to think outside of these structures, and because there isn’t really a big picture view of where we’re headed, we may just end up in a future of our own unintended making. The environments a good example – we have enough people making dire predictions with shiny graphs but we certainly haven’t turned the car around because it would mean rethinking the structures in which we live, such as corporate captalism. All hail mass consumption and tipping toxic waste into rivers to make plastic bangles.
That would all make a lot more sense if I could talk loudly and wave my hands about. And if everyone was drunk.
30 days of Night is an ok movie, the ending kinda ruined it for me though…
I am really interested in what that Doll is for!?
NZJ
Jolly Joseph procrastinates the presentation of his pink pages to the production.
Naughty naughty Joseph.
It’s only 12am, and my cat is freaking out about something outside the window…
Is it you, doll?
Another thing…
I find it interesting that a lot of people seem to think it’s either free will or the future’s set in stone. Why can’t it be both? Those people, it seems to me, come from the mindset that “fate” or “destiny” consists of everything that happens in the world, all the choices others might make (like going to war, deciding to murder someone, deciding to fire someone, etc.), and even that circumstances befall you, but forget that one’s own decisions are also within the scope of time and history, that the choices you make affect the course of the world just as surely as those that presidents or terrorists make. The changes may not be as big (at least on first glance), but they’re both as unpredictable and as inevitable. You are yourself part of time. Your own free will helps to shape the future. It’s possible that the future is already written, but it’s written by your own hand, by the choices you will make.
drldeboer said:
In my view, if “destiny” were true, all women would still be barefoot & pregnant in the kitchen.
This is what I’m talking about. The actions of feminists and those who fought for women’s rights are as much a part of the timeline as the men who fought to suppress them…and they were before they even took those actions. History in the literary sense may be written by the victors, but history in the literal sense is written by every person, animal, and thing on the planet.
Again, just thoughts, and I’m not sure if I’m getting them out clearly, but I can’t help joining in a rousing philosophical conversation.
hey Joe,
is there I can sent you a private comment?
It’s just that I hate being criticized by other people.
kieran
Also, my birthday is Thursday the 10th. Happy Birthday to me! I’ll be 4!+the lowest two-digit prime number.
This year I have asked my family and friends (though I don’t expect anyone here to do so) to make a donation to Heifer International on my behalf instead of sending me birthday gifts. I made a gift registry at heifer.org if anyone wants to check it out:
http://www.heifer.org/myregistry/jennyrobin
This organization provides animals, training on their care, and classes in basic business principles so that impoverished peoples and communities may become self-sufficient.
This has suddenly become a PSA, but so be it. Cheers.
Hi, Joe. I saw Martin’s movie last night at the Philadelphia Film Festival and had a good time watching it. The rest of the audience did, too. A fun, enjoyable movie.
Tell Martin he needs to update the movie site, because the Philadelphia screening isn’t on it. There should be an archive list of where it has been shown, too. I heard that the movie was programmed here after one of the festival organizers saw it at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, but you can’t tell the movie was there from the website.
There’s one more showing this Sat, so I hope anyone in the area will try to see it.
I went to a Chinese vegetarian Kosher restaurant after the movie. I had the “smoked roast duck” and enjoyed it, although sometimes the smokiness made the “duck” taste like “ham”. Of course, I enjoy real duck, too, but the veggie version had its own appeal. Do you eat the type of food found in such restaurants like seitan?
Joe, Joe, Joe…what have you done to me!!
I know I have been absent from bugging you for a while now – life can be sooooo awkward can’t it – but after this evening I simply had to make sure I dropped by.
I’ve just returned to my hotel after having dinner at a cosy little restaurant you may have heard of. Please pass on my thanks to Marty G for suggesting the duck salad – the squash puree was lovely and the combination of the honey and the duck was a delight. As for the sablefish – give me more!!!! The stuffed pasta, the mushrooms, the spinach…delicious. Of the creme brulee and almond biscuit I shall say only this – gorgeous. I wish the UK had food like that because I haven’t eaten such amazingly delightfully delicious dishes in a very long time.
You know where I’m talking about. It was worth the 9 hour flight just for that alone. Sadly I am returning to the UK tomorrow…but believe me, when I come back, I know where I’ll be going for dinner.
Much love from an absentee Dreams
P.S. What would YOU have recommended?
I hope you like The Mist, though i wont spoil it but i thought the ending was okay. Kinda ironic, if i can say that. no spoilers, i promise.
Enjoy!
Blaine
Scarecrows are up there with clowns for me.
A scarecrow doll – that rates about a 9.7 on my creepycrap-o-meter.
PS: Got my copy of Ark of Truth today! With no spare time this weekend I think I’ll just have to watch it tonight 😉
If I weigh in on the Past/Present/Future debate I’m afraid I may run out of space in this little comments box 🙂
RE: Creepy flicks:
I worked on both 28 Days and 28 Weeks and those are both very good, very prescient movies to the times…but not necessarily the creepy factor I think you are looking for? Not that they don’t have heavy horror/zombie action (LOL) but neither of them were created to be creepy, per se. They are almost “old-fashioned” horror flicks that were made to be reflective of the political times…they can be enjoyed in a popcorn sense or from a deeper political thematic place.
That’s not to say some of those scenes are not downright jump out of your seat scary — esp., the last coupla scenes in 28 Days…
Jenny S.
wolfenm Said:
Sheppard-McKay cafeteria scene
You just said the magic words! I adore cafeteria scenes, and one specifically between them?? You can probably hear my heart going pitter-pat all the way in Vancouver …
The cafeteria scenes are always great – loved Ronon’s first one…just perfect. Of course, I pretty much enjoy every ‘Ronon eating’ scene…he just has such a way with food. 🙂 But I am still waiting for the Todd/Rodney cafeteria scene…
Rodney: “It’s coffee – you drink it…”
Todd: “And you gain nourishment from this liquid?”
Rodney: “No, no…it boosts your energy. It’s like a ZPM in a cup, will keep you going all day!”
Yeah, yeah. Don’t quit your day job, I know… 😛
das
I really, REALLY want a gun like that now *lol*. Looks like someone’s going to be having a lot of fun with props 😉 And I thought the doll was rather cute…something wrong with me? oO;
If you’ll pardon my saying so that doll looks AWFULLY like the scarecrow dudes in the excellent Doctor Who two parter Human Nature/Family Blood.
take a peek:http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/s3_08-09gallery/800/52.jpg
I notice a few comments about people liking the ‘end of the world with a handful of survivors’ scenarios, well I’ve been waiting for the end of the world since I was about 8 and first saw ‘The Day of the Triffids’, then I went and read the book, found it quite different from the movie and loved it more. I’ve got my calendar set for Dec 12 2012 when the Mayan calendar apparently stops and life as we know it is supposed to end. Cool or what?
Hi Joe,
I love the movie I am Legend! Have you seen it yet! What did you think? 30 Days of night was ok! An aussie actor in it Melissa George! I liked the mist! I haven’t seen the rest! Did you like them!What ones did you enjoy more?
My friends that met you at the dinner said you are so sweet & so is marty g! I wish i lived over there then i could of gone too to the fuel dinner that is! I hope you get time for the pink pages tomorrow!
I am still trying to find the Timescape & the keep books to read! I’m in Sydney I want to join in on the book of the month reads!
I hope your doing great!
Take Care & happiness always!
Cathie
Hello Josepg=)
Sa va? moi oui=) je n’ai pas fait sport aujourd’hui cra la salle a été inondée!^^ c’est cool =)
Waou! =) Merci pour cesd super photos =D C’est film on l’air super..Mais je ne n’aime pas trop les films, ainsi que la TV ..enfaite je suis trop plonger dans stargate pour pensée a autre chose =)
La semaine prochaine , Mercredi,Jeudi,Vendredi..j’ai mes éxamain blanc..donc je pense que ne pour pourrait pas me connécté.
Bon voila *=) Passer un bonne journée =)
Et comme dirait les jeunes francais: JE VOUS KIFFFF!!
Good luck on finding time to get everything done! I have to say, regarding The Mist…I was not impressed. In fact, I laughed through most of it. Which, considering I get creeped out by episodes of The X-Files that I’ve watched five times, I took it as a sign it wasn’t too scary. That being said, I enjoyed the ending because it was unique from a lot of sci-fi and horror endings I’ve seen. It was much more personal and devastating.
Shawna says: If we knew the future, could we change it? Well, that’s the whole point, isn’t it? We don’t, so we have no way of knowing. Just because I may be about to drive off a cliff because my brakes have failed, the fact that I jump out of the car at the last moment and save myself doesn’t mean that I cheated death, only that I was always going to take that action.
Interesting analysis. It reminds me a bit of Greek tragedy and all the prophesies told. After all, if the king and queen hadn’t been so quick to leave their son in a field to die (where anyone could find him), Oedipus would have grown up knowing his parents and thus, never married his mother, making the prophesy null and void. One might say we make our own prophesies come true. I have this feeling towards people who rely heavily on horoscopes.
Joe says: So, given this view, how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
I could ramble on over this topic for many a day, but for your sake and the sake of my upcoming paper I’m writing, I shan’t. But, I have always been enchanted by destiny (Destiny è scritta nelle stelle). Do I think it applies to our everyday, mundane lives like shopping for a couch? Not so much.
Hey Joe, I was wondering, will any of the characters be getting any infirmary time in season 5? Lorne in particular?
And will we be seeing any of the cast in civvies next season? 🙂
I loved I am Legend. I especially loved The Devil’s Backbone. The first time I saw it was with my college Anthropology club. We had a foreign film festival at the local mom and pop theater. I wish I could find this movie in a store around here. I guess I will have to order it from some website.
Ark of Truth released in Australia today. All I can say is, man, that was pure sweetness and I can’t wait for Continuum. Great stuff.
Why not adopt the POV that has so often been taken in Stargate and many other sci-fis. The universe is entirelly laid out, creating a giant web of alternate universes. Which one we take at any given moment – we’re taking all of them.
The future has happened if you are ahead of it.
On April 8, 2008 at 7:05 pm Joe Mallozzi said
Answer: As time goes on, I’ve grown more inclined to adopt this philosophy as well. So, given this view, how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
The future is a result of the actions of the past and the presence. It is not fixed and it can be changed. There is no fate and there is no “Big Golden Book” in which one’s future is written down.
But how far our free will is really ‘free’, that’s another question…
There are truly as many theories regarding life, the universe and everything, as there are people and the hilarious thing about it all is that I have a sneaking suspicion that everybody is right, and why not? Its all pretty much subjective anyway and pretty much like religion when you get right down to it and all a question of faith.
I personally subscribe to the quantum theory of knotted string especially as I seem to be caught up in a doozy of a half-hitch-sheepshank-slip-knot at the moment!
Well I just watched AoT and thought I’d jump online before I go to bed and give my thoughts.
SPOILERS BELOW.
I’ll try and not be too specific but please skip if you haven’t seen it yet.
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v
Wow! A quest and lots of action all in one. Everything had an epic feel to it. Was it me or did Ben look taller?
The visual effects were phenomenal. Particularly the effects used on Adria and Merrick. They blew my mind. The effect I didn’t like though was the mountain crumbling. Didn’t work for me. Everything else was brilliant though.
The big fight scene was so well choreographed. It really felt like the actors were doing everything. Of course Ben was wonderful in this scene but the guy that played Merrick was impressive – very creepy. He reminds me of Kevin Spacey (not that Kevin Spacey is creepy but he sure can play creepy).
There was one thing that puzzled me and I hope someone can answer it for me. How did Teal’c know which direction/path to travel to Celestus? Did he know beforehand or was “you know who” guiding him?
Cheers, Chev
Anthony Said:
Wasn’t it just? Well worth the wait. Hope we don’t have to wait so long for Continuum.
Is this Anthony that used to be on Sony? If so, hi! If not, well hi anyway. 🙂
Cheers, Chev
I think I kind of like the idea of a multiverse, where every decision we make leads to a branching of universes. So, for instance, you’re walking down the stairs, and you trip. In one universe, you fall, while in another you don’t. Both universes would then proceed to diverge in terms of history (future-history), because the outcome of a given event is different in both sibling-verses.
In this sense, sending messages back in time and altering the past just gives rise to another sibling-verse. Unfortunately, it also means that sending messages back in time is unlikely to change things for you in your own present/future, which kind of sucks if it’s your civilization/world coming to an end…
It puts an interesting spin on the events of The Last Man: Did Sheppard travel forward into an alternate universe — one in which he never returned home, and everybody died, or was it Sheppard’s return home that created a branch-universe? If physical laws are immutable to time directionality, then surely travelling forward in time will also result in the creation of branch universes?
I really like the idea of Benford’s feedback loop for time-travel: Global crisis ==> send message back in time, telling the past what they need to do to correct it ==> no global crisis ==> no message sent back to the past ==> no correction made ==> global crisis in the future ==> send message back to the past, etc. So, the message they send back has to be just enough to get the past to act to prevent the impending catastrophe, but not enough to make things right.
Unfortunately, I’m still 200 pages from finishing, so I don’t quite know how it all unfolds yet. Will post more comments later in the week when I’m done…. 🙂
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s comments on future: fixed of flexible. I lean to the free will side myself, if only because I dislike the idea of being a mere marionette in the cosmic scheme of things. Of course, with billions of people acting on their free will, pluse a cold, uncaring universe puttering along on its own rules, oblivious of of its influence on us, there are many things that our free will, on an individual scale, cannot change. As a poor example, certain events (say an asteroid striking the earth and decimating mankind) WILL happen on a certain date, unless sufficient people, utilizing free will, act in a way that sets up the conditions to prevent that strike.
On another matter. Mr. M. have you considered having a Movie of the Month discussion? Given what I’ve seen of the comments here, it would be a lively and interesting forum. And as long as so many of us are already watching similiar movies, it might be easier for some people to participate in such a discussion than can or do in the BotM club. Just a thought.
Hello again.
Watched AOT and loved it!
So, mention of pink pages made me wonder, do you have an all time favourite episode that you have written of SG1 and/or SGA or is your most recent creative masterpiece always your favourite?
If you have a favourite, what is it?
The Mist … haven’t seen the movie, but read the story decades ago in … Playboy? Penthouse? Special insert I clipped out and saved for a long while, then finally found an anthology with the story included.
As with most King, the written word is best.
“28 Days Later” was terrific, “28 Weeks Later” was so-so. We were disappointed in it.
Have you seen the Korean film, “The Host”? See it in original Korean w/subtitles. Please don’t watch the botch job done with the dubbing! Its a good monster-on-the-loose meets dysfunctional family flick. Thumbs up.
Also check out the British film, “Sunshine”, (which is written by the author of “28 Days Later”). The science may have been iffy at times, but the special effects are spectacular. Another thumbs up!
Wow. An entire post without mentioning you-know-who… 😉 Amazing. I’ll make up for it next time. 😀
das
I was waiting for it, Das! Since you didn’t, I’ll do it, just watch! 😉
—
Question: Todd seems to be a very smart guy, and has knowledge of a lot of different things. In Common Ground, he mentioned that he was captured many years ago, and that would probably mean it happened before Sheppard woke up all the Wraith in Rising.
Would it be safe to assume he was functioning as a Keeper, back then? Or was he something else (just a Commander being awake and looking for food)?
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Spikey
most of them movies look good, cept 28 weeks later i didnt care for it wasnt nearly as good as 28 days later. what is your thought on that?
I want that gun! Please!! I do not, however, want that doll! Not creepy but definitely not cute!
So, is that gun a Traveler/Ronon gun or some other type?
Probably a stupid question, but I couldn’t work out whether it was/was not like Ronon’s gun…
Leesa Perrie
juste pour vous dire que les francais son fin prés pour les jeux olympique:
http://www.dailymotion.com/nqtv/video/x2gbho_decathlon-pekin-2008
Lol XD!! Trop forte la video^^
All this talk of sending messages back and forth through time puts me in mind of “The Last Mimzy” a romping family movie that my kids and I enjoyed and that had a fantastic score by Roger Waters formerly of Pink Floyd.
All mighty Joe,
My friend and I are having an argument. (I know I’m right though). Do all of the gates have nine chevrons, and the bottom two are just buried in the stone platforms? Or does only the Earth gate have the nine chevrons (well I guess the Ancient ship from Universe has to have nine also but that’s not the point).
Thanks!!
WolfenM (I think) – I bet you could craft one of those dolls out of a raggedy ann and something?! A strawberry shortcake? Just seems like it, judging from the crafts talent (I think it’s you?) has in making Todd objects.
Debra – your philosophy is a great one – seems very quotable.
Joe *waves* I’m just here to see what everyone else is doing. No questions from me today!
wams352
1)Are there any significant character developments next season in regards to the core team’s emotional attachments?
2)Are there any episodes coming up that focus heavily on faith?
Love the picture of Barbie’s evil twin….so the eye buttons are from a runner’s uniform and they look military perchance Genii?
I to advocate the multiple universe theory, because somewhere in time and space is me and she’s having a better bloody life then I’am….bitch!
But why build a time machine why not be satisfied that you live here and now in this time and enjoy it.
Going back is fraught with danger and the paradoxes will get you in the end. Nature and physics have a way of restoring the balance to the natural order of things.
The only thing I would go back in time to do is to stop myself from wasting the couple of hours I spent watching the movie ‘The English Patient’ now that was a waste of time.
Pauline.
OMG that doll is creepy! 😕
*runs away scared*
Is Teyla gonna get some much needed Character development next season?
I’d love to see Teyla wearing her Athosian clothes more often rather than the Military clothes she wears 😉
Is Teyla gonna get any proper Whump next season?
Is there any titbits you can divulge about Teyla?
Are we gonna see alot more Team eps next season?
I don’t really like Character centred eps unless it involves the whole team to some extent…
Are we gonna see alot more of Teyla next season to make up for the lack there of this season?
I just hope there is a universe for me.
Good news! I didn’t dream about the doll, but I did dream I was a Fuel fan dinner. Better than the doll. Thank you doll for staying away.
Hmmm the doll, interesting, Did Todd make it for the new baby?
So, dasNdanger, a ZPM in a cup? One hopes your day job is not in advertising. Although I won’t get that out of my head, in fact, I might sneak a tiny sign onto the extra-caffeinted spigot at the Love’s truckstop now, “ZPM”!
Regarding the final comment.
The future is something already pre detirmined by the past, but one might argue that the future has already been unfolded, we are all simple living a life that has already happened, but mearly unfolding before our very eyes.
Like say Stargate Atlantis Season 6, somewhere out there, a Joseph Mallozzi has already written a half dozen episodes, and filming has already finished.
And your life is mearly a moment living up to said events, like everyone elses.
I guess time is like a river, you sail along it, the whole time jumping puddle jumpers from Stargate for example would mearly be giving yourself a boost up the river to see how things have happened.
My brain melted.
The End
I get the feeling I’ve probably stepped on the Alternate Universe thing, for every action, a Universe unfolds.
Like say a universe where SG1 season 11 happens..
Bon Joseph, je vais au lit et je vous dit a Vendredi car demain je ne pourrais pas me connécter a cause de mes control.
GROs BISOUUUUUU!!!!! Je vous adore fort♥ =)
I’m at odds with “I Am Legend” the movie since they changed so much of what made the short story a wonderful read. While they butchered the true feel of the story and its impact, Will Smith had a nice performance.
Hey Joe,
I watched Ark of Truth last night, but to be honest, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind, so I’m looking forward to watching it again when my eyelids aren’t being held open with match sticks. I think on a few occasions the match sticks lost the fight against the will my eyelids had to close. One thing I can confirm is that the music score was great! The ears were still 100% switched on.
Citizen Joe was on a week or so ago on Sci Fi. It may have been answered before, but what was involved in getting Dan Castellaneta on the show? RDA has always confessed he’s a big Simpsons fan (and his boat name was a great tribute to that), but I’ve always been interested if it was he came to you or you went to him.
Shingwit – interesting you brought up the Mayan calendar. Fascinating stuff. Whenever I sign something and it goes past 2012 it always pops to mind and I have a bit of a chuckle. Not a laughing matter I guess, but it isn’t exactly a case where after it happens you can go “Hah! See I was right” 🙂
What’s Jason on about a Ronon/Keller/Mckay scramble? Is this just an episode or a season long plotline, Joe??
Hi again Mr M.
Greetings from ……………… YVR!
Yes, sadly my Vancouver Expedition has come to an end. We dined last night at Don Francesco’s. It was an outstanding meal in great company. Our helpful and welcoming host Mr Francesco gave us a fantastic Italian welcome, and we were seated near the window at the “Joe Mallozzi Table”!?!
Our helpful waiter, Ryan told us that it is also a favourite of Jason Momoa.
In honour of RDA, I tried the famous BC Salmon….Absolutely delicious. We had fab Creme Caramel as a sweet and great coffee to finish. You guys are spoiled for choice in Vancouver.
Sadly, my trip ends, but I shall return to Stargate Land again soon (permission slip premitting)
Thank you for all the recommedmations and thanks again for meeting us all in Fuel.
Ciao
Shirt’n’Tie
In your oppinion, who is the funniest character to write for?
Hey could you dedicate today’s blog to me it’s my birthday. I have seen AoT I loved it thought it wrapped the Ori Storyline well. You were right about the sweet Teyla & Ronon moment in BAMS’R I was just wondering if there will be any R&T emotional moments in season 5 to look forward too. That’s my main ship in Atlantis aftered you and the rest TPTB killed Sheppard & Weir but you did it some justice in TMC I will give you credit for that you were saying goodbye to the ship at least that’s how I saw it.
Dovil said:
And because we don’t tend to think outside of these structures, and because there isn’t really a big picture view of where we’re headed, we may just end up in a future of our own unintended making. The environments a good example – we have enough people making dire predictions with shiny graphs but we certainly haven’t turned the car around because it would mean rethinking the structures in which we live, such as corporate captalism. All hail mass consumption and tipping toxic waste into rivers to make plastic bangles.
I think that’s a very good point, and an excellent example of not getting so bogged down in metaphysical considerations that we don’t come up with some kind of practical observation (and, one hopes, workable plans for improvement) re. the state of humankind and the Earth. I guess my POV here is that philosophy is a means to an end, at least when you’re addressing serious matters (which of course is the case with Timescape, as well as with the current state of the Earth and its population.) Sure, speculation can be extremely entertaining; but at some point, action is required to try to insure that we have a world in which we can continue to speculate at leisure when we wish.
Just wanted to pop over to tell you how much I enjoyed the special features on the Ark of Truth DVD which I bought yesterday. I really liked being able to see the Comic Con, an event that I always want to attend and will never be able to. The behind the scenes stuff was great as well!
Sorry Shiningwit – I hadn’t had my ZPM in a mug before I wrote my entry. Shingwit is quite catchy though … no?
Kieran: Go back a couple of blog entries for “Baron Destructo’s” email address.
The doll, I assume, is supposed to be folk art created by a hand-sewer, either child or adult? We have become far too spoiled by mass-produced toys.
I think it bears a resemblance to an antique Raggedy Ann, myself.
Cloth doll histories:
http://www.clothdollcreations.co.uk/history.html
http://ctdollartists.com/history.htm
Joe asked: “how would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?”
Hmmm. The wording of the questions indicate that there are only two possibilities, predetermined design or complete autonomy. The first option suggests a kind of rigidity as if each person were, at birth, placed on their own private conveyor belt that carries them throughout life. Granted, knowing how wonderfully crazy life can be, these hypothetical conveyor belts would look pretty funny with loop-de-loops, ups, downs, switch-backs and hair-pin turns. To fit this model they would also have to travel at varying rates and be of different lengths for each individual. However, by this model of predestination, once a person gets on at birth, there are no options to alter the path or get off until the end is reached. Personally, I don’t like that model too much.
Now for the ability to change the future. This model allows individuals to chose in which direction they develop and grow (or stagnate – but I prefer growth!) However to assume that human will alone shapes the future seems a bit presumptuous.
I believe that the way things really are falls between those two models. I believe that there are very few events, such as eventual death, that occur regardless of what any of us can do. However the choices we make, individually and collectively, have enormous impact on the length and quality of life for ourselves and others.
Most importantly, it is our individual choices that have the greatest impact in determining who we are now and what kind of people we will be in the future.
Sorry for the long comment Joe, but, well… you did ask!
Okay, here’s a question for you: Do you often have to re-shoot a scene once the episode has progressed as far the producer’s editing room, or is that a rare circumstance?
HOLY GLORIOUS STARGATE HEAVEN! That Continuum trailer has had me bouncing off the walls for over an hour now! Jack is back! And Teal’c at the end is made of pure win dipped in awesome sauce! I can’t wait!
Completely off topic.
I am having the most craptastic week. But I would like to thank you Joe for the word craptastic, because it can be used to describe so many events, people, one’s abilities at their job… and I’m afraid I wouldn’t have got through the week so far without access to such a word to summarise my thoughts and feelings.
So, whoever stole my karma, can I please have it back? I’m rather attached to it.
I believe that our choices shape our destiny. I do not believe that our end is pre-ordained. As individuals, and as a collective, we do have the opportunity to affect our future outcome(s). Unfortunately, I also believe that as individuals, we’re too selfish to see beyond out own wants and desires to try to truly operate for the greater good of the collective, and the collective is too selfish to give a real damn about the health of the planet upon which we depend for EVERYTHING! As a collective, I personally don’t feel we deserve how good we actually have it on this lovely world of ours.
As a scifi reader since I was a small child (I was a precocious and voracious reader very early), I’ve read many stories about alien races descending upon our world because they were world wreckers and had left a trail of devastated planets behind them. I can no longer suspend belief long enough to see such a fate for us. Rather, I see the human race in the role of greedy world wreckers.
I guess that’s why I don’t have much sympathy for humans as victims in SGA anymore. The Atlanteans threw away too much moral high ground when they began experimenting to “save” the human part of the Wraith as though the Wraith as living, breathing, thinking, feeling, sentient beings have no right to exist. That’s how humans have treated those of other human races for centuries, as being lesser for whatever set of reasons they chose to apply (such as “Manifest Destiny”)which gave them the moral right to take/steal what they wanted and to play God. I had ancestors on the “Trail of Tears”. I also aply this point of view to how the world governmental powers that be look the other way at the slaughter of the higher functioning mammals in our world, be they in the sea, the mountains or the trees. These creatures, if not already sentient, they are on the verge of sentience, yet because they are viewed as being lesser than we, they are up for slaughter.
Too bad there was no race ascendant over humans to teach us better. Maybe if there had been, as a collective, we’d be worth the powder to blow us away. But then, I hate the idea of us doing that to oueselves because I think the planet deserves better than to be left a cindered testament to out supidity.
If we can order here, I’d like some better Karma thanks.
Wraithworshipper Said: …I guess that’s why I don’t have much sympathy for humans as victims in SGA anymore. The Atlanteans threw away too much moral high ground when they began experimenting to “save” the human part of the Wraith as though the Wraith as living, breathing, thinking, feeling, sentient beings have no right to exist. That’s how humans have treated those of other human races for centuries, as being lesser for whatever set of reasons they chose to apply (such as “Manifest Destiny”)which gave them the moral right to take/steal what they wanted and to play God. I had ancestors on the “Trail of Tears”.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I have said before that I had to stop watching ST Voyager because of the way Janeway was playing God with every race she met (a problem, as a rule, with Star Trek in general, but Voyager was over the top with it).
So, when I saw what was done to Steve and Michael (experimentation against their will), and Bob (murdered in captivity), and others – it just made me sick. The ONLY reason I’m still watching SGA is because I saw all of that AFTER being introduced to Todd. Seeing that the writers/PTB are willing to give these characters a chance to develop – and show some sort of respect for the fictional lives they have created – has given me hope. Had I watched SGA from the beginning, I probably would have stopped watching after S2…or the very beginning of S3, unless I was able to stick it out until Common Ground. What a special episode! But Submersion went right back to the same ol’ same ol’ with yet another potentially interesting Wraith character killed at the end, and the whole feeling that no life was of value unless it was human.
We are awfully arrogant, aren’t we? Just like those bloody Ancients.
😉
das
JOE asks: How would you view the future? Is it already laid out by destiny, or do we possess the free will to change it?
Hmmm….well, I definitely don’t think the future has already been laid out. So that means essentially there is nothing there for us to effect our “change” on. Time is fluid…what occurred in the past shapes how we live our lives today, which in turn creates the future. Even if one were to say “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure this doesn’t happen down the road”, I don’t see that as “changing the future” per se. You’re creating the future from scratch, one that hasn’t existed before. And what you have subsequently created isn’t different from what “could have/should have/would have” been, but instead becomes the ONLY possibility, the ONLY reality, the ONLY truth.
If that makes any sense whatsoever… 🙂
Just curious, what was your favorite ending of “I Am Legend”? Personally, I didn’t feel the alternate ending went with the movie, the book ending was the book ending whereas the movie ending was the movie ending. Both great, very powerful endings, but…