Bring Back Buffy

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the classic Horror/Drama that was made popular in the late 90s.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer... This show and the movie (despite what some people might think about it...) Was an important piece of Americana in the 1990s... I mean during a time when demonstrating what the life of a teenager was like on TV was filled primarily with shows like, 'Beverly Hills 90210' & 'Dawson's Creek'... We, the goth crowd had, 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer'!

Now you might be wondering how a Vampire show could be a coming of age type of show... Well the truth is, is if you were like me, who was extremely disenfranchised with life in general as a kid, you found a show like, 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', a show that told the story of a group of teenagers that during the day are normal kids, and at night fighting the forces of darkness, kind of showed the world as it was for some teens in the 90s, with a twist that made it fun!

So I say this, 'BRING BUFFY BACK!'

A blast from the past right?

Sorry for being so emphatic, but besides the more philosophical side of the show, Joss Whedon (The Avengers), did a truly amazing job in turning a box office flop in to a show that was not just a show but an institution!

I mean this show, which had it's own spinoff, as well as video games, and all sorts of amazing collectible merchandise, was just an awesome show that was completely relateable to not just the teenage crowds, but as an adult and out of my goth stage, I still found that I really enjoyed this series quite a bit!

Since this show has gone off the air, fans all over the world have been clamoring for it to come back in some form... Rather it be in another spinoff, or remake movie of some sort...

 Kristy Swanson (seen here with Paul Reubens) brought Buffy to life in the classic early 90s movie!

Although it is true that for the most part, the characters from BTVS and it's spin off, 'Angel', have continued to do alright as comics, it just isn't the same as seening Buffy kicking some one's ass on the big screen or on the small screen... And well, if they are planning on doing another spinoff, they better hurry, considering that both original casts are starting to get way to old... And at this point a remake may be in order!

Eitherway, 'BRING BUFFY BACK!'

Mega Box Office Hit Movies That Don't Do Well When Converted To TV

Have you ever noticed that there seems to be a weird trend in Hollywood in which movies that do extremely well in the Theater, and do even better when they make it to Blu-Ray or DVD, and I would go on to say make it in to American Pop Culture as icons... And in some cases I would go on to say have some element of being iconic of America... Yet these movies that for some reason seem to almost one for one always seem to tank when they are converted to TV shows?

The Terminator is one of the most famous science fiction movies of all time, yet died with out so much as a whimper as a, 'TV Show', Go figure...

Why is that? I mean there are some movies like, The Terminator (1984) that with that movie as well as it's numerous sequels have been entertaining audiences for decades! So why when this movie was turned in to a TV series with some actors and actresses that are and were big names when the TV show was still on the air, such talent as, Lena Headley (Game Of Thrones), Summer Glau (Firefly) & Garrett Dillahunt (Looper), and yet this show tanked?

Well I have to be honest with you guys and say that I actually have no idea as to why that show tanked... I haven't seen it, but that is just one example that I was trying to give to you guys...

Another one being: Freddy's Nightmares (1988 - 1990):

Freddy's Nightmares... Based an a historically significant horror movie series... Bombed as a TV series... Go Figure...

This show, which was a weekly anthology horror series, and which was based on the, 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' series, had a pool of amazingly talented horror movie stars to choose from (Not to mention the fact that Robert Englund brought his role of, 'Freddy Krueger' to the small screen as the host of the series.) It also had some fun special effects, that may not have been quite up to horror movie standards for the time, but it  truly was not bad... And lastly, the stories for each segment were truly top drawer!

And the last thing that I wanted to say was the fact that this franchise was at the height of it's fame in the 1980s... So why did it tank?

Well I can't say for certain, I have been kind of unsuccessful  in trying to find out why this show went off the air when it did... If I had to say though, I would say that it is the, 'Nielsen Ratings' that did... I mean after all they are pretty well known for killing off most of the TV shows that are good, and leaving us with the scraps!

Either way folks, if you haven't had chance to check these shows out, you might give them a try... I can't vouch for the, 'Terminator' TV series, but I can say that, 'Freddy's Nightmares' is an awesome show, and is one of those that ultimately was cut down in it's prime!

My Thoughts On Why 'Sonic The Hedgehog' And 'Super Mario Bros.' Didn't Transfer Well To TV

[caption id="attachment_2401" align="aligncenter" width="594"] 'Sonic The Hedgehog' & 'The Super Mario Bros. Super Show'... Both came from historically relevant video games, neither cartoon did well at all![/caption]

You know what? One of the great things about my job of writing for Hellinspace is that I get to translate the cartoons or video games to the rest of the world of horror and science fiction and show how they are completely applicable even to modern day horror and science fiction!

And I will admit that I have chosen a few duds (I am not proud to say... But unfortunately that is one of the blander side effects of reviewing anything, is that to be truly objective, you have to be objective about the stuff that you do like and review that, and you have to be objective and some times review the garbage you really can't stand... (A great example of this as far as cartoons go, is, 'Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated'.)

But there are two that I will be absolutely honest with you guys  and say that I genuinely thought would have done better then I thought they did... And that is, 'Sonic The Hedgehog' and, 'Super Mario Bros.'!

[caption id="attachment_2402" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Neither, 'The Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog' or, 'The Super Mario Bros. Super Show' were very great...[/caption]

The truth is, is I don't want to give to much away, (I suspect at some point I will be going to review both of them at great length), never the less, you would think that with a video game that is 2 parts animated series to start off with,  and 2 parts video game, that they would do well... Right?

Well here is the biggest issue that I have with the 1993 version of, 'Sonic The Hedgehog'... First of all I agree with the slightly more slapstick nature of the Chilidog loving hero, but there was a lot of this mentality of, 'No seriousness', when there really needed to be at least some!

I also have to admit that I was not a huge fan of how they depicted, 'Dr. Robotnik'... As more of a demented, 'Imp' and less of a, 'mad scientist'...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Not my fav...[/caption]

Other then that, the characters were pretty well drawn... It is just sad to see a show that I enjoyed as a kid, one that did not translate well in to adulthood!

Really the main problem that I had with the, 'Super Mario Bros. Super Show' (The Super Mario Bros. TV Program that first aired in 1989), is the format... Don't get me wrong, the animation side of the show was great, but I just was unhappy with how they tried to combine animation along with live action... In the end it just didn't jell well with me!

In the end though, the truth is, is the greatest sign of any TV show is how well it translates for men and women of all ages... Where as I think both shows would be good enough for kids, I also don't think either of them translate very well for adults!

http://youtu.be/Z5imH0-hOvA

http://youtu.be/4x2NbK8IOpQ

5 Classic Horror Shows That Were Canceled To Early

In the world of TV, just as in the world of movies, they tend to gravitate more toward Drama/Comedy/Chick Flick style movies or TV shows, a great example of this is the fact that, 'Beverly Hills 90210' a great teen drama that lasted for about a decade was on longer than, 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'...

Now don't get me wrong, both are great shows in their own right, and in all truth and fairness, most of the bigger named Science Fiction or Horror TV Programs out there do tend to last at least 5 seasons (a pretty good run considering that most of the time these shows that go on for at least 5 seasons get at least a 100 hundred episode run if not more.)

In this case I suppose more what I am talking about is those shows that didn't make it very far but should have!  Like do you remember the show, 'Cult'? Didn't last very long, but a fun show about a TV Program and how it, and it's creator influences a group of obsessed devotee's  that are looking for something specific from the past? Of course not! I mean the  show lasted less then a regular season... And you know what? That show is a show that aired earlier this year!

But I digress and apologize, I didn't mean to rant, all I meant to say is that I thought I would do this list to remind fans of some classic horror TV that was canceled well before it's time!

And for number 5: Point Pleasant (2005 - 2006)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="413"] Point Pleasant (2005 - 2006) a classic horror show that was canceled just when it was finally getting it's sea legs![/caption]

This awesome TV series tells the story of how after a mysterious teenage girl ends up arriving in, 'Point Pleasant', a small coastal town in New Jersey, where she is taken in by an unassuming family, but the longer she stays in this town, the more she finds out the truth about herself, and who her dark mysterious father really is!

Now this show was freaking awesome, and one could almost say is a new take on, 'The Omen', but was canceled way to early and replaced with a show that didn't make it either!

For number 4: Freddy's Nightmares (1988 - 1990).

This one is an interesting one, you see this show is loosely based on Wes Craven's, 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' movie series, which was mocked up sort of similar to the old, 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' anthology show, in which Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) would come on and introduce the stories for the show...

I will admit that I have not seen to many episodes of this series (it doesn't air a lot on TV and I have as of yet been able to find it on Netflix, but the few episodes I have seen are a lot of fun, and it is just a shame that this show did not last beyond it's 2 season run!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="410"] Considering it's backing, and the commercial success of the movies, it is extremely surprising that this show did not end up doing better then it did![/caption]

At number 3: Night Stalker (2005):

Now here is another truly awesome series that had a strong backing (considering that this is a remake of the classic tv series, 'Kolchack: The Night Stalker' but did not end up lasting to long!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="333"] Night Stalker... Another show that was canceled when it was just starting to get amazing![/caption]

You see this show which also had a great cast, including: Stuart Townsend (Queen Of The Damned) as: Carl Kolchak, an investigative reporter whom after his wife dies, ends up investigating her murder through the strange murders of other people that he believes whose deaths are linked to the murder of his wife! Helping him on this is, Gabrielle Union (Bring It On) who plays, 'Perri Reed' another investigative reporter, as well as a few other from their newspaper!

At number 2: Millennium (1996 - 1999)

Admittedly this show has lasted longer then all of the other ones that I have mentioned above... But the reason that I decided to add this series in here is because this show was so abused and mistreated when it was having it's run that every time it was just about to hit the marks and really become something truly amazing, the shows producers seemingly felt like they would have to knock it back down!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] A truly classic show that showed amazing potential, but just never seemed to quite get it's sea legs![/caption]

What I mean by this, is that this show which took the lead character, who was a retired FBI Agent with seeming special insight in to the mind of a killer, and how initially he worked for a group of seeming retired investigators that consulted on crimes, but seemed to have a greater agenda that in the end, the lead character tried to stop, and destroy the organization got off to a great and creepy fun start in season 1, as a matter of fact I would say that season 1 is probably one of the more memorable seasons of strictly horror TV show to be released in the late 1990s!

But then comes season 2... I won't bore you with the details except to say that it sucked! But then comes season 3... Admittedly that season took a little bit to completely get the show back on track, and just when season 3 was just starting to get really good, and had a strong potential to make the show really something, they ended the series with an episode that really sucked!

In the end, the only saving grace for this series was the crossover that had Lance Henriksen (Aliens) and Brittany Tiplady (The Pledge) who played his daughter, guest star on an episode of, 'The X-Files'

And finally at number 1: Brimstone (1998 - 1999).

I am going to be honest with you guys and say that where as all of the shows that I mentioned above were awesome, this show for me was truly spectacular that watched and re-watched a few times when the show first aired and when it went on sporadic re-runs!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="304"] A truly great show that was taken way to early![/caption]

This amazing show which starred: Peter Horton (Children Of The Corn) John Glover (RoboCop 2), and Lori Petty (Point Break) and which told the story of how after killing the man who raped his wife and then getting murdered himself, a Detective (Horton) is given a second chance by the Devil (John Glover) is given a second chance at redemption when he is asked to rescue a group of damned souls who have figured out a way to escape from Hell!

In the end, this is one of those few shows that I am still bummed out that it got canceled after only 1 season!

http://youtu.be/AaaLvZsFoUs

http://youtu.be/RYGGfbbJlKo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yTFuRmN4dQ&feature=share&list=PLF1492D6ECEEA57DA

http://youtu.be/mcKyW_AtXB0

http://youtu.be/fKJR8BEJsaU

Sherlock Holmes In The 22nd Century: Season 1 - Episode 12: 'The Musgrave Ritual' - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know what? This was the first episode that I had actually seen of the series! I was looking for another show that I really like that is based on, 'Sherlock Holmes' that I really enjoy, and when I found this in the listings for what was available on Sherlock Holmes... Well the concept of a Sherlock Holmes TV show that is based 200 years in to the future was actually kind of a fascinating concept, and so I tried it with this episode and have not regretted it ever since!

Written by: Robert Askin (Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command) & Directed by: Robert Brousseau (Race). Starring:  Jason Gray-Stanford (Dragon Ball Z), John Payne (Duets), Michael Dobson (Dreamcatcher), Akiko Morison (Masterminds), Richard Newman (Beast Wars: Transformers), William Samples (The Big Year), Viv Leacock (This Means War), Jennifer Copping (Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog) & Ian James Corlett (Mega Man).

In his continuing efforts to foil Professor Moriarty (Richard Newman), the eminent Detectives, Sherlock Holmes (Jason Gray-Stanford) and Dr. John Watson (John Payne), have been given a new case of the utmost importance.... You see it turns out that some one has broken in to the British Museum successfully and stolen a most peculiar item... They stole what looked to be an ancient busted up sword that had originally been a part of the, 'Musgrave' family!

An ancient British family with the sword that had some almost mystical properties to it...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] With people like, 'Sherlock Holmes', 'Inspector Beth Lestraude' and 'Doctor John Watson', they are sure to get tot he bottom of thing![/caption]

Sherlock Holmes & Doctor Watson, along with Inspector Beth Lestraude (Akiko Morison) are on the case! And as they conduct their search, they come to discover that the dasterdly Professor Jame Moriarty and his henchmen have stolen the item, and are hopping to unlock the key to the Musgrave ritual and gain almost limitless power!

Now what initially drew me to this episode was the fact that two characters I really enjoyed, 'but in their home in the 19th century novel' was given the opportunity to play out there roles in a space age futuristic England!

And I still find that to be the main draw for this episode, but I have to admit that after seeing a fair amount of this series as well as this episode, that as far as series goes, when they are traveling around in their hover vehicles, the animation is extremely sub-par... Especially considering the fact that when Sherlock and and everyone else are on the ground that they are very well drawn!

In the end though, it does not really detract to much from the episode, and is well worth a watch if you get a chance!