“The most challenging aspect for me in filming Ghostfacers was trying to keep a straight face!”

This coming Thursday, April 24^th at 9PM EST the hit Warner Bros/CW Network series Supernatural kicks their third season back into post writer’s strike first run action with an episode titled Ghostfacers, written by series creator Eric Kripke.

Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as Sam and Dean Winchester: two sexy hot brothers who drive a kick-ass ‘67 Chevy Impala loaded with weapons for hunting down all manner of supernatural related creatures, ghosties and demons.

To help get Supernatural fans and viewers into the swing of things again, I sat down to chat via phone interview with A. J. Buckley one of the guest stars of Ghostfacers to get his take on coming back to the series two seasons later to reprise his character of the amateur ghost hunter, Ed Zeddmore from the Supernatural first season episode ‘Hell House‘.

In the episode ‘Hell House’, Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) encounter the amateur ghost hunting duo of Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler while the Winchester brothers are investigating the alleged presence of a maniacal ghost inhabiting a long abandoned Texas farmhouse known to the local residents as ‘Hell House’.

Buckley, who was in between takes on the set of CSI: New York in which he is now a regular cast member, was very cagey when it came to not revealing too many spoilers for the upcoming third season episode ‘Ghostfacers’, but he was more than willing to share openly about his feelings on come back to Supernatural to play the character of Ed Zeddmore and what it was like working on set with series leads Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles.

Buckley says that at the end of the first season episode ‘Hell House’, everything was left very open for the possibility of his character of Ed Zeddmore and that of his partner Ed Spangler (played by Travis Wester) to return at some point to have another run in with Sam and Dean Winchester. “We kept hearing rumblings that we were going to be brought back, but then a whole season passed and nothing happened so I kind forgot about it. Then this season we got the call that we were coming back and I was like ‘sweet, I can’t wait to see what they have come up with’.”

Even though he had gotten the call to let him know that his character of Ed Zeddmore was going to be returning for another episode of Supernatural in season three, Buckley, who is now playing the regular character role of the quirky scientist/lab technician Adam Ross on CSI: New York wasn’t sure how the scheduling was going to work out between the two series to allow him to make the guest appearance on Supernatural.

“The fact that CBS allowed me to have the time out of my CSI:New York filming schedule to go and do the episode of Supernatural totally shocked me,” he says candidly of the prime time network’s decision to allow Buckley the opportunity to do this. “I was all set to be bummed out about not being able to return to Supernatural and then it all worked out great.”

Upon reading the script for Ghostfacers, Buckley tells us that his immediate reaction to it was that it was like its own show within a show. “Travis and I were looking at each other and we were both pretty much thinking the same thing- spinoff!”

Whether Ghostfacers would go into spinoff territory or not, Buckley says that for him the best thing about filming this particular episode of Supernatural was how much fun it was. “It was not only incredibly well written, but because of the way it was shot and the style in which it was written there was a lot of room to play with improv.”

What made the experience even more fun, Buckley says, was getting the chance again to work with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles whom he describes as two of the nicest people he knows. “They are ‘the salt of the earth’, straight up guys’ when it comes to working with them as actors,” Buckley tells us, speaking very highly of Padalecki and Ackles.

“They deserve all the success in the world for being great actors and great guys. I have known both of these guys for a long time and they both have this crazy sense of humor and are just very funny guys. I don’t know how many takes that we have to stop filming because we were laughing so hard and Phil (Sgriccia) the director would come over from behind the monitor and he would have tears running from his eyes from laughing so hard at us.”

Without giving too much away and spoiling viewers for the upcoming episode, A. J. Buckley does state that there will be attempts made by his character and that of Travis Wester’s to ‘get back’ at Sam and Dean for the trick they pulled on Zeddmore and Spangler at the end of the season one episode ‘Hell House’ in order to discredit the amateur duo to protect the truth of what hunters like the Winchester really do.

“There will be attempts made along the way get back at the Winchester brothers and our guy will think they are being very clever and there will be lots of great, funny banter and battles going on back and forth, but of course Sam and Dean are really one step ahead of us,” he says with a laugh.

Buckley said that all of the cast and crew were really having a lot of fun with this episode and telling him how much they were enjoying having these two characters back on the show for another episode. “Because this is normally such an intense and dark show, that it was so nice to have this kind of episode every once in a while and make people laugh.”

For the filming of Ghostfacers, the producers of Supernatural decided to take very different approach opting for the use of hand held cameras, an approach that A. J. Buckley tells us gave the episode a very ‘reality show’ feel too it that also left him feeling like he was on stage doing ‘live’ work as well. “We had about nine cameras going all of the time.”

Again without giving too much away, Buckley lets me know that while this is a very fun and funny episode, that once the action gets going it becomes very scary and there will be some dramatic arcs and twists going on for all the characters involved in the episode.

Buckley says that at any given time there was regular production cameras, surveillance cameras and but that the biggest thing was that the actors had the hand held cameras and were also responsible for filming the episode as well. “Most of the time it was really actors filming actors as part of creating the show within a show. The camera men would step in every once and a while, but for this episode they really kinda took it easy.”

Buckley tells me that he really enjoyed this aspect of the episode almost as much as the improv that they were allowed to do because this work with the cameras was not only something totally different for him to take on as an actor in a role, but that it also helped him to really get into the motivation and the aspects of where Ed Zeddmore was coming from. “It was great because it really just kept you in the moment and it made the scenes have a sense of life to them as a reality show type show.”

To get himself ready for this role where his character has taken on having a reality show about people who investigate hauntings and other unexplained events of a supernatural nature, A. J. Buckley says he did sit down to watch some of the shows like this that are on the air right now to get the feel for what this kind of show and these kinds of characters would come across like. “I watched all those shows and quite honestly I think that Ghostfacers would be able to hold its own against any of those other shows,” Buckley states very seriously before breaking into laughter. “The guys of Ghostfacers are ready to take them on any day!”

Supernatural fans and viewers can join Sam and Dean Winchester in ‘taking on’ Ghostfacers this coming Thursday, April 24^th at 9PM EST on the CW Network.!

A.J. Buckley’s Official Website

This coming Thursday, April 24th at 9PM EST the hit Warner Bros/CW Network series Supernatural kicks their third season back into post writer’s strike first run action with an episode titled Ghostfacers, written by series creator Eric Kripke. Supernatural stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles as Sam and Dean Winchester: two sexy hot brothers who drive a kick-ass ‘67 Chevy Impala loaded with weapons for hunting down all manner of supernatural related creatures, ghosties and demons. Continuing on with my quest to help get Supernatural fans and viewers into the swing of things again, I caught up with Brittany Ishibashi one of the guest stars of Ghostfacers to chat about her role as Maggie Zeddmore, the Ghostfacers ‘go to girl’. 

Ishibashi, a 28 year old native of Southern California, has had guest roles on other hit series such as ‘CSI’, ‘Nip/Tuck’ and ‘The Office’ took time out of her busy schedule to chat with me about her role in the Supernatural season 3 episode ‘Ghostfacers’ and give us her insight into the character of Maggie Zeddmore and what it was like to work on this unique episode of the hit series.

MR: What interested you the most about taking on this role?

BI: It was such a fun script! I loved the idea behind it. It was unlike anything I had ever read or seen before. Plus, I’m such a big fan of Supernatural and the style in which it’s done. I thought “Ya know, if this works, this could be a groundbreaking new way to shoot an episodic.”

MR: How would you describe your character’s motivations in this episode to be where she is and who she is?

BI: Maggie likes to think she’s a tough cookie. I mean, she grew up with Ed as her older brother and as the little (adopted) sister really wanted to impress him and show that she was capable of anything. Her parents put her in martial arts and dance classes when she was little. She devoured all of the books in her parent’s library. Growing up, her library card was her most prized possession. Her book smarts and “training” really get tested in this episode though.

As she faces the ghosts and their lives are all endangered she really starts to wonder what she’s doing it all for and begins to really appreciate her brother and how he looks out for her. And, how wonderfully the ‘Facers’ work together as a team.

MR: What was the most challenging aspect about working on this episode for you?

BI: Filming the episode ourselves was pretty challenging. In addition to being ‘in the scene’ and connecting with your fellow actors you had an ADDED responsibility to tell a story through the camera! A lot of us had these fabulous high def handhelds and some had headband cams or cameras strapped to their bodies. Plus we were in charge of lighting everything and everyone with our flashlights!

It was tough–but once we started playing around we got some really good footage. The process was incredibly interesting. After every take we’d plug the cameras into the monitors and watch everyone’s footage. The pressure was on! It kind of became like a fun game after a while….who was able to cover the scene the best. Man, if your camera got plugged in and you caught the ceiling or you didn’t light an actor you would feel a little bit of shame inside and a HUGE desire to go back in there and get the good stuff—you know, really “wow” ‘em. It was such a nice pat on the back to catch something really great and have the DP shake his head and say “that was great. I don’t know if I can top that…you guys are gonna put me outta work.”

MR: What was the most fun?

BI: The whole experience was so much fun! Because we were shooting the episode as a ‘reality show’ they constructed 360 degree sets and just let us loose. It was definitely the most fun I’ve ever had on an episodic. There was one moment when we were storming the Morton House when I had one of those “This is so much fun! I get paid for this?!” moments.

It was a dark, chilly night and we were supposed to run across a bridge and up to this huge barbed wire topped chain link fence. They had a fog rolling in over the house and we were hiding in bushes and breaking locks and running around the grounds trying to find a way in. It was JUST LIKE the games you would play with your siblings and neighbors growing up! But instead of having to imagine a big huge haunted mansion in the backyard of your parents house we had it for real!

MR: What was something that you learned about from working on Ghostfacers that you might not have known before?

BI: Through working on this episode my respect and awe for the cinematographer quadrupled! It’s an intense focus and fluidity that’s required to tell a story movingly. I mean, how does one make a camera “frightened”…”joyous”…”desperate”…It is a talent that I greatly admire and would love to be exposed to further.

MR: Have you ever watched shows like Ghost Hunters before? If not did you take some time to watch some episode to see how the process is approached to get a feel for where you character is coming from?

BI: Those shows are so cool! And they have the best gadgets. I love how they approach their case and every situation with open minds and hearts and they’ve really done their research.

MR: As you said, the whole episode was filmed with hand held cameras to give it a ‘reality show’ feel. How did this differ for you as opposed to working with the normal filming process?

BI: Because we didn’t need to take down walls and reset a whole lot in between setups, we were moving really fast. And that lent itself to some wonderful improvisational opportunities. We had some very funny people on set. I’m glad so much of that made it into the episode.

MR: What was your experience like working with all the guys?

BI: They were all great. The vibe on set was definitely very playful. I was just one of the boys for those few weeks. It was like I instantly had a bunch of brothers.

MR: What other roles or projects can we see you in besides this episode of Supernatural?

BI: There are a few interesting things in the works that I can’t discuss just yet, but hopefully will be able to very soon! In the meantime, check out the Ghostfacers website that the CW set up at Ghostfacers!

Tune into the CW Network this coming Thursday, April 24th at 9PM EST to see Brittany Ishibashi in her role as Maggie Zeddmore in the Supernatural season 3 episode ‘Ghostfacers’, starring Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles.

Continuing in their unique promotional campaign for their hit series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS has released another ‘Behind the Crime Scene: Ten Things You Didn’t Know’ list. This one is about the upcoming rebroadcast of the episode titled ‘Cockroaches’, which airs this Thursday at 9PM EST. ‘Cockroaches’ was directed by Academy Award and Golden Globe Award winning Director, William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection). Here is list of fascinating facts and trivia about the episode ‘Cockroaches’. 

1. ‘Cockroaches’ was the first time Academy Award winner William Friedkin had directed an episode of a Television series. He had only done movies before.

1. ‘Cockroaches’ was the first time Friedkin and CSI star William Petersen worked together since they did so in the movie to Live and Die in LA – when Friedkin cast Petersen in his first major motion picture.

1. Actor John Capodice, who played Lou Gedda, has done over125 movies and TV shows. Most notably, he played Aquado in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which starred Jim Carrey.

1. Towards the end of the episode ‘Cockroaches’ when Warrick is hallucinating from his mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs, the music that is playing in the background is actually Gary Dourdan’s own music from his band ‘Kolade’.

1. In that same sequence, towards the end of ‘Cockroaches’, Friedkin used a quick flash-forward cuts of the yet-to-be-seen moments to help portray Warrick’s jumbled state of mind. It is the same technique that Friedkin used in ‘The Exorcist’.

1. Since directing ‘Cockroaches’, William Friedkin had been working on directing an opera which will premiere alongside two other operas being directed by Woody Allen and David Cronenberg.

1. Portions of the chase sequence in the teaser for ‘Cockroaches’ were shot in Santa Clarita, California during the devastating October 2007 wildfires. If you look closely you can seethe smoke and embers in the sky.

1. Rebecca Budig, who plays Candy, the stripper that Warrick gets intimate with at the end of the episode, is a famous soap star having acted in over 150 episodes of Guiding Light and All My Children; and is married to former ‘Bachelor’ Bob Guiney.

1. The Pigalle Place Strip Club is actually an Elks Club in San Fernando, California. The CSI set decorating crew put the neon signs and marquee on the building to make it look like a strip club.

1. Friedkin wanted the brightly lit ‘sex scene’ at the end of ‘Cockroaches’ to have the feel of something from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey.

Courtesy of CBS

Here is a preview of AMC’s hot new show Breaking Bad. If you missed this past Sunday’s premiere, Thursday night AMC will be featuring a special encore presentation of the first episode of Breaking Bad.  Breaking Bad Series Premiere - Encore Presentation Janaury 24, 10PM I 9C. The show is getting a lot of love from the critics and in this Writer’s strike season, any scripted television is welcome.

HBO’s wildly popular “The Wire” started its fifth and final season last week. The riveting series, dedicated to the intersection of Baltimore’s gritty drug world, police intervention and political turmoil, had a slow, cautious start.

Over the years, “The Wire” became a well-respected series by fans. Clearly the network’s underdog, the series rose to unprecedented popularity, as viewers tuned in every week and insisted that the network keep the show on despite their on-off-again battle with canceling the show.

The Wire’s fourth season focused mainly on the youth and their street life, home life and education. At the height of the season, one of the key young characters, Michael Lee, joined the team of known drug lord Marlo Stanfield.

The final season’s first episode, “More With Less,” zoomed in on budget cuts in Baltimore’s police department, resulting in no paid overtime, disbanding of departments, dilapidated vehicles/equipment and plain-out disgruntled employees. The first episode shattered all progress made in the last season, particularly in the Major Crimes Unit, which was hot on the heels of notorious and mysterious druglord Marlo Stanfield. Ultimately, last season – the Major Crimes Unit was in the process of tying over 20 bodies found in vacant houses to the druglord and his cohorts Chris Partlow and Felicia “Snoop” Pearson.

The plot of the police department’s financial debacle was paralleled with the financial woes of the Baltimore Sun. Facing similar cuts and low morale, the newspaper’s staff desperately attempted to pull headline stories, while pulling long hours. They even uncovered an interesting real estate transaction between city council and a known felon and druglord.

With the bodies being put on the back burner and the members of Major Crimes disbanded and back on the regular force, the show went on in a slow, cautious way. Photos of Marlo Stanfield were taken and he was trailed, as he went to his regular meeting with other Baltimore king pins, “The Co-Op.”

As anticipated, the second episode, “Unconfirmed Reports,” picked up the pace a bit. Determined to bring closure to the city’s nearly two dozen bodies found in abandoned houses, James “Jimmy” McNulty (formerly of Major Crimes) and his partner decided to try to tap in to FBI resources to fund the investigation, which they expected to be wrapped up in just under a month’s time. McNulty and several fellow officers know that Marlo and his goons Chris and “Snoop” are behind the murders. However, they need the tangible evidence to prove it.

Also in “Unconfirmed Reports,” the disgruntled police found ways around the police department’s issues. McNulty, back to relying on a good flask of alcohol like he did in the series’ earlier seasons, unsuccessfully intertwined his work with alcoholism.

As Marlo’s crew took their young protégé Michael on the road to commit a murder, Michael started to realize how insane the crew’s actions can be. In the latest murder run, Chris and Snoop were after someone named June Bug, who “allegedly” made a sexual innuendo of Marlo Stanfield. In disbelief, Michael asked why they would kill someone just over the person calling Marlo a name. Snoop, in her thick inner-city dialect, advised Michael that’s just the way it is and she uttered “you need to stop talking so much and watch your mouth young boy.”

As Michael was asked to cover shooting anyone that flies out the back of the house, he assumed his position regretfully. When a young boy came running out, Michael didn’t have the heart to shoot him. In addition to believing that the whole hit was flat-out wrong, the teenager bears a soft spot for children – given that he is raising his brother.

Marlo is high pressed to cut out having to go through Proposition Joe and others from Baltimore’s east side to get his product. Hence, he decided that he would aim at going to the source, a Russian (with links to the Greek suppliers). Although moving swiftly, Marlo was stopped in his tracks when original hustler Avon Barksdale (who is behind e bars by the way) demanded that Stanfield must go through him to successfully reach the Russians.

Other story lines during the second episode included Bubbles fighting his addiction by receiving treatment and attending support groups. The pending indictment against State Senator Clay Davis was also a focus. Finally, the episode set the pace for McNulty’s story line, as it feature him causing post-mortem trauma to bodies to make them look like homicides. The episode insinuates that making the deaths look like homicides (particularly those of non-minority people) will capture the attention of city officials and ultimately help close the Stanfield/body case.

The Wire has one of TV’s best written scripts. Certainly, this season’s writing will be as spectacular as ever. While the first two episodes went over well, the Baltimore Sun plot got a little boring at times.

Final Grade: A

Written By: Flair Lindsey

Eclipsemagazine.com

Every year, The Kennedy Center honors five artists from all parts of the creative spectrum: film, music, art, theatre… This evening, CBS presents The 30^th Annual Kennedy Center Honors [9/8C], hosted by Caroline Kennedy. This isn’t something Eclipse would normally cover, but tonight the Center honors a concert pianist/teacher, a comedian/writer/actor/philosopher, a filmmaker, a soul singer and a rock & roll legend.

Martin Scorsese, Steve Martin, Diana Ross, Leon  Fleisher, Brian Wilson – these are the artists that the Kennedy Center has chosen to honor this year. Scorsese is one of the world’s premiere filmmakers; Martin has gone from absurdist stand-up to comic leading man to satirist to pretty much whatever he wants to be; Diana Ross is the artist who made the Motown Sound sing – and won a Tony on Broadway; Leon Fleisher has had careers as a brilliant pianist and a beloved teacher, and Brian Wilson combined the intricate harmonies of vocal quartets like The Four Freshman with the heat of chuck Berry-style rock & roll to create music that is as daring and intricate as that of most contemporary composers – but with that special secret ingredient: fun.  

The tributes to each artist are twofold: another artist [in the case of Mr. Scorsese, Cameron Diaz] relates a personal experience with the honoree  and then, other artists pay homage in various ways [in the case of Steve Martin, we get a mini-vaudeville review – and Kristin Chenoweth singing Pennies From Heaven, the titular song from one of Martin’s most criminally under seen films]. Following each tribute, there is the usual [and usually deserved] standing ovation.

Although the tributes and bios can be boring, this year’s efforts are surprisingly adroit. Humor also plays a role – even when Steve Martin is not involved [anyone who isn’t aware of Robert DeNiro’s sense of humor will be brought up to speed by his homage to “Marty”]. Naturally, though, humor has to be a part of the Steve Martin tribute, and Steve Carell doesn’t fail us – his initial words of praise for another honoree break up Martin and the entire audience.

Smokey Robinson and Terrance Howard conduct the tribute and bio of Diana Ross, and the following homages come in the form of some especially fine Motown soul re-expressed by American Idol Jordin Sparks, Ciara, Ugly Betty’s Vanessa Williams [I’ll bet you’d forgotten she can sing] and the amazing Yolanda Adams. Adams, especially, impresses with her rendition of Reach Out and Touch [Somebody’s Hand].

To handle the tribute/bio for Leon Fleisher, we get a man who usually holds us spellbound with his cello – Yo-Yo Ma. Ma it turns out has been equally spellbound with Fleisher’s recording of Brahms’ first piano concerto. The homage for Fleisher is a splendid performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy – solo piano by one of his foremost students, Jonathan Biss. As the camera cuts to Fleisher, his expression indicates that he is both conducting the piece in his mind and showing pride in his student’s accomplishment. When the Peabody Orchestra and The Choral Arts Society come in, he is practically glowing.

But the highlight of the evening is the tribute to Brian Wilson. Following Art Garfunkel’s tribute/bio, Lyle Lovett croons God Only Knows [he’s not in great form] and then Hootie and the Blowfish launch into a medley of I Get Around and California Girls. Frankly, they’ve never sounded better. But what’s really touching is watching the hitherto stone-faced Mr. Wilson starting to clap along and bob his head to the music. Then, when Libera [a boy’s choir from England] sing Love and Mercy, he actually smiles – just for a second. And when beach balls drift down from the ceiling, it’s magical instead of clichéd. And when Ms Ross captures one of the beach balls and hands it to him, Mr. Wilson seems genuinely pleased.

The 30^th Annual Kennedy Center Honors is not a show that I’ve gone out of my way to watch – except when someone relevant to my life was honoured. This year, every single honoree falls into that category – and, somehow [and I’m sure it’s purely coincidental], none of the tributes and homages were boring.

Final Grade: B+

When I went to the mailbox earlier this week there was a little surprise in my box namely a Sci-Fi screener for Battlestar Galactica: Razor. I generally do not review Sci-Fi Channel screeners because I get them so early in the process that the shows are usually incomplete, they are good for background information but not really to review. Razor was the first screener I received from them that was actually complete and wow, did I like this movie. I’m ready for the next season of BSG.

Last year BSG started amazingly strong and just went downhill as the season progressed, so much so, that I really didn’t like the last 5 or 6 eps of the year, I was completely ambivalent about this new season. Especially after Sci-Fi decided to screw fans by breaking up the season into 2, showing only 10 lousy eps in Jan/February with the remaining airing in 2009! How crappy is that?

Anyway, I digress, while watching Razor the one feeling I couldn’t help but have is that this is the definition of filler: excellent filler, but kind of pointless within the context of the entire series. With that said, this does what it sets out to do and that’s wet your apatite for more BSG. The film reminds you of why BSG is probably the best Sci-Fi genre show that’s not on TV at the moment. The writing, tone, and acting in this is brilliant.

The ads and trailers for this are completely misleading. When I fired up the DVD I was expecting a film that jumps way back into the past and moves forward to tell all the various stories related to the doomed Battlestar Pegasus. What it really does is focus on 2 periods in Pegasus’ history – the period when Captain Lee ‘Apollo’ Adama (Jamie Bamber) took over the Pegasus’ and 10 months earlier, right before the Cylons first attack.

Razor’s entire story is told through the eyes of a Lt., Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen) who is young, wide eyed and eager to please. When she first boards the Pegasus you realize immediately how differently this ship is run from Galactica. She’s wondering around the hallways with her duffle bag thrown over her shoulders and no one bothers to help her. When she finally finds the bridge she has her first encounter with the tough as nails Admiral Helena Cain who immediately reams her out. But there’s a nice moment where Cain smiles and laughs after Shaw leaves. It’s one of the few, maybe only times, you see Cain’s playful side.

We find out how circumstances can affect people and force them to do things in war that they wouldn’t have done otherwise. What separates Adama from Cain is, in Adama’s words, he had a strong support system to keep him humble where Cain had no one, so all the decisions she made were in the best interest of her crew and everyone else be damned.

There’s a moment early on when her XO disagrees with her decision to risk the entire crew on a hair brained plan to attack, when they fall into an obvious trap and are hopelessly outnumbered, instead of calmly disagreeing with her right hand, she puts a gun to his head and pulls the trigger. That’s pretty hardcore, but it got her point across to the rest of the crew that she demanded discipline and people to follow her orders without question. Adama would have just stripped the guy of his command and thrown him into the brig until after the crisis.

Director Félix Enríquez Alcalá and producers Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor give old school Battlestar fans something to smile about, they bring back the original Cylons! The big silver and gold “toasters” with the single roving eye, they even show us the original Cylon Base Ships, the original fighters, the original 3 seated Cylons (in the fighters) and we even get the original roving eye sound effect. The overall affect just put a big smile on my face. Retro is cool man.

As far as the overall story of Razor goes, like I said earlier it’s about two different periods one where Lee takes over the Pegasus and 10 months prior when the Pegasus first escaped the initial attack. We get to see Cain make some tough decisions and at some points you are wondering if she’s making these decisions to survive or to get revenge. She gives a moving, rousing, “So Say We All” style rallying speech shortly after they get word that Caprica has been completely destroyed.

While watching it, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but kept wondering what the point of the entire film is, but then at the very end there is a MAJOR, MAJOR, REVEAL, SPOILER, SPOILER. If you scroll all the way down and use the invasion text you can find out what it is. And then there’s also another minor spoiler as it relates to the Cylons, it was something that the producers discussed during a recent visit to Vancouver. MINOR SPOILER ALERT IN INVISIO TEXT, MAJOR ONE AT THE BOTTOM Sci-Fi asked me to remove the spoiler. END SPOILER

All in all, definitely worth your time, but don’t let the upcoming Flashbacks fool you into thinking that they are going use the way, way back machine to show us Adama’s early days. This only takes up about 4 minutes in the entire thing. Adama actually has minimal role in this film.

Everything about Battlestar Galactica: Razor works really well, yes it’s too talky, but then BSG is a talky show. It really is its own stand alone entity and doesn’t shed a lot of light onto the rest of the series, but it’s still a great ride.

Be sure to check it out when it airs November 24, and check out the awesome Flashbacks which will air during Flash Gordon over the next 6 weeks. The 2 minute episodes will show young Adama discovering the Cylons early experiments with trying to create the human models. It takes place 41 years in the past.

Final Grade A

EM Review by
Michelle Alexandria
Originally Posted 10/11/07

SPOILER SO HUGE IT REQUIRES MY FIRST USE OF INVISIO TEXT

Sci-Fi asked me to remove the spoiler.ing “All this has happened before and will happen again, again, again….” BOOM!

Check out this week’s installment of Flash Gordon, it features a special guest star - Sam Jones, the man who starred in the original 80s Flash Gordon flick.  You know, the one with all the cool Queen music.  Normally we at Eclipse hate stunt casting, but this could be very cool.  The show will air Friday, Oct 5th at 9pm EST.