Dollhouse, Firefly, Angel, Buffy : news, photos & videos

Alyson Hannigan, Alexis Denisof & Satyana - Fred Segal Shopping - July 2, 2009 - Paparazzi - Good Quality Photos

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T20:44:40Z

- Graphics

Win a "Dollhouse" Tv Series Season One DVD set on Bashinginminds.com

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T11:28:57Z

Click on the link :

http://bashinginminds.com/2009/07/02/win-a-dollhouse-season-one-dvd-set/

Sunnydale is one of the worst fake cities on Earth

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T11:22:58Z

Fantasy versions of urban life are on the rise, from a backwater, vamp-infested Louisiana town to Robert Rodiguez's new privately-owned Black Falls. It's time to check out our gallery of the worst fake cities on the planet.

Sunnydale

Location : California near Santa Barbara

Where does it appear ? Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe

Locals : A slowly declining population of families and commuters, with a thriving underground community of demons and vampires.

Dangers : It's situated directly over the Hellmouth, so there's that. Think of this city as a magnet for everything in the world that wants to do harm to humankind. Demons, vampires, plagues, ghosts, trolls, witches...the list goes on. If you live in this city and wanted a small family of two kids, I'd have three just to be safe.

Click on the link :

http://io9.com/5305971/the-worst-fake-cities-on-earth

Felicia Day - "The Guild" Web Series - DVD Season 1 & 2 - Available for order !

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T11:21:13Z

Cyd Serman (a.k.a. Codex) has hit bottom. Dumped by her boyfriend, her employer, and her therapist, she drowns her sorrows the way any modern girl would—in the world of online gaming. But after a fellow player mistakes their in game rapport for real-world romance and shows up on her doorstep, Codex brings all of the members of her online guild face-to-face...with very awkward results.

Click on the cover to order the Season 1 :

Picking up where season 1 left off, Codex finds herself evicted at the hands of Zaboo's jilted mother...and Zaboo shows no signs of giving up on their perceived romance. As Codex tries to deal with her own issues while simultaneously advising her Guild-mates on their own lives, a mysterious neighbor begins to show interest in Codex, further sending her life into turmoil. And this is all before the game's server is unexpectedly shut down...

Click on the cover to order the Season 2 :)

Angel in USA Today's guide to the various "rules" for modern vampires

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T11:18:55Z

Click on the link :

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-07-01-vampire-rules_N.htm

Eliza Dushku - About her current work - Bostonherald.com Interview

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T11:17:00Z

Despite new film, TV show renewal, the Hub is No. 1 in Dushku's heart Boston's favorite Doll

Eliza Dushku wastes no time when she gets a chance to return to Boston.

On a recent weeklong trip, she filmed her part in the movie “Valediction,” went to a Red Sox [team stats] game, spent time with friends and made the rounds to see all her relatives. On the day of this interview, she was in the car driving to visit her uncle before heading back to Los Angeles.

“I love this city,” she said. “I will be back and living in Boston at some point.”

Dushku described “Valediction,” which also stars Ben Barnes, Brenda Fricker and Sarah Roemer, as a contemporary psychological thriller.

“First and foremost, it is just a beautiful script,” she said. “It centers around this young couple in a horrible car crash with their 6-year-old daughter. I sort of play the other woman.” The film is due in theaters next year.

On July 22, Dushku returns to the set of “Dollhouse” to begin shooting the second season of the Fox drama. Dushku is delighted the show, from executive producer Joss Whedon, was renewed. She was returning from a trip to Uganda when she got the word.

“When I landed in Boston, I turned on my phone. The first message that popped up was from Joss and it said, ‘We're back, kid.' It was really kind of sweet to touch down and get the news.”

“Dollhouse” struggled in its Friday night time slot but did well in DVR and online viewing.

“It's alive because of the fans and because people found the show. This show is back because it's a new era. It's not just a Nielsen world any more. We really feel like the show was starting to find itself. If we hadn't gone back, it would have been such a mean little tease. We found our rhythm, and we know what worked, we know what didn't work and now we get to really get dirty.”

Her company, Boston Diva Productions, is about to begin production on “Mapplethorpe,” a movie about the famous photographer that will star her brother, actor Nate Dushku. Director Ondi Timoner (“We Live in Public”) is attached to the project. Dollhouse trailer (Story continues below)

“We have the support of the Mapplethorpe estate first and foremost, which is just unbelievably valuable, and we really want to do this right,” Dushku said. “This has been in our life for eight years now. We're about four weeks away from starting to bring in cast members. We're definitely on the fast track.”

Dushku spent some of her time off from “Dollhouse” traveling to Uganda on a socioeconomic tour with the group Global Exchange. While there, she saw firsthand the plight of former child soldiers.

“It's just remarkable, especially after living in Hollywood land,” she said.

She and boyfriend Rick Fox are putting together a video of their time there that they hope to post soon on MySpace [website].

“We want to give people a better understanding of what we were doing there,” she said. “I don't think people realize how much they can contribute.”

Buffy vs. Edward creator talks about his popular mash-up

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T11:03:03Z

I usually try to stay away from the forces of darkness, but last week I killed a famous vampire – and let me tell you, it was fun ! Actually, I didn't stake him myself — I used new media tools to allow one of the strongest female television characters of our generation to do it. OK, let me back up a minute. Last week, at the Open Video Conference at NYU Law School, I debuted my feminist mash-up video, Buffy v. Edward. It's an example of transformative storytelling which reinterprets the movie Twilight by re-cutting and combining it with the TV series Buffy : The Vampire Slayer.

Five months in the making, Buffy vs Edward is essentially an answer to the question “What Would Buffy Do ?” My re-imagined story was specifically constructed as a response to Edward, and what his behavior represents in our larger social context for both men and women. More than just a showdown between The Slayer and the Sparkly Vampire, it's also a humorous visualization of the metaphorical battle between two opposing visions of gender roles in the 21ist century.

The response online has been swift, enthusiastic and overwhelming. Apparently I touched a nerve. Seems a lot of people thought it was about time the Slayer did something about Edward Cullen from the Twilight series (who, in case you are not familiar, is a vampire that glitters like diamonds in the sunlight to attract prey — sorta like a stalky My Little Pony with fangs). In the 11 days since I posted the remix online it has been viewed more than 950,000 times (and growing by the day), and has been translated by volunteers into 16 languages, including Slovenian, Tagalog and Bahasa Indonesian via the website dotSUB.com.

On the whole, the reaction to the video has been tremendously positive — even in such outlets as Perez Hilton's blog, on Entertainment Weekly's Pop Watch. Jezebel.com, a popular blog on celebrity, sex and fashion for women, headlined their post : “Buffy Shuts Down Edward Cullen In The Best Clip Ever.” And just yesterday, the top of the front page of the Los Angeles Times' online entertainment section links to their TV blog's post about the mashup (they interviewed me and sought responses from viewers) :

buffy vs edward

With that kind of prominent placement, I wouldn't be surprised if more than a million people see the video by the end of the week (maybe even by tomorrow). The remix has been posted on hundreds of websites and blogs, and is still circulating through Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. It has sparked a wide-ranging and timely online conversation about how obsessive and predatory male behavior passes for romance in too much of our pop culture. Some of my favorite debates about the mashup have appeared on Pandagon.net, Smartbitchestrashybooks.com, Pixiepalace.com, and there are also long discussions on many Twilight fan blogs, such as Hisgoldeneye.com. I've been pleasantly surprised to find that the exchange on YouTube – where I often dread reading obnoxious comments on videos about gender – has also been exciting and constructive. Statements such as the following, from commenter LillSenorita, have been common :

“Yes ! That is a hundred times more likely reaction from any girl ! Seen from this view, it really takes the “SPARKLING*ROMANTIC*AWW” from stalking.”

Perhaps most exciting is that young girls, who have so few positive role models in media, are finding that the mashup speaks to them, too. Twilight fan Dawi Zarni, age 10, told me :

“It's really good, I liked the girl power it showed. I've watched it like 10 times and showed it to my friends. It's the best thing I have ever seen on the internet !”

Since publishing the video, everyone from fellow YouTubers to Los Angeles Times reporters have been asking me why I decided to created this remix. It all started six months ago when my partner, Anita (also a media literacy advocate) and I watched the enormously popular movie Twilight, based on the book of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. Coincidentally, we had recently finished re-watching the final season of Buffy : The Vampire Slayer, our favorite television show ever. As huge Buffy fans we couldn't help but compare the two stories. We were troubled by how the main characters in Twilight seemed to embody antiquated, sexist gender stereotypes. Teenage protagonist Bella Swan is written as passive, co-dependant and perpetually the damsel in distress. Edward Cullen, her love interest, is written as over-protective, domineering and possessive.

Over the course of the film Edward is in turns patronizing, condescending and just downright creepy. He spies on Bella, he stalks her (for “her own good”), he sneaks into her room to watch her sleep (without her consent) and even confesses to a deep, overpowering desire to kill her. We marveled at how the film attempted to present this behavior as sweet and deeply romantic – and how the larger pop culture discussion continued that framing for millions of young Twilight fans. At several points during the film Anita and I found ourselves asking each other : “What Would Buffy Do ?”

Each answer we came up with conjured increasingly hilarious and satisfying mental pictures of a very different narrative. Imagine if Edward Cullen met The Slayer at Sunnydale High : what kind of story would unfold if their responses were consistent with their personas, and with the value systems of the movie and TV show they represent ? (Even as I type this I can imagine Buffy rolling her eyes at my idea of transplanting Edward into her universe, scolding me with this line from episode 96 : “Please don't be suggesting what I'd have to kill you for suggesting !”)

In sharp contrast to Bella's story, Buffy's narrative is one in which gender equity is sexy – and powerful, complex and independent women are the norm. So successful is this normalization of female strength on the show that in the few alternative reality episodes that find Buffy magically weakened, we see her lack of power as utterly absurd. Imagine Buffy being helpless, ridiculous ! The very thought is played for laughs. Throughout Buffy's seven seasons, males that display the type of behavior Edward does are ridiculed or portrayed as dangerous (or both). Buffy is not without its own controversies (especially around race and LGBT issues), but the writers did often succeed in actively and brilliantly subverting expected sexist Hollywood themes.

At first I wasn't sure if it was possible to take footage from the movie and television show and splice them together in a convincing way. I had made remixes of popular culture before but never tried to re-construct an alternative narrative. But I knew I had to try when I realized that the stalking scene in Twilight was extremely similar to a scene in episode 13 of Buffy.

In both sequences a female protagonist walks alone at night and is followed by shadowy figure(s), while dramatic music amps up the suspense. The similarities end there. Both scenes have radically different outcomes and narrative lessons. In Bella's case, she is confronted by a group of aggressive, drunken frat boys, and actually starts to defend herself – until she's interrupted from the act of self-protection when the writers have Edward swoop in and save her in the nick of time. Turns out Edward has also been stalking her (supposedly in case she might need his help). In contrast, Buffy stops in the dark ally and, annoyed, confronts her pursuer – who turns out to be her own vampire love interest, Angel—and who, you guessed it, is following her in case she might need his help. Buffy's having none of it, delivering her brilliantly pointed line (which I use in the remix) : “You know, being stalked isn't really a big turn on for girls.” She tells Angel she doesn't trust him and that she can take care of herself, leaving him standing rejected and alone in the ally. To the show's credit, it's not ultimately a message of tough female individualism ; Buffy does learn that working together with her friends and allies (many of them also strong female characters, alongside resourceful and supportive men) she can overcome any challenge, including saving the world—a lot.

As an aspiring feminist guy, I wanted to speak out about issues of sexism and gender oppression in media but I wanted to do so carefully and intentionally. That's why I chose to focus my critique on Edward's patriarchal behavior in Twilight rather than on Bella's actions. I didn't feel it was my place to lecture her on desire (even in remix form), especially since her character is already disempowered by the original screenplay to the point of absurdity. So I built each scene around Edward, and then looked for appropriate responses from Buffy. Sorting through seven seasons worth of witty dialog and dramatic footage from Buffy was a lot of fun, and telling the tale through her and her friends' perspective allows us to understand the messages underlying the mythology of the film and the TV show in a new way – and to enjoy the process. I should note that I am not the first to make this critique of the Twilight series, nor did I invent the process of re-imagining pop culture stories. I was inspired by women who have been creating fan fiction as self-conscious creative communities since before I was born. I was heavily influenced by fannish vidding as well as by feminist critiques of popular culture, especially those of bell hooks, whose writings have helped opened my eyes on issues of race, gender and love.

Although my remix is not a “vid” – a fannish music video made by pairing clips from a TV show or film with a song that creates an argument or illustrates a theme – it was inspired by vidders such as Francesca Coppa and Laura Shapiro, who have both taught me much about the art form. I was also inspired by political remix videos such as Jackie Reem Salloum's amazing “Planet of the Arabs,” which she describes as “A trailer-esque montage spectacle of Hollywood's relentless vilification and dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims.” At their best, mash-up videos can serve as a form of critical media literacy, exposing myths and messages embedded in media typically masked by glossy Hollywood productions.

In the end the only reasonable response was to have Buffy stake Edward – not because she didn't find him sexy, not because he was too sensitive or too eager to share his feelings – but simply because he was possessive, manipulative, and stalkery. Lastly, interspersed among the avalanche of positive feedback are a small handful of responses from people dismayed at the death of the beloved Edward Cullen. Often these notes express concern that my mash-up is a condemnation of the fans of Twilight or of the actor Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward. I would like to say that the video is not intended as a stab at the fans. Rather, it's an argument against the specific way in which romance and gender roles are constructed in the Twilight series. Ultimately, Buffy's triumph over Edward is only one small part of much larger story : the story of our collective journey towards a world of gender equity and empowerment.

"Dollhouse" Tv Series - Season 1 DVD & Blu-Ray - Available for pre-order ! (you save 29-36%)

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T10:08:56Z

Click on the cover to pre-order : (you save 29%)

Click on the cover to pre-order : (you save 36%)

Scott Tipton - "Angel" Comic Books - Buffyversecomics.blogspot.com Interview

Webmaster — 2009-07-03T10:07:56Z

This man needs no introduction. If you're a fan of Angel comics, you know who Scott Tipton is. He did a lot of work on the pre-After the Fall series, including a handful of one-shots and the well recieved miniseries, Auld Lang Syne. Recently, he's been working on adaptations of some of the most popular episodes from the fifth season of Angel. Scott was kind enough to do an interview with me about his past work, as well as his new A Hole in the World miniseries.

BUFFYVERSE COMIC REVIEWS : To start things off, how did you first become involved with IDW ?

SCOTT TIPTON : Back when it was still around, I was Associate Editor and Newswriter for Kevin Smith's pop-culture Web site, Movie Poop Shoot.com, which was run by one Chris Ryall. When Chris got the top job at IDW, I told him that if there was anything he thought I'd be a good fit for, I'd love to talk about it. Not long after, he offered me a writing assignment, adapting a Richard Matheson short story for their late, lamented horror anthology DOOMED. He must have liked it, as he assigned me a second one not long after.

Months go by, and in the intervening time, IDW acquired the license to produce comics based on the television series ANGEL, of which I had long been a fan. Throwing caution to the winds, I mentioned to Ryall that, if anything should ever open up on an ANGEL project, I had plenty of ideas for stories. Not long after that, I get a call from him, informing me that they're doing a second SPIKE one-shot book, and the plan was to submit three or four pitches from different writers to FOX, and let them choose, and did I have any ideas ?

Absolutely, I said. Give me a day or two and I'll send you a pitch.

About a half an hour later, my pitch for SPIKE : OLD WOUNDS was in Ryall's e-mailbox, and I was on pins and needles. Not long after came Ryall's response. “Hey, this is pretty strong. Do you know how it ends ?”

And in my head, my inner Mister Burns rubbed his leathery hands together and went “Eeeeeeexcellent.” You see, I had remembered what Marvel editor Mark Gruenwald had told me years ago about pitching a comics proposal. According to the Gru, the key to a proposal with a chance of selling is to come up with a story that doesn't alter the status quo of the series you're pitching for, but makes the reader look at the character in a slightly different light from that point forward. And, he said, make sure to leave your proposal unresolved, with a strong hook. If the editor asks for more, you're on the right track.

So off went the proposal to FOX along with the other writers' pitches, and after what seemed like an interminable wait (but was really quite swift in the scheme of things), the news came down : my proposal had gotten the nod, and the 48-page Spike one-shot was mine !

BCR : Can you talk a little about your experiences with the SPIKE one-shot and the ANGEL ones that followed ?

SCOTT : It was a great experience, but at first, it was sheer panic. After all, my previous assignments had been short stories. I had just talked myself into 48 pages. Now what am I supposed to do ?

After the panic subsided, I sat down and sussed out just exactly how I was going to do this thing. Through a series of crude stick-men page breakdowns (which will never see the light of day, incidentally), I plotted out the story panel by panel and began scripting, and the work went fairly smoothly, much to my pleasant surprise.

I look back at the books now with a lot more experience under my belt, and I see all the places where I could have made it stronger, but overall, I'm pretty happy with them. I think they hold up pretty well. Fernando Goni's style was a perfect fit for this kind of book, combining a slightly exaggerated approach to the action and storytelling with really strong likeness work. In fact, as the pages came in and I saw how well he was able to draw David Boreanaz, I decided to make my next one-shot, LOST AND FOUND, a Spike/Angel “buddy” adventure.

LOST AND FOUND was a lot of fun, since I got to play with the Spike/Angel antagonistic relationship all the way through. I also enjoyed taking advantage of the Los Angeles setting in that one, and mapping their chase sequence all through the city – That was the first time I really went out of my way to provide the artist with tons of photo reference, which I've done on every book ever since.

BCR : What was the pitching experience for your "Auld Lang Syne" miniseries like ? Was there anything you wanted to do, but couldn't ?

SCOTT : Not remotely, no. Working on AULD LANG SYNE was a dream from start to finish. David Messina and I had only worked together once before, on a short story for the Angel Halloween special MASKS, and so this was where we really got to know each other, and I've been lucky enough to have been working with David practically nonstop ever since, both on STAR TREK series like KLINGONS : BLOOD WILL TELL, INTELLIGENCE GATHERING and MIRROR IMAGES, and more recent ANGEL projects like SMILE TIME.

AULD LANG SYNE was such a smooth-running machine that even David's taking ill in the middle of it didn't slow things down, as his then-assistant Elena Casagrande filled in so ably that I didn't even realize the change until much later !

BCR : Where would you place "Auld Lang Syne" in the Angelverse continuity ?

SCOTT : I intentionally tried to keep it vague. It could be taking place during Season 5, or at some point after the series ended. Come to think of it, it could even take place after the events of AFTER THE FALL. I think. I'll have to go back and look at it again…

BCR : How did you and Brian Lynch collaborate with the Gunn story in "First Night" ? Did you break the story together ?

SCOTT : That story was Brian's baby, make no mistake about it. When he asked me to come in and co-write one of the "First Night" stories, I was delighted (primarily because Gunn was the only Angel character I hadn't really had the chance to tackle yet), but I had no idea it would turn out to be one of the most integral chapters. As I recall, Brian and I talked over the story, what would be happening and what he wanted to get across. I put together the first (very) rough script based on Brian's direction and story points and then we would swap drafts back and forth until we got it to where Brian wanted it. Brian deserves the lion's share of the credit, but there is a moment or two in that story that I brought to the table, and the fact that it appears in Brian's masterful story arc pleases me to no end.

Click on the link :

http://buffyversecomics.blogspot.com/2009/07/exclusive-scott-tipton-interview.html

Eliza Dushku - "Dollhouse" Tv Series - Season 2 - How she got the word

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T20:00:50Z

“When I landed in Boston, I turned on my phone. The first message that popped up was from Joss and it said, ‘We're back, kid.' It was really kind of sweet to touch down and get the news.”

“Dollhouse” struggled in its Friday night time slot but did well in DVR and online viewing.

"Angel : After The Fall" Comic Book - TPB Issue 1 - Available for pre-order !

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T19:57:39Z

Joss Whedon & Brian Lynch (w) o Franco Urru (a) o Alex Garner (c) In Angel's final television season, his world ended... but his story didn't. Picking up where Season Five of the fan-favorite TV show left off, this first softcover collection looks at who lived after that climactic battle, who died, and what happened to all of Los Angeles in its wake.

Click on the picture to pre-order :

James Marsters announced for SFX Weekender on February 2010

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T19:43:56Z

Torchwood Stars At The SFX Weekender

Captain Jack and Captain John reunite at the SFX Weekender ! Yes, the live SFX experience returns and this time it'll be the evolution of the convention.

As the first fan event of its kind in the UK – the SFX Weekender, which takes place over the weekend of 5 and 6 February 2010 at Pontins in Camber Sands in Sussex, promises the ultimate sci-fi experience with activities for fans – with book readings, big name guests, interviews, Q&A sessions, comic workshops, with videogaming, music and plenty more at one of the UK's best-loved holiday camps (and Doctor Who fans can pretend they're re-enacting "Delta And The Bannermen")

With a full line-up to be announced over coming months, sci-fi legends John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood) and James Marsters (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Torchwood) are already signed to appear at the SFX Weekender. Also confirmed are :

• Doctor Who scribe Paul Cornell

• Novelists China Mieville and Robert Rankin

Exhibitors and supporters include Manga, Forbidden Planet International, Tor, Gollancz, Diamond Comics Distribution and 2000AD.

Fans going to the SFX Weekender will get the chance to fully immerse themselves in the sci-fi culture which made SFX Europe's bestselling genre magazine and leading website. Fans can get themselves written into a comic strip, get into discussion with their favourite author, chill out at the anime café, get digital art tips, or be amongst the first to see exclusive screenings of film and TV shows.

The SFX Weekender also includes the announcement of the annual SFX Awards – counting votes from thousands of fans for their favourite shows, movies, games, books, comics and stars of 2009.

Dave Bradley , Editor of SFX said :

“Over the years, sci-fi and fantasy fans have asked us to put on a live event, and we're delighted to announce the all-new SFX Weekender. This will be an unforgettable event, and we look forward to bringing the magazine to life with guests and activities from all areas of our universe. We want to bring loads of enthusiasts together to celebrate this vibrant scene with a taste of what makes SFX the world's number one sci-fi magazine and website.”

Full-line up details and timetable will be announced over coming months at www.sfxweekender.com. Tickets cost £85 per person and include two nights accommodation with entry into all arenas. Tickets are on sale now at the www.sfxweekender.com website, or by calling 08700 110034. Kids under 12 go for free.

"Angel : Not Fade Away" Comic Book - Issue 3 - Available for pre-order ! (you save 20%)

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T19:39:12Z

Angel : Not Fade Away #3 will arrive in stores on July 8 from IDW Publishing. The issue is written by Joss Whedon, Jeffrey Bell and Scott Tipton, with art and cover by Stephen Mooney.

Here's how IDW describes the issue :

"When Joss Whedon's Angel series ended, the finale left fans gasping for breath they didnít recover until Angel : After the Fall. See the finale to the episode that nearly broke the Internet into tiny little shards."

Angel : Not Fade Away #3 will be 32 pages and will cost $3.99.

Click on the cover to pre-order : (you save 20%)

"Dollhouse" Tv Series - Season 1 DVD - Bashinginminds.com Review

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T19:27:44Z

Good news ! I can tell you about most of the upcoming Dollhouse DVD set !

Bad news : reviewers only get the first 3 discs with the aired episodes, but not the final disc with the extra goodies. So I can't tell you about the unaired episode 13 “Epitaph One,” or the original unaired pilot, or the features, or the deleted scenes. FOX wants to keep those under wraps until the release date and I can understand that even as I secretly hoped their shipping department would mistakenly send me the wrong disc. But I did get to listen to the commentaries from creator Joss Whedon and star Eliza Dushku, and those were well worth it.

The show

The Dollhouse is an illegal underground company spoken of in whispers, where you can hire an attractive young person for literally any purpose you can imagine. These people, known as “actives,” have had their memories completely removed so that they can have new memories and new personalities imprinted in them to order. Actives can temporarily become perfect lovers, thieves, assassins, companions, detectives, whatever the very well-heeled clients want, and afterward their new identities are stripped away again so they're ready for the next engagement. Only, one of them is starting to remember…

Dollhouse stars Eliza Dushku as Caroline/Echo ; Harry Lennix as Boyd Langton, Echo's handler ; Fran Kranz as Topher Brink, the amoral genius behind the Dollhouse tech ; Olivia Williams as Adelle DeWitt, the boss of the place ; Reed Diamond as her creepy chief of security Laurence Dominic ; Enver Gjokaj as Victor ; Dichen Lachman as Sierra ; and Tahmoh Penikett as FBI agent Paul Ballard. Regular guest stars included Amy Acker as staff physician Dr. Claire Saunders and Miracle Laurie as Mellie. The series had an uneven start, with the first episodes being mostly standalones that simply showcased what actives from the Dollhouse are hired to do with only a passing nod to any ongoing story arcs or show mythology.

The commentaries

Now, there are three types of DVD commentaries. There's the one where the people talking get caught up in the show and forgot to comment on anything, but I've rarely seen that on a Whedonverse DVD. Talkative bunch, they are. Then there's the type where the commentators are just having a blast, reminiscing and cracking each other up and offering funny little behind the scenes moments. That's what Joss and Eliza do in their commentary on the aired pilot episode, “Ghost.”

dh_menu“Ghost” sets the stage for the series, with an active named Echo (Dushku) being sent out on various assignments while an FBI agent searches for the woman she used to be. Joss is in full goofball form, Eliza is keeping right up with him, and they joke about sexing it up for the network, Eliza's shirt-dress, Amy Acker's “mood scars,” the problems of writing hostage negotiation scenes without the slightest idea how they go, why things seem to go wrong in the Dollhouse every week, and much, much more. I'm wildly tempted to just transcribe the whole thing but I'll control myself and stick with my favorite line from Joss about the broad strokes of the plot : “Subtlety is for little men.”

You don't get a lot of introspection about the complex themes of the show but it's great fun to hear them point out some of the same incongruities that the fans did. There's also a moment in the end when they say something about the people in the closing “Alpha” scene that I don't recall as ever being mentioned in the show, so watch for that and let me know if I'm right.

Then there's the third type of commentary, where the creator of the show tells us exactly what he was thinking, what effect he was going for, what moral questions he was asking, and how the show was crafted. That's what Joss gives us in “Man on the Street.”

“Man on the Street” is the 6th episode and teh one where the show really took off. Joss wrote and shot it like a second pilot and it feels that way, giving us a very different show than we'd previously seen. From this point on every episode moved the plot forward with secrets and hidden agendas and wheels within wheels, and a headfirst dive into the moral complexities of using human beings.

dh_josselizaThe show itself is packed until you can't believe they fit it all into an hour minus commercials. Every moment contains a revelation or development, every action has several layers of meaning, and everyone involved has a story to tell. And so does Joss. I thought this was similar to his non-stop, detailed commentary on Firefly's “Objects in Space” in the way he explains how carefully they presented the story to evoke specific expectations in the fans which would be dashed to the ground moments later, such as the love scene between Ballard and Melli :

“They are clearly into each other,” he said. “And he wants her to help him, and she believes him. This is a huge thing. What it is, of course, is me saying ‘I'm going to kill her now.'”

And he talked about the moral aspect, the most troubling and interesting aspects of this show. Fans have been discussing the competing issues of the Dollhouse and its employees, clients, and enemies, and while he doesn't provide any answers, he does address the questions head on. Is it right to sell people if they've previously agreed to be sold ? Once a person has agreed to let their body be used, does it make a difference who's using it ? If you don't remember what happened to you, did it really happen ? What makes a person want to rent another human being ? What person would consent to be rented, and why ? And when you take away a person's memories, is there anything left ?

“Man on the Street” was the first episode to tackle these questions head on. Interstitial clips of a news feature on the “urban legend” of the Dollhouse tell us what the public thinks of the idea, and we see a schlubby Internet mogul (played beautifully by Patton Oswalt) with a very good reason to hire an active. The episode mixes political correctness and layers of moral entanglement and the fact that they can do that is, according to Joss, “what scares me about the show and is absolutely what makes it worth making.”

The extras

dh_promoAs I said I haven't seen the extras so I can't comment on them. And I don't know if the screener copies I have are identical to what you'll be buying, so the fact that I couldn't find any easter eggs may not mean that you won't (I'm hoping for bloopers, me).

I can tell you that the final episode, “Omega,” which aired without a promoted scene that was cut for time, is presented here just as it aired. Hopefully the deleted scenes feature will include the missing Sierra/November bounty hunter segment.

The stats

The regular Dollhouse DVD is presented in widescreen format with English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital plus English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The Blu-ray version is in 16×9 aspect ratio with English 5.1 DTS HD Lossless Master Audio.You get all 12 episodes, with the two commentaries I described above. Then you get the never-before-seen episode “Epitaph One” with commentary by writers Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, the original unaired pilot “Echo,” deleted scenes, and the featurettes “Making Dollhouse,” “Coming Back Home,” “Finding Echo,” “Designing the Perfect Dollhouse,” and “A Private Engagement.”

Dollhouse Season One goes on sale July 28. You can preorder it from Amazon now ($31.99 for the regular one, $48.99 for Blu-Ray), or if you're going to the San Diego Comic-Con you can get a limited edition copy with a note from Joss.

And there may be other ways to get one, he said foreshadowingly…

"Angel : Not Fade Away" Comic Book - Issue 3 - Medium Quality Pages Preview

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T19:20:26Z

- News

GeekSix posts their top five Firefly inspired songs

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T19:01:39Z

Click on the link :

http://www.geeksix.com/2009/07/top-5-firefly-inspired-music/

Neil Patrick Harris is in negotiations to be next Emmy Awards host

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T13:06:22Z

Neil Patrick Harris hopping to Emmys

'Mother' star cutting deal to host awards show

It should be a "legendary" Emmycast.

Thesp Neil Patrick Harris is in the midst of cutting a deal with CBS and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to host the 61st annual kudos on Sept. 20. Insiders cautioned that the deal is not yet completed, but all sides are working toward setting Harris as this year's Emmycast frontman as soon as possible.

A CBS rep declined comment late Wednesday.

The "How I Met Your Mother" star (whose character, Barney Stinson, is known for his liberal use of superlatives like "legendary" and "awesome") was a no-brainer of a choice for the Eye after he earned rave reviews as host of the June 7 Tony Awards, which also aired live on CBS. (He also hosted last year's Creative Arts Emmy Awards.)

Having Harris front and center on the kudocast will amount to a promo boost for "Mother," which is set to move into the 8 p.m. anchor slot of the Eye's Monday comedy block the night after the Emmys.

The pressure is on this year's Emmycast exec producer, Don Mischer, to improve the ratings and the critical reception to this year's show. Last year's Primetime Emmy Awards were widely panned for the decision to use five reality show personalities as co-hosts.

In addition to the Tonys, Harris has done awards show duty this year as host of the TV Land Awards and the nontelevised Writers Guild Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.Related : Does Neil Patrick Harris + Tonys = Eye on Emmys ?

"Buffy : Season 8" Movie - Fan Made Posters - Medium Quality Artworks

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T13:02:20Z

Click on the link :

http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee140/Chloesexy/Tv%20shows/ ?action=view¤t=__Buffy_The_Movie___Theatrical_by_t.jpg

Vampires - In Space ! Or the Future ! Or Both ! (fray mention)

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T11:28:45Z

Why must vampires always appear someplace in Louisiana, Northern California, or London whining about their gothic pasts ? If you're sick of the same old vamps, we've got a batch of newfangled ones for you - some from outer space.

Fray, the comic book shown here, is a classic of the post-apocalyptic future vampire genre. Created by Joss Whedon, the short series chronicles the life of a future vampire slayer named Fray. She works in a city divided between the healthy rich and the mutant poor, aiding her mutant buddies by using her slayer powers to be a super-criminal. Complicating her life is the fact that her (evil) twin brother has inherited part of her slayer powers too, and later Buffy time-travels into her world and messes everything up. Also, her watcher is a giant demon with enormous horns ; and her boss is an amphibian criminal mastermind. Do not miss this series.

While Fray is a story of future vamps, one of the classics of the space vampire genre is the movie Lifeforce, based on a book by Colin Wilson called (yes) The Space Vampires. A naked lady from space arrives on a human space vessel, immediately seducing a member of the crew with her naked spaciness. Then she sucks the life from him, leaving a dried-up husk ! Panic ensues, while more people are sucked and nudity runs rampant and glowy special effects shoot out of people's groins.

Written in roughly the same era as The Space Vampires, Tanith Lee's Martian vampire novel Sabella should probably have been made into a movie with glowing groins too. Sabella lives alone on Mars, trying to discover the mysteries of her past and figure out why men are constantly throwing themselves at her in a haze of lust. This cult classic is definitely off the beaten track for vampire fans, but manages to make Mars into a plausibly gothic landscape.

And then there's the aptly-named Queen of Blood (1966), featuring a lady who is a cross between a vampire and a green sexpot from Star Trek. You know it must be good because it stars Dennis Hopper.

Teenage Space Vampires (1999) is a rare cult classic about what happens when space vampires invade the tiny town of Knowlwood. And a few nerds have to fight them. Includes some great one-liners, as well as a running gag related to a dimensional portal, lawn gnomes, and the vampires' hidden weakness. Really it's just about the lawn gnomes. And throwing them.

Mario Bava's 1965 flick Planet of the Vampires is also one for the ages. I love how in this English trailer for the (badly) dubbed version, the narrator intones, "In a 40 G gravity atmosphere, strange things happen." Indeed : Things like people in really high, black collars and vampire-esque aliens who take over the human crew's body so (of course) their "race can survive." I'm not sure these creatures are strictly undead, but they do occupy the bodies of dead people and look really sinister. Plus, they inhabit a world where people wear a lot of shiny black outfits for no reason. So let's go with the vampire thing. Apparently some critics have claimed that this film influenced Alien.

In 12,090 AD, Vampire Hunter D roams a post-apocalyptic landscape seething with Lovecraftian monsters and vampires. This stunning and truly awesome manga / anime series is stylish, dark and addictive. D is a half-human, half-vamp creature who hunts vamps with the help of a mutant creature who lives in his hand and a cyber-horse for a steed.

In America, we have our own D, known to comics and movie fans as Blade. He's a half-human, half-vamp hunter of vampires, aided by a mutant-looking Kris Kristofferson (in the movie) and a bunch of cyber-cycles. Though the first Blade flick wasn't very futuristic, director Guillermo Del Toro fancied-up Blade II and turned it into a near-future scifi flick about vampires doing genetic engineering on themselves to create a race of super-vamps. Check out a video of the vampire mad science lab here - definitely worth a look.

Then there's the sultry Sivil, from Macross 7. She's a vampiric creature who makes an appearance in what is otherwise pure space opera.

Several novels try to create biologically plausible vampires in space. Most notably, Peter Watts' Blindsight takes place 80 years in Earth's future, when a gang of outcasts (including one vampire) are sent to deal with a spaceship filled with alien creatures that they're totally unprepared to deal with. Tobias Buckell's Sly Mongoose deals with a virus that turns people into zombie-vampires who live to infect others and generate a vast, collective consciousness that can potentially take over a huge volume of space. And in the Vampire Earth series by EE Knight, vampires from space have invaded the planet and altered its climate so they can live here comfortably while they EAT YOUR SOUL. Yes, you can now blame climate change on vamps.

Many scifi TV series had vampire episodes, but none were so literally-named as the Buck Rogers episode "Space Vampires." (above) If you live in the States (or learn how to use proxies), you can watch this piece of televisual brilliance on Hulu. What's the plot ? Ummm, scary space vamps with epic eyebrows on a space station. Buck in tight white pants. Colonel Dearing in tight, orange, silky jumper. Some poor victim in what appears to be a macrame outfit. Biting, fighting, feathered hair. The end.

There may be many vampires in Doctor Who, but for us there is only one : the plasmavore from "Smith and Jones." First of all, the name plasmavore is awesome. I wish the vamps in True Blood would insist that we all use that term as the preferred PC name for blood-suckers.

And for Trek fans, there are always the salt vampires, from the aptly-named "The Man Trap." Ex-girlfriends can get ugly.

Why do vampires always want to lure you in with sex ? Sexy Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood knows the answer in "Day One." Also, this episode teaches a valuable lesson. Sex in bathrooms always results in dust orgasms. You know what I mean.

And if you want to game, you can play Lunar Knights, a Nintendo DS game with a few vampy moments. Or check out the post-apocalyptic vamp MMO game Blood Wars. Best of all, of course, is cyber-vamp RPG BloodNet.

But if none of this does anything for you, surely Horror of the Blood Monsters will get your heart pumping. Yes, these scary creatures live on another planet. As this awesome trailer promises, "You'll see human beings hideously transformed . . . gruesome mutations !" Also, it's in "weird color." Which is truly a mark of quality in a space vamp flick.

"Buffy : Tales of the Vampires" Comic Book - 2009 One Shot - Available for order !

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T11:06:15Z

In a small town in Massachusetts, a young man named Jacob goes about his day as usual-wakes early, eats breakfast with his mom, and heads to school. He's a hard worker and a reliable friend to Alexia, an athletic and headstrong young woman. But at night Jacob likes to cut loose at the local arcade, where he's befriended a reckless gang of vampires who enjoy drinking his blood. Jacob craves the high and the easy escape from the monotony of his life that this "bloodletting" provides.

Enter the mysterious and sultry May, who can help Jacob leave those high-school days behind — that is, if Alexia doesn't stop her first.

Click on the picture to order :

"Dollhouse" Tv Series - Joss Whedon announces Comic-Con Epitaph One screening

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T09:14:57Z

Click on the link :

http://www.dollverse.com/2009/07/joss-announces-comic-con-screening.html

Michelle Trachtenberg - "A Couple of Dicks" Movie - On The Set - Medium Quality Photos

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T09:08:37Z

- Graphics

David Boreanaz - "Bones" Tv Series - Season 4 DVD - Release Date

Webmaster — 2009-07-02T09:02:27Z

Bones - 4th Season Release Date and Details for Blu-ray Disc and DVD Formats

Several weeks ago we reported that Amazon.com had begun taking advance orders for s for Bones - Season 4 on both DVD and high-def Blu-ray Disc. No release date was available at the time, though, because the studio had not formally announced the title. Today, however, Fox Home Entertainment told retailers that the title, in both formats, had been officially put on the schedule for October 6th.

The DVD is a 6-disc set presented in anamorphic widescreen video. Audio is listed as "English : 5.0 Dolby Digital"...that's right, it says "5.0" instead of "5.1" (hopefully this is a typo). Subtitles are in English, French and Spanish. Bonus material starts with Extended Episodes (in addition to the aired versions) of "The Perfect Pieces in the Purple Pond," "The Doctor in the Den" and "The Girl in the Mask". Other extras will be Deleted Scenes, a Gag Reel, plus 2 Featurettes : "Androgeny : Playing Haru Tanaka" and "Squints in Training".

The Blu-ray is a 5-disc set with the same content, presented in high definition widescreen video, 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio and subtitles in French and Spanish. Running time of the Blu-ray is specified to be 1174 minutes. Cost of the Blu-ray version is $69.99 SRP in the USA and CA$89.99 SRP in Canada. By comparison, the DVD is priced at $59.98 SRP in the USA, and CA$89.98 SRP in Canada (interesting that the list prices are the same in Canada for the Blu-ray and the DVD, but there's a ten dollar difference between the two in the USA).

"Dollhouse" Tv Series - Season 2 rights bought by Sci Fi UK

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T20:16:00Z

NBC Universal-owned UK channel Sci Fi has secured the rights to sword and sorcery series Legend of the Seeker, executive produced by Spider-Man director Sam Raimi, and the second series of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse.

Sci Fi has acquired the first-run UK pay-TV rights to the first two series of Legend of the Seeker, the fantasy epic produced by the team behind TV hits Hercules and Xena Warrior Princess.

The show, based on fantasy author Terry Goodkind's best-selling series of books The Sword of Truth, has been acquired from Disney-ABC-ESPN Television. Each series consists of 22 hour-long episodes.

Sci Fi has also acquired the first run pay-TV rights to the second season of Dollhouse, created by Whedon, which stars former Buffy and Angel actress Eliza Dushku as one of a group of "beautiful and seductive operatives" known as the Dolls.

Earlier this year Sci Fi acquired the rights to the first season. In the US the first series ran to 12 episodes with the 13th, a "post-apocalyptic instalment", reserved for release in the US on DVD-only later this month.

However, Sci Fi in the UK has reached a deal to air as the US DVD-only season finale on 11 August.

"Buffy : Always Darkest" Web Comic - Medium Quality Pages

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T20:14:30Z

Dark Horse Brings "DHP" Home with Buffy by Joss Whedon & Jo Chen

The Eisner-winning free webcomics anthology “MySpace Dark Horse Presents” turns two-years-old this week, and is back with a brand new digital issue — sans the “MySpace," that is.

CBR News has confirmed that following a very public round of layoffs that saw over 400 people lose their jobs last month – including every single person associated with comic book content — MySpace.com is presently unable to accommodate Dark Horse's latest virtual issue of “Dark Horse Presents,” which includes new work from Gilbert Hernandez, Mike Kindt, newcomer Mike Lawrence, and Joss Whedon & Jo Chen, who debut this week a brand new “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” story created exclusively for the online anthology.

Series editor Sierra Hahn told CBR, “Because of everything that's going on with [MySpace] – they have to reorganize and there are a lot of things in transition, they're under a lot of pressure to reestablish MySpace – we've kind of taken a step back and said, well, what's the best way for us to get this really great content out and getting it out on time ?”

The answer to that question, it turns out, is for Dark Horse to bring its former flagship title back home — specifically, to DarkHorse.com's eComics section, where “Dark Horse Presents” #24 is is available to read right now.

However, Dark Horse hopes the move away from MySpace is only temporary, and that if and when the wounded social networking giant stabilizes, “Dark Horse Presents” will return to the site. “We've been spending the last few weeks trying to figure out what our relationship with MySpace would be from here on out and what we wanted to do with the anthology,” Hahn said. “It's really important to us to keep it alive. Once they have reestablished the roles and we have a secure contact there, we want to continue that relationship and see where it will go.”

Since its launch in 2007, “MySpace Dark Horse Presents” has become a hugely successful endeavor for the Portland-based publisher, one they measure both creatively and financially. “We have some of the best creators in the industry involved with the anthology like Mike Mignola and Joss Whedon, certainly, and Gibert Hernandez,” Hahn explained, noting that the anthology also spotlights new talent every month. “And a lot of people who know the history of ‘Dark Horse Presents,' the print anthology, have a lot of confidence in the kind of quality that comes through [the web version]. And I think people have been really excited that it's online and accessible for free. It's also allowed us to work with talent that we don't necessarily have ongoing series with. They've come to us and said, ‘I'd love to do a short story with you guys, can I do it on “Dark Horse Presents ?”' That's let them establish a relationship with Dark Horse and talk about future projects ; new characters and new properties, like ‘Sugarshock !' by Joss Whedon and Fabio Moon.

“Financially, well, it's a free anthology. We do sell the [collected print editions of ‘MySpace Dark Horse Presents'], six months worth of content. The benefit that you can't really quantify is that it's a way to get the word out on our books. Hopefully, you get people to read a short Mike Mignola story and say, ‘This is really intriguing, who are these characters, what's going on in this world ?' and eventually pick up that trade. Or Eric Powell's ‘The Goon' or something Joss has been doing with Buffy. It's not just driving sales of our ‘MySpace Dark Horse Presents' print anthologies but of our backlist as well.”

This month's virtual issue of “Dark Horse Presents” features a short story that will definitely attract attention, a new Buffy tale by creator Joss Whedon and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer : Season Eight” cover artist Jo Chen. “It's a three-page story. Usually there's three eight-page stories and one two-page story, but Joss and Jo had such an amazing story to tell that we were able to give them three and break the rules !” Hahn laughed.

As for the story itself, it is tied-in to the continuity of Dark Horse's ongoing Buffy book, although more of a standalone tale. “It's something that I think will surprise fans and certainly get them talking,” Hahn said. “Visually, it's stunning. If you're familiar with Jo Chen's work and the amazing covers that she's done for us on ‘Buffy,' you can only imagine how gorgeous these characters are going to look. There's some people, some gentlemen from Buffy's past that make appearances and cause some tension for her. I think fans will be really excited. Some will be happy and get a good laugh. Some will probably be really annoyed. But as long as it gets them talking and gets them involved about the Buffy universe then I think we've done our job.”

Should the MySpace arrangement resume, Dark Horse intends to supply the site with this month's issue of “Dark Horse Presents,” as its particularly enticing contents were designed to celebrate the project's two-year anniversary. “If that isn't going to happen, which we should know in the next coupe of weeks, then we will be looking for the next best option of keeping ‘Dark Horse Presents' alive and online, not necessarily through our site but through something else,” Hahn confirmed.

Buffy & Angel Figurine Coll Mag #1 Buffy - Available for pre-order ! (you save 20%)

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T20:03:26Z

From Eaglemoss Publications, creators of the fan-favorite Classic Marvel Figurine Collection and DC Comics Superhero Collection comes their latest classic-in-making : The Buffy and Angel Figurine Collection ! All your favorite characters from Buffy and Angel will be represented, from the heroic 'Scooby' gang and popular supporting characters to the show's many 'Big Bads' ! This month, we kick off the series with 'The Slayer' herself, Buffy Summers, as a 3.5' hand-painted lead miniature. And like Eaglemoss' other series, each Buffy/Angel release will include a colorful and informative biographic magazine !

Click on the cover to pre-order : (you save 20%)

"Angel : Aftermath" Comic Book - Issue 22 - Available for pre-order ! (you save 20%)

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T19:56:56Z

The fallout from the Fall has left Angel beset by problems both mortal and from Above, and it all comes to a head here. Angel and the Potentates face one menace while Connor and Dez have their own problems to deal with. And what about the guy with the actual wings ?

Click on the cover to pre-order : (you save 20%)

Michelle Trachtenberg - Leaving LAX Aiport - June 28, 2009 - Paparazzi - Good Quality Photos

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T19:47:31Z

- Graphics

Emma Caulfield & Doug Jones to attend 2009 Wizard World Chicago Comic Con

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T13:13:50Z

Click on the link :

http://www.wizardworld.com/guests-ch.html

Juliet Landau will attend 2009 Comic-Con

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T13:11:43Z

From her Twitter :

Hey Clint, wish you were gonna be at Comic-Con too !

about 7 hours ago from web

She'll be part of the IDW panel on July 25th, talking about her character's appearance in Angel #24 and 25. She's co-writing the issues with Bryan Lynch. She'll also signing autographs at the IDW booth on the 24th and 25th.

"Once More With Feeling" Live Shadow Cast Performance in Toronto on July 2-10, 2009

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T11:59:03Z

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER : ONCE MORE WITH FEELING

THE SILVER STAGE Live Shadow Cast Performance

THU JUL 02 9:30 PM
SUN JUL 05 9:30 PM
FRI JUL 10 9:30 PM

Sunnydale is alive with the sound of music as a mysterious force causes everyone in town to burst into full musical numbers, revealing their innermost secrets as they do. But some townsfolk are dancing so much that they simply burst into flames, and it becomes clear that maybe living in a musical isn't so great after all. Joss Whedon's cult musical recreated as a Broadway extravaganza !

Illyria - "Fallen Angel : Reborn" - Issue 2 - Available for pre-order !

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T11:57:22Z

Peter David (w) o J.K. Woodward (a) o Woodward, Runge (c) Joss Whedon's Illyria, is in Bete Noire on a mission to reclaim three objects of power which she hopes will restore her to her former status. Part of her mission, though, hinges on her ability to dispatch another Angel who is, like Illyria, also fallen... namely Liandra, the Fallen Angel, Magistrate and protector of Bete Noire. *2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio. *Retailers : See your order form for a special incentive FC o 32 pages o $3.99.

Click on the cover to pre-order :

Amber Benson - "Death Daughter" Novel - Mtv.com Interview

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T11:55:23Z

She may be best know as Tara Meers on the series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” but Amber Benson (left, with Sarah Michelle Gellar) has since become an accomplished writer. She has written and produced her own films, written several comics and she and co-writer Christopher Golden created the popular BBC series “Albion.” Now, she's taking her first solo-flight as a novelist with “Death's Daughter,” which is book one of a trilogy.

During a book signing at Midtown Comics in Times Square, we had the chance to about her new book and its interesting protagonist, a sarcastic young woman named Calliope Reaper-Jones. Amber told Hollywood Crush, “Basically, it's about a girl who's father is Death. [Death as a force] is run like a corporation. He's the president and CEO. And he gets kidnapped and [Calliope] has to come and run the company and find out what happened to her dad. But she's like a normal girl and she doesn't want any part of the supernatural world.”

Despite coming from a powerful family and inheriting the title of Death itself, Calliope is quite self-conscious when she meets handsome men and so, much to her frustration, she winds up having a lot of trouble dating. This, of course, is part of what makes her a character young girls can relate to.

“She's kind of a geek,” Amber said with a smile. “Kind of a dork. A little whiny at times. I wanted to create a character that was flawed. I wanted her to go on the hero's journey. Very rarely do you see a female protagonist who isn't already in control of her super-powers, in control of her destiny. I wanted a character who is given the call and says, ‘no, no, I don't want to do this,' and is kind of forced into her fate.

“Having worked on ‘Buffy,' that sort of prepared me to write Calliope's story. Because she's another aggressive girl out there in the world … We're doing a trilogy and I think as the story progresses she grows and learns and changes. Who wants somebody who's perfect ? I don't.”

But unlike Buffy, Calliope has the companionship of a very special dog. “Runt is one of Cerberus' puppies. Only the boys have three heads. She's SO cute !”

A lot of Indian and Greek mythology are used in this book, but as the first of a trilogy, what other mythologies can we expect in the next two ? “The second book is going to deal more, primarily, with Egyptian mythology. And I'm working on the third right now so we'll see what happens with that one.”

Comics aside, we also had the chance to ask the star about the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” film, which is currently in the works sans the vampire slayer's original creator, Joss Whedon. “I hate to judge things before they happen,” she admitted. “I like to let them be and then when I see it I'll make a judgment on it. It definitely won't be the same ‘Buffy' as the TV show, it will not have Joss' voice. And I think that [Joss' voice] is what draws people into Buffy's world … [But] it COULD be great.”

What do you think about Amber's foray into the world of books ?

Tim Minear - "Alien Nation" Tv Series Remake - He will work with Fox 21

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T11:49:28Z

Sci Fi is developing a new take on "Alien Nation," the 1988 feature that previously spawned a spinoff series on Fox.

"Angel" alum Tim Minear — no stranger to sci-fi tales, having worked on "The X-Files," "Firefly" and "Strange World" — is penning the fresh take on the franchise. Fox 21, the alternative production arm of 20th Century Fox TV, will produce.

"Alien Nation" centers on the partnership between a veteran cop and his alien detective partner, set against the larger tale of alien "newcomers" who move to Earth and attempt to assimilate into society.

Fox 21 topper Chris Carlisle said he believed "Alien Nation" could rep the next franchise revival for Sci Fi, which found huge success in dusting off "Battlestar Galactica" and reworking it for today's auds. Carlisle said "Alien Nation" works both as a sci-fi piece and a procedural drama.

"It's absolute perfect timing for this type of show," Carlisle said. "They're looking for more grounded sci-fi and close-ended episodes, and at the heart of 'Alien Nation,' it's a cop movie. It's grounded. And it has a tremendous amount of dramatic possibilities and humor."

Sci Fi is also looking to broaden its footprint, as it preps to rebrand itself as "Syfy" next week.

"It's very much in keeping with what we've been looking to do — find themes that are more than just hard sci-fi, something that feels contemporary and relevant and invites a broad audience in," said Sci Fi original programming exec VP Mark Stern.

The new "Alien Nation" would include a mythology that evolves over time and will also touch on some of the issues of the day, such as the immigrant experience and how society integrates an incoming culture.

Minear said he's looking forward to incorporating a mix of all the different kinds of series he's written in the past.

"It's genre mixed with procedural mixed with funny and mixed with big, giant scary," Minear said. "I love serialized stuff, but this is also a cop franchise. That 'Starsky and Hutch'/'Lethal Weapon' buddy cop comedy is absent from TV right now."

Minear is currently busy outlining the "Alien Nation" script and mapping out the project's mythology. The new "Alien Nation" will likely take place in the Pacific Northwest, and will take place about 20 years after the first ship of aliens - who have been banished as slaves - crash lands into Earth.

By the time the show begins, some time in the 2020s, the alien population has multiplied from a few thousand to 3.5 million. And much of the "newcomers" live their own segregated existence, in what Minear compares to the North African ghettos in France.

"You can take (the original 'Alien Nation') a step forward and really do a show that encompasses the clash of civilizations, and the idea of a ghettoized minority," he said. "You can touch on racism, terrorism, assimilation, immigration. And there's room for satire."

The original film, which took place in 1991, was helmed by Graham Baker and written by Rockne S. O'Bannon (with an uncredited revise by James Cameron). Mandy Patinkin and James Caan starred as alien cop Sam Francisco and his reluctant human partner, respectively ; Terence Stamp also starred.

In 1989, 20th Century Fox TV and Kenneth Johnson Prods. adapted the movie for Fox, with Eric Pierpoint and Gary Graham in the lead roles. The show lasted just a single season but spawned a series of books.

The TV show was revived in 1994 as a series of telepics for Fox, starting with "Alien Nation : Dark Horizon." Five TV movies were ultimately aired ; the last, "Alien Nation : The Udara Legacy," ran in 1997.

Stern said Sci Fi had been looking at "Alien Nation" as a potential franchise for several years and had talked to several writers about ways to update the concept for modern auds.

"The challenge is how do you do it in a way that will reinvent it without it feeling like a derivative rehash," he said. "We sat down with Tim, who is someone we'd been looking to work with for quite a while, and his approach felt like it wouldn't be a traditional adaptation. We got excited."

Minear said he'd been anxious to develop for cable - and in particular, Sci Fi. The success of "Battlestar" fueled his interest in reviving "Alien Nation," he said.

"Twenty years (after 'Alien Nation'), TV as a whole has evolved, and you can explore issues and go deeper with subject matter than you ever could before," Minear said. "On cable, you can play with ambiguity. This is a place I want to be."

"Buffy : Season 8" Comic Book - Issue 26 - Available for order !

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T11:46:57Z

Written by Jane Espenson, pencils by Georges Jeanty, inked by Andy Owens, colored by Michelle Madsen, covers by Jeanty and Jo Chen.

Team Buffy has become all about sneaky in a world where Slayers are now feared and hated, and vampires would rank at the top of a popularity poll. All hands are on deck as Scotland's brand-newest Slayer headquarters comes under attack ; but, when things get more than a little fried, Buffy has to punt. There are yaks. Presenting Buffy on the defensive in "Retreat."

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on July 1.

Click on the cover to order : (you save 20%)

"Dollhouse" Tv Series - DVD - Countdown to 2009 Comic-Con limited edition

Webmaster — 2009-07-01T11:22:45Z

Click on the link :

http://www.foxstore.com/dollhousecomiccon/index.html