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Showing posts with label Steve Moffat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Moffat. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Your Morning Linc: Pacific Rim, Lucas Awarded National Medal of Arts, Power Rangers 20th, EW Interviews Moffat, Saving Mr. Banks

Hoo boy, it's hot out there! If you're looking to beat the heat, I suggest heading to a nice cold theater and seeing  Pacific Rim. My friends and I went to the "old man opening night" screening at 8:00 last Thursday (yeah, they do that now) and I really enjoyed it. The monsters, known as kaiju, were particularly impressive and creative. All credit goes to visual effects supervisor John Knoll, a visionary of our time.

Yep, my childhood just squealed a little bit.

The human element of the story was a little cliche, but an overall good job done by the cast, including potential Twelfth Doctor Idris Elba and a manic Charlie Day as a scientist. Pacific Rim also had a very mech anime vibe (like the Gundam series or Voltron) which I enjoyed. At the end of the day, it was a movie about giant robots fighting monsters, and you can't ask for anything better than that.

And now, on to today's Lincs!

1. George Lucas Honored With National Medal For the Arts
For those of you keeping score at home. That's humans: 3 medals, Chewbacca: 0
On July 10, George Lucas was honored by President Barack Obama with the National Medal for the Arts. The citation for the award reads:
"George Lucas for his contributions to American cinema. By combining the art of storytelling with boundless imagination and cutting-edge techniques, Mr. Lucas has transported us to new worlds and created some of the most beloved and iconic films of all time."

I sincerely congratulate The Maker on this incredible honor and thank him for all the moments that Star Wars, and his other films, have transported me to places beyond my imagination. Thanks, George. And May the Force Be With You.

2. Morphenomenal! Power Rangers Celebrates 20th With Morphing Sequence

The show about teenagers with attitude (and a giant floating head) turns 20 this year. Saban is celebrating with a huge anniversary episode and has also recently released a cool video of all the red rangers (and Tommy's White Ranger) from each season morphing into one another.



How many can you name? Which is your favorite season of Power Rangers?

3. EW Interviews Moffat On Doctor Who's 50th And The Search For Twelve

Doctor Who Eleventh Doctor
Soon.
Entertainment Weekly recently sat down with the Moff himself to discuss all things Who. They dished on everything from the Matt Smith's departure, the search for the Twelfth Doctor, the 50th anniversary special, Tennant and Smith's Doctors, and whether or not Matt Smith will wear a wig on his last outing as the Time Lord. Here are a few snippets, but click the link above for the full article:

EW: So how goes the search for the next Doctor?
SM: Well, it’s always just terrifying...If you’re a Doctor Who fan, as I have been all my life, you’ve been doing fantasy casting for this part for as long as you can remember. But when you’re suddenly faced with the reality that you are going to sit there and you are going to make that decision it does feel absolutely chilling. There’s a very big range of people who could play it and different ways you could go with it. We must get this right. One false move and the show’s over.”

EW: Is Matt going to have to wear a wig when he films the Christmas special? He seems to have had a very severe haircut for his role in Ryan Gosling’s How to Catch a Monster.
SM: We’re sprinkling fertilizer on his head as we speak. I don’t know. If you care to take a look at “The Angels Take Manhattan” there are a couple of scenes that Karen Gillan came back to do in the graveyard after she’d had her radical haircut and she is wearing what seems like a strategically draped otter on her head. [Laughs]
However, we effect it, the Doctor will turn up in his trademark coif. We can’t have Matt’s last stand in the TARDIS without his proper look. So, thank you, Ryan Gosling…

EW: What was it like having Matt and David together?
SM: They really loved each other and had a huge laugh together. And of course they’ve been through this experience that only the two of them can talk about, really, in the modern world. They are the two people that have played that part at a time when the series is this big. They spent the entire time just sitting together talking animatedly.

EW: Could you talk about how their Doctors relate to each other? Traditionally, there’s been a bit of edge when Doctors have met each other onscreen?
SM: Well, when you’re talking to yourself, there’s no filter! You don’t spare yourself! They’re quite a fun pairing, I would say. There’s a bit of the normal joshing of each other but they’re both such enthusiastic Doctors. While they might be sort of competing slightly, they’re both standing there saying, “Oh god, it’s so cool, there’s two of me!” So, it’s very different. I think the other one that worked brilliantly was Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton. They were incredibly funny together. This is very different from that but it’s a sublime double act.

Doctor Who 50th

EW: Are you aware that David Bradley (who plays William Hartnell in the movie An Adventure in Space and Time) is now a thousand times more famous in America than he was a couple of months ago thanks to his pivotal role on the recent season of Game of Thrones?
SM: Oh, brilliant. That’s excellent. I love David. He’s such a clever actor. And we’ve had him in the proper show as well. He’s in “Dinosaurs On a Spaceship.”

Only a few more months to go before we get all the answers we're looking for! And that, of course, means the fall of the Eleventh. I really can't wait to see all of this amazing Who history unfold!

4. Saving Mr. Banks Will Be Supercalifra....Ahh You Know The Rest

Not many people think about the work and effort it took to create one of the most iconic Disney films of all time. Indeed, it wasn't easy for old Walt to convince Mary Poppins writer P.L. Travers to even give up the rights to her creation. Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of how Disney convinced Mrs. Travers to do just that, and what he learned about the mysterious nanny in the process.


Saving Mr. Banks is out December 20th, 2013 and stars Emma Thompson as Mrs. Travers, Tom Hanks as the Man Behind the Mouse himself, as well as other notable celebs such as Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and others.

Of course, I hope they finally explain how Mary Poppins got here from Gallifrey:

Marry Poppins Time Lord
How else do you think she learned about the cartoon world?
'Til Next Time!

- Joe

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

St. Joseph's Day Lincs: Star Wars March Madness, JAT Says Farewell to the Clone Wars, Goodbye to the Office, and Doctor Who 50th

Happy St. Joseph's Day everyone! While not as popular as some other saint's day this past weekend, today is a very big deal for Italians and for my family (we have a lot of Joe's). So Viva la Tavola di San Giuseppe! And now let's get down to business:

1. Star Wars March Madness Brackets

Because who needs basketball when you have a good blaster at your side? StarWars.com is hosting its own March Madness and is asking fans to pick their favorites as they go head to head for the top spot. Head on over and cast your vote!

2. James Arnold Taylor Bids Farewell to the Clone Wars, Proves Once Again Why He's The Man

Obi-Wan Kenobi
Please....don't.....leave us.

The voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi (and Plo Koon), James Arnold Taylor spoke with IGN about the show's cancellation and what the future holds. He has already published a very touching and heartfelt letter on his website, and apparently is now on a mission to make every fan cry. Here is part of what he said on the fan reaction to the show's untimely demise:
"[I]t really is a touching, heartfelt, wonderful thing to read people's posts and comments on social media outlets and blogs. To get that outpouring of people saying how much they believed in the show and how they loved it and shared it with their kids and families."
I've had the pleasure of meeting James a bunch of times over the past few years. He is an absolutely incredible person who loves his job, his family, and his fans. In the Star Wars community, when you think of Obi-Wan you now think: Alec Guiness, Ewan McGregor, and James Arnold Taylor. He's been overseas to entertain the troops, hosted Celebration VI and Star Wars Weekends at Disney World, and has been performing his one man show "Talking To Myself" to the delight of many. No doubt we'll hear more from the man behind the galaxy's most famous beard. Thanks, James, and May the Force Be With You.

3. Speaking of Goodbyes....The Office Has Filmed Its Final Episode

The hit NBC show is saying goodbye this season, and I'm really taking the loss hard. I went to the University of Scranton, in the city where The Office is set. The show premiered when I was a sophomore, and by the time I was a senior not only did most everyone in the country know about Scranton, but the cast actually came to visit! Thousands of students lined up on the Commons at 3 AM to be part of Al Roker and the Today Show's coverage of the weekend-long event.

Scranton
Bob Vance and Stanley being eyed by the giant Dwight head

Scranton
Daryl leading a chant of "Scranton WHAT?"

Scranton
Angela and (a much younger) me, just chillin

Scranton
Creed, Meredith, and Oscar taking it all in
So when the HuffPo posted the tweets of all the actor's thoughts on their last day, I couldn't help but feel sad. I've been out of college for five years, but my pride in the University and my passion for the city remains strong. With the end of The Office, I feel like I'm losing a connection to that place I love so much. Just hearing the references to the Steamtown Mall or Cooper's (all real places!) and seeing the University blanket behind Pam (and now Erin) made me smile. When I drive back up to Scranton for alumni events or to visit friends, I always put on The Office theme as I pass by the "Scranton Welcomes You" sign. So while the country might be losing a show, I feel that we are all losing a connection that that charming town in Pennsylvania. That jewel of NEPA known as:

Scranton! WHAT? The Electric City!


4. Doctor Who: Rumors and Teases from The Cast and Crew

One thing is for sure, we may be losing some great shows, but Doctor Who is going to be around for a long time to come! (Or...has been around...will have been around? Wibbly wobbly and all that...)

Doctor Who
"Oh, you ride a motorcycle to pick up chicks? That's cute."

Current Doctor Matt Smith shares his thoughts on the freshly completed script for the 50th Anniversary spectacular:
"I read it and I clapped at the end...I think it's hilarious and I think it's epic - but you will not be disappointed"
I don't know about you, but I trust the Time Lord. And the Grand Moff himself, showrunner Steven Moffat, has said that we will learn more about what's waiting for the Doctor on the fields of Trenzalore. It all goes down November 23.

That's it for now, so go enjoy some sfingi di San Giuseppe!

St. Joseph's Day
Take that, Irish soda bread.
-Joe