Sci-Fi & Fantasy Archives - Page 14 of 30

Julie Benz takes her “Defiance” character down a darker path in Season 2

June 12, 2014 Eric Kohanik

Somehow, the future never seems to be pretty in the world of science-fiction TV shows. And Julie Benz says there are good reasons for that. “I think, with the sci-fi genre, we’re able to explore issues that we’re all faced with today,” the 42-year-old actress points out. “We’re able to explore them in a deeper, darker way.” Benz is no stranger to the deeper, darker realm of the horror/thriller/sci-fi genre. Perhaps still best known for her role as Rita on Dexter, her TV credits also include such other gems as Roswell, Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Buffy’s spinoff/sequel, Angel. […]

The CW embarks on a quest for the Holy Grail with “Labyrinth”

May 20, 2014 Ryan Berenz

No Monty Python jokes here. The CW’s new miniseries Labyrinth, airing Thursday, May 22, and Friday, May 23, at 8pm ET/PT, is a seriously engrossing adventure. The CW kicks off summer with Labyrinth, a two-night, four-hour miniseries based on The New York Times best-selling author Kate Mosse’s novel of the same name. Jumping back and forth between medieval and modern-day France, the story revolves around two young women divided by centuries but united in their hunt for the Holy Grail. In 13th-century France on the eve of war, 17-year-old Alaïs (Jessica Brown Findlay, Downton Abbey) must protect a book written […]

Face Off Recap: Season 6 Finale

May 1, 2014 Kellie Freeze

The Season 6 finale of Face Off on SyFy had three remaining makeup artists vying for $100,000, a 2014 Fiat and a VIP trip from Kryolan Professional Make-Up. The three finalists, Tyler, Rashaad and George are all talented in their own rights, and each would be a worthy victor. George is an amazing sculptor, Tyler has fantastic and complex ideas and Rashaad is an incredible painter. The finale of Face Off always consists of some sort of dance performance, so the three finalists will have to create makeups that are flexible enough to allow movement, but also strong enough to […]

Interview: Josh Hartnett on Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful”

April 30, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

An overall sense of mystery has pervaded Showtime’s new psychological horror series Penny Dreadful, premiering Sunday, and that is probably fitting. The eight-episode Victorian-era series is set in 1891 London and focuses on some of the scariest characters in literature, including Dracula, Dorian Gray, and Dr. Frankenstein and his creature. Bringing the gruesomeness and horror to life is an eclectic cast that includes Josh Hartnett, Eva Green and Timothy Dalton. The show is created, written and executive produced by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (Hugo, Gladiator), and also executive produced by Sam Mendes (Skyfall). “As the show sort of settles […]

New BBC America series explores “The Real History of Science Fiction”

April 16, 2014 Ryan Berenz

The Real History of Science Fiction documentary series on BBC America (Saturdays at 10pm ET beginning April 19) aims to tell the definitive history of the genre and its impact on cinema, television and literature. Each episode in the four-part series explores one of the enduring themes of sci-fi: time travel, space exploration, robots and artificial intelligence, and aliens. The list of sci-fi notables contributing to the series include William Shatner (Star Trek), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek), Steven Moffat (Doctor Who), Richard Dreyfuss (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), Chris Carter (The X-Files), Ronald D Moore […]

Syfy sets date for return of “Defiance,” premiere of “Dominion”

March 28, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

Syfy announced it will be kicking off a new Thursday night lineup on June 19, with the return of Defiance for Season 2, and the premiere of the new supernatural drama Dominion (pictured). Defiance Season 2 debuts at 8pm ET/PT on June 19. According to Syfy: “As the story of Defiance resumes, the lives of the townspeople are in drastic turmoil. The Earth Republic has assumed control of the town, with far-reaching consequences including a new mayor. Nolan (Grant Bowler) traverses the badlands to find a lost Irisa (Stephanie Leonidas), Amanda (Julie Benz) has an unexpected new role in the […]

The Walking Dead: Josh McDermitt on what’s ahead for Dr. Eugene Porter and Co.

March 22, 2014 Lori Acken

With just two episodes left in The Walking Dead Season 4, we’re all on the march to Terminus, right? Er, right? Even if not all of us are exactly aware that that’s what we’re doing? And if it’s a good idea or not. Plus, we’ve got some new folks along for the ride. Dr. Eugene Porter, Sgt. Abraham Ford and Rosita Espinosa — the long-awaited fan favorites from The Walking Dead graphic novels — have swerved off their mission to get the mullet-noggined, trigger-happy Eugene to Washington, D.C., and are tagging along with Glenn and Tara at his insistence. And […]

“Sharknado 2” starts filming in February; Ian Ziering and Tara Reid to reprise roles

January 31, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

As if New York City hasn’t seen its share of craziness lately, with snowstorms and the influx of Super Bowl fans and media, the Big Apple will be bitten again soon, when Syfy begins filming its sequel to last year’s social-media hit Sharknado. The network announced that Sharknado 2: The Second One will begin filming in New York on Feb. 13. Sharknado stars Ian Ziering and Tara Reid (pictured below in a scene from the first movie) will reprise their roles as Fin and April, Syfy also announced. Also returning for Sharknado 2 are director Anthony Ferrante and writer Thunder Levin. “Sharknado was […]

“The 100” brings futuristic take on “Lord of the Flies” to The CW

January 17, 2014 StayTuned Staff

If you notice some similarities between the classic novel Lord of the Flies and The CW’s futuristic new drama The 100, that’s no accident. Like William Golding’s chilling masterpiece, the sci-fi series follows a group of young people left alone in a dangerous wilderness, and observes the deadly developments that take place as they struggle to not only survive the elements but each other. In The 100 (pronounced “The Hundred” if you want to sound cool about it) Earth has been left uninhabitable by nuclear war, with the remnants of humanity waiting out the century or so needed for the […]

Interview: Billy Campbell of Syfy’s “Helix”

January 2, 2014 Jeff Pfeiffer

“I kind of think of this show as a mashup of The Andromeda Strain, John Carpenter’s The Thing and The Walking Dead,” Billy Campbell tells me of his new Syfy series Helix, premiering Jan. 10. Prior to the interview, watching the pilot, that is almost exactly what I thought about this 13-episode thriller (except, for me, parts of the show called to mind 28 Days Later more so than The Walking Dead). Helix does indeed combine classic sci-fi elements from those titles — a disease outbreak, a group of people at a fairly claustrophobic, remote Arctic outpost, and, eventually, at […]