Oh, what a beautiful morning. The moon was shining, the birds were sleeping, and the streets were as clear as London after the zombie apocalypse. Bleary-eyed and bushy-brained, I rolled into work at a little before six, just in time for the fog test that, I was told, would take approximately three hours to complete. One hour later, and I was back in my office, eating my bran flakes and imagining what it might have been like to sleep past 4:30 a.m.
The test, by the way, went very well. Wray and Scott had the smoke machines going. The fog was fairly heavy in the village set, a roiling cloud that seemed to hang in place and do a slow, almost imperceptible rise before being dispersed by the electric fans. Visibility on its perimeter was very good, but one giant step forward and I was suddenly disoriented, surrounded by shadowy figures moving just beyond my line of sight. The tented area was even more oppressive, a sea of grey that swallowed me whole and instantly robbed me of my sight. Unable to even glimpse my outstretched hand, I turned toward what I assumed was the exit – only to have Will startle me by abruptly stepping into view like some stage magician perfecting his latest trick. Cool, huh?
Yeah. Cool. And spooky as hell.
Speaking of spooky, we’ve received some more comments on F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep. AMZ wonders about the story’s shifting point of view. We start with Kaempffer, then shift to Woermann, then move to Cuza, Magda, and eventually Glenn – before Magda takes over one last time. At first we’re presented with the possibility that it will be a battle of twin evils, Kaempffer vs. whatever dark force inhabits the keep. Then, we are presented with a far more palatable anti-hero in Woermann. But he too recedes once Cuza is introduced. However, once Cuza begins to undergo his crisis of faith, the mantle is passed to his noble and spirited daughter – before she too is superseded by the enigmatic Glenn. And yet, given his mysterious past and secretive nature, it’s not all that easy to embrace Glenn as a hero. This shifting perspective is unsettling – and, dare I say it, purposely so – keeping the reader off-balance. Wilson subverts the traditional role of the protagonist just as he later up-ends the established notions of good and evil.
AMZ also brings up our fascination with horror. What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death? Great question. Discuss!
Today’s blog entry is dedicated to birthday celebrants LizB and gollysunshine.
Today’s pics: The fog test.
Today’s videos: The fog test!
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=Smokeemifyougotem.flv
http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee164/BaronDestructo/?action=view¤t=Flaretest.flv
Mailbag –
Darsy writes: “I’ve just found out I’m pregnant! Do you have any favorite names of characters in the Stargate universe that you might suggest as possibilities?”
Answer: Congratulations! Might I suggest: First, Borren, Zipacna, and Otho.
Syble writes: “I do have to wonder though, with work, your blog AND the BOTM, do you ever sleep?”
Answer: Lately, no.
May writes: “Say, have you ever read Mike Resnick?”
Answer: Not yet. But I do have his New Dreams for Old on my To Read list.
Fsmn36 writes: “It seems the SGA crew gets into football and college basketball, but only Carl is a hockey fan? Being up in Canada, it’s surprising to me. Does Carl have a favorite this year?”
Answer: Carl’s team is the Anaheim Ducks. Paul enjoys hockey as well. I’m more of a NCAA basketball and NFL fan. Martin prefers jai-lai.
Padawan Aneiki writes: “One: How many people do you generally invite to one of your chocolate shindigs? And Two: How do you handle things if a star wants to do their own stunts?”
Answers: 1) About 50. 2) It depends on the stunt. We’re not going to jeopardize the production or the lives of one of our actors so that someone can perform their own stunt.
Belouchi writes: “I was wondering sir, do you have any news on the renewal of Atlantis for a sixth season?”
Answer: I don’t expect news on a potential season 6 until Summer’s end at the earliest.
Rebekah writes: “So, I have been asked to ask (by my husband who is in love with Larrin) – will we be seeing anymore of the Travelers in Season 5?”
Answer: Tell him to be sure to check out the mid-season two-parter.
Watcher652 writes: “Also, I just bought a copy of “The Android’s Dream” (which you have a missing “n” in your sidebar) so I hope to be able to join in the discussion later. Can I read that book without reading “Old Man’s War”?”
Answer: Yep.
David writes: “I know that the episodes are shot out of order, but are they written in order?”
Answer: Not exactly. With five different writers working simultaneously, you’re likely to get some scripts sooner than others. It’s very rare for us to skip ahead in the schedule however.
Nika writes: “Actually to expand on that, how do you guys decide which episodes to slot at which point in the season?”
Answer: As always, it has to do with our overall season story arc, actor availability, production concerns (ie. access to certain locations), and our idea of where in the schedule a certain story will work best.
Congratulations! Might I suggest: First, Borren, Zipacna, and Otho.
Seriously? These are the names you would give your children, Joe??? I’m a fan of Telya, Sam (for a boy or a girl!), Cameron (again for a boy or girl) Merrin, Jonas, Therra, John, and Daniel. I know, some are “normal,” but I like them!!!!
Another name I am quite fond of (but not from Stargate) is “Barue” from Star Wars… if I ever have a daughter, I am probably going to name her Barue!
And why do we enjoy being scared half to death? It gives us an adrenaline rush!!! We need to get our “adrenaline fix” just as much as an alcoholic needs his drink! I’m a roller coaster addict, so trust me, I know!!!!
woo hoo 🙂 an early post (was that just for me?). Do you have plans for the evening? Not me.
Hope all the earthquakers in the US midwest are OK?
Joe, keep up the spoilers. I love them! wams352
What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death?
To steal a quote from one of the songs in Jekyll and Hyde, “It’s the feeling of being alive.”
Getting off that roller coaster, you feel so much more alive than you did before you got on it! You feel your heart pounding and your blood pumping and you just know that you’re alive and it’s amazing…. I guess it’s one of those things that’s difficult to put into words 😉
Joe, a question about Last Man. Should we assume that John only told Sam about where Teyla could be found and not about the potential fates of the rest of the team; or since the timeline was not good, that he would tell in order to change it.
Hi joe
This is my first post do WHOOP
just wanted to thanks for taking the time do do this everyday. It great to know what goes on behind the scenes.
Thanks again
Tom
So with all those fans blowing to disperse the smoke… how much ADR work will be required on this episode? Seems like it might require a lot. Or do the fans get turned off between takes? 🙂
And I would rather have started my day doing your fog test then going through the earthquake we had over here! It wasn’t horrible but there is nothing quite like waking up at 5:35 AM feeling like your bed is a saw between two lumberjacks. Weird.
Does the fog/smoke irritate like your eyes?? And is your green tea decaf or high test? Hope you can get a nap in this weekend, the pups would probably like that too.. and thank you very much for the photos/ awesome!!
Quiet night.
I’m going for dinner.
Living on the Lake we get some killer fog and I love to walk in it–never know what you might find or what might find you! Great pics–thanks! Hope you get some rest this weekend. Question–is Martin Wood married? I think he’s cute and funny and I bet he’s a good cuddler–right?
Darsy writes: “I’ve just found out I’m pregnant! Do you have any favorite names of characters in the Stargate universe that you might suggest as possibilities?”
Darsy, My wife and I have decided, after much deliberation and protest in some cases, that we are going to name our daughter Adria Nicole. She is due in June. I’m sure you will find many good names in the stargate universe if that’s the route you decide to go. That wasn’t originally our intention but jokingly I said Adria and after debating on several other names it suddenly stuck. Good luck and Congratulations!!!
Hay Joe,
Could you tell me who it was that came up with the name Adria and where it originated from? My wife and I would love to thank he/she/it/alien/Baron/Cookie Monster for giving us such a beautiful name.
Kevin
Joe M. said “Martin prefers jai-lai.”
My question: what exactly is jai-lai? Is it a form of Martial Arts?
Thanks
David:)
Having a background in chemistry, I have to wonder, is the smoke you’re trying out chemically based or CO2 generated, and if chemical, I’m assuming it’s been checked out as far as possible allergy/health related problems? It doesn’t particularly look like anything that would be that pleasant to be breathing for any length of time.
Just wondering…
Darsy writes: “I’ve just found out I’m pregnant! Do you have any favorite names of characters in the Stargate universe that you might suggest as possibilities?”
How about “M7G-677”? It has a ring to it *g*
Btw, when you wrote “Misbegotten” did you know the fate of Beckett – or was it just a golden opportunity for retroactive continuity?
Just got home about an hour ago from dinner myself. 🙂 The fog tests look pretty cool…Ahh, the work involved creating the Pegasus galaxy. 😉
But the weekend is FINALLY here!! Hope it’s a relaxing one for you, given how crazy your work schedule is.
*sends greetings to Fondy and the pups* 😀
Braincells are too tired for any intelligent inquiries atm, so I shall settle for wishing you a good evenin’ and a great weekend. 🙂
Hey promogirl…it was 4:35 when my bed started to shake. Any damage where you are? None here, just a husband with a slight sting on his body from getting slapped awake. He’s okay though, I think. Did you feel the second one at 10:15 (my time)? That one wasn’t as bad, at least I wasn’t asleep for that one.
Hello Joe,
How was dinner? Thanks for the all the pictures and video Joe. Boy- your early morning voice is weird… not weird bad… but deeper! Get some sleep this weekend.
Question: If I am lucky enough to win the auction for lunch with Joe Flanigan when do you think that would take place? I sure hope the bidding doesn’t go too high!
Question: Can I apply for a job as a server at your Chocolate Party! I’d be very discrete and you would not regret it. It would be an honor to be in the same room as the cast and crew of the show! Even as a server!
Thanks
Patricia
Joe – hope dinner was good! We had hot dogs ’cause it was 28 degrees (celcius) here outside of Niagara Falls. BBQ weather!
What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death? Great question. Discuss!
Well, here’s my 2 cents on the fear/adrenaline/scare-me-stupid:
With horror, I believe it’s a chance to pull all those silly nightmares out and give our little internal voice the microphone to answer the “what ifs”. Scared of spiders? What if they were as big as a car? Scared of the dark? What if the world suddenly experienced a month-long eclipse? Scared of falling? What if you fell into a bottomless pit and all you did was fall, and fall, and fall, and you’d never hit bottom and you’d die of starvation and not of the impact? (haha gee, thought about it much?)
Everyone’s afraid of something. And anyone who tells you different is a liar. 🙂
With amusement park rides, the adrenaline rush is a way for people to step out of a normal life, even for a 30 second amusement park bungie sling-shot. That brief moment of “I’m going to die” goes through your mind and you freak… then when it lands and you’re back on the ground, you can safely say “I survived! I’m alive!”
Children have this amazing ability to visualize anything. Flying a rocket to the moon. Driving a racecar. Being a sword wielding dragon slayer. But life steps in and we forget how to have that kind of fun. How to sit back and just, well, pretend!
You may never get a chance to fly a helicopter, experience weightlessness in space, or anything that exciting or cool, but for a brief moment of time, that little child in all of us who dreamed it is able to reach out and touch it again.
As a gal who loves her motorcycle (crotch rocket, not a cruiser) there’s something to be said for screaming down the highway with nothing to protect you ‘cept clothing they swear is skid proof and a modern knight’s helm jammed onto your head.
It’s excitement. Life. Living. You can’t explain the feel of the wind and the speed to someone who hasn’t experienced it. Or doesn’t love it.
Like Shep said – anything that goes over 200 miles an hour.
– Nika
well Bon appetito Joe mon ami.
And………..the longest blog title award goes to…
Yep. Mr Mallozzi lol
Thanks for all the fog pictures. I really like that second video. Very spooky.
This shifting perspective is unsettling – and, dare I say it, purposely so – keeping the reader off-balance.
I found it more informative than unsettling. I liked that it gave us a glimpse into everyone; it certainly allowed us to become attached and understand characters we might not have otherwise. It was a nice technique, especially since the POVs were clearly delineated.
What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death?
I suspect is is that adrenaline rush. As for me, I hate rollercoasters (I’ve been on one that got stuck and never again) and don’t seek out horror. I do like suspense, which, one might argue is the same. I tend to like suspense not for the scenes that make you jump into the air, but for the mystery behind it. It’s the same reason why I like a good crime show or espionage movie/novel. The psychology behind them also feels more real and is explored more in depth than in most comedies.
Hi, Joe,
Check out Colin Cunningham’s blog
(www.centigradethemovie.com)
for some good…no, SUPERIOR news.
It’s the beginning of silly season down here … Fiesta (our annual 10-day party) Spurs in the NBA semifinals and, on a personal note, preparation for spring-semester finals. (Not to mention the Eldorado child-custody hearing and the presidential race.)
Gilder
San Antonio, TX, USA
There are quite a few names from the Stargate universe that I absolutely love…. especially from the Tok’ra and Athosians.
Enjoy the dinner. With the fog testing, how are the acoustics? Will they translate on screen as creepy as sounds in a real fog? Stupid question, I know, but curiosity trumps fear of embarrassment. enjoy the weekend and sleeping in till the four legged alarm clocks wake you up.
That third video was neat, the man just vanished.
Sometimes I wish I was a dolphin. Sleeping would be so much easier when I could just sit in lecture and have one half of my brain asleep and the other taking notes.
(I hope the smoke is not bad for your lungs!)
WOAH! This is so awesome. Can tell everyone’s having a lot with their new toys lol.
Thanks for giving us yet more great behind-the-scenes
insight,Joe! Whispers looks to be one creepy episode!
I have to be at work at 6 am occasionally myself.
It’s very disorienting going to work in the dark, with the moon still visible.
Everyone at work was talking about their “Earthquake
experiences” today. Me, I slept through the whole thing. Somewhat disappointed in myself. A customer remarked on what a coincidence it was this happened on the same day as the Pope’s visit, as well as the same date as the 1906 San Fransisco Quake. She took this as asign that people should repent their sins,
mend their misguided ways and follow the Pope’s teach-ings from now on. I have an easier time understanding peoples’ attraction to the adrenaline rush of a good
horror book/movie than I do thought processes like that!!
Hey, do you have/have you thought about a Goodreads account? I know you talk about all the books you’d like to devour on here, but hey… nothing like a whole website dedicated to them!
What did you have for dinner?
I had sushi while I watched Battlestar Galactica. I’m still going :O !!! About BSG, not the sushi.
People like horror because it provides them the opportunity to experience fear and face the things that scare them in a safe environment. They can face death and the unknown without truly putting their own necks on the line and yet get the same type of rush of just having lived through something terrible.
At least, that’s the theory I like best. Nobody really can come to an agreement on why people like horror in general terms.
I like it because when it’s good, it’s good and when it’s bad, it’s hilarious.
“The tented area was even more oppressive, a sea of grey that swallowed me whole and instantly robbed me of my sight. Unable to even glimpse my outstretched hand, I turned toward what I assumed was the exit – only to have Will startle me by abruptly stepping into view like some stage magician perfecting his latest trick. Cool, huh?”
Very cool. I had that happen to me once. Only it was a school bus at a dead stop on a highway and I was doing about 40mph. I stopped in time, heart racing, and then nearly stroked out when a camero came flying out of the fog behind me, narrowly missed my car, and slid around the bus going about 70mph.
Yes, Joe, fog is definitely spooky.
@wams352…*waves* Earthquaker here. I live a couple hours north of the epicenter. It’s been all we cornfielders have talked about all day. The local news has being having a field day with it (“EARTHQUAKE ’08!”). The Californians are laughing at us. It’s been fun.
JM asks “What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death? Great question. Discuss!”
Actually, I *don’t* like roller coasters, risk-taking activities like sky-diving or even haunted houses; and it makes me a bit crazy even to watch another person perform a death-defying, dare-devil stunt. But I *do* enjoy horror within certain limits. I prefer my horror to be a bit removed in space and/or time. If it is too realistic, too close to home, it starts to feel personal and threatening, and that pushes it beyond enjoyment and into discomfort. And for me, that is where it ends — I stop reading.
I can’t explain the attractions of thrill-seeking, but I believe it is different from the fascination that horror holds for us. Why do people read or watch horror stories? Possibly for the same reason they slow down to get a glimpse of an accident scene on the highway: not because they want to see a mangled body, but because of the peculiar “there but for the grace of God” sense of relief people get from knowing that a horrific disaster has passed them by.
As we observe the characters in horror stories, thrown into terrifying situations, from the safety and comfort of our own home (or movie theater), we can get a vicarious feeling of power and success by identifying with those characters who rise above their limits and survive. And maybe it also gives us a satisfying feeling of superiority when we watch characters whose stupid actions get them killed (as we scream at the screen “No, you fool, don’t go down into the basement!”)
On the subject of The Keep, AMZ wrote “Kaempffer, and particularly Woermann (who doesn’t seem too keen on what Hitler’s doing) represent another aspect – the way they try to move forward because turning back (leaving the keep) will jeopardize them in some other way. Which brings to mind the question – what is the greater evil?” That is an excellent question, and I don’t think there is a simple answer. For the German commanders, there was obvious danger in staying where they were, but there were also unpleasant consequences waiting if they failed in their assignments and abandoned the Keep. And as Joe commented, there was also the matter of their rivalry: neither wanted to be the first to back down. But I think the question of degree of evil relates more closely to Cuza. I think he *knew* that Molasar was evil, but thought he could use him to defeat what he perceived as a greater evil – Hitler.
I’m glad I started participating in the BOTM. I really enjoy discussing good books and I’m looking forward to having the F. Paul Wilson stop by to field these comments and questions. Thanks for providing us with this forum, Joe!
Now just a quick comment about SGA: yesterday, Platschu said: “I would like to see a similar Wraith’s history episode with some connection to the Atlantis expedition. Maybe Todd could tell something about his 10000 year long life…”
I’d just like to second that! I would love to see Todd expand on the “history lesson” he was giving to Rodney in “Spoils of War” before Sheppard interrupted them.
So, while I was in Wal-Mart today (you might also know it as Hell-Mart or Volde-Mart), I happened to be perusing the Asian movie section (which is odd, since, out of my not insignificant DVD collection, the Asian representatives consist of one anime series) and I spotted Audition. Since you just said not too long ago that it was number one on your list of horror films, I decided to pick it up. Haven’t watched it yet, but I’m looking forward to it.
Hey Joe!
Neat set for the smokey scenes. I am guessing, with the smoke machine, that it makes the room cold and moist? Looking at those smoke-test images, I would never think that it was being done in a warehouse (and I can understand how you could get disoriented, heh), very impressive, and I like it!
Thanks as always!
– Enzo Aquarius
The fog looks great, I wanna play in it! The ultimate game of hide and seek! dun dun DUN!
Knowing that you’re into horror stories, I was wondering if you’d ever read any of Matthew Reilly’s books. They’re not exactly horror but they’re close.
Love the blog by the way, always brings a smile.
i was wondering if any names for Teyla’s Baby have been bounced around yet.
Darsy, Congratulations! Good luck finding a name, and let us know if you do go with any of Joe’s suggestions.
———–
Onto horror/fear again. ytimynona – I agree, being scared gives us a huge adrenaline rush, but is it simply an addiction to adrenaline? I don’t think so somehow, because you can get an adrenaline rush from competing in something, running late for something, getting angry, or even realising you’ve slept through your alarm and are late for work or something else really important. So what is it about horror?
I think Arbed is onto something, saying it’s about feeling alive. But isn’t it interesting that when we read or watch horror people inevitably get killed? I wonder if it’s the death of them that assists in that feeling of being alive.
I also think it’s a bit about experiencing something different, particularly something intangible. You might never see the thing in the dark outside, or under the bed or behind the door etc, but you think it’s there and that is enough. A lot of the time we place a lot of emphasis on what is tangible – what we can see, feel, touch, talk to. The thing about horror is that a lot of it is psychological and based on the imagination. And even if we know it’s not real, it can still scare us.
Anyone else?
Amy/Amz
I think we’re all out celebrating- popular date, the 18th was my best friend’s b-day and we had a riot tonite! so I’m just a lil… unsteady…
Cool fog.
DD
*cough cough*
Damn, that fog is keeping me awake! ;-P
Oh, hi Joe!
Those fog tests are interesting! Doesn’t take much (relatively speaking) for someone to be creepily shadowed or disappear completely! I’m looking forward to the foggy moments S5! 🙂
eddy
I hope you had a good dinner Joe! *wink*
It’s past 1am for me, so I’m going to bed.
Kimberly
How loyal are the team to each other?? How loyal is Lorne, Zelenka, and Keller, to each other, and our team?
Will we be seeing Todd and Ronon working together? It seems very corny but they have chemistry, when they are working side by side. LAST MAN certainly showed us that when push comes to shove they have each others backs.
How much does Woolsey cover up the team’s actions, or in-actions. Helping Weir at the start of season 3. A kind gesture, yes. However, what is his response to insubordination, among Sheppard, and Lorne.
Does Sheppard get back his military command of Atlantis since Woolsey is a civilian? And could we please make sure that there are power struggles, in Atlantis this year.
In SG1 season10, Cam stood up to Teal’C(beatin up). Teal’C stood up to Hammond. Will we ever see that replicated among the Atlantis personal.
“Joe says: What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death?”
I wonder if our bodies crave an adrenalin rush and the old fight or flight response. Our lives are filled with paperwork, decisions about what to get from the supermarket for dinner (beef/chicken/vegie thing), whether to take X or Y road to get home. We don’t get to put ourselves in the situation where we are fleeing from a predator or fighting for our lives. Therefore we create artificial situations that give us this feeling. It reaffirms that we are alive.
Of course it always helps if there is someone nice and cuddly to hang onto during the creepy scenes 😀 .
Thanks for the photos and description of the fog test Joe. It was fascinating. I’ll check out the videos later when my internet isn’t throttled. Not sure about the red window frame – with the black couch it’s looking a little Darth Maul. I’m impressed with your desk though. I thought you always looked a little too neat – there’s hope for you yet 😀 . I’ve got a few Star Wars action figures and toys on my PC including my fave Mr Potato Heads (Darth Tater, Spudtrooper and Artoo-Potatoo). I’ll have to shop online for a cool Stargate action figure.
Cheers, Chev
ytimynona Said:
Congratulations also Darsy. I like the names you suggested ytimynona. You could also go last names as first names (if you like that sort of thing,, many don’t) – Sheppard, Jackson, Mitchell, Carter…..although perhaps not Maldoran, Landry, Lorne, McKay :-D.
Just picturing if you called your kid Zipacna. Everyone would call him Zippy. Yeah that’s a shocker.
Out of Stargate names I like Merrin best for a girl. Not sure about a boys name. Best wishes though.
Cheers, Chev
Sooooo, any injuries during the fog test? That looks pretty thick. I wouldn’t like to be trying to walk through it with equipment everywhere, but then I’m clumsy.
Cheers, Chev
Hey look! You finally made it to Friday!
Eat a nice dinner and get some sleep. Thank you for your post last night, I know from you POV the concerns were probably for not, but it was nice to see you alleviate them. The tiny details were all I ever wanted, never been big into spoilers.
Hope the Whispers’ shoot goes well. I look forward to Season 5. I’m excited about all those friendship moments you pointed out and enthused by “SGA CSI” and “Hexed”.
Thanks for the photos. Hope you get some sleep in this weekend.
I agree with ytimynona and the adrenaline rush. Going through haunted houses at Halloween as a kid, knowing I was going to get scared , and not knowing exactly when or what they were going to do was great.
I think the black and white horror shows are even more scary than current ones, (most of the time).
The suspense is great keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Enjoy your weekend. Off to a National Scrap book Day event. Woo hoo. 12 hours of cropping. Thanks to parents for babysitting.
Baby names. I like Stormy Kay. That is what mom wanted to name me and I like that.
We named our girls all A names. Ariel, Adrianna, Aliya and Aileen. Makes it hard some days. 🙂
josephmallozzi Said:
Quiet night.
I’m going for dinner.
Good idea. I, on the other hand have just got up. Its still pretty quiet so I guess I’ll go have breakfast.
Hey Joe.
Man that third video look creepy as hell. Love it 😀 Cannot wait until the next season gets started. Any idea on when that will be yet?
..But before I go, my theory on why we like to be scared is that the further away from the cave we evolve the less fraught with danger our existences become and its to satisfy that primal need within us to feel the adrenalin and keep everything functioning on the off-chance that one day we’ll meet that enraged sabre toothed tiger or big woolly mammoth and have to do it for real! Its somewhat more convoluted than that but unless you want a full on session with drinks and nibbles there isn’t enough time nor space to fully expound my theories so that’ll have to do.
Have a peaceful night Joe, its finally the weekend.
As I like to say, “sweet dreams”
Wow, cool fog! 🙂
I went through all your posts in search of wraithy pictures – found some really nice ones 🙂 – a very late thanks for posting them.
As I went through all your posted pictures – I got rather hungry 😀 – and started to wonder: How many pictures of food can a single person have?!
Well I know now how Steve must have felt – with all these lovely meals in front of his eyes but unable to have any of it :S
😀
Hi Joe,
Any episodes that feature the Genii this season? Also, any word if Kolya will be making his return?
Take Care Joe!
Yeah? And what did you have for dinner tonight, Joe? And how in the world did you get a quiet night?? Get back to work! *grins* Just kiddin’, you can eat. What’s for dessert?
Wow…so my copy of Ford’s Empire of Ice Cream just arrived…let’s see how far I can get with it…I wish I wouldn’t have to give tutor lessons, go to the theatre tonight and hadn’t been persuaded to accompany my family to church tomorrow…I guess working for uni is quite out of question now…;)
Looking forward to reading it, first BOTM-book for me. Wohoo!
Hope you had a nice dinner.
Thanks for Fog photos and videos. I love behind the scene info.
My library has done me proud this month – I have been able to get both The Blade Itself and The Androids Dream. Must now get a move on to read them.
What draws us to spooky and or scary stuff?
It has to be the adrenaline rush but within a pretty safe environment. We know that 99.99% of the time the scary ride is safe the movie will end with us not having a heart attack. Very small children quickly learn this. When my nephew was three he used to watch a ‘scary’ part of Thomas the Tank engine. He would watch it from the doorway as long as an adult was there to reassure him.
I love that warning used on some movies – mild peril.
Is Whispers going to have more that that ? 🙂
In reference to the discussion question of the day, I will have to agree with Arbed. However, I find there is another dimension to the love of horror movies beyond reassurance of life. I rather enjoy using them as a means of gaining perspective. When I am angry at a coworker, annoyed with life, or generally just stressed to the breaking point I find I need a reminder that I should stop whining because things could be much worse. I could be fending off a horde of zombies or be dismembered by an axe-wielding sociopath or trapped in a cavern with no means of escape. The horror genre sears into our brains the message that, perhaps, we ought to be grateful for what we are given. Or it could just be that as a species we never moved past the imperative for violence. Blood and gore have always been a draw for people. Gladiators, Public Executions, Fight Club. I will be the first to admit that I love the gore just as much as anyone else, if not more. But it does make you wonder if the human race is innately sadistic.On a completely unrelated note, I was re-watching Missing last night and I realized that Keller had boots on when she sprained her ankle, but is wearing tennis shoes the rest of the episode. Do you find that this sort of production mishap occurs often? How do you fix it or do you find it adds character to the show by giving nit-picky OCD people something to do?
How many asthma attacks happened as a result of the fog test? I hope they have plenty of albuterol standing by. 🙂
And get some sleep, man! No wonder you’re disoriented to time and fog.
AMZ also brings up our fascination with horror. What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death? Great question. Discuss!
Some people like scary movies and stories, some people like rollercoaster rides and yet others like extreme sports. All these have one thing in common the release of the hormone called Adrenaline.
Adrenaline is part of the fight or flight reaction it’s this that guaranteed our survival in more primitive times. At the moment that we perceive we are under threat our bodies in built survival mechanism takes over we have increased strength, power, heightened senses and intuition.
This increase in mental and physical capacity is commonly referred as an ‘adrenaline rush’. Basically, you can get this feeling defending yourself against a predator in the jungle or sitting in a movie theatre showing a horror flick. We, as humans, appear to be “hard-wired” to be drawn to this feeling. It is older than we are as a species, and is tied to our survival; without it, we would have perished and died out long ago.
With something so compelling and base to our nature, is it any wonder that many people like to get this sensation within the comfort, security and complete resolution a ninety minute scary movie a book or a two-minute thrill ride provide?
We get to run this evolutionary gauntlet safe in the knowledge that our survival is not in jeopardy and that the monster or the predator isn’t waiting around the next corner and that we can have our evolutionary ‘cake and eat it’.
We get to feel as triumphant and thrilled as they did, it’s a feeling as old as the human race itself.
Well you did say discuss!
Pauline
Joe,
The fog test pics and vids look great. I’m really looking forward to the ep – even if it will be horrifying (once again, not a horror fan).
I hope you had a nice dinner. It looks like I wasn’t the only one to go out last night. I took my kidlets over to a friend’s house and my kidlets played with her kidlets while the mommies drank cosmopolitans and giggled like school girls over musicians and actors we were looking up on the web (Jason Momoa and Joe Flanigan were among the many). Tried, once again to learn “Crank Dat”, only to watch the 9 year olds put us to shame. In the end, I came home one kidlet shy of a pair.
For the first time in years, I am awake before my son and am waiting for him to wake up so we can go pick up his sister. My dear friend, who kept my daughter last night, was expressing an interest in Atlantis – which she’d never watched, so my evening of giggle fits and cosmos may have benefitted the shows viewing numbers…LOL!
Thanks again for the blog, pictures and videos. Your hard work is greatly appreciated. BTW who else at SGA has a blog – I’ve heard you mention David Nykl, but anyone else?
Have a wonderful Saturday!
MA
Second from the last picture = best picture ever
What, no MLB fans? I would have assumed that since my Cleveland Browns won you the dark horse championship, you at least would root for the Indians to help repay the favor.
Cleveland Rocks!
What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death?
Horror films and novels give the viewer/reader the option of feeling like a hero, feeling the thrill of the chase and/or hunt without having to put oneself in harm’s way. It’s the ultimate comfort blanket: a way of living through nightmarish worst case scenarios, knowing that at the end of the ride, you get to go back to live your own every-day life like nothing ever happened. Horror lets us live out our fears through the characters n screen or on the page, and then stand afterwards, blinking in the sunlight and humdrum of everyday existence, feeling both a little foolish for having been taken in even for so short a time as it takes for the novel or movie to unfold, and more alive. It offers reassurance that, no matter what, there will always be a real world to return to, and that ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night aren’t a part of that real world.
I think horror appeals to the kid in all of us, the kid who is too terrified to go down the hall for a glass of water after the lights have been turned out because of the monster lurking under the bed, ready to clutch at his/her ankles and gobble him/her up. Horror books and films give us a chance to re-live that adrenaline rush, and a chance to laugh at our fears. It’s like laughing in the face of certain death, but without having to almost die.
Or at least, that’s why I like horror films. *grin*
promogirl Said:
So with all those fans blowing to disperse the smoke… how much ADR work will be required on this episode? Seems like it might require a lot. Or do the fans get turned off between takes? 🙂
I think my brain has melted – when I read ‘fans’ I thought of us SGA fans standing around blowing the smoke away…! Can we say short of breath?!
And as for being turned off between takes, well, that would mean we were turned on during the takes – hmmm…let’s NOT go there!!! *bg*
Anyway, Joe, thanks for the pics and vids – I’m finding the whole fog process fascinating. Who’d have thought the problems a bit of fog could cause? Glad it all seems to be working out though.
Leesa Perrie
Joe,
nice thick fog reminicent of the MOVIE THE MIST…did any bugs jump out???
Who knew fog could be so much trouble?
What kind of chemicals are in that spooky smoke/fog? Is it mostly water based or anything carcinogenic? No one seems to be wearing masks or respirators of any kind so it’s probably mostly harmless, huh?
Thanks for the pics and the vids!
well just incase you did not notice Friday finally got here for you.lol…. now if your any thing like me your weekend will got too fast and you will wonder where it went.
I see one of your readers was looking for names I like Seth (for a boy) its strong and not wildly used. for a girl Grace its gentle and also dose not seemed to be used a lot.
As for liking spooky thing. its part of our primal instinct. The wait,the right moment, the jump, the scare . kinda like a hunt. Don’t ya think. only your on the other end!
Wow that fog really does look creepy! 😕
Why the change in writing style for Atlantis S4? At least it seems like a drastic change to me. Trying to reach a different audience? Maybe a little boredome and burnout after so many years writing for the same franchise?
I watch for the human interaction, the great characters, the novelty of exploration in a new galaxy, the ancient gene and an intimidating enemy in the Wraith. But this season, the characters (at least those that remain) are barely recognizable to me, the new additions (Keller and Carter) are flat and lifeless. The plots, if you can call them that, seem to be several action scenes loosely strung together and crammed into an episode. Even the dialog has been simplified and is often repetitive (see Missing as a good example).
Is this just an awkward transition into a better season to come? Am I part of a demographic you’re not interested in anymore? I used to really love this show and now I find myself wishing that Joe Flanigan would move on to something better, with real plots and adult lines. At this point he’s the only reason I’m watching.
What happened to Atlantis?
Hey, Joe…
A question about your personal writing habits, if you please. One of my favorite authors is always talking about the sticky notes she has everywhere, with notes for the current book, and future ones. How do you make/keep notes? Just the good ole computer, or do you go the sticky note route, too?
Just wondering! 😀
Dear Joe,
What is your favorite script so far in season 5, don’t pick yours just because its you who wrote it 🙂 and also will we be entitled to another eye candy space battle episode in season 5 like BAMSR or The seige. Thanxs a lot and have a great weekend.
Hi Joe,
just tripped over sth very interesting. Waterkeeper Alliance has some new auctions up and running.
RDA is mentioned to be on set of August 21st to 24th.
But there isn’t mentioned on which set. Is he coincidentally coming by the Atlantis set?
https://auction01.charitybuzz.com/secure/viewItemDetail.do?auction_item_id=73828
I wish you a nice weekend
“What draws us to horror novels, movies, and those breakneck rollercoaster rides that occasionally jam, leaving their hapless passengers suspended upside-down some two hundred feet from certain death?”
Who are those us you speak of? I have no such desire, if want horror i can watch the news.
Thanks for the Birthday dedication 😀
It’s the times when you think you’re safe then the whole thing shifts that for me gives me a buzz. I’ll jump at sudden sounds but first I have to get involved, if it can’t cause my brain to switch off and make me live in the moment it won’t scare me. There is an undeniable buzz you get from things like that but I will avoid them more often than not because the fear beforehand is not always compensated by the thrill afterwards.
Also the fog looks brilliant, I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out in the end.
I’m taking a break (at least for a couple of minutes) from all of the work I’m doing outside to play catch- up with your blog. Even though it was the end of last summer that we were hit by the tornado (now that the weather is nice) we have a lot of outside work still to do. And just when we think that we’ve made a lot of progress, we discover (yesterday) several massive sections of our roof that was blown into the one area that we hadn’t searched. *sigh* To say that I’m exhausted would be an understatement.
Thanks for all of the pictures that you’ve been posting, Joe. And thank you, also, for all of the tidbits that you’ve been so kind to give us for season 5. It’s extremely appreciated. Could you please pass on to Rob Cooper a huge thank you for stopping by the week of April 28th to discuss AOT. I’m looking forward to it.
Take care and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
danielfanforever
“Congratulations! Might I suggest: First, Borren, Zipacna, and Otho.”
Ahh, Joe. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint! I think you should have gone for ‘Fifth’ rather than First, though. Much more emo!hair potential. I confess I don’t recognize ‘Zipacna;’ time to brush up on my canon! In all seriousness though, I think you writers have done a fantastic job keeping names realistic and yet fantastical at the same time. And heck, maybe I’ll go with Meredith, just for the heck of it! Don’t even need to wait for gender ultrasounds for that one! *winkies*
ytimynona writes: “Seriously? These are the names you would give your children, Joe??? I’m a fan of Telya, Sam (for a boy or a girl!), Cameron (again for a boy or girl) Merrin, Jonas, Therra, John, and Daniel. I know, some are “normal,” but I like them!!!!”
Heh. I really like the name Teyla, but hubby keeps insisting it should be a cat’s name! *sigh* Him and punnery, bad mix. I do like Daniel, though, Shadow Step’s suggestion of ‘M7G-677’ does have a ring to it… NOT. 😛
Baal_527 writes: “Darsy, My wife and I have decided, after much deliberation and protest in some cases, that we are going to name our daughter Adria Nicole. She is due in June. I’m sure you will find many good names in the stargate universe if that’s the route you decide to go. That wasn’t originally our intention but jokingly I said Adria and after debating on several other names it suddenly stuck. Good luck and Congratulations!!!”
Adria is such a lovely name! I seem to recall your mentioning it in a comment previously, and thinking ‘oh, wow, how awesome!’ I confess I did expect Joe to go the route of the tragically strange, for humor–but I figured I might as well get input! My favorite name EVER is ‘David,’ (and given my hopeless fangirling of Hewlett, that’s a real possibility heh) but we have THE most common last name ever and both of us have really common first names, too, so I think I want to go for something more obscure. Thanks again on the congrats!
Thanks for the congrats AMZ! Hey, Chevron7–I never thought of using last names! You’re right, don’t think my kid would ever forgive me for naming them Landry 😉
~Darsy,
whose husband really kind of likes Chaya, but I don’t think I could never go with that due to the fan backlash… *winkies*
ps. Thank you for the coverage of the fog test! I was afraid it would be all buildup and no payoff, boy was I wrong! Can’t wait to see it in action 🙂
Two quick little notes to other commenters here… Amber – nope. No damage here. Just a lot of people freaked out by a little shaking. It was kind of funny. I didn’t feel the aftershock but some co-workers did.
And Leesa – I laughed out loud at your reaction to my earlier comment. D’oh! It never occurred to me that it could be taken like that. Too funny. 😉
No whining about an early rise, Joe. You’re a diner, not a whiner.
Congrats on the successful fog test! We were all hoping for that! Seems like you could have been in bed for another two hours, argh!
Silly question:
Did Michael personally pick up Teyla in The Kindred Part I, or was someone else flying the Dart?
Chris Judge is gutted that he can’t make the chocolate party because he’s in New Zealand. I’m sure there will be leftovers, right? Make sure it’s a nice dark chocolate with some chilli in it. The thought disgusts him.
But not as much as bears or people in animal costumes freak him out.
Awesome Will Waring is directing wispers. I love his work. This should make for a great pairing or writing and directing.
wow i just realized i can’t type very well.
So I bought Jeffrey Ford’s book with all good intentions. I seriously wanted to participate fully in the BOTM club discussions. Unfortunately, I’ve only gotten around to reading the first few stories. However, I just wanted Mr. Ford to know that I look forward to finishing the book as soon as possible.
I especially liked the first story – I spend a lot of time at the Jersey shore and I will never look at a sand castle the same way again. Can’t wait for summer so I can discover the world of the Twilmish up close and personal.