Instapundit is musing over a New York Magazine article
that floats the idea of Joss Whedon offering subscriptions to a new
16-episode season of Firefly. The example given specificies one
million customers at $39.99 per subscription, which seems reasonable to
me. Whedon would then have $40 million to produce and distribute
16 episodes, which also seems doable, and subscribers could download
the episodes as they became available.
It seems inevitable that this model of programming distribution will
come to pass, and it seems equally likely that as a result,
niche-targeted programming will become common. There are, after
all, many television shows that earn good money but are cancelled
anyway by TV networks hoping to make a better return not just from
their financial investment but also from the opportunity cost of the
timeslot. A network can only put one show on the air at a time,
after all, so it wants to make sure that the most profitable possible show will be aired.
A good example of a profitable show meeting cancellation would be Cleopatra 2525, which was Sam Raimi's attempt to duplicate his Xena
success with a sci-fi program built on the same strongwoman
motif. The cast consisted of former bodybuilder Victoria
Pratt, amazonic actress Gina Torres (coincidentally also a star of
"Firefly") and athletic beauty Jennifer Sky. The program ran for
two seasons, but never equalled Xena's success. It strikes me
that just among Amaz0ns readers there'd be at least a few hundred who
would be willing, at some future date, to fork over $40 for a season's
worth of programming featuring a trio of physically powerful babes.
Right off the bat let's get one thing clear - Stealth is not a
good movie. Set in the context of a U.S. Navy aircraft
carrier in "the near future," the story is not credible, the plot
doesn't track, and the cliches are thickly set. The "future" fighter
planes used look nothing like the U.S. military's next generation
F/A-22 Raptor, or even like the other candidate for the role, Boeing's
X-32. If anything, the planes resemble the Russian superfighter from Firefox.
Top Gun had better effects and more believable dogfight scenes, despite being 20 years old. But Top Gun did not have Jessica Biel.
No Hollywood A-list actress has ever been more muscular in a movie than Biel is in Stealth. It's out on DVD now.
Pauline Nordin is one of the most beautiful bodybuilders in the history of the
sport, and a fan favorite. This 2005 video highlights her amazing
physique and the dedication she shows in the gym. From the producer:
...A
perfect example of feminine muscularity, Pauline is graced with both
youthful beauty and what some have called the perfect female
bodybuilder's physique. You'll see Pauline in the gym blasting each
bodypart, backstage pumping up and practicing posing at the Swedish
Nationals, posing beachside, in the studio and in video from behind the
scenes at a photo shoot.
The videography, sound and
editing on this DVD is extremely professional. It's one of the finest
pieces of video ever produced in this genre.
Right off the bat let's get one thing clear - 
Makes an ass of herself?! I don't think...
re: - [quote=Holiday]Jesus, you guys re...
Kind - What a wonderful, kind man you ar...
Stokke... - ...is a lovely "welcome ...
She's so purty.