We just finished up the 4.5 seasons of probably the most phenomenal television show I’ve ever seen, Battlestar Galactica, and I must say that we went through a wee bit of a mourning period recently!  Don’t let the name fool you, it’s not some crazy science fiction series that doesnt’ really have a lot of humanity and where you see creatures running around from outer space, or ridiculous voyages that end in one show, but it’s a very human, realistic portrayal of a futuristic story about where the human race is.

The story line of Battlestar is where there is an ongoing war between the humans and their robotic creations, the cylons.  After millions of lives are lost, the two sides call for an armistice and the cylons go to live on a planet called Kobol and leave the humans alone.  Well, one day about 40 years later, the cylons attack all planets and colonies of humans that they have, both in space and on planets, having the upper hand because of the secrets that one Gaius Balter, a brilliant but sniveling,  cowardly, womanizing scientist who has been tricked in to givng the defence system secrets to the beautiful woman he has been dating for a while, a newer model cylon that looks, feels and acts just like a human.

The producers Ronald Moore and David Eick are nothing short of genius in the picking of ther characters.  The beautiful ex model who can actually also act, Tricia Helfer, plays the very sexual number 6 cylon, who is the focal character on the “other side” from the humans.  Edward James Olmos, who I think deserved to win an emmy for his performance as Admiral Adama, as well as his XO Saul Tigh is excellent.  These character are so three dimensional that you feel as though you know them a few episodes in.

Everyone is excellent though, and you can tell that the cast is very cohesive, as it shows through in their performances on screen.  Katee Sackhoff plays Starbuck, one of the central characters who was actually a guy in the original series.  She pulls it off wonderfully, and is one of the most endearing, if not confounding characters on the show.  President Laura Roslin is played by Mary McDonell, and you guess it, she’s awesome too.  Apollo is another great supporting character, played by Brit Jamie Bamber (you’d never know it, his accent is great in the show, he masks his British accent well).

And last but not least, the blubbering self preserving scientist Gaius Balter is played by James Callis.  He can make you angry but you are also rooting for him somehow.   A lot of the characters on Battlestar are like that though, which goes to show that it’s a great show when you have torn feelings about what certain characters are doing.  The special effects are great and the writing is superb. I’d highly recommend it to anyone, not just sci fi lovers.  It’s awesome.

I am a HUGE fan of the Alien series of movies.  I love the whole concept, the actors, the direction, the cinematography, the dialogue, all of it.  I’m an especially big fan of Sigourney Weaver, and how she put women on the map as heroes and major protagonists in films.  The first Alien film was excellent, a real groundbreaker, and it was directed by Ridley Scott, introducing Sigourney, who we actually think may just be an extra schmuck that meets her fate as the other crew mates do, but soon find out she’s a survivor.

I think that was the coolest and most groundbreaking part about the original Alien movie, was that we were sort of surprised when she emerged as the tough survivor. James Cameron further evolved her character in the second movie, Aliens, into a more ass kicking version of her former self.  Well, now, Ridley Scott is set to direct a new Alien film that is supposed to be a prequel to the original movie.

No word yet on what it will be about exactly, but unfortunately I don’t think it can include Sigourney Weaver’s character Ripley, since that wouldnt’ make a whole lot of sense.  I’ll be sure to update you when I hear more about this exciting news!