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• Life Stranger Then Fiction: Coral Man (dashPunk)
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• DVD Releases: September 29, 2009 (dashPunk)
• Details Leak from Script to Robert Rodriguez’s Predators. Film to Feature Predator Dogs and Birds? (via /Film)
• Terminator Franchise Rights For Sale…Again (via /Film)

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Out this week we have two DVDs to feature:  Kings – Season One, Monsters vs. Aliens.

• Kings – Season One: This show is just an amazing piece of surreal speculative fiction and drama.  The political intrigue and drama rivaled that of West Wing and Battlestar Galactica.  Kings was not renewed for a second season because of the ratings which I think was due to the poor time slot and promotions that did not do the show justice.  The cast is amazing.  This is a must own and I hope that with enough DVD sales they will get to do another season.
  • Get your copy from:  Amazon or 
  • More Kings on dashPunk and Reviews of episodes.
  • Listen to “Of Gods and Kings” a Kings podcast here and Subscribe
  • Watch Kings streaming online

• Monsters vs. Aliens: DreamWorks fun animated tale drawing inspiration from a lot of the classic 50’s monster movies but this time they are here to help defend earth from the attacking aliens.  It is a renter for me but did receive good reviews from those who have watched it.
  • Get your copy from Amazon
  • More on Monsters vs. Aliens: Theater or Renter: March 2009

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A new episode of Kings airs on NBC this Saturday at 8pm.  I’m glad for it’s return after the break.  Kings is a great dramatic show exploring family, loyalty, and political intrigue in a magic realism setting.  I know what I’m watching Sunday night on Hulu.

“Brotherhood” is the episode to air in which Jack and David go to Gath to shore up the peace treaty, which is threatened by Gath’s dangerous request. Elsewhere, Michelle encounters problems stemming from her health-care bill, and Silas takes steps to prevent a plague from ravaging the city.

For more on Kings including reviews of the previous episodes click here

Check out the Kings podcast “Of Gods and Kings” which will also be returning to discuss the events in Brotherhood.

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I have some bad news for the Kings fans like me:

“Kings” will return to its Saturday 8 p.m. slot June 13 and will finish its run through July 25 (Hollywood Reporter).

There will not be a new Kings this week.

• Future of Of Gods and Kings

Our podcast, Of Gods and Kings will go on hiatus untill June, and finish out the series then.

If you are a fan of Kings, now is the time to tell your friends about the series.  Let’s try to surprise NBC with great ratings for the series when it returns.

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Google Pay-Per-View | Third Da Vanci Code Film | Toy Story 3 | Wolverine and the X-Men: Heroes Return Trilogy, Battlestar Galactica: Caprica | Kings | Stargate Universe | Dollhouse: Haunted Life, Plastic World | Chuck and Community Comments on Speculative Fiction Today.

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• DVD Releases: April 21st, 2009 (dashPunk)
• Review: Kings 105 Judgment Day (dashPunk)
• Stargate Universe gets 1 (maybe 2) gay character(s) (dashPunk)
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Review of:  Kings 105 Judgment Day

Overall Rating: 9

Loyal Citizens of Gilboa, Gath and the disputed territories in between: When David’s brother Ethan is sentenced to death for treason, David is asked to betray King Silas to save him from the gallows.  Watch the episode streaming online above.

This episode really featured the art of subtlety to enhance the feel and to tell the deeper story.  There were many instances where the use of subtle changes in the lighting enhanced the scene or to give us pause.  The imagery it’s self was subtly changed to give the feel of an absence which was a reoccurring theme throughout the episode.  There were also some beautiful scenes where the spoken conversation was on one topic and the subtle action was on a second completely different topic at the same time.

In this episode King Silas is officiating over Judgment Day.  It is one day a year where the king will officiate over 10 cases whether they are civil or criminal and regardless of whether a court has already given judgment.  The cases are without lawyers only the parties involved and the Kings ruling is final.  The spirit of judgment day is supposed to be about fasting and forgiveness.

The manner in which this episode approaches the path to power and the dangers to the individual is fascinating.   They set up a path to power that requires a hardening of ones heart, taking in cruelty and becoming cynical.  The characters exemplifying this best is Queen rose and King Abadon.  Through Michelle they show the other side of the spectrum where she is very caring and kind and has little power.  This creates a neat drama within the series with the characters of David and Katrina Gent as we watch them both move into power and must find a new path to avoid becoming cruel and cynical.

Isolation was a reoccurring theme throughout this episode.  I really enjoy how they do this through the king as he interacts with those around him.  They also do this through the subtle dulling of the grandeur of the palace and his environment.

This episode was also a Jack heavy episode.  I find it sad when watching Jack and King Silas.  Although they are on different sides of the fence they both struggle so hard for character growth and with all of that effort only seem to manage only a few steps in any direction.  For Jack if he would only get some recognition he might be able to improve.

Moment’s in magic realism

• The imagery of David in pain between the flag and his family
• The envelop with the medal in it falling to the floor just before Katrina Gent walks by.
• Andrew opens the drawer and Cross closes it.

Favorite quotes

• “Eggs without yokes sacrilege… Prometheus on the rocks gave better breakfast.”
• “What’s the point of having power if you don’t use it “
• “Justice is in deferent to your own mood.”  “As is my own wife.”
• “I wasn’t sure about God or how he deals with any of us.  Now I see God works through you.”

For More on Kings here.

Get you copy from:

Listen to “Of Gods and Kings” a Kings podcast here. and Subscribe

Next Week:

King Silas (McShane) sends Jack (Stan) and David (Egan) to Gath to reinforce the peace agreement. David quickly learns that the trip is much more than just a diplomatic tour when Gath asks for an unusual and dangerous favor. Michelle (Allison Miller) discovers that her health care bill may have created more problems than it solved. Meanwhile, Silas faces the potential crisis of a deadly plague entering his city.

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These are my links for April 7th through April 8th:

• Greg Bear to Write Halo Trilogy –
• Get an exclusive look at concept art for SCI FI’s upcoming Riverworld | SCI FI Wire –
• Harry Potter’s ‘Crabbe’ is busted for pot in London | SCI FI Wire –
• Gary Oldman NOT in Iron Man 2, First Look at Garry Shandling as Senator Stern | /Film –
• Ian McShane Interview – Deadwood and NBC Kings TV Show Actor Ian McShane – Esquire –
• ‘Kings’ exiled to Saturdays by NBC – Entertainment News, TV News, Media – Variety –
• MySpace.com Blogs – OTEP MySpace Blog –
• The Clone Wars gets ‘enhanced’ for rerun season –
• Hulu Blog The Search Continues –
• TV’s Web Revenues: $1.63B in 2008 –
• Netflix Nabs SpongeBob and South Park –
• Sony’s Movies May Be Coming to YouTube –
• Cryptomundo » Giant Sea Worm Discovery –

These topics and more covered in our daily podcast, Project: Shadow Informant.

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