Tagged: London

Review: “Neverwhere” 15th Anniversary Edition

Imagine the BBC fifteen years ago, before the current explosion of science fiction and fantasy fare. It was a dowdy set of channels, working on the cheap, and not being necessarily accommodating to the needs of its shows. Instead, they often said we have a hole for X, please take your concept and make it fit.

While their schedules were not entirely devoid of genre fare, it came few and far between with offerings like [[[Neverwhere]]], which aired on BBC Two and was written by Neil Gaiman, in the flush of his success in America with Sandman. He met with producer Lenny Henry during England’s annual Comic Relief event and they began talking about a story. Lenny imagined a society below London and that was enough of a spark to get Gaiman going.

He conjured up a fully realized fantasy world and used the character of Richard Mayhew, a thoroughly typical citizen, who does a good deed and is rewarded with being plunged into this realm. The story of Neverwhere has been told and retold, first as a BBC miniseries, complete with 1996 novelization by Gaiman, and then, years later, a comic book adaptation from Vertigo. There’s been a steady stream of talk of a film version but it remains trapped in a realm of its own called Development Hell.

The BBC at the time treated it like any of its other broadcasts, giving the fantasy a budget fit for a situation comedy and then insisting it be produced in thirty-minute installments coupled with the even odder demand that it be shot on video not film. The result was an unsatisfactory event that has left Gaiman and fans demanding a Redo.

Instead, the BBC is releasing a fifteenth anniversary DVD edition of the miniseries on Tuesday. They had a Region 2 edition around for some time now but this is a first official release in the States. (more…)

DENNIS O’NEIL: Prematurely White

By now you know, unless you’re a fan who really reads nothing but comics and sees/hears nothing that’s not comics related: we had us a storm, we north easterners, and it was a humdinger. Lots of snow – lots! – before Halloween which royally screwed things up hereabouts and drove Mari and me onto the wet and gleaming roads looking for a motel with a vacancy because our house had neither heat nor light. Main problem seemed to be that the trees still bore leaves and their weight, added to the weight of the snow, caused the timber to fall, much of it across power lines. Cue music:

Away in a manger

No crib for a bed,

Poor little Denny

Lay down his bald head…

Okay, wrong holiday and we did a bit better than Joe the Carpenter and his family. We found a Holiday Inn near the Jersey border that had suffered a cancellation and so we didn’t have to spend the dark hours in a cold house, a car, or a manger.

And you know, I’m not complaining! I choose to live here, partly because I like the seasons and, as Diana Ross admonished, “take the bitter with the sweet.” Mari and I can consider the whole thing an unexpected little adventure, though if the power hadn’t returned this morning, I’d probably be calling it something else.

Of course, if I lived in Peter Parker’s New York I wouldn’t be bothered by meteorological matters. Same would be true if I lived in Metropolis, Star City, Gotham City…anywhere in comicbookland. There’s seldom snow there, or much rain, not a lot of wind or heat or humidity, and that’s a minor league shame.  Not that I’d want Pete’s Spidey suit sticking to his armpits, or Batman have to put on galoshes over his boots. But in a story, weather can be a tool. It can add texture and realism to the fictional settings, complications to the hero’s various quests (and without complications, those quests aren’t terribly involving). It can even be a major plot point, one that drives the action of the narrative. Or a source of humor. Or a reflection of the protagonist’s psyche. It can establish mood and it can help to establish locale. It could give a city character, as fog does for London and San Francisco or rain does for Seattle.

What is the weather like in Star City? Does the local television weather guy begin every report with, “It looks like another bland day here in our area…”

The exception, as is so often the case, is Central City, the New York doppelganger where Will Eisner’s Spirit fought whatever Eisner thought up to give him problems. It rains there. And snows. And gets warm. And the stuff is a joy to read, and if you’re looking for some recommended reading, well…most, if not all, of the Spirit stories have been reprinted. What I’m saying is, no excuses.

But for now…Hey look! A tree has fallen across my front yard. That hasn’t happened since…the damn hurricane a few months ago.

Maybe I should move to Metropolis.

FRIDAY: Martha Thomases

Dylan Dog: A Background Primer

  • News
  • July 22, 2011

Dylan Dog has sold over 60 million copies all over the world making it one of the most popular comic books around.  Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, we examine the history behind Dylan Dog and the Italian comic series that was created by and originated in 1986.  We will give fans background information on Dylan’s character and adventures, as well as educate fans of the flick to explain differences between the film and comic version.

Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) stars as Dylan Dog, a supernatural detective who will go where the living dare not — facing friend and foe alike in the monster infested backstreets of New Orleans. Armed with an edgy wit and an arsenal of silver and wood-tipped bullets, Dylan must solve a series of murders before an epic war ensues between his werewolf, vampire and zombie clients. Based on one of the world’s most popular comic books (over 60 million copies sold), this inventive horror comedy will slay you with humor and genuine frights.
Acclaimed horror director Kevin Munroe (TMNT) guides this comedic cast, which also includes Taye Diggs (Private Practice), Peter Stormare (Minority Report), Sam Huntington (Being Human) and (Kurt Angle (Death From Above). (more…)

Video Game Review: “Alice: Madness Returns”

Video Game Review: “Alice: Madness Returns”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8TNkeHk3Fo[/youtube]

In the year 2000, American McGee’s Alice took the story of Alice in Wonderland and turned it on it’s already twisted head. As a sequel of sorts to the books, the game opens with an accidental fire destroying Alice’s home in Victorian London, in which her parents and sister die. Alice then attempts to commit suicide (due to survivor’s guilt) and is committed to Rutledge Asylum. While there, her shattered psyche has her (and players) revisiting the Wonderland of her childhood, now decayed under the rule of the Queen of Hearts. By the game’s end, she destroys the Queen (who some believe to be a manifestation of her own insanity) and restores Wonderland to its original charm and glory, and is declared stable (or stable enough) to leave the asylum.

Perhaps that wasn’t for the best, however. In [[[Alice: Madness Returns]]] (out now on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360), it’s eleven years since Alice left Rutledge (and, ironically, eleven years after the original game). Alice is living with and being cared for by a child psychiatrist in London (as his oldest patient), and the death of her family continues to stalk her. Her madness has manifested again, and now she finds herself returning to Wonderland – albeit the Wonderland that we now know to be imagined – in order to restore order to its now-recurring chaos. This time, though, there’s an bigger question fueling her madness: was the fire that caused it all accidental?

The game divides its time between two settings: Victorian London, with its bleak, muted color palette, and the visual mind-bender that is Wonderland. Take Tim Burton, throw him in a blender with Dali and Picasso, and add a dash of steroids and heroin, and you’ll have a rough approximation of the visuals here. The settings are stunning, from the steampunk-esque Hatter stage, to the underwater follies of the carpenter and the Walrus, to the card bridge and the Queensworld…it’s all, well, fairly crazy actually. The animation is also fluid, as Alice jumps, twirls and floats through demonic paranoias and her own destroyed psyche, made visual in Wonderland. She can even shrink in size to pass through keyholes, which also gives her a new perspective on the layout of a level, revealing hidden clues as to where to go next, or thing she just couldn’t see at normal size.

At it’s heart, Madness Returns is a platformer, but there’s a heavy bent on action. Alice has many weapons at her disposal to use against the negative densiens of her mind. At first, black slime with babydoll faces known as “ruins” populate the land, and Alice can dispatch them with her trusty Vorpal Blade (which goes Snicker-Snack!) or a Pepper Grinder (basically a hand-cranked machine gun). Later she gains a Hobby Horse, which she uses as a melee club to bash and smash. All of these weapons flow effectively into one another for combos, and when combined with the dodge move, become invaluable in escaping hasty death from an onslaught of enemies. After traversing some areas, the foes become more familiar, namely the Card Guards, only now more…demon-esque.

As a platformer, there’s also a good amount of gathering collectibles, and each one has it’s own use. Scattered throughout the land are memories, which piece together the story for Alice (and the player). There are also teeth, which Alice gathers from fallen foes or smashable objects, and are used as currency in the game to upgrade weapons. It all seems like typical fare for an action platformer, but teh setting and storyline are really what set this one apart. There’s some truly messed-up things here, and the game really pushes the M rating.

If there were one complaint to make towards the game, it’s more about the little hiccups you encounter during gameplay. Sometimes, Alice will get hung up on an invisible wall or something in the floor, usually after releasing the “shrink” button on the controller. It’s a minor setback, but when the animation is usualy so fluid, getting held up in a graphical glitch can take one out of the moment. Also, the level layout is preposterously long. One chapter can have several individual sections, feeling like their own levels, but are really part of the chapter istelf. Sometimes this works to move the story along, and sometimes it gives the player the feeling of the developers trying to drag out the length of the game. Alice herself even comments on this, in a manor, when asked repeatedly by various characters in the game to do tasks for her, acting as though the level would be much shorter had they simply done teh task themselves. But then, it wouldn’t be a game then, would it?

While it isn’t a perfect game, it is certainly a fun one, and visually, one that will take hold of you, with it’s abstract settings and newspaper cut-out style cut scenes. It’s all very stylized and slick. As an added bonus, the original American McGee’s Alice is included on the disc (unlockable by download on an online pass included with new copies of the game). Playing through it is definitely a treat to those not familiar with the original, though I will say, it hasn’t held up well over time.

If you’re looking for solid action, decent platforming and puzzles, and a intriguing storyline, you needn’t look much further than here. While it may seems a bit unfair at times with the number of enemies beset upon you, the story is one certainly worth going through, and the adventure is truly a fascinating one. Horiffic though it may be for our heroine.

Rating (based on a scale of BUY IT, RENT IT, SKIP IT):

BUY IT!

King Kong For Sale – Really!

King Kong For Sale – Really!

  • News
  • October 9, 2009

Christie’s auction house in London will be auctioning the 22-inch, well, action figure of King Kong used in the filming of the movie of the same name. In specific, the little guy was used in the Empire State Building scene at the end of the movie.

“Oh, no, it wasn’t the airplanes.”

Only the metal part (see right) survives; the cotton/rubber/latex/rabbit’s fur “clothing” rotted off years ago. The auction will happen around Thanksgiving; I’ll bet lots of well-heeled Hollywood moguls have aliases bidding on the trophy.

Jon Peters autobiography proposal dishes huge dirt on Batman and Superman films

Jon Peters autobiography proposal dishes huge dirt on Batman and Superman films

Nikki Finke has gotten her hands on the book proposal for Jon Peters’ autobiography. Peters was a producer for, among other films, the Michael Keaton Batman film franchise and Superman Returns. The details are unbelievable, if for no other reason that Peters seems to be burning every bridge behind him, including the one that he’s on. A few choice quotes:

“Batman was a box office bonanza, among the highest grossers
in history. Jon took a lot of credit for that hit, especially in his
heroic efforts to sell Jack Nicholson on playing the Joker. Jon had
bonded completely with Jack and partied hard with him on The Witches of Eastwick;
now Jon had to top himself. With the help of Madam Alex and Steve
Ross’s jets, Jon took Jack on a whore and drug fueled global joy ride
to see the Batman sets in London that was one of the most
expensive and decadent junkets in cinema history. Jon basically turned
staid Claridge’s into the Playboy Mansion, with strippers, hookers,
masseuses, coke dealers, and more, plus champagne and foie gras room
service that put Adnan Khashogghi’s stays to shame. Jack couldn’t say
no to a good time like this, and he succumbed to Jon’s relentless
charms.”

“During the Batman shoot in London in 1988, Jon had his first
high profile post-Barbra [Streisand], post-Christine [his 2nd wife] movie star
tabloid affair, with Kim Basinger, whom Jon had cast as Vicki Vale in
the biggest role of her career. Kim’s tall blonde beauty and her inner
turmoil were very much in the mold of Jon’s mother. Another shared
similarity was that Kim was also part Cherokee. Otherwise, she was pure
screen goddess, the hottest women on celluloid at the time. The Georgia
belle was a Ford model, the Breck girl, a Bond girl, the cover of Playboy.
She had rung up every milestone possible in the pulchritude
sweepstakes. And now she was Jon Peters’s girl, and, thanks to the
breathless London yellow press, the world took note. The affair with
Jon may have ended Kim’s nine year marriage to a makeup artist (again,
the beauty shop connection), but it did not result in marriage to Jon.
Like so many on-set affairs, the honeymoon tends to be over soon after
the premiere.

And we won’t even talk about Superman Returns, where the best guess is that Peters caused the film to cost $50 million dollars more. Instead, we’ll let Kevin Smith talk about it:

See also our previous story about Jon Peters and his parole violation for drunk driving— which apparently, if I’m reading this right, was on the way to the premiere of Superman Returns. Oh, and just for good measure, the book’s been pulled from major publishers at this time, as everybody appears to be ready to sue..

‘The Phantom of Coney Island’?

‘The Phantom of Coney Island’?

  • News
  • December 31, 2008

You know times are tough when playwright Andrew Lloyd Webber resorts to mounting a sequel rather than something original.  The theatrical maestro has announced Phantom: Love Never Dies, taking place a decade after the events of the original.  The Phantom apparently survived his encounter with Christine and has relocated from France to, where else, Coney Island, New York.

The 2009 musical will open simultaneously in three cities — Broadway in New York, London’s West End, and Shanghai – a first for any stage production.  Directing will be Jack O’Brien who is known for The Full Monty and Hairspray so is used to the grand sweep of such productions. Sets will be designed by five time Tony Award winner Bob Crowley (Carousel).

According to the Times of London, the Phantom has yet to be cast with speculation over Gerard Butler, who played him in film adaptation, Hugh Jackman, and John Barrowman as possibilities. Whoever stars will be cast opposite an actress playing the younger new love interest.

The original production, still running around the world, has sold in excess of 80 million tickets and helped change the nature of musical theatre. Lloyd Webber, 60, is said to have been working on the sequel for years but only this summer began discussing it in concrete terms,

“Nine weeks ago there was a sing-through of the second act,” The Times reported, “and then, ten days ago, the decision was made:.” “We put the whole thing together with the work we had done on both acts,” Lloyd Webber said. “There is nothing to delay us. The button is pushed.

“It is set on Coney Island. He started in one of the freak shows there but, by the time we meet him, being the Phantom he has become the most powerful operator in Coney. He’s pulling the strings and running the island.”

Somewhere, author Gaston Leroux is rolling in his grave.

‘Fantastic Flesh’ Looks Beneath the Surface

‘Fantastic Flesh’ Looks Beneath the Surface

  • News
  • December 20, 2008

From classic creatures to modern gore, special effects makeup has always been at the dark heart of movie magic. Now, film fans will go skin deep – and beyond – with Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Makeup EFX, coming from Anchor Bay Entertainment on January 27, 2009. In this Starz Original documentary, viewers will meet the masters of the craft and discover its incredible history.

Directed by filmmaker and visual effects artist Kevin VanHook (Death Row), Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Makeup EFX was lauded as “an enjoyable look at the industry as well as a great nostalgia piece” by IconsofFright.com, while Bloody-disgusting.com said the documentary “offers a unique glimpse behind the lens to a magical place where hardcore film fans who grew up on too many monster movies would love to play.”

From the silent era to today’s blockbuster, this fast-paced documentary examines the techniques, reveals the secrets, and emphasizes the impact that special effects makeup has had on filmmaking for more than a century. Before CGI effects became the norm, special effects makeup was often accomplished through invention, ingenuity and, in some cases, sheer luck!

This in-depth documentary features exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in Hollywood filmmaking, including Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street), John Carpenter (the original Halloween, The Fog), Eli Roth (Cabin Fever), George A. Romero (the original Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London), Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn), Mick Garris (Masters of Horror), Tom Savini (Creepshow), Dick Smith (The Exorcist) and Academy Award winner Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2), as well as clips from such classic horror and fantasy films as Frankenstein, The Exorcist, Planet of the Apes, The Chronicles of Narnia, An American Werewolf in London, The Thing, Grindhouse, Sin City, Transformers, Day of the Dead, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, Total Recall, Cabin Fever, The Howling and many more.

 “[Starz is] becoming – if they’re not already – the best in the genre business with comprehensive documentaries on the slasher and vampire genres, the history of black cinema and many more, but this one will hold a special place in the hearts of every fan-boy out there,” said RogueCinema.com.

The 58-minute documentary will retail for $19.97.

Forrest J Ackerman Dies

Forrest J Ackerman Dies

  • News
  • December 5, 2008

One of the founders of First Fandom, Forrest J Ackerman died Thursday of heart failure at his Los Angeles home, said Kevin Burns, head of Prometheus Entertainment and a trustee of Ackerman’s estate. He was 92.

Born November 24, 1916, Ackerman is best known today as godfather to a generation of filmmakers who were raised on his Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine but he had an extensive career as an author, agent, and most of all, a fan. He also co-created Vampirella, writing for her first adventure for publisher Jim Warren.

His influence to the science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comic book fields cannot be overstated. He was the living embodiment of fandom and a tireless ambassador for close to seventy years. Hundreds of working professionals owe some debt of gratitude to Ackerman’s efforts.

The Early Years

Ackerman grew up on the early days of science fiction as the category grew in pulp magazines. His diet of reading included Amazing Stories and other titles, leading him to write letters to the editor, which were published.  As a result, he struck up correspondence with other fans leading to the formation of his The Boys’ Scientifiction Club in 1930.  The young man also contributed articles and reviews to the earliest fanzines including Julie Schwartz and Mort Weisinger’s Time Traveller and Jerry Siegel’s Science Fiction Magazine.

On the west coast, Ackerman is known to have invited would-be writer Ray Bradbury to Clifton’s Cafeteria Science Fiction Club, where the newsboy was introduced to met the writers Robert A. Heinlein, Emil Petaja, Fredric Brown, Henry Kuttner, Leigh Brackett, and Jack Williamson. He’s also credited with founding the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society and the National Fantasy Fan Federation.
 

(more…)

Freema Agyeman’s Time to Shine

Freema Agyeman’s Time to Shine

  • News
  • November 27, 2008

Freema Agyeman, who debuted on the UK’s latest genre series, Survivors, on November 23 said, “I couldn’t have wished for a better start to my career than Doctor Who. It was like a rocket that blasted me up and as a consequence I have all these opportunities presented to me. It feels like it would be rude to say no.”

The 29-year-old told the London Telegraph that she plays Jenny Collins, “a teacher trying to escape a population-killing virus in a six-part remake of the 1970s cult drama.” Survivors.

“Jenny is bright and capable but in this situation she is overwhelmed,” she described. “Looking after her sick flatmate gives her a purpose to get through the situation. The whole thing is about trying to find hope.”

“Doctor Who was a good warm-up,” Agyeman admitted. “You’d be running around on the edge of cliff, chased by someone holding a fake monster on the end of stick. At first you would feel silly, but you quickly learn to go for it, to feel the terror of the moment. In Survivors, although it is much more serious, I tried to imagine the loss and loneliness Jenny is feeling in that moment.”

Agyeman will also be seen in the BBC’s new adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Little Dorrit, followed by playing a government prosecutor Alesha Phillips on Law & Order: London. “There’s so much I want to learn and these three [roles] were all extremely different from each other and from what I had done before,” she said.

For Little Dorrit, the attractive actress will play attention-seeking orphan Tattycoram. “Tattycoram’s race wasn’t specified but in Victorian London if you weren’t upper class, you experienced prejudice, so race transposes beautifully,” she said. “Up until Doctor Who I was happy in my career but I was being cast as gangsters and suchlike, which was a frustration for me. Now I get parts that could have been cast to any color. I am aware that I have this huge platform and I am proud to represent the black community but I am also proud of being able to show that I can do other parts.”

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