Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Summer Blockbuster season is officially over (even though technically we have a few weeks of Summer left), and now we head into the Fall/Winter months when Hollywood starts dolling out the movies they thought would not compete as well in the hot months as well as cast-offs that they just want to cycle through the theaters before pushing them off to DVD. Like Summer, the upcoming slate is somewhat light compared to this time last year (still some ripples from the writer’s strike a few years ago), but we have nineteen genre entries (by the current count) rolling out over the next four months (with a few more that could work their way onto the schedule). Our Preview Page gives you the skinny on all of these including release dates and links to the trailers. And we also decided to provide you with a viewing guide to help you maneuver through all the choices and decide which films are worth plopping down your hard-earned cash on (and it seems we are spending more and more money on those tickets and that popcorn each time we go). Following are the results from your responses to our polls for each film along with the interest level and comments from our own movie-goers Sam Christopher and Johnny Jay as well. Curiously enough, most of the upcoming films register pretty low on the interest level scale with our readers with only two films (Tron: Legacy and Harry Potter) pulling mostly High interest and only four pulling mostly Medium interest. We have also included a top pick for each month based on a combination of the reader’s poll and our own interest level among the movies. So skim through this and peruse our Preview Page then get out your calendars to mark the dates for the movies that interest you the most!

See the poll results and our recommendations at this link

That’s right!  Fall is almost here!  The hot months are wrapping up (thankfully!), and the kids are headed back to school and the new television season is just around the corner.  In fact, only two weeks away.  That’s when the CW will kick things off to an early start with the return of their hit show from last year, Vampire Diaries, as well as a new entry that might interest genre fans, Nikita.  Then a week and a half after those September 9th premieres, the seasons shifts into high gear with a two week barrage of new and returning shows.  As seasons go, this one is actually fairly light on Science Fiction and Fantasy entries with only five new shows that might interest fans (and three of those may only have marginal genre elements).  There are a fair number of returning shows including fan favorites like Chuck, Fringe, and Supernatural, but no powerhouses like Lost.  Still this season has its share of potential gems like AMC’s The Walking Dead, NBC’s The Event, and the final (allegedly) season of Smallville in which Clark Kent will go out battling with Darkseid himself.  We have compiled a list of all the new and returning shows at our preview page which includes the premiere dates for each.  We will also give you the chance to vote for which shows you most want to see and which shows hold no interest for you whatsoever.  So mark your calendars because September 9th marks the early premieres and September 20th is when the rest of the premieres begin (with the return of Chuck for his fourth season).  Also keep an eye out for Johnny Jay’s Fall TV viewing guide to get the skinny on what shows look like they will go to the head of the class and what shows will end up with the dunce-cap (we’re looking at you V).  Also, watch for Johnny Jay’s predictions on which shows will survive the ratings battle and which shows may have an early date with the network executioners.

Check Out All of the Fall Science Fiction and Fantasy Shows at our Preview Page

The Summer Blockbuster season is just about over.  Only a few more genre movies are on the schedule for August and then we head into the Fall months when Hollywood releases the movies that they may have liked but did not quite feel like could compete with some of bigger names that hit the theaters during the hot months.  This is also the time when they dump off some of the clunkers that they have no confidence in at all, so be wary when treading this waters.  Plus, as we head into November, the films aiming at the holiday crowd start to make their appearance as well.

As with this past summer, the current slate of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror movies seems a bit light (still some ripples from that writer’s strike a few years back), but there are definitely still some offerings of interest.  There are some blockbuster-style titles that could prove quite entertaining like The Legends of the Guardians, Megamind, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Tron: Legacy.  There are a few potential sleepers in the lot as well like Devil, Monsters, and Skyline.  And even the retread Red Dawn might be worth a look like.  You can read about all of the movies currently scheduled for release over the upcoming four months on our Preview Page.  We have included movie credits, a brief synopsis, and links back to each film’s official sites (where available) so that you can click on over and see the trailers.  And watch in the coming weeks as we give our opinions on which films we think are worth plunking down our hard-earned money for and which ones you might prefer to avoid.

In the mean time, peruse over our Preview Page and be sure to check back often as we will continue to update it as new information becomes available.

By John J. Joex

The 2009-10 season is all but over now (Stargate: Universe has its finale this Friday) and now we head into the slow Summer season which typically delivers much less in the way of Science Fiction and Fantasy television programming.  In the past Summers, several of the broadcast networks have had a few entries of interest to genre fans, but this year delivers very slim pickens’ on those stations.  Syfy and BBC America typically have some offerings in the hot months, though, and a few other cable channels have some shows worth check out as well.

As far as series continuing from the Spring, there are three of those that have episodes that will run in the Summer months.  Season 2 of Merlin on Syfy (Fridays at 10 PM EST) will continue through July 2nd.  And on BBC America, Ashes to Ashes (Tuesdays 10 PM) will run through the end of June, and Season 5 of Doctor Who (Saturdays 9 PM) will continue through July 24th.  For those interested, FOX is burning off the remaining episodes of their paranormal procedural series Past Life on Fridays at 8 PM through June 18th.  Apart from those, following are some other shows to look for in the coming months (all times are EST, links are to each show’s page at TV.com):

True Blood (HBO, Sundays 9 PM) – The story of Sookie Stackhouse and all of the vampiric and supernatural characters in her life (though Bill is MIA) continues with the third season of this HBO series which debuts June 13th.  Expect plenty of blood and sex and adults themes, and some decent stories as well.  I’m still trying to get caught up with Season 2, but I’m looking forward to the third season as well.

The Gates (ABC, Sundays 9 PM) – This supernatural series, the only one from the broadcast networks with solid genre interest, kicks off on June 20th.  Basically take some vampires, werewolves, witches, and other supernatural critters and throw them into Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives and you have a good idea what this one is about.  It didn’t work so well for ABC last Fall with Eastwick, but this show should be worth a look.

Futurama (Comedy Central, Thursdays 10 PM) – This sci fi spoof returns from limbo on June 24th.  The original cast and creative team is back onboard and promises to deliver plenty of laughs and raunchy moments!

Warehouse 13 (Syfy, Tuesdays 9 PM) – The second season of Syfy’s hit series from last Summer begins on July 6th.  This one follows a group tasked with protecting a secret warehouse that contains a vast inventory of powerful artifacts and will pick up the story from the Season 1 cliffhanger that left Artie’s fate in question (he’s still on the payroll, so I’m guessing he made it).

Eureka (Syfy Fridays 9 PM) – The strangest town on the planet returns for its fourth season on July 9th.  Expect more crazy experiments gone awry as this series returns with new episodes and as James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) joins the cast and Matt Frewer returns as Taggert after being MIA most of last season.  We will also see guest appearances from Jamie Kennedy and Wil Wheaton, and we can only hope that Eureka will recover from the slump it experienced during its third season.

Haven (Syfy Fridays 10 PM) – This one gives us another adaptation of a Stephen King story (The Colorado Kid) and will debut on July 9th.  Emily Rose (Jericho) plays an FBI agent who comes to the town of Haven to investigate a murder and finds that it is a refuge for people with supernatural abilities.  So basically this gives us a supernatural twist on its lead-in series Eureka.

Being Human (BBC America, Saturdays 10 PM) – Season 2 of the BBC series about a vampire, werewolf, and ghost all sharing an apartment kicks off on July 24th.  This one received a lot of attention during its initial run last Summer and promises to pick up where it left off.

Some other series and events of interest to Science Fiction and Fantasy fans may include NBC’s mystery series Persons Unknown which debuts tonight at 10 PM, AMC’s conspiracy series Rubicon which bows on August 1st at 8 PM, and Syfy’s mini-series adaptation of The Phantom which will air in a four-hour block on June 20th.  Sci Fi Wire has the scoop on some more Summer entries which include several reality shows and a number of Syfy’s Saturday cheese-flicks.  You can read about that at this link.

By John J. Joex

This Friday (May 7th) kicks things off as this year’s Summer Blockbuster season gets started with a bang with the release of Iron Man 2 (that one already topped $100 million last weekend in its foreign release). Like usual, we have more than a few mega-dollar, star-laden extravaganzas on the schedule ready to attract millions of movie-goers into the theaters during the hot months of Summer. Though looking over this year’s roster, it does not seem quite as over-loaded as last year nor does it have as many familiar properties as we have seen in the past (not that that’s a bad thing), especially later in the Summer months. I’m guessing this is still repercussions from the writer’s strike of 2007 which take longer to impact movies than television productions. Still, this Summer has a full slate and definitely some entries worth marking on your calendar. Below are my thoughts on the hits and misses from the upcoming months and you can see our full preview of the Summer movies at this link.

High Interest

Shrek Forever After (May 21st): Yeah, the third movie in the franchise (2007′s Shrek the Third) wasn’t great and this one doesn’t look like it will recapture the magic of the first two films (actually, the first ranks as one of my all-time favorite animated films). But still, this is Shrek and it can’t be too bad. Call me a sucker, but I’ll be there opening weekend.

Splice (June 4th): In this movie, two scientist experiment with DNA and create a new lifeform, but find that their creation may prove deadly. This one bucks the big-budget trend expected from Summer movies and has what sounds like an interesting Science Fiction premise. Could give us this year’s Moon or District 9.

Jonah Hex (June 18th): DC’s macabre western hero makes his to the big screen and I’m crossing my fingers on this one. Love the comic book character, but does he really translate into Summer Blockbuster material? Megan Fox tags along to provide some eye-candy, but I’d gladly let her go (I can always catch plenty of her into Maxim) if they promised me a first rate story instead.

Toy Story 3 (June 18th): Another continuation of an animated franchise that looks promising, in fact even more promising than Shrek. It will be great fun to check in on Woody and Buzz and the rest of the gang!

The Last Airbender (July 2nd): Can M. Night Shyamalan turn around his career with this one? I have to confess that I never followed the television series, but everything I have seen and heard about the movie version sounds promising so I will definitely check this one out.

Inception (July 16th): Christopher Nolan and Leonardo DiCaprio team up in this movie about using dream technology to enter people’s minds and steal their secrets. Hey, it’s Christopher Nolan (even if he doesn’t have David Goyer helping out with the script), so its gotta be worth a look.

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Medium Interest

Iron Man 2 (May 7th): Okay, confession time: I never saw the first Iron Man movie. No particular reason, I’ve just never been a big fan of the comic book character so the first movie never made it very high on my to-do list, despite all the hoopla. I have it on order from Netflix, though, so if I like it maybe I will give the new one a shot even though the early buzz warns that it’s guilty of all the typical sequel pitfalls.

Robin Hood (May 14th): I have to admit that I have grown tired of all the Robin Hood retreads, but this one has Ridley Scott at the helm so that just might get me into the theater.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (May 28th): I’m guessing this one will either be really good or really bad, though the trailers have propped it up pretty well. I will wait for the early buzz to make a decision.

The A-Team (June 11th): The TV series was nothing but mindless action, but it could be great fun at times. I’m guessing the same from the movie version.

Predators (July 7th): This will be considered the third installment in the Predator franchise because apparently they want to forget all about that Aliens vs. Predators diversion. I was not a huge fan of the first two movies, but thought they were okay. This one could be worth a look as well.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (July 16th): A live action redo of the classic animated Mickey Mouse short from Fantasia with Nicholas Cage staring as the sorcerer training a young apprentice in modern day Manhattan? It seems like there’s no way this can be any good, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Thru the Moebius Strip (August 6th): This Hong Kong animated sci fi epic was actually produced several years ago and is only just now getting its release in the states. I can’t find much information about it, but what I have seen looks interesting.

The Expendables (August 13th): There’s no way this will be a great movie, but with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, and Jet Li on board (some with just cameo appearances) you know there will be some good lines in there. It’ll be a good companion piece to The A-Team.

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Pass:

Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30th): Seems like it was just last November that the last one of these came out. Oh wait, it was. How many more of these teen-angst vampire movies do we have to endure?

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (July 30th): Do I really have to explain why I’m passing on this one?

Piranha 3-D (August 27th): Sure, a young John Sayles penned the script of the original Roger Corman bargain basement Jaws rip-off, but that’s no reason to remake this dead herring. And they managed to get Richard Dreyfuss on board for this?

See all the Summer Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Offerings at Our Preview Page

Summer 2010 Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview

It’s that time of year again! The Summer Blockbuster season is almost upon us. It kicks off on May 7th with the release of Iron Man 2 and looks ready to keep us on sensory overload through at least July. Since the 70’s when the successes of Jaws and Star Wars changed the way that studios looked what type of movies they would produce and when they would release them, the Summer season has become the time for the big mega-multi-million dollar movies and audiences continue flock to the theaters during these months to escape the heat and devour some mindless entertainment. And there will be plenty of that this year along with explosions and faced-paced action sequences and CGI-overload. And it looks like there might be a movie or two in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre that might  invigorate our brains as well. But why let that stop us from enjoying the Summer movie season, right?

We have compiled together a list of the Science Fiction and Fantasy movies that we currently know to be scheduled for release from May through August (the four months that comprise the Blockbuster season). As usual, this includes plenty of familiar titles as sequels abound just like every year. Among the movies continue on existing franchises, we have films heading our way like Iron Man 2, Shrek Forever After, and Toy Story 3. There are also several franchises leaping from other mediums such as games, comics, and television to the big screen like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (video game), Jonah Hex (comics), and The Last Airbender (television). Then, this summer will bring us the debut of some high-dollar movies looking to jump start new franchises on the big screen like Knight and Day, Inception, and Salt. Plus, we have included in our list some marginal genre entries that should still interest Science Fiction and Fantasy fans like Robin Hood, The A-Team, and The Expendables.

You can click over to our Summer 2010 Movie Preview page to scroll through all of the entries that we have compiled so far (and we will continue to make additions and updates to this page as we receive new information). Where available, we have included links to the official sites for the movies so that you can click over and see the latest trailers and get the most current updates on the films. Next week, Johnny Jay will chime in with his assessment of what films are worth shelling out your hard-earned money to go see, but in the mean time, browse through our preview of 24 movies and get ready for the Big Bang that is the Summer movie season!