This Week: The Big Damn Heroes of Catan – Play It Again, Dick – Derrick Storm – Fever – The War of the Roses – Muffy the Vampire Slayer – This Week in Casts – This Week in Whedon – The Fault was All His Own… – Community Season Six – Coming Soon to a Screen Near You – This Week in Cats
The Big Damn Heroes of Catan
Whedonverse alums Amy Acker and Fran Kranz star in a short film, The Lord of Catan, about a married couple playing the mobile game The Settlers of Catan. The short, directed by Stuart C. Paul, will premiere at a few film festivals across the country. Here’s a trailer:
Play It Again, Dick
The cast of Veronica Mars will reunite for a web series called Play It Again, Dick. According to Buzzfeed, “The Rob Thomas-penned web series revolves around a fictional Veronica Mars spin-off that Hansen has ‘written’ as a star vehicle for himself titled Play It Again, Dick. Like almost everyone involved, Bell plays a slightly skewed version of herself who has — begrudgingly — agreed to reprise her role as the titular sleuth for Hansen’s spin-off.”
In other words, Kristen Bell will play Kristen Bell playing Veronica Mars.
Derrick Storm
Feeling threatened by the above news about the Veronica Mars "reality" show, ABC is developing its own new meta-series based on the exciting fictional life of CIA freelancer Derrick Storm, who was originally invented by Richard Castle, the fictional character played by Nathan Fillion on ABC’s Castle.
Doux It Again, Josie
In related news, I am developing a fictional web series about the life of a fictional cub reporter (named Cub R. Porter) for a real-life TV website who reports on news about the exciting fictional life of Derrick Storm, as created by fictional creation Richard Castle, the real-life creation of Andrew Marlowe, who drew on the fictional creations of Raymond Chandler, including the fictional detective Philip Marlowe (no relation), who was played by Humphrey Bogart, whose character Rick in Casablanca did not utter the lines “Play it again, Sam” to which the Dick Casablancas web series alludes in its title Play It Again, Dick.
The role of Cub R. Porter will be played by Tatiana Maslany. The pilot will be directed by Christopher Nolan, who will be played by Tatiana Maslany.
Fever
Need a brain cleanser after that last bit? Check out twelve versions of “Fever” from Postmodern Jukebox:
The Wars of the Roses
Following on the success of the three-part Hollow Crown series of Shakespeare adaptations, and in reaction to the news about my excitingly meta web series about my own fictionalized life, the BBC announced that they will adapt even more British history into iambic pentameter. The Wars of the Roses will cover Henry VI and Richard III. The films will star Judi Dench (Cecily, Duchess of York), Benedict Cumberbatch (Richard III), and Hugh Bonneville (Gloucester).
Muffy the Vampire Slayer
Please cringe your way through the following unaired clip from the unaired pilot of the unaired TV show Not Another High School Show, originally slated for Comedy Central in 2007:
This Week in Casts
• Adrianna Palacki (Friday Night Lights) will play Mockingbird in the second season of SHIELD.
• Sonya Walger (Lost) will join Scandal as a potentially-recurring character.
• Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) will play Mary Shelley in Mary Shelley’s Monster, which covers the author’s life from ages 18 to 21.
• Elle Fanning will play Mary Shelley in A Storm in Our Stars, about Mary Shelley’s relationship with husband Percy Shelley.
This Week in Whedon
Because finishing principal photography on the second Avengers movie wasn’t enough, Joss Whedon also recently released a folk song with collaborator Shawnee Kilgore. According to Buzzfeed, Whedon and Kilgore hope to release a six-song EP later this year. In the meantime, enjoy:
The Fault Was All His Own. In A Series of Letters. By a Lady.
The Toast has released a list of real eighteenth-century novel titles that is the coolest thing I’ve read all week. In addition to the above highlight (of course it was all his fault, honey), the eighteenth century also included such can’t-miss tomes as:
--The Expedition Of Little Pickle; Or, The Pretty Plotter.
--The Bloody Hand, Or, The Fatal Cup. A Tale Of Horror!
--The Book!! Or, Procrastinated Memoirs.
--The History Of A Dog. Written By Himself, And Published By A Gentleman Of His Acquaintance. Translated From The French.
--The Polish Bandit; Or, Who Is My Bride?
Community Season Six
Coming Soon to a Screen Near You
• HBO has renewed the Damon Lindelof series The Leftovers for a second season.
• Akiva Goldsman is on tap to produce a mini-series adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End for SyFy.
• Better Call Saul will premiere in February.
This Week in Cats
Josie Kafka is a full-time cat servant and part-time rogue demon hunter. (What's a rogue demon?)
I really don't know how I feel about Benedict Cumberbatch playing Richard III. There was enough woobifying and fangirling of R3 during The White Queen because the actor was cute in a creepy way, I don't know what is going to happen with Benedict playing him. I think I'll remain skeptical until it airs. I am interested to see if/who they cast as Henry Tudor.
ReplyDeleteMorgan - Yeah I can't imagine liking someone who was cute in a creepy way…*rolls eyes in general direction of Australia*
ReplyDeleteI've always loved those eighteenth century book titles. I've seen a lot of stuff like that; some really old book titles go on and on. BTW, if anyone is interested in reading any of those titles listed, I'm willing to bet nearly all of them have been digitized and are freely available at HathiTrust.org or Archive.org, since they're long out of copyright. I did a quick search for The Fault Was All His Own and there it was at Archive.org here, if you'd like to read it. (I bet it'll be tough going.)
ReplyDeleteDon't search using the word "or", though, even if it's in the title. It's a Boolean operator. And that is my gift of librarianish knowledge for the day.
Is anyone still watching The Leftovers? Did it get better? I found it so depressing and dense that I dropped it almost immediately.
Josie, I'm still laughing at Cub R. Porter. I'd pay good money to see that series.
ReplyDeleteI'm still watching The Leftovers, Billie! I think it's an absolute masterpiece. Not easy going, but utterly gripping.
Let me put in a word for 18thC novels - I'm currently reading The Mysteries Of Udolpho (mentioned by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey) and it's a terrific read. Like a telenovela in long dresses. I think about half the characters have died so far.
I just finished Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal, which is set in Jane-Austen-era Regency England. But with magic. It was really good.
ReplyDeleteOne of the characters in the book loved the Mysteries of Udolpho.