NBC Universal held a "Summer press day" last Friday in Pasadena, California, and among the various panels was one for the SyFy Channel's new Red Faction: Origins movie. In cooperation with THQ, SyFy is bringing out a two-hour movie on June 4 that covers the story of Jake Mason, son of Red Faction: Guerilla's Alec Mason and father of Red Faction: Armageddon main character Darius Mason. Alec (played by Robert Patrick) makes an appearance, though Brian J. Smith, who plays Jake, says "he's fallen off a little bit as a hero."

Given how closely related to the games the movie will be, you'd think director Michael Nankin (second from right, above) would want to get in and play Guerilla at least. But the director of a few Battlestar Galatica episodes has no interest in technology. "I have a book that's a calendar," he says, "and I take notes on index cards."