Martian Outpost
Your source for great sci-fi news!
Star Trek The Experience Is Going Away!
Jul 3rd
I really can’t believe it, and perhaps I took it for granted. Star Trek the experience is no more as of September 1, 2008. I have been three times and have very fond memories of the place. I went in 2000, 2001 and 2006. I have fond memories of having my picture taken with Borg, Andorians and Klingons. Stopping by Quarks Bar & Grill and getting a Warp Core Breach was a blast.
According to TrekToday.com, the fate of Star Trek The Experience has been shaky at best. Apparently the Las Vegas Hilton changed ownership, which helped lead to its demise. Apparently the contract between CBS and Cedar Fair (currently run The Experience) were not renewed. This is after cost reductions were implemented.
If you have time in the next two months, pay it a visit. The restaurant is great, gift shops are fun and the rides are blast. Also be sure to do the Backstage Tour. I got my picture taken on a replica of the NCC1701D bridge and in a Borg drone chamber. Great stuff! I think I will try to head down in August. It will probably be very busy.
You can read a copy of the press release here:
A few excerpts of the news release are as follows:
Las Vegas – Star Trek: The Experience, Las Vegas’ premier interactive attraction will conclude its historic 11 year run at the Las Vegas Hilton on September 1, 2008….
Asked if there is any final transmission he’d like to convey from the Enterprise bridge, Chad Boutte, Operations Manager and Director of Marketing said “Hailing frequencies open. We’d like to thank all the fans and friends of Star Trek, whose constant and amazing support we’ve enjoyed throughout our tenure at the Las Vegas Hilton. As we boldly go into the futures that await, know that we take your love of Star Trek: The Experience with us. We share the memories of time spent in the most unique place in the Galaxy, and we carry those memories into our futures with us. Live long, and prosper.
Hailing frequencies closed.”
Hopefully they auction off some of the stuff there. I would love to own a piece of that history. Perhaps I will go to the convention being held there August 6-10. It will be the last convention held there. You can read more about the convention here. Go check it out while you can!!!
Gears Of War Movie Still On Track
Jun 17th
It seems the Gears of War movie is still on track to become a reality. Len Wiseman is still on track to direct the movie. You may know him from the movie “Live Free or Die Hard.” Chris Morgan will be writing the screenplay.
Many people seem concerned about how the video adaptation will turn out. I personally am not too concerned. There have been some great adaptations (IMHO) such as Resident Evil and Doom.
Cliff Bleszinski, the creator of Gears of War was quoted saying this about the movie:
“Hollywood needs to take the source material seriously, win over the avid gamers and make it work for an audience that is young and old, male and female.” But he also admitted that that plan is easier said than done.
“Disney made a great movie out of a theme park ride, and somebody is sooner or later going to make a great one out of a video game,” Bleszinski said. “Having someone like Len really helps the odds. I think we’re going to create something special here.”
I still haven’t heard about a release date. All I can say is that I am glad this movie isn’t going the way of Halo (RIP).
Not so bad after all! **Spoilers** Battlestar Galactica Season 4
Jun 17th
I have to admit it. I stand corrected. I was wrong.
A while back I posted an article about how I thought Battlestar Galactica was starting off slow and boring and probably wouldn’t turn out so well. It turned out the opposite. Although it started off slow, it is going strong and has me hooked (hook, line and sinker). It is amazing.
I need to do a little more research, but I am psyched to find out who the fifth cylon is. I really enjoyed last Friday’s episode when they found Earth. Cool! I have to admist the end reminded me of “Planet of the Apes.”
You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! Damn you all to hell! 
Now that was a good movie. OK. Back to the topic at hand. If you haven’t been following the Fourth Season, you have got to get caught up. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Anyway, I just had to apologize to all the true BSG fans out there. In case you missed it, you’ll have to read my You Know You’ve Been Watching Too Much Battlestar Galactica When… article.
So say we all!
Gears of War 2 – Are you excited?
Apr 29th
I know. It isn’t coming out until November 2008, but I am getting more excited about Gears of War 2. Do you remember when we were told no sequels were in the works because “the powers that be” wanted to focus on the Gears of War movie? What ever happened with the movie? It probably went the way of the Halo movie.
I was reading an article on GameSpot.com and came across this on Gears of War 2 and couldn’t help but smile. This is an excerpt. You can read the entire article here.
The fact that Epic Games is at work on a sequel to 2006′s massive Xbox 360 hit Gears of War is one of the industry’s worst-kept secrets. Aside from being a logical business move–Gears has sold 4.5 million copies globally across the Xbox 360 and PC to date–Epic has been less than opaque about its intentions, even as far back as last year’s Game Developers Conference when lead designer Clifford Bleszinski (aka Cliffy B) said that his company “intends to do a sequel.”
The question, then, has been when would Microsoft and Epic finally get around to making the announcement. True to rampant speculation, that reveal came today during Microsoft’s keynote speech at the 2008 Game Developers Conference
After Epic founder Tim Sweeney and president Mike Capps left the stage with no mention of the shooter midway through Microsoft’s presentation, the lights dimmed to close out the keynote…and a trailer for Gears of War 2 played. Cliffy B then stormed the stage, chainsaw rifle in hand, revealing the game would officially light up Microsoft’s console exclusively this November.
I know, that probably wasn’t that exciting, but here is the official teaser for Gears of War 2. Be aware it is a little bloody. Enjoy!
You can learn more about the rendering engine being used for Gears of War 2 by watching the video below. It is a little long, but is very interesting if you enjoy learning about the intricate details of how the game works.
501st Legion on Deal Or No Deal – Star Wars edition! Did you see it?
Apr 28th
I just had to give a shout out to the 501st Legion. They made an appearance on the NBC TV show Deal or No Deal and they did a great job! I have met some of these guys and they are some of the nicest people out there. I dream some day of getting enough money to acquire the armor and become a member. That would be a geek dream come true.
All I can say, as I watched the 501st up on stage, is that those guys must have been pretty nervous. What an awesome experience for them! Now that the show has aired, I’m sure the 501st will be able to write more about their experience. It is my understanding that they were under confidentiality agreements (duh) until the show aired. It got over about an hour or so ago. They don’t have much on their site right now about it.
They also got to meet the Deal Or No Deal models in Princess Leia slave outfits. Lucky dogs!
Nice job guys!
Battlestar Galactica Season 4 – Anyone Getting Exited?
Apr 22nd
We have been blessed with two new episodes of Battlestar Galactica, but is anyone really that excited? After watching the first two, I ended up deleting them rather than keeping them on my DVR like I usually do. Perhaps it’s just me, but this season seems to be more a soap opera than I remember.
The first episode of season 4 was pretty fun with all the special effects, but soon it turned to snooze. I really don’t care who likes who and the drama involved. And how about those lame sex scenes? If I really wanted to see that I could just turn on some HBO at 1:00 in the morning. I want to see more action, but the sort that results from ships blowing each other up.
The storyline with Starbuck is OK. I can live with that and it could really go somewhere. The storyline with the four silons on Galactica could be really good. That is what I am most excited about. Gaius Baltar should have been killed off sooooo long ago. He annoys me, and making him a religious figure makes it that much worse.
Anyway, enough with my rant. Let’s just hope episode 3 this Friday fares better. What have you guys thought about the season so far?
Stargate – The Ark Of Truth. Not Too Bad!
Apr 20th
I am one of the many Stargate SG-1 fans that was pretty bummed out when we heard that the series was to be canceled. I couldn’t believe it. The rumors certainly started to fly. I heard things from “the money wasn’t there” to the cast had signed on and were equally surprised by the shows cancellation. Luckily we still have Stargate Atlantis and the show is doing great!
I managed to pick up a copy of “The Ark Of Truth” and was very impressed. I know this review is a little late in coming, but the “movie” really took off from were the show ended. It was especially nice to get some resolution on the whole Ori situation. I won’t go into too many details for those of you who haven’t seen it, but if you like Sci-Fi, like I do, pick up a copy.
Don’t torrent it, buy a copy. These guys deserve the money for some prime work. That and I hope if they see the interest is still there they will keep Stargate Atlantis going for several more seasons.
The next Stargate SG-1 “made for TV movie” will come out on July 29, 2008 and is entitled Stargate Continuum. According to the IMDB the synopsis for Stargate Continuum is:
Ba’al travels back in time and prevents the Stargate program from being started. SG-1 must somehow restore history.
I’m excited, especially since Richard Dean Anderson will be in this one! Nice! While you’re waiting for it to come out, check out this nice Stargate Wiki I found.
Jericho Canceled! Second Life On Cable?
Mar 25th
It’s like a knife being driven through my heart! I just found out that Jericho has been canceled and will not be brought back to CBS for a third season. It is almost as bad as when FireFly was canceled, but not quite. Although there aren’t laser beams or spaceships, I consider anything post-apocalyptic to be great Sci-Fi. Look at Mad Max!
Although the TV show has been officially canceled, it would seem that there may be a second life on cable. According to the Carol Barbee, Executive Producer of the show, it may be back. She is quoted as saying on the SciFi channels official Web site:
Carol Barbee, executive producer of CBS’ canceled post-apocalyptic series Jericho, told SCI FI Wire that talks are ongoing to find the show another home, perhaps on a cable network.
“I can’t really say [much] about specifics, and, … partially, it’s because I’m not the one having those conversations,” Barbee said in an interview on March 24, the eve of the show’s final episode. “[CBS] Paramount [Television, which produces the show,] has been pursing it, and our agents have been into that, so, you know, I am pushing those people and coming up with ideas to have those people pursue.”
She goes on to say:
If Jericho is not picked up for another season by a TV network, Barbee said that she could envision it living on in some other form. “There’s definitely an Internet series to be had, and we always talked about a graphic novel, and … a movie,” Barbee said. “I mean, there are lots of things that I could easily see as a way to continue the story.”
I argue that there is no better cable channel for this show than the SciFi channel. The writer of the article at SciFi.com, Patrick Lee, says:
(Fans wishing to write SCI FI Channel about picking Jericho up should NOT use the scifiwire@scifi.com e-mail address, but rather should send snail mail here: SCI FI Channel, 21st Floor, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112.)
Let’s make sure this show goes on another season! Be sure to write, I know I will.
One Great SciFi Music Video – Muse: Sing For Absolution
Mar 23rd
Even though I am a Yank, I have always been a big fan of the British music scene. My all-time favorite rock band is Depeche Mode. I’m also a big fan of Europop music.
About a year ago I was listening to a song on the radio that I decided I had to buy. I tracked down the artist and discovered it was Starlight by Muse. I then went and purchased the album entitled “Black Holes and Revelations.” I really enjoyed the album. I did some research and discovered that the band wasn’t really “new” and had several previously-released albums.
My wife was kind enough to purchase me the even better (IMHO) album Absolution. I have since purchased Showbiz which is a great album as well. How does this tie into SciFi? I was on YouTube a few days ago and decided to watch some Muse music videos. That is when I came across the video for Sing for Absolution. It is a beautifully produced music video that is SciFi in every respect.
James Horner – Krull Best SciFi Soundtrack Ever Composed
Mar 19th
SciFi not only spawns great books, movies, video games and TV, but it also produces some great music. I enjoy sitting down and listening to The Matrix while relaxing or popping in some John Williams “Star Wars” while driving down the road. I have often thought to myself who some of the best composers would be if I had to come up with a list.
I certainly like John Williams. He has written some great music and nobody can forget all the great Star Wars music he wrote. I would have to say that his best album, in my humble opinion, is “The Empire Strikes Back.” This also tops my list of best SciFi movies ever.
Jerry Goldsmith is a genius with his Star Trek themes. Who can’t listen to his music and not imagine soaring through space in the U.S.S. Enterprise? There are many musical geniuses out there.
I could continue this list for some time, but I would like to say that my all-time favorite composer is James Horner. You may know him from the Star Trek II or Willow soundtracks. One album you may not be familiar with, which I think is his best, is the soundtrack to Krull. The London Symphony Orchestra is amazing. I know, Krull could be considered fantasy fiction, but I consider it to be SciFi as well.
I originally purchased the Southern Cross version of Krull in the 1990s. Although a great compilation, it was only one disk and lacked many great scores from the movie. About a year ago I managed to pick up the full two-disk version put out by Super Tracks. This is the most rare and complete version available. I got it at for a steal at $45. Since all versions of the Krull soundtrack are no longer available, it isn’t uncommon to find this album going for over 100 dollars. Can you believe that?
Although you cannot buy the album, you can find torrents for the album. Although I do not condone downloading music through torrents, what can you do in this case? You can also listen to tracks on YouTube. Please listen for yourself. It is great!
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