“Good to Great” — A Year of Galactica

“Good to Great” A Year of Galactica by K.S. Kumar

Today is the 1 year anniversary for Galactica!

I have been one of the earliest followers of Galactica: The Blog and am delighted to congratulate Girish for the huge success over the year of making a difference to the media world.  This has been a year of growth from strength to strength with engaging content and clear definitive verdicts.  Today the blog has well over a hundred followers, has regular updates and is rich in variety. Truly a blog to bookmark and visit again and again.

The blog started, like many wonderful initiatives, with a small beginning, almost as an experiment. With various initial names on wordpress like movietvguy and others and domain names based on the author like girishkumar.me, it evolved and grew like the proverbial caterpillar to a butterfly into Galactica.me. This has been a truly coming of age and represents its permanent place in cyberspace.

Galactica The Blog has grown from Movies to TV shows to comics to books to well researched and definitive opinions on a variety of relevant topics ( Han Shot First is one of my favorites). More recently, the rebranded podcasts titled Gods of Galactica, provide an extremely engaging and informative conversational style immersion into the world of movies, tv shows and comics. I look forward to its relaunch on iTunes and a future videopodcast to make this even more rich in content.

Why do I like Galactica ? Lots of reasons. To name a few:

Content

Content is rich, is regularly updated and there’s always something to look forward to.

Style

The style in which the reviews and articles are written is fresh, simple, direct and very effective in communication

Contemporary

The latest movies, TV shows are quickly reviewed and guides us to watch shows that otherwise may not be regularly broadcast in countries like India.

Variety

The blog covers movies old and new, TV shows, books, comics , articles and podcasts providing a rich variety that cater to all interests.

Podcasts

The podcasts are truly engaging with three geeks honestly expressing their views. Lots of  useful information that can help one pass of as an expert in the field if you repeat some of the things mentioned. Would like to see some of these guys on video !

Design

The blog  has an appealing layout that matches its content.

In summary, this is my favorite blog devoted to entertainment and I am really looking forward to growing to even greater heights.

By the grace of Shai Hulud, I am sure the force will always be with Galactica and the blog will indeed live long and prosper.

One caution, remember with great power comes great responsibility !

Your follower,

Kumar.

A Tribute to the First Doctor

It all began with ‘An Unearthly Child‘. On 23 November 1963 actor William Hartnell starred as a grumpy old man, with a telephone box and a grand daughter who is super smart. In her school, to solve a math equation, she wanted to invent few more new dimensions. The teachers were worried about her so one night they followed her in to an abandoned warehouse, and they found her and her grumpy grandfather living in a blue telephone box which is bigger on the inside than on the outside. From there began Susan, Barbara and Ian‘s journey. Their first adventure saw them going to 10o,000 BC.

William Hartnell as the First Doctor infront of the TARDIS

The first Doctor’s second adventure introduced us to the Dalek’s who would later turn out to be one of the Doctor’s archenemies. The stories alternated between Historical and Scientific. And with the introduction of Daleks, it became a phenomenon. The first season sees the Doctor and his Companions go to Skaro, meet Marco Polo, the Aztecs and many others. The second seasons sees the second story ar of the Dalek- “The Dalek’s Invasion of Earth” where Susan departs from the show, and in the very next episode ‘The Rescue’ we see the introduction of Vicki who replaces Susan. At first the Doctor doesn’t trust his ‘forced companions’ Ian and Barbra, but as the show progressed, he begins to trust them and has fun during their adventures. At the conclusion of a chase through time, Ian and Barbara used a Dalek time machine to go home, in the episode ‘The Chase’. Their place in the TARDIS was taken by a space pilot named Steven Taylor.

Daleks

In Season 3 , he meets someone from his race i.e Time Lords in the Meddling Monk, and he has an adventure with him in Galaxy 4. Vicki also departs from the TARDIS during the episode ‘The Myth Makers’. He is then joined by Katarina, in the same episode. But in the episode ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’ Katarina is killed. It was the first death of a companion in Doctor Who. The Doctor and Steven had their arguments during the episode ‘The Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Eve ‘ where he is upset abou the deaths especially of Anne Chaplet. He rejoins the Doctor with his new companion Dodo Chaplet, descendant of Anne.  Dodo brought a cold virus to the far future, which nearly annihilated the humans and Monoids travelling on The Ark. In the same season, The Doctor meets one his most deadly foes The Celestial Toymaker. During that episode, he is made invisible while Steven and Dodo play the toymaker’s deadly games.  Towards the end, Steven and Dodo leave the Doctor. Steven remains as a moderator in the episode ‘The Savages’ and Dodo decides to remain on earth in 1966.

Cybermen

He is the joined by  Polly and Ben Jackson who were the first to witness a regeneration of a Time Lord. Though they hadn’t named it that yet. In the episode The Tenth Planet, The Doctor fought against the Cybermen on the antarctic snowcap station on the Tenth Planet called Mondas.  Due to exhaustion from fighting, he collapses in the TARDIS and his cells renew themselves and give him a new body and a new face. This is the first appearance of Patrick Troughton  as the Second Doctor.

The first four season of this wondrous series had an old grumpy man who travels through time and this man has led to this series being one of the longest running Science Fiction Series in the world. Ten men after him have played the Doctor, all inspired by him. This series was initially going to be an educational show, which had alternating episodes about science and history. But eventually, the Science element of the shows had more popularity than the history ones.

William Hartnell reprised his role as the doctor in The Three Doctors, the 10th anniversary special. which was also the last appearance of this great man. Towards the end of his run, his old age made him forget his lines and in The Three Doctors,  he required cue cards to remember his lines. He also got tongue tied while saying his lines due to his  arteriosclerosis. Patrick Troughton was suggested by William to play the second doctor. He died on April 23 1975 at the age of 67.

In the end we all know that  William Hartnell is the first ever doctor who set the standards for the other to come. Though he wasn’t the best, he was the original. So I leave you with the REAL last words of The First Doctor. Due to the less time for production, they had to scrap the last lines of the doctor. What he said as his last lines were:  “Ah! Yes. Thank you. That’s good, keep warm.” But, his original last lines were supposed to be  :

“No… no, I simply will not give in!”

 

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe #2

 

Writer:

Cullen Bunn

Artist:

Dalibor Talajic

Review:

Looking at the first issue, one would expect the second issue to be as good as the one before, but this issue sadly failed to deliver. When they gave the title of “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe”, did they also include the readers? ‘Cause this comic was so boring that it’s killing me.

We were introduced to the newly maddened Deadpool in the previous issue. This issue, I’d expected some justification for the killings or something of such sort, but I got nothing. We know whats going to happen in this comic from the title itself, but what we want is something more interesting. The soliloquies of Deadpool are less than interesting. They don’t provide any information into the character. What I liked was the commentary on how Deadpool is being used as a character. This issue wasn’t too good. The story was badly written. And some of the scenes, the emotions of the characters looked melodramatic and they looked posed. I’m all up for killing Spiderman and getting rid of him as I don’t like him, but they could have made it little more interesting.

Final Verdict:

3/10

A Storm of Swords Part-2 Review

A Storm of Swords Part-2: Blood & Gold (A Song of Ice and Fire #3)

 

 

Author:

George R. R. Martin

Publisher:

Bantam Spectra (US) & Voyager Books(UK)

Date Published:

August 6th 2001

Story:

he Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud, and winter approaches like an angry beast. Beyond the Northern borders, wildlings leave their villages to gather in the ice and stone wasteland of the Frostfangs. From there, the renegade Brother Mance Rayder will lead them South towards the Wall. Robb Stark wears his new-forged crown in the Kingdom of the North, but his defences are ranged against attack from the South, the land of House Stark‘s enemies the Lannisters. His sisters are trapped there, dead or likely yet to die, at the whim of the Lannister boy-king Joffrey or his depraved mother Cersei, regent of the Iron Throne. And Daenerys Stormborn will return to the land of her birth to avenge the murder of her father, the last Dragon King on the Iron Throne.

Review:
A Storm of Swords (Part 1 & 2) is easily my favourite book in the series so far. Blood and Gold is such a wonderful book with unexpected and horrifying deaths of main characters. The book is superbly written and it’s hard to put it down.
I really hate cliff hangers. And this book has many. A cliff hanger is solved many chapters and pages after. For example, the Arya (11th Chapter) cliff hanger is solved only 13 chapters after, which would make it the 24th. 170 pages is a long wait! After that cliff hanger, I was sure she was dead. The same goes for another character, which I shan’t mention.
George RR Martin, has used the first book to develop the characters and the second to implement them. This has some good action sequences. I have the same problem with this part as I had with the previous one. There aren’t enough chapter of Daenerys! She is clearly the best female characters. She has only 3 chapters. Out of 40 chapters, she has only 3!!!
Any way it’s too late to change that now. Other wise the book is awesome! And the story is compelling.
Now only Feast for Crows and Dance of Dragons. And later the #6th book “The Winds of Winter” when it’s released.

This book was so AWESOME that I finished it in under a week!!

Heres my review for A Storm of Swords Part- 1: Steel & Snow.

Weekly Mish-Mash

This is the first edition of this. It’s a collection of movie and TV Show news from 3oth April to 6th May.

Movies:

1) The Avengers made 80.5 Million on its opening day in North America!

2) The Avengers beaks records by making 200.3 Million overall.

3) The new The Dark Knight Rises trailer arrives!!

Here’s the Trailer:

4) The New Prometheus Trailer also arrives!!

Here’s the trailer:

5) The new poster for The Amazing Spider-Man also arrives, with an Spider-man on the cover. It is accompanied by the new and rather good trailer!

Here’s the poster:

Here’s the trailer:

6)  The new Expendables 2 trailer arrives.

The Trailer:

7)  And Friday was Star Wars Day!!! May the fourth be with you!

8) The trailer for Beasts of the southern Wild too arrives.

9) Sofia Vergara and Amber Heard have joined the cast of Machete Kill directed by Robert Rodriguez.

10) Michael Biehn got te lead role in new thriller movie Treachery. The cast also includes: Jennifer Blanc Biehn, Sarah Butler, Caitlin Keats, Chris Meyer and Matthew Ziff.

11) Iron man’s director Jon Favreau gets a role in the new comedy Identity Theft. Jason Bateman plays a man whose identity is stolen by Melissa McCarthy‘s character. Favreau takes on the role of Bateman’s boss in the Seth Gordon directed comedy.

12)The Avengers ears an additional 440 million from theatres outside America.

13) The US version of The Avengers gets a  second Post Credit Scene!! ( Cheating Monkeys!!!)

14) Men in Black 3 gets a new poster!

Here’s the poster:

15) Hulk’s stand alone movie may be back on the cards. (Good or bad?)

17) A re-write of the script of the daredevil reboot has been ordered.

Seems like the movie is already in trouble.

18)Poltergeist may be remade with Sam Raimi directing it.

19) After Avatar 2 & 3, the 4th may also be made.

20) The Avengers DVD/ Blu Ray, will have 30 mins of deleted scenes.

21) Prometheus will be Rated R.

TV Show:

22) Game of Thrones is renewed for a 3rd Season!!!

23) Fringe is renewed for a 5th season, which would be the final season.

24) The trailer for the upcoming Tron Uprising debuts. It is an animated Sci-fi series, which takes place between Tron and Tron: Legacy.

Here’s the Trailer:

24) BBC commissions  a new three part Zombie Drama.

 25) The Walking Dead Season 3 airs on 2nd of December

New Reviews on the Blog:

 26) The Sitter Review

27) We Bought a Zoo Review

28) A Storm of Sword Part 1 Steel and Snow Book Review. 

29) Crank Book Review.

30) The Big Bang Theory S05E23 Review

31) Fringe S04E21 Review

The Dark Knight Rises Parody Trailers

The Lion King Rises:

The Dark Knight Rises Sweded Trailer:

Community TDKR Trailer:

Lego TDKR Trailer:

Blade Runner Review

Roy Batty:“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.  Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.     I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time… to die.”

Director:

Ridley Scott

Producer:

Michael Deeley

Cast:

Harrison Ford – Rick Deckard

Sean Young – Rachael

Edward James Olmos – Gaff

Rutger Hauer – Roy Batty

Daryl Hannah – Pris

Joe Turkel – Dr. Eldon Tyrell

William Sanderson – J.F. Sebastian

Joanna Cassidy – Zhora

Brion James – Leon Kowalski

M. Emmet Walsh – Bryant

Music:

Vangelis

Based on Philip K. Dick’s ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’

Story:

In a cyberpunk vision of the future, man has developed the technology to create replicants, human clones used to serve in the colonies outside Earth but with fixed lifespans. In Los Angeles, 2019, Deckard is a Blade Runner, a cop who specialises in terminating replicants. Originally in retirement, he is forced to re-enter the force when six replicants escape from an offworld colony to Earth.

Review:

Blade Runner is a good movie. This is apparently the last movie which used analog graphics. None of it was computerized. The movie has a good  story and nice visual effects. The music is good too. But the only problem I had was with the acting. Harrison Ford’s acting wasn’t  too good.

It has many differences from the book too. One more problem in the movie was that Bryant says that only 1 replicant was killed in the escape, but Deckard kills only 4.. That meas there are only 5 Replicants… But according to Bryant 6 Replicants escaped.. What happened to the last one???

And when Deckard gives the scale to the woman to look at, the serial number she reads is completely different from the one given on-screen..

Final Verdict:

Enjoyable movie.. 6.5/10

Alien Resurrection (1997) Review

Ripley: [voiceover] My mommy always said there were no monsters. No real ones. But there are.

Director:

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Producer:

Gordon Carroll, David Giler, Walter Hill & Bill Badalato

Cast:

Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley

Dan Hedaya as General Perez

J. E. Freeman as Dr. Wren

Brad Dourif as Dr. Gediman

Raymond Cruz as DiStefano

Michael Wincott as Frank Elgyn

Kim Flowers as Sabra Hillard

Gary Dourdan as Christie

Ron Perlman as Johner

Dominique Pinon as Vriess

Leland Orser as Purvis

Tom Woodruff, Jr. as the lead Alien.

Music:

John Frizzell

Story:

200 years after the conclusion of Alien 3, the company is able to resurrect Ripley through the process of cloning and the scientists successfully take the Queen Alien out of her. But, Ripley’s DNA gets mixed up with the Queen’s and she begins to develop certain alien characteristics. The scientists begin breeding the aliens, but they later escape. Soon the Xeno-morphs are running amok on the ship, which is on course to earth. The Queen then gives birth to a deadly new breed of alien, which could spell disaster for the entire human race. It’s up to Ripley and a band of space pirates to stop the ship before it reaches earth.

Review:

The movie is a bit too cartoonish for my taste. But nevertheless its enjoyable. There are many factual errors in the movie: In the end when Ripley throws her blood at the glass in the space ship, the hole is too small to cause a suction effect.

The story is written by Joss Whedon, but not all of it is used. The acting was good too.

Final Verdict:

An enjoyable movie. 6.5/10..

My review for the other Alien movies: Alien, Aliens & Alien 3

Alien (1979) Review

“In space, no one can hear you scream”

Director:

Ridley Scott

Producer:

Gordon Carroll, David Giler & Walter Hill

Cast:

Tom Skerrit as Dallas

Sigourney Weaver as Ripley

Veronica Cartwright as Lampbert

Harry Dean Stanton as Brett

John Hurt as Kane

Ian Holm as Ash

Yaphet Kotto as Parker

Bolaji Badejo as Alien

Music:

Jerry Goldsmith

Story:

A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

Review:

What a movie!

Did not expect it to be so good. The visual effects and the Alien and ts accompanying elements designed by H.R. Geiger was just magnificent.

This movie is a perfect blend of Science Fiction and Horror. There have been many movies of homicidal Aliens running about targeting a group people. This movie stands out. This is a truly wonderful movie with “The Sci-Fi Queen” Sigourney Weaver in the lead role. In those days no one would have expected Sigourney to be playing the lead.

The other actors also acted very well. The story was also well written. The movie keeps the audience on their toes. That’s because the alien attacks from any where. The end was awesome when the alien is in the escape pod. I thought that after throwing the cat, it would have left the escape pod. This is a true classic Sci-fi movie.

If you love horror and sci-fi then this is the movie for you!

Final Verdict: 

9/10

**Note: I have planned to watch the whole Alien Anthology in one day i.e. 14th April 2012. The  reviews may arrive late.. 🙂

My Review for Mr. Monk on Patrol

Author:

Lee Goldberg

Genre:

Crime- Solving, Humor.

The Story:

Everything has been going well for former SFPD lieutenant Randy Disher in Summit, New Jersey, where he lives with Monk’s previous assistant, Sharona, and works as the new police chief. But when the city’s leadership is arrested for fraudulently inflated salaries, Disher suddenly finds himself as the acting mayor.

Now, Disher has to manage the police department and shoulder the day to day responsibility of running a town that is in the midst of a wave of residential robberies. In desperation, Disher reaches out to the one person he knows can solve the crimes: Adrian Monk.

When Monk and his assistant, Natalie, arrive in New Jersey, Disher makes them temporary police officers. Summit is about to become the cleanest and most symmetrical city on Earth. But then the string of home burglaries escalates to arson and murder…and someone tries very, very hard to send Monk and Natalie back to San Francisco in coffins.

The Review:

I was very sad when Monk ended with the 8th season when he finds out who killed his wife  and that he has a daughter. It was a very touching end to a brilliant series. After which Lee Goldberg continued the series with books. Mr Monk on the Road, Mr Monk on the Couch and now Mr Monk on Patrol. They all start directly after he figures out who kills his wife.

This book is as wonderful as is the series. This brings back Monks ex-assistant Sharona and former SFPD Lieutenant Randy Disher who is now the chief of Summit PD.

The book has a very unexpected ending. Leaving me wanting the next book soon.

*Note: The following contains spoilers. Incase you don’t want spoilers for the book, stop reading the review here. Or else continue*

************* Spoilers ****************

In the book, Monk and Natalie become temporary cops after brining down two cops for burglary. When they first arrive in the city Mr Monk, tries to apprehend a woman who sells Poop in a shop called poop. Monk, with his usual OCD self, admonishes the owner Ellen Morse. Later in the book, he finds himself attracted to her and turns out that she too has OCD.

Natalie enjoys being a cop too after they take down a murderer. Sharona and Randy, at the end ask Natalie if she wants to stay here as a cop.  When they ask Mr Monk he replies. But both of they replies are not given.