Dragonslayer

According to IMDB.com, Peter MacNicol is so embarrassed by this movie that he doesn’t include it in his CV, and I can certainly see why. Exceedingly silly with a strangely disjointed style of narrative, I really did not care for this film and I especially did not care for Peter MacNicol in it. He’s much better at playing quirky characters rather than a leading man role and can I just say whoever did his makeup throughout this film should be shot. With costumes and hilarious wigs that appeared to be left over from an old Errol Flynn movie, this has the dubious honor of being the first and hopefully only time a Disney movie includes full frontal male nudity (the shot whizzes by, thankfully, but it is there).  In addition, it also flouts a lot of tacit expectations the viewer might have upon seeing the Disney label, so exercise caution with children (see tags).  The script borrows heavily from Greek mythology (Perseus & Andromeda) and medieval Christian legend (St. George) with cheesy puppets, green screens galore and quite a few unnecessary ewwwww moments. That’s par for the course with a lower budget film from the 80s, but this movie’s real cardinal sin was not making the characters likeable. I actually found myself rooting for the dragon, who by the way is named Vermithrax Pejorative -how awesome is that?! Caitlin Clarke’s character vacillated back and forth between strong courageous heroine and damsel in distress and she chose some really bad moments to wuss out on Galen. There are some movies that are so cheesy they’re great, but this isn’t one of them. The only bright spot in the whole thing was Ralph Richardson’s performance as Ulrich, which reminded me very strongly of Pete Postlethwaite. I did see a few things that made me suspect George R. R. Martin, author of the Game of Thrones book series, was perhaps influenced by this movie as it features dragons, ravens, a character named Valeria and another named Tyrian.  That connection was vaguely interesting, but overall I just flat out didn’t like it and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Eminently forgettable and I believe I’ll start forgetting it right now. – BETHANY

For more on people who probably now deeply regrets being part of this film, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082288/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Vermithrax Pejorative in the flesh (or at least a hand puppet).

Typical dragon cliché.

Galen (Peter MacNicol) and the wizard Ulrich of Craggenmoor (Ralph Richardson).

Galen and the spear Sicarious Dracorum.

Brother Jacopus (Ian McDiarmid) chooses, perhaps unwisely, to denounce the dragon as the devil.

King Casiodorus (a real dirtbag) is rude to Galen.

  Elspeth, Princess of Urland (Chloe Salaman).

                         Virgin sacrifice cliché.

Filmed in Wales, Dragonslayer does at least have some nice locations going for it.

        Galen tries to step up.

                                   Baby dragons eating a virgin sacrifice.  (Told you this wasn’t suitable for children …)

                                                                             John Hallam playing Tyrian.  Nice wig, dude.  At least, I really hope it’s a wig and not his real hair.

        Caitlin Clarke as Valerian.  (Look out, he might put you to sleep)

Is that a bucket Galen’s carrying on the great and noble spear?  Maybe it’s a helmet.  Either way, he looks like a wizard hobo.  (To nobody’s surprise, Valerian is actually Valeria.)

The trailer for this sub par dragon movie:

Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions

Gattaca

Good science fiction should make people stop and think about the implications and possible ramifications of advancing technology. Since this is great sci-fi, it shows us a world where eugenics has become the norm, each child engineered to be as perfect as possible. Your entire résumé is your DNA with your whole life and potential mapped out from birth. The writers of Gattaca posit an intriguing question: Is there more to a person than their genetic code? Is the human spirit, the will to succeed, greater than the sum of its parts? Wisely set in “the not too distant future”, this profoundly creative and disturbing movie came out in 1997 when the issue of cloning was a big deal and people were first thinking about the ethics of genetic engineering. It stars three human beings naturally blessed by the genetic lottery; Ethan Hawke, Jude Law and the coolly radiant Uma Thurman. I already loved Hawke from his stellar performance in Before Sunrise but this was the first time I’d seen Jude Law. Both of them play such beautifully conflicted and uniquely damaged characters, showcasing the price of such a theoretical future society. Everything looks good on the surface, a serene existence where everything is ordered and quantified, but there’s a dark side to it with a ruthless caste system based solely on a person’s genetics that determines who succeeds and who is doomed to a life of drudgery with no hope of advancement.

The idea of genetic engineering also looks good at first glance.  What parent wouldn’t want the best for their child? Interestingly enough, as part of the marketing campaign for the movie, fake leaflets advertising genetic engineering for children were distributed and thousands of people responded, wanting the service for their child. But if everything is pre-selected and pre-determined with “defective” embryos screened out as unwanted, where is the spark of creativity and the element of chance that can collide to give us, say, Mozart. He was, by Gattaca’s standards, defective but does that mean the world isn’t richer for his having been here even for a short time?  How about Stephen Hawking, Helen Keller, Leonardo da Vinci (he had epilepsy), Vincent Van Gogh (mental illness), Thomas Edison and Beethoven, who suffered from loss of hearing, or Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill, both of whom had learning disabilities?  Intensely thought-provoking while still being chic and entertaining, this is a spot-on exploration of a timely issue that merits careful consideration. – BETHANY

For more on Gattaca, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Ethan Hawke as Vincent Anton Freeman.  “I belonged to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of your skin. No, we now have discrimination down to a science.” (image courtesy of stephottosstory.weebly.com)

For a price, this man can change your life.  (Tony Shalhoub as German)

                                                               How would you like to see yourself described thus?

Jerome Morrow (the impossibly handsome Jude Law).

Vincent becomes Jerome – a rather painful process.

From one world to another.

Vincent with Uma Thurman’s Irene Cassini (an appropriate name for working at an aerospace corporation).

                            Can you spot the metaphor?

I guess micro-management is a constant. (Suddenly your cubicle at work doesn’t look so bad, does it?)

Gattaca’s creepy gym, where Gabrielle Reece appears as a trainer.

  Xander Berkeley as Dr. Lamar

Try Gattaca, a new perfume designed to make you more attractive at the cellular level!

Detective Hugo (Alan Arkin) and partner (Loren Dean).

The official trailer for Gattaca:

Photos courtesy of Jersey Films and Columbia Pictures

Crossbones

This isn’t a terrible show by any means. It’s shot in gorgeous locations, has astonishingly detailed sets and costumes and features an avalanche of British acting talent as well as David Hoflin, a Swedish actor with an Eric Northman vibe (Yay!). The story is interesting but a great deal of the action is cerebral in nature, battles of wits, etc. The language employed in the dialogue is superb and I’m so pleased they do not underestimate the viewer’s acumen or vocabulary. But for all this show has going for it, its weak point is oddly enough its highest billed star John Malkovich. When he was younger, Malkovich was a master of playing scary smart villains (see Con Air) but as of late his talents have been blossoming in comedy (see the RED movies). He’s just better at being funny now, so his performance as the evil incarnate pirate Blackbeard makes the character seem a bit ridiculous. You shouldn’t ever be able to snicker at Blackbeard but it’s hard not to when Malkovich gives him an effeminate accent and tries to menace people with a head full of acupuncture needles.

Fortunately the real main character is not Blackbeard but Tom Lowe, a British agent of some sort on a mission from the Crown, posing as a surgeon to infiltrate Blackbeard’s island republic, Santa Compaña. The good doctor is played brilliantly by Richard Coyle and oh happy day, we also have Claire Foy playing the wife of an exiled Scottish nobleman. There’s a rich cast of characters like Nenna, a stunning woman who is also a cut-throat pirate and talented thief, and the somewhat inept surgeon’s assistant, Mr. Fletch. I also particularly enjoyed seeing Julian Sands as the vindictive William Jagger. Lots of plots and subplots are nicely juggled by the narrative and there’s enough of interest going on to keep me watching.

Unfortunately, a show about pirates implies plenty of action, but as I must reiterate, much of it in this one plays out in the minds of the two leads.  One character even points this out as Blackbeard and Lowe walk side by side on a beach, saying it may look like they’re not doing anything, but make no mistake, they’re two sharks circling each other.  But despite this attempt to “hang a lantern on it” (“A screenwriting device where special emphasis is put on an obvious narrative flaw, so as to render it invisible.” – http://hangalanternonit.blogspot.com/), doing so certainly doesn’t make the fault more entertaining.  Amongst the other characters there’s also lots of maneuvering and double-crosses, as well as not one but two very predictable love triangles.  The writers try to add interest by having everyone chasing after a mechanical device that would allow ships to “navigate this great emptiness with a precision never before known”, and thus avoid pirates like Blackbeard and other hazards.

I was four episodes in when I first wrote this and I’ll admit that I nearly gave up after the pilot. I only carried on out of morbid fascination and also because I hate it when people write reviews after only watching a single episode. Worthwhile but with quite a few flaws (such as historical inaccuracy and the aforementioned difficulty with the character of Blackbeard), this was cancelled after one season, so we’ll never know how it all turned out. – BETHANY

For more on Crossbones, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2400631/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard, as “Commodore” of a pirate republic.

*snicker*

Tom Lowe (Richard Coyle) and Mr. Fletch (Chris Perfetti).

Filming on location in Puerto Rico (image courtesy of http://www.thelocationguide.com)

What all the fuss is about.  It looks very steampunk, doesn’t it?

Yasmine Al Masri as Selima El Sharad, an agoraphobic scholar who seems to have a Stockholm syndrome relationship with Blackbeard.

Nenna Ajanlekoko (Tracy Ifeachor), who’s very quick to draw a blade.

Charlie Rider (David Hoflin, center), Blackbeard’s second in command.

                                                  Rose, one of Santa Compaña’s ladies of the night (played by Natalie Hoflin, real life spouse of David Hoflin, above).

Claire Foy as Kate Balfour.

Julian Sands as William Jagger.

I came to the small screen only to get cancelled?

Photos courtesy of P + M Image Nation, Mr. Cross, Universal Television and NBC

The Water Horse

Enchanting and imaginative, I’ve seen this delightful movie several times. Very much in the spirit of children’s classics like ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland’, this film breathes new life into Celtic legend. Set at the height of World War II in Scotland, aquaphobic young Angus MacMorrow finds something curious in a tide pool. And thus begins a wild ride of pure magic and heart, intercut with the tension and tragedy of the times. Alex Etel gives a beautiful performance as Angus, a boy who desperately misses his father who has vanished in the war. Emily Watson’s performance will break your heart as his mother, a woman struggling to be strong and raise two children alone while managing a Scottish lord’s estate. The story is complicated by the arrival of a regiment of soldiers assigned to defend the coast against U-boat incursion. Like in any respectable children’s story, most of the adults are unbelievably stupid and cause no end of trouble for Angus, complete with an annoying bulldog named Churchill (named no doubt in dubious honor of the Prime Minister). Very well done visuals and cinematography, and my special compliments on the wonderful swimming sequence under the Loch. This film sparkles and is sure to entertain persons of any age with a tale that speaks to the innocence and boundless imagination of childhood. A beautiful movie all around with a subject that is far from trite and a story that is sure to inspire and enthrall. – BETHANY

For more on this ‘legend of the deep’, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0760329/?ref_=nv_sr_1

                                          Angus and his tide pool prize.

        Emily Watson as Anne MacMorrow with Angus (Alex Etel).

Meet Crusoe, named after one of Angus’ favorite books.

We’re going to need a bigger bucket.

           Is this little guy cute or what?

Ben Chaplin as Lewis Mowbray, a handyman surprisingly well versed in Celtic legend.

Crusoe does not get on well with Churchill.

Alex and his sister Kirstie (Priyanka Xi) struggle to keep Crusoe a secret –

– which is difficult with an entire regiment of Royal Artillery troops littering the premises.  Captain Thomas Hamiltion (David Morrissey).

Crusoe is getting big.

Very big!

A boy and his Water Horse.

Up for a swim in the Loch?

Water Horse taxis bring you right back to the dock.

At this point, everyone in the theater gave a collective sigh.

The trailer, which shows the great swimming scene:

Photos courtesy of Revolution Studios, Walden Media, Beacon Pictures, Ecosse Films, Strike Entertainment, Weta Workshop and Columbia TriStar

Warehouse 13

This show is like catnip to aficionados of history and literature with a creative sci-fi spin. A parallel sister show to Syfy’s popular Eureka, it tells of the existence of a mysterious warehouse and to know its secrets is a ticket to a lifetime of “endless wonder”. It has existed for millennia, housing objects with special properties that are usually connected to a historical person or event, such as Lewis Carrol’s Looking Glass (which can pull you into it), Edgar Allen Poe’s pen (which causes whatever you write to actually happen in gruesome detail) and M.C. Escher’s Mirror Ball, which distorts space and relativity around it and can lead to brain trauma. Usually rather esoteric in nature, obscure facts from the history books get their moment in the sun courtesy of a very resourceful writing team as they are showcased in an astounding array of “artifacts”. The lives of two Secret Service agents intersect with the Warehouse (#13, with #1 being founded by Alexander the Great) when an artifact causes mayhem during a Presidential visit to a museum. Myka Bering, a somewhat officious brainiac and Pete Lattimer, a bit of a maverick who can sense “vibes”, get reassigned to the Warehouse which resides in, of all places, the Badlands of South Dakota. Their amusingly antagonistic relationship provides much of the hilarity on the show as they become agents of the Warehouse, traveling all over the globe to retrieve and neutralize rogue artifacts. The stories are fascinating and fun, the writing top notch and the cast of characters that are oddball to say the least. Saul Rubinek is magnificent as Artie, a curmudgeonly agent rather set in his ways who supervises the Warehouse, and Leena, the proprietor of the local bed and breakfast who can see auras. Often hysterically funny and sometimes deadly serious, this wonderful show ran for 5 seasons and went out in a blaze of glory. Highly recommended for lovers of academia as well as science fiction, this show is not to be missed. – BETHANY

For more on the details of Warehouse 13, visit:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132290/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Agent Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) and Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) in the first episode.

Inside the Warehouse.  How big is it?  As big as it is needed to be.  It’s kind of like the TARDIS on Doctor Who.  It’s bigger on the inside.

Artie, Pete and Myka search for clues about missing objects from Warehouse 12.

Pete runs into the Christmas-related section of the Warehouse.

                         Agent Lattimer and Agent Bering involved in the weirdness that surrounds the Warehouse.

One of the crossover episode featuring Fargo from Eureka (Neil Grayston)

Enigmatic Mrs. Frederic (CCH Pounder), prone to appearing and disappearing mysteriously.

                                      Myka goes undercover at a fashion show to track down an artifact that is aging models overnight.

                                                   Agent Myka Bering – it’s probably best not to ask about the costume.

                           Leena, proprietor of the local B&B and friend of the Warehouse.

Leena’s B&B, where Agents Lattimer and Bering live.

Rogue artifact known as the Phoenix Medallion, which protects the wearer from fire, but costs the lives of others nearby.

The artifact that brought Myka and Pete in contact with the Warehouse. (Image courtesy of warehouse-13-artifact-database.wikia.com)

Agatha Christie’s typewriter, which predicts crimes 24 hours in advance but has a limited range and never mentions butlers. (image courtesy of http://warehouse-13-artifact-database.wikia.com)

An interesting piece of trivia from IMDB.com:

Quite a few actors from the Star Trek world have appeared or had parts in the series. To name some of them: Robert Duncan McNeill, (Tom Paris from Star Trek: Voyager (1995)) has directed an episode on season 5, Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager (1995)) plays Jane Lattimer, Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Armin Shimerman (Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)) and Jeri Ryan (Seven Of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager (1995)) also appeared.

Photos courtesy of Universal Cable Productions and Syfy (unless otherwise noted).

Teen Wolf

This is one crazy sexy show!  Teen Wolf is a rather self-explanatory title as the main character, Scott McCall, is bitten in the woods and becomes a werewolf. Not to be confused with the Michael J. Fox movie of the same name, this show is a big hit for MTV and justifiably so. It’s a supernatural teen drama but done so well as to be appealing to persons of any age. Well, I wouldn’t recommend it for the 12 and under crowd, but I’m sure you probably already knew that.  If you want a werewolf show more appropriate for a younger audience, I highly recommend Wolfblood, a British show with a less scary more innocent quality.  Teen Wolf has quite a lot of content I would characterize as spine-chilling and of a blatantly sexual nature, but it’s done tastefully and with masterful artistry.  There’s a great cast of characters making up the ensemble, many of which are strong females who can kick, er, behind with the best of them. The writers have incorporated legends and mythology from all over the world and it’s a real pleasure to watch a show with more than just “standard” supernatural beings.  Beacon Hills features exotic denizens of Celtic mythology, Japanese folklore, Tibetan traditions, Norse sagas, Native American tales and Aztec legend, with nary a witch or vampire in sight.  The werewolves themselves have an intricate societal structure and possess abilities that go far beyond mere transformation.

Visually breathtaking with magnificent special effects, this is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that’s insanely addictive. Each character is beautifully drawn and a large part of the show is comprised of all the complicated relationships between them. Of course because most of the main characters are in high school, much of the social interactions are heightened. Teenagers always think the smallest things are an issue of life and death, although to be fair, for this group it may very well be the literal truth. Great writing, nimble dialogue and inspired plot lines make this so much more than the vacuous supernatural melodrama it might appear to be at first glance. Dark but not depressing, slick but not pat, this is a wildly innovative show that isn’t afraid to do the unexpected or even the unthinkable. It’s easy to get swept up by all the bizarre happenings in Beacon Hills because everything feels so real, quite a feat given the subject material. Multifaceted mysteries, perfectly crafted scares and suspense plus genuine interpersonal relationships have intersected to produce this incredibly popular show, soon to premiere its 5th season. Sprinkled with humor and perspicacity that feels authentic while maintaining its eerie Gothic aura, this show is a masterpiece and I hope it runs for many more seasons. – BETHANY

For more information on the extremely talented cast, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1567432/?ref_=nv_sr_1

I hope you enjoy this meticulously chosen gallery of pictures.  It was carefully assembled so as to give absolutely no unintentional spoilers (which a huge number of photos posted online do).

From left to right: Lydia, Jackson, Stiles, Scott, Allison and Derek.

Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) reads an appropriate book.

Personally, I think the werewolves look a teensy bit silly when they “change”.  I still wouldn’t want to see one in a dark alley, though.

                                                                          For me, Scott looks the best when his werewolf nature simmers just below the surface, as evidenced by his eyes.

                                        Scott’s best friend Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) is loyal and canny, but this class is obviously not his favorite.

                     Allison Argent (Crystal Reed), whose last name is a clue about her if you speak French, is not the typical girl next door.  Well, at least not to me.  No idea who lives next door to you.

         Lydia Martin (Holland Roden) is the object of Stiles’ desire.  Lydia’s objects of desire are always extremely fashionable and tend to come on hangers with expensive price tags.

Brooding and heartsore, Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin) is quite stunningly handsome (plus, he may be into bondage – bonus!)

                      Brother and sister Chris Argent(above, JR Bourne) and Kate (below, Jill Wagner), father and aunt of Allison.  This family really loves their weaponry!

Sheriff Stilinski (Linden Ashby) and nurse Melissa McCall (Melissa Ponzio), parents of Stiles and Scott respectively, deal with lots of inexplicable goings-on in Beacon Hills.

                         

A number of symbols with significance to the world of Teen Wolf.  (courtesy of wikimedia.org Triskele, teenwolffanon.wikia.com, and pixshark.com)

                     Just because it’s funny.  (courtesy of http://www.polyvore.com)

Photos courtesy of Adelstein Productions, DiGa Vision, First Cause, Inc., Lost Marbles Television, MGM Television, Siesta Productions and MTV

Falling Skies

Falling Skies is a sci-fi post-apocalyptic drama where aliens have attacked our planet and killed the vast majority of humanity. The remnants band together to fight a guerrilla style resistance, trying to survive in the shattered remains of our civilization. Noah Wyle plays Tom Mason, a history professor, father of three boys and now part of the Second Massachusetts, a ragtag “regiment” named in honor of one in the American Revolution. Their leader is Col. Weaver, played by one of my favorite underrated actors, Will Patton, whom I absolutely fell in love with in Armageddon. The aliens are well thought out and complex, and just what do they really want? Actually the whole thing is creatively inspired, forcing the viewer to think about how you would go about rebuilding society. Would the U.S. Constitution still apply? What changes might be necessary for a government to be effective? And is it even important to think about this stuff when you’re fighting just to stay alive? The world might be all but destroyed but life goes on and it’s fascinating to watch how each character deals with the new reality. Tom Mason’s youngest son Matt, played by Maxim Knight, breaks your heart as he bravely totes around a gun bigger than he is. The show addresses a lot of issues while still being entertaining and engrossing. The special effects are top notch, on the level with big Hollywood movie productions, which allows for a totally immersive experience that feels very real. Dark without losing hope and gritty without dwelling on the negative, Falling Skies celebrates the human will to live. Ordinary people put in extraordinary circumstances; some exemplify grace under pressure and others let their baser natures take over. A vast assortment of interesting characters and creative plots make this one of my favorite summer shows and I love it despite the cliffhanger season finales that make you wait a whole year to resolve the bombshell and believe me, each one is a doozy! – BETHANY

If you’re a detail-oriented person, the Internet Movie Database will make your day!  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462059/?ref_=nv_sr_1

This is a mechanical robot, dubbed Mechs.  I think this denotes a lack of creativity on the part of the silly people who are focusing more on survival than on naming their alien invaders.

Just what one needs to give your city’s skyline just the right touch of Post-Apocalyptic Chic.

                                   Left to right: Alexander Pope (Colin Cunningham), Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), and Will Patton as Captain Weaver.

The alien invaders, nicknamed ‘Skitters’.  No idea what they call themselves.

Adorable little boy Matt Mason (Maxim Knight)

Hal Mason, Tom Mason, Matt Mason, Anne Glass and Ben Mason

Hal (Drew Roy) and a Skitter

Ryan Robbins as Tector

Skitters attach organic harnesses to the children, turning them into subservient zombies.  Super creepy!

So much for the property values in this neighborhood …

Photos courtesy of Dreamworks Television, Amblin Television, Invasion Productions, TNT Original Productions and Warner Bros. Television

Defiance

I wasn’t sure about this series at first but I’m glad I gave it the benefit of the doubt and kept watching. This is a sub-genre of science fiction that feels like a Western. If you liked Firefly (and frankly who didn’t? Well, obviously not the network that cancelled it) you’ll probably enjoy this one too as it has a gritty gunslinger vibe to it. The premise is quite unique and complex but I’ll try to break it down for you. A group of aliens, made up of a bunch of different races but collectively called the Votans, invaded earth and began terraforming it to suit their needs (for help sorting all of this out in detail, consult http://en.defiance-wiki.com/wiki/Defiance_Wiki). Humanity fought back and eventually a wary peace allowed humans and aliens to live together on a world that is largely unrecognizable as Earth. Defiance, née St. Louis, is the setting for the show and is absolutely bursting at the seams with aliens of all sorts as well as humans. It’s kind of Casablanca but with extra-terrestrials added into the mix, or the Cantina scene at Mos Eisley Spaceport from Star Wars: A New Hope made into its own TV show.  An ex-military drifter named Joshua Nolan (Grant Bowler) and his adopted Irathient daughter, Irisa, land in Defiance where Nolan takes the job of Lawkeeper. It’s a rough town with all kinds of problems but the mayor, played by Julie Benz, is determined to make it work. The different alien races are very well done, each with their own language and culture. Datak Tarr (Tony Curran), a ruthless Castithan with less-than-legal businesses is interesting, but his wife Stahma is the real puppet master. She speaks softly and seems subservient and dutiful but she’s more than just a pretty face. Actually, most all the characters are not what they seem, which is always entertaining. Extremely creative with great writing, this is a wonderful and incredibly complicated show that appeals on many levels. There are mysteries all over the place which keep your interest, much like Lost in that respect. I have come to really care about these characters and it’s fascinating to watch them build a whole new society that fits their new reality. Full of ethical dilemmas, interpersonal relationships, romance and less than savory elements, this is really good sci-fi. – BETHANY

If you know you’ve seen one of these faces somewhere else but can’t think here, visit IMDB before your brain overheats, trying in vain to remember: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2189221/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Left to right: Datak and Stahma Tarr, Amanda and Kenya Rosewater, Joshua Nolan, Irisa Nolan, and Rafe McCawley

Stahma Tarr, played by Jaime Murray (Photo courtesy of Defiance: Behind the Makeup, http://www.denofgeek.us)

                          The cross-species Romeo and Juliet, Christie McCawley (Nicole Muñoz) and Alak Tarr (Jesse Rath).

                         Kenya Rosewater (Mia Kirshner), proprietor of the Need/Want, a bar/brothel.

   Linda Hamilton and if I tell you her character’s name, it would be a spoiler.

Jessica Rainier (Anna Hopkins), nicknamed “Berlin” because she makes propaganda videos for the Earth Republic, and Lawkeeper Joshua Nolan (Grant Bowler).

Alak and Stahma Tarr.  Castithans have interesting bathing rituals (women wear costumes!) and it is deemed unseemly for a person to do so alone.

Doc Yewll, an Indogene doctor and the actress (Trenna Keating) without the makeup. (Photo courtesy of Defiance: Behind the Makeup, http://www.denofgeek.us)

Irisa Nolan, played by Stephanie Leonidas  (Photo courtesy of Defiance: Behind the Makeup, http://www.denofgeek.us)

Datak Tarr, played by Tony Curran  (Photo courtesy of Defiance: Behind the Makeup, http://www.denofgeek.us)

Irisa has a thing with knives and may or may not have some mystical power.

Pompous Niles Pottinger (James Murray) and his Bioman bodyguard.

Destroyed spaceships still in orbit, pieces of which sometimes fall to Earth.

Photos courtesy of Five & Dime Productions, Universal Cable Productions, NBCUniversal Television and Syfy

Primeval

Ridiculous fun, I discovered this sci-fi adventure show on this site and proceeded to binge watch all five seasons. The premise is simple, with “anomalies” opening up around England, serving as doorways to Earth both past and future. But the long-term ramifications are incredibly complex, making this about much more than dinosaurs causing mayhem in the modern world. Brilliantly creative while also being quietly educational, I absolutely fell in love with the show and its oddball array of characters. Funny, clever, thought-provoking and incredibly entertaining, every episode was a must-not-miss thrill ride, beautifully balancing the “anomaly of the week” with long story arcs that slowly develop over time. Characters come and go, often in gut-wrenching ways, but everything feels organic rather than done just for shock value. Gorgeous special effects and imaginative creatures underpinned by solid science, the show was also incredibly funny in that dry British way I love so much. I’ve got to acknowledge an underrated actor (Ben Miller) playing the often-overlooked character of James Lester, admittedly a bit of a stuffed shirt bureaucrat who’d pretty much rather die than let you know he cares, but who also exemplifies the quintessential unflappable Brit in a natty suit, always quick with a scathing witticism delivered with impeccable timing. My only complaint is that there weren’t more seasons (there were at least five though), but hopefully the continuing popularity of the original Primeval online will spark the interest of another network.  There was a short lived Canadian version entitled Primeval: New World, but it didn’t hold a candle to this one and was cancelled quickly.  – BETHANY

To help sort out the characters, actors and various whatnots comprising this show, consult IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808096/?ref_=nv_sr_1                                                                                                                     and this rather brilliant Wiki site:  http://primeval.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Behold an anomaly, which looks much cooler in the show, as all the glass-like shards spin.  Two things NOT to do with anomalies.  #1 If one of these opens up in your London flat and you don’t know what it is, maybe don’t go through it?

And #2  Don’t get between a huge dinosaur and the anomaly, which is its way home.  It never turns out well.

           Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt) and Rex, a coelurosauravus who didn’t want to go back to his Permian home.

                           Abby, Connor Temple (Andrew Lee Potts) and a rambunctious pair of Diictodons named Sid and Nancy.

                               Why, hello Mr. Giganotosaurus.  Is this your piece of the tarmac?  Then I’ll be moving along then.  Immediately.

                 Stephen Hart (James Murray) and a Gorgonopsid.  Note the amusing juxtaposition between the horrific creature and the cutesy mural behind it.

                        Terror birds take on Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng).  Don’t worry, they’ll wish they hadn’t.

                                      A medieval knight (Tony Curran) slaying a Dracorex, which naturally must needs be a dragon.  The poor thing is a gentle herbivore, but when it looks like that, how was he to know?

Velociraptors show up in a thankfully closed for the night mall when an anomaly opens in a bowling alley.

A Smilodon roams around an amusement park.  What could possibly go wrong?

                             Yup, these things happened.  I won’t even bother telling you what they are because it is unimportant.  How the people working in the office building reacted was the fun part.

A Columbian Mammoth loose on the M25 motorway.

James Lester (Ben Miller), a representative of the Home Office, a ministerial department of the government that handles threats, among other things.

Abby, Connor, Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) and Stephen, facing aquatic mammals from the future.

Lady Emily Merchant (Ruth Bradley) and excessively nasty husband, Lord Merchant (Stephen Hogan).  When an anomaly opens up to Victorian London, the team discusses whether to lock it for security purposes.  Connor speaks up, inquiring what they think will come through, “Oliver Twist-osaurus”?

Photos courtesy of ITV Studios, ProSieben, Impossible Pictures, Treasure Entertainment, M6 Films, Watch and BBC Worldwide

The Musketeers

Swashbuckling without the obligatory pirates, The Musketeers is everything you could want in a television show. Very much in the same vein as the 1993 film starring Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland and Chris O’Donnell, this is a highly addictive romantic adventure spiked with plenty of intrigue and infused with an indefatigable spirit of ebullience, wit and humor. Lots of sword play, hilariously elegant wit, heaving bosoms and despicable treachery, I defy you to watch even one episode and not instantly fall in love with this show. I’m delighted to see Santiago Cabrera (Aramis) again after his stellar performance as Lancelot on BBCAmerica’s Merlin. Once again he’s playing a romantic hero with a sword and I couldn’t be happier. Peter Capaldi has a tough act to follow, as who can hope to top Tim Curry as the nefarious and downright evil Cardinal Richelieu, but Capaldi plays him with more dimension than just a straight-up bad guy. It leaves the door open to interesting possibilities as to whether or not he’s really all that bad, because frankly the King really is an idiot and needs a minder to help him do complex tasks, like blowing the royal nose. His Majesty dresses in infantile popinjay clothing and is a completely useless human being who likes to shoot birds at point blank range because “they’re born to be shot, like rabbits and poets”. The Queen, on the other hand, is quite brilliant and a great addition to the cadre of strong intelligent women in the cast of characters. Infectious music, magnificent horses and so many scoundrels, some loveable but others just plain villainous. I really don’t know why the blurb on Netflix says this is a “contemporary take” on Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel as that implies a similar plot in a modern setting. This is set in the 1600s, as it should be, and is very much in keeping with the spirit of the book. Every episode is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, exciting, exhilarating and unbelievably entertaining. – BETHANY

For detailed cast information, visit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2733252/?ref_=nv_sr_1

D’Artagnan, Porthos, Athos and Aramis

The beautiful horses!  And their equally beautiful riders!

His Dark Eminence, Cardinal Richelieu

  Their Royal Majesties Queen Anne and King Louis

Heartthrob Aramis (Santiago Cabrera)

Constance Bonacieux                 Constance and D’Artagnan

Milady de Winter winding His Royal Idiotship around her little finger (among other things)

Photos courtesy of BBC Worldwide and BBC America