Damon and Carlton Speak about the end of the ARG

Lost Starter Kit Video

ABC have just released some videos available to Lost fans who took part on the ARG. Here is the Lost Starter Kit.

You can find the others in the OGR/ARG section shortly.

And the winner is ....

Update: FYI: I've just been contacted by Axel from the Lost Mythos podcast who today at 8:00pm will be having Marc Oromaner, author of The Myth of Lost on his podcast. He will be discussing the book as well as taking call in questions.

Podcast Page

Congratulations to Manzoire who was selected randomly from all the entries to win a copy of The Myth of Lost in our recent giveaway.

"Arrested Development" Movie Finally Gets The Green Light

The much-anticipated "Arrested Development" movie finally got the green light last week.

The sardonic FOX television show, which jump-started the Hollywood career of "Superbad" star Michael Cera, showed us that Jason Bateman was actually a great actor, and featured highly skilled actors Will Arnett and Jeffrey Tambor, is making progress toward the big screen.

Michael Hurwitz, the creator and executive producer of the award winning series, has signed on to develop the script and direct the film. Joining Hurwitz will be director Ron Howard, the producer and narrative voice of the show. The two are still in the process of finalizing deals with Imagine Entertainment and Fox Searchlight.

Other cast members will include Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth Funke, David Cross as Tobias and Liza Minnelli as Lucille Austero. The film will continue to follow the dysfunctional Bluth family as they try to move on with life after their father is sent to jail.

Michael Bluth, a widower with a 13-year-old son, named George-Michael (Cera), is forced to keep his large family together after his father is arrested for illegal accounting practices at the family-owned conglomerate and the Bluth family assets are frozen, making each member of the eccentric family panic.

Michael's stuck-up mother, Lucille (Jessica Walter), finds herself living alone in a penthouse without the financial means to maintain it, while Michael's two brothers, GOB (Arnett) and Buster (Tony Hale), and his sister Lindsay (Portia de Rossi) with her husband Tobias and her daughter Mae also find themselves having to scale back their lifestyles to fit their new financial status.

Howard told reporters, "We still don't have a script, but it seems that the studio, and the original cast all want to do it. I'm there for it. So, I'm really hoping it happens."

No release date has been set, and we can't wait to get a first glimpse at the trailer. We suspect this film could be the smash hit of the season if done well. With Ron Howard attached we don't see how they can go wrong.

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz Gives Birth To Baby Boy

Ashlee Simpson and her Fall Out Boy rock music husband Pete Wentz have become parents for the first time.

Simpson-Wentz, 24, gave birth to a boy, named Bronx Mowgli Wentz, on Thursday, and everyone is doing well. Reports leaked on Thursday that Simpson was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The singer, the younger sister of celebrity Jessica Simpson, has released three albums, and is famous for lip-syncing to a prerecorded soundtrack that broke down on "Saturday Night Live" in 2004. She married Pete Wentz this last spring.

Wentz is the bass player and front man for the pop band Fall Out Boy, which topped the United States music charts last year with its album, "Infinity on High."
_

Updated Season 5 Press Release

Thanks to the thedemonhog for the following.

In the ABC press release for the premiere of The Fray's music video during 'Grey's Anatomy', there is an updated cast list and executive producers list. If you have been hanging around the media mentions section of this site, you know that Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have been promoted to executive producers, but you have not heard that Rebecca Mader, who plays Charlotte Lewis, is out of the main cast, which means that we now have nine men to three women:

ABC PREMIERES NEW 'LOST' MUSIC VIDEO - DEBUTING THE FRAY'S NEW SINGLE, "YOU FOUND ME"

Video with Exclusive Footage from the Upcoming Season of 'Lost' Airs November 20, Inside of "Grey's Anatomy"
ABC and Epic Records have partnered to produce a music video combining exclusive scenes from the upcoming fifth season of 'Lost', and live band performance footage from The Fray's new single, "You Found Me", from their sophomore self-titled album. A sneak peek of the video premieres THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, inside 'Grey's Anatomy' (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET), the series which first supported the band in 2006 with "How to Save a Life". An extended version of the video will be available online immediately following the on-air premiere at www.ABC.com.

About 'Lost' - Premieres, Wednesday, January 21, 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET
Awarded the 2005 Emmy and 2006 Golden Globe for Best Drama Series, 'Lost' returns for its fifth season of action-packed mystery and adventure -- that will continue to bring out the very best and the very worst in the people who are lost.

'Lost' stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet and Terry O'Quinn as Locke.

'Lost' was created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof. Abrams, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Carlton Cuse, Jack Bender, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz serve as executive producers. 'Lost', which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii and premiered on September 22, 2004, is from ABC Studios.

Source: ABC

First Official Season 5 Poster

Update: 20:00 As promised here are the 2 HQ versions with no tags for you to enjoy.



Update: 10:45 GMT As promised here is an exclusive look at the HQ version of the Lost Poster.



Thanks to DarkUFO reader Mindy for finding, what I believe, is the first official ABC poster for Season 5. I'll be trying to obtain a HQ one asap for you.

NOTE: And before people start yelling in the comments that it's fan made, I can assure you it isn't :)

Article Snippets from the Latest Lost Magazine

I hope to have some scans shortly.

Visual effects Supervisor Mitch Suskin reveals to The Official Lost Magazine, the challenges of bringing Smokey out to play in series four's episode The Shape of Things to Come.

The Shape of Things to Come really gave the audience its first long look at the smoke monster and what it's truly capable of doing. What were your marching orders in terms of how to portray it?
Well, for this episode the producers were pretty upfront from the beginning that Smokey, as we call it, was going to be in your face and we’d be seeing him. We had the cover of night, which we've never really done before. So we were more concerned, not about how much we were going to see him, but how we were going to make him visible – a blackish, smoke monster in the dark, in the forest, is tricky to see.

How much creative leeway did you have on establishing the details of Smokey's big entrance?
Jack Bender was fairly precise about what he wanted out of this. We scouted locations at several times and we talked about where Smokey might be entering from and what he might be doing. The script was clear on what was supposed to happen in the scene and it was clear that you had to see things. Sometimes we all have rough ideas and it's an evolving process. In this case with the script, what Mr. Bender requested and what he got, we had a strong idea of what to do but how to get there was hard. I mean its just smoke!

What was the most challenging shot?
The one shot that was most subject to interpretation was the shot where Smokey first appeared over the trees. We didn’t know what direction he was going to come from or how much interaction there was going to be, so that evolved over time. It just so happens the way it was shot there was a hole in the trees that made a nice place for him to coil into the shot.

It's a very menacing entrance, so did that evolve or was that clear from the start?
We tried a couple of different ways for him to enter but it wasn't clear if he was supposed to be pouring through or looking around, more cat-like. Then it was very clear from Damon and Carlton that they wanted it to come in like a rollercoaster or a freight train. They wanted it to be forceful and somewhat frightening. We had to spend a lot of time trying to get the smoke to look like something other than smoke in the sense of it moving and how it was lit. A lot of that was just trial and error. That shot, as far as performance, gave us the most to play with and the other shots were a lot of shots of him in the forest.

How were the forest shots different to create?
We were trying to strike a balance between how much we wanted to see him and how much we didn't want to see him and which was going to be scarier. A lot of those shots we were shooting in the forest at night with nothing out there, so there were lots of branches and leaves and we were trying to figure out how to put Smokey in the background. In this case, we didn't use digital trees. We used real trees from the forest. We spent a lot of time trying to come up with ways to separate the leaves and the branches from the background so we didn't have to paint mattes for every single leaf so we could put the shot together. The compositor came up with some mercifully clever techniques that allowed us to put Smokey way in the background. The digital tools we are using are getting better and better and we did do a little bit of rotoscoping [where animators trace over live-action movement frame-by-frame] to separate them, but there was more compositing magic to separate the trees and the branches. It's all about trying to define the foreground and putting Smokey in the background.

Lost actor Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond Hume), talks exclusively to The Official Lost Magazine about series four.

Did The Constant episode help you connect the dots with Desmond's time-jumping and let you know that he wasn’t just having these weird mental episodes – that there was a powerful reason for those visions and issues?
I think that, in the other episodes, I always played the scenes just as they were written. In the earlier episodes, I was playing it that I was seeing events that either hadn't happened or could happen. So yeah, the whole time-travelling thing just explained it. But that explanation happened after I did it [laughs] so I am still essentially playing Desmond from scene to scene.

There was a new revelation, however, about Desmond's time spent in prison, which was another mysterious element revealed in his past...
Yes! They haven't explained that one just yet...

Does that unexplained incarceration pique your interest at all? Do you conjecture that it might be tie to why Widmore accuses him of being a coward?
It's interesting to me that Desmond has been called that. Nobody knows why. However, just because he's been called a coward doesn't mean that he is one. Whether that's explained or not, we’ll see... I mean you could argue that Widmore called him a coward for leaving Penny and that's just his opinion as her father. Other than that, there's nothing remotely cowardly about Desmond.

Series four was a huge year for Desmond, so were there any moments that really stood out for you or that you were particularly proud of?
Not really – I'm a really tough critic on myself! There are so many things that I hate about my scenes when I see what I do on TV. But then I'll watch it again and see that it wasn’t that bad [smiles].

As a fan of the show yourself, were there aspects of the fourth series that you really enjoyed watching?
You know, I really enjoyed Matthew Fox's work a lot last season. He gave some truly great performances. I think he, in particular, had a really great season.

Christopher Lloyd's House Burned To The Ground

Christopher Lloyd's California house has burned to the ground and completely destroyed by the wild fires running rampant in California.

The 70-year-old actor, who played Doc Brown in the "Back To The Future" franchise with Michael J. Fox, was filming his latest movie in Canada when the fire reached his home north of L.A.

The $7 million estate was one of about 125 properties threatened by the fire in the area, which started in the San Fernando Valley last week.

Actor Rob Lowe fled his home earlier with his children as fire took over the area with flames shooting 200 feet into the air from 75 mph winds.

The two are among a long list of Hollywood celebrities who have homes in the isolated foothill area. Other celebrities include Jeff Bridges, Michael Douglas and Oprah Winfrey.

It was reported earlier that Winfrey sheltered her pet dogs at a nearby Four Seasons as she rode out the fire in another of her mansions.

Lloyd has just completed filming on the family adventure "Jack And The Beanstalk" due later this year. The film is a live-action take on the legendary tale of Jack and his magic beans, which sprouts a large vine that stretches up to the clouds where he stumbles upon a giant and a goose the lays golden eggs.

Joining Lloyd on the project is Katey Sagal as Jack's mother, James Earl Jones as the Giant and Chevy Chase.
_

The Fray unveiling song on ABC

Thanks to zedman2 and Jason for the following.

'Lost' ad will air during 'Grey's'; full song online

Two and a half years after a key placement on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" helped turn the Fray into platinum stars, the band is using another high-profile TV partnership to introduce its new single, "You Found Me."

In a commercial break from the tense elevator confrontations of the Nov. 20 episode of "Grey's," a one-minute promo with scenes from the upcoming season of ABC's "Lost" will premiere the track, as well as parts of the music video.

Viewers will be directed to ABC.com, where they can find a three-minute version of the clip as well as a link to iTunes; there they can buy the single, which goes to radio the next day.

The partnership between ABC and the Fray -- vocalist-pianist Isaac Slade, guitarists Joe King and David Welsh and drummer Ben Wysocki -- also includes an agreement for the band to appear on the American Music Awards, "Good Morning America" and the outdoor concert series on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ABC will use "You Found Me" as the promo song for this season of "Lost," and discussions are under way to use the band's music on sister channel ESPN during the height of football season.

"Because this band appeals to everyone from 8 to 80, television really does play a great role in exposing the music to a wider audience," Epic executive vp marketing Lee Stimmel said. "And the band writes amazing songs that work with a picture." (Asked if he watches "Grey's Anatomy," Slade said, "I have seen it a few times. It's a really good show.")

As for the sound of the Fray -- produced like the debut by Epic vp A&R Mike Flynn and Aaron Johnson -- it's "a little more extreme than the last record," Slade said. "The quieter stuff is a little quieter than our last record and the rock stuff is a little rockier. It definitely spreads the spectrum a little bit."

The Fray will preview the album during a tour of small venues in early January. It will be available for physical and digital preorder beginning Nov. 21 at TheFray.net; purchasers who buy the CD from the site will get a bonus disc of live recordings from the January tour.

That online integration reflects a sales history of more than 6 million digital tracks sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and the Fray scored iTunes' top-downloaded album of 2006 with "How to Save a Life."

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Sky One Promo featuring Naveen

Update: Thanks to ilker for the addition links
Promo Technical Details
Download HQ Version
Behind-scenes of Lost ident set

This is a promo that Sky One here in the UK are running to promote their new re-branding. It features Naveen. They have been doing a number of these and there have been ones for Bones and Prison Break as well.

From ABC

Vote for Lost - TV.COM's show of the year

Well after got Locke elected President (see here) it's time to make sure that our favourite show Lost wins the TV.COM show of the year award. Thanks to Vid for the heads up.

Vote here and vote often

Currently
Lost 47%
House 42%
Gossip Girl 9%
Mad Men 2%

You can also vote here for Lost in "Best in Genre" and "Best Episode"

You can join in the fun on the forums here

Funny Videos.

Get a cheap laugh at the expense of these dumb asses.

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - Round-up

Today brings to a close the ‘Iconic Prop Cup 2008’. Like last year, the cup provided a few surprises and a handful of upsets, but nobody ever said that life on this island is easy. You take the good with the bad, and the bad with the good, and you learn to survive.

In many ways you could say that this year’s prop cup mirrored last year’s prop cup. Both the 2007 and 2008 finals comprised of four Season 2 props, with three belonging to the Swan Station. Last year it was Radzinsky’s Map, the Swan Orientation Film, the Swan Computer, and Eko’s Stick. This year it was the Swan Timer, Radzinsky’s Map, the Swan Computer, and Desmond’s Photo.

That said, there is only one position that truly matters, and that is pole position. So lets hear it for the ‘Swan Station Countdown Timer’, which survived 6 rounds to be crowned the Iconic Lost Prop of 2008. I think a round of applause is in order. Hear, hear!



Commiserations to Radzinsky’s Blast Door Map, which failed to retain its place as prop king. That being said, 2nd place is no easy feat, and so congratulations are also in order.

The final standings are as follows:



Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts. Do you feel that the best prop won? Were the top four props deserving of places in the finals? Which props should have gone further in the competition? Will you sleep soundly tonight?

Farewell for now. It was emotional.

Win a copy of the new Lost Book - The Myth of Lost

As some of you may have seen recently, there is a new Lost book just out called "The Myth of Lost". The author of the book,Marc Oromaner, has kindly offered to giveaway a copy of the book to 1 lucky DarkUFO reader.

We also thought that we would use this opportunity to try out some new software that, hopefully, we'll be using more and more for future giveaways and prizes.

The Rules are very simple.
1) 1 Random Winner will be selected from all the entries received.
2) You need to have a Profile with at least 5 posts and an Avatar in our Forums (Don't worry you can create a profile for free)
3) Only 1 entry per profile. Duplicate entries will be deleted.
4) Please ensure that the email you submit is the same as you registered on the Forum so that we can contact you if you are selected as a winner.
5) You must put the link to your profile in the Forum Profile Link in the form below.
6) The Winner will be drawn on 24th November.
(Note: We'll be running more of these giveaways each month so make sure you get yourself a forum account so that you can enter future giveaways)

Related Links: Amazon Page | Press Release | Sell Sheet

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - The Final

Swan Station Countdown Timer -VS- Radzinsky's Blast Door Map

Yesterday saw our 3rd and 4th place finalists battling it out. In the end it was comfortable victory for our much loved Swan Station Computer. One could say that it was fate, that the Swan Station Computer should place in at 3rd, given that it placed 3rd in last year’s competition too. Congrats to the computer terminal. Congrats too go to Desmond's Photo, which finishes in at 4th.

Now on to the matter at hand; the final. Today pits Radzinsky’s Blast Door Map against the Swan Station Countdown Timer. Which will win? Nobody knows for sure; at least not yet. So without further ado, let the voting commence.

Scroll down for prop info and images.

***

***



Swan Station Countdown Timer – This split-flap countdown timer was directly connected to the Swan Station Computer Terminal. The countdown timer would count down from 108 minutes, continuously and ceaselessly. The constant clicking sound of the split-flap panels was often a reminder that the world hung in the balance. When the clock reached below 4 minutes, the code would have to be entered into the computer terminal. Entering the code in time would reset the clock back to 108 minutes. Not entering the code in time was thought to lead to cataclysmic consequences. When Jack and Locke butted heads over the treatment of their prisoner, “Henry Gale”, Jack threatened to allow the timer to tick down to zero. Locke barely managed to enter the numbers in time to avert disaster, but not before the timer offered us our first haunting glimpse at the infamous hieroglyphic symbols. Those very same hieroglyphic symbols were introduced in a more prolonged format during the final episode of Season 2, when Locke insisted that the entire station was a meaningless joke. Our last glimpse of the countdown timer came when a surge of electromagnetic energy quite literally caused the timer to wither up into a bundle of twisted metal.

***



Radzinsky's Blast Door Map – After the apparent suicide of Radzinsky, his station partner, Kelvin, took up the job of continuing Radzinsky’s work; not only as a button presser, but also as an artist of sorts. Radzinsky’s blast door map detailed the layout and workings of several Dharma stations scattered around the island. The map, invisible to the naked eye, could only be seen under blacklight, during a complete lockdown of the station. Locke later happened upon the map, following an incident involving a near catastrophe within the station. Locke memorized the blast door map and used his new knowledge to later track down the Pearl station. The map was subject to much online scrutiny, and not least because of the references made to the “Cerberus System”. It was thanks to the blast door map that Lost fanatics were able to establish that “CV”, which stood for “Cerberus Vent”, referred to underground passageways used by the Smoke Monster.

Executive Producers of “Lost” In Los Angeles on November 19

MEDICOM TOY JAPAN AND DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS PREMIERE “LOST” BE@RBRICK AND KUBRICK LINE

Signing Event Will Feature Executive Producers of “Lost” In Los Angeles on November 19

WHAT
Medicom Toy Japan and Diamond Comic Distributors unite with Meltdown Comics to host the world premiere and signing event of the BE@RBRICK and KUBRICK collections based on the hit television series “Lost,” in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, Nov. 19. Fans will have the opportunity to buy one event exclusive BE@RBRICK per person, and have it signed by the show’s creators and executive producers. Series-one Lost KUBRICKS will be sold (no limit) until Meltdown sells out.

Also showcased at the event, will be a limited edition (three made in the world) 1000% BE@RBRICK which includes signatures from the cast and producers of “Lost.” This 1000% BE@RBRICK will be auctioned off at a later date with proceeds going to The Children's Defense Fund.

Exclusive Lost art by executive producer Jack Bender will also be featured.

WHO
Scheduled to appear at the event are “Lost” co-creators and executive producers J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, and executive producers Bryan Burk, Jack Bender, Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz and Carlton Cuse. Also scheduled to attend are writers Elizabeth Sarnoff, Paul Zbyszewski, Melinda Hsu Taylor, Kyle Pennington, and Brian K. Vaughan.

WHEN
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7:00 – 11:00 p.m./PST
Line for purchase and signing will start at 4:00p.m./PST
Only one Lost/Meltdown event BE@RBRICK per person may be purchased and signed, no exceptions.

WHERE
Meltdown Comics & Collectibles
7522 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046 www.meltcomics.com

Source: ABC

ODI LOSTcast 22 - Ryan and Jen from The Transmission

Hey All,
How was your weekend!?

This past week was an exciting week of LOST news!! First, we find out that LOST will return earlier than expected on January 21st and then we find out that we will get 3 hours of LOST that night, which includes a one hour recap show followed by the first two episodes of the season starting at 9PM. Yup, if you check your calendars, that means LOST will be moving back to Wednesday nights at 9pm!!

Of course for all the spoiler lovers out there, we have continued to post various spoilers including several set reports and photos.

Speaking of set photos, last week Karen and I recorded the latest episode of the ODI LOST podcast, where we were joined by fellow podcasters Ryan and Jen from The Transmission!! Ryan is the man behind several of the set reports and photos that we have been posting and their podcast is one of the original fan podcasts for LOST!!

This is a really fun podcast, where we discuss the new Season 5 promo, the news of some of the episode titles that have been released and of course some of the spoilers and set reports. In addition to all the LOST information we chat with them about what it is like to be fans living in Hawaii and be so close to the action.

We posted the podcast on iTunes a few days ago, but for those that do not have iTunes or some how missed it, below is the link to the podcast audio. Hope you all enjoy it!!

NOTE: As always we warn you way ahead of time before we discuss spoilers, so feel free to check it out.

http://the-odi.blogspot.com/2008/11/odi-lostcast-22-ryan-and-jen-from.html

Britney Spears Son Rushed To Hospital

Just when things were starting to look up for poor Britney Spears, it seems she has had to rush her young son to the hospital.

Spears' youngest son, Jayden James, is fine after an overnight hospital stay for an allergic reaction to food he ate.

Britney had taken her kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James, home to Kentwood, Louisiana, for a visit for the first time since her custody battle with Kevin Federline, when 2-year-old Jayden broke out into hives and became unresponsive.

The family took him to Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in McComb, about twenty miles from Kentwood, for emergency care Sunday evening.

Britney's brother, Bryan, was seen outside the hospital entrance, delivering food and taking care of 3-year-old Sean.
_

Joe Scarborough Drops The F-bomb On Live TV - Video

On Monday's "Morning Joe", host Joe Scarborough accidentally dropped the F-bomb without realizing it. It seems to have started some kind of scandal.

Scarborough let the f-word fly on live television as he told a story of how Barack Obama's chosen Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, might need change his ways now that he is part of the President's team.

The mishap happened as Scarborough described Obama's circle of supporters as "steady men who don't go around flipping people off or screaming, 'F--- you' at the top of their lungs."

Moments later Scarborough realized his error saying, "If I actually said the word ...great apologies!" he told viewers. "I am so sorry. My Wife is going to kill me"

Watch Joe Scarborough Drop The F-Bomb on Live Television


_

Matt Lauer Divorce Turns Into Laughs On The Today Show - Video

Meredith Vieira put her foot in her mouth Monday morning on the Today show by asking about Matt Lauer's marriage. It seems Lauer has a hard time staying married, and the subject is supposed to be "off limits" while on air.

Introducing a segment on the "right age to get married," Vieira said, "I got married in my 30s, when did you get married?"

Lauer, who married TV producer Nancy Alspaugh when he was in his early twenties, was divorced seven years later. Lauer stumbled, fumbled for words, and then laughed, as an embarrassed Vieira erupted into laughter and producers made comments from the sidelines.

Lauer's current marriage to Dutch model Annette Roque is also in trouble, and has been the source of tabloid gossip for some time. The couple has been married for 7 years and has three children.

Rogue originally filed for divorce in September 2006, but changed her mind and withdrew the papers a month later. If the two divorce, Matt would be forced to share his estimated $50 million fortune.

Watch Meredith Vieira And Matt Lauer Laugh About His Marriage Troubles


_

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - 3rd & 4th Place Finalists

Congrats to yesterday’s winners, Radzinsky’s Blast Door Map and the Swan Station Countdown Timer. They will face off in tomorrow’s final. Today we will decide the 3rd and 4th place finalists. Heading off are Desmond’s Photo with Penny and the Swan Station Computer.

As well as new images, we have also included some written pieces on each of the props, as well as including some of our user comments.

***

Photograph of Desmond and Penny – Desmond first broke up with Penny when he was unable to pay for the photograph. He felt like a failure, unable to financially support the love of his life. In an attempt to prove himself to Penny and her father (Charles Widmore), Desmond joined the Royal Scots Regiment of the British Army, only later to be dishonorably discharged. The photograph of Desmond and Penny has made many appearances throughout the show, most notably in a season 3 episode where the photograph was found amongst Naomi’s belongings. Two versions of the same photograph have reared up, which raises suspicions of time-line disparity.

Stu: “To me it represents the whole Desmond/time/Constant aspect of Lost. And at the same time it also represents the most powerful love on the show and the lengths that Penny went to in order to find Desmond.”

Annebeth: “I went for the photo. It represents Desmond’s journey for me, which is in my opinion one of the top, if not the best, storyline in the show.”

***

Swan Station Computer – The Swan station was equipped with a microcomputer terminal, connected to an alarm system. Due to an "incident" that occurred during the early stages of the Swan station's experiments, a consistent build-up of electromagnetic energy resulted, and as a result of that the station’s focus was forced to change. A numeric code (4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42) had to be entered into the microcomputer terminal every 108 minutes or the electromagnetic energy would build-up to dangerous and uncontrollable levels. Some believe that failure to enter the numbers would have resulted in the end of the world. The computer also played a major role in allowing Michael to find his son, Walt. The computer met its final demise when Locke took it upon himself to break it, forcing Desmond to take drastic action.

Silly Cinema: “It was intregal to the plot of the show in so many different ways. Firstly, it provided a little insight and mystery into Dharma. It crystallized the Locke/Jack faith/science conflict into stark terms. It allowed communication between Walt and Michael which set up a whole chain of important events. It provided great tension when it needed repair as the countdown clock went down. It showed us the crazy hieroglyphics - which opened up even more mystery and theories - when the button wasn't pushed. Most importantly, it was the piece of equipment directly responsible for crashed the Lost plane that started this whole series”

***

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - Semi-Finals 1 & 2

We’re here, almost at the end of it all. It has taken us weeks to get to this point, and only 4 props remain. The semi-finals see Desmond’s Photo going up against the Blast Door Map, and the Swan Station Computer going up against the Countdown Timer (ironic).

Interestingly, we find ourselves faced with a similar scenario to last year. Though 2 of the 4 finalists are different to last year’s, they all come from Season 2, with three of the props belonging to the Swan Station itself. Coincidence or fate? Can we all now agree that Season 2 was Year of the Prop?

Tomorrow will bring the 3rd/4th place play-off, with the final taking place on Tuesday.


Remember to leave a comment and tell us which props you voted for and why.

Lost Adventure of DarkUFO recapper 'e'

Our very own recapper Erika Olson aka "e" has just finished writing up her report of her recent vacation to Oahu. She managed to meet make one of her dreams come true, meet Terry O'Quinn.

Read her full report and other photos here.

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - 4th Quarter Final

Yesterday saw a very close battle between the likes of the Hatch Door and Desmond's Photo. In the end, Desmond's Photo won with a 4% margin. It is the third prop to advance to the semi-finals.

The last of the quarter finals takes place today, with yet another selection of props sure to get have you reminiscing. Today's poll brings us the Fail Safe Key, the Frozen Donkey Wheel, and the Swan Station Countdown Timer. Remember, only one prop can advance through to the semi-finals, so think very carefully.

Remember to leave a comment. Tell us which you voted for and why.

Season 5 Premiere - ABC to show 2 Episodes back to back

Update: 24:00 I can also confirm that Lost's regular timeslot will be 9:00pm on Wednesdays.

There were a number of rumours going around about the Season 5 Premiere being a 2 hour event. I've just got confirmation from ABC that this is infact true.

20:00 - 1 Hr Recap Show
21:00 - Episode 5.01
22:00 - Episode 5.02

Pretty cool huh!

It's Official - Lost Returns 21st January 8/7 Central

Thanks to PkmnTrainerJ for the heads up.

Well it seems that our contact yesterday was out by 1 week :) ABC have confirmed that the start date of Season 5 to be 21st January, 8/7 central via their Twitter account.

Source: ABC Twitter Account

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - 3rd Quarter Final

We had another landslide victory yesterday, and victory went to Radzinsky's Blast Door Map. It is the second of four props to advance through to the semi-finals.

Today's poll brings us a couple of doors and a photo. We have the Ancient Hieroglyphic Door, the Hatch Door, and Desmond's Photo. Are we going to see yet another quarter final landslide? Or will things be closer this time?Remember, only one prop can advance through to the semi-finals, so think very carefully.

Remember to leave a comment. Tell us which you voted for and why.

Lost Premiere Date and Time

I've been in contact with one of our sources who works with a company that purchases Ads on the various networks. According to them, the Premiere will air on Thursday 29th January at 10pm.

Unless any major changes happen at ABC this will be hopefully be the premiere date.

Note: ABC are officially saying that they have not yet set a date.

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - 2nd Quarter Final

Yesterday’s landslide victory went to the Swan Station Computer. It is the first of four props to advance on to the semi-finals.

Today’s quarter final match-up is a tough one. Not only does it bring us last year’s 1st and 2nd place finalists, Radzinsky’s Blast Door Map and the Swan Station Orientation Film, but it also brings us the Black Rock Wreckage. Remember, only one prop can advance through to the semi-finals, so think very carefully.

Remember to leave a comment. Tell us which you voted for and why.

Season 5 Premiere - Not 2 Hours

I've been getting dozens of emails from people this morning about a short promo for Season 5 that aired during last nights election. Rather than try to email everyone with the same info, I thought I'd post it here.

At the end of the promo it states that the Premiere will be in January, which is a little earlier that we first suspected as well as stating that it's a 2 hr premiere. Now from my understanding and talking to some of the people at ABC that I know, it will be a 1 hr special/catch up show followed by the 1 hr premiere, and not a 2 hour new episode unfortunately.

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - 1st Quarter Final

Congrats to yesterday's winners, the Swan Station Computer, the Ancient Hieroglyphic Door, Desmond's Photo, Eko's Stick, and Barack Obama.

Finally we make it to the first match of the finals. The quarter finals will consist of 4 polls, one per day, with each of the polls consisting of 3 props. This is where things get real nasty. Only one prop will proceed from each poll. In addition to this, voting for multiple props is no longer allowed.

Today's quarter final match-up brings us none other than last year's 3rd and 4th place finalists; the Swan Station Computer and Eko's Stick. Also competing is Hurley's Lottery Ticket. Remember, only one can advance through to the semi-finals, so think very carefully.

Remember to leave a comment. Tell us who you voted for and why.

Vote Locke for President

Update: 4th Nov What a great group effort :) Polls are shut and Locke is our new President.

Update: 21:45 Incredible stuff everyone. When we started this morning Locke had just 1% and was over 90,000 votes behind the leader. Now he has 36% and has a 30,000 vote lead!

Thanks to Scott for the following

It's a vote for TV characters for president and so far Locke only has 1% of the vote. Of course it ends tomorrow. Let's change that.
Vote Here

Note: You can vote multiple time.

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - Round 3, Matches 5 & 6

Today will mark the end of Round 3, with the first of the quarter final polls due to begin tomorrow. A big congrats to yesterday's winners, the Hatch Door, Hurley's Lottery Ticket, Black Rock Wreckage, and the Fail Safe Key. The fuselage wreckage missed out by just 2 votes, ouch!

Poll 1 brings us a selection of character owned props. This tough line up includes Jacob's ghostly chair, Sawyer's heartfelt letter, Desmond's sappy photograph, and Eko's biblical stick. I think people may have trouble with this one.

Poll 2 sees last year's 3rd place finalist, the Swan Station Computer, going up against the Circle of Ash, the Ancient Hieroglyphic Door, and Charlie's "F.A.T.E" finger accessories. Which do you like best? Which do you value the most? Which deserve to advance? Get voting.

Please note: Round 3 polls are multiple choice, meaning that you may vote for more than one prop in each poll. Additionally, two props will proceed from each Round 3 poll.

Family Guy Videos

The Lost Mix-Tape

Thanks to my good friend Unai from SL-Lost for the following.

A while ago I made something for my site's readers: a music player with more than a dozen songs that have been featured on the show ("make your own kind of music", "shambala", etc). The cool thing is that the player looks like an actual mixtape. It had a huge success so I thought I should share it with you and your readers.

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - Round 3, Matches 3 & 4

Congratulations go to yesterday’s winners, the Swan Station Countdown Timer, Radzinsky’s Blast Door Map, the Frozen Donkey Wheel, and the Swan Station Orientation Film. They all advance on to the quarter finals.

Today’s first poll brings us a cursed Lottery Ticket, an almost impenetrable Hatch Door, a pretty and colourful Wall Mural, and what is still considered one of Lost’s most badass prop items, Mikhail’s Eye Patch.

Poll 2 is a toughy. It gives us wreckage VS wreckage, as well as some Swan Station goodness. First we have the System Failure, System Failure, System Failure Print-Out. Then we have the Fail Safe Key; what would have happened to the island without it and Desmond’s quick thinking? Then we come to the wreckages; the Black Rock and the Fuselage.

Which will you vote for?

Please note: Round 3 polls are multiple choice, meaning that you may vote for more than one prop in each poll. Additionally, two props will proceed from each Round 3 poll.

Video - Ben Affleck Does Keith Olbermann On SNL

Ben Affleck visited his friends at Saturday Night Live last night, and in addition to a killer open with John McCain and Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, managed to pull of a great Keith Olbermann skit.

Related: John McCain And Tina Fey On SNL - Video

Affleck lambasted current president George Bush for being a racist and bigot, and did a spoof of Olbermann's "Worst Person In The World" segment.

In his "Special Comment" section, Affleck goes after the coop manager of his apartment complex, after he is evicted for having a pet in a no pet apartment.

The result was controversial, with the host going off on Japanese internment camps, equal rights, justice, and fairness.

It was uncomfortable.

Watch Ben Affleck Do Keith Olbermann On SNL


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Video - John McCain Does SNL - Nails It

John McCain visited the set of Saturday Night Live last night for a last ditch effort to connect with voters.

Now famous Tina Fey, acting as Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, joined the candidate in one of the funniest opening skits ever.

The sketch, a jab at the thirty-minute infomercial Barack Obama purchased last week, was intended to give the candidates some final remarks on the campaign. Unfortunately, the only airtime they could afford was on the QVC shopping network.

While the two gave their final wisdom, they also hawked Joe the plumber dolls, and Obama town hall commemorative plates - that were blank. The best product was a set of "Pork Knives" guaranteed to cut the pork from anything.

There was also a cameo by McCain's wife Cindy, who introduced expensive QVC jewelry. Sarah Palin (Tina Fey) also went rouge when she tried to sell Palin In 2012 shirts.

Also, on the Weekend Update section, McCain explained his last ditch efforts and "Radical Ideas" he may use if things don't go his way.

Later in the show, Affleck mocked Keith Olbermann in a controversial segment that drew grasps from the audience.

Related : Ben Affleck Does Keith Olbermann On SNL - Video

Watch John McCain And Tina Fey In SNL Open


Watch John McCain on SNL Weekend Update

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Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - Round 3, Matches 1 & 2

Round 3 begins today, and it is your final chance to weed out the lesser props from the most deserving. Like Round 2, Round 3 polls will include four props, with two props advancing from each poll. Round 3 will run for only three days, and then the quarter finals will begin.

Yesterday's winners were Daniel's Journal, Hurley's Lottery Ticket, the Frozen Donkey Wheel, and Charlie's F.A.T.E. Congrats to them.

Poll 1 brings us four highly celebrated prop items amongst mythology junkies. We have last year’s winner, Radzinsky’s Blast Door Map. We also have the Giant Question Mark; that of which features at the very center of Radzinsky’s Map. In addition to these, we have the much feared Swan Station Countdown Timer, and Daniel’s foreseeing Journal.

Poll 2 sees everybody’s favourite VW van, the Dharma Van, going up against the likes of Alpert’s Test Items, the Swan Station Orientation Film, and one of Season 4's big shockers, the Frozen Donkey Wheel. Which will you vote for, and why?

Please note: Round 3 polls are multiple choice, meaning that you may vote for more than one prop in each poll. Additionally, two props will proceed from each Round 3 poll.

Iconic Prop Cup 2008 - Round 2, Matches 11 & 12

UPDATE: Polls are now working again. Poll answers no longer contain apostrophes. Hopefully they fix the issue soon.

We saw some very close results yesterday. The winners were Radsinsky’s Blast Door Map, the Ancient Hieroglyphic Door, the Swan Station Orientation Film, and Eko’s Stick. Congrats to them.

Today will mark the end of Round 2. Tomorrow, Round 3 will begin and it will last only three days. Then the quarter finals will begin. Not long now, so make your votes count.

Poll 1 brings us the Pearl Station Orientation Video, Charlie’s F.A.T.E, Locke’s Drawing of the Smoke Monster, and the Frozen Donkey Wheel. A pretty cool poll I think you’ll agree. Which will you vote for?

Poll 2 delivers Daniel’s Journal, an Apollo Chocolate Bar, Hurley’s Lottery Ticket, and some Dharma Brand Beer. Which of these do you wish to advance?

Please note: Round 2 polls are multiple choice, meaning that you may vote for more than one prop in each poll. Additionally, two props will proceed from each Round 2 poll.