Catalyst Castle

Even if the Doctor can shut down Vader's lightsaber, somehow I can't imagine he is any match for the power of the Force.

Just as a creative diversion, I decided to try casting the main characters of my fan novel Star Wars: Aspirations. I'm still uncertain if these are the actors and actresses I would actually choose in the hypothetical situation that my story should be made into a movie, but these are the ones I'm leaning towards right now.

Emma Watson as Rani Dashel
Honestly, I've never seen her in anything, so I can't really judge her acting abilities. She has kind of the look I'd imagine for the character, though, and she's a good age for the part. With a few adjustments in makeup I think she could easily portray the very young Rani in the beginning of the story and the more adult Rani later on.

Chris Pine as Wess Nayne
In Star Trek he played James Kirk as an intelligent man with surprising depth of character. It's kind of funny, but one of the things I was looking for here was an actor who could look good with a scowl. I don't really picture Wess smiling much. Chris looks a tad young for Wess, but he's actually about the right age for the character. With a little bit of stubble I think it could work.

Kate Beckinsale as Kalina Sah
She's played tough, butt-kicking characters before. I think she would be totally cool as the strong-willed Jedi Master.

Milo Ventimiglia as Marcus Jrent
His character on Heroes is incredibly kind and sincere - not what you'd expect for Marcus. But Milo is a good actor and I think he could definitely turn on the charm to play this dashing scoundrel. Besides, there is a bit more sincerity to Marcus than it might at first seem.

Cate Blanchett as Deela Tarule
This role requires a more mature actress with beauty and class. Having played royalty on more than one occasion is indicative of the amount of class she has.

Robert Duvall as Riv'var Tal
I picture Riv being completely computer generated in a live-action movie, in order to do the alien justice. So, I was mainly looking for someone to provide his voice. It needs to be an older man with a sort of gruff voice, but he needs to have a tough, grandfatherly feel as well. The voice would then probably be slightly digitally enhanced to add even a little bit more of a growl to it. Duvall can certainly play an eccentric character, too, which further qualifies him for the role.

Corry Edwards as Tefo
Like Riv'var Tal, Tefo would probably be either completely computer generated, or perhaps a midget in a suit. Either way, I was simply looking for someone to provide a voice. Corry Edwards did the voice of Twitchy in Hoodwinked. I think if you toned down the speed and pitch of that character's voice by about half, that's roughly what I imagine Tefo would sound like.

Hugo Weaving as The Imperial Inquisitor
He doesn't show up until about two thirds of the way through the story, and even as far as Chapter 18 he hasn't been named, but aside from the characters' inner demons, the Imperial Inquisitor is the major villian of Aspirations. He embodies everything that Rani and Wess seek to oppose. Hugo Weaving can do creepy and intimidating, which is exactly what this character needs.

So, those are my choices as of now for the main cast of Aspirations. What do you think? Are there other actors or actresses that you think would fit the roles better? Let me know by posting a comment.

Star Trek is a 2009 film that offers a new take on the classic series. The film features time-traveling Romulans from the future causing events that create an alternate timeline. This allows the movie to go back and explore the early adventures of the original show’s characters without facing continuity restraints. The film focuses primarily on Kirk and Spock, showing bits of their early lives and how each of them ended up joining Starfleet. Things quickly escalate when Starfleet is called on to aid the planet Vulcan – a mission that goes sour quickly, leaving many Starfleet vessels destroyed and the enterprise without a captain. The fledgling crew of the enterprise, most of whom are still cadets, must pull together to overcome the Romulan threat.

This film was very well written. It captured a sense of epic adventure and heroism that Star Trek often seems to lack. They also did a good job writing and casting the characters. I felt like I could be watching younger versions of the original cast. This film actually made me like Kirk. I didn’t much care for him in the original series and movies. It also gave a new perspective on Spock, my favorite character from the original show, which only made him more intriguing. I like how they made Spock’s repressed emotions an actual plot point, rather than just a minor background element.

This film definitely revived the franchise for me. I’m looking forward to a sequel.


Roleplaying
Because of my obsession with roleplaying games, I tend to watch most movies and shows with an eye for what I could take from it and apply to gaming. Here are some ideas from Star Trek.

Space Exploration Adventures: This movie got me excited for the idea of playing an RPG about space exploration adventures. I’ve been working on an RPG of my own for a while now that would essentially be Star Trek with the branding removed. Some of the things I like about Star Trek that could make for interesting roleplaying are the galactic politics, the alien cultures, and the random encounters made while exploring new regions of space.

Character Driven Plot: To a large extent, the plot of Star Trek is tied very closely to the characters involved. I think the film did a great job of making the characters matter to the overall story. This could/should be done in any RPG, but this film made me a little more alert to strive for that kind of character involvement in RPGs.

I had the idea to put together promotional images and brief descriptions of imaginary TV shows using the titles of popular shows already on TV. Hopefully you’ll get a laugh out of them.

Based in the 1950’s, American Idol is a pulp action serial about a team of adventuring archeologists searching for ancient treasures of the Native Americans. Follow their daring escapades as they delve through pueblo ruins and Amazon temples, facing danger at every turn. Can they outwit ancient traps and puzzles while racing to stay one step ahead of the soviets?

A spin-off from the original Star Trek series, Bones combines medical drama with science fiction. Join Dr. “Bones” McCoy as he travels the galaxy aboard the newly commissioned medical ship USS Reprieve, treating epidemics wherever they strike the Federation.

Step back in time to the medieval ages in Castle, the newest workplace sitcom on the air. If you think your boss is a tyrant, try being a knight for King Henry! Stress levels skyrocket when new yearly dragon-slaying quotas go into effect, and rumor has it that any underperformers will be sent off to the crusades.

Military action meets cute and fuzzy in Chuck, the new, zanny action-comedy about animals taking up arms against human oppression. Chuck the woodchuck has seen one too many trees plowed down for urban expansion, and decides to fight back as he leads a platoon of his furry friends into guerilla warfare. Chuck would!

Complete strangers take on home improvement projects together in the new reality TV game show House. Two teams of 6 people each move into separate houses. Both houses are old and dilapidated and the teams have just 1 month to completely remodel them. Tense drama and quirky antics mix with power tools and paintbrushes.

The History Channel original miniseries, How I Met Your Mother, explores the amazing true love stories of five couples that met during World War II. Dramatic reenactments supplement the touching tales told by the actual lovers and their friends and relatives.

Enter the highly competitive world of the professional chess tournament in Kings, the newest drama on NBC. Some of the smartest -and best looking- men and women from around the world vie for the championship, while they use their wits to manipulate events both on and off the chess board. Are you a pawn, or a king?

Four college kids set out for the adventure of their lives in Lost, a new coming of age dramedy on the CW. While attempting a great American road trip from Miami, Florida to Seattle, Washington, the four friends repeatedly get lost. The resulting unexpected encounters help them learn about themselves and their place in the world.

Survivor is a shocking new conspiracy thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! 12 unsuspecting victims find themselves as the contestants in a deadly underground game where their lives are on the line. A mysterious organization sabotages their daily lives in every way imaginable, forcing them to fight for their very survival. The last man standing wins one hundred million dollars, but at what price?

Political and personal drama abounds in The Office. Michael Schrute has just been elected as the president of the United States. He quickly finds his idealist notions of civic service swept away as he wrestles with hard issues of national and foreign policy, while facing threats to himself and his family.

What do you think? Have a different take on a show title you would like to share?