Home from Atlantis and headed for Aquilonia ... Jason Momoa

There are times when your jaw drops, and someone could knock you flat with a handy feather. This is one of them:

Jason Momoa as Conan the Barbarian --

No, I'm not kidding you! I'm serious! That's the Jason Momoa you know from Stargate Atlantis. You know, huge, dark and unspeakably gorgeous?



They've been trying to get this movie into gear for a couple of years now. The generic poster was painted for it, using the old genre of the torso with the head missing off the top, out of frame, and you notice it says CONAN 2009...

...well, it ain't 2009, kiddies. Anybody looked at the calendar lately? Mine says 2010. In fact, it says Almost At The End of 2011.

Last time I heard of the new Conan movie was waaay back in January, here:
http://www.slashfilm.com/jason-momoa-is-the-new-conan-the-barbarian/

At the time Jason Momoa was just one of three actors being considered for the part. God knows who the other two were. But the other day I was killing a few of those "hurry up and wait" minutes, and I landed on the Frank Frazetta official website. You might not know Frank Frazetta, but he was the artist who painted the covers for the classic Conan novels waaaay back in the 1960s...

I was on the website because I'd seen something recently that looked like a Tribute to Frank Frazetta, and I was thinking, "Damn, don't say Frank died." Yep, he did. In fact, he died back in May, 2010. Well, rats. He was one amazing artist. But while I was on the official site there was this photo ... and I knew that face.

"Get your first official look at Jason Momoa as Conan," it said.

Whoooo! Movie slated for 2011 release. Think I'm telling porkies? Would I do that? See here, for yourself: http://www.frankfrazetta.net/

That's the official Frank Frazetta page, Jason Momoa and all.

Oh yeah, this can be Conan...



Then, for the second time in five minutes, you could have knocked me down with the same feather again. I couldn't resist reading the comments on the article -- which is usually a mistake, because incredible idiots say unbelievably stupid things which just get the steam puffing out of your ears, right?

Sure enough, somebody did. Some certifiable loony says this: "He's not big enough to be Conan. Sigh. Will no one get the Conan thing right? They should really start by reading the original 12 books by Robert Howard. Arnold was great because he had a thick northern accent that Howard wrote of and was certainly huge. I hope like heck that the writers, directors and producers take the time (what like two weeks) to read he originals..." etc., etc. etc.

And before I could chime in with my ten pennies' worth, I saw there was a reply on this. Not only that -- are you ready for this? -- the reply was from Jade379, which if course is OUR Jade, the Jade, the artist, our artist! You know -- this Jade. Yeah. And she said the whole thing, perfectly...

Jason Momoa is a lot taller than Arnie ... a lot! I guess you're talking about the huge muscle mass when you say he's too small, right? I *have* read the REH cassic novels, and I think the size thing is all relative. Conan was described as huge ... Jason Momoa is actually enormous -- watch a few episodes of Stargate, and see. Also, he's an actor, and might easily affect a northern accent, with a good dialog coach. I've a feeling it's the comic art that makes us think of Conan as being a bit like a "shaved gorilla." In reality, it's endless hours in a gym, lifting weights, that makes a guy look like that. Conan's lifestyle, as depicted in the first movie -- all that running!! -- wouldn't build or maintain that body. He'd wind up looking a lot like you see right here in this pic. Food for thought!

Go to the page, see it, it's all there: http://theflickcast.com/2010/06/22/get-your-first-official-look-at-jason-momoa-as-conan/#more-40169

Is that cool, or what?!

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!

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!!