My "Moonlight" rant

This might seem a little off topic, but I think it falls under the fanboy category since people(including me) are so passionate about it one way or the other. ...

Now that the Fall TV season is underway, there is only one new show that stands out from the rest for me. I know a lot of people won't agree simply on principal, but I love - absolutely love - "Moonlight." Then again, I love most vampire books, shows and movies. I'm pretty non-discriminating against them because vampires have been around since I was a kid in different incarnations. Shoot, I grew up watching "Dark Shadows." I simply hate that people aren't giving "Moonlight" a chance because they are "too loyal" to "Angel" or "Buffy." What complete hogwash!

I think the "Angel" fans who are boycotting "Moonlight" are simply ignorant because they're too young to remember all of the great shows and movies "Angel" ripped off. They seem to believe "Angel" was the be-all and end-all of vampire detective shows. Ha! If you're a true fan of vampire mythology, you'll like pretty much anything vampire, whether it be "Angel," "Buffy, "30 Days of Night" or whatever. To say that "Moonlight" copies "Angel" is laughable. Why not say "Angel" copied "Forever Night," which in my opinion was a much better show in the 90s than "Angel" ever hoped to be. I loved "Forever Night," and if anything, I think "Moonlight" is much more like that show than "Angel."

Then there's "Blood Ties" on Lifetime. Another great show with a very similar premise. You could argue that "Forever Night," "Buffy" and "Angel" are rip-offs from the popular books "Blood Ties" is based on since they were written in the early 90s. Then again, I think the TV movie "Nick Night" with Rick Springfield aired in CBS in the late 80s before the "Blood Ties" books or "Forever Night" the series ever took flight. But "Dark Shadows" was around before any of them. Why not argue "Angel" and "Buffy" copied that?

Besides all of that, Mick St. John is only like Angel in passing. Sure, they're both vamps and they're both private detectives. Period. I personally like Mick a lot more than I ever liked Angel. Joss Whedon's vampires were demons, and Angel lucked out and got his soul back, making him not such a demon. He struggled with that concept throughout the series. Mick doesn't have that struggle on "Moonlight." He's a vampire and he still has his soul from what I can tell. Another difference? Angel refused to kill people no matter how bad they were. Mick has killed bad guys to protect the innocent and his secret. I kinda like that he's willing to do that. Makes me morbid, sure. But it's fun to watch. Admit it.

Now, I loved "Buffy." It revived the vampire genre in TV and movies and was an awesome show during much of its run. I never caught onto "Angel" like I did "Buffy," but I liked it when I did watch it. "Moonlight," on the other hand, is right up there with "Buffy" for me. It's completely different from "Buffy," which I appreciate because I would hold a grudge if they tried to copy that show. I think "Moonlight" has some issues - sometimes the acting isn't the best and some of the special effects are cheesy - but I love the cast and I love the stories each week. The writers of "Moonlight" really know their stuff. They take a little bit of vampire mythology from all of the greatest shows and movies and are creating their own vampire mythology in the process.

If you haven't given "Moonlight" a chance, I beg you to reconsider. Each week is better than the last, and it's constantly improving its faults. Besides, isn't it nice to have a vamp show on mainstream TV again?

X-Files, Buffy and Spider-Man 4!

Lots of cool news out today.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that “The X-Files” sequel is no longer just a rumor. Production will begin Dec. 10 with David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson and Chris Carter all on board for the sequel. Awesome! Loved this show. I’m glad they are doing a stand-alone movie and not focusing on the muddled conspiracy mythos that drug the show down in its final years. I can’t wait!

The Hollywood Reporter says Sony is planning “Spider-Man 4” apparently with or without its original cast and director. The studio has already hired a new writer, James Vanderbilt who wrote the serial-killer thriller "Zodiac." I’m always excited to see Spidey on the big screen, but I haven’t decided if a fourth installment would be a good idea. As much as I loved it, there was so much chaos in the third one, I think Sam Raimi and Sony need to step back, take a rest, and start fresh a few years down the road when Maguire and Dunst have had a chance to do other projects and are more willing to step back into their iconic roles. But, that’s just me. I have a feeling if Sony has hired a new writer, they’re already planning to pump out another film as soon as possible with a new director and cast too. Time will tell.

I was excited to see that “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” creator Joss Whedon has a new project that will star Eliza Dushku (Faith, “Buffy”). I worry because it will be on Fox, a network famous for canceling awesome sci-fi shows (“Dark Angel,” “Tru Calling,” “Firefly”) on a whim. The premise of this new show sounds kinda cool too. Read more about it here.

Variety is reporting that NBC has shelved plans for “Heroes: Origins,” a spinoff series of the hit show, and the possibility of a writers' strike contributed to the decision. Quite frankly, I’m glad. Until they fix the original series, there’s no need for another nail in the coffin.