Hellmouth Podcast

Archive for the ‘Television’ Category

I just finished watching the Buffy Season 8 Motion Comic Episode 1 – The Long Way Home!

Yesterday the Buffy Season 8 motion comics (BS8MC) appeared on iTunes with a free trailer. The trailer was removed shortly after it appeared in iTunes because there were problems with the pitch in the audio. BS8MC returned to iTunes within the past hour and is available for download. The SD season pass is $14.99 and the HD season pass is $29.99

Anyway, on to the episode. I didn’t take the time to go frame by frame from the actual comic to see if all of the content was identical but it looked like it on first viewing. The run-time for episode 1 is about 11 minutes.

The style of the motion comic is fantastic. they have done some crafty animation of the still frames from the comic to really bring things to life. I have seen a few other motion comics before, this was by far the best in terms of entertainment and bringing a true sense of action to the comic.

The voice actors I thought did a pretty good job. I can tell you already that Kelly Albanese who voices Buffy is going to be the subject of endless debate. For so long many of us have associated Buffy with the voice of SMG and so it is going to be a difficult transition. Personally, I thought she did a pretty good job. Her performance lacks a little bit of that wit and snarkiness that SMG brought to the character but she seems to have a good handle on Buffy’s personality and keep in mind this is episode 1, things will only get better.

I thought the casting for Dawn and Xander was excellent. The first line that Xander spoke in the comic I thought for a moment that Nickolas Brendon had signed on, throughout the episode it became obvious that it was a different actor but it still sounds just like Xander overall.

Dawn didn’t sound at all like Dawn from the series, she sounded like an older Dawn which makes sense because she is now a college student, no longer barely a teenager in high school.

The music, much of which was scored by Christophe Beck, did an amazing job of adding another layer to the story unfolding on the screen.

Whether you have been following season 8 in the comics or not, you need to be watching the motion comics, I emphasize you need to see this. The story is fantastic and the for all of you who miss seeing the series on TV, this is a wonderful outlet to get your Buffy fix.

As usual, Joss in his masterful wisdom is changing the game. First Buffy, and the rest of the core TV Whedonverse, then Dr. Horrible the internet sensation and now the Season 8 motion comics. This could very well be the medium to successfully continue any and all of Joss’ creations in a fun, new way. Who knows at some point they may even find a way to make them interactive in some way.

I loved it!

This changes everything…

The Cartoon Network announced that it has begun filming a sequel to the prequel (wrap your mind around that one) for the Scooby Doo film Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins which aired on Cartoon Network last year. The films follow the adventures of Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby as the first start out solving mysteries.

The first movie The Mystery Begins aired last year and explored how the Scoobies first met and solved their first mystery. I saw this film when it aired on Cartoon Network. I have two young boys (4 y/o and 2 y/o) so I am a frequent viewer of the Cartoon Network, I have to be honest; it was a great movie.

I am actually looking forward to the new film Scooby Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster which is set to premiere in the fall of 2010. In the new film, the Scoobies work summer jobs at the country club owned by Daphne’s uncle and hi-jinks ensue.

I would encourage all of you to watch the Cartoon Network’s adaptation of the Scoobies it is wildly entertaining. Oh and by the way, if I have to explain to you why this is relevant to the Hellmouth Podcast and Buffy the Vampire Slayer… shame on you!

James Marsters is a busy, busy man. In recent weeks I have reported is recurring role on SyFy’s new series Caprica, the upcoming release of the Dresden Files Audio books which he will be narrating (which I have since found out is available through our affiliate program with Barnes & Noble) now here I am once again talking about James Marsters. He is reportedly signed up for a CBS pilot this season for a remake of the Hawaii Five-0 series.

I realize that many of you probably are not familiar with the Hawaii Five-0 series like myself and some of the older Hellmouth Podcast listeners, but trust me when I tell you that you may not be familiar with the show, but if you heard the theme music you would undoubtedly recognize it.

Speculation is that Marsters character will be the arch nemesis to the series hero/cop Steve McGarrett. There is an article on aintitcool.com but be warned it is slightly spoilery.

Marsters is starting to make a name for himself playing the bad guy in various television roles, why, because he is so darn good at it, that’s why. His ability to be funny, menacing and make action sequences look believable and natural makes him shine in roles where he gets to play a bad-bad-man.

Be on the lookout for this series in the future. Obviously, starring in a pilot does not mean the series will get picked up but you never know. Judging by the amount of crime dramas on TV right now, it is obviously a popular genre. I will keep you updated as news of this series is released.

Summer Glau has signed on for a new series called “The Cape” which will air on NBC. Glau many of you will remember is a Whedon Alumni having starred in the Firefly series, Serenity the film adaptaion and had a stint on Dollhouse. Glau was also a star of the Fox series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, if you missed the Sarah Connor Chronicles, you need to see it. It was very well done for a TV adaptation of Terminator and the story lines where always full of twists and turns and addressed a lot of social and moral questions.

The Cape is one of NBC’s new series set in the Superhero genre. Glau will play an investigative blogger who assists a superhero vigilante in taking on crime and corruption, and yes Glau does get in on the action. It is a great premise and promises to be a good series. Obviously, the concept of a crime fighting blogger is very appealing to me but the series should appeal to a wide audience regardless.

NBC seems to be on track this season with the new shows that have sprung up and the new series in the works. They seem to be making big steps to revitalize their weekly lineup. If you haven’t already seen The Marriage Ref I would encourage you to check that out as well.

I am very excited because I finally have an excuse to talk about The Dresden Files on the website. I have been trying to find an angle to introduce The Dresden Files into the Hellmouth Podcast Blog for a while but it didn’t fit with the general content of the site and I try to minimize the curve balls that I throw at you guys.

Finally my angle has arrived. James Marsters is narrating the audio-book version of The Dresden Files series.

If you are not familiar with The Dresden Files then sit back, grab a tight hold on your mouse and keyboard and be prepared to be blown away by some great science fiction/ fantasy literature. Jim Butcher is the author of a series of Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novels titled The Dresden Files. Imagine if you will a powerful wizard with some demons in his past (both literally and figuratively) and then instead of building his Read the rest of this entry »

I just had to pass a long this priceless gem that I found on www.whedonage.com. For those of you who don’t know, thirteen years ago this week, Buffy The Vampire Slayer premiered on television as a mid-season replacement show. Thus began the cult phenomenon that we are fans of today. The clip below is the premiere trailer that aired promoting the upcoming show. Watch it and reminisce… I think the trailer is actually really good, understanding I am extremely biased. Enjoy!!!

It has been confirmed by both the SyFy channel and Felicia Day herself that she is set to star in a new SyFy movie to be released in 2011. The movie, titled “Red”, is a re-telling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale with quite a twist.

In the action-packed Red, Red (Day) brings her fiancé home, where he meets the family and learns about their business – hunting werewolves. He’s skeptical until bitten by a werewolf. When her family insists he must be killed, Red tries saving him. Red also stars Kavan Smith (Stargate Atlantis) and Stephen McHattie (Watchmen). Red is produced by Angela Mancuso and Vesuvius Productions in association with Chesler Perlmutter Productions.

I have a love/hate relationship with the SyFy channel. I love them because they are always coming out with great new content for those who are huge Sci-Fi fans like myself. I thought “Tin Man”, the Wizard of Oz remake starring Zoey Deschanel, was phenomenal. I also am a huge fan of “The Dresden Files”. The hate part of our relationship has to do with the short lived run of Dresden Files which I felt could have gone on for at least 2 more seasons.

I am really excited about this new take on the Little Red Riding Hood story. Being a huge fan of Felicia Day’s, who most of you will remember as Vi the potential on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Penny from Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, and a fan of the SyFy channel in general this has the makings of a great project.

The only question in my mind is in taking such a classic fairytale and completely re-writing the concept. I am reserving judgement until I see the finished product. SyFy channel has done right by me for so long that I think I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Check back here for news on this project as it unfolds.

James Marsters has been making the rounds doing interviews to promote his current run on the new Sci-Fi TV series Caprica. In these interviews, the topic of Joss Whedon and his role as Spike which catapulted him to stardom is a frequently discussed.

Marsters has stated that he loves the role of Spike and would definitely be up for reprising the role however Joss Whedon sees fit but the clock is ticking. When the Buffy TV series was drawing to a close and there were rumors about spin-offs, movies, animated series and a multitude of other potential projects; Joss approached Marsters and asked him if he would be up for those projects. Marsters comment to Joss was “I’ll follow you to hell or heaven.” That still stands as far as Marsters is concerned but he is beginning to have concerns over reprising the role of Spike. His concern stems from the ability to stay true to the character. Spike is a vampire, an immortal being who doesn’t age and Marsters believes that while currently it may be possible with lighting and makeup to give the illusion that his character has not aged after having been off-screen for closing on a decade, that window may be closing. Marsters is getting older and his features are maturing, if the writing staff has to come up with bizarre scenarios in the plot to explain why Spike appears to have aged then maybe the return of his character isn’t such a good idea.

Marsters has always been both a cast member and a fan of the world that Joss created with Buffy The Vampire Slayer and I think he probably would love nothing more than to revisit that world. I have to give him a lot of credit for wanting to do it the right way and stay true and honest to that role and that world or just not do it at all.

You can catch James Marsters currently on Caprica which is a new series. I have only caught part of the pilot episode but what I have seen is very good. First impression is that while the effects are great and the sci-fi world it revolves around is elaborate, the show itself is about the characters and their development.

If any of you podcast listeners have seen or are fans of Caprica and would like to write a short review to be posted on the website, please let me know at hellmouthpodcast@gmail.com.

From Bryan:

“Hello everyone, I am very excited to introduce one of the new crew members of the Hellmouth Podcast, Oaktree. Oaktree has been a frequent email contributor to the show and has answered the call to help keep the HMPC Blog updated with news, articles, etc. If any of you are interested in being a blog contributor please email me at hellmouthpodcast@gmail.com. All total I would like to have 2-3 additional blog contributors so that we can keep a constant stream of new articles and ideas everyday. Enough about the podcast, everyone say ‘hello’ to Oaktree and without further ado here is Oaktree’s first blog update…”

Why I Love Buffy the Vampire Slayer

1.The name itself. I’ve had to defend it’s honor against charges of stupidity with a defense so long, detailed and some might say mind numbing, that most walk away rubbing their foreheads mumbling under their breath. Read the rest of this entry »

Ok folks, I realize that this post doesn’t necessarily fall in line with Whedon related news… I am a big fan of the TV Series Numbers. It is the only show on my Friday night schedule. I look forward to watching Charlie and Don Epps fight crime with math each week. Sounds nerdy when you say it like that.

Anyway, it appears as though Numbers (or Numb3rs) will not be returning next season since David Krumholtz has already lined up his next gig which is discussed here in this Entertainment Weekly article.

It is a sad, sad day for me as I will no longer have a Friday night show. So for all of you out there, I am now taking submissions for my Friday night viewing schedule. If you have a show that airs on Friday nights that should be under consideration, please comment or email me and let me know.