After watching episode 4.19 - In Dreams, I'm utterly convinced Joss Whedon is/was a fan of Alias. I remember posting before that I thought the concept of personality imprints from Dollhouse seemed a lot like the Sloane Clone fiasco we saw in season 4. Well I was semi-wrong, the idea isn't "a lot like" it, it's exactly like it. Marshall talked about how the real Sloane had extensive scans done on his brain, how the real Sloane's brain wave patterns match exactly to those of Sloane 2 because they were "digitally imprinted." The Clone didn't just believe he was Sloane, he was him, with the same memories, thoughts, desires, etc...just like a Dollhouse imprint. Marshall even talked about how the technology could be used to create "sleeper agents"...sound familiar??I guess there's no real agenda in pointing this out, it just amazed me as I kept watching the episode how the technology used was exactly the same. Funny how at that time it seemed utterly crazy that this could be real, and now there's a network show based solely on this idea.
One other little tidbit that I've noticed in my rewatching of season 4: although many identify this season with only stand-alone episodes, there was much more of a serial nature to this season than one would think. I believe one of the reasons for this was a purposeful change made by the producers: the removal of "Previously on Alias..." at the beginning. Over the last few days I've watched the episodes revolving around Dixon going undercover with terrorists to Jack's radiation sickness and delusions, resulting in Sydney portraying Irena to trick him into talking about Dr. Ladell. There's no way you'd have any idea what was going on if you hadn't seen previous episodes, not to mention seasons, yet every episode immediately starts w/ some mid-mission action. I'm positive this was a conscious decision, producers thinking it was sexier to pretend the show wasn't serialized to gain more viewers. I just found it interesting how it was so purposely left out even though the plots continued from one episode to the other.
Ok, that's my ranting for the night. :)
126 comments:
Joss probably wouldn't mind stealing a little of JJ's midas touch these days, either. Whedon's success came a littler earlier than JJ's, but JJ has really steamrolled Joss in the last few years, although he has kindly allowed Joss's brother, Zack, to write a few episodes of "Fringe".
A true Whedonite would also counter that JJ admired Whedon's world-saving ass-kicker, Buffy Summers so much that he re-arranged her initials and gave her a job with the CIA.
If one accepts that argument, then I would have to give the decision to JJ for taking JW's idea and vastly improving upon it, whereas Joss ripped off JJ's idea and made a dog's breakfast of it.
Between the two boy wonders, JJ is still the one to beat, and although I've yet to see either project, I suspect "Star Trek" blows "Dr. Horrible" out of the water.
None of this excuses JJ for trash-talking "Alias". To Joss's credit, I've yet to hear him badmouth Buffy.
I just finished watching the movie "Next." I liked it. What I wanted to say about it here was that if there is ever a need for an additional Derevko sister, or even a replacement for Irina, I think Julianne Moore would make a great one.
I liked "Next". I watched it a while back. That's the movie that made me realize I was in love with Jessica Biel...and I know she feels the same way about me. Well, she might if she EVEN KNEW I EXISTED!
Next up on my Nicolas Cage list is going to be "Knowing".
Page,
"Knowing" looks like a good one. I love that kind of movie. When is it supposed to be out?
Uncle, "Knowing" has been out for a couple of months. It's DVD release date is July 7th.
Well, when I first saw "Dollhouse" (and I only watched the first two episodes - after that one with Echo running around in the forest, well . . . I had to stop after that one), I thought it was very Alias-like.
A young, pretty white girl who kicks ass with a black middle-aged male partner who also feels the need to protect her? Hmmm, where have I seen that before . . . And Echo changing her personality with every episode is quite a bit like Sydney going undercover all the time.
I like Buffy, and have most of the DVDs, but I do think that JJ's shows are more intriguing and thought-out. And I think JJ is a bit more humble. I'm only basing this on a few interviews with Joss Whedon, but he seems a tad full of himself at times. I've always gotten the impression that he thinks Fox "owes" it to him to air Dollhouse and play a big hand in it's success, when really, it's a lackluster show that just can't find it's footing. And Eliza Dushku, who was good on Buffy, just doesn't seem to have it here. Which isn't entirely her fault - if your lead isn't supposed to have a personality, then there's not much for the audience to connect to. I was shocked that it was renewed.
I've often wondered who would win in a Buffy/Sydney fight, and then I remember that Buffy is, in fact, a superhero, with super-strength and super-healing powers, and then I'm sad. Because I really want Syd to win.
In other news, I finished the last season of "Alias," and saw the finale(s) for the first time ever. This was, sadly, three or so weeks ago. I'll post in the season 5 finale thread.
Man, I am posting like a mofo today!
I agree with you on the lack of "Previously on Alias . . ." in season 4. I had to sit there and think, "Okay, wait a minute . . . what's up with this again?" a few times. I wonder if they cut the "Previouslies" to add a few more seconds to the episodes? Whatever the reason, there were definitely times that the previouslies were needed.
I think on the Veronica Mars DVDs for seasons 2 and 3 they cut out the "previously on Veronica Mars." I think their rationale was that if you're watching it on DVD, there's no need for it. Which was not the case.
Veronica Mars, by the way, is an awesome show. It comes just a fraction behind Alias as far as a favorite. The show itself is sort of like Heathers crossed with Buffy crossed with Phillip Marlowe. It's a very intriguing show with a great female lead. And although she doesn't wear any wigs or use judo, Veronica is a great female spy/detective character. The first season suffers from some over-the-top dramatic elements, and some barely passable acting by one of the main dudes, but the ongoing mystery-arc is captivating, and the last few episodes, where Veronica finally solves the mystery of the death of her best friend, are awesome. Check it out some time.
Annnd, one more time! Last one today, I swear.
My friend Amy and I - who is as big a fan of Alias as myself, and probably all of us who post here! - went to see "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past." Yes, we totally did. Against our better judgment. Here's the gist of our conversation going into the theater:
"Okay. So we know this is going to suck, right?"
"Yes. We do. But we sat through 'New In Town' and 'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.' So how bad can it be?"
"You realize Matthew McConaughey's in it, right?"
"Yeah. So, we know what to expect."
You guys, it was so much worse than we could have imagined. And we go to crappy rom-coms all the time. It's like our thing. And even with extremely low expectations, we were still amazed at how much it sucked. Jennifer Garner looked beautiful, of course, but she has a good ten years on the girls who are playing her best friends, which was strange and off-putting. And she seemed so earnest in saying her lines, so wanting us to believe that even she could make this crap believable . . . But alas, she could not. The whole thing was trite, predictable, flat, and completely unfunny. Emma Stone was funny as the ghost of girlfriends past, but nothing could make this movie watch-able. And I now firmly believe that a doorstop has more acting range than Mr. McConaughey.
If you love Jennifer Garner - and I know you do - and you want to continue loving her, than for the love of god, do NOT see Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. I had to have an Alias mini-marathon to wash my brain of the memory of this heinous excuse for a film.
F2K, going to see Jen's movie was a sacrifice we'll never forget. You took one for the team.
I'm disgusted with Jen for signing on for not just one, but a seemingly endless string of these crappers. Better to retire after "Alias" than to become a peddler of shameless movie pollution. Ditto for Bradley Cooper.
Well, I have a secret to admit: I own 13 Going On 30. But it was only $5 in a huge bin at Wal-Mart, and I will not defend it to anyone who hates it. Because it is not a great cinematic achievement. But, to me, it's the film equivalent of Kraft Mac & Cheese: It's cheap, it's so easy to prepare, and it's comforting. But it's not going to provide you anything nutritious, and it's not a gourmet item. But I'm a glutton for crap movies, as long as they're somewhat enjoyable. "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" was not enjoyable. And now, I vehemently refuse to see any film in which Matthew McConaughey stars. I just will. Not. Do it.
I'm sure JG just wanted to do a mainstream film to earn some money and get her face out there, and I'm willing to bet she didn't have to audition. It's still just really, really sad that she's making these kinds of films. She needs to mix it up. It's sad that millions of people put her in the crap movie category and have no idea of how great she was in Alias.
Page48: Would you mind expanding on this quote? "None of this excuses JJ for trash-talking "Alias". To Joss's credit, I've yet to hear him badmouth Buffy." Did JJ say something insulting about "Alias?"
F2K, while out promoting the mostly-self-contained-and-far-inferior-to-Alias "Fringe", JJ repeated ad nauseum the story about being at Greg Grunberg's house one day, watching "Alias". The story goes something like this.
I read this as JJ throwing "Alias" under the bus in order to pitch a new series for FOX, which can be viewed sporadically by the kind of viewer whose desire for instant gratification prevents them from knowing the joy of being seduced by a beautifully crafted, slowly unfolding thrill ride.
It's fine that JJ wants to try something new, but he's much too quick to dismiss the best TV work he's ever done in order to blow promotional bubbles about a much less satisfying show. His bad.
Well, that was a bit disappointing to read. I'm assuming JJ was watching an episode during season 4 or 5, when he was on Lost or directing MI:3. You know, when he'd pretty much washed his hands of the whole show to focus on Lost. He pretty much did the same thing to Felicity, to focus on Alias. Although I don't recall him bad-mouthing Felicity.
I'm willing to give him a tiny bit of benefit of the doubt - it has been, after all, 3 years since the last season aired. And I'm sure things have blurred together since then. But then again, it was a ridiculous thing to say, especially as a creator of the series.
And, I have to say, the entire reason I stopped watching Lost (after viewing about half of season 1), was because it just became too much. And now, when friends talk about it, it seems *completely* involved.
For fans of the Buffyverse, here is a 4-part essay that's well worth the read. Links to the other 3 parts are at the bottom of the post.
That is some serious fan blogging.
Personally, I can't stand campiness in my TV or movie entertainment. It takes away my ability to suspend my disbelief in impossible scenarios.
I confess that I have never watched an entire episode of Buffy, but it is because the initial concept of a bubble-headed valley-girl, cheerleader suddenly gaining martial arts abilities to take on less-than-believable vampires is absolutely overflowing with camp.
I read almost everything that blather-blogger had to say about the Buffy series in support of Dollhouse's potential. She makes a persuasive argument, and I see elements of her points in Firefly. She almost persuadeth me to give Buffy a chance.
How in the world, however, will I be able to invest so much time to endure the first two seasons before it supposedly gets good? Am I supposed to give over 40 hours of TV watching time just to set up the following seasons based solely on the credibility of long-time Buffy fans claiming it is necessary toward the enjoyment of the rest of the series?
I am open to new viewing experiences, but "hang in there through the first 40 hours" is just a lot to ask of anyone - especially of those who are campiness averse.
Admittedly, Smallville's first two seasons were not exactly the best representations of the show, and nearly every season thereafter gets better and better, topping the previous season. Had I known, going into it, that the first two seasons were, uh, served with extra cheese, I might have missed out on one of my favorite TV secrets. (Another WB / CW hidden gem, by the way.) I came to it while the show had just finished the 4th season, allowing me time to get hooked and catch the wave.
There was enough testosterone involved with the Superman mythos to keep me open to returning when the early episodes were a bit silly. I can't seem to talk myself into the estrogen / saline drip of Buffy.
At this point, I'll wait to see if Netflix puts the first season on the free side. (TV series' are a real pain waiting for each individual DVD to come in the mail - I have to know it will be worth the effort, and missing other things I could otherwise be watching.)
Can anyone resolve my internal conflict with convincing words, or shall I just write it off entirely?
If it helps, S1 of Buffy is only 12 episodes. At 44 minutes each (sans commercials), 40 hours should get one to the 3.22 cliffhanger. I've yet to make that trek myself, so I'm in no position to recommend it.
Buffy has been in the headlines this week, with proposed Whedonless movie in the works.
Finkles - I own 13 Going On 30 too, so don't feel bad. :) It's a cute story and shows Jen's strengths as a comedienne, but I'm ready for her to do something to showcase her other stellar acting skills.
Okay, I'll join the confession train. I also own 13 Going on 30. I watched it because of JG, and bought it cheap at WalMart also. Besides actually liking it I think it shows just how good an actress she is. She can play the extremes.
Now, do I fear she will get stuck with that kind of role? Yes, because she is putting herself in that box. Do I fear we may never see Sydney Bristow againd? Yes, but because of JJ's indifference to Alias.
And no, I don't ever plan to watch Buffy, even if I started with season three.
I have been watching Alis S3. E8-10 are superior episodes as far as mysteries built and mysteries revealed. Wow they are good. But we couldn't know how good they were because only when you know the answers can you fully appreciate how well they are crafted.
Yay! More 13 Going On 30 love! I was at my cousin's wedding, and a group of people *actually* did the Thriller dance, therefore confirming that, indeed, it can happen in real life. Just not as well choreographed.
Robetron - Hulu has the first 3 seasons of Buffy available for free watching. Hulu only works in the US (or maybe the whole North American continent?), so if you're in another country, you probably won't be able to watch it.
As far as Buffy goes, I say skip the entire first season. It's not great right off the bat, if you ask me - it's no Alias. And it's an older show, so it's still very much a product of it's late-90s cafe-culture era. Though, if you went to high school in that time period, like me, you will find it comfortably nostalgic.
With Season 3 kicking off on Thursday, some "Burn Notice" warm-ups must surely be in order.
1) Is Miami trying to run Michael Weston out of town?
2) Interview with Sam Axe.
Hulu doesn't work in Canada by default, but you can download software that will trick it into letting you watch if Hulu is your preferred method (it's not mine).
Will we ever see Sydney Bristow again, Uncle? Probably not, but in keeping with current trends, if Sydney did come back anytime soon, it would likely be in the form of an "Alias" prequel rather than a sequel.
JJ's "Star Trek" is a prime example, where we get a glimpse of the young James Kirk."Caprica" turns back the clock on BSG. "Star Wars" (yuk!) went the prequel route. I'm sure I'm leaving a few out that don't immediately spring to mind.
Now the news is all over the internet that, at 34, Angelina Jolie is too old to play Lara Croft in the next movie because it will focus on...you guessed it, the origins of Lara Croft.
So, it's not too much of a stretch to think that the next Sydney Bristow we see (not gonna happen) will be 17 and sporting braces. Failing that, it will be a 're-imagining' of "Alias" released some 20 years down the road.
Page,
I was in a hurry when I wrote my last entry. I meant to say we won't see JG as Syd. If we see Syd again it will likely be 30 years from now, she will be computer generated and it will be a senseless semi-comedy.
I'll check out Hulu. Thanks, Finkles2000.
To be fair, fellas, Sydney had seven years of history with SD-6 that might make some pretty interesting prequel story telling. By doing it, they may have an opportunity to correct some of the hash they made of Syd's youth in the 5th season.
Spy movie alert!
"Salt" set to be released in 2010, stars Angelina Jolie as a CIA agent who is accused, and goes rogue to prove her innocence. Her friend and boss at the Russian desk in the CIA stars Liev Schreiber.
A beautiful female spy going rogue to prove her innocence? Can anyone say, season 1, episode 17, " Q & A " ...or, season 3, episode 8 "Breaking Point"?
Robetron, "Salt" also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, who played the assassin who tracked Capt. Mal and his crew all over the universe in a vain attempt to recapture River Tam in "Serenity".
ALIAS / LOST star discovery:
I don't know how many times I have watched "Young Guns," which I have in my video library, and missed the fact that ALIAS alumnis and LOST star Terry O'Quinn (aka Director Kendall, aka John Locke) was in it.
He played the passive but noble lawyer and friend of the Regulators, "Alex McSween," in whose house the most massive manhunt in western history came to a head.
He had longish hair! (Which is why I didn't recognize him right away.)
I don't know why I am going through all the trouble to post this much detail, but I thought it was interesting.
Any "Alias" comeback won't feature David Carradine.
OMG, that's sad :(
Terry O'Quinn's most prolific output has come with an almost 100 episode stint in "Lost", as opposed to only 18 episodes of "Alias".
His 2nd biggest gig was a 40 episode stint on a show called "Millennium", of which I've seen not a single minute. "Millennium" was created by "X-Files" creator, Chris Carter and ran for 3 seasons. Some people rave about the show, but for some reason, I never saw it.
O'Quinn is one of those guys whose been a guest in a gazillion different shows over a long time, but the only distinct memory I have of him (aside from L and A) is in the first "X-Files" movie, where he sat in front of the drink machine and waited calmly for the bomb to count down to zero and blow him and half a city block to Kingdom Come. Reminds me of Thomas Grace in that regard.
I missed an opportunity to state the obvious a while ago regarding "Salt", so I'll do it now.
Although it may be a little too close to home for Jen, "Salt" is the type of movie she should be doing instead of circling the toilet bowl with her rom-com garbage.
It also reminds me of the 'Jennifer Bourne' type of movie I've often called for Jen to do. Couldn't have that, though, could we?
47 Update-
Locally a victim of murder was 47, and a guy who sent letters with white powder in them to banks around the country was sentenced was also 47.
And...the France Air flight that went down off Brazil was flight 447.
And I guess Conrad in my Alias movie will have to introduce having consciousness downloaded into a new body, since his old body won't be around to play the part. I remember David Carradine in the Kung Fu series. He and Bruce Lee inspired me to take Karate back up in the mid 70's and go on to get my black belt. I'll have to pull those Kung Fu DVDs back out soon.
Uncle, more 47 updates:
"OAS votes to allow Cuba back into organization after 47 years"
"Chrysler sales down 47 percent, GM sales report mixed"
"47 police officers questioned in disappearance of Mexican customs ..."
"47-year-old arrested on sex-related charges"
"Spanish population close to 47 million"
"Jerry Rosenberg dies in prison 47 years after killing two police ..."
Clearly, 47 is the gift that keeps on giving.
Page,
Obviously you went looking for those 47's. Mine come to me.
The reference to a subway blowing up in the new movie being similar to the Alias S5 same event reminded me that the last episode of The Pretender(re: my list of things in that show that ended up in Alias)ended with a subway blowing up with the main characters on board. We don't find out till a TV movie several years later (aired in 2001, first year of Alias)what happened to them. I'm going to have to add that to my Pretender/Alias list.
Uncle111,
Having a black belt in Karate, you might be proud to know that, while it's practitioners have been drifting into obscurity since Mixed Martial Arts has been evolving the most effective combat styles, Lyoto Machida, a Karate based fighter (with an additional black belt in Brazilian Ju Jitzu) has taken the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship of the world with a 16-0 record.
No one can touch the guy. He's an honorable, classy young man of devotion and self-discipline. He is been bringing as much, maybe more, attention to Karate as a base-discipline as Cain or the Dragon have ever done because he has proven that, when properly combined with other fighting styles, Karate can be very effective.
I don't know how many other people have any interest MMA, but it is the fastest growing sport in the world for a reason. It is not a vicious, no-rules, offensive, human-cockfight. It has some of the best, most skilled athletes in the world competing within a set of rules designed to prevent any serious injuries; after which, they congratulate and thank one another with respect and class.
Even though there are the natural rivalries that perk up between type-A personalities, and modern trash-talk often precedes a fight, almost universally, when the competition is over, they leave their animosity behind. That, I believe, is the nobility and honor that has always been intended with the martial arts. these guys learn the disciplines, and it carries over and above the commercialized hype which is designed to appeal to the casual fans in our modern times.
I hope my occasional notes promoting MMA will make people interested enough to check it out sometime on Spike (UFC) or Versus (WEC). It really is an amazing thing to watch some of the remarkable things these guys can do, and really cool to see two fighters, who have beaten each other to a pulp, afterward hug, clasp hands, bow in respect, tell each other "great fight, man," sometimes offer a prayer of thanks together, and/ or invite one another to a celebratory gathering later in the evening.
My definition of hell on earth would be having to choose between televised MMA or pay-per-view seal hunting.
But that's just me.
It's not for everyone. I get that. MMA has often been compared to a chess match, and many people hate chess too.
It's unfortunate, however, if someone who might generally like sports, would refuse to give MMA a chance due to an inapplicable stigma people who do not understand it have placed upon it. People often hate what they do not understand.
Quebec's own George St. Pierre is one of the world most gifted natural athletes in the world, and he has defended his Welterweight title several times. I hear there is a lot of love in Canada for him, and he's one of my favorite martial artists.
Dana White, the UFC President, is going to be honored by Sports Illustrated as "The Sportsman of the Year" for having brought the sport of MMA out of obscurity and into the mainstream of professional sports.
In order to appreciate any sport, one must learn at least some of the intricacies of both offense and defense, as well as strategy. Someone who would rather sit back in their recliner and throw metaphoric rotten tomatoes instead of taking the time to learn and appreciate the skills... well, they are willfully ignorant, and often display that habit in other realms of life.
But like I admitted, it isn't for everyone, and I am not saying anything bad about anyone in particular. The rotten tomatoes comment is just a generalized observation.
I was under the impression, on the other hand, that we loved the action / fight scenes in ALIAS as well as the broader story. Some of the beautiful wheel-kicks Sydney uses are an improvised martial art. While not widely used in real competition because it leaves the person vulnerable, I have seen it used sometimes.
Anyway... I'll stop trying to persuade. It's not what I intended. I just wanted to share my passion for it with my TV viewing friends...
That's you folks.
"V" picks up an "Alias" connection.
Robetron,
(Sorry, this is longer than I intended.)
I think differently about karate than I did when I was in it. I really enjoyed it and loved the "grace" (if you can call it that) of the movements and the discipline it required. However, in my opinion, non-contact sparring can develop the reflex of not hitting effectively because you train to not actually hit. So at first I was all for full contact training. But what developed there was a list of rules to prevent injury to the fighters, which tended to limit the techniques available for use.
Then came MMA. It is more like real fighting than anything so far. It is much less "graceful", but then real fighting isn't graceful. When I was in it the guy who owned the school was a judo instructor, so he made sure we all got a good dose of judo because most real fights end up on the ground, hence the realism of MMA.
But even MMA has the same problem all sport fighting has- techniques are limited to keep the fighters from actually killing each other. I'm not argueing against that. But if you are training for self defense purposes training yourself not to kill could possibly get you killed. I'm not saying you have to actually try to kill a fellow trainee, but if you are building the mental reflex of not killing you build the relex of holding back. If you are a good guy you are only going to fight when attacked. A person who attacks you is a potential murderer. When attacked by a potential murderer you will always have several things against you from the beginning- the element of surprise, he may have no qualms about killing you, and he is already pumped up and maybe ready to kill you. So, to survive, you have to come from behind and catch up to and surpass his level of aggression rapidly. If you have trained to not use techniques that can kill, you will be at a disadvantage. You might have physical reflexes that will give you a chance to survive, but you won't have the mental reflex and attitude to disable or kill.
If my life or my wife's life depends on my ability to gouge eyes, break joints or backs, crush wind pipes or rupture eardrums or a couple of things in the "forbidden zone", whatever is necessary to kill, then why train counter to those things?
So, the logical thing to me for defense is a gun, then a club, then a knife, then unrestricted hand to hand mayhem. Because of that watching MMA can be fun and somewhat informative, it is also frustrating because I spot dozens of times per bout when if one of them used X move it would have all been over. But, the rules don't allow it because it is a sport and you don't want people getting killed.
I guess that's about aa cleanly as I can describe my love/discomfort relationship with sport fighting.
More on The Pretender/Alias ties. 2001- the second post series Pretender TV movie had the following:
1- Vespasian monks who have been guarding a big secret for centuries(Verspertine monks, who aren't mentioned until the 4th season of Alias, guarded Rambaldi's orchid, the key to Elena's Big Red Ball evil plan).
2- A major clue to the mystery the main character of The Pretender has been trying to solve is on a card he finds. The clue is P-47.
BTW, Vespertine is the mame of a 2001 album by Björk.
I just finished the end of the movie and the mystery the monks were guarding was a couple of medieval scrolls that name the lead male character, and which say the next phase of their prophecies involve the lead female character.
Uncle, I've mentioned before that, according to Wikipedia, "The Pretender" folks are still predicting a movie to wrap up the series.
Post-series movies are not uncommon. "Murder She Wrote" had four of 'em, even after twelve full seasons, so wouldn't it be nice if "Alias" fans were treated in similar fashion?
Page,
These movies have made me think there may be hope for some Alias TV movies. The Pretender ones make me wonder even more who at Alias was watching The Pretender and stealing ideas.
Anyone else catch the Season 3 opener for Burn Notice the other night?
I liked how it picked up immediately as it left off last season with Michael leaping from the helicopter into the ocean. I'll not spoil it by describing anything else, but, just for those who might be wondering, the writers adhere to the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy: they have not changed the formula that has worked so well for two seasons.
I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Robetron,
I watched it online tonight. Classic Burn. Thanks for reminding us it was on.
(I don't remember this being linked to before: apologies if that is the case).
OT: I was browsing through dated threads over at AllAlias.com, and came across a fairly old essay written by Paul Levison that was published in the Kevin Weisman (a.k.a Marshall Flinkman) edited, ALIAS ASSUMED: Sex, Lies and SD-6.
A very fascinating read that says (IMO, most correctly), that ALIAS, was the "greatest show in the history of television [at that moment]". (Although, there are aspects that I don't necessarily agree with -- and I was a little miffed by the mispelling of "Sloane"). Anyhow, give it a go!
The Night That ALIAS Reinvented Itself...
Still hard to let go...
Nice link ILA4E. I've never seen that essay before. It's funny how people so often refer to "Phase One" as the Super Bowl episode. I would never make the connection because I don't do football and I likely watched it on a different night anyway.
What puzzles me is that the author would waste his time watching "The Sopranos" thinking it was the be all and end all of television. Five minutes of TS is all anyone should need to realize it was unwatchable crap.
The author and I disagree on the merits of Season 3, though. I was much more a fan of S3 than he apparently was.
Nevertheless, with "Phase One", he did single out what is arguably the best that TV has ever offered.
That was a good read.
ILA4E- I'm never letting go. No reason to.
Page- I've never seen even one episode of The S. I have zero interest in the Mafia or Mafia entertainment.
Well, not only did my previous post turn out to be number 47, a few hours later the number 47 was a clue on a Monk DVD I was watching. And that after P-47 was a clue to a mystery on that 2001 Pretender DVD I watched yesterday.
I'm just saying...
The author and I disagree on the merits of Season 3, though. I was much more a fan of S3 than he apparently was.
Yeah, that was one of the parts I had a hard time swallowing; not many people realise how kind of amazing S3 really was!
UNCLE - I am not planning on letting go/moving on/whatever you want to call it, for a very long time. ;)
Yeah, Uncle, mafia stories are of no interest to me, either.
I caught BN last night. Full of the usual BN goodness, but I was a little disappointed with the lack of development in Michael's new agenda now that "The Company" is off his back. Sure, we know he wants back into the 'agency', but I wish they could have thrown us a few more crumbs, a rooftop meeting or something. However, I'm sure there is good stuff in store for the patient among us, and I'm looking forward to some easy, breezy summer viewing.
Yeah, it was good Burn, like it was part of the previous season. It did seem like there should have been something extra for a season opener, but that was missing.
I liked movies such as the Godfather trilogy, or Goodfellas (etc.), so I tried to watch The Sopranos with an open mind. I hated it. How it gained such critical acclaim and popularity is beyond me, unless dropping the F-bomb in every sentence and throwing in a nude scene at least once an episode is what appealed to the baser instincts within our society. Which might give us a clue why the truly great shows rarely capture enough attention.
Many people who started watching Alias in season 3 seem to have a sentimental aversion to being critical of that season. I believe S-3 maintained the greatness that started in the Pilot episode and lasted through the entire S-2 - right up until they decided to re-explain the Rambaldi box that contained Irena's name. It was a serious plot hole that fouled up the rest of the season and forced the writers to stumble in following seasons. That notwithstanding, a fouled up ALIAS soars in superiority over almost any other show that contains no obvious plot holes.
I am slogging through the first season of Buffy. Awful acting, awful writing, awful action scenes, and awful special effects. How this show was ever granted enough time to develop into something better is elusive to me. Seriously, this show makes Dollhouse, Fringe, My Own Worst Enemy, Sarah Connor, and Bionic Woman (and the others where we have been disappointed) look like amazing blockbusters. ...and yet, I continue to watch in the hopeful expectation that it will improve, eventually. Why? I guess because I have nothing else new to watch at night.
Good thing I'm slowly strolling through the Alias-odyssey to keep me from doing anything drastic.
I think it's fair to say that Buffy's demographic was never intended to be the 18-49 crowd, although the Buffy faithful are now approaching the middle of that range.
There's no doubt that Whedon's reputation was built on the foundation of Buffy and her spinoff, "Angel" (an episode of which I've never seen).
For me, it was a baker's dozen episodes of "Firefly" which gave me hope for "Dollhouse", and caused me to begin watching Buffy, but both are inferior products to the one that Network TV gave the least time and respect to.
I don't even like any of the Godfather movies. I saw the first when it debuted and liked it, but my taste in movies changed soon after and now nothing in that genre interests me. Mafia people are severely twisted and can hardly be called human. A movie about them is about as entertaining to me as a movie about severly deformed apes, unless the movie is mainly about the good guys crushing them. But, that's just me.
Serial TV shows are so screwed unless the current mindset of TV audiences does a serious about face.
Pay particular attention to the quotes from JJ and Joss Whedon in this article. The network motto is "go stand-alone or go home", apparently because that's what viewers demand.
Forget about quality, just keep it simple, stupid.
Page-
Very sad commentary. I think channels like the Sci-Fi channel will become home for good serialized shows. BSG is a good example.
I'm 8 minutes into another 6th season Monk and there was another conspicuous 47- in Monk!! What's in the water out there in CA TV/movieland?
I just ran a back up on my computer. 47,895 files backed up.
Starbuck to become a counter-terrorist in next season's "24"
That beats wasting her time on that crapper, "Nip/Tuck".
I'll have to check out 24 next fall to see Starbuck.
A conspicuous 47 in The Fantastic Four as we watched it during lunch today. I don't think is ever going to end.
Another voice proclaiming that (once "Lost" is finished) TV will be a serial-free zone.
Long live the procedural. Let's order up another 20 seasons of "Law & Order".....yawn!!!!!!!!
Speculation about the next "National Treasure" movie being based on the Page 47 clue which referenced in the 2nd installment.
No mention of Nicolas Cage rendering the greatest power unto utter desolation.
"No mention of Nicolas Cage rendering the greatest power unto utter desolation."
I believe he tried that once before, with a little something called "Captain Corelli's Mandolin."
In regards to Buffy, I have to say that it is a product of it's time. You have to realize that the show was one of the first shows on the WB, in the mid-to-late 90s, so the budget was not really competitive. I think seasons 4 ("Hush" remains one of the greatest 42 minutes of television ever), 5 (ditto to "The Body," a completely sobering, jaw-dropping episode), and 7 were incredibly entertaining and great all-around, and seasons 2 & 3 had some really outstanding moments. But I find it very hard to convince people to get on board the Buffy train. So I just stopped. And I'm not a die-hard fan: I can't stand the musical episode. At all. Season 6 just dripped with way too much emo angst and joyless guilt.
Plus, Alias is just better. But Buffy may be able to partially fill the Sydney-shaped hole in your heart. Just a little bit. I say skip right to season 3. Or even season 4, when Buffy heads to college. You can read synopses of seasons 1 and 2 on Wikipedia or something. Start out with a good/great season, and then you can go back and appreciate the lesser ones.
In other news, I watched "Monster-In-Law" this past weekend. It's one of those movies that sounds ridiculously hideous, but is uproariously funny. Jane Fonda gives her best comedic performance since "9 to 5," and J Lo and Wanda Sykes almost match her timing and wit. Michael Vartan has a pretty large part, but he's just there to play the supportive, boring, steady son/fiancee. He's not bad, per se, he's just . . . there. Still though, I really love watching that movie.
Which brings me to this question: Did Michael Vartan want to leave Alias in season 5, whether to pursue another project/film or just to have some time off? Or was it just character development from the staff of the show? I tried to find an article or reference to Vartan actively leaving the show, but I couldn't. So I'm assuming this was just story arc. Anyone know?
Yeah, sorry, I'm gonna post again.
In regards to Buffy Season 4-5, I think it's interesting to note that both Buffy and Sydney tried to juggle school and saving the world from baddies. Whereas Sydney actually graduated (with multiple degrees, no less), Buffy ended up dropping out after just one and a half years. Granted, there were definitely more extenuating circumstances in Buffy's life which Sydney, even in her crazy world, did not have. (I could go on about them, but I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen the show. I would LOVE to expand though, so if you want me to, I will!)
We could argue that Sydney had a good 5-7 years of wisdom on Buffy, but since she had been with SD-6 since undergrad, that's not an option. So. Who ends up being stronger? Sydney for sticking through with it for so many years, balancing her schoolwork and work with SD-6? Or Buffy for realizing that she couldn't possibly handle school along with battling the forces of evil and her family issues? Buffy never really seemed to love school, not like Sydney did in the meager evidence we saw in Season 1-2 (and briefly and oh-so-sweetly in Season 5), but I think she had just resigned herself to the fact that she couldn't possibly succeed because of her fate. Whereas Sydney viewed it in a completely opposite way - she HAD to succeed IN SPITE OF her fate.
For me, that's a tough decision. Having seen both shows, having been through college/grad school myself, I completely respect Sydney for sticking with it. I could never do it. But on the other hand, as much as I value and love education, I'd probably make the same choice as Buffy, given the circumstances.
Questions? Comments? Observations?
When we caught up with Syd, she was in post-secondary school, following her dream, with a healthy pay packet (presumably) every two weeks helping to pay for that coffee ice cream. Syd made a career choice, although she was cleverly duped into making it.
Buffy, on the other hand, was stuck in high school, working pro bono in the graveyard at night, trying to pull the wool over her extremely naive Mom's eyes. Buffy had no choice in her career path.
To me, BTVS and "Alias" have completely different mission statements. Buffy being a mix of comedy, teen angst, and dark fantasy, while "Alias" was just pure action/espionage/thriller for the most part, with timely comic relief and a sci-fi thread running through it.
The main thing that Buffy and Syd had in common is that their boyfriends were both dead.
Some interesting conversation going on, guys!
In regards to Michael Vartan wanting to leave/ take some time off ALIAS?
I'm pretty sure his exclusion from 10 of the episodes of Season 5 was due to his role in Rogue, but I could very well be wrong.
I know that he was here in Australia for a few months, so maybe...?
ILA4E, if MV did leave S5 to answer the "Rogue" casting call, he wouldn't be the first dreamer in a hit show to labour under the illusion that he had a movie career waiting for him if he could just free himself of the shackles of the best gig he'll have in this lifetime.
It's the old story of the end product being worth more than the sum of it's parts. Why do we suppose Mick and Keith stuck together for 50 years? They're smart enough to know that neither one on their own could sell out Giants Stadium.
A lot of actors (and rock stars) don't realize that the magic is rarely just about THEM, and anyone who would leave "Alias" to reel off a croc movie is just dreaming about their own importance in the universe.
Vartan not only missed most of S5 of "Alias", but since then, his career is now followed only by his immediate family (and even then, probably not without some arm twisting).
Page-
"his career is now followed only by his immediate family (and even then, probably not without some arm twisting)."
Very good; very funny.
I don't remember what I was doing on my laptop last night, but at some point my IP address was displayed and the last 2 digits were 47.
I'm just saying...
Page, I doubt very much that Michael Vartan's participation in Rogue was because he believed he had a career waiting for him on the big screen – not by any means at all – both for the fact that, really, Rogue was only an independent Australian film (and MV loves Australia), and that he was glad that he got the call to come back and work on ALIAS.
And I don't put him to blame for his absence for the most part of S5 – from what I gather, it wasn't set in stone whether or not he'd even be a (huge) part of the season.
While his roles have been less than desirable – I want my Vaughn back! – it is nothing compared to the garbage that Jennifer Garner has been inflicting on us. Of course, she is the bigger name, but she has to have done some of these movies for only the pay check, right!? (I love Jennifer Garner, I do, but how is she considered A-List?)
So much wasted talent.
If J.J. had stuck around, and ABC hadn’t interfered, the end of ALIAS may very well have been a different story. So too, the careers of its cast.
*shrugs*
Just a quick reminder:
Burn Notice tonight at 9:00 PM eastern time.
JJ on board for MI4 as producer, but will he direct? I sure hope so, but it doesn't sound like a sure thing.
A possible good movie with Alias' Will
Uncle, sounds like a step in the right direction for BC, although in box-office terms, it's hard to argue with the success of his juvenile "The Hangover".
Liam Neeson kicked some serious ass in "Taken". Very satisfying if you enjoy seeing riff raff taken down.
ILA4E, the flip side of my comments re: Vartan leaving S5 is that, if his 'vacation' wasn't of his choosing, then I would question the sanity of writers who, with 2 regular characters (Weiss and Nadia) already out or on the way out and with Sydney's activities about to be seriously curtailed due to her pregnancy, would consider it wise to write Vaughn out of the series for most of the duration.
Intentionally gutting the cast like that smacks of bad judgment or budgetary tweaking, both of which suck.
As far as A-lister among "Alias" cast members, as much as I hate to concede this, it looks like BC has the edge in that department for now. I'm not sure MV, CL, and KW are on any list, which is a sad commentary, since we know they have the ability to rock our world.
I just noticed this part of an ad below the article about BC and the A-Team:
I cut down 47 lbs of body fat by following this 1 easy tip I saw on TV
I'm just saying...it follows me everywhere.
Did we really need "Law & Order: UK", starring Lee (Jamie Bamber) Adama speaking in his native British twang?
How did this sneak up on me? I thought the L&A franchise outlived its' usefulness in the early 90's.
Love the shaky camera treatment....NOT.
Well, Jack Bristow has a new gig.
uncle111
On the other hand, BC denies any involvement in a Green Lantern movie of his own, but he's ready in a heartbeat to do a sequel to "The Hangover". Whoop dee freaking do!
Notice that BSG and BN veteran Tricia Helfer is also voicing on the VG animated Green Lantern.
My favourite bit from "The Kingdom". Unfortunately I can't find the video to go with it, but I loved the silent, somber gaze on the characters' faces as they ride to the airport on their way home from the Kingdom after the bloodbath at the apartment.
The music could have written for the scene or the scene for the music. I would believe either explanation.
Unfortunately it's also the last acceptable scene JG has appeared in, IMO.
Danny Elfman's work on the score for The Kingdom is completely incredible.
It's... haunting, almost. Perfect for the tone and events of the entire film.
I [heart] original scores.
(And I agree, that scene is one of my absolute favourites).
I was just re-watching the portion of the "Fringe" pilot where Broyles puts the heavy sales pitch on Olivia to come and work for him.
He explains that John Thompson, a normal kid went missing back in '98 and reappeared last month half way around the world, hadn't aged a day. In the past few months, 46 other children who went missing that same year turn up, same story.
In other words, 47 kids went missing in 1998.
Peter Berg, aka The Snowman, is listed on IMDB as Executive Producer of 47 episodes of "Friday Night Lights"
He is also listed as Producer and Director of Ronald (BSG) Moore's "Virtuality", the pilot of which airs on June 26th, and details of which are revealed in this televisionaryblog.com interview.
47 is the "In" number...or is there more to it than that...?
According to IMDB, Carl Lumbly appeared as Det. Mark (sometimes Marcus) Petrie in "Cagney & Lacey" 94 times (2 x 47).
That consisted of the original movie on which the series was based, as well as a post series movie, in addition to 92 episodes.
BTW, Loretta (Hot Lips Houlihan) Swit was the original Cagney, replaced in the series by Sharon ("Burn Notice") Gless.
I heard on the radio this morning that the government is saying the US has 47 million people with no health insurance. 47 million? Now I KNOW it's all made up.
Page,
You finally got a cool avatar. Very good.
Uncle, it finally dawned on me that I was the only one here without an avatar, so I got off the stick and took care of business.
haha I like the icon page. :) Sorry for not writing much lately, I've felt a bit sparse on article ideas. Anyone want to do a guest article or have an idea for something you'd like to discuss?
Did anyone ever watch the series "M.A.N.T.I.S" back in the 90's?
It only ran 1 season, but starred our own Marcus Dixon. The series was based on a TV movie from 1994, which also starred our own Anna Espinosa.
This clip kinda tells me why it only lasted one season.
page,
Mantis looks like it could have been good. But Ibet they spent their entire budget on the opening.
SRG- A thought for a topic- how about a survey of Alias fan fiction online, or any of the Alias novels that weren't written for teen girls?
Also, how about a retro-spective on Jack Bristow (or each of the main characters), warts and all?
PS- google Alias fanfic and the fisrt 1/2 of the page has sites with tons of Alias Fan fiction.
Uncle -- just the other day I was going to ask who on here reads ALIAS Fan Fiction (I am a massive reader of it).
I have the greatest recommendations to make -- there are people out there who have incredible talent; I'll be back with links and all.
In the mean time, definitely head over to SD-1.net and begin with the stuff there!
ILA4E - would you want to write a guest article? If so let me know, you can contact me over AOL IM at geminisrg
Another 47 on a 6th season Monk.
I just found out that SD-1.net isn't accepting new members.
Uncle -- SD-1.net not accepting new members? I did not know that!
Are you able to see the majority (if not all) of the threads? Let me know what limits there are for non-members... :)
SRG -- I would be delighted to write a guest article, but I wouldn't even know how to begin... (or even what to include!) ;)
I finally was able to watch "Caprica." I'm telling you it was well worth the wait, in terms of interesting story telling.
Caprica is a prequel movie (rated R for its pointless, albeit brief, nudity, by the way [grumble] ), not a failed pilot episode that never made it to air.
The television series, as far as I know, is set to begin in 2010.
Fleshing out (pardon the pun) the back-story to BSG is far more interesting than I ever imagined they could make it, especially when viewed through the backward lens of the BSG finale. It will give a whole new perspective on the inevitability of resurrection technology.
Speaking of the BSG finale, one of the ads that run at the start of the DVD talks about BSG releasing a Box Set in which there is a large amount of unaired, unrated scenes. Apparently, there was more they wanted to tell, but the limits of what they could put on open television made them cut it. Being that I was not able to purchase about half the series in DVD, I'm hoping to obtain this box set.
Anyway, I wanted to tell those who enjoyed BSG but have been hesitant to watch Caprica that it is very good, and sets up the upcoming series very well. I'm looking forward to it.
Someone on Zephyr Ave. posted this to an article that mentions the use of 47 in movies and TV.
Here are 5 links, 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , that I found there connecting to number 47 topics. If you want to read the best I would suggest reading the info at this one and this one.
What we learn here is that, once again, JJ "borrows things.
Maybe I'll get it rightnow
ILA4E,
Here is what I get when I try to register at SD-1:
"The error returned was:
The board administrator is no longer accepting any new registrations at the moment."
Let me suggest that you give us an overview of Alias fanfic that is true to what we saw on TV, along with lniks to the stories. To me that would exclude R and NC17 rated and Slash stories.
Michael Vartan's latest snoozer kicked off on TNT last night.
Some of the comments on that site express much love, but over at televisionaryblog.com, it's a different story.
I don't get TNT, but no worries, because I have no appetite for medical snoozers. I think MV's agent better keep working those phones.
Speaking of medical shows, what's up with JJ's effort? Will it ever air? Will it last more than 6 episodes? Will viewers care either way?
Uncle, JJ claims he was never a "Star Trek" fan, but 47 must have been prominent onscreen the one or two times he glanced at it as a kid.
I don't know if 47 appears in all of the variations of ST or just the original. I used to watch a lot of 'Next Generation' when it aired originally, but nowadays my ST is limited to movies. I never watched the minor spin-offs like 'Deep Space Nine' or 'Voyager'. I always assumed that the spin-offs were ST overkill.
I'm always on the lookout for 47 to appear in "Lost", but I don't think they play with it in that show, perhaps because JJ bailed long ago.
I've been tempted to watch "Caprica", but haven't yet. There's something wrong with paying to watch a pilot of a TV show. It may be 'the new economy', but to me, it just ain't right.
Well, we had a good bit of rain this evening, along with 70+ mph winds (that's hurricane force). Maybe that's why it looked like news footage of streets in towns where a hurricane is blowing through when I looked outside.
I'd love to see Caprica, for free and in a PG-13 version.
Speaking of BSG, I watched part of the 2002 movie Minority Report and realized that the hybrids in BSG came from the Pre-Cogs in Minority Report.
The afore mentioned nudity in Caprica is a brief as it is gratuitous, so it is not as difficult to overcome by looking away for a moment.
It is not a 42 minute pilot episode, but a full fledged movie, full-on as though it were an Alias movie made for the big screen. It is entirely worth the price of a $10 movie ticket and $10 of popcorn and beverage, much less the price of a rental.
If you enjoyed BSG, a disservice is done to yourself by not watching this. Seriously. I wish I would have held on to the DVD a bit longer to watch it again. The more I think on it, the more amazed at the imaginatively realistic, alternate world they have created in hindsight.
The time line and sequence of events from the BSG story begins to be a bit more simplified to me as I see the lead-up to the invention of conscious automation being the natural cycle of human development as guided by an unseen hand.
The key is, "All of this has happened before, and all this will happen again." As it happened before on alternate-Earth, the "final five" duplicated their own consciousness as a database and tried to leave earth. Travel through space is often related to travel through time, and they eventually catch up to a slightly more primitive civilization in the 12 colonies just after they begin to develop their own personality-duplication technology that evolves into conscious machines.
The inevitable result that happened on alternate-Earth, inevitably happens to the 12 Colonies: self-destruction at the hands of their own sentient technology, setting the remnant on course to complete the cycle with what we see in the BSG series, only to start a new cycle at the end of it.
In Caprica, we learn of how it all begins in the 12 Colonies; and, according to the characters, it is all guided by the one true God that opposes the polytheistic society that developed there. I don't think any of this is a spoiler to the show, but if anyone considers it such, I apologize.
You owe it to yourself to see it if you can.
-R.
hahaha ok I just got some ad copy from my manager, and evidently there were a couple ideas for the ad and this was the best idea because circled at the top is "The chosen one." Can't help but laugh at that...oy I'm a geek...
I'll see if my brother can fix me up with a PG-13 version of Caprica.
I just watched a 3rd Season Quantum Leap where there was a prominent use of #47. And I took in a repair today with a stub number of 2247. It's everywhere.
Couple of recent articles about the upcoming "Warehouse 13".
From televisionaryblog.com
From io9.com
Still looks a little too comedic for my taste. I'll know for sure in about 2 weeks.
So, I'm house/dog sitting, and I was watching Alias Season 1 (on a huge widescreen with surround sound which is awesome). I was watching the episode "The Coup," and when the Ken Olin character gives Will the code for the server room he's breaking into, the code is 4747. I never noticed that before.
Here's an interview with Michael Vartan, mostly about his new gig HawthoRNe (which wasn't too bad), but there are a few seconds on the prospect of an ALIAS movie...
We can hope!
ILA4E- there is no link.
Uncle, I'm thinking this is the video ILA4E is referring to.
I highly recommend skipping the ad that precedes it.
I have to say that Vartan continues to seem as clueless to me as Vaughn did. He was a guy doing a bit for a paycheck, nothing more. But I'd still want him in an Alias movie. It wouldn't be one without him. But It continues to seem that Alias is just part of JJ's past and that he has moved on to bigger and better things. He's not likely to revisit Alias until he ages to the point that Alias becomes that part of his middle-aged nostalgia that he wants to relive or, more likely, do over and make into what seems to him a better product.
I prefer to pay little or no attention to the private blathering of actors, especially those connected with shows I like.
Vartan's comments are an indication of why I'd rather love the character and ignore the actor. MV is not alone in this, however. Read JJ's or BC's less-than-enthusiastic remarks regarding "Alias". Actors often appear to have no understanding of or fondness for the story they're involved in.
The best time to find an actor who sounds interested and knowledgeable is on "Charlie Rose", when he or she is pimping an upcoming movie. That's when they're all gushing over the writer and the director, etc...
It's disappointing to fans like us, but it's reasonable to assume that many of the "Alias" cast have yet to see the entire series once, let alone the 10 or more wire to wire viewings that some people on this blog have seen.
That in itself doesn't bother me so much as when they publicly admit that they're clueless about something we still miss so dearly. I still know where I was when I heard on the car radio that "Alias" was cancelled. I wonder if Michael Vartan can say the same.
Whoops! No link? Silly me! That would be the 24-hours of no sleep talking.
Sorry about that: the link Page posted is it. :S
You know, I agree; I hate that we fans have more invested in a show than those who are actually involved in it do. Is that really how TV works these days?
I saw The Hangover the other week, and it was strange, because everytime I looked at Bradley Cooper, I just felt all this rage! I'm mad at him for saying what he did about his part on ALIAS -- like, actually kinda furious.
Hearing the actual show-runners and actors basically 'bag' the series is the most disappointing thing -- I can't stand it.
I don't see MV as clueless, though -- probably the girl in me that absolutely loves him speaking, but heh. I think he's just wonderful, and I love/(d) Vaughn on ALIAS...
Page, out of curiousity, what was your reaction when you heard ALIAS was cancelled?
Just wanted to add:
As unlikely as an ALIAS movie ever happening is, there honestly isn't anything I want more... :(
ILA4E, my first reaction when I heard the show was axed was stunned disbelief. I was driving and not paying much attention to the banter on the radio until suddenly I heard the words "Alias" and "cancelled" in the same sentence.
I knew that I wasn't mistaken in what I had heard, so I had to get to a computer ASAP to find out how such a travesty was possible. It was shortly after that that the "Alias" camp started spouting the party line about how they'd had a good run and how Sydney's story had been successfully told and that the ending would leave fans feeling satisfied, blah blah blah.
But bottom line, it was a shocker straight out of left field. Didn't see it coming AT ALL.
With regards to "Hangover", get ready for more rage, because the sequel is already in the works, while a potentially glorious "Alias" movie is most decidedly NOT in the works.
You know, I remember being totally shocked, too -- who wasn't!? And crying, I think. The worst for me was counting down the final episodes; especially when it came back from that break in April '06.
I can see how some might think it strange, but man that was actually a really depressing time! (One I don't think I'll forget).
Is it unfair of me to blame JG for having 5 episodes cut from the original season order? I find my self wondering what could have been... *shrugs*
Jennifer Garner threatens to kick some something.
I'm away from my link codes, so I have to put in the full link. Alias is coming to Blu-ray this year:
http://www.thehdroom.com/news/Blu-ray_Rumor_J.J._Abrams_Alias_on_the_Way/5045
Uncle, I share Jen's opinion of Kevin Smith's sense of humour (if that's what we're calling it).
Anybody familiar with Silent Bob knows what I'm talkin' about.
That might be funny if you're in Grade 5, but for the rest of us....???
Why Jen would even do a movie with a loser like that beats the hell out of me.
I googled and scanned this post, but can anyone enlighten me on what exactly Bradley Cooper said about his time on Alias? Or, better yet, provide a link to the interview/article?
Count me in on the Kevin Smith no-love. He (and his films) annoy the crap out of me. I'm sure Kevin Smith didn't have a lot to do with JG signing on to Catch and Release, but . . . I still really didn't like that movie. It meandered.
F2K, here's the link
The relevant bits appear near the end:
Despite the rewarding work as a recurring character on shows like Nip/Tuck, Cooper hasn’t always enjoyed the television experience and is reluctant to venture there again as a leading man.
“On TV you’re beholden to so many different variables; the audience dictates how your character is going to be going, so you really don’t know what you’re playing after awhile – and that for me is frustrating,” he says. “I did a show, Alias, I read a script and all of a sudden I’m in love with my best friend and I thought, ‘Wow, man. I don’t even know what to say.’”
Gee, Bradley, sorry we squandered so much of your artistic time. It's obvious you had so many higher quality projects awaiting you (insert laughter here).
Before we begin asking if the celebrities are happy, let us first find out what is happiness? If I feel good for an hour a day, and horrible for the rest of the day, am I happy? What if I am happy for eight hours a day and horrible for the rest of the sixteen hours? Am I a happy person? For most of us happiness is a state that is not permanent. We are not happy throughout the day. At least majority of us are not.
What is happiness? Happiness means a sense of deep contentment. A cheerful outlook. An attitude of positive thoughts. A person who has these qualities is happy during all the times of the day.
Todas las personas al final son iguales, ya sean famosas o no, tiene sus pequeños y sus penurias. Ahora se han puesto de moda lassexdoll para disfrute. Que veremos.
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