Just got my Complete Battlestar Galactica DVD Box Set

Collected my complete Battlestar Galactica DVD Box Set today - Finally. Had to wait nearly 7 months for these to come in since I had wanted only the originals, and almost gave up on her. The long wait was due to Tower Records' unreliable old distributor, though they are pretty good with helping me get some pretty rare classic TV series from the yesteryear's. Anyway I was informed that their old distributor had went out of business a few months ago, leaving them in dire straights as numerous orders went unfulfilled. So they had to go look for these through a new distributor, or so I was told. Nevertheless, it was worth the wait.

Of course I expected a few DVD box casings when I was told the set comes with 37 Discs, but I didn't expect them to be packaged together in one huge and heavy behemoth box. And I must be really either crazy or obsessed with BSG. My back hasn't completely healed (Yeah, threw my back out on Wednesday and am still on pain killers) and I was adamant on collecting her.

The set itself was sealed and very nice though, but pity it didn't come with little souvenirs like the other box sets. Took me a while to figure out how to open her too, since I didn't want to damage the Set's packaging.

Inside, both the old and re-imagined series were packaged into two cardboard boxes, the old in one and the new in the other, and in order too.

The old series consisted of the complete classic Battlestar Galactica series from 1978 - 1980 as follows:

Battlestar Galactica - The Movie

Mission Galactica - The Cylon Attack

BSG Complete Original Series

A bonus disc - no idea what's in this one yet

And then the dreaded Galactica 1980.

I wasn't particularly fond of Galactica 1980 and had always associated her with Star Trek V The Final Frontier - yeah, it never happened. But I guess being a fan, its good to have a complete set of these. I don't mind watching them all over again, despite the crappy story lines.

And then inside the re-imagined series box set, we have the following:

Battlestar Galactica Mini Series

BSG Season 1

BSG Season 2

BSG Season 3

BSG Season 4 Part 1 and includes BSG Razor (TV Movie)

BSG Season 4 Part 2

Bonus Disk - again no idea yet what's inside this one

BSG - The Plan (TV Movie)

And yes, no surprises here, the moment I got home, did all my house chores and began watching BSG from the beginning again. Already finished the classic movie and Mission Galactica, still have all those TV episodes to go. I plan to screen capture lots of images later as the copies are quite clear.

So if you notice me missing for a while, I'm probably in front of the TV. Thank Goodness for the long holiday next week, all that time to relieve my childhood fave TV series. Oh Frak yeah!

Battlestar Galactica Titanium Series

The funny thing about die cast metal kits are that they're mostly simple and inaccurate, especially when you place a set side by side and find they're not exactly in scale. Well, die cast are usually kept small since having a metal kit that's big is really going to add to its weight, not to mention, price. And yet many collectors still adore and collect them. Being mostly metal also help to ensure their durability. I know, I have quite a few Star Wars die cast Titanium collection.

Case in point - the Battlestar Galactica Titanium Series Collection. Both the Galactica and Pegasus are not in scale but whoa, they're quite detailed. Then there is that problem where a extravagant colour scheme pops out of nowhere. Guess if you're anything like me, a complete set wouldn't be complete without these.

When I first knew these were available, it was already too late to collect the complete set. I saw bits here and there with the Colonial One, The Pegasus and new Cylon Raider being displayed in a toy shop (Graffiti Toys, Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur) and the Mark II (variant dark blue colour) still in its original package, and for some reason I decided not to get them for the simple reason they were not a complete set. I eventually directed another friend who is a BSG fan there, and he promptly bought them.

So what is the complete set. To be honest, I really don't know. Suffice to say I never got to see a complete set put together or being sold anywhere. So when someone offered it for sale at the Market Place at the Starship Modeler Forum, naturally it was an opportunity I couldn't refuse, so I grabbed them. They no longer had their original boxes and they were also a little dusty from being displayed by their original owner. I didn't mind that at all. A little cleaning and a nice display area should do the trick. Hence if anyone wants to know what's out there in terms of the BSG Titanium Series, well hopefully these are the complete set.

 

The Battlestar Pegasus and Galactica

 

The other ships in the Titanium Series. Note the variant colours for he Mark II and VII at the right side of the image



Here's a touch of nostalgia, the Mark I



The Classic Cylon Raider. Details on this one is interesting



The Presidential Ship, The Colonial One



The new Cylon Raiders with variant colours



The Mark II and VII Vipers alongside the Raptor





And of course the Raptor. I'm kind of biased toward the Raptor, hence I have more images of her

It would have been nice if this series included the classic Galactica along with the Basestar. Oh well ...

You can also see some dust on some of them. Ok, I was so eager to highlight them here I didn't think of cleaning them first, but they'll be nicely cleaned up before finding their place in my showcase. Its amazing really when I think about it, just when I had given up finding them, they pop up right in front of me. Ahhhhhh .... keeping fingers crossed do work ... sometimes.

UPDATE: Just found out the set is not complete. There are still the classic Battlestar Galactica and Basestar somewhere out there. Thanks to Kevin Pantony for highlighting this to me

Edward James Olmos opens the door to an Animation Career in Malaysia and Asia

OK, so I took some time off my scale modelling to attend a function at HELP University College whereby Olmos Production will be working hand in hand with the University to produce Animator Talents. These talents can opt for a career with the Production House to create and develop future animations for Hollywood, and they will also work closely with Lucasfilm Singapore, for any other projects at hand. I'm glad I took the time off as it was truly worth it.

Olmos Production is headed by Micheal D. Olmos, the Vice President and working closely with Nickson Fong, a Singaporean who made it big in Hollywood, and was part of the team that did visual effects for Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan, and Shrek, among many other achievements. And speaking for this collaboration is non other than Edward James Olmos, the man that gave life and character to Commander Adama in the New Battlestar Galactica TV series

Nickson Fong began the presentation by showcasing some of the projects being undertaken by Olmos Production. Among them is an Animated TV series called ChopChops. The series that will make its debut in the US sometime in 2011, and it takes after a Kung Fu fighting grasshopper (I think its a grasshopper .. anyways ...) and the villain is a frog. They're short cute series with lots of puns and jokes, and they do look interesting. According to Nickson, Olmos Production also contribute to other animation needs, such as one done up for Nickson's friend entitled "Kung Fu Gecko".  Michael spoke about the risk within the industry itself, and noted that even Lucasfilm were understaffed. The work required are not easy, and they need talents from a lot of fields, particularly animators, to fulfill the industry's demands.

Olmos Production and Lucasfilm Singapore, are the first of two famous Hollywood companies that are setting a foothold in Asia due to the fact that Asia represents the new frontier where future collaborations and projects can take place.

Edward J Olmos, 63 years of age with over 40 years experience in the film industry, then took the podium, and I have to say that I was very impressed with his presentation. This man projected so much confidence and flair that the audience were simply captivated. And I'm not talking about his celebrity status. Mr. Olmos is very passionate about life and his views, and his advise and commentary on the industry  made quite an impact. He's casual approach and charisma made everyone so comfortable around him and you could tell this guy's acting talent is so natural. He did confess his nemesis now is ageing and he is very focused on keeping healthy.

Mr. Olmos' commanded a very authoritative presence and yet he was humble when talking to fans and parents. Before the multimedia presentation could get started, the staff at HELP University forgot to turn off the lights. Mr. Olmos casually walk over to the light switch located across the room, but was stumped at all the weird switches. His reaction there was so sudden and spontaneously funny when he placed both his hands around the wall and and went ... "Okaaaaaay" .... and got it right on the first try.

The presentation touched on certain issues pertaining to Asian parent's unwillingness to allow their children to take up courses that's not safe in terms of a stable income. Parents in Asia are more biased towards stable employment status for their children with jobs related to being a Doctor, Lawyer, Architect, etc. etc. The problem with these jobs are that if they are not the children's choice, they may embark on something else later on and all that cost spent on their education are wasted. Worse case scenario would even be that they wouldn't do well, and all those opportunities would be wasted.

Also interesting to note was that my Auntie was also there for the talk. I didn't know she was a Battlestar fan, and she didn't know that Edward James Olmos played Commander Adama. LOL ...

Actually she took her son, Daniel, to check out all the available courses that entails animation as Daniel was interested to pick this line up for his career. It so happen she saw the ad yesterday and decided to come today. The picture below may seem like Daniel was forced to attend, but trust me, he was glad to be there - see, no lease. This guy just never smiles.

My Aunt asked the first question pertaining to how sure a parent can be that their children would excel in this industry, and how one could encourage their children to use imagination as a motivation. Mr. Olmos' reply was quite accurate to say that these are very dependant on their children. There may be a lot of factors that may help encourage them, guide them, but eventually the strength all comes from within. Another parent asked if such a course would ensure a good career for their children, to which Michael replied that the job opportunities are there.

Most children nowadays are growing up fast and they know all about the Internet and technology, faster than their parents. The future is changing, and what was deemed good in the yesteryear may now not apply today. Animation as a career would not only fulfill the children's dream of being online, but it would also help them to grow in tandem to something that will benefit them later. It is with this focus Olmos Production wants to enter the Asian Market, seeing how a lot of Asians are slowly breaking into this industry.

The curriculum is slated to start first quarter of 2011 and I have requested for the course itinerary which will only be ready next month. I will update everyone here once I have these on hand. Meantime, more information on this tie up at HELP University College's Website and HERE.


Meet the Fans Session

Oh yeah, I was waiting for this. Its not everyday we get to meet Hollywood celebrities here in Malaysia, esp when its Commander Adama. I actually came early and chose front seats to see him. He was all smiles when I showed him my tons of collectibles I wanted him to autograph.

Meet Denise Chan from HELP University College. She was the emcee for the event, and another huge BSG fan.

And here's Daniel with Mr. Olmos and ............................ OMG!!!! He's smilling ...

One for the album, Mr; Olmos and Mr. Olmos

And my new found treasures. Edward James Olmos commented that he must have signed over 100 of these Moebius Kits and they usually end up selling for 300% more on eBay. I assured him that I will not sell these. They may be considered "autographed editions" now and they have a special place in my Showcase. The dog tags and Viper Patches belongs to a friend who wasn't able to attend the event.

Just thought of sharing .... well, its not everyday Hollywood celebrities come to Malaysia. Mr. Olmos left Malaysia a few hours later, and despite his departure, everyone is still pretty much in awe over his presence. Its nice to be able to meet your favourite star, and even better when he turns out to be better than what was expected. We hope you enjoyed your short visit to Malaysia, Mr. Olmos, and look forward to your future endeavours. Thank you for visiting us in this far corner of the globe.

Acreation Models Holiday Sales for Christmas

Christmas is coming .. hint hint! HAHAHA .... well, at least take this as advance notice to get your Christmas shopping done pronto. There was once about 3 years ago I had wanted to get my wife a special something. She likes owls so I found a shop online that had something she didn't have in her collection. Problem was .. the online shop was in Japan. And everything there was in Japanese. So I wrote the shop early December ... waited for a reply which came back 4 days later in broken English, queried the guy about his shipping methods and gift wrapping .. waited for his reply which came 5 days later, and then realised its mid December. There is no way her present was going to come in time. Suffice to say I got that much much later for her birthday instead, but the anguish, the torment ..... it was hell. I was to blame too for shopping late.

So, with that in mind, here's the question ... Have you shopped for presents for your loved ones yet? Buying yourself a Christmas gift is also acceptable ... just don't tell too many people yar.

OK, let's see what's already available online for Christmas - Acreation Models

Yup, for those who had used Acreation Models' decals, you aleready know about their quality and how realistice the decals are (they're also very accurate, esp with the Star Trek decals).  Acreation Models is having its Holiday Sale now and looking at the prices ...... well, I myself jumped along with the bandwagon and ordered my Battlestar Deluxe Set. The decals in this set are comprehensive as they cover all the rib areas besides the armour unlike the Armour Plate Decal set which only covers the armour areas and Flight Pod Recess.  



Battlestar Deluxe Set



Polar Lights 1:350 Enterprise Refit Aztec Decals V2



1:1400 ENTERPRISE D AZTECS

 

Enterprise E Aztec Decals


Go check out his site before its too late. You won't find those prices anywhere else.