CBS has decided to try out a Time-Travel pilot for a new series called Murmurs, from the guy who wrote the new Bionic Woman. The premise centers around an organization called The Commission who’s job it is to keep history from changing; think Time Cop.
If you like your shows outdoors, you can enjoy rocks falling out of the sky as the Geminid Meteor Shower peaks on the 13th and 14th (it has already started). While it may be a bit cold for viewing in some places, that does help clean things out of the atmosphere.
Finally, the first trailer for the new version of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice is out, and it might just be a fun film.
Tiny pieces of Halley’s Comet will be hitting Earth for the next week in the form of the Orionids Meteor Shower. The tail of Halley’s Comet is made of dust and small pieces of ice and rock that has broken off the comet itself, and now follows an independent orbit around the Sun. That orbit crosses the Earths twice each year, with the Orionids being the second pass. The event started last night and will continue for a week or so, with the peak display coming Wednesday night. Since we will be within a few days of a new moon, viewing should be good as long as you can get away from city lights. This is one of a series of meteor showers you can see each year, and the International Year Of Astronomy viewing tips will get you ready. Lest anyone was concerned, Halley’s Comet itself, the main ball of ice and rock, will not be impacting the Earth any time in the next thousand years or so; just the tiny pieces that broke off.
Four months after the launch, tomorrow LCROSS will smash into the moon. Specifically, it will crash into a Dark Crater at the moon’s south pole, in an effort to find water on the moon. Locating a local source of water is critical for extended manned missions and habitation there. Details about the chances to see these events yourself can be found here, including a link to NASA TV Online, where you can watch the event live beginning at 3:15AM PDT, 6:15AM EDT.
The National Air and Space Museum unveiled POP today: the Public Observatory Project. Another celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, the historic 16-inch telescope set up in the observatory will be available for daytime use by the public. Craters on the moon, phases of the planets, and sunspots (with appropriate filtering and/or projection optics to protect Mark 1 Eyeballs from being burned out) are just some of the things the public can see there. If you can’t make it to the Smithsonian, you might want to visit Experience the Planets instead, and see the solar system through the eyes of artists. Or perhaps you would like to read a little about NASA’s Replicator, not quite ready for an order of Earl Grey, hot, but it can make parts for aircraft and spaceships at nearly the molecular level.
I just heard that they are remaking another SF film, this time around the classic Outland, which starred Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, and Frances Sternhagen, and got a killer review in the 1981 NY Times the day it hit the big screen. The original film had just enough sex and violence to catch the attention of the high school date crowd and make them care about the characters and real human drama that had the adult members of the audience already riveted on the screen. The remake could go either way; throw out the drama for straight mindless shoot-em-up, and grab those adrenalin and testosterone driven date-night dollars on one hand. On the other, they might develop the Space Frontier concept the original held to, with all the life-or-death concerns, struggles, and decisions people are prone to when in large groups in dangerous environments like space. But I have to wonder, was Hollywood paying attention this past weekend, when District 9 beat out everyone else at the box office? An original movie with unknown actors and director, telling a story that was brand new and deeply compelling! Or if that wasn’t spacey enough for you, how about Duncan Jones Moon from earlier this year and off this planet, built on an even tinier budget? District 9 and Moon are both the Outland equivalents for this year; telling a tale never known before, that makes you uncomfortable, makes you aware, and finally makes you care to the point where you choose sides. There aren’t many movies that can do that, and almost none of them are remakes. More Originals, Please!
I spent a little time watching the Perseids Meteorite Shower this morning, or as much as I could see through the overcast and light pollution. I am obviously not the only one, as my tweet box is full of such links to pictures. SteamCon is coming in October, and it looks like a lot of fun. Author GoH is Tim Powers, Music GoH Abney Park is my favorite Steampunk band, and Artist GoH Paul Guinan is well known for his Victorian Robots web site, although his Heartbreakers Graphics Novel series (created in conjunction with his wife, who does the plot/dialog/story segment of the process) are Steampunk Webcomics that have been nominated for the Eisner Award. Finally, I was not impressed by much in the G.I. Joe movie beyond the special effects, which even I had to admit were at least somewhat competent (sad when somewhat competent impresses you compared to the other aspects of the presentation). But I did enjoy this little twist, which reminded me of Firefly’s The Hero of Canton to the point I had to include it for comparison… and then a counter-argument.
