Comic-con in San Diego was the place where Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse showed newly shot Lost footage as "season 1 deleted scene". Please keep in mind this is them showing their sense of humor at people always asking if they had everything planned. The highlight is that Mark Pellegrino (Jacob) and Titus Welliver (Man In Black) are back together. The new footage is interspersed with a pivotal talk between John Locke and Jack. Enjoy the video:
July 22, 2011
Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray Deleted Scenes Preview
Lucasfilm has released a teaser trailer that gives some very cool glimpses at certain deleted scenes we can expect to see on the Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray September 16, 2011. The footage for the most part looks rough and it seems that no restoration effort has gone into the deleted scenes and will more than likely just be available for viewing for the first time which is enough reason to celebrate but it would nice if they take the time to clean them and provide at the very least 5.1 audio.Enjoy the video below:
"MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU"
"MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU"
July 21, 2011
WORLD EXCLUSIVE WWE: Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century - DVD Review
DISC 1
Signature Open
Ground Breaking Superstars
Chris Jericho
Edge
Triple H
JBL
Kane
Kurt Angle
The Rock
Randy Orton
Brock Lesnar
Decade of the Divas
Jeff Hardy
Big Show
Eddie Guerrero
Shawn Michaels
Booker T
Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Undertaker
Rey Mysterio
Batista
John Cena
DISC 2
WCW Championship Match
Booker T vs. The Rock
SummerSlam August 19, 2001
Intercontinental Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam
Raw September 16, 2002
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Triple H vs. Kane
Raw June 23, 2003
60 Minute Iron Man Match for the WWE Championship
Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar
SmackDown September 18, 2003
WWE Championship Match
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
SmackDown March 18, 2004
DISC 3
Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Championship
JBL vs. The Undertaker vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Booker T
Armageddon December 12, 2004
Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship
JBL vs. Big Show vs. Kurt Angle
Royal Rumble January 30, 2005
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Triple H vs. Edge
Raw February 7, 2005
Women's Championship Match
Lita vs. Trish Stratus
Unforgiven September 17, 2006
Triple Threat Match - Winner Faces John Cena For The WWE Championship At WrestleMania 23
Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge
Raw February 5, 2007
8 -Man Tag Team Match
John Cena & Batista & Shawn Michaels & The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton & Edge & Mr. Kennedy & MVP
Raw February 15, 2007
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Batista vs. The Undertaker
WrestleMania 23 April 1, 2007
The main feature on Disc 1 runs just a little under 1hr and 40min. So that breaks down to about 5 minutes per Superstar and turns into nothing more than a fun highlight reel of the first decade of the new millennium. The voice over narration was good but admittedly a little annoying at the start with generic guitar riffs playing in the background. My personal favorite segments was Kurt Angle which shows why he was one the all time greats and why it is such a sad state of affairs to see him on Impact now. Hopefully one day he can clear his head and make one last run in the WWE. Of course Brock Lesnar is put over huge and is the recipient of some of the best superlatives from the interview participants.
The interview participants include The Miz, Alex Riley, Arn Anderson, Santino Marella, John Cena, Josh Mathews, and Matt Striker. The Miz comes across the best as you can see how much this business means to him and how much he truly loved watching these certain competitors. Disc 2 & 3 have a good selection of matches with the absolute highlight of the whole set being the full 60 minute Iron Match between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. Another highlight would be a WWE Championship match from Smackdown with Eddie Guererro vs. Rey Mysterio, what a great match this was. It even includes Paul Heyman's promo after the match. I also highly enjoyed seeing the hard work Batista and The undertaker put into their match for WrestleMania 23.
While not the most substantial 3-Disc collection WWE has released, this is a good effort overall and includes a couple 4 star matches for the ages. 8/10
WWE: Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This is a solid that for the most part consists of the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio of the vintage matches and footage with a colored background on the sides of the image to fill out the screen on HDTVs without sacrificing the original footage and stretching it. Early footage was better than expected with good color saturation and nice contrast. Detail was an improvement over 80's footage from the past couple WWE releases. Interspersed between the main feature on Disc 1 are new interviews and they are pretty much perfect with deep blacks, rich color saturation, and superb facial details. A visually pleasing release. 8/10
Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. While this is a 5.1 track it is for the most part very front heavy. The front channels exhibit some decent stereo separation and there was some subtle crowd din in the rear channels. The mid 00's matches exhibited crisp and clean commentary and good bleeding of the entrance music. Narration on the main feature was crisp and clean as were the newly shot interviews. 7/10
WWE Champion CM Punk Invades San Diego Comic-con - Video
During a WWE panel at the San Diego Comic-con the hottest commodity in wrestling today, CM Punk showed up unannounced and had his WWE Championship title in hand. Below is a fan shot video of the surprise appearance.
July 20, 2011
Yankee Stadium: Baseball's Cathedral - DVD Review
Fans and ballplayers have congregated for more than 80 years to witness history–they cheer their hearts out, realize their dreams and heal their souls in this ultimate baseball cathedral. Yankee Stadium™ has meant so much to so many.
Babe Ruth christened The House That Ruth Built™ with the first home run on opening day in 1923. Yankee Stadium has since seen it all. From World Series® championships to pitching perfection; from tear-wrenching good-byes to chances for redemption– Yankee Stadium has witnessed the wonder that baseball has to offer, treating its fans to a seemingly endless list of memorable moments.
YANKEE STADIUM: BASEBALL’S CATHEDRAL, produced by Emmy® Award-winning Major League Baseball Productions, tells all of these stories in a comprehensive and compelling fashion, giving fans one more chance to worship at the cathedral of baseball.
Baseball's Cathedral arrives on DVD with a 480i transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. A mix of vintage and newly shot footage up to 2008 this is a solid presentation overall. Contrast was nice and bright without ever washing the image out. Colors were punchy with vintage black and white footage had for the most part consistent black levels. Speaking of vintage don't expect crystal clear images all the time as there were instances of print damage and lines nut in my opinion it adds to the enjoyment of those classic years of Yankee history. 7/10
Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 track. New footage and interviews are as expected were crisp and clean as was the voiceover narration. Vintage clips have that old time scratch and pop to it that I personally love. 7/10
Lou Gherig - Farewell Speech
Mickey Mantle - 1964 World Series Game 3 walk-off home run
Chris Chambliss - 1976 ALCS Game 5 walk-off home run
George Brett - Pine Tar Incident
Jim Abbot - No Hitter 9th inning
Don Mattingly - 1995 ALDS Game 2 home run
Hideki Matsui - First major league grand slam
Aaron Boone - 2003 ALCS Game 7 home run
Derek Jeter - 2001 ALDS dive into the seats to catch a ball
Yankee Stadium Tour
July 19, 2011
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PREVIEW - WWE: Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century DVD
Here is my exclusive video preview of the package contents for the July 26th release of WWE: Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century 3-Disc DVD set.
EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK PHOTOS WWE: Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century DVD
Hello all. I just got in WWE: Greatest Superstars of the 21st Century 3 -Disc DVD set to release on July 26, 2011. WWE has continued their new practice of having the full content listing on the first left flap of the fold out case (see photo below).
WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 - DVD Review
United States Championship Match - Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler
R-Truth arrives at the arena
Todd Grisham interviews The Miz
Alex Riley vs. The Miz
Sgt. Slaughter welcomes President Obama
The Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
R-Truth wants his picture with the WWE Championship
Matt Striker interviews Wade Barrett
Intercontinental Championship Match - Wade Barrett vs. Ezekiel Jackson
President Obama meets Beth Phoenix, Santino Marella & Kelly Kelly
Josh Mathews interviews CM Punk
Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
World Heavyweight Championship Match - Randy Orton vs. Christian
Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger
President Obama addresses the WWE Universe
WWE Championship Match - John Cena vs. R-Truth
Capitol Punishment2011 arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This is a bright and colorful presentation. Primary colors are well saturated. Detail was good and the crowd was easily viewable. There were some light compression artifacts during ring entrances. Overall another consistently strong release. 8/10
Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The best part of the presentation is the entrance music which is provide with some decent bass. The commentary was crisp and clean throughout. Surround channels are mostly used for atmospheric crowd din and light bleeding of the theme music. 7/10
* Josh Mathews interviews Christian
July 18, 2011
Interview with LOST: Identity Author Pearson Moore
Hello all. Earlier today I had the pleasure of interviewing Pearson Moore Author of Lost: Humanity and the recently released LOST: Identity. Below is a full transcript of the interview:
Blu-ray Journal - Hello Pearson. This is Gerald Orr from Blu-ray Journal. I'm highly looking forward to speaking with you on the subject of LOST as well as your other work today.
Pearson Moore - Terrific. I've been looking forward to this as well.
Blu-ray Journal - So tell us a little about yourself to start.
PM - Sure. I started writing novels about 6 years and got involved writing about Lost about 3 years ago now and started writing on a weekly basis with Season 6 of Lost.
Blu-ray Journal - On http://pearsonmoore-gets-lost.com/default.aspx correct?
Pearson Moore - Yes.
Blu-ray Journal - When did you actually begin watching Lost?
Pearson Moore - I didn't start watching until Season 3. We happened to be visiting some friends from the Twin Cities, Minnesota. They happened to have the first two seasons right there on bookcase, so I got up early one morning and just put in the first DVD and I don't think my jaw closed for about a half an hour because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I wondered to myself why I hadn't bothered to experience this before. So I actually went through that first season in the next 17 &1/2 hours straight through. I was glued to that DVD for the whole day.
Blu-ray Journal - I can image. I watched the Season 1 DVD set within two days. I personally start the series though with the original "Pilot" broadcast on September 22, 2004.
Pearson Moore - Oh, so you started right from the beginning?
Blu-ray Journal - Yes. Right from the beginning. The episode that hooked, as I'm sure it did for a lot of fans was the 4th episode "Walkabout". That being said John Locke was my favorite character throughout the series.
Pearson Moore - Certainly Locke as well as Kate were my favorites.
Blu-ray Journal - I never understood the bashing the Kate Austen character got. I would agree that wasn't the most strongly written at times but the portrayal by Evangeline Lilly was phenomenal. Re-watching the series you can see subtle hints and looks she gives certain characters or the way she cares for them that showed her maternal side that was always there and waiting for Aaron. That to me is the best part of going back and knowing how it all ended and not have to worry so much about the mysteries or core mythology and pay attention to those more subtle character based moments.
Pearson Moore - Well I think the mythology and awesome scenes of mystery that were brought up by the show, such as the unusual but compelling situations were essential to the show but the main reason the characters and show worked so well was due to the excellent acting. The director would have to sometime say to them "Okay go here and act like your heading is hurting from time flashes" and they had to convey this emotion, or facial expressions out of nothing. It was their imagination and their faith in their portrayal of what the characters were going through. I know a lot of credit is given to the writer's, and rightfully so for creating such engaging scenes and situations but credit has to bee equally given to actors.
Blu-ray Journal - Especially in Season 2 when Michael Emerson as Ben showed up. That is where I thought the show went to another level in acting terms. The best part was him being matched up with Terry O' Quinn , the scenes between those two characters are the best stuff ever done for TV, you can't match it.
Pearson Moore - I think the other thing that happened there you was the producers respected the casts strength as actors more in Season 2 which led to such intriguing story arcs where we had Ben's manipulation of Locke, Man of Science vs. Man of Faith in regards to Jack and Locke. Also you have Ben vs. Hurley, it started with the idea of Ben as the liar and master manipulator and Hurley the one who was always hesitant to lie. Which resulted in being pulled in three different directions by the writers and I think they did an excellent job, but it was just as much Michale Emerson and rest of the cast portrayals. All these themes meshed together really well and made for some unparalleled television.
Blu-ray Journal - Well in the fall Michale Emerson will be starring in the J.J. Abrams produced series "Persons of Interest" on CBS, but I know personally that it will be nowhere near filling the void that Lost has left since finishing last year.
Pearson Moore - No, I haven't found any such thing either that can fill that void. One show that I found was "Game of Thrones" but that is a very different kind of television program. Where it differs as well is in the fact that George Martin wrote the first novel in 1996 so their was a legion of fans before the HBO series began, and based on the fact that the adaptation into series follows the novels so closely there is not too much mystery in regards to the show. It is an amazing show but it certainly isn't a replacement for Lost. Lost is a once in a generation show.
Blu-ray Journal - I actually felt the same way when Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" went off the air. I thought there is never going to be anything that tops these shows, then Lost came along in the fall of 04 and obliterated that theory and as they say the rest is history. I did have a crisis of faith in Lost when I discovered the first season of Heroes when Lost was on its third season and still watched every episode but at that time just didn't feel that it was answering questions as fast as "Heroes". I was in LA for Star Wars CIV and watched "Through The Looking Glass" in my hotel suite and as you said earlier , my jaw was literally dropped for almost the entire run time of that episode and when it ended with "We have to go back Kate, we have to go back" , I never questioned Lost again as the rightful heir to best series ever.
Pearson Moore - Exactly. Then season 4 just took off running and the didn't stop until "The End".
Blu-ray Journal - I'm at season 4 on my re-watch right now. My favorite season overall. Do you have the Lost:Complete Collection on DVD or Blu-ray? .It was a gorgeous box set . Love that they took the time to include the little ankh, and senet game. It was the attention to detail that not every company strives for when releasing a complete series as a box set.
Pearson Moore - (Laughs) I have both the DVD and the Blu-rays. I wind up using the DVD's on my computer and then the Blu-ray on the big screen. My wife and I actually have played Senet several times. The nice thing about the game is you can make up your own rules. We enjoyed trying different variants on how we thought it should be played.
Blu-ray Journal - One important question I have was do you relate or see your self in any of the characters on the series?
Pearson Moore - Oh boy, well I'm a scientist and have been all my life. So you might think that I would kind of identify with Jack, but I really identify with probably Locke and Rose. I'm very well of the limitations inherent with science and experimentation, scientific ways of thinking. Been aware of that for quite some time. I've done R & D forever for the pharmaceutical company I work for. I've seen models of reality and a model is a cartoon representation of reality if you will, it's not real. I've seen from past experiences that things I thought to be true about a certain molecules behavior turns out in many instances to be not true at all. So I'm very aware of those limits and see science as only a narrow slice of reality and only helps us explain a small part of the world. In reality the world is very closed to us. In essence we're pretty much like a dog reading a newspaper, the reality of the universe is right in front of us but at this time we don't have the conceptual tools to realize it fully. A dog can look at a newspaper but really only understand the a photo, they can't read rest of the universe that is on the page. We're actually like that as well in understanding the way the universe works.
I think we're certainly capable in the future of understanding things without logic or science by expanding the use of our brain faculties.
Blu-ray Journal - Wow, I wholeheartedly agree. So you would be more a man of faith in relating most to Locke and Rose, yes? I always felt that Locke was the key to entire series and still do,despite it ending with Jacks eye closing. It was a beautiful end to Jacks character and a bookend to the pilot but he never would have made it that far if it wasn't for John Locke. If you can connect any one character to the Island it would be Locke.
Pearson Moore - The big love fest during "The End" at the church where everyone is with their constant except Locke and Boone showed what I thought to be Locke's constant is the Island.
Blu-ray Journal - That is why I never understood why people ask "Why wasn't Helen there?" and the simple answer was she was very important to him but that was just one step on his path which was he was always moving towards the Island.
Pearson Moore - Exactly. The Island was his destiny.
Blu-ray Journal - What are your feelings on Walt in regards to what we saw in the epilogue to the series?
Pearson Moore - He is certainly going to be doing something in regards to his dead father. I don't know if that was the extent to what he could do but Hurley stated he didn't want the job as protector and Walt was called "Special" at least three times. Of course the word special is also to the Island and John Locke. More than any character, Locke was called "Special". The theme of mysterious specialness that connected Locke and the Island, Walt was also given that designation so it seems that one strong possibility is that Walt replaced Hurley as Protector of the Island. Of course we don't know that sure and we really don't have because the main theme was of Jack going from a narrow minded man of science to a man of faith. Also the story is the Island being liberated from the Man In Black into the paradise it's supposed to be.
Blu-ray Journal - I definitely agree and feel that it was close to paradise with Hurley running things on the Island. He was always the voice of the audience and had a pure and caring heart. It had to be a much more peaceful time.
Pearson Moore - I think that it was a period of growth and learning for everyone on the Island. In LOST: Humanity one of the things I talk about there is the pairing of Ben and Hurley, which really began quite earlier and was cemented in season 5 with what I like to call the Hot Pocket Incident. There the guy who didn't want to tell a lie and protect everybody on the Island told the biggest lie when he handed himself over to law enforcement and claimed "I did it , I'm your guy . I killed all 4 of them , or 3. I did it" (Laughs) That was the biggest lie of the season and proved that all these scenes are interconnected to the one on connections with the characters. That scene of manipulation kind of became a personal thing between Ben and Hurley. All of the seasons of the show are really grounded in these one on one character arcs. Strange attractions as they call it. With Hurley as Protector we know there is great potential for learning for anyone who will be subject to his and Ben's reign on the Island.
The other aspect is that Hurley isn't going to run things like Jacob and just bring people to the Island for his own reasons and let them die if that is their fate. That's not Hurley's way and we got a glimmer of that in "The End" when Ben told him to run things his won way "That's how Jacob ran things, you can make up your own rules" , "Do what you do best, taking care of people". So that certainly must have been what they did. Then of course they went off Island together to take Walt back.
Blu-ray Journal - A "Recruit"
Pearson Moore - Yes. Ben and Hurley's relationship with each other made them a whole, as where the relationship between Jacob an MIB was never a life giving kind of relationship. First thing that Jacob does when he is the new Protector is throw his brother to his death. They never had a healthy relationship as to where Ben always had the motivation to plan things and Hurley taking care of everyone which led to their governance of the Island being in perfect balance.
Blu-ray Journal - Speaking of Jacob and MIB, what were your initial thoughts on "Across The Sea"?
Pearson Moore - I certainly felt that it fit right in as part of the series. The only the thing that kind of struck me upon first viewing was the unnatural nature of the light. When I first saw the light it seemed out of place, it seemed something apart. But on reflection it fit right in with the Frozen Donkey Wheel, Electromagnetic anomalies, or when the Island was time jumping. So it fit in, but my immediate impression was that it didn't and left me kind of disoriented for a while but of course that went away. It also fit in with many fans theories that Jacob and the entity or nemesis we know as Man In Black were brothers.
Blu-ray Journal - Do you feel that "Mother" herself was at a time a Smoke Monster or connected to the entity of darkness?
Pearson Moore - Well I think that either she was the Smoke Monster herself and to back that up you could say how did she know that going down to the source you could possibly suffer a fate worse than death without speaking from personal experience. Of course the other strong indicator was with the ease in her destroying the Roman village. So she either was the Smoke Monster or to an extent had powers that were the same as the entity. I don't know if it really matters in regards to the main story that show told but it is fun to speculate. The way I describe The Source is as the figurative and literal beginning for everything on the Island. It is our way of understanding the Island.
Blu-ray Journal - I think your thoughts on the Source are spot on. Would you agree that the Smoke Monster wasn't just formed when Jacob through MIB down the stream but it is it's own separate entity that thrives on each individuals fears, such as Pennywise the Clown in Stephen King's novel "IT"?
Pearson Moore - That's consistent with, I won't say theories but ways of looking at the entity. You could say that the Smoke Monster is more or less a mirror if ourselves and the the characters deepest fears. That is a very productive way of looking at it.
Blu-ray Journal - Speaking of mirrors, did you find any signifigance in the fact that "The End" aired on the 23rd of May last year and Jack was candidate #23? Or was it just mere coincidence?
Pearson Moore - I don't know if they planned if they planned that or not. There was also speculation when "LA X" aired on February 2nd and that might possibly tie into time travel.
Blu-ray Journal - (Laughs) Yeah, Groundhog Day. Great Bill Murray film by the way.
Pearson Moore - Certainly though the number 23 has relevance as being the only prime number in regards to the final candidates. That's a significant number in itself because of that. Really Jack was the one who stood out most on the show as well from a mythological point of view.
Blu-ray Journal - I agree. Jack's story arc was executed beautifully. Staying with that though it still pains me to see complaints that John Locke was just a useless pawn and in the end meant nothing in the grand scheme of the show. I feel that is foolish to think so, Locke was the main key, the man of faith whom from the episode "White Rabbit" to "The End" was leading our hero to his ultimate destiny and in many ways Jack became a mirror of John Locke and completed both of their journeys with bravery.
Pearson Moore - Exactly. Jack is Locke's disciple by "The End" and he even states that "You're nothing like John Locke. You disgrace his memory by wearing his face but your nothing. Turns out he was right about most everything, I only wish I could have told him that before he died." The only way Jack was able to move from being a man of science to a man of faith was to follow the template that Locke left. Without Locke he wouldn't have been able to become the successor, so Locke was the sacrifice that the Island demanded.
Blu-ray Journal - Spot on. Locke willingly accepted that fate too when near the Frozen Donkey Wheel the MIB appeared as Christian and stated "You have to die, that's why it's called a sacrifice". There was no hesitation in Locke accepting what he had to do. Most of the other characters would disregard what the MIB had to say and wouldn't sacrifice themselves for the Island. Remember Jack at one point yelled at Lock "It's just and Island John, it doesn't need anything".
Pearson Moore - That's true. Going back now and re-watching the show they had it planned that Jack was the main hero and that is why he is a man of science and clearly the character that is farthest away from believing in the Island or what is going on around them an he eventually comes to accept his destiny after personal growth.
Blu-ray Journal - Fantastic. Well obviously we can talk about Lost all day , I just have a couple more questions.
Pearson Moore - Certainly.
Blu-ray Journal - I see you're going to be at the Lost Conference in New Orleans?
Pearson Moore - Yes, I'm going to do a presentation revolving around chaos theory and how that gets thrown around into Lost.
Blu-ray Journal - Nice. Could be that possibly be your next subject to continue in novel form after LOST: Humanity and LOST: Identity?
Pearson Moore - Probably not on Lost. Unless there is some huge growth of interest in Lost I'll probably continue instead with my book of essays on "Game of Thrones". In a couple months my second fiction novel should be released "Intolerable Loyalty" which is about the Revolutionary War from the French Canadian
perspective. It follows a spy from Boston who goes to Quebec and tries to recruit people to the colonists side.
Blu-ray Journal - Sounds like a great read and a different point of view than what most Americans have read in regards to the Revolutionary War.
Pearson Moore - I think that they're are certainly elements that everyone can get into and it at the same time is a challenge to be reading it from a new point of view.
Blu-ray Journal - One quick theory I have on the Flash Sideways. I feel looking at the ending more scientifically based, that their is a possibility that everything that was happening to the people in the church was such as the light was a sign that their consciousness letting go and that the Island then downloaded them into the Source. In that way they are part of the Island forever.
Pearson Moore - That is certainly interesting. I've never thought of that, but I don't see why there wouldn't be any reason that couldn't be a valid theory. MIB went down in the Source and became in a way tied to the Island as did Jack in his own way went down there and became tied to the Island. He was able to endure the electromagnetic energy like Desmond had earlier. He was transformed by his voyage down into the Source, so I feel what you're suggesting is a more radical but valid point.
Blu-ray Journal - Thank you. I know it's a bit out there but that is the greatest gift the Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cue gave us, the opportunity to use our own minds and still wildly theorize what happened.
Pearson Moore - Agreed. I don't think you need to look at the ending the way most people are in that it's just the afterlife.
Blu-ray Journal - Correct. It's not that black and white actually.
Pearson Moore - What we saw in the church had to with faith but we also saw symbols on the stained glass for several religions and it was more of a representation of the idea of faith which is not necessarily tied to the normal religious experience that most viewers thought the characters were going through.
Blu-ray Journal - It's really more what each individuals interpretation watching it is. Your own interpretation of the Source and what the Island is are my personal favorites.
Pearson Moore - Well thank you.
Blu-ray Journal - You're welcome. Pearson it was such a pleasure talking to you. Thank you for being so patient with my crazy theories and for your taking the time to speak with us today.
Pearson Moore - It was a lot of fun. Thank you much.
Blu-ray Journal - Thank you. Take care.
Blu-ray Journal - Hello Pearson. This is Gerald Orr from Blu-ray Journal. I'm highly looking forward to speaking with you on the subject of LOST as well as your other work today.
Pearson Moore - Terrific. I've been looking forward to this as well.
Blu-ray Journal - So tell us a little about yourself to start.
PM - Sure. I started writing novels about 6 years and got involved writing about Lost about 3 years ago now and started writing on a weekly basis with Season 6 of Lost.
Blu-ray Journal - On http://pearsonmoore-gets-lost.com/default.aspx correct?
Pearson Moore - Yes.
Blu-ray Journal - When did you actually begin watching Lost?
Pearson Moore - I didn't start watching until Season 3. We happened to be visiting some friends from the Twin Cities, Minnesota. They happened to have the first two seasons right there on bookcase, so I got up early one morning and just put in the first DVD and I don't think my jaw closed for about a half an hour because I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I wondered to myself why I hadn't bothered to experience this before. So I actually went through that first season in the next 17 &1/2 hours straight through. I was glued to that DVD for the whole day.
Blu-ray Journal - I can image. I watched the Season 1 DVD set within two days. I personally start the series though with the original "Pilot" broadcast on September 22, 2004.
Pearson Moore - Oh, so you started right from the beginning?
Blu-ray Journal - Yes. Right from the beginning. The episode that hooked, as I'm sure it did for a lot of fans was the 4th episode "Walkabout". That being said John Locke was my favorite character throughout the series.
Pearson Moore - Certainly Locke as well as Kate were my favorites.
Blu-ray Journal - I never understood the bashing the Kate Austen character got. I would agree that wasn't the most strongly written at times but the portrayal by Evangeline Lilly was phenomenal. Re-watching the series you can see subtle hints and looks she gives certain characters or the way she cares for them that showed her maternal side that was always there and waiting for Aaron. That to me is the best part of going back and knowing how it all ended and not have to worry so much about the mysteries or core mythology and pay attention to those more subtle character based moments.
Pearson Moore - Well I think the mythology and awesome scenes of mystery that were brought up by the show, such as the unusual but compelling situations were essential to the show but the main reason the characters and show worked so well was due to the excellent acting. The director would have to sometime say to them "Okay go here and act like your heading is hurting from time flashes" and they had to convey this emotion, or facial expressions out of nothing. It was their imagination and their faith in their portrayal of what the characters were going through. I know a lot of credit is given to the writer's, and rightfully so for creating such engaging scenes and situations but credit has to bee equally given to actors.
Blu-ray Journal - Especially in Season 2 when Michael Emerson as Ben showed up. That is where I thought the show went to another level in acting terms. The best part was him being matched up with Terry O' Quinn , the scenes between those two characters are the best stuff ever done for TV, you can't match it.
Pearson Moore - I think the other thing that happened there you was the producers respected the casts strength as actors more in Season 2 which led to such intriguing story arcs where we had Ben's manipulation of Locke, Man of Science vs. Man of Faith in regards to Jack and Locke. Also you have Ben vs. Hurley, it started with the idea of Ben as the liar and master manipulator and Hurley the one who was always hesitant to lie. Which resulted in being pulled in three different directions by the writers and I think they did an excellent job, but it was just as much Michale Emerson and rest of the cast portrayals. All these themes meshed together really well and made for some unparalleled television.
Blu-ray Journal - Well in the fall Michale Emerson will be starring in the J.J. Abrams produced series "Persons of Interest" on CBS, but I know personally that it will be nowhere near filling the void that Lost has left since finishing last year.
Pearson Moore - No, I haven't found any such thing either that can fill that void. One show that I found was "Game of Thrones" but that is a very different kind of television program. Where it differs as well is in the fact that George Martin wrote the first novel in 1996 so their was a legion of fans before the HBO series began, and based on the fact that the adaptation into series follows the novels so closely there is not too much mystery in regards to the show. It is an amazing show but it certainly isn't a replacement for Lost. Lost is a once in a generation show.
Blu-ray Journal - I actually felt the same way when Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" went off the air. I thought there is never going to be anything that tops these shows, then Lost came along in the fall of 04 and obliterated that theory and as they say the rest is history. I did have a crisis of faith in Lost when I discovered the first season of Heroes when Lost was on its third season and still watched every episode but at that time just didn't feel that it was answering questions as fast as "Heroes". I was in LA for Star Wars CIV and watched "Through The Looking Glass" in my hotel suite and as you said earlier , my jaw was literally dropped for almost the entire run time of that episode and when it ended with "We have to go back Kate, we have to go back" , I never questioned Lost again as the rightful heir to best series ever.
Pearson Moore - Exactly. Then season 4 just took off running and the didn't stop until "The End".
Blu-ray Journal - I'm at season 4 on my re-watch right now. My favorite season overall. Do you have the Lost:Complete Collection on DVD or Blu-ray? .It was a gorgeous box set . Love that they took the time to include the little ankh, and senet game. It was the attention to detail that not every company strives for when releasing a complete series as a box set.
Pearson Moore - (Laughs) I have both the DVD and the Blu-rays. I wind up using the DVD's on my computer and then the Blu-ray on the big screen. My wife and I actually have played Senet several times. The nice thing about the game is you can make up your own rules. We enjoyed trying different variants on how we thought it should be played.
Blu-ray Journal - One important question I have was do you relate or see your self in any of the characters on the series?
Pearson Moore - Oh boy, well I'm a scientist and have been all my life. So you might think that I would kind of identify with Jack, but I really identify with probably Locke and Rose. I'm very well of the limitations inherent with science and experimentation, scientific ways of thinking. Been aware of that for quite some time. I've done R & D forever for the pharmaceutical company I work for. I've seen models of reality and a model is a cartoon representation of reality if you will, it's not real. I've seen from past experiences that things I thought to be true about a certain molecules behavior turns out in many instances to be not true at all. So I'm very aware of those limits and see science as only a narrow slice of reality and only helps us explain a small part of the world. In reality the world is very closed to us. In essence we're pretty much like a dog reading a newspaper, the reality of the universe is right in front of us but at this time we don't have the conceptual tools to realize it fully. A dog can look at a newspaper but really only understand the a photo, they can't read rest of the universe that is on the page. We're actually like that as well in understanding the way the universe works.
I think we're certainly capable in the future of understanding things without logic or science by expanding the use of our brain faculties.
Blu-ray Journal - Wow, I wholeheartedly agree. So you would be more a man of faith in relating most to Locke and Rose, yes? I always felt that Locke was the key to entire series and still do,despite it ending with Jacks eye closing. It was a beautiful end to Jacks character and a bookend to the pilot but he never would have made it that far if it wasn't for John Locke. If you can connect any one character to the Island it would be Locke.
Pearson Moore - The big love fest during "The End" at the church where everyone is with their constant except Locke and Boone showed what I thought to be Locke's constant is the Island.
Blu-ray Journal - That is why I never understood why people ask "Why wasn't Helen there?" and the simple answer was she was very important to him but that was just one step on his path which was he was always moving towards the Island.
Pearson Moore - Exactly. The Island was his destiny.
Blu-ray Journal - What are your feelings on Walt in regards to what we saw in the epilogue to the series?
Pearson Moore - He is certainly going to be doing something in regards to his dead father. I don't know if that was the extent to what he could do but Hurley stated he didn't want the job as protector and Walt was called "Special" at least three times. Of course the word special is also to the Island and John Locke. More than any character, Locke was called "Special". The theme of mysterious specialness that connected Locke and the Island, Walt was also given that designation so it seems that one strong possibility is that Walt replaced Hurley as Protector of the Island. Of course we don't know that sure and we really don't have because the main theme was of Jack going from a narrow minded man of science to a man of faith. Also the story is the Island being liberated from the Man In Black into the paradise it's supposed to be.
Blu-ray Journal - I definitely agree and feel that it was close to paradise with Hurley running things on the Island. He was always the voice of the audience and had a pure and caring heart. It had to be a much more peaceful time.
Pearson Moore - I think that it was a period of growth and learning for everyone on the Island. In LOST: Humanity one of the things I talk about there is the pairing of Ben and Hurley, which really began quite earlier and was cemented in season 5 with what I like to call the Hot Pocket Incident. There the guy who didn't want to tell a lie and protect everybody on the Island told the biggest lie when he handed himself over to law enforcement and claimed "I did it , I'm your guy . I killed all 4 of them , or 3. I did it" (Laughs) That was the biggest lie of the season and proved that all these scenes are interconnected to the one on connections with the characters. That scene of manipulation kind of became a personal thing between Ben and Hurley. All of the seasons of the show are really grounded in these one on one character arcs. Strange attractions as they call it. With Hurley as Protector we know there is great potential for learning for anyone who will be subject to his and Ben's reign on the Island.
The other aspect is that Hurley isn't going to run things like Jacob and just bring people to the Island for his own reasons and let them die if that is their fate. That's not Hurley's way and we got a glimmer of that in "The End" when Ben told him to run things his won way "That's how Jacob ran things, you can make up your own rules" , "Do what you do best, taking care of people". So that certainly must have been what they did. Then of course they went off Island together to take Walt back.
Blu-ray Journal - A "Recruit"
Pearson Moore - Yes. Ben and Hurley's relationship with each other made them a whole, as where the relationship between Jacob an MIB was never a life giving kind of relationship. First thing that Jacob does when he is the new Protector is throw his brother to his death. They never had a healthy relationship as to where Ben always had the motivation to plan things and Hurley taking care of everyone which led to their governance of the Island being in perfect balance.
Blu-ray Journal - Speaking of Jacob and MIB, what were your initial thoughts on "Across The Sea"?
Pearson Moore - I certainly felt that it fit right in as part of the series. The only the thing that kind of struck me upon first viewing was the unnatural nature of the light. When I first saw the light it seemed out of place, it seemed something apart. But on reflection it fit right in with the Frozen Donkey Wheel, Electromagnetic anomalies, or when the Island was time jumping. So it fit in, but my immediate impression was that it didn't and left me kind of disoriented for a while but of course that went away. It also fit in with many fans theories that Jacob and the entity or nemesis we know as Man In Black were brothers.
Blu-ray Journal - Do you feel that "Mother" herself was at a time a Smoke Monster or connected to the entity of darkness?
Pearson Moore - Well I think that either she was the Smoke Monster herself and to back that up you could say how did she know that going down to the source you could possibly suffer a fate worse than death without speaking from personal experience. Of course the other strong indicator was with the ease in her destroying the Roman village. So she either was the Smoke Monster or to an extent had powers that were the same as the entity. I don't know if it really matters in regards to the main story that show told but it is fun to speculate. The way I describe The Source is as the figurative and literal beginning for everything on the Island. It is our way of understanding the Island.
Blu-ray Journal - I think your thoughts on the Source are spot on. Would you agree that the Smoke Monster wasn't just formed when Jacob through MIB down the stream but it is it's own separate entity that thrives on each individuals fears, such as Pennywise the Clown in Stephen King's novel "IT"?
Pearson Moore - That's consistent with, I won't say theories but ways of looking at the entity. You could say that the Smoke Monster is more or less a mirror if ourselves and the the characters deepest fears. That is a very productive way of looking at it.
Blu-ray Journal - Speaking of mirrors, did you find any signifigance in the fact that "The End" aired on the 23rd of May last year and Jack was candidate #23? Or was it just mere coincidence?
Pearson Moore - I don't know if they planned if they planned that or not. There was also speculation when "LA X" aired on February 2nd and that might possibly tie into time travel.
Blu-ray Journal - (Laughs) Yeah, Groundhog Day. Great Bill Murray film by the way.
Pearson Moore - Certainly though the number 23 has relevance as being the only prime number in regards to the final candidates. That's a significant number in itself because of that. Really Jack was the one who stood out most on the show as well from a mythological point of view.
Blu-ray Journal - I agree. Jack's story arc was executed beautifully. Staying with that though it still pains me to see complaints that John Locke was just a useless pawn and in the end meant nothing in the grand scheme of the show. I feel that is foolish to think so, Locke was the main key, the man of faith whom from the episode "White Rabbit" to "The End" was leading our hero to his ultimate destiny and in many ways Jack became a mirror of John Locke and completed both of their journeys with bravery.
Pearson Moore - Exactly. Jack is Locke's disciple by "The End" and he even states that "You're nothing like John Locke. You disgrace his memory by wearing his face but your nothing. Turns out he was right about most everything, I only wish I could have told him that before he died." The only way Jack was able to move from being a man of science to a man of faith was to follow the template that Locke left. Without Locke he wouldn't have been able to become the successor, so Locke was the sacrifice that the Island demanded.
Blu-ray Journal - Spot on. Locke willingly accepted that fate too when near the Frozen Donkey Wheel the MIB appeared as Christian and stated "You have to die, that's why it's called a sacrifice". There was no hesitation in Locke accepting what he had to do. Most of the other characters would disregard what the MIB had to say and wouldn't sacrifice themselves for the Island. Remember Jack at one point yelled at Lock "It's just and Island John, it doesn't need anything".
Pearson Moore - That's true. Going back now and re-watching the show they had it planned that Jack was the main hero and that is why he is a man of science and clearly the character that is farthest away from believing in the Island or what is going on around them an he eventually comes to accept his destiny after personal growth.
Blu-ray Journal - Fantastic. Well obviously we can talk about Lost all day , I just have a couple more questions.
Pearson Moore - Certainly.
Blu-ray Journal - I see you're going to be at the Lost Conference in New Orleans?
Pearson Moore - Yes, I'm going to do a presentation revolving around chaos theory and how that gets thrown around into Lost.
Blu-ray Journal - Nice. Could be that possibly be your next subject to continue in novel form after LOST: Humanity and LOST: Identity?
Pearson Moore - Probably not on Lost. Unless there is some huge growth of interest in Lost I'll probably continue instead with my book of essays on "Game of Thrones". In a couple months my second fiction novel should be released "Intolerable Loyalty" which is about the Revolutionary War from the French Canadian
perspective. It follows a spy from Boston who goes to Quebec and tries to recruit people to the colonists side.
Blu-ray Journal - Sounds like a great read and a different point of view than what most Americans have read in regards to the Revolutionary War.
Pearson Moore - I think that they're are certainly elements that everyone can get into and it at the same time is a challenge to be reading it from a new point of view.
Blu-ray Journal - One quick theory I have on the Flash Sideways. I feel looking at the ending more scientifically based, that their is a possibility that everything that was happening to the people in the church was such as the light was a sign that their consciousness letting go and that the Island then downloaded them into the Source. In that way they are part of the Island forever.
Pearson Moore - That is certainly interesting. I've never thought of that, but I don't see why there wouldn't be any reason that couldn't be a valid theory. MIB went down in the Source and became in a way tied to the Island as did Jack in his own way went down there and became tied to the Island. He was able to endure the electromagnetic energy like Desmond had earlier. He was transformed by his voyage down into the Source, so I feel what you're suggesting is a more radical but valid point.
Blu-ray Journal - Thank you. I know it's a bit out there but that is the greatest gift the Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cue gave us, the opportunity to use our own minds and still wildly theorize what happened.
Pearson Moore - Agreed. I don't think you need to look at the ending the way most people are in that it's just the afterlife.
Blu-ray Journal - Correct. It's not that black and white actually.
Pearson Moore - What we saw in the church had to with faith but we also saw symbols on the stained glass for several religions and it was more of a representation of the idea of faith which is not necessarily tied to the normal religious experience that most viewers thought the characters were going through.
Blu-ray Journal - It's really more what each individuals interpretation watching it is. Your own interpretation of the Source and what the Island is are my personal favorites.
Pearson Moore - Well thank you.
Blu-ray Journal - You're welcome. Pearson it was such a pleasure talking to you. Thank you for being so patient with my crazy theories and for your taking the time to speak with us today.
Pearson Moore - It was a lot of fun. Thank you much.
Blu-ray Journal - Thank you. Take care.
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