v2 UK Daily MIGRATED

Blood: The Last Vampire - Gianna Jun Interview

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:08:26 +0000

Gianna Jun is the 27 year old model and actress who recently turned her hand to martial arts theatrics in Blood: The Last Vampire. Scifi.co.uk caught up with Gianna to discuss how she enjoyed making her first big budget movie.

How is Saya different from the other vampires/demons in the film?

First, she has ironic destiny as a half breed of both human and vampire. She is a 16-year-old vampire hunter, who has a mission to kill wicked vampires, but at the same time, she needs blood for her survival. When I first saw her, I was attracted by her unfriendly and gloomy spirit.

What was it like working with director Chris Nahon?

At first, I was a little confused because he gave me no direction, just saying "OK, one more time." After knowing he focused on drawing on the original animation, however, it was much easier to work with him. Plus, the fact he didn't have any preconceived idea about 'Gianna' made me comfortably focused on the original character Saya.

Did you have to do any special martial arts training for the film? Did you get to perform many of your own stunts?

Of course I did. I had various training programs from a distance race to kicking practice and muscle-strengthening exercises in China and the U.S. I also learned intensive skills such as wire action. The action director Cory Yuen helped me a lot.

Was it challenging learning English for this role?

Yes it was. Even though I practiced a lot before shooting, I always had to care about linguistic matters like pronunciation and intonation. It was a burden on me and made it hard to concentrate on the character's feeling.

What made you change your name from Jeon J. hyan to Gianna Jun for this film?

My family and friends call me 'Jihyun ah', and it sounds very similar to Gianna.

Have you seen the original anime of Blood: The Last Vampire? Were you a fan before you were asked to play this role?

I saw the animation after receiving the role offer from the producer Bill Kong and was impressed by the character Saya. She looked very mysterious - unfriendly and gloomy. It was kind of shocking, but very attractive.

Are you a fan of vampire movies, if so what are some of your favorites and why?

I'm not a huge fan of vampire movies, but I recently watched 'Let the Right One in'. I think it's brilliant.

Do you think the continuing popularity of Eastern horror films will open the gates for more Eastern actors and directors to work in Hollywood?

Of course. In spite of language barriers, a film can make chemistry through the whole world. The Asian film industry has a lot of good content, and its horror films can be the first step to provide Asian directors and actors with chances to work in Hollywood.

Anime fans can be very wary of live-action remakes/adaptations, did this worry you at all when you took on this role?

It's challenging to satisfy maniac fans, but I'm quite confident to create another Saya in my way.

Terminator - Pescadero Escape Figure Review

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:53:13 +0000

Like I said in my Terminator 2 Skynet Edition review one of the best things to come out of the release of a new movie is the revisiting of its past chapters. While no company seems to want to risk making anything from Terminator 3 (and who can blame them!) new Terminator 2 products have been on the rise.

Even more interesting is the announcement from Playmates Toys is that they've acquired the rights to make figures not only for T2 but also for The Terminator. Which aside from the odd model kit and Hot Toys figures (minus an Arnold sculpt due to licensing) has been practically nonexistent on the collectables front.

While I'm not a massive fan of the Playmates output for Terminator Salvation, I can accept that they're children's toys in the same vein as the one's Kenner made for Terminator 2...which I had a few too many of. It also means that licensing for the first film has now been cleared up which may mean collectables of a higher quality heading our way.

This collectible itself may not be in the same leagues as Hot Toys but for its price it can happily sit in my Terminator collection, just as I was out of the 6"/7" figure game NECA sucks me back in with an excellent range of Terminator 2 figures each retailing for around £12.99 and finally featuring the likeness of Arnold Schwarzenneger.

McFarlane Toys released a T-800 figure in 2001 and original press material featured a Schwarzenneger likeness sculpted by Kyle "Tankman" Windrix. However due to licensing issues the face was then mutilated so it looked nothing like the T-800 seen in the film. Now in 2009 NECA have permission to reproduce Arnie's likeness and Kyle has once again been brought in to reproduce it even more faithfully than he did the first time.

The figure is a miniature work of art, and is actually poseable (apart from the legs) making it far more interesting than McFarlane's statues. With twist joints in the ankles, upper leg and waist. hinge joints at the elbows and ball and socket joints at the wrists, shoulders and neck, giving the figure a great range of movement.

The only accessory is the iconic Winchester shotgun wielded throughout the first 2/3 of T2. Which for this look is all you need. The figure is labelled as Pescadero Escape, but matches the look in the Galleria (mall) shootout more closely as it's missing the pistol in the waistband (yes I am that nitpicky)

The figure's paint applications are very nicely applied with only minor slop in some areas, basically you won't see them unless you're really looking hard. The body of the leather jacket is a rubber waistcoat almost, with the arms being sculpted and attached to the body of the figure. This is so well done you don't actually realise until you handle the figure.

The Sunglasses are however sculpted onto the face, so there's no removing them.
But all of the new figures "ball and socket" necks allow for very easy removal so you can swap the head with the "Man or Machine" figure if you want.

If you're looking for a great inexpensive Terminator figure for your collection, you can't go wrong with this, If you want something a bit larger NECA will also be releasing this figure again in a 12" version so you might want to hold fire...me I'll be getting both ;)

Next up I'll be reviewing the Man or Machine figure.

Transformers: revenge of the Fallen - Review pt 2

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:24:32 +0000

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.
Dir. Michael Bay.
Running time 147 minutes.

Following the confrontation between the heroic Autobots and the tyrannical Decepticons in mission city, Sam Witwicky prepares to go to college. Meanwhile Optimus Prime and the other Autobots hunt down rogue Decepticons, assisted by a task force of human soldiers.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen (TF 2) is a big dumb blockbuster, and whilst it would be easy to pick it apart for its failings it does do one thing - entertain.

TF 2 benefits from some hindsight of the first film and there aren't nearly as many misfires. Sure, this is a film that veers into some fairly lewd comedy (at one point a small Decepticon starts dry humping Mikaela Banes' leg), and includes some baffling moments, such as Sam's mother getting accidentally stoned on hash cakes, but for the most part this is a chunky, robust, action film.

Shia LaBeouf is on form as the running, jumping, occasionally shrieking everyman, and Megan Fox's role is relegated to eye candy. Plus, you get all the standard Michael Bay clichés - 360-degree shots, a sunrise/ sunset, loving long shots of military hardware and enough explosions to give Guy Fawkes performance anxiety. You also start to wonder if Linkin Park is to Michael Bay what Danny Elfman is to Tim Burton.

The main problem with TF 2 is that it is over long, considering this is, after all, a family film. Furthermore, after being subjected to Michael Bays frenetic, ADHD-based editing for 147 minutes it's difficult to think about anything coherently. Which brings me to the script.

TF 1 was full of sub plots and characters that went nowhere or existed for no reason. TF 2 has excised these, but is still in quandary about whether it is a chase movie or a quest movie. Add the mandatory family comedy slapstick and you have a very schizophrenic film. Which is entirely the point - ¬this script has been made to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

The fight scenes have wisely ditched the shaky camera work that enraged fan boys, and we have some well-choreographed fights between the warring robots. The scene where Optimus Prime takes on Megatron, Starscream and Grindor is particularly impressive, but be sure to keep an eye on Bumblebee's martial arts moves too.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is a big fun, summer spectacle that requires nothing more from its audience than the ability to chew popcorn. The effects are nothing short of amazing and the set pieces are ferocious in their intensity.

4/5

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X-Men trilogy joins the evolution on Blu-ray

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:24:00 +0000

It would be easy to just do a straight review of the X-Men trilogy but we've all seen them and know what they are about. What I was more interested in was whether, after buying the first movie and the 1.5 version on DVD, is it worth forking out for the trilogy on super-duper Blu-ray?

Obviously part of that depends on how you feel about the films. I really like the first and second and three has its moments and is certainly more action-orientated. Lots of people made an issue of it just being action after Singer's largely character-driven pieces but being the third film I say let's get on with some action...certainly Singer's own rendition of Superman could have done with some of X-Men: The Last Stand's action injection.

Now I must admit I'm an extra features buff so it's nice to see a bucket full thrown at this set - picture in picture video with key actors and behind the scenes people, commentary insights and production stills, and that is just on the feature discs.

Having seen a similar system in action on the recent Directors Cut version of The Da Vinci Code, I certainly found those labelled features easier to navigate around and were given more interesting icons than the colours: green, blue and yellow that we have here on the X-Men trilogy.

Alas if you have the special editions of the trilogy then - apart from the pop up video - there is nothing new here, which is a crying shame. Being so close to the release of Wolverine you'd at least expect a first look, a trailer...something. An isolated score wouldn't have gone amiss either!

Also with the extra capacity of Blu-ray it would have been great for episodes of the cartoon series to make it into this package as I feel there is not much of a hook - apart from the enhanced picture quality - to encourage people to upgrade - at least with the jump from VHS to DVD there was better picture quality and loads of extras.

X-Men

The first thing you notice when viewing X-Men on Blu-ray is just how clear the 20th Century Fox logo is and then the bright blue lights begin as Patrick Stewart starts his VO. I am suitably impressed already without the movie having begun.

The rain in the opening concentration camp scene could almost be coming out of the screen and New York at night on the establishing shots of the Liberty Island scene look great, can't wait for 'Wish You Were Here' to be transmitted in HD! The X-jet doesn't fair so well as it always looked a bit dodgy, but thankfully fairs better come the sequels.

Over to X2 (as those funky marketing folk would have us call it) and it's a polished, more satisfying affair. We've had the character intros sorted in the first film so its down to the business of action and character development with fine support from Brain Cox as William Stryker and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, the latter in a great movie opener that is only matched by the assault on the school for the gifted, which is genuinely thrilling and one of the movies stand-out scenes.

It's a much more multi-layered complex affair and can be seen as the main course to the starter original film and by far the best of the series.

X-Men: The Last Stand

Warning here be spoilers!

The Last Stand was ironically a movie some fans couldn't. Much was made of the upping the ante on the action front but you also get life-changing events with multiple 'I can't believe they just did that' character exits (it's also worth waiting post-end credits as well) and the Golden Gate bridge scene looks sumptuous on Blu-ray.

It has a somewhat rushed feel to it (due to its shortish running time but then so did the original) and it's a crying shame there is no Nightcrawler back for more as well but there is no need to feel blue as amply filling his shoes is the very blue 'Beast' played by left-field but it works casting choice, Kelsey 'Frasier' Grammer.

The death of Professor X was certainly something of a shocker, it really made you feel like the last stand and that all bets were off. So in a way it has an edge that the other movies didn't as anyone else could be next to be an Ex-Man (ahem). Sure it has its flaws but holds the interest better than the bungled Spiderman 3.

This being the first time I've revisited the whole trilogy in such close succession has given me a new slant on it and appreciation for it. It's like one long movie (or series of comic books) with the first film being an intro to the characters, the second fleshing them out adding further back story and the third being the all mutants-blazing finale.

One of its greatest achievements is the melding of renowned Shakespearian actors, Stewart and McKellen, in the Professor X and Magneto roles, giving the whole proceedings some gravitas in the way Guinness did to Star Wars and Brando did to Superman. Their joint scenes, in whichever movie, are a joy to watch.

With a little hunting on the internet the box-set comes in at a little over £30 (rrp £45) it's certainly a good value purchase for six discs and the movies all look and sound really crisp - better value than the more expensive Pirates trilogy - so if you love the movies then it is worth the evolutionary upgrade.

If you'll only end up watching them once in a while or extras aren't your thing its not really worth getting you adamantium claws stuck into them and I'd stick with the special edition DVDs. Close...but no Wolverine cigar.

Films: 4 out of 5
Extras: 4 out of 5 (2.5 if you already have the special edition DVDs)

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DVD extras: Do you want sugar with that?

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:15:34 +0000

Back in February, when an audio tape of Christian Bale shouting at the director of photography on the set of Terminator Salvation landed with a thwack on YouTube, I found myself sporting a new windswept hairdo, such was the force of the actor's outburst. Interviewed in last month's Total Film magazine, Bale admitted that he went "overboard" that day. However, he went on to criticise the leak and make some interesting comments about "B-rolls, DVD extras and stuff like that", bemoaning the fact that many "wonderful mysteries" are revealed far too readily. "I look at it as old-school movie magic," he said, "and with magic you do not reveal your secrets."

In the early days of DVD, I'd devour the content of discs, hopping straight from the main feature to the extras in the time it took to click the 'enter' button. As a kid, I lapped up Sunday-afternoon documentaries with titles like The World's Greatest Movie Stunts and Hollywood Special Effects Secrets, so to be able to go behind the scenes of a film whenever I liked felt like an honour. And in many respects it still does. I'll never tire of hearing my favourite directors talking about their films as they play out in front of them (and me), and an enlightening 'making of' documentary is a treasure worth marking with a giant X on my DVD shelves.

However, over the years, a lot of PR puff has also been pressed to DVD. The term 'featurette' is often a euphemism for 'electronic press kit' - basically, the cast and crew lining up to sell the film by saying what an honour it's been to work on such a wonderful production - and it's hard to take seriously the claims that some actors make for certain movies while sitting on set in costume and make-up within earshot of their peers and employers.

This is perhaps one of the reasons why older movies and TV shows often feature the most candid extras. Freed from the air of diplomacy that new productions are usually burdened with, everyone involved with an archive film or TV series gets to cut loose, and the viewer is more likely to get some genuine insight. Where time has put some distance between the players, they usually feel able to talk honestly about their experiences, and we're more likely to get the real, human stories rather than the sanitised versions that we're often served from behind the scenes, where everyone falls over themselves to praise everyone else amid acres of green screen.

An example is the difference between BBC3's Doctor Who Confidential and the documentaries found on the classic-series DVDs. Where the former offers little, if any, critical perspective on the episodes it documents, filling its running time with self-congratulation and celebratory montages, the latter is usually very candid, with cast, writers and crew discussing grievances and problems with the writing and production. Consequently, the Doctor Who classic-series DVDs feature some of the most absorbing and acclaimed extras of any TV show.

While Christian Bale seems to be concerned about exposing the guy behind the curtain (who might, coincidentally, be angry and swearing loudly), I don't think he should worry too much. My appreciation of certain films and TV series has increased because I've read or heard accounts of their making: the problems encountered during conception and writing; the agreements and disagreements over the course of production; the decisions taken and the paths trodden. A warts-and-all account of life on and around a film set is sometimes as dramatic and involving as the movie itself - sometimes more so.*

Of course, there's no way that Bale's on-set rant will be making its way on to the DVD of Terminator Salvation, anecdotally or otherwise, but it certainly made the stale old term 'behind-the-scenes glimpse' feel fresh again (it gave new meaning to 'Christian attitude', too). The actor might not relish the thought of his outburst being broadcast to millions, but now that it's out there it's a pop-culture artefact that can take its place in cinema's back pages, filed under H, for 'hang on a sec, rewind that!' - a chapter for those glimpses of real life that sometimes penetrate modern movies' PR machines and remind us that, actually, this business is much more interesting, passionate, daft and infuriating than the average 'look behind the scenes' would have us believe.

* The most candid behind-the-scenes account I've ever read is director Tor Ramsey's insight into the making of the dire Children Of The Living Dead (2001), a film that he claims to have lost control of. "It really does suck," he admits of the finished product. "Myself and everyone involved looked like idiots." Read the full confession at Homepage Of The Dead, though if you're pure of thought and deed be warned: some of the language is ripe.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Review

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:10:09 +0000

There are many words I could use to describe Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but the one that comes instantly to mind is WOW! Oh and Hasbro, if you want to do me a huge favour and sell the one to one scale Bumble Bee outside the cinema I have a spare kidney to sell!

So I could go on at length about the amazing pageantry of arrival, (how much do you reckon they paid for Transformer printed carpets?!) how we stood near Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf (never forgive him for the monkeys on ropes, sorry George you know I love loads of your movies, but really!?), the removal of our mobile phones so I couldn't get any snaps or the fact that all the autograph hunters discussed how much they would make from tonight's little stash on Ebay the next day, but no, the movie was the main course and this merely the starter!

If you are not doing anything on Friday night then you need to go and buy your ticket now, if you are doing something Friday night then you need to cancel and then go and buy your ticket now, because this is the movie of the summer. The marriage of CGI and real action is sublime, the balance of great comedy and amazing action is perfect and the storyline will keep you enthralled for the full two hours of metal grinding, fast paced (yes there is more running) rollercoaster ride of Autobots 'v' Decepticons.

The opening scene, don't worry no spoilers (honest), really does set the pace for the rest of the movie. You don't need to have seen the first one, which given that this one is so much better than its predecessor is not a bad thing, as this stands on its own two, or four, wheels from the start.

The battle is still raging and an alliance between man and the Autobots has been created to protect Earth, nothing you didn't expect here then, but of course in every sensible situation there has to be some little guy in a suit who rocks the boat and all hell breaks loose.

For the guys, there are enough hot women in this movie to keep you satisfied for a very long time and for the girls there are amazing cars, big guns and that sound of metal transforming that brings a shiver to your spine (well if you are a girl like me!)

This movie will answer all the questions as to why the Decepticons are here on Earth, and no it isn't just that a range of kids toys came out and then we all sat watching the cartoon on Saturday mornings in our pyjamas and the franchise grew, there is a back story that is not so commercial and you will discover it's wound beautifully into this movie.

If like me you have lived with Transformers since you were a child you will find yourself laughing out loud with Bumble Bee and almost getting out of your chair to help Optimus Prime.

There are some great new additions who really do add to the comedy and the one liners will keep you chuckling along. Personal favourites had to be the Twins, Skids and Mudflaps, and Jetfire, an old timer with a colourful vocabulary!

Now apparently, and I heard this at length on the journey back, there are a few issues with accuracy (what you mean my Smart Car won't transform on the way home kind of accuracy?!) in the fact that Michael Marsden's character is an SAS officer and his beret is not worn correctly - "SAS have a way of wearing their beret and they never wear a cap badge!" That'll teach me for going to the premier with my ex-forces house mate ;-)

A friend once said that a film is only good if it has spaceships, guns and explosions in it, well this has them all and then more!

You know there is going to be a third movie, this one is going to clean up at the box office so they would be mad not to, but for all the hype and celebrity I will be there to hear that unforgettable sound of metal transforming that takes me back to my childhood and the little part of me that really wishes my Smart Car really would transform!

Dollhouse Episode 5 Review

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:54:52 +0000

True Believer

As Dollhouse continues to go from strength to strength 'True Believer' introduces themes of religious fanaticism, blind belief, redemption and shower room hormones. In a story that quite obviously sets out to mirror the 1993 Waco incident an ex-pimp/drug dealer named Jonas Sparrow finds god in the slammer (it's surprising what a man will find in a 7x7 foot cell), and on his release he sets up a religious sect within a gated compound shut off from the outside community. The gun happy ATF get the notion that Sparrow is leading his young followers astray, and judging by the arsenal of machine guns he's stashing in the basement they might be on to something.

A government man gets involved in the risky business of hiring Adelle DeWitt's dollhouse to step into this awkward situation. Subsequently Echo is imprinted with the personality of the titular true believer and sent to infiltrate Sparrow's sect. What good will that do you ask, well - a little suspension of disbelief here please people - Echo has cameras inserted into her eyes which feed back to the ATF, whilst also rendering her blind. Echo's handler Boyd Langton is assigned to the ATF as a special advisor, from which position he's able to keep an eagle eye on proceedings.

For me the story that takes place inside the compound is entertaining but not the crux of the episode. I was far more intrigued by the war of wits between Langton and Agent Lilly of the ATF. On the one hand Lilly - who brought Sparrow to justice first time round - is hell bent on taking the commune down, whatever it takes, even if that means breaking all ethical boundaries. On the other hand ex-cop Langton is more interested in using good old fashioned police work and common sense to piece the situation together. Lilly's five o'clock stubble, bloodshot eyes and nervous ticks are in full contrast against Langton's confident but subtle demeanour. When the two men clash the dialogue flows in a style that shows more maturity than that of Whedon's previous shows.

On the downside the sub-plot about Victor showing more than a fleeting interest in Sierra's charms seems to be a mere excuse to give Fran Kranz and Amy Acker some dialogue. But rest assured this scenario will develop into something darker in the near future.

Yet again Adelle DeWitt's right hand man Mr Dominic reveals himself to be less than an admirer of Echo's. With her implanted cameras failing and her sight returning Dominic believes Echo has served her purpose and decides to clean up through a spot of termination. It's clear that Dominic's dislike of Echo runs deeper than a mere mission setback. He seems to want her dead, whatever the cost. A confrontation between Langton and Dominic is just aching to happen. It's currently sat on a low steam. Expect it to come to the boil shortly.

Another late reference to the mythical 'attic' also swelled a certain amount of intrigue over a storyline that is just about to kick off, not to mention Echo's final comment - 'I see perfectly' - which alluded once again to the fact that she may know more than we think.

Onwards and upwards to 'Man on the Street'

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - London Premiere

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:21:06 +0000

Another week, another monster sci-fi blockbuster released into UK cinemas. The second robot themed smash fest of the summer is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, directed by high-octane stalwart Michael Bay (Armageddon, The Rock) and starring Hollywood's hottest young property - Megan Fox and Shia LeBeouf.

It may not have the serious tone of McG's post apocalyptic Terminator Salvation, but that doesn't mean it won't pack a punch. This popcorn munching goliath is pretty much the definition of the term 'event movie'.

With that in mind we showcase photos from last night's shiny European premiere in London's Leicester Square.

Picture 1 I Forward

Asteroids for the 21st Century

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:08:23 +0000

With our new game Desktop Blaster launching this week I look back on the genius of Asteroids.

I remember as a kid the allure and the mystique of walking into a games arcade. The smell of stale tobacco, the clinking of ten pence pieces, the air of victory, and the desperate groans that signalled the harsh reality of two words; 'Game Over'.

In my earliest memories, before I was tall enough to touch the controls, let alone play an arcade machine I remember there were two machines (or 'coin ops') that enthralled the young crowds at my local leisure centre. Asteroids and Space Invaders. Back then these games were the cutting edge and the men who topped their leader boards were our heroes. At a time when the vision of Han Solo flying the Millennium Falcon through an asteroid field in The Empire Strikes Back was still firmly imprinted on every young persons mind, what could've been cooler than taking control of your very own spaceship and blasting your way through computer generated asteroids? By today's standards the concept was pretty simple, but that was the beauty of it, that was the reason why kids would have their entire week's pocket money changed into ten pence pieces and pump them all into that little slot like a feeding frenzy. It was simple, but it was painfully addictive.

By the time I was old enough to walk into an arcade as one of the contenders rather than just a spectator the second phase of arcade machines had begun to dominate the marketplace. You could still find Asteroids and Space Invaders in some lonely corner of the arcade, but they were hardly the money buckets they had been a few years earlier. I suppose that's par for the course in a technology driven market, but the legacy of Asteroids was plastered all over every arcade across the land. The masses were now worshipping at the altars of R-Type, Thunderblade, After Burner and Operation Wolf. Games which undoubtedly owed their existence to Asteroids. Asteroids was, and is the arcade Godfather.

These days the sparkle of the arcade has waned. This is obviously an indication of the fact that the technology and revenue of home consoles has far surpassed the coin op market. Why go to a dingy little hall and pay per play when you can have cutting edge games in your own home? Hand in hand with that is the fact that the simple arcade game has given way to deeper story based games, which are all well and good, but sometimes I just want to pick up a controller and blow stuff up. The adrenalin, the excitement and the addictiveness of a quality shoot-em-up is unparalleled.

In the last ten years cynical rehashes of classics such as Pong and Space Invaders have been released onto consoles, but have done nothing more than give the original a facelift.

With Desktop Blaster (which you can play for free by clicking here) Asteroids has truly been given a 21st century overhaul. Using the cutting edge technology of Adobe Air we've taken the original game and turned it into a completely personal experience. The game takes over your desktop and turns your icons into asteroids. You can even choose which folders you want to destroy. Ever wanted to blow the hell out of those financial spreadsheets which are clogging up your drives? How about blasting those images of your ex-girlfriend? Well now's your chance. Obviously the destruction is only temporary, but it's a damn good stress reliever... and yes, it is extremely addictive. The perfect balance between classic game play and web 2.0 technology.

Click here to play Desktop Blaster.

New 'Tales of Monkey Island' Announced

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:26:40 +0000

Yes you read it right, there's a new Tales of Monkey Island game being released soon! Isn't that just the way? You wait years for news of one of your favourite game franchises and then two different game announcements come along on the same day!

So not only are we getting a Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition re-make of everyone's favourite original piratey adventure (forget Pirates of the Caribbean), but we're also going to get to play through Guybrush Threepwood's all new adventure which has been created by Telltale Games, the same people who brought back the Sam & Max franchise.

Obviously when a franchise moves to a different games studio, you've got to worry that it might lose some or all of its charm - however in this case, I'm sure it's in safe hands as many of the original Lucasarts developers who worked on the previous Monkey Island games now work for Telltale, so I'm sure the game will have the same kind of feel to it.

The game itself will be released in an episodic format on PC and WiiWare on a monthly basis until you have the complete five chapters of the game - Telltale have had a lot of success in releasing games in this manner and are clearly confident that people will want to play the new Monkey Island in this way. I personally quite like having smaller episodic "gaming chunks" - I seem to find the time to play these shorter stints each month rather than setting aside large amounts of time for a whole game, plus it gives you something to look forward to in the next month, almost like your favourite episodic TV shows!

I'm definitely looking forward to some all-new piratey adventures with Guybrush Threepwood, Elaine, LeChuck and the Voodoo Lady from when the first chapter of Tales of Monkey Island is released on the 7th July 2009.

The future's shiny! The future's piratey!

Are you a fellow Monkey Island fan? Was Pirates of the Caribbean merely a poor imitation of the true piratey goodness that is Monkey Island for you? Let us know what you think!

Also, if you pre-order all your chapters up front before the 7th July from the Telltale Games website, then you'll get the Tales of Monkey Island Plunder Pack.

Terminator Salvation - The Spoiler Review

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:42:47 +0000

Terminator Salvation
Dir: McG
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dalls Howard, Anton Yelchin

SPOILERS AHEAD
Hopefully by now enough people will have had a chance to go see this on the big screen (which is the best place to see it) and I can't be blamed for spoiling anything for anyone. As of the time of writing Terminator Salvation is currently Britain's biggest 2009 film opening with weekend ticket sales of £6.94 million. Plus its total filming budget of approximately $200 million has now been recouped from ticket sales.

This review is going to dissect the story more than the last which looked at the film as more of an overall package.

Terminator Salvation is very much Marcus Wright's film, he seems to be given the bulk of the screen time and the majority of the character development. The main theme is humanity and that people can change. Marcus' ultimate redemption in regaining not only his humanity, but his ultimate sacrifice so that the world can rally behind a figurehead is meant to carry the message that no matter what people can change.

The movie clocks in at just under 2 hours long making it the second longest movie of the saga (Or Tetrology if you wish to be posh, Quadrilogy seemed to have been made up to sell Alien box sets). However the editing at times makes it feel disjointed, with scenes jumping about somewhat erratically at times, leaving you feeling you missed a bit. The existence of additional footage in the trailers shows this. Apparently there is another 30/40 minutes of movie that ended up on the cutting room floor (and I just don't mean Moon Bloodgood's topless scene), which included other subplots such as Kate Connor's pregnancy. This is a movie that a director's cut could easily flesh out, if you thought the movie was a typical action movie this could hopefully restore some subtlety to the proceedings. The quieter moments are typically the first to be excised to reduce the films running time, which can unfortunately remove the soul of the film itself.

The movie also plays fast and loose with the rules of physics (as do most action movie's, but here it's apparent) such as how do such noisy machines manage to continuously sneak up on humans, especially the Harvester. How can Marcus twist the head off an extremely hard to kill T-800 yet doesn't punch the head off one of the attempted rapists and how can a grenade launcher throw a T-800 across the room when 5 minutes earlier it takes it in the chest multiple times without losing ground.

Logic can occasionally fall by the wayside as well, for some reason future Terminators seem to think the best way to kill a human in hand to hand combat is to throw them around a lot and hope for the best. Not the brutal actions we saw from the original T-800 (tearing out someone's heart and attempting to strangle/crush the windpipe) or the T-1000's surgical precision. However for me as such a big fan of the first movie it was great to see the original model 'CSM-101' (complete with original hair-do) to be such a hard to kill badass. For me that was one of the highlights of the film. The Arnold CGI may be somewhat obvious but for me personally it was a pure pleasure moment complete with Brad Fiedel's thundering percussion.

Another nice nod was the inclusion of Guns N' Roses "You Could be Mine" in a scene, I know some people hated this, but to me it made sense. As a DJ people will ask for the same songs every week for years and I doubt John was keeping up on current releases, so it was loud, in your face and would remind him of a simpler time. If you still didn't like it just be glad he didn't use Chinese Democracy :P

On second viewing I enjoyed it just as much. It's big, loud and occasionally dumb with a few plot holes. But it's a lot of fun and I can't wait to see it a third time.

4/5

Where is the best place to look for evidence of extra terrestrials?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:05:27 +0000

The obvious answer to this question is in the sky. For years people have reported strange lights in our skies and some have even photographed what they believe to be alien spaceships. The latest research I have been involved with seems to point to the fact that there is evidence of extra terrestrial's right here on the ground in the green fields of Britain. In 1993, the Emmy award winning American film maker, Linda Moulton Howe made a documentary about unexplained animal deaths occurring all over the world. The deaths seemed to be occurring in very specific areas and the injuries on the carcases indicated that predators were not the cause.

These injuries were more like surgical procedures, where soft tissue internal organs were seemingly cleanly excised from animal bodies from holes which were too small for the organs to fit. Other strange characteristics included the clean removal of the tongue and flesh cleanly removed from one side of the jaw. Also complete and clean removal of all of the animal's blood was sometimes observed, with no trace of blood on the animal or on the ground. Interestingly the actual meat of the animal which a predator would usually consume is left behind.

I recently met up with three researchers who have been investigating these types of animal deaths in the U.K. Two areas of current activity are Dartmoor in Devon and The Rea Valley on the English Welsh border. In the past, an area between Whitby and Scarborough on the North East coast has also been victim to these bizarre occurrences. The researchers I interviewed have catalogued and reported on many sheep death cases with the help of a qualified pathologist. Essentially there is no rational explanation for the injuries regularly found. Not only that: it appears that the government department DEFRA are trying to hush things up.

In Linda Moulton Howe's documentary she concludes that the attacks are being perpetrated by extra terrestrials. In 1997 she was given information from Lieutenant Philip J. Corso, a U.S. army intelligence officer who previously had access to secret information in the Pentagon. Corso read documents dating from 1951 which stated that the acts were being carried by creatures from another planet. Many law enforcement officers in the United States agree with the extra terrestrial theory, claiming that people have witnessed animals being beamed up into bright glowing crafts, only to find mutilated carcases on the ground the following day. The incidents I have been given access to in the U.K. show a striking similarity to those uncovered by Linda Moulton Howe. All of the findings are featured in a documentary I have just completed called "Silent Killers". You can watch the documentary by logging onto www.richplanet.net, or alternatively the programme will be aired on Sky Channel 200 on 18th June at 8:00pm. I warn you not to be eating your supper when you watch.

Mosquito Man - Review

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:26:58 +0000

Every month scifi.co.uk screen an entire movie online for free. This month is 'Mosquito Man'.

What happens when a city is plagued by a killer virus spread by mosquitoes? You create a vaccine from the mosquitoes themselves of course. But what do you do when you need to test the vaccine on a human subject? You phone the nearest jail and ask them to send the nastiest, evilest, sickest mass murderer they have down to your hi-tech laboratory and you're in business. But what happens when the murderer guns down his guard and becomes locked inside the laboratory with a swarm of infected mosquitoes? The mass murderer turns into Mosquito Man, that's what.

Of course Erikson - our tragic mass murdering anti-hero - doesn't realise he's turning into a 'Mansquito' at first. But the dead giveaway comes when one of his arms balloons into an inflated, bloody insect leg reminiscent of something out of Resident Evil. What follows is a grotesque American Werewolf in London'esque transformation into the real deal, which looks about as appealing as having your toenails removed by your severed fingers.

"He's more mosquito than man now."

In this hideous state - think Brundle-fly in mosquito form - Erikson goes about gruesomely dispatching anyone and everyone including his hooker girlfriend, the drunken scientist who brought him to the laboratory, a bar owner and a bunch of tramps hanging out in an old subway. In fact the subway scene is particularly good, involving some nice camerawork and spooky silhouettes. Those poor bums crowding round their fire in a steel barrel, they've already had it pretty bad, but they weren't counting on Mansquito. It struck me that down in the subway Mansquito could've blended in with the bums, finding his place in society, trading stories over a bottle of meths; but I suppose that wasn't part of his manifesto.

The hero/love interest axis revolves around the cop who put Erikson away first time round and the female scientist who developed the vaccine. Coincidentally these two had been getting it on well before the whole awkward mass murderer turning into a mosquito situation. The cop, Thomas Randall is hell bent on putting Erikson down for good this time, but he hadn't been counting on the fact that his girl, Dr. Jennifer Allen was also caught in the mosquito fuelled laboratory and is also slowly turning into a mosquito. To make matters worse Erikson has procreation on his mind and he begins his insect courtship of Jennifer through a healthy diet of stalking.

"I've gotta know how I kill this thing"

The final climax kicks off in a hospital where Jennifer is being given a blood transfusion in the hope she won't turn into a mosquito. It's here we find out that Mansquito can not only fly but also withstand armour piercing bullets. Cue various Ed Wood'esque cops screaming wildly before being emptied into a veritable bloodbath. Heads are lobbed off, torsos are impaled, throats are slashed... Mansquito will do just about anything for love.

Mosquito Man is as much fun as it sounds. The plot is a cross between Mimic and The Fly, but the story is really a superfluous vessel for some outrageously nasty horror, done with much better effects, visuals and sets than you might think. This is classic Saturday night viewing.

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Drag me to Hell Movie Review

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:07:47 +0000

Drag me to Hell is one of the most unique and darkly humorous horror films you'll ever watch! You'll sit on the edge of your seat, come out all tingly with fright and even have a few nervous yet comic laughs along the way. Absolutely brilliant!

The story surrounds a woman called Christine Brown, who is cursed by an old gypsy lady, who visits her bank asking for an extension on her mortgage payment, but 'oh dear' she's extended it twice already! The 'nice' Christine then has a very difficult decision to make; whether to not give the creepy old hag an extension and impress her boss with the chance of getting that promotion she wants so badly or saying yes to the decrepit old spinster, retaining her good soul and getting on with her hunky doory life. We're in the midst of a horror film description here, so you know the answer. The rest of Drag me to Hell is simply pure genius!

Drag me to Hell takes every part of all the horror films you love, every stereotype that enters your mind in connection with ghosts, the devil, general gruesomeness and satanic antics, then throws them all together making them even better by adding little quirks here and there. If you think the devil has hoofs, horns and is a hot head, then yes this film will portray him that way.

Will there be ghosts? Most certainly.

Will they try a round table séance? Of course.

Is there a happy ending? I'll let you wait and see.

What goes into the film finds itself in the realm of traditional horror, but that is what makes it such a great watch. There are little twists all over this film and Sam Raimi has resurrected his 'Evil Dead' days and produced one the most creative horror films I've watched in a long while.

Best Bits (look away if you'd like)...

† The stapler incident, which involves eye lids being stapled shut...lovely.

† The fact that after a while you start laughing at the amount of things that poor Christine gets in her mouth by no choice of her own. Here's just a taster of some of these horrid things... the gypsy's yellow flem, a hand complete with the whole arm, a possessed handkerchief and even a stream of blood. Not forgetting the gypsy sucking on Christine's chin even when she's dead bits.

† The flying borat lookalike at the séance doing a I'm a puppet on a string dance in the air.

† The manga style nose bleed in the bank.

† The eye squishing harvester cake.

I urge you to go out, find a cinema and experience this film in all its horrific yet alluring glory!

First Look at Mickey Rourke in Iron Man 2

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:04:43 +0000

USA Today published a first look at Mickey Rourke as villain Whiplash in Iron Man 2. Whiplash sports a power pack on his chest that looks similar to the one used by Iron Man's Tony Stark. "The technologies are definitely related, and that's part of the core theme of the film," says director Favreau.

The character's alter ego, Ivan Vanko, is a Russian who, Favreau says, "has constructed his own version of a suit." Among the creative alterations: a pair of whips, powered by the suit's glowing chest piece. Whiplash "is going to light them up," says The Wrestler Star Rourke.