03.Jul.09
Posted in News, Press Watch at 8:36 am by DeeKayP
Here’s the list of a week’s worth of upcoming events to add to your calendars concerning our Stargate stars! (This article might be updated if new information is made available after publishing.)
Television/Screenings:
- Beau Bridges - HBO Canada’s network premiere of Without Warning: The James Brady Story on Saturday, July 4, at 8 pm (Website viewable only to those in Canada).
- Lou Diamond Phillips - Hallmark Channel’s remake of Angel and the Badman, 9pm/8c, Sunday, July 5.
- Ming-Na - Pre-screening of We Got the Beat, an independent film still awaiting distribution, at Emerson College (Boston) on July 7. It’s free, but you have to go to wegotthebeatmovie.com for tickets.
- Stargate SG-1 DTV Movies - On the Sci Fi Channel on Tuesday, July 7: Stargate: The Ark of Truth at 2pm and Stargate: Continuum at 4pm. (This is the day that Sci Fi becomes Syfy.)
Conventions/Personal Appearances:
- Point Roberts July 4th Parade and Celebration - Point Roberts, Washington - July 4: David Hewlett is the Grand Marshal and will also be available for signing autographs. Contact the Greater Vancouver Stargate Meetup Group if interested in meeting other fans there.
- Sci Fi Becomes Syfy - Lou Diamond Phillips will be at the Rockefeller Plaza in New York, where he, along with Syfy’s Dave Howe and Scare Tactics’ Tracy Morgan, will open the “Imagination Playground.”
- Polaris 23 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - July 10-12: Claudia Black, David Hewlett, David Nykl.
- Shore Leave 31 - Baltimore, Maryland - July 10-12: Vanessa Angel, Christopher Heyerdahl, Rachel Luttrell, Jason Momoa, Robert Picardo, Michael Welch (canceled).
Got anything to add? Leave us a note in our comment section. Thanks. 
[Thanks to the folks at Stargate Actor Appearances for keeping up with most of the convention/public appearances information used above. For an even more detailed report of what's happening—with a slightly less formal tone—visit our LJ Companion's Stargate Friday News Roundup Feature.]
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02.Jul.09
Posted in News, Press Watch, Universe at 3:27 pm by DeeKayP
Syfy has a new promotional “film” that lasts about two minutes called “House of Imagination”. It features stars from the network’s original programs Warehouse 13, Eureka, Ghost Hunters, Caprica, Sanctuary, Stargate Universe, Destination Truth and ECW.
See if you can spot our Stargate Universe stars in this video:
To learn more about the “film”, visit SCI FI WIRE: New “House of Imagination” film reflects SCI FI’s evolution to Syfy.
The Sci Fi Channel will officially become “Syfy” on Tuesday, July 7. As part of the rebranding’s celebration, Stargate Universe’s Lou Diamond Phillips will be on hand at an event at Rockefeller Plaza in New York, where he, along with Syfy’s Dave Howe and Scare Tactics’ Tracy Morgan, will open the “Imagination Playground.” According to the Daily News, “Visitors can see props from Syfy shows and become familiar with the network’s new incarnation. There’ll also be free Wyfy (get it?).”
Stargate Universe is scheduled to premiere on Syfy in October. Right now, the actors and filming crew are about to enter their month-long filming hiatus, while the writers/producers complete their scripts for the last handful of episodes for Season One.
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01.Jul.09
Posted in Atlantis, Press Watch, SG-1, Universe at 11:42 am by DeeKayP
“I’m a Genius” is the title of an interview that Stargate star David Hewlett had with the French fansite “David Hewlett - FR”. It’s a special day in France as today (July 1) is the release day for Hewlett’s A Dog’s Breakfast!
The lengthy interview covers nearly all aspects of Hewlett’s “genius”-ness in the world of television and movie production. From writing, to acting, to directing, to producing, the versatile and talented actor continues to endear himself to his fans by remaining down-to-earth and accessible.
You’ll need to visit the webpage (where the audio interview is available for download and is transcribed in both English and French) to get the full picture of what Hewlett’s doing, but here are some of the highlights that might interest Stargate fans:
First up, Stargate star Christopher Judge’s appearance in A Dog’s Breakfast:
The part of Christopher Judge in your movie is excellent, how did you come up to have him on the board?
Chris Judge…I always say about Chris Judge that there is a type of actor that has, for want of a better word, a “light”, like there’s something about him when he walks into a room you can’t help, you always look at him, you always pay attention to him. And he doesn’t have to do anything, he’s just standing here silently and he becomes the centre of attention, he’s just like this almost magical beast. He is incredibly funny, he has done Stargate for God-knows how long and he rarely has anything to do on Stargate, you never really see him say many lines and he was just so funny and so completely wrong for the part that it seemed right to give it to him. It was actually Jane’s idea, I had originally thought he should be, you know, he was a guy that couldn’t get a date, he should look like somebody who can’t get a date and she actually said: “Wouldn’t it be funnier if it was Chris Judge because it’s so silly to think that Chris Judge couldn’t get a date if he wanted one”. So at first I thought that she was crazy, but we did the read-through, we all sat down and read it, and he was so funny in this one little scene that I had written for him that I ended up extending the part, probably to three times the size and I wish I had put him in it more because he was so much fun to work with and the day he was in was just my favourite day, it was the only day that I really sort of relaxed because he just puts you at ease and he’s just the most ridiculously inappropriate and funny man you’ve ever come across and every time I sit down to write something there is always and there will always be a part for Christopher Judge in my stuff because he’s just…he’s a movie star! There’s nothing else you can say about him. Christopher Judge is a movie star, I just keep waiting for him to get his big break in that regard.
Then, there’s the filming of the “Starcrossed” scenes for the movie on Stargate’s Daedalus set with Atlantis’ Paul McGillion and Rachel Luttrell:
So how is doing the production of “Starcrossed”?
Ha-ha. Well “Starcrossed” was the last thing we shot, we shot for one Saturday on the Stargate set, and we were told that we were allowed to use as long as it didn’t look like a Stargate set. Of course the Stargate fans all know it right away, but if you don’t know Stargate then I suppose that you might be impressed by how big the sets were. It was really, really funny because Rachel… lovely Rachel, the poor woman, I basically cast her as Teyla again, and I apologized to her for it, but I did say that they made her look beautiful in it, and I think she looks fantastic. And again, she’s got a great sense of humour. I actually just read a script that she has written, a sort of short film that she’s written, which is very, very funny and it’s exciting, there’s a lot of action and stuff too…
Having her and Paul McGillion and the whole crew around, and Michael Lenic, it was that much more amusing because we were in the middle of shooting Stargate so all of Starcrossed suddenly seemed very sort of close to home because it was a bit like “Galaxy Quest”, it amusingly mirrors our experiences shooting Stargate sometimes. It’s obviously sillier but I think there’s a very funny side to shooting Sci-fi. Sci-fi is all very serious and stuff but watching it being shot is very amusing so…We actually have a show that we are working on now called “Starcrossed” which is a behind-the-scenes comedy about making Sci-fi because we were just so taken with that part of the film. And the fans really liked that part of the film as well.
And there’s more…the first Stargate Atlantis movie, currently titled Stargate: Extinction, and perhaps working with Amanda Tapping once again in Sanctuary:
About Atlantis, have you seen the scenario of the movie or are you totally out of the loop?
Totally out of the loop, the actors are always the last to know of these things. I’ve heard rumours that we’re going to do a movie, I’ve heard rumours that we’re not going to do a movie. I basically just wait, that’s it, that’s all you can do, just hope for the best. Stargate was just the best job I’ve ever had, it was just fantastic, amazing people to work with, and just a great experience and I miss it terribly. And also as a sci-fi nerd I was a part of the sci-fi entertainment industry, which is just fantastic, to be there, to do ComicCon every year and to do all that kind of stuff. So I definitely miss it, I really, really enjoyed my time on that show. What is nice about not being on a show everyday is that you’ve got time to pursue your own stuff, which is basically what I’ve been doing. That’s the hope. I mean there’s definitely keeping an eye out for acting jobs as well, but basically just focussing on getting my own stuff made.
Amanda Tapping is an inspiration to me on that, because she’s just on such a fantastic job of transitioning from the Stargate franchise into her own franchise with Sanctuary so I think she’s a great example of alternate means of distribution and how that can succeed. I mean, she ended up with a TV series, it’s fantastic! What they’re doing over there is incredibly inspiring and she is a very smart one so I look forward to battle with her again.
Yes, I’ve seen this series. Are you planning to work with her again in Sanctuary?
Yes, I would love to. Unfortunately I got a call about possibly doing some stuff with them again but the schedule didn’t work out, as always. Unfortunately I was busy when they were doing it. But I hope so, yeah, a lot of those guys are from the Stargate days and obviously working with Amanda is such a treat so I’m hoping that another opportunity will come up in that regard.
Even the new Stargate Universe got a mention:
Back to the Stargate franchise, what is your point of view on Stargate Universe?
You know, I’ve got no point of view. I haven’t seen it so…it’s one of those weird things, as an actor who is no longer doing the show it’s that sort of weird bittersweet thing. I think it’s fantastic the franchise is continuing and I’m curious to see what they are going to do with it but at the same time I think “How could they possibly do a show without me?!?”.
You’re not going to play a part in the season premiere or a small appearance?
Nope. No. They are already shooting and I have not been a part of it thus far. They’ve talked about really trying to move it in a different direction so I think it’s difficult to do that if you have all the same characters. I know there are some crossovers and there have definitely been some crossovers with the SG-1 characters and such… I don’t know what happened there, I mean I would obviously love to be a part of it, and I’d loved to have been a part of it but I understand they have to have their own lives, they have to do their own things. So you know, it’s not really my call. Hey, if I had my way I’d be in every episode of every show ever! So, you know, we’d get pretty bored watching television so it’s probably good somebody else is running things.
Right now I’ve been trying to work on my own little science-fiction thing so we will see how that sorts out.
Most assuredly, there’s much, much more, so visit David Hewlett FR: I’m a Genius!
[Thanks to SGAngeL for the screencaps from A Dog's Breakfast. Stargate images from MGM and Sci Fi (Syfy).]
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Posted in Merchandise, Press Watch, SG-1 at 9:34 am by michelle
Michael Shanks is featured on the cover of Issue 29 (July/Aug 09) of Stargate magazine; the issue also includes an extensive interview with Michael. Here is an excerpt, reprinted with encouragement from the publisher, followed by info on how you can order your own copy:
Stargate Magazine: Since it’s been a while, how happy were you with how the two Stargate movies turned out?
Michael Shanks: I was quite content with the process of both. Continuum seems to be the favored one by the people involved. It benefited from the fact that we didn’t have to resolve any ongoing arc issues. The first one [The Ark of Truth] carried a lot of baggage in terms of resolving a two-year story arc. We built up this enemy to such a degree, there was so much story to tell, and they were such a fierce antagonist that to get rid of them over two hours was a bit of a conundrum. It seemed to be a bit of a quick convenient fix to have this device that you magically open and the bad guys go away. Continuum could stand on it’s own. It was a different story and there wasn’t so much exposition. Continuum also seemed to be a lot more fun. The visuals were quite fantastic, with filming in the Arctic and the use of the jet planes. The return of Richard Dean Anderson is always fun, as well.
Stargate Magazine: Both were so well received it must have felt rewarding that there was still that fascination with the Stargate characters.
Michael Shanks: Yeah, obviously that is the amazing thing about this show. The series has survived many cast departures (and returns!) and plotline shifts. It’s been a 12-year journey, and those characters are still around. The fact that the audience is still with us is very flattering.
Stargate Magazine: Next up, it’s been reported you’re guest starring in the Stargate Universe pilot.
Michael Shanks: I will say I got the script and there’s a good chance Daniel will be making a brief cameo along with some other people from the Stargate universe. That’s probably as much as I can say without getting my nuts chopped off. I’m literally in there for two seconds to provide some brief information. I’m not an integral part of it at all.
Stargate Magazine: In the end, what has kept Daniel Jackson so fresh over all this time?
Michael Shanks: I attribute it to the genre. Every time I’m on a different show and we talk about our careers and I mention the fact Stargate went on for 10 years, most actors’ jaws drop to the ground! When I was in London last year and was talking with Patrick Stewart, he was like “10 years! Wow!” And he was on a successful show for seven years [Star Trek: The Next Generation] and the movies as well, so he had some perspective. Ten years is quite a stint when you put the double digits on there playing the same character. If I was on CSI where you are doing the same thing with the real-life character, it might be a little boring. It’s kind of the same old, same old. I got to do so much more with Daniel over those seasons. You get to be different people: possessed, drugged up, schizophrenic, and multiple personalities downloaded into your head. It was always interesting and [there was] always something new to play. Because of the fantastical nature of the genre in terms of anything being possible, the stories were never dull to read or even participate in because there was always something extraordinary happening. We were always trying to push the envelope with visual effects. The best part of playing Daniel was having the chance to evolve the character, taking his experiences, banking them, and seeing what they would do to his psychology. Playing off people like Claudia Black, Richard [Dean Anderson], or Beau Bridges always brought you to a different level. We had great guest stars, too. There was a lot going on, so that made Daniel fun to play.
Read the full interview in issue 29 of The Official Stargate SG-1/Atlantis Magazine On-Sale Now!
To receive Stargate SG-1/Atlantis Magazine exclusives, including sneak peeks, interviews, promotional offers, and sweepstakes, visit: http://mailing.titanmagazines.com/mailing/
For more information and to subscribe visit http://www.titanmagazines.com/stargate
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30.Jun.09
Posted in Atlantis, Merchandise at 7:55 pm by michelle
Your intrepid editor’s Season 5 DVD box set arrived today, and the first things watched were the deleted scene featurettes. Since those weren’t detailed in the published content description, here’s a rundown of what’s in the deleted scene specials.
All the scenes are unfinished in terms of music, sound, and visual effects, but they are still very fun to watch. The features and many of the scenes are introduced by Martin Gero, and other writers as well as stunt coordinator James Bamford introduce scenes they wrote or were involved in.
Part 1, Disc 4
Search and Rescue — Three scenes introducing Capt. Alicia Vega as a new character were shortened or cut for time and momentum. In the first, Vega approaches Carter to complain that she’s been there a week and hasn’t been assigned to a team. She comes on strong, and Carter ends up putting her in her place. The second scene is a longer version of Vega taking out the Wraith Dart with her machine gun; in the longer scene, Vega takes some credit for the lucky shot. Martin Gero feels Stargate is far too heterosexual, so he wanted Vega to be a lesbian. But, since Keller was the only single female on the show (really?), it had to be Keller that Vega went for. So the third cut scene is Vega chatting up Keller about what there is to do for fun on Atlantis, and finally asking Keller if she can buy her a drink later. Keller tells her yes, if she can get free. Keller seems very puzzled by the offer.
Broken Ties — The scene shown is a much longer version of the fight scene between Ronon and Tyre, with Sheppard holding off Wraith with his gun.
The Seed – The cut scene has Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon discuss Woolsey just after their first conference room meeting with him. Teyla and Ronon decidedly don’t like him, and Sheppard is left to say it could be a lot worse, and that Woolsey is still new. Ronon is not convinced Woolsey will get any better.
The Shrine — Brad Wright had written a scene to help set up Stargate Universe that got cut. In it, Zelenka catches Rodney in the corridor on his way to the mission where he gets infected. Zelenka tries to tell Rodney that the ninth chevron may enable one to travel millions of light years across the universe, rather than only across a galaxy. Rodney rejects the idea completely The scene ends with a funny exchange between Teyla and Ronon, who have been watching the discussion.
Part 2, Disc 5
Whispers — The scene, introduced by Joe Mallozzi, is a much longer version of the one where Carson is packing to leave Atlantis to be a roving doctor, and Rodney argues against it. It includes Carson saying he wants to take his turtles with him, and Rodney being sad to hear it, then pitifully describing their natures, since the clone Carson had never really owned them. Carson relents and lets Rodney keep the turtles, named Jeffrey and Michelle. Then Sheppard arrives, as he did in the final scene as aired.
Remnants – Joe Mallozzi introduces an entire cut scene in which Shen questions Woolsey on all the mistakes she feels he has made, such as not killing Keller when she was infected with the Wraith contagion, permitting Ronon to remain free after swearing allegiance to the Wraith, and allowing the Replicators to establish a corporeal form on Atlantis. Woolsey describes how and why he had to stop going “by the book” to run the city. Woolsey gets the upper hand in the war of words.
Brain Storm — Gero introduces the three scenes that were cut for time. First is a short walk-and-talk between Sheppard and Ronon on the way to the cafeteria, in which they argue about the value of playing video games, with Ronon in the “against” category. Sheppard assures Ronon there won’t be any video games on the surfing planet. The second scene is an interchange between Rodney and Tunney, in front of the white board, talking about a potential solutions to their predicament. The third cut scene is Bill Nye actually being himself in a scene he wrote, talking to the audience about how science fiction reminds us that we can work together to solve our real-life planetary problems.
Stay tuned for more tidbits as we watch the box set. The special in filming Vegas was the next thing I watched, and it was incredibly awesome.
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Posted in News, Press Watch, SG-1 at 2:22 pm by DeeKayP
Actors Jan Rubes and Michael Shanks film scene for “Crystal Skull” in front of a green screen (image from MGM)
Actor Jan Rubes, known by Stargate SG-1 fans for his portrayal of Daniel Jackson’s grandfather Nicholas Ballard in the Season Three episode “Crystal Skull”, passed away last night at the age of 89.
From the CTV Toronto News press release:
Actor Jan Rubes dies at age 89
Updated: Tue Jun. 30 2009 5:38:12 PM
The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Jan Rubes, who played the Amish grandfather in the 1985 Harrison Ford film “Witness,” has died at age 89.
Rubes was born in the former Czechoslovakia and emigrated to Canada in 1948.
In addition to his film work, he was an accomplished singer who performed for the Canadian Opera Company over 1,000 times.
“Witness,” directed by Peter Weir, was nominated for eight Academy Awards and told the story of a detective protecting a young Amish boy who was witness to a murder.
Other film roles included “The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick,” “Snow Falling on Cedars” and “D2: The Mighty Ducks.” He also did TV work, appearing in shows including “The X-Files,” “Due South” and “Stargate SG-1.”
Rubes was married to his wife Susan for almost 60 years. He also leaves behind two sons and three grandsons.
His family announced the death Tuesday through a news release.
Accolades for Rubes include honourary degrees from the universities of Windsor and Guelph and the Earl Grey Award at the Geminis for lifetime achievement in television. He was also a member of the Order of Canada
Rubes was also known for his weekly radio show called “The Songs of My People.”
Solutions extends our sincerest condolences to family and friends.
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Posted in News, Universe at 1:24 pm by michelle
SyFy has announced its line-up of panels for the San Diego Comic Con; the full list of SyFy panels is here at scifiwire.com. First up is the Stargate Universe panel, which will be on Friday, July 24, and feature the main cast as well as the executive producers. From the announcement:
Friday, July 24
10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Stargate Universe Ballroom 20. A new chapter of the Stargate saga begins with the all-new original series Stargate Universe. Join stars Robert Carlyle, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blue, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith and Ming-Na alongside series co-creators Brad Wright and Robert Cooper.
There’s no word on any SGA or SG-1 panels, which would likely focus on the movies and be hosted by MGM, not SyFy. Given the uncertainty of the movies, don’t expect any such panels.
As of now, Comic Con is completely sold out, both for tickets and hotel rooms. Rest assured, we’ll keep an eye out for any news that arises from the convention!
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Posted in Merchandise, News, SG-1 at 9:04 am by DeeKayP
Amazon.com is running a special today on the Complete Series Collection (all 10 seasons) of Stargate SG-1 for the impressive price of $131.99! That’s an incredible savings, so if you haven’t gotten all seasons yet, now’s your chance at an unbelievable price!
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27.Jun.09
Posted in News at 8:49 am by michelle
Based upon his twittered tidbits, David Hewlett has a new development deal with MGM to write and star in a feature-length TV pilot that can also stand alone as a Sci Fi (SyFy? not sure) movie. From his tweets, it appears David has only to sign the contract for it to be in place. He was excited and confident enough about it that he and his wife, Jane Loughman, went off to buy matching iPhones in celebration.
While he and his family have been living in Los Angeles, he tweeted that the movie/pilot will be filmed in Vancouver and the “wilds of BC”. Describing it in a nutshell, he said it would be “Midnight Run with aliens instead of mobsters.” Midnight Run starred Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin and was about an accountant (Grodin) on the run from bounty hunters (De Niro), the FBI, and the mafia. We can assume David will play the character on the run, and an “arrogant genius” to boot.
As for co-stars, Joe Flanigan raised the question in a recent fan Q&A whether fans would like to see him, David, and Chris Judge together in a TV series. We have no idea if he was referring to this project of David’s, and it’s important to note David might not have control over the casting. In fact it would be highly unusual if he did!
Here are David’s relevant tweets, in time order from the past few days:
MGM paperwork just completed…Here we go! First, self-gifting of new iphone to celebrate…Jane gets one too for some reason 
MGM deal for writing a new feature length TV pilot, which can stand alone as a Sci Fi movie, or be the start of a whole new series for me!
damn right! Want to shoot in the wilds of B.C. for some of it if I have my way…with a paid crew
Reading over contract is going to take longer than writing the film! Iphone box just for scale …honest;-) http://yfrog.com/7grootlzj
basically it’s Midnight Run with aliens instead of mobsters…and an arrogant genius that should make Stargate fans happy!
We look forward to hearing more about David’s project as it develops, and of course we’ll report it here!
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26.Jun.09
Posted in Atlantis, Merchandise, News at 11:57 am by DeeKayP
TVShowsOnDVD.com has announced that all five seasons of Stargate Atlantis are to be released in a Complete Series DVD set on October 6 (Region 1/North America)! The set will include all 100 episodes and most likely all of the extra features that are included on the individual seasons’ sets, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Visit the website for packaging art and other details. The set is featured at Amazon.com for both DVD (Amazon says there are 26 discs in this set) and Blu-ray formats.
For those who already have Seasons One through Four and just lack Season Five to make their collections complete, the Season Five Box Set is coming to Region 1 at the end of this month (June 30).
Update: Amazon.co.uk has the Complete DVD set with a release date of August 10 for Region 2 (Europe)! This date is subject to change.
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