Pegg/Frost Biopic Buddy Comedy

There are so many things to get me excited about the upcoming movie Paul. First off, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, together again after Shaun of the Dead (the only "horror" film I will ever own) and Hot Fuzz (number one bromance of all time). Plus, they play British - yay - uber-geeks - double yay - who come to America for Comic-Con - triple yay with a cherry on top!


Here's the thing - while on their epic road trip, the duo meets up with "a little green alien named Paul." Aaaaaaand you lost me. I have nothing against aliens (my mother was one for years, ha ha). I love me some Doctor Who (9 and 10 for sure, jury's out on 11), and I've been a loyal Trekker since forever. But little green CGI men kind of leave me cold. Although I will say this - if anyone can make it fun and funny, Pegg and Frost can. I've got high hopes, guys... don't let me down!

For more info, check out these links (via Simon Pegg on Twitter):
Comic-Con Takes Centerstage for Pegg and Frost's Paul
A Trip To My Own Private Comic-Con With Paul
Set Visit: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite in Paul!

This made my Day (see what I did there?)

I admit it - I'm a Felicia Day fangirl. You know it, I know it. And thanks to an awkward encounter during Comic Con last year, Felicia Day knows it.


On the bright side, my well-known obsession leads Maggie Cats to send me links like this one: Felicia Day slays the Internet with 'The Guild.' Set aside for a moment that they should've titled this piece "Felicia Day wins the Internet." This is a great article about how Day and her web series, The Guild, is quietly subverting the basis of the entertainment industry as we know it - to wit, money.

"When I tell somebody, 'I don't know if the right move is to make this into a TV pilot,' or a movie or whatever, they look at me like I'm an alien," says Day. "I think a lot of people think the end-all, be-all is to be a part of that Hollywood machine. For me, I love what I do all day." And so do we, Felicia. So do we.

Check out Season 4, Episode 1, or start from the beginning at http://www.watchtheguild.com/.

BBC in the USA: Being Human

I love Maggie Cats' approach to blogging about Comic Con. She brought a special notebook to every panel and took copious notes and pictures. Now she will go through it all chronologically, bringing you pertinent details and fascinating insights into your favorite shows.

Yeah, I'm not going to do that. From me you will get rambling, disorganized squee. Sorry, that's just how I roll. On the upside, I was able to see a few panels that Maggie was not, so now I bring you the first of my BBC series: Being Human.

This show doesn't sound like it would be any good. "Listen, there's this great show about a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost sharing an apartment in Bristol..." At this point, whoever you're trying to convince just gets up and walks away. But it's really really really really good. Honestly. And it makes more sense when you hear how the concept came about.

The creator, Toby Whithouse, was first approached about doing a show about three twenty-something college grads who decide to live together. He decided that was just about the most boring concept he had ever heard. Then, three characters dropped fully-formed into his head: Annie, an agoraphobic; Mitchell, a recovering sex addict; and George, a usually mild-mannered man with anger issues. Still, he didn't feel like the series was special enough. And then it dawned on him ... George, who periodically lost his temper and turned into a monster, was kind of like a werewolf. This naturally (or supernaturally) led to the ideas that Annie was like a ghost and Mitchell, a vampire. Thus, Being Human as we know it was born.

I really feel that this organic development of the show is reflected in its completely sympathetic characters. These are not monsters of legend, creatures to be feared or idolized. The bottom line is that they are people. Like any good fantasy show, the supernatural nature of the protagonists shines a spotlight on human nature.

Plus, Russell Tovey (the man who plays George) is adorable. Doctor Who fans many recognized him as Midshipman Frame from "Voyage of the Damned" (Allons-y, Alonso!). I was sitting super close to the stage, having practically camped out all day. At the end of the panel, I jumped out of my seat with a huge grin on my face. Russell looked at me and cocked his head to the side as if to say, "why is that tall Indian woman giving us a standing ovation ... all by herself?" Needless to say, I swooned with delight.

This picture does not do them justice ... but it is pretty hilarious.

Bruce Campbell is a Golden God

Hello, friends! I am foolishly lugging my laptop about in order to bring you updates directly from Comic Con. My shoulder will probably never be the same, but I couldn't keep these feelings inside.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to sit in on the Burn Notice panel, which included the incomparable Bruce Campbell. When he walked out on the stage there was so much fangirl and fanboy squee that Matt Nix, the show's creator, compared it to "a rock star working a room." Bruce definitely had all of us eating out the palm of his hand. Whenever someone yelled something he liked, he had them come up to the stage and gave them five bucks. He flirted shamelessly (and explicitly) with any and all young women, and was in general amazing. The best part was that, after he responded to a dedicated fan's query with a series of off-the-wall, hilariously funny comments he would say, completely deadpan, "thank you for your question."

Sorry, the picture sucks - we couldn't get anywhere close to the stage, so this is a picture from one of the giant screens set up throughout the room.

Of course, we got to see clips from the show and previews of the upcoming season. I won't spoil anything, especially since I myself haven't seen all of the episodes for this season ... *hangs head in shame* Also, people were asking some great questions and we learned a great deal about the show itself. Here are a few high points:

1. One woman asked about how they come up with the awesome "Spy Tips" Michael delivers as a voice-over in every episode. The answer is, disturbingly enough, the internet. Apparently they first guess what will work, Google it, and then consult an expert.
2. Matt Nix divulged that for all of Michael's jury-rigged weapons and tools, they have a few criteria. First, you can't make it work without knowing/researching something else. In other words they don't want to teach people how to kill themselves. Second, it has to be doable - but they give Micheal the benefit of the doubt. If their prop guy can make it work in half a day, a spy should be able to do it in half an hour... right?
3. There are no digital explosions in Burn Notice. This makes things are much more realistic, but significantly more dangerous. For example, when Sam blows up Madeline's house in "Lesser Evil," they were only supposed to blow out the windows. They ended up cracking an exterior wall and breaking 12 windows in the neighborhood. Oops.

Whatever. The explosions are totally worth it.