Gully Foyle
Doodle-driven Canadians have been cleverly defacing their five dollar bills for years, turning the portrait of former Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier into the pop-culture figures he eerily resembles: Spock (seen here) and Harry Potter's Severus Snape.
You may not own your own private planetarium — or if you do, can we come over to your house? But you can still experience a journey through the wonders of space, thanks to four new "fulldome" planetarium clips, released by the Hubble Space Telescope. They're available in 4K and 8K resolution.
Ever since Fringe brought sensory deprivation tanks to my attention I have been wanting to find a place a schedule an appointment, and as luck would have it there was exactly one place around where I lived that offered floating therapy. That's what they call it now floating, and while I didn't pop into another universe, I did have an interesting experience.
Having managed to successfully spin off The Flash from its DC Comics-sibling series Arrow, CW wants to strike gold again…but rather than do it with another DC property, they are going to pull again from Arrow – with some Flash thrown in as well.
No title has been given to the project, but the plan is to pull together some of the secondary characters from both shows into a new series, starting with Ray Palmer/The Atom (Brandon Routh) from Arrow and Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber) and Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) from The Flash. Also planned to be part of the show is actor Caity Lotz, who played Sara Lance/Black Canary on The Arrow but was killed off, it is uncertain what role she may play.
Where should you flee when the inevitable zombie apocalypse pops off? A group of statistical mechanics students at Cornell University did the legwork and came up with a pretty appealing answer, since it happens to be a place we'd like to visit anyway: the Rocky Mountains.
We adored the CG Star Wars TV series Clone Wars and we're enjoying Star Wars Rebels, but this concept art that Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni has shared just reminds us how cool it would be to see another 2D animated Star Wars show.
The late 1700s were not known for their long life-expectancy. One of the many sources of death, at the time, was a nasty little thing with the incongruously pleasant name of "cinnabar." We'll show you how fashion trends combined with chemistry to kill people off.
Syfy will honor the extraordinary legacy of Leonard Nimoy with a special five hour programming salute this Sunday, March 1 from 9AM-2PM (ET/PT), kicking off with his role in an episode of the original Twilight Zone series; his guest star arc on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the final Star Trek original cast movie, Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country.
9:00AM The Twilight Zone/”A Quality of Mercy”
9:30AM Star Trek: The Next Generation/”Unification: Part I”
10:30AM Star Trek: The Next Generation/”Unification: Part 2”
11:30AM Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country
As one of Marvel's longest-running and most popular superheroes, Captain America has spawned no shortage of imitations. And, although there's plenty about him that's easy to mimic, there's one reason that no one else has gotten it quite right yet.
HBO have just released a new poster for Game of Thrones Season 5, and as you can see above, it's got a great big dragon in it — but it's who's looking at the dragon from below that raises a lot of interesting questions. Spoilers for A Dance With Dragons and speculation ahead...
The Apocalypse Triptych covers a lot of apocalyptic scenarios in three books. But Jake Kerr has the unusual distinction of A) writing about a really cool asteroid impact scenario B) hinging his storyline on a future scenario that we already know won't happen . Read Kerr's essay about being wrong , and then read the story right here.
One morning, about a week before the announcement of the impact location, I receive a nice surprise: The moderate conservatives in the Texas legislature have pushed through the marriage equality law. It has always been our dream to get married in our home state, and now we can. There is a joyous rush of marriages, but Lynn and I decide to wait.
As I write this it's still hard to believe that Leonard Nimoy is gone. Even to those of us who didn't know him, he felt like a friend, a mentor and a hero; the loss is truly heartbreaking. Both Spock and Nimoy were paragons of decency, nobility, virtue and humanity. In the decades since the original Star Trek first aired, Nimoy struggled and eventually made peace with the fact that he would always be identified with Spock -- and then embraced it, becoming a sort of hybrid of the fictional character and the actor who portrayed him.
For a person who suppressed his emotions, Spock was in many ways the heart of Star Trek, and it's no surprise that many of the original show's very best episodes either focused specifically on the character or featured him in a significant way. No doubt many of us will be watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan or Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in the days ahead, but if you turn to the original 79 segments in which this icon of pop culture first made his mark, here are 10 that we feel are among his finest moments.
What were your favorite Spock moments from the original series? Let us know in the comments!
A Southern California murder trial would be just another tragic tale of neighbor shoots neighbor, except the accused believes that he is a werewolf ... and he believed his victim was a vampire, according to the testimony of a forensic psychologist.
All of us at Blastr were greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Leonard Nimoy, a giant in the sci-fi world lost to the rest of us at age 83. To those who grew up with Star Trek, it was almost like losing a family member...but rather than mourn the absence, we want to celebrate the joy he brought us in his time on this pale, blue dot. Read below for our writers' recollections of their favorite Leonard Nimoy moments, then join the celebration and share yours in the comments.
Leonard Nimoy was Spock for only three years on television, but multiple appearances in films, videogames, and even more television cemented him in my mind as the intelligent Vulcan forever. Some people make the world a better place by being in it. I think his work promoting the idea that people should rely on their rational choices rather than going with their gut will continue to make the world a better place. More than any person I've ever met in real life, Nimoy informed my taste in men. Since he became my TV boyfriend, I've fallen for intelligent men in real life and married a man whose ability to think his way through every situation would make Spock proud. I interviewed Nimoy once, and he told me, "I have a great life." His death feels like a punch in the gut to me, but I take comfort in knowing, to use the phrase that's about to headline every obituary, he lived long and prospered.
I don't know if there was a single Nimoy or Spock moment that really is the one -- it's more that the figure of Mr. Spock and the larger universe of Star Trek towered over my formative years in a way that I'm not even sure I can articulate. I learned to read through the old James Blish novelizations of the original series episodes (which were also my gateway to sci-fi literature in general); my earliest life memory is actually watching Star Trek with my beloved and long-gone grandfather. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock provided escape, wisdom, adventure, friendship and education for this little boy, who was often lonely and shy in those days. They also provided father figures in a way -- very important to a child of a broken home. Later, as an adult, I came to respect the man who wore the ears even more for his other accomplishments in life, the compassion and humanity that came through in his interviews, and his protective stance toward Star Trek's original vision of a better future. But if I had to pick one moment that crystallized all this for me, it was probably Spock's death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. As I choked up in the darkened theater, I was shocked at how strongly this character had impacted and moved me over the years. And now we are living through that moment again -- this time for real. Safe travels, sir, as you head into the true final frontier.
Aside from his work as the spirit and soul of the Star Trek franchise, I most recall Leonard Nimoy beaming into our suburban California living room with his paranormal program, In Search Of.... Every week, I'd watch with sustained awe and a Salisbury Steak TV dinner in my lap and listen to Nimoy tell me fantastic tales of mysterious creatures, historic ghosts, and strange disappearances. His authoritative style and mesmerizing voice made me believe in the weird and the unexplained in a way my blossoming geek brain couldn't deny. The show ran from 1977-1982 and was an addictive rush of Bigfoot, UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster and the Bermuda Triangle, presented by a trusted host I'd traveled to the stars with in weekend reruns of Star Trek. I thank Nimoy for his triggering of my burgeoning teenage imagination.
I think we can all agree that the highlight of Leonard Nimoy's career as an entertainer was his portrayal of a guy who really loves Bilbo Baggins. As he was in the middle of Star Trek production, he bears his usual Spock hairstyle in the video for his rollicking tribute to The Hobbit's protagonist. Strangely, he does not wear the pointy ears, although women in the video wear either Spock or hobbit ears. This leads us to the conclusion that Star Trek occurs in the same universe as the Hobbit, a notion which has occupied most of our daydreaming for the last 45 years - the Klingons' cloaking device must have been reverse-engineered from that crazy magic ring, right? Thoughts like these shaped my life. Thank you and goodbye, Leonard Nimoy. I hope you enjoy exploring humanity's true final frontier.
It'd be ridiculous to say that I didn't know Leonard Nimoy first and foremost as Spock - a sensitive, nuanced, inspiring rendering of a character that could have easily been junk in the wrong hands. But since that's likely going to be what the rest of the world focuses on, I'd like to touch on a lesser-known, but no less awesome, Nimoy role: Galvatron in Transformers: The Movie. It takes a heck of a voice to follow Frank Welker's take on the iconic Megatron, but when Unicron metamorphosed the mortally wounded Decepticon leader into a new, Leonard Nimoy-voiced form, a classic Transformers villain was born. He announced his arrival by straight-up murdering Starscream, the prelude of which was Nimoy's stone-cold delivery of the line, "Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy." Of course, there's only so seriously one can take a film featuring two songs by Stan Bush, but Nimoy - along with Orson Welles, whose work as Unicron Nimoy finished when Welles passed away - brought a gravitas that elevated the material and made it resonate for this young (at the time) Transformers fan.
Though Star Trek is the obvious franchise that comes to mind, one of my favorite Leonard Nimoy memories stems from his much more recent work on Fox's criminally underrated Fringe. Framed around alternate universes and some of the strangest stuff this side of The X-Files, Fringe threw a whole bunch of cool ideas at the wall and wasn't afraid to get weird. One of the most ambitious moves found Nimoy stunt cast in the oft-spoken-of but rarely-seen role of Dr. William Bell, a lynchpin of all the insanity that befell the world of Fringe. Nimoy took the role and ran with it, creating one of the most deliciously mysterious and memorable characters in modern sci-fi. It was amazing to see that all those decades since his turn as everyone's favorite Vulcan, Nimoy still had more than enough talent and humility to take on a small role in a low-rated, but beloved, sci-fi series and knock it clean out of the park. His shocking introduction in the season one finale cliffhanger is still one of the best moments of television ever filmed. R.I.P. Leonard, we'll always have Over There.
Wrath of Khan has always been one of my favorite movies in no small part because Spock's character informs so much of my own morality. And without Leonard Nimoy, Spock could never have had that ability to engage me. Because Leonard Nimoy really is Spock. His love of science, his selflessness, his dry wit...nevermind the words in the script; without Nimoy there is no Spock. So, it's impossible to divorce the man from the role in my mind. And when Spock sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise in Wrath of Khan, he made me realize that there is no more human act than laying down your life to protect the people you love. That ability defines the best in humanity. Leonard Nimoy taught us all that. And in that way, he's really not dead - as long as we remember him.
My father was (and is) an Original Series purist, so I can't remember a time when Leonard Nimoy's face wasn't on my TV screen. I wore out a tape of the Star Trek episode "Balance of Terror" as a kid, and I was heartbroken by Spock's death in Wrath of Khan, even though I already knew, because we'd watched the films out of order, that he wasn't really gone for good. I will remember Nimoy as Spock, as the voice of the mystery series In Search Of..., as Dr. William Bell on Fringe, and as the most interesting part of Futurama's head museum. What will always stand out above the rest for me, though, is Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. In my mind, it is inarguably the best Trek film ever made, and Nimoy directed it. Something about Spock's logical approach to the world has always been comforting to me, and now knowing he was the guiding hand behind my favorite Star Trek film will forever be a comfort.
A few years ago, I had the privilege to meet Leonard Nimoy at a Las Vegas Star Trek convention. I didn't know if I wanted to go at the time because those events are always crazy as heck, and I really hate crowds. But I went anyways because, well, I love Star Trek and have always been a Trekkie at heart; ever since I was a kid. And I also knew that both Nimoy and William Shatner were not getting any younger and thought it would be my last chance to meet them. Nimoy stroke me as a quiet man, but he was kind and polite and smiling to the fans who waited in line (and it was a VERY long line) in order to get pictures or items signed by him and Shatner. I was so nervous at the time; I can't even remember what I said to him, exactly, aside from the standard: It's such an honor to meet you, sir, etc. etc. And even worse, I can't remember what he said back to me! But yes, he did say something. And I'm sure it was all very nice, or else I would have remembered that. But today, words don't really matter. What truly matters here, now, is remembering the great man himself, Leonard Nimoy. Thank you for the memories, sir.
To single out Leonard Nimoy Star Trek memories is impossible for me, but what makes me think of him fondly are all of the behind-the-scenes photos and footage that show Nimoy smiling or laughing, showing what a joyful and fun guy he was, which was the opposite of Spock. However, both the power and calming effect in his voice has always been understated. His voice acting in Transformers: The Movie as Galvatron always stuck with me. It's not easy to upstage Orson Wells and Frank Welker in that franchise, but Nimoy did. as did his guest appearance in the classic episode of The Simpsons, "Marge vs. The Monorail." Yet, what remains the coolest use of his voice lies in Information Society's 1988 hit, "What's On Your Mind" in which a sample of one of Nimoy's lines ("Pure Energy" in Star Trek episode 126, "Errand of Mercy") elevated the listener into outer space.
My first remembrances of Mr. Nimoy was as the foreboding narrator of In Search of... My parents watched the series religiously and I can still, to this day, remember how I felt hearing his ominous intonations as the mysterious case of the week unfolded on TV. I've never quite recovered from the Amityville Horror episode (October 4, 1979); no joke. My other exposure to Mr. Nimoy was when my cousin indoctrinated me into the world of Star Trek via her obsession with the original series and then the books and films. She required I immerse myself in all things Enterprise and even passed me the novelization of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as mandatory reading. I fell in love with the character of Spock via that process and cried like a baby when in ST: TWoK, I watched Spock sacrifice himself in the radiation chamber with Kirk falling apart on the other side. I had the honor to interview him several times for outlets, including his last in-depth interview ever for the official Star Trek Magazine. During our chat. I was struck by how funny, wise and self-deprecating he was, while still being serious about his engagement with the world and the gifts the role of Mr. Spock had afforded him. My take away from him was to always be generous with your art because it makes life richer. LLAP, Mr. Nimoy. This world is richer and delightfully nerdier because of you.
Star Trek was the series that inspired my love of sci-fi as a kid, and though it was only later that I caught up with the original series I remember watching the films with my family and particularly loving Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. That movie contains some of the finest work of Leonard Nimoy as Spock and just captured so much about that character. Sure Spock was logical and in control of his emotions, but the scene where he sacrifices himself for the Enterprise and her crew is so full of emotion. You can feel the pain and love as Spock and Kirk speak for the final time. It's unforgettable. I'm recently rewatching Star Trek: The Original Series on Netflx, which has reminded me of so many amazing Spock moments, but this one will always remain with me the strongest.
I knew Spock before I knew who Leonard Nimoy was. My father is a Star Trek fan, and when I was 5 years old or younger, we named our pointy-eared pup Vulcan. After Trek, I fell in love with him all over again as the host of In Search Of.... The repeats of that show had a significant impact on my fascination with all things unexplained and paranormal. In fact, I ended up hosting a Travel Channel series with a producer who started his career on Nimoy's show; you can bet I was constantly peppering him with questions about working with the TV icon. From The Simpsons to Fringe, a Nimoy appearance made everything better. My most recent memory of Nimoy was the most personal: When I hosted a video Skype panel with him at Chicago Comic Con last summer. Even though it was a virtual meet and greet, it was an honor to converse with him and listen to Mr. Spock sing with his grandson. Live long and prosper, Leonard. You are, and always will be, our friend.
February has finally fled and spring is looming on the horizon. In celebration of the return to warmer times, let's shed some light on this month's roundup of collector cravings recruited from the furthest reaches of the galaxy. From our stunning spotlight selection of a 25-pound Alien Space Jockey sculpture to a statuesque Wonder Woman figure, one hellaciously angry Hulk, a Batmobile cell phone cover, the shock and awe of a Cherno Alpha jaeger, an atomic-breathed Godzilla, Age of Ultron charms and even a darling baby Drogon ring set, we've got the goods to bring a smile to your lips and a warmth to your wallet. Ready for the rampage? Let's get it started...
SPOTLIGHT: DELUXE ALIEN SPACE JOCKEY (SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES)
This hefty Space Jockey Maquette from Ridley Scott's Alien is rendered in 25-pounds of artfully-sculpted polystone and hand-painted to perfection. It's a movie-accurate replica that you may have to get help with hoisting him upon your most honored den shelf. Based on the eerie, biomechanical designs of Swiss artist H.R. Giger and discovered by the doomed crew of the Nostromo on LV-426, the fossilized former engineer is forever merged with his ship's captain's chair, eternally gazing into the dark abyss with his hollow, lifeless eyesockets.
An elite team of artists, researchers and sculptors at Sideshow have created the ultimate conversation piece tribute to Alien, and at the cost of $599.00, it's certain to put a serious dent in your bank account, but one well worth the mighty investment. With breathing helmet masking its true face and brittle bones bent outward from a vicious chestburster, this statue makes a solemn statement of your true devotion to Ridley Scott's outer space opus. Available for pre-order now here with an expected delivery January of 2016.
Still stunned by the immense Space Jockey statue? Well snap out of it and let's venture forth into this month's main gallery of geeky goodies.
We already knew Ultron was going to be one heck of a challenge for The Avengers, but it sounds like the robotic baddie causes so much trouble Thor, himself, begins to doubt they can actually win.
Chris Hemsworth participated in a wide-ranging interview with /Film to promote Avengers: Age of Ultron, talking about where we find Thor in this film and how he has changed in the years since we first met him back in 2011. Turns out, Thor has actually made himself a permanent fixture of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the wake of Thor: The Dark World — which is why he takes Ultron’s attack on his surrogate home so personally.
But one of the most interesting things Hemsworth noted was how dire the circumstances become, where it actually reaches a point that the Avengers’ resident god begins to think this is a fight they just can’t win. He also teases an “even bigger” threat that could be connected to all these shenanigans (Thanos, perhaps?). Check out some choice excerpts below and let us know what you think:
“We pick up with Thor having stayed on Earth from Thor 2, so he’s here, he’s part of the team. This is his home for the moment. The initial kind of threat, the attack from Ultron, is personal because it’s directed at all the Avengers. Thor then begins to see a bigger picture here about what this threat could be potentially, and begins to kind of tie in all of our films. It’s hard to say too much without talking about what I can’t talk about but as I said, it’s a personal loss from the get-go because it’s at him, but I guess he sees a bigger picture…
I think [Thor] openly admits, ‘I don’t think we’re going to win this one.’ The threat is so great that I think all of them are sort of scratching their heads going, ‘Is this it?’ rather than, ‘Okay, we have to kill this many things.’ It’s just an onslaught and it doesn’t stop. It’s sort of an open sort of floodgate and what it could also set in motion is an even bigger threat. I think that’s what’s Thor’s kind of stuck on or where his is attention certainly is, an even bigger picture of Thor being from Asgard. He can just say, ‘Hang on, there’s a whole universe here which is signaling something else.’”
As far as some character-centric stuff, Hemsworth said Thor is finally becoming a more human and humorous guy now that he’s living full time on Earth. It sounds like Hemsworth is happy to see this evolution in the character, and we can’t wait to see how Whedon writes him now that he can go well beyond the confused alien-thing when it comes to dialogue:
“He’s loosened up a bit. I think we lost some of the humor and the naïveté, that sort of fish out of water quality of Thor from the first film into the second one. There were things I loved about what we did in the second one too, tonally, but that sense of fun… I would have liked it to be there a bit more, and Joss I think felt the same way. So there’s more humor in Thor. Or at least, because he’s been on Earth, he’s a little more accessible now. He’s off Asgard so he doesn’t have to be as regal and kingly as he is in that world, which is nice. I enjoy that more. It’s sort of a box, which is tough to step out of on Asgard. You know, that stuff just looks out of place whereas here, he can have a gag with the guys and he can throw away lines and be a party scene with them in civilian clothes, which is nice.”
Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1.
(Via /Film)
Leonard Nimoy passed away today. But his memory and legacy will live on forever in his fans and the lives of the people he touched — which is easy to see because right now because Twitter, Instagram and the rest of the Internet is teeming with touching Nimoy tributes. Here's how the world is responding.
Because Death Note, Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata hit manga about a teenager who is able to kill people by writing their names in a death god's notebook, has been adapted for just about every other medium, it's now becoming a musical. And some of the English-language songs are now online.
Geologists do it according to the Mohs Scale of Hardness. There. That's your "hardness" joke for the post. Now down to business, with the hardest (and softest) scale there is.
With the recent news that the revived series of Doctor Who will soon get its own spinoff series of Audio plays featuring UNIT , you might have wondered about the long history of Doctor Who on Audio. Want to dig in? There's a world of stories out there that if you just watch the show, you're missing out on!
Every month, Netflix makes changes to its ever-popular Watch Instantly streaming service. Some movies and shows leave, others come in, and we all have a chance to either revisit or watch something for the first time. As always, when there's a good crop of genre movies and shows added to the service, we like to give you a little preview, and March is no different.
This month, we've got a complete sci-fi sitcom, a martial arts fantasy, a Terry Gilliam-directed fairy tale adventure, a horror anthology, and a new season of Archer hitting Netflix. Plus, on the original series front, for those of you not already busy with House of Cards, the streaming service is bringing back Inspector Gadget so we can all once again long for a helicopter that pops out of the top of our heads.
Check out what's coming to Netflix in March in the gallery below, and start updating that queue.
(Via THR)
We needed some good news today, and it's not going to get much better than this: Noelle Stevenson, writer and artist of the phenomenally wonderful Lumberjanes, is helming a new Runaways comic for Marvel, due out in May.
This week, Archer meets Lana's parents (well, technically he's met them once before, but ...) on a wild trip to Berkeley that turns into a Bullitt-inspired car chase through San Francisco. And how's this for voice casting: Keith David and CCH Pounder as Dr. and Dr. Kane! Spoilers follow.
Human goblin creature, Pat Robertson, is an adult who thinks that spirits can attach themselves to your old thrift shop purchases. No really, Pat Robertson thinks there are demons in your vintage band t-shirts.
A DNA analysis of wheat found in an ancient peat bog suggests early Britons were more commercially sophisticated than previously thought. The presence of wheat on the British Isles a full 2,000 years before farmers began cultivating cereal grains means these hunter-gatherers may have established important trade connections in Europe.
On February 20, skygazers were treated to a dramatic astronomical dance between Venus, Mars, and the moon. Not since 2008 had these three objects found themselves in such close quarters. Kevin Bourque captured the trio (and some nice earthshine , to boot) in this arresting photograph.
Written By
Esther is a Ph.D candidate in Philosophy/Science of Philosophy. She prefers not to philosophize during her free time, enjoys creating new muffin recipes, and obsesses over small puppies (specifically Huskies).
"I have been, and always shall be, your friend"
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015The post Remembering Leonard Nimoy, The Indelible Mr. Spock appeared first on OMNI Reboot.
In addition to Star Wars Rebels, we've got another animated Star Wars series on the horizon, this time animated in the style of LEGO. In a six-part miniseries, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales will retell each of the original and prequel Star Wars movies from the perspective of C-3PO and R2-D2.
Margot Robbie will be playing fan favorite Harley Quinn in David Ayer’s upcoming Suicide Squad comic book flick, and we can't wait to see her tackle the role. In a recent interview with MTV’s Josh Horowitz, the actress chatted about how she got be cast, and what kind of movie -- tone-wise -- Suicide Squad will be.
So, how did she get the part? The Australian actress revealed that she didn’t have to audition for the role. “I actually got offered this one, I didn’t audition, which is a real step up as an actor when you can get offered things.” She also said that Harley Quinn will get to share a lot of scenes with Deadshot, who’ll be played by her Focus co-star Will Smith, and that they didn’t have to do any chemistry reads together since they displayed a bucketload of that in their latest joint effort.
Harley will, of course, share a lot of time with her Clown Prince of Crime of a boyfriend, the Joker (Jared Leto). Robbie said that she already knew (albeit vaguely) the Oscar-winning actor, and that Leto didn’t share with her how he’ll bring the iconic DC Comics villain to life. But what was really interesting was what the Australian actress said at the end of the interview. When they talked about David Ayer’s take on Suicide Squad, Robbie mentioned that it’ll be more on the “Dark Knight’s side of things,” rather than the Avengers’.
Have a look:
Do you like the tone David Ayer will be aiming for with Suicide Squad?
(via Comic Book)
The iconic hedge maze from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is lovingly re-created down to the most minute detail by MythBusters' Adam Savage in this absorbing 24-minute video. Watch Savage explain his obsession with building an authentic replica of the Overlook maze to use as part of the traveling Stanley Kubrick tribute exhibition, currently headed to Mexico City. Complicating issues with its accurate resurrection are the various versions of the maze seen in the movie, from the maze entrance facade built at the actual Timberline Lodge in Oregon, to the intricate maze model Jack leans over in the cavernous Colorado Lounge, to the icy soundstage sets where Danny is stalked by his insane, ax-wielding father during the film's frosty climax. The end result is an incredible architectural model that would please even the notoriously exacting director of The Shining himself.
So take a break and get lost in this video chronicling the O-scale model's monthlong manifestation.
(Via Geekologie)
Science fiction is littered with ultra-fast mass transit concepts, but now one of the most intriguing is about to become a reality.
Construction is set to begin next year on the first-ever Hyperloop, which will run five miles in the planned community of Quay Valley in California. The track won’t be able to reach the 800 mph target for ideal Hyperloop tech, but it’ll serve as the biggest proof of concept yet for the burgeoning mass transit concept.
The Hyperloop is basically a transportation network of above-ground tubes that would ideally span hundreds of miles. In theory, commuter-filled capsules inside the tubes would be able to reach 800 mph and near supersonic speed thanks to extremely low air pressure inside those tubes. The concept was put forth by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in a 57-page alpha white paper published August 2013, and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies plans to make it a reality.
CEO Dirk Ahlborn told Wired that the miniature version envisioned is “not a test track” but instead a “very natural step” in testing the viability of the concept and figuring out basic logistical questions ranging from platform layout to the design of the commuter pods. It also won’t get anywhere near supersonic speed, since at least 100 miles of track is required to ramp up to those levels. They currently plan to run at least some of the station on solar power.
It’ll be fascinating to see how this project comes together, and here’s hoping it's the first of many Hyperloop projects in the coming years. Something that could theoretically get us from New York to California in approximately three hours? That’s some tech at least worth pursuing.
(Via Wired)
CBS's new Supergirl TV series is casting characters all over the place! These two newest addition may take the Kryptonian cake, though — Dean Cain, who played Clark Kent in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Helen Slater, titular star of the 1984 Supergirl movie, are joining the series.
Usually, when you play ice hockey you play it on the side of the ice where the air is. Not these divers. They decided to take a puck and a pair of hockey sticks underwater in a frozen lake and do a bit of knocking around on the wrong side of the ice.
If you have a freezing day, a powerful desire to get drunk as quickly as possible, and a bunch of beer, here's a way to increase the concentration of alcohol in your brew. Learn about jacking. Yes, it's called that.
Every week, we speak with author Daniel H. Wilson for a detailed recap of Earth 2: World’s End, the weekly DC Comics title he’s spearheading about an alternate earth devastated by its prolonged war with Apokolips. The comic is instrumental in the lead-up to the publisher's upcoming Convergence event, and in this Blastr exclusive we explore the issue with Wilson -- and offer a sneak peek at what readers can look for in its final installments.
As a storyteller, do you prefer happy endings or letting everything go to hell? Because it doesn't feel like there is a lot of hope left.
Well, on some level, I came in to pick up this project and — especially with coordination with Convergence — there was a lot that was already down in stone on how this is going to end. For me, I had to color within the lines to some degree so we reached the right ending spot. With that said, I like the Hollywood ending. I get more satisfaction tying things up. A lot of times, it feels lazy if you're watching or reading something and they just kind of leave it blank at the end. I don't have time for that. I want a story, an ending. For me, since I know how this was going to end to some extent, a lot was about focusing in on the characters. It might not have a happy ending. You could be picking up on something if you're on issue 21 and are starting to feel like there's not going to be a happy ending. But that doesn't mean it won't be a satisfying ending for each of these characters who will have the opportunity to step up.
As consumers of comics, we've gotten used to the reset button. That can be a good thing, but we also want the events of the comics to have lasting resonance and meaning.
Sure. I can tell you, I'm picking up Earth 2: Society, and all the changes in here, all the track we're laying here, continues. There is nothing that gets reset, there is no one coming back. This is it. This stuff matters. The transformations happening, at least while I'm on it, are permanent.
Thomas and Helena encounter Oliver Queen on this base in the ocean, and we learn about this codex. Can you explain what this is?
We're expecting Ollie had been protecting a doomsday device from Sloan and other bad characters. But we realize it is the opposite of a weapon; it's a tool for restarting the world in case anything happens. We realize the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, foresaw that scorched-earth tactics might be necessary and the world could be destroyed. So he set out to create a method to rebuild the world we lost. So the codex is a massively hopeful device; instead of a another weapon, it is a method of creation. In a lot of ways, it is the Wayne legacy.
The art of the codex shows a fish, a bear, and Ollie says it is everything that we are. Does that include metahumans?
This is the natural world in a box. This is a seed vault, and everything Bruce Wayne could lay his hands on to return the world to some semblance of normalcy. This is his best attempt to re-create an ecosystem that can survive.
I've touched on this before, but can we expect the pacificst Val-Zod to unleash hell, and should he?
I think, slowly, we've been realizing, even as the writers, that's not who he is. What kind of journey is that, where he decides, "You're right, I need to unleash violence on the world"? It clearly hasn't solved any problems on Earth-2. He's a thinker, a contemplative guy. He has amazing powers, but I don't think he'll ever rip his clothes off, grit his teeth and unleash lasers everywhere. But who does behave that way? Kara. If you want a crazy, violence-unleashing super-person, I'd be looking at Kara.
We see more from Brainwave in this issue. He is stealing the ships to what end? Does he have his own moral plan?
He has been festering in Atom's Haven, stealing the ships and taking a select group of survivors with him. I imagine he's trying to rebuild his own twisted society where everyone is subservient to him. Obsidian and Johnny are along for the ride, but not necessarily willing participants. They have some shred of humanity, and aren't necessarily down with everything Brainwave is doing. They're not heroes, but not total villains in the way Brainwave is.
Is Terry Sloan making a logical argument that the rest of the heroes on the ship can get behind? Mister Miracle sees the value in Sloan's plan.
Sloan never shows up unless he's got something you want, or something you need. In this case, he's holding the ship hostage. If he doesn't activate the ship, they're going to die. So they don't have much choice but to work with Sloan, no matter his end goal.
It looks like the ship is getting destroyed here. Is everyone somehow transporting out of there with the Mother Box?
No, that ship gets destroyed. What exactly has happened to that ship will be revealed in the next issue. But of course, that's the button, and why I want people coming back for the next issue.
The tease for the next issue is "Jimmy Olsen Unleashed." Can you give me more about that?
Oh yeah, d**n. This next issue is my absolute favorite Jimmy Olsen moment in the entire series. It is the moment I had in mind since he first interacted with a Mother Box in the early issues. I didn't write the "Jimmy Olsen Unleashed" tag, but that is absolutely what happens.
Favorite moment from this issue?
I'm not going to say Sloan getting beat up again, because we beat him up so often now! I really love that moment when the lieutenant turns around and has her mind controlled by Brainwave. Her eyes are blank, and she's snarling. It is so creepy, and the art is done so well. I love that little moment, and we realize — with all the huge things out there to worry about — now we've got a domestic issue on our hands. When things look bad, don't worry; we'll make them worse!
It's been a bit of a bumpy ride enduring delays between Disney XD's Star Wars Rebels episodes this debut season, but from the looks of this rowdy season-finale trailer, it's about to end with a crescendo of awesome. This extended preview of Monday's climactic episode asked the question "Who Will Fall?" Ezra and the Ghost's crew attempt a daring rescue of Kanan, who is being interrogated and tortured by the Inquisitor aboard Moff Tarkin's flagship Star Destroyer.
It's already been leaked that (SPOILERS) Darth Vader will be making a second appearance in this episode, so with all the TIE fighter dogfights, lightsaber showdowns, Imperial entanglements and intense pledges of loyalty, it's going to be a mission long remembered. Buckle up and take a look.
Disney XD's Star Wars Rebels season finale airs on Monday, March 2, 2015, at 9/8 C.
(Via Comic Book Movie)
As the role-playing game's name hints, dragons abound in the many worlds of D&D, but of course they can't all be red, evil, and hungry for heroes. There are dozens of species with different abilities, agendas, and alignments a wandering adventurer may encounter; these just happen to be the weirdest.
Most people have marveled at the fiction of Kelly Link and Neil Gaiman at some point. But it's often hard to describe what makes both their work so terrifically great. Over in Barnes & Noble's The Speculator, writer Paul Di Filippo really pinpoints why they are both so indispensible.
It's called "The Shire" — of course — and god willing it will have so many delicious second breakfasts.
Check out the first U.S. trailer for Eva, a movie about the "first free robot," a small girl named Eva, created in 2041. This Spanish movie contains some incredible visuals — but it also looks like it addresses a lot of important stuff about A.I. and identity. Even in a year of robot movies, this looks like a great addition.
Paleontologists have determined that Purussaurus brasiliensis, a massive caiman that lived in South America during the Late Miocene, evolved the strongest bite of any four-limbed animal. At 15,500 pounds of force, its bite was twice as powerful as the T-rex's.
Friendship is powerful — everything from pop culture tells us so. But how powerful is it? Turns out that friendship has all sorts of properties, that include making you healthier, increasing your self-awareness and helping you accomplish way more. Here are all the ways science proves that friendship really is magic.
Having worked for several exhibitions merging the universes of science and art, Simmons is no stranger to the beauty of nature. Simmons now works for OMNI Reboot as a freelance curator, allowing him to pursue his passion for natural photography.
The post OMNI Gallery Update: 27 February 2015 appeared first on OMNI Reboot.
Things are not exactly upbeat in these clips from the fifth season of Game of Thrones. In one, we've got Brienne lamenting the state of the world to Podrick, and, in the other, Jon Snow having an intriguing conversation with Mance Rayder.
In a happy accident, Comet Lovejoy just happened to be in the field of view of the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera, the world's most powerful digital camera. One member of the observing team said it was a "shock" to see Comet Lovejoy pop up on the display in the control room.
The science fiction community has lost one of its icons today…Leonard Nimoy, who (and I know I don’t need to say this) gained fame as the “pointy-eared, green-blooded, inhuman” Vulcan first officer Spock on the original Star Trek, passed away early this morning at home from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to his wife Susan. Nimoy had announced he suffered from the disease last year, likely caused by smoking, even though he gave up the habit 30 years ago.
Nimoy also had some success as a writer and director, doing both on several of the movie installments of Star Trek, and he also directed the successful Three Men and a Baby.
Most recently he starred in the rebooted Star Trek film as well as a cameo in the sequel, plus had a recurring role in Fringe.
All we can say right now is, Live Long and Prosper.
If you grew up in the '70s (or watched a lot of reruns of '70s children's shows) you were likely familiar with the work of Sid and Marty Krofft. The brothers rank among the most influential television producers of all time, delivering shows like H.R. Pufnstuf, Land of the Lost and the Saturday morning variety show simply called The Krofft Supershow. Within the Supershow, a number of smaller series were aired, including Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, a female superhero adventure series that put its own spin on the kind of campy, gadget-filled TV crimefighting popularized by the Batman TV series of the 1960s.
The show only lasted one season, in 1976, and aired 16 15-minute episodes, but it remains a classic of its era. In 2001, a pilot was produced that featured an older, alcoholic Electra Woman coaxed into returning to crimefighting by a fan, but the concept never made it to series. Now Electra Woman and Dyna Girl is getting a second chance at a return.
Legendary Digital Media and Fullscreen announced yesterday that they're launching a new version of the series starring YouTube personalities Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart in the respective title roles. The series will follow Electra Woman and Dyna Girl as they move from Ohio to Los Angeles, hoping to make it big in the superhero world. Helbig, best known for her YouTube series It's Grace, and Hart, best known for her series My Drunk Kitchen, will serve as executive producers on the series alongside the Kroffts. Music video director Chris Marrs PIliero will direct the series.
"Legendary is no stranger to the world of superheroes and we're excited that Sid & Marty Krofft's Electra Woman and Dyna Girl will mark the first female crime-fighting duo for our brand," said Legendary Digital Media senior vp development and production Greg Siegel. "Partnering with Fullscreen to deliver top quality digital content for our global fan base is an exciting next step for our growing digital division. I look forward to seeing how Grace and Hannah bring these caped crusaders back to life."
The series is now filming, but we don't know yet when it will be released, or on what platforms. If you know Helbig and Hart at all, though, you know they have great chemistry together, so this could end up being a lot of fun.
(Via THR)
I'm enamored with the craft of all this week's stories, their use of structure and the choices the authors made with voice and point of view. These stories all deal with culture and fable and the need to return and return again ritualistically to the same places, relationships, and crossroads.
Fox’s future-set Minority Report is one of the most intriguing genre series winding its way through development, and now we know who’ll take over the lead role previously held by Tom Cruise’s Chief Jon Anderson.
Deadline is reporting that Meagan Good (Think Like a Man) has signed on as the female lead in the series, playing Detective Lara Vega. According to the casting report, she’s a cop who is “not afraid to break a few rules,” and teams up with the former pre-cog Dash, who is now trying to live a normal life. It sounds like that relationship will be the focus of the series, which should be a nice way to shake up the formula from the 2002 film.
The television adaptation of the hit Steven Spielberg sci-fi flick is set 10 years after the events of the film. Considering Dash is apparently trying to live his own life and is not hooked up to a machine to solve crimes, it sounds like the shutdown of the Precrime division persists a decade later. But just because there’s no official division doesn't mean Dash has lost those pre-cog skills. If there were ever a concept built for a sci-fi procedural, this would be it.
As the casting news makes apparent, Fox has already placed a pilot order for the series, and it's considered a leading candidate to eventually earn a spot on the network’s schedule. Considering the genre series Gotham was one of the network’s few breakout hits this year, it stands to reason they’d take another shot with a relatively well-known property. The pilot is being written by Max Borenstein (Godzilla) and directed by Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones), so there's also some solid pedigree behind the scenes.
Do you think Minority Report can be television’s next big sci-fi hit?
(Via Deadline)
As if we weren’t already bouncing off the walls to see Avengers: Age of Ultron, director Joss Whedon has tossed a few more gallons of gasoline on the fire.
Whedon talked with Yahoo! about his latest Marvel team-up, specifically about the scope of the film and its final faceoff with Ultron and his massive army of robots. It’s fascinating to hear Whedon geek out about this universe, especially since he played a large part in making it the monumental success that it is.
First up, Whedon revealed he was actually surprised Marvel allowed him to go with the big finale he pitched when he came up with the idea to feature Ultron in the sequel. It’s a testament to the amount of trust Marvel has in him, and we can’t wait to see that closing frame. He also talked about the challenge of building and changing this world, in much the same way Captain America: The Winter Soldier had far-reaching repercussions for the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
“[Avengers: Age of Ultron] got larger than the first film. I didn’t mean for it to get larger, but the climax that I pitched was completely unhinged and nobody said no, so that’s that … You know they’re going to fight Ultron. You know Ultron has a tendency to build hundreds of Ultrons. So that’s going to lead you in a certain direction, but the hard work of the thing is making sure everyone feels serviced and integrated. So, in the beginning it’s fun. You’re thinking, ‘What would be fun, what would be cool?’
The whole movie is a process of changing everything and keeping everything the same. You want to hit all the things that made people love the first movie, but you also want to make something new or why are you here … I don’t want to make The Avengers again - I did that one time. With the ending it was important for me that we felt a progression. We didn’t just feel, ‘well, no problem, we cleaned that up!’ because that’s an episode of television. That’s not a film. This film, there’s more at stake and we take that seriously.”
Outside of all the fun finale stuff, Whedon also talked about the opportunities afforded to something as unique as this — the second tentpole in a massive series of interconnected films. The first was a juggling act to, basically, prove it could actually work. But now Whedon said he gets to play in that sandbox and subvert our expectations of what an Avengers movie is supposed to be:
“The biggest thing for me is to go deeper with the characters. There are new characters, there are more characters, but the troupe I have from the first movie is so amazing that I want to get in their heads, and this movie is letting me do that in a way I couldn’t in the first one. Now that people accept the reality where Thor, Iron Man and all these guys hang out, I can now bend that reality. I’ve got Quicksilver and I’ve got Scarlet Witch and they have very different ways of looking at the world, looking at The Avengers and different powers. So that visually and emotionally, we can go to a place that we didn’t have access to the first time … To me, adventure film is the best way to put it. Then science fiction, action, western, war, woman’s picture, horror movie. I’m not kidding; every single one of those things is in there.”
Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1.
(Via Yahoo!)
Leonard Nimoy didn't just have a massive impact on science fiction, he also transformed pop culture. Nimoy, who died today, took the thankless supporting role of an emotionless alien science whiz, and turned Spock on Star Trek into an icon.
At the age of 83, Leonard Nimoy has passed away from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
I am, frankly, bereft of words at this moment. And I think our readers here know who he was and what his accomplishments were. Please share your thoughts down below. I may have something more coherent later today.
Mr. Nimoy, you did live long and you did prosper. Thank you for everything you did for us fans.
You will be missed, but never forgotten.
Here’s his final message on Twitter:
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015
UPDATE: This feature was originally published on April 5, 2011, but we thought taking another look at it would be a good opportunity to salute a titan of the sci-fi world on the day. We'll have more on Leonard Nimoy and what he meant to us, and to others, as fans, in the coming days. Live long and prosper, friends.
Today is April 5, four days too late for April Fools' and 13 days before U.S. taxes are due. But April 5 is just as important as those two dates, because it's the anniversary of First Contact, the day that Vulcans came to planet Earth in 2063 and gave us their high-five. And in honor of the occasion, we're highlighting our favorite Vulcan, Mr. Spock.
T'Pol, T'Pau and Sarek are terrific, sure. But we have video evidence that proves why Spock is the best reason for First Contact. (And one of the best reasons for Star Trek in general.)
No lie: "Spock's Brain" is a terrible episode. But this entertaining edit, from ZombieDawg, takes whatever is bad about the season-three stinker and makes it funny, proving that Spock can be awesome even without his brain.
And yes, we're easily amused.
Like all Vulcans who've embraced logic, Spock is an unemotional guy. So when he's funny, he's more amusing than a barrelful of Klingons stuck in a barrelful of Tribbles.
Okay, he's unemotional most of the time. So when he does show feelings, they seem to resonate. When Spock gets sad, we weep; when he gets angry, we cower; and when he laughs, it creeps us the hell out.
Sure, it wasn't a real death, and he was under the influence of some powerful hormones. But how many people, Vulcan or otherwise, can say that they've beaten their captain to death ... and got away with it?
Alternate Universe Spock is evil: He smacks Uhura around, he inflicts agony on subordinates who displease him, and he threatens to torture Dr. McCoy. It doesn't matter. We can watch that beard all day long.
Spock is the Enterprise's science officer and second-in-command, and he embraces the cerebral. (He even enjoys being compared to a computer.) He's laughed and he's cried, but nothing proves that he has an emotional side as when he plays his Vulcan harp.
At least he notices when they're missing.
In this episode, shirtless Captain Kirk and shirtless Spock are thrown in prison together when Spock has to climb on top of Kirk's back. Kirk is uncomfortable with the situation. Spock just goes about his Vulcan business.
This scene must have sparked almost as much slashfic as "Amok Time."
In "The Enemy Within," the captain gets split off into Good Kirk and Evil Kirk. Evil Kirk comes on to Yeoman Janice Rand. Do we sense some cattiness when Spock talks about the imposter? YouTuber xKelociraptor spells it out for us in the above video.
Star Trek V is also not known for its fine plot and dialogue. But Spock manages to snag the best line in the movie, above, delivered when Kirk goes in for a hug.
And he shattered our hearts in Star Trek II with one of film's most poignant death scenes.
This deep space photo is, undoubtedly, beautiful, but it's also something else: a view of space no one has ever seen before.
We've got ourselves another Humble Weekly Bundle. This time around, you can pay what you want for a collection of games from Japanese developers. [Humble Made in Japan Bundle]
The New York Times is reporting that scifi icon Leonard Nimoy has passed away today at the age of 83, a few days after being taken to the hospital for chest pains. Our full obituary and memorial of the Star Trek star will follow soon.
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