In this episode:
- our movie review of The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008) starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson,
- Chris Carter’s other TV shows (The Lone Gunmen, Millennium, and Harsh Realm),
- the unpopularity of sci-fi on TV,
- our movie review of Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (2008) starring Brendan Fraser,
- computer generated dinosaurs,
- Rob’s problem of forgetting movies a few years after watching them,
- our movie review of Tropic Thunder (2008) starring Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr.,
- celebrity deaths (Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, thanks to www.deadoraliveinfo.com),
- Jim Henson,
- Morgan Freeman’s car crash and injuries,
- the curse of The Dark Knight (2008),
- Michael Caine,
- upcoming movies in 2009 (Fast and Furious starring Vin Diesel, The Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen starring Shia LaBeouf),
- Michael Bay,
- Richard Dreyfuss suing his father and uncle for $870,000,
- and the unreleased Super Nintendo video game Steven Seagal Is the Final Option.
Download this episode:
49 minute MP3 file – 22.4 MB (right-click to save)
Listen to this episode:
Steven Seagal is the Final Option and you better believe it!
Another good show as always guys.
Regarding science fiction, I think the popularity of the format suffers on TV due to low budget special f/x, props, costumes etc. When sci fi is backed by a televison company (Lost, Heroes, unlike Firefly, which was great) or on the big screen (Independence Day, Hancock, both movies had pretty weak scripts), it can get pretty huge ratings. The casual viewer needs to be able suspend their disbeliefs at what is happening on screen. Cheesy f/x can ruin a sci fi series’ credibility.
Also, studios need to give these shows some time to find their footing, which doesn’t happen nowadays. If you don’t bring in decent ratings, shows tend to be canceled by 5 episodes. I’ve been rewatching the 1st season of the X-files and that show was hit or miss in the beginning. Remember The Jersey Devil, the murderous AI, the stupid Indian werewolf with the plastic mask, or the godawful Mars space face episode?
However episodes like the ice core worms, eve 6 and alien/human hybrid really stand out as great sci fi moments of the 1st season.
Anyway back to my point. If the The X-files was released now, it would be canceled midway through the 1st season, much like Firefly another good sci fi show.
Hi Dennis, thanks for the comment. It’s good to hear from you!
Greg is more into sci-fi TV shows than I am, so he’s more familiar with shows getting cancelled. However, one sci-fi show I watched and am surprised wasn’t cancelled is Heroes. The special effects were fine, but after the first few episodes, it was like the writers ran out of ideas and had no idea what to do. I can’t believe it’s coming back for a third season. I guess the ratings are good enough that it’s worth keeping on the air, even though it stinks.
Dennis, there really are pockets of science fiction left on television now. One of my favorites, besides LOST, is Supernatural on the CW, which follows many of the same stories as the X-Files, Kolchak, Real Ghostbusters, etc. It’s smart, funny, tough, and downright exciting.
The X-Files, even the bad episodes, I watch if they are on. Same thing with most of the Star Trek series (TOS, TNG, DS9). I know a few people who just rave about Battlestar Gallactica on the Sci-Fi Channel, but I find it pretty boring. Same with Stargate SG-1. I don’t understand how that series has gone on for over a decade, while so many other, better shows, have not?
Per Firefly, as a long time Joss Whedon-ite, I intended to give it a good look. It usually takes me a while to warm to a show. But it was already gone. The Friday time slot is just a death sentence. The X-Files made it out of there somehow, I don’t know. I did rewatch the episodes when the SFC aired them in order, and really liked the show. It wasn’t as clever as Farscape, but it was still cool. It was sort of like what the original Star Wars was. Serenity was a fantastic movie, but unfortunately, since there were no big stars in it, and the Buffy fans aren’t a huge number, it failed at the box office.
I’m really interested to see what J.J.’s Star Trek will do. I have a feeling it may well disappoint, especially if he actually does a real Star Trek movie. That is what I would like to see, but it won’t get big excitement from the average moron.
Greg,
I can certainly sympathize with your frustration. Having worked with Rob for several years and being a big movie fan myself, I’d rattle off dozens of movie titles asking him if he’d seen them with the hopes of discussing it. Yet time and time again, I’d get his staple reply – “I didn’t watch movies growing up..I only watched TV”. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!
listening to greg’s exasperation at rob forgetting films / information blank spot on film provides so much of the comedy. i love how the show provides information on existing video games, but the real treats are the discussions on prototypes – this is where you really show off your knowledge.