If there are two things Martin Gero loves, it’s show tunes and heist movies. So, very early on in his Stargate career, he was presented with an irresistible challenge: How to combine these two greatest passions into one hugely awesome episode of Atlantis? “Impossible!”you say? Well then, I would have to agree with you. But…
September 23, 2008: Carl Binder Up Close and Personal, Further Discussion on The Black Company, the Mailbag, and a Behind the Scenes Snippet
After speaking with Paul on Sunday, it was decided that we would head back into the office Tuesday morning so that we could, at the very least, start spinning the SGA movie. I rolled in at around 10:00 a.m. to find Carl, Martin, and Alan conferencing in Martin’s office. We got up to speed on…
September 22, 2008: The Black Company and The Return of The Weird Food Purchase of the Day AND the Mailbag
Those in search of atypical fantasy need look no further than Glen Cook’s The Black Company. It’s as atypical as it gets. Dark, gritty, at times overwhelmingly bleak, it’s a far cry from classic works of the genre with their prancing elves, noble wizards, and stalwart heroes. No archetypal struggle of good vs. evil…
September 21, 2008: The Wrap Party!
Well, MGM pulled out all the stops for the big 100th Episode/Series Wrap Party. The Sheraton Wall Centre was the scene of the festivities that included black jack, roulette, gaming stations, and lotsa food. A huge thanks to Jeff, Theo, and Ramona for organizing the event. A month ago, when Tanja asked Paul and I…
September 19, 2008: Last Call
Production on Stargate Atlantis wrapped today for most of our cast and crew. As the sets go dark here at The Bridge Studios, the scene shifts to Vegas for a few more days of filming after which work on the series is finally complete. Well, almost complete because work continues for post, viz, the producers,…
September 18, 2008: Saying Goodbye to SGA, Looking Forward to SGU
Allow me to start off today's entry with an official retraction. In a recent post, I referred to Martin Gero "tapping out" at the conclusion of a dinner at Fuel. I wrote: "Martin tapped out and skipped dessert." However, after reading my blog, Martin was quick to remind me that, on the night in question,…
September 16, 2008: My Simple Meal Plan Goes Out the Window, Keeping It Real, and Paul Mcgillion Says Goodbye
With Fondy out of town for two and a half weeks, I was fully prepared to follow a simple, no-fuss home meal plan (a.k.a. eating a sandwich standing over my kitchen sink) but, despite my best intentions, I’ve ended up dining out far more often than I’ve eaten it. Last week, it was a final…
September 15, 2008: Justina Robson’s Keeping It Real, a Ratings Bump, and the Conclusion of Our Stage 3 Tour
Given the recent discussion about CERN’s Hadron Collider on this blog, I was pleasantly surprised by the opening sentence of Justina Robson’s Keeping It Real: “In the days that followed the explosion at the Superconducting Supercollider in Texas, at some unknown point in the Lost Years, 2015, scientists discovered a hole in the fabric of…
September 14, 2008: Atlantis Physics Consultant Mika McKinnon Schools Us, Touring Stage 3 Part 1
Rather than take up needless space with my blah-blah-blah, I'm making this intro short and sweet so that we can move on to today's special guest blogger, Stargate Atlantis physics consultant Mika McKinnon. Enjoy this fun and incredibly informative Q&A and, once you're done, be sure to check out the video at the bottom of this…
September 13, 2008: Fans Protest, Main Title Compressed, Some Questions Addressed
Yesterday, The Bridge Studios was the scene of a massive fan protest. Well, massively spirited anyway. When I rolled in first thing Friday morning, there were three hardy souls outside the gates. An hour later, that number had swelled to five, then eight, then ten, then back to eight (when it turned out that the…
September 12, 2008: With Special Guest Star Director Will Waring, and the FX Stage Tour Part V
Hey, look at who dropped by with the answers to all of your burning questions. None other than fab Stargate Atlantis director Will Waring! Initially reluctant to guest here and lay bare his inner soul, Will finally came around after a little coaxing, a dash of needling, and some good old-fashioned sleep-deprivation. Check out Will’s…
September 11, 2008: An Unduly Prolix Entry
Remember the good old days when radio stations actually played music? Back when DJ’s were merely on air to provide inoffensive filler between songs, their serviceable presence as pleasantly innocuous as egg-shell blue wallpaper? Sadly, nowadays, the airwaves are cluttered with radio personalities all vying to be the next Howard Stern. And being subjected to…
September 10, 2008: Still No Planetary Apocalypse, The Countdown Begins, and Continuing Our Tour of the FX Stage
I jumped the gun. As it turns out, yesterday’s celebration of the planet’s survival was a little premature given that, at the time of posting, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider had yet to be turned on. Well, the switch WAS finally flipped and, thankfully, the world didn’t end. I say thankfully because, if it had, I…
September 9, 2008: John Twelve Hawks Makes Contact, David Anthony Durham Accepts Our Invitation, Brian Lumley Is In, CERN Destroys the Planet (Eventually), and the FX Stage Tour Part II.
Not long after posting yesterday’s blog entry announcing next month’s Book of the Month Club selections, I was contacted by writer John Twelve Hawks via a third party. I have to admit that, given the mystery, speculation, and wild internet rumors surrounding the author (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Twelve_Hawks), I was surprised to hear from him. And even more…
September 8, 2008: Author Stephen Dobyns Discusses The Church of Dead Girls, Next Month’s BOTMC Selections, and Take a Tour of the FX Stage I
Today, we are joined by author Stephen Dobyns who has kindly taken the time to answer some of your reader questions about his novel The Church of Dead Girls. To those of you who didn’t take part in last month’s book of the month club discussion - I strongly urge you to pick up the…