Stargate - Congratulations!

Congrats are in order to the entire Stargate crew. TheMGM newsletter was just delivered, with these words:

We are pleased to announce that the Stargate franchise is nominated for 22 LEO Awards. In addition, executive producers Brad Wright and Robert Cooper will be receiving the Outstanding Achievement Award at the ceremony.

...and here's the ones you've been waiting for:

Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama: Michael Shanks – Stargate: Continuum

Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Feature Length Drama: Amanda Tapping – Stargate: Continuum

Best Dramatic Series: Stargate Atlantis (Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Brad Wright, Robert Cooper, Carl Binder, Martin Gero, Alan McCullough, John Smith - Producers)

Best Lead Performance by a Female in a Dramatic Series: Jewel Staite - Stargate Atlantis – “Tracker”

Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series: David Hewlett - Stargate Atlantis – “The Shrine”

Now, that's cool!

A word or two from your host: heeeeer's AG!

And an editorial note here ... thanks gazillions to Jade (who is the cover artist for DreamCraft and Mel Keegan) for the spanking new header for this blog! I think it looks amazing, and it also reflects where most visitors are coming from, and what they want when they get here!

In fact, you might be interested to know a few stats on this here blog, since there's over 100 posts up now, and visitors from every part of the world are browsing through as if it were a magazine ... which I suppose it is, really!

• About 40% of all visitors follow a link or an image or a Google search of some description (blog, web or image) for ... Johnny Depp!
• Johnny Depp's tattoos are the most popular single feature on the blog!
• Followed a close second by Viggo's tattoos -- and then by Viggo himself.
• Next up, folks follow links and threads and wind up here on the trail of Elijah Wood...
• And about equal numbers of people are looking for Elijah Wood and Christian Bale; and finding it here!
• Next, James Spader, without or without the long hair (but searches and visitor "came from" links show a definite preference for "with").
• And Richard Dean Anderson is right up there with James Spader, Christian Bale and Elijah Wood, in terms of how many visitors are looking, and searching.

After that -- well, it's a free-for-all, with an absolute gran-bag of everything on the blog.

You'll have noticed the "Link Within" widgets ... I added this service about two weeks ago, and it really has added value to the blog. Visitors like it, and many wind up browsing from topic to topic ... a few have stayed for an hour!

I'm not so sure about the "Snapshots" feature, though. I know it's popular on a lot of sites (like Live Journal and (Wordpress) but I'm not totally "sold" on how it works here.

But I have checked out my Statcounter stats and made a note of what visitors are downloading as "keepers." Guys: you're sussed ... ie., I know what you like! Therefore, I can "keep it coming." And let's be honest, there is never a shortage of stuff to babble about!

Many thanks to all who have supported the blog with a click or two on whatever interesting advertising has come along. I appreciate it!

The next thing I want to add to the site here is a Movie Shoppe. Stay tuned...

Richard Dean Anderson: Macgyver rides again, big sceen style!

Richard Dean Anderson fans: you want good news to wind up today's business?! It couldn't be better, and AG is wearing a mile-wide smile!

Cast an eye upon this, from Reuters:

"It will take more than twine, bubble gum and a pencil to do it, but the science-oriented adventure series "MacGyver" is being developed as a feature film for New Line.

"MacGyver" ran from 1985 to 1992 on ABC. Richard Dean Anderson, later of "Stargate: Atlantis" and "SG-1" fame, starred as an incredibly resourceful secret agent for the Phoenix Foundation who frequently would escape from dangerous situations with ingenious and lightning-quick engineering trickery.

Two telefilms starring Anderson aired in the years after the show's cancellation. The character eventually achieved enough cultural recognition to become a reference for anyone attempting to jury-rig a solution out of household items. "Saturday Night Live" took the concept to the next level with its "MacGruber" spoofs starring Will Forte.

Raffaella De Laurentiis, daughter of veteran producer Dino De Laurentiis, is producing the movie through her Raffaella Prods. along with Martha De Laurentiis and series creator Lee Zlotoff. Dino De Laurentiis is executive producing.

No writer has been hired. The studio hopes to find a script that acknowledges the concept's pop-culture profile yet still makes for a serious and fun adventure movie.

"We think we're a stick of chewing gum, a paper clip and an A-list writer away from a global franchise," said New Line's Richard Brener."
http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSTRE52F0PX20090316

And if that isn't reason enough to hop up and do a small dance for the sheer joy of it, what is? It's also MORE than reason enough for some eye candy!

James Spader: Happy birthday, 2009!

And it's Happy Birthday to James Spader, who turns 49 today! Who'da thunk it ... my brain must be stuck in a timeloop, because every time I think "James Spader," I think Stargate! Can't seem to help it ... which isn't actually fair to the actor, who was done REAMS of work since 1994, when the iconic movie came out -- most notably the part of Alan Shore, which spans two shows, The Practice, and Boston Legal.

So -- many happy returns to the original Doctor Daniel Jackson ... James Spader started something that isn't finished even yet. The movie Stargate really was James's project. The character of Jack O'Neill wasn't even really likable till the end -- even though you thoroughly understood what had made him so prickly. Kurt Russell was great in the role ... but James Spader stole the movie out from under him, and it would be fair to say that Richard Dean Anderson's Colonel Jack (as clearly distinct from any of the many Captain Jacks!) is by far the audience favorite.

The jury is out, as per who's the favorite Daniel Jackson, James Spader or Michael Shanks. Depends who you talk to. James Spader was the Jackson who got to actually play scenes with Jaye Davidson's Ra ... woah. I loved this movie. I know a lot of critics ripped into it, in 1994, but I think I saw it about six times at the movies!

(Incidentally, Stargate is back in 2009! See this: Headin' back through the Stargate in 2009)

Since Boston Legal, the question has been kicked around a lot: is the character of Alan Shore gay? What's going on between James Spader and William Shatner in this show?!

Here's a cute quote from Queerty:
Boston Legal may just be the funniest show on TV. It is well written, smart, and has an all-star, hilarious ensemble cast. It is the relationship between two straight men that makes the show so gay. William Shatner and James Spader share the same bed, bicker, and even dressed as matching pink flamingos for Halloween. It is the perfect gay relationship, except they don't have sex.
http://www.queerty.com/tag/james-spader/

Nice one ... I guess the jury is out on another issue here, too.

So now we get to the important stuff ... the eye candy! Here goes:

Think I'll be watching the movie tonight ... I got the director's cut, which is quite a lot longer, which makes it more of a treat!

Headin' back through the Stargate in 2009

And the good news is ... they're revving the Stargate up again. She's powered up, ready for a new series entitled Stargate Universe. Great news for those of us who enjoyed having our spectacles glued to Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Ben Browder and company! Moreover, the thinking viewer's hunk is back:

Any chance the SGC would let O'Neill grow his hair long and color it blond in the new show...? Rats. It would've been nice.

Anyway -- this story just showed up on I09.com: http://io9.com/5139871/dr-daniel-jackson-first-gater-to-cameo-on-stargate-universe, and in it, Michael Shanks says...

"There will be a Stargate SG-1 movie [for DVD], probably filmed around the same time the Atlantis movie is filmed this coming summer," he added. "So that's all going to be going on....as far as I know, is pretty Rick-heavy, pretty O'Neill-heavy," Shanks said. "So I don't know much more than that, but I will most definitely be involved in it."



Puts me in a mood to watch the old DVDs. It's going to be great seeing the characters back. Though I don't think Daniel Jackson will be allowed to lay a full-on smooch upon the tender lips of Cameron Mitchell ... as Michael Shanks has been known to do to Ben Browder:


Kewl. I mean, that is seriously kewl. Opens a whoooole perspective on the stories they could tell in the future. How's about a mirror univers (like the one where Spock has a beard), where everything's in a tangle and things get steamy?? Well, somebody should pitch the story idea! They can only reject it...

In honor of ther occasion, let's have a few more pictures before we move on to the other topic of today's fascination:


Who's buff now?! He must know every machine at the gym by its first name...


There you are, you see? He has got a great bod. Beats hell out of everyone why he refuses to show it. I think the scripts ought to have the aliens rip his shirt to shreds at least once per episode. I know, I'm wicked. I've been told.


Now, some folks professed to have some reason to protest the situation when Rick Anderson took a couple of years off the job to be with his family while his kids still remembered who is is, and his place in the show, and on the team, was filled by Ben Browder. And being thoroughly disgrunted, they took out their ire on Ben, as if there was something wrong with him filling in. Good grief, people!! Try cleaning your glasses once in a while, and have another look!!

Richard Dean Anderson: happy birthday, 2009!

It's that time again ... a birthday. Just what everyone needs. Just don't remind me when mine comes around, okay?

Today, it's Richard Dean Anderson who's celebrating with cause: he turns 59!

And scroll down a little way for a blast from the past which I couldn't resist pasting in. Is this cute, or what?!