Possible Good News for Shaun Omac Radio and Jericho Fans

In news that should give hope to fan's of Shaun "Omac" Daily's "Discussing Jericho" show on BlogTalkRadio, TV Guide has leaked a rumor that Jericho is very close to being renewed for eight episodes. At this time there is no way to tell how accurate the rumor is or isn't, but for fans of Jericho this is big news indeed.

What if "Star Trek" Had Been Invented in the Silent Era?

Thanks to the good folks at SF Signal, I have discovered an interesting little gem of a YouTube film.

You can visit the host site to read the many comments this interesting film has received. I particularly liked a very recent exchange discussing the propulsion system of the Enterprise.

reallyevilcanine:
Nevertheless I find myself drawn not to the social aspects of your picture show as to the technical premises. In the views presented of the engine room it appears that the Steamcraft Enterprise is powered by a triple-expansion steam engine but surely a steam turbine would be more efficient, would it not? Perhaps there are problems when flying through the heavens which prevent the use of high rotational speeds but I should think that we shall overcome such limitations.

DSisterson : I am indebted to you for your perceptive observations sir. It is my understanding that Steamfleet Command are presently engaged in research to determine the feasibility of a turbine propulsion system. There are concerns that such a machine might propel the vessel through the ether at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, and that the crewpersons would be unable to respirate at such a velocity.

As a fan of Space 1889, I know that we must be ever concerned with the properties of etherspace.

Blogging the Pending Zombie Apocalypse

Next Wednesday, June 13th, Cinerati will be participating in "Blog Like It's the End of the World" and will blog about the Zombie Uprising which will begin on that date. Cinerati entries on that date will be written as if the Cinerati gang were experiencing an ongoing Zombie Apocalypse.

To prepare for the event, I will be reading my copies of The Zombie Survival Guideand World War Z by Max Brooks. I will also be checking out the Xombie website to catch up on what is happening.

What is a geek's life like on a Zombified Wednesday? Come check it out.

Wicked Giveaway During Next Geekerati BlogTalkRadio Show

Each week on the Geekerati BlogTalkRadio Show, we try to bring you the best radio show focused on geek interests possible. Our conversations range from a discussion of Television shows and movies to reviews of the latest Board/Card/Video/Roleplaying Games.

This coming Monday at 7pm PST, we will be discussing the ever increasingly interactive nature of entertainment. From roleplaying games (where the interaction is between friends)to Choose Your Own Adventure and Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks (where the interaction is with a book) to the interactivity of internetelevision. How are products like CBS's Innertube, and the recent proposed changes to that site, going to affect the way we are entertained? This is a question we will discuss at length during the upcoming episode.

We will also feature a weekly Roundup of classic films from the great guys over at The Shelf, a review of The Complete Champion by Steven Merrill, and MMORPG commentary by Wes Kobernick. Naturally, Shawna will be discussing her disappointment at the announced cancellation of Battlestar Galactica at the end of Season 4. This cancellation will have no effect on the upcoming Battlestar Galactica episode of Geekerati, set to coincide with the release of the Battlestar Galactica RPG.

Additionally, we will be reviewing and giving away a free copy of Wicked Fantasy Factory's first adventure for the d20 System, Rumble in the Wizard's Tower. You can view a 12 page preview of the product by clicking here.

At first glance the module appears to be a standard adventure for starting characters, but the motto for Wicked Fantasy Factory's new line of modules for the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game is, "Don't just crawl through dungeons...make them sorry they every met you!" Will the adventure live up to the hype? Listen in next Monday at 7pm to hear our thoughts and have a chance to have a copy sent to you for free!

Mahalo-The Human Search Engine

Today marks the begining of a new way to search the web. A new search engine debuted today at the Wall Street Journal D Conference. The engine called mahalo features results pages for the top 4,000 searches as edited and maintained by their search experts. Each results page gives you all the links that they think are the most useful without having to sift through useles links and old sites. Here is a link to their press release for Mahalo's Alpha launch.



http://www.mahalo.com/Mahalo_PR



Not a lot of the search pages are done yet but the pages I searched had all the useful links on the first page. Searches without a custom result page load with a list of mahalo results that you might be looking for and a summary google result page.



I like the idea of a human written search results page. It means that things that just contain the words from my search are left out and only pages that actually pertain to the subject I'm looking for are included.

Listen to the Latest Geekerati Radio Broadcast

Monday evenings have become an exciting time for the Cinerati crew. We now have our own online radio show hosted over at BlogTalkRadio.com. You can listen to the show live at 7pm PST and call in to chat with the Geeks, or you can listen to our archived episodes at our show's host page. From the host page you can also download our past episodes and listen to them at your convenience.

I am joined on the radio show by an interesting panel of friends who share many similar interests with me. Wes, Eric, Steven, Shawna, and I discuss everything from movies and television to video games and roleplaying games. We even sometimes make rpg references during television discussion and vice versa. We think it is a good show and would like all of you to join in the conversation.

Here are some of the topics we have covered in our prior episodes:

1. Summer Blockbusters with the Geeks: During this episode the panel discussed the, then, upcoming blockbuster season and talked about what films we planned to see and which ones we planned to avoid. It was a lively conversation and a nice premiere for the Geeks.
2. Downloading the Upfronts: The upfronts are the event where the major television networks discuss the shows they will be adding to this year's fall schedule. It is when those employed in the television industry jump for joy, sigh with relief, or cry with panic. The geeks discussed which shows they were looking forward to in the upcoming fall season, and which ones they thought wouldn't last until Halloween. Minus a couple of technical difficulties with Skype, the show was an excellent discussion. This show also featured the beginnings of a playtest of Out of the Box game's Cineplexity.
3. Cinema, Cineplexity, and TV Wars: In this show you can begin to see the development of our format. We began the show with a discussion of two of the blockbusters which have already been released in theaters, Pirates and Spider-Man. We then moved on to what will soon be a regular feature, Wes's MMORPG Moment. Wes reviewed Lord of the Rings Online and discussed a growing controversy over CCP's EVE game. If you have an opinion on the CCP controversy, you can comment on the Geekerati site. This was followed by our weekly game review where Christian Johnson gave Cineplexity a full review, listen in to see what I thought. Then Shawna and Christian discussed the summer television season when many cable networks run their big shows during the broadcast network's summer hiatus. We also had our first listener giveaway, a copy of Free Enterprise.

This next Monday the Geeks will be discussing the ever increasing interactive nature of entertainment. It is a brave new world when an audience can choose not merely how and when to watch the shows they like, but also contribute to what stories are being told in more direct ways then ever. What is the future of entertainment now that the "Choose Your Own Adventure" generation is getting more and more control of many media? Steven Merrill will also be reviewing The Complete Champion, the most recent class book for Dungeons and Dragons.

Stop by and give us a listen.

Dr. Strange Returning to the Silver Screen

You may be too young to remember Dr. Strange's first foray onto the Silver Screen, but it did leave something to be desired. It was a quintessentially 70s movie (the review at RevolutionSF concurs) and the opening of the YouTube link above makes one wonder if"Porno Chic" had more influence than the comic books on the production of this television movie.

I have always been a big Dr. Strange fan. Unlike most other Ditko creations, Strange lacked the underlying Objectivist world view. Where the worlds of Mr. A, the Question, The Avenging World, and even everyone's favorite wall-crawler were worlds of black and white morality, the world of Dr. Stephen Strange was surreal. Add to this Objectivism's rejection of any non-materialist metaphysic and Dr. Strange becomes Ditko's most inventive creation. This isn't to say that the morality of Dr. Strange isn't traditional good vs. evil, rather that Strange isn't continually punished every time he chooses his private life over justice. Take Spider-Man as a comparison. Every time Spider-Man takes any action remotely in his own self-interest, particularly in the first 38 (the Ditko) issues, he is punished horribly. Doctor Strange's origin might be rooted in the Objectivist selfishness = death/justice = life dichotomy, but once Strange becomes a hero, he isn't continually tested in the same way that Spider-Man is. Spider-Man's crises are personal, Strange's are epic. All of which makes Dr. Strange a very interesting character in print.

Last week, Lionsgate Home Entertainment and Marvel Enterprises recently announced the release of Marvel's latest direct to dvd animated feature. Doctor Strange will be available on DVD on August 14th on both a DVD and Blu-ray Disc release. This is the first time that Marvel will simultaneously release on DVD and Blu-ray format.



The film stars Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme as he uses his powers to face the terrifying entity threatening humanity. You can watch a short trailer promoting the release at the website linked above. I have to say that the animated movie looks to be about the same quality as the earlier Ultimate Avengers movies, which were both around 3 out of 5 stars. My only concern is that they have Dr. Strange using a sword in the trailer. Dr. Strange in a sword duel? I dunno. I prefer the Dr. Strange levitating crosslegged in a MAGICAL DUEL. That said, I am looking forward to the release, and the cover art by Steven McNiven (Civil War) is a very good interpretation of one of my favorite comic characters.

Descriptions from the press release are below:

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION This August, delve deep into a world of fantasy and magic, filled with mystical creatures and perils beyond human awareness as Marvel Enterprises (NYSE: MVL) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) release to DVD Doctor Strange, the latest title in the incredibly popular Marvel Animated Features DVD series. The fourth release of a multi-picture direct-to-DVD deal signed by the two companies, Doctor Strange marks the DVD franchise's first-ever day and date DVD and Blu-ray Disc release, and it stars Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme as he uses his powers to face the terrifying entity threatening humanity. With CGI animation and a storyline that stays true to its comic roots – a constant theme across all Marvel Animated Features – the Doctor Strange DVD and Blu-ray disc features a First Look at the Avengers Reborn feature, concept art, the "Who is Doctor Strange?" featurette"and the Best of Marvel Game Cinematics, as well as other engaging bonus features to satiate any comic fan . Doctor Strange will be available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on August 14, 2007 for the suggested retail prices of $19.98 and $29.99, respectively.



SYNOPSIS

Peel back the layers of reality, and behold a stunning realm hidden beneath. One of magic and wonder. Of sorcery and enchantment. Of ancient spells, secret doors, and remarkable heroes who protect us from evil. Because this is also a world of dark mysticism, malevolent forces, and unspeakable horrors. And within the shadows around us, a supernatural war is waged. But the balance is shifting. Darkness is winning. Yet there is hope….



Join us as Dr. Stephen Strange embarks on a wondrous journey to the heights of a Tibetan mountain, where he seeks healing at the feet of the mysterious Ancient One. But before his wounds can mend, Strange must first let go of his painful past, and awaken a gift granted to very few. The gift of magic. Empowered as the new Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange now tests his limits, rising up against monsters that push at the gates, facing the most terrifying entity humankind has ever known.



DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*:

• Best of Marvel Video Game Cinematics

• "Who is Doctor Strange?" featurette

• Doctor Strange Concept Art

• First Look at Avengers Reborn feature

• Trailer Gallery

*DVD Special Features subject to change