Get your very own “You Deserve it After Committing Murder” T-shirt from the brand spankin new Legend of Neil Store. We’ve got posters too (which if you buy in conjunction with a T-shirt will be signed by creator Sandeep Parikh and star Tony Janning).
Help support the web-series you love, and look damn good while doing it. The T-shirts are high quality and come in almost every size imaginable including woman’s cuts. So get em while we got em (we only ordered 200) so they’ll go fast.
Featuring MST3K Film Episodes The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy, The Girl in Lovers Lane, Zombie Nightmare and Racket Girls, Limited-Edition Mini-Posters, and All-New Bonus Content
In Stores Nationwide July 7, 2009, 2009, from Shout! Factory
In space, no one can hear you laugh. Unless, of course, you are aboard with the hilarious and beloved space travelers on The Satellite of Love from Mystery Science Theater 3000to skewer B-movies. To further celebrate Mystery Science Theater 3000’s cinematic chuckle fest, Shout! Factory, in association with Best Brains, Inc. proudly presents Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XV 4-DVD box set on July 7, 2009. The side-splitting 15th collection of the famed MST3K features the show’s never-before-released film episodes The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy, The Girl in Lovers Lane, Zombie Nightmare and Racket Girls, four limited-edition mini-posters, along with a wealth of new bonus content, including new interviews with the stars from Zombie Nightmare Frank Dietz and Jon Mikl Thor in Zombie Nightmare = MST3K Dream featurette, Glimpses Of KTMA: MST3K Scrapbook Scraps I (original wrap-around segments from the KTMA season), Behind the Scenes: MST3K Scrapbook Scraps II, Kevin Murphy and Trace Beaulieu in a Sneak Peak from the Upcoming Hamlet A.D.D., and Promos. Join Joel, Mike, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot as they supply their own playful brand of commentaries on some of cinema’s most misunderstood “masterpieces” in Shout! Factory’s Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XV. This collectible 4-DVD box set is priced to own at $59.99.
The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy
The battle between machine and the undead comes to a chilling conclusion when an insane scientist invents a robot for the sole purpose of stealing an ancient artifact guarded for eternity by an Aztec mummy!
Only the second show produced after MST3K’s original year on KTMA, this remarkable episode features J. Elvis Weinstein as a virtually unrecognizable Tom Servo, plus the first part of the classic short Commando Cody & The Radar Men From The Moon.
The Girl in Lovers Lane
After his spoiled protégé’s frequent missteps leave him with the responsibility of making things right with the law, local pimps and hoodlums, Bix Dugan’s life as a drifter may finally be coming to an end. And what a shocking ending it is!
Join hosts Joel Hodgson, Servo and Crow as they send up the movie that divided the MSTie nation. Love it or hate The Girl In Lovers Lane, this memorable episode’s song — “What A Pleasant Journey” — is guaranteed to have you in stitches!
Zombie Nightmare
When a young baseball player is struck and killed by a car full of rambunctious teens, his grieving mother convinces a mysterious voodoo priestess to resurrect her son, allowing his zombied corpse the vengeance necessary to finally rest in peace.
The Satellite of Love crew — Mike, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot — takes on this 1986 zombie classic starring Adam West and Tia Carrere in her very first feature film role!
Racket Girls
When lowlife wrestling manager-turned-gangster Umberto Scalli takes $35,000 from the wrong crime boss, he’s forced to run for his life. Real-life female wrestlers Peaches Page, world champion Clara Mortensen and Mexican champion Rita Martinez — as you’ve never seen them before — star in this sinister tale of deceit, drugs, prostitution and smack downs!
In this hysterical episode from MST3K’s sixth season, Mike Nelson, Crow and Tom Servo challenge the “gorgeous gals of the ring” for the comedy championship of the galaxy! But what’s funnier? The riffs onboard the Satellite of Love — or the Racket Girls themselves? Also includes the popular short Are You Ready for Marriage?
V, a remake of the 1983 TV miniseries, is coming to ABC’s 2009-2010 mid-season schedule.
The world awakens to find spaceships hovering over all major cities. Though the aliens claim to come in peace, some do not believe them. Homeland Security agent Erica Evans discovers that the aliens have plans to infiltrate our governments and businesses in a plot to take over the planet. Erica joins the resistance movement, which includes Ryan, an alien who wants to save humanity. However, the aliens have recruited earth’s youth, including Erica’s son, to serve unknowingly as spies.
“I heard this song and thought that it really suited the Master and his hatred of the Doctor. The song is from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog which, if you haven’t seen it, you MUST check it out on YouTube. It truly is excellent.”
To live sustainably, we must use Earth’s resources at a rate at which they can be replenished, and thus provide for future generations to live as we have. In this kit, you can learn about alternative energy and sustainable living by conducting experiments and building energy-related models. Thirty of the best experiments and the ten most important building projects from the original Power House kit are presented in this new Green Essentials Edition.
The ten building projects include: the power house itself, a greenhouse, a solar cell array, a passive solar collector, a solar oven, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a hydrometer, a lemon battery, and a wind power generator.
Experiment with the heating, cooling, and insulation of the house and greenhouse. Test passive solar collection methods with a solar collector. Assemble a solar power array to explore active solar power with photovoltaics. Build a model refrigerator and air conditioner to learn about heat transfer. Experiment with a lemon battery to learn about power storage. Set up a wind turbine to generate electricity from the wind.
As you perform the experiments, you will read the diary entries of a group of young explorers who are learning to live a sustainable existence on an island. To survive, they must implement real-world versions of the projects you are doing in the kit. Ages 10 and up.
This is not a clever revamping of a classic story. In fact, the most clever thing about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is that its author recognized its complete lack of intelligence by refraining from naming it something dashing like The Most Unmentionable Curse of Meryton. No, Seth Grahame-Smith’s version is not a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice; it’s simply Pride and Prejudice with zombie bits tacked on. Hence, it is, just as his title bluntly points out, Pride and Prejudice AND Zombies. Likewise, Grahame-Smith appends his name onto the book cover after Austen’s, clearly announcing himself as the secondary author.
Which is not to say that I didn’t wholly enjoy this literary extension. In fact, the simplistic format is sure to elicit more than a few chuckles. Basically, this is the original Pride and Prejudice word for word, except for where Grahame-Smith has modified the text by sprinkling in a healthy dose of Katana swords, flying ninja kicks, and zombies mistaking cauliflower heads for brains. So, for instance, Elizabeth might be found employed in carving the Bennet crest instead of trimming a hat during a social visit, or oiling her musket rather than doing her needlework, as Austen has her modestly doing in the original.
In other areas Grahame-Smith does lengthen the additional text beyond brief mentions of muskets and flying stars. Where Grahame-Smith has interluded the original story with entirely new paragraphs I picture the author gamely reading through the original book, drifting off during a particularly mundane scene of social niceties, and then awakening with a jerk, thinking “This dance scene could really use a zombie attack.” Which is why, in the midst of the first ball in the story zombies suddenly crash through the windows and attack the guests, forcing the Bennet girls to do battle in their ballgowns. Zombie unpleasantries out of the way, however, the text resumes its natural course, concluding that “Apart from the zombie attack, the evening altogether passed off pleasantly for the whole family.” Here it is the transitions from original work to zombified Austen that really produces a smirk in the reader.
The really laugh-out-loud bits, though, come when Grahame-Smith projects reader response onto the story. Really, who didn’t find Mary’s didactic speeches positively snore-worthy? Even Austen poked fun at this nerd in the beautiful Bennet fivesome, with her terrible caterwauling at the piano and tiresome morals. Grahame-Smith, however, is much less subtle than Austen, and therefore has Elizabeth rolling her eyes in the midst of Mary’s central speech on vanity and pride, and finally yawning (as surely the reader is) at its dry-as-dust conclusion. Similarly, during the midst of one of Lydia’s rambling and vapid speeches, Elizabeth gets out her trusty Katana sword and lops off her head. Only, much to Elizabeth’s (and the reader’s) disappointment, this turns out to be a daydream and Lydia, head still very much intact, resumes her blethering while Elizabeth (and the world) sighs with disappointment.
In other areas, the additions to the story are so out of character that it’s hard to laugh. A zombie battle where Elizabeth kicks some serious zombie butt, but manages to do so without mucking up her clothes too badly or compromising her modesty, seems in character with the original Elizabeth (a bit of a tough rebel at heart, but still a lady). However, a scene with Elizabeth ripping out and eating a heart, with the blood running down her dress in the middle of a social visit, is a bit… I don’t know… too much?
Likewise, Mr. Darcy seems to have picked up a very un-Darcy-like tendency to make ribald jokes. The repeated “balls” puns are very in keeping with a twelve year old boy and make me think the author should have added “(tee hee)” every time he inserted this particular verbal jest. And the ladies do seem to have a penchant for pointing out the men’s “most English parts.” Still, call me a twelve year old boy, but I couldn’t repress a smile when, after Elizabeth and Miss Bingley engage in their walking-about-the-room-in-order-to-make-Darcy-notice-them scene, and Darcy calls them out for this behaviour, Grahame-Smith has Darcy naughtily pointing out that he can basically see their figures through their clothes due to the glow cast by the fire, instead of simply remarking, as in the original, that he can admire them better from where he is sitting by the fire. In this case, Grahame-Smith’s change actually works well, as Miss Bingley’s retort of “Oh! Shocking!” seems quite a bit less over the top when you take into account that Darcy is, you know, being a bit of a pervert.
Other areas in which Grahame-Smith’s changes quite work are the verbal fighting scenes. In both of Elizabeth’s major war of words, first when she rejects Mr. Darcy’s condescending proposal, and then when she verbally judos Lady Catherine’s prejudices, Grahame-Smith has the duos not only verbally sparring, but physically fighting as well, in an impressive display of Chinese versus Japanese battle techniques. While Mr. Darcy’s words are thrown at him as he is thrown into the mantelpiece, Lady Catherine and her ninja army find themselves cut down by Elizabeth’s tongue and sword alike.
And if you’re wondering, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies isn’t completely a random smattering of zombie mayhem. If you care to look for it, there is somewhat of a weak zombie plot. Basically, the English town of Meryton has been under attack from zombies, or “unmentionables” as they are decorously referred to, for many years. While Mrs. Bennet plots to marry off her five daughters, Mr. Bennet has them trained in the Chinese arts of fighting so that they can vanquish the evil foe. Elizabeth, in particular, is a master of zombie slaying, surpassed only by the haughty Lady Catherine, Japanese-trained and with an army of fighting ninjas to back her! Clearly the differences in fighting styles leads to Lady Catherine’s prejudice against Mr. Darcy marrying Elizabeth!
What follows is a battle of wills and roundhouse-kicks, as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth reconcile their differences against an English backdrop of balls, social visits and violent zombie shenanigans. Along the way, the insufferable Mr. Collins marries the plague-infested Charlotte, who turns into a zombie, to the notice of no one except Elizabeth. Meanwhile Lydia runs off with the wicked Mr. Wickham, who is eventually condemned by Grahame-Smith to a double-whammy life of being a cripple and having to work for the church far, far away.
But eventually Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth learn to love and fight side by side, and everyone has a happy ending (except Lydia and Mr. Collins). Clearly this extension of Pride and Prejudice is riding the coat-tails of current zombie popularity and is in no way presented as a work of art. It does, however, serve a single bright purpose in introducing a literary classic to a new audience in a unique way. For, as Grahame-Smith ponders in his “Reader’s Discussion Guide” at the conclusion of the novel: “Can you imagine what this novel might be like without the violent zombie mayhem?”
At first glance the new web series Lumina looks like an action thriller with a brooding atmosphere, but a closer look reveals a dark fantasy world that could be our own. I don’t know what influences series creator Jennifer Thym drew from, but, while rewatching the trailer (which I’ve done many times now), I am reminded of modern fairy tales (or urban mythology) by authors such as Neil Gaiman and Charles De Lint, who write about worlds that secretly coexist and interact with our own. The images on the Lumina website are beautiful and I look forward to seeing more of the world Jennifer Thym has created. I’m especially in love with the image of Lumina leaning against a wall while, in her reflection, Ryder caresses her. I think that image captures and poignantly illustrates the place inside all of us where our deepest loneliness is calling out to be loved.
RockGinger and Sommertime Productions are proud to announce that the Lumina Web Series Official Trailer is now available to view online at www.luminaseries.com in the new High Definition YouTube format.
Lumina is a daring thriller web series starring JuJu Chan (Jiu Jo Remix MV for Terence Yin and 24 Herbs, TVB People’s Choice Award for Miss Chinatown USA 2009) as Lumina Wong, a young lonely Hong Kong woman who has a chance encounter with the mysterious Ryder Lee, played by Michael Chan, star of the viral YouTube sensation, Wall Street Fighter IV. Lumina’s diverse international cast includes Vince Matthew Chung, recent winner of The Amazing Race Asia 3, as Lumina’s best friend, Teddy Waits.
Directed and written by first time Asian American director Jennifer Thym (RockGinger) and produced by Sommer Nguyen (Sommertime Productions), Lumina was filmed on location in Hong Kong with the cutting edge RED One camera. The series will feature music from the independent Asian music collective, The Enigmatic Army.
“Lumina will open your minds cinematically, and the story will open your hearts to the impossible,” says producer Sommer Nguyen. “Web series is a new and exciting medium,” adds director Jennifer Thym. “With Lumina, we wanted to create a beautiful and intricately woven story, something that you could watch in bite sized internet friendly segments but would still tantalize you for hours to come.”
Lumina Wong (JuJu Chan) is beautiful but works far too much; although she lives in a city of millions, she still feels lonely and isolated. Late one night, Lumina has a chance encounter with Ryder Lee (Michael Chan), a handsome young man from another world that she can see in mirrors and darkened window reflections. She revels in the fantasy relationship until mirrorspy Eben Sanchez (Jacob Ziacan) comes into her life, warning her of the treacheries of the people of the Dark Realm. Soon Lumina must choose between the safety of the world she knows and the deadly allure of the unknown.
Lumina the Web Series will premiere summer 2009. For more information, please contact us or visit our website, www.luminaseries.com.
The Dollverse reports that tomorrow is decision day for Dollhouse. The fate of Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse has yet to be decided, but maybe you can help sway Fox’s decision. If you use Twitter, send a message to @FoxBroadcasting expressing your support for the show and your desire to see a second season. Get all your friends involved. Overwhelm them with tweets. Inundate them with requests for a Season 2.
The Dollverse also makes the following suggestions for showing your support:
If you want to make your voice heard about how much you want to see the show return, here’s how:
CALL — Leave a voicemail on 310 369 3066 for Peter Rice, Chairman of Entertainment @ FOX
EMAIL — askfox@fox.com
TWEET — Twitter @foxbroadcasting, point people towards this post
With the release of the new web series Safety Geeks: SVI and interviews with Tom Konkle of Dave and Tom fame, we’ve been mentioning Dave Beeler a lot around here at ÜberSciFiGeek. Like his writing partner, Dave is a multi-talented writer, actor and comic with both screen and stage credits. For those of you who’ve been waiting patiently, we’ve finally had a chance to talk to the man himself!
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) Did you have an active imagination when you were a kid?
Dave Beeler (DB) Wow, what kid doesn’t? I’m reminded of the wonderful Picasso quote, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” I remember watching a Clint Eastwood film and thinking he was so cool (and he was and still is) and I would act out bits of the film while I was supposed to be going to sleep. And when I was about 10 years old, I made a mustache out of some black craft hair my Mom had (she was always doing artsy-craftsy things). I fished some old toy six-shooters out of my toy box, shoved them in the waistband of my mint-green pajamas, taped that ’stache on my lip, got my step-dad’s black cowboy hat and aviator sunglasses and wandered into my parent’s bedroom where they were lying on the bed. They looked at me and started to chuckle when I drew my guns and exclaimed, “Freeze or I’ll blow your balls off!” Well, that cracked their stuff up and they said, “Do more!” So, I did. My Mom loved “garage-sailin’” as she called it; and so, she’d bring home hats and wigs and costume bits and pieces which all went into this clear plexi box called “David’s Costumes.” When company would come over, frequently to play cards, I’d dress up and come out and improvise bits — everything from a little old lady, to Elvis, to Adolph Hitler (which really weirded my grandma out, “How can he do that so well? He shouldn’t even know who Hitler is!”).
(ÜSFG) How old were you when you decided this is what you wanted to do with your life?
(DB) When I was twelve I thought I would either study aeronautical engineering and work for NASA after a stint as a fighter pilot; or go into entertainment. I loved making my classmates laugh. One day my Mom got home and used my full name. You know, when a parent uses your full name, it ain’t good. “David Christian Beeler, I need to talk to you.” My mind started racing, “What did I get caught doing?” (Notice it wasn’t “What did I do?” but “What did I get caught doing?”)
“I got a call from your teachers today.” Change gears: “What did I get caught doing at school?”
“Your teachers are worried about you.”
I think, “My grades are good. What is this about?”
“They think something might be wrong with your brain.”
My mental gears grind to a halt, “What?”
“Your teachers think you may have some sort of equilibrium problem. You keep bumping into things, falling over chairs, walking into doors. Now I need to know, is something wrong, or are you just clowning around?” I’m busted and I don’t know how to answer. “…Well?”
Somewhat sheepishly, “I was just joshin’. Trying to make people laugh.”
So, the local theatre was holding auditions and I thought, “Well, maybe I should see if this is something I want to do.” So, I auditioned and got the part of “Gus, the German Boy” in an original musical about the boyhood life of LBJ called The Texas Hill Country. My dog, Duffy, was also in the show as Lyndon’s dog and consequently had a bigger part than me. But the performance bug had bit and by the time I was 15, I knew that I would be an actor.
(ÜSFG) You’ve done a lot of comedy but there are a few dramatic credits on your resume as well, especially on stage. Why did you decide to focus on comedy?
(DB) Well, once I decided to be an “Act-TOR”, I began to take it seriously. I wound up training at a British acting conservatory, The Central School of Speech & Drama in London. (Coincidentally, a couple of my classmates who your readers will know were Ben Browder of Farscape and Stargate fame and Rufus Sewell of Dark City and Eleventh Hour. And to anticipate a question, they’re both great guys.) After living and working in the UK for a decade, I realized I really wanted to work in film and, after what I called a “reconnaissance holiday,” I decided that LA was the place to be. Part of this change was reflecting on what got me into acting in the first place, being a bit of a class-clown, making people laugh, doing characters. So, I got into an improv group, which is what ultimately and circuitously led to meeting and working with Tom.
(ÜSFG) I read on your website, daveandtom.com, how you met Tom Konkle during a production. If you were both characters in one of the sketches you now write, what would that first meeting have been like?
(DB) You know, that’s a really tough question to answer. Tom and I are both character actors — we love disappearing as much as we can into a character. And my take on acting is that we all have many facets (which is what makes us so interesting as humans) and acting — esp. character acting — is taking specific facets, juxtaposing them and seeing how that plays out via imagination in the given circumstances of the scene. So, different characters would totally change that first meeting. But, to answer your question: if it were Reginald and Bud, they would be checking to see who this other person is, but any reservations would quickly fall away as they connect over their shared passion for safety and they would soon realize that they not only have a shared interest in safety, but their skills and talents could compliment each other. Then they would mud wrestle. (Substitute the word comedy for safety and that’s pretty much how it happened. Tom is a champion mud wrestler, by the way. Don’t ever let him get you in the “Sunday Go ta Meetin’” hold.)
(ÜSFG) You both seem to be fans of British comedy, especially Monty Python. How did that come about and how does it influence your sketches?
(DB) Well, Tom was an Python freak as a little kid. When I was a kid it was Jerry Lewis, Abbott and Costello (their old films would play on Saturday afternoons on TV) and then Peter Sellers. I came to Python later as a teenager and then again while I was in England. I love those guys. Genius. Python is such a wonderful blend of high-brow, low-brow humor. And when you throw in that absurdist element, it just really appeals to me. It’s like a gateau cake of comedy — layers with different flavors, but all working together to make something wonderful. And then I spent ten years having my sense of humor sharpened on the grindstone of British sarcasm. Their wit can be very subtle and very dry, which forces you to pay attention. One of the things about the English is that they really relish language and that is especially apparent in their humor. Does it influence our sketches? Only all of them.
(ÜSFG) You’ve created quite a collection of characters over the years. Where do you find inspiration for characters like Brian Forbes and Richard Lagina?
Brian Forbes with guest Sir Reginal Bo-Hey No
(DB) They’re essentially the same character — uhm, I mean long lost twin brothers, separated at birth. One of the things that Tom and I love is someone who takes themselves just a little too seriously being put in awkward or ridiculous situations. Then as they become flustered, rattled or unwound, their “reasonableness” is challenged and yet, they will doggedly hang onto that very reasonableness. For example, Brian Forbes is a chat show host and he takes his mission to inform people about new inventions and gadgets very seriously; and so, when Bo-Hey No, who is a complete loon, goes off the rails, Brian has to fight to keep it all together. That conflict, that struggle, to maintain control and composure when it’s all spiraling out of control can be a lot of fun and, hopefully, very funny.
(ÜSFG) Do you have a favorite or most memorable character that you’ve played?
Beeler as Joey-Bill in "Destiny’s Stop"
(DB) Dad. Love Dad. Love the Compulsively Talking Mime too. And of course, Reg. And then there was Joey-Bill in Destiny’s Stop, our little Western piece directed by Thor Melsted. As a matter of fact, Benton Jennings, who plays Hopkins in Safety Geeks, was a professional gunslinger and we’ve been talking about collaborating on a western comedy series. Tom and I are fans of the Leone Spaghetti Westerns, so this was a wonderful opportunity to walk in those boots and still have a surreal and fun twist to it. But, picking a fave… It’s like picking a favorite child. However, Dad might be my favorite. He is a wonderfully manipulative, sweet, mean, guilt-tripping, lonely, stubborn, maddening, child-like character who happens to be this very working class old Cockney curmudgeon. To use the analogy from earlier, he has a lot of facets packed into him. And his relationship with his film-star son, who has airs, is wonderful and touches on so many aspects of parent-child dynamics. Tom and I would love to do a series with these two called The Apple Falls Far. There are a couple of sketches from live shows of these two in action which you can check out.
(ÜSFG) I thought your parody Star Wars: Fate of the Duel was hilarious. What made you decide to add “Sci-Fi” to your list of comedic genres, and have you thought about doing more?
Dave wrote and stars in the fan film "Star Wars: The Fate of the Duel"
(DB) First of all, thanks. That one came about when I was at this girl’s apartment. No, I was helping my friend help her move. She had this metal light saber hilt, so I asked her about it. Turns out Luke’s lightsaber was made from an old photo flash called the Graflex. I don’t remember the prop master’s name, but he repurposed that and used it as the basis for Luke’s A New Hope lightsaber. Apparently hers had been modified in the 70’s (after the 1st film was out) to be a lightsaber and given to her. So I asked if we could use hers, and that was the inspiration for the piece, as well as the one we used in our shoot. (There was a stunt double lightsaber when it needed to be dropped as they are pretty rare now).
(ÜSFG) In your latest project, Safety Geeks:SVI, you play Reginald Syngen-Smithe. Tell us a little about your character.
(DB) Reginald Syngen-Smithe is a great character too. He’s a sort of id beast with a noble calling to make the world safe, and yet he is innocent and often very child-like. With Reg I aspire to achieve what Peter Sellers did with Inspector Clouseau, in that there is a bravado about him, but also something very likable and charming. Watching some of my work in season one with Reg, should we build a large enough following to warrant a second season, I’d love to feather in more dignity in the face of Reg’s ineptitude which (like Seller’s work) makes the slap-sticky stuff funnier. And there are other shadings in there as well — there’s overtones of Batman where a traumatic event sent this incredibly rich kind down a path of service, The Saint (Reg is a safety Simon Templer), Kung Fu (the TV series) in the flashback to Reg’s time with the Tibetan Safety Monks — there is a lot to play with and I look forward to developing that character and getting deeper into his skin.
(ÜSFG) Most actors put a little bit of themselves into the characters they play. Do you share any qualities with Reginald that weren’t intended?
The eccentric billionaire behind the P.O.S.H. Team
(DB) Oh, there’s a lot of me there. There’s a bit of Reg which was me when I was single — the whole id beast thing. I can also be ridiculously clumsy. Our sketch group used to say my Indian name was “Furniture is Not His Friend.” I really hope I’m not as much of an idiot as Reg, but I fear I might be…
(ÜSFG) Is Dave really stalking you?
(DB) Am I? Can I stalk myself? Wasn’t Self Stockings an old cable show?
(ÜSFG) Ha! I meant to say Tom but I love your answer, and I think that show was called Silk Stockings. What is one of the interview question you’ve always wanted to be asked but never have been, and what is your reply to that question?
(DB) I’ve always wanted to be asked by James Lipton, “What is your favorite swear word?”
A: Swollen Haggis!
(ÜSFG) What else are you working on right now and what would you like to do in the future?
We call that “The Little Series that Could.” It is a very simple show: two good characters, saying funny things. It started as a sketch in a live show and we filmed one, and then kept doing it, and now it’s developing quite a following. Who knew? But we’ve fallen in love with that show and look forward to rolling out many more. We have several more series ideas that would work for Internet or traditional media already written and we keep talking about doing a two-man sketch show with guest appearances. We also have a feature film for which we were gearing up to start a raise at the end of ‘08, but when the economy tanked we decided to hold off. So we’re looking forward to getting that ball back in play. And I just came up with a concept yesterday which I think would be great as a web series, so there’s no lack of creative ideas.
When we have bounteous resources (good word, bounteous…), we’ll hire talented people, so we can take off a few of the hats that working in the micro-budget realm necessitates. Then we can really focus down on writing, developing and performing, and get more projects going at once. We have a war chest of ideas and projects already scripted we’d like to see to fruition, including a full-on dramatic sci-fi feature film. Hmmmm…
(ÜSFG) Is there anything else you can think of that you’d like to share?
(DB) First of all, thank you, Raven Kai, for sharing our chat with your readers. And I would be remiss to not express our debt of gratitude to all the people who’ve collaborated with us on Safety Geeks:SVI and on our other projects over the years. Filmmaking is truly a group effort and a lot of people have pitched in to bring the funny. Tom and I are truly blessed to have partnered up and be such congruent collaborators. Tom is absolutely one of the funniest people I’ve ever met; where others have funny bones, he has funny marrow, and the fact that we can get together, laugh until we cry and share that with the world is really cool.
For more info visit us at daveandtom.com, and be sure to sign up for our list if you’d like to get updates.
And, finally, we’ve set up an account on Twitter. It’s Nick’s only official presence on Twitter — right now, we’re using it to announce Nicholas-related news.
Well, Vulcan’s long and colourful journey that started in September 2007 with our ambitious quest to host the premiere of the new Star Trek movie came to a spectacular and memorable end last evening, as Paramount Pictures arranged for a special advance screening of Star Trek for 300 lucky Vulcan Guests.
It was Vulcan’s red carpet moment, and our brush with Hollywood Glamour as we welcomed actor Bruce Greenwood to the event, and were met by a wall of media flashbulbs and microphones.
I am so excited to report that in my mind, the new Star Trek movie did not disappoint! It was funny, action packed and suspenseful. The cast fit, and reinvented their well-recognized roles very well, and Star Trek is reborn.
Thank you so much to Paramount Pictures for arranging last night’s special event, and thank you for entertaining Vulcan’s lofty goal to premiere this wonderful new movie.
Star Trek is back — revived and fresh, and the town of Vulcan, Alberta is proud to be recognized by so many fans as a fun, if not quirky Star Trek destination, in the middle of the Canadian Prairies, 1 hour south of Calgary and 1 hour north of Lethbridge.
Signing OFF:
Live Long & Prosper
Dayna, Erin & The Crew of the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station
