Welcome to the magical Keystone Summit University, where washed-up filmmaker Zachary Wells (Charlie David) confronts hot young student Danny Reyes (Richard Harmon), and discovers the past may be the only place where he can truly find himself.

When failed filmmaker Zachary Wells’s best friend Topher Shadoe talks him into replacing Topher as a judge at a student film festival, he gets the chance to change his life for the better in the sci-fi movie Judas Kiss.

A former student at the Keystone Summit University where the film festival is taking place, Zachary Wells’s bad choices have left him shooting wedding videos, having blown the buzz his own film caused when he won the same festival 15 years ago. With his best friend Topher set to start filming a horror film in Spain, Zachary begrudgingly goes back to his former University. When he arrives he meets the Dean, Mrs Blossom, who remembers him and his competition entry – “Faces and films — I remember the good ones,” she says. Though she questions why he and Topher changed their names.

On his first night, Zachary hooks up with college student Danny at a gay bar and the two end up sleeping with each other – well, that is, ahem, after a whole bunch of very tasteful shot but athletic man sex! It’s not porn and it’s not quite as fun as Samantha’s frolics in Sex in the City or as in your face as the opening scenes of I Love you Phillip Morris, but it just enough to get the blood running around your fuzzy area! The following day however, Zachary is shocked to find out that Danny Reyes is not only submitting a film to be judged by him, but that they both share the same name (Zachary’s real name being Danny Reyes), the same life and the same short film “Judas Kiss”. How can this be?

Turns out that Zachary is experiencing some sort of time paradox event where he and his past self are sharing the same time space continuum. The usual sci-fi enshrined rules are all thrown out of the window in this film. Zachary can interact with his younger self – re-read the above paragraph – yes he sleeps with himself, and he’s encouraged to effect his past to change his future. And who hasn’t wanted to do that? After all you know what you like to be done and you know what you like to do… Come on, think about it, that’s why they put it on the screen! Any ways, both the Dean and the security guard are aware of the time paradox that Zachary is experiencing and offer cryptic and not so cryptic clues. However it all points Zachary in the direction of having to destroy Danny’s chances in the competition to save the career and self-respect of his own future.

Meanwhile from the younger perspective of Danny, he thinks he’s blown his chances by sleeping with one of the judges, who is now giving him a hard time. Add to that his attraction to fellow student Chris Wachowsky (Sean Paul Lockhart) and the son of the University’s benefactors Shane Lyons (Timo Descamps). Danny’s father, enters stage left – being really mean, and is about to cut him off for entering “Judas Kiss” into the competition. So, should Danny follow his heart and be with Chris or move in with rich kid Shane who can support him?

Judas Kiss is an endearing movie about being given a second chance, not only for a better life, but becoming a better person and being with your true love. Quite apart from being able to put meaning in to the phrase Go Fuck Yourself! The plot, though sometimes a little difficult to follow, is genuinely compelling. Judas Kiss is primarily a sci-fi movie which just so happens to have lead characters that are gay. It doesn’t feel forced and the sex scenes aren’t put in for titillation purposes, they have a place in the narrative. Both Charlie David and Richard Harmon do a great job playing the older and younger Zachary Wells/Danny Reyes. Ignoring the strange having sex with himself bit, it’s about Zachary learning to feel better about himself, despite Danny’s arrogance and determination to win the scholarship, at the cost of his own self-worth.

There’s intrigue as to what makes Zachary’s/Danny’s film so special, which we’re shown dramatic snippets of and this technique takes you into the auditorium with the on screen audience. The subject matter is controversial and makes for unpleasant viewing.

There are some nice little sci-fi touches in the film. Danny Reyes changes his name to “Zachary Wells”, possibly alluding to H.G. Wells, author of The Time Machine and if you look closely at Zachary’s car plate, it’s 2Fut3r – to future. Richard Harmon and Genevieve Buechner (one of Shane’s friends) both starred in Syfy’s Caprica as Heracles/Tad Thorean and Tamara Adama respectively.

On the whole Judas Kiss is well paced and imaginative. Yes there are some flaws, the co-existing in the same timeline is never explained and some of the acting from the supporting cast isn’t great. Make no mistake Sean Paul Lockhart (also known as porn actor Brent Corrigan) is very believable and understated and a gamble on behalf of the producers given his cinematic history. Charlie David is good but Richard Harmon has the task of changing pace more than the other actors, which he achieves with ease. I did find myself enjoying the simplicity and honesty of the story, with a little gay bitchiness thrown in (really, his life is over at 38?). It also proves that you don’t need a big budget to make an engaging sci-fi movie. It is a movie that will stay with you – go and see it if you can, buy it if you can’t.

For more information and details of screenings taken place, check out the Judas Kiss website.

Judas Kiss is available on pre-order from Amazon.

• Judas Kiss (DVD) from Amazon UK
• Judas Kiss (DVD) from Amazon USA

See larger image Judas Kiss [DVD] (DVD) Director: J.T. Tepnapa Starring: Charlie David, Richard Harmon, Brent Corrigan, Timo Descamps Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over List Price: 15.99 GBP New From: 8.99 In Stock Release date November 7, 2011.

Guest blogger Emeni Rice reviews filmmakers André Øvredal’s Troll Hunter.

In the vein of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, Troll Hunter is a Norwegian mockumentary pieced together from ‘found footage’ shot by a group of college student film makers investigating a recent spate of puzzling bear killings. Their enquiries lead them to Hans, a supposed rogue bear poacher who, after much persistence from the students, allows them to interview him and film his work as a member of the Troll Security Service. Because yes, trolls exist!

The TSS, a secret government division charged with keeping the existence of these trolls from the public, employ Hans as their troll hunter, not to necessarily kill but to contain and control Norway’s troll population. Discontent and jaded from the bureaucracy in a thankless job keeping unsociable hours, Hans takes his new acquaintances Thomas (reporter), Johanna (sound) and Kalle (cameraman) into the Norwegian countryside to seek out trolls that have caused havoc amongst local populations. He teaches them how to kill trolls with sunlight and warns them about their ability to sniff out the blood of a Christian.

Full of droll (troll?) humour, Troll Hunter could have been brilliant if it stuck to the funny but instead it seems confused as to whether to be a comedy or a horror, not quite successfully combining the two. I was certainly feeling edgy when I heard the trolls but once on screen the tension dissipated, perhaps because when have trolls ever been scary? (except in 1985 film Cat’s Eye with Drew Barrymore – shudder). Maybe my ignorance of Scandinavian troll folklore had me at a disadvantage.

The special effects were great however and the countryside quite beautiful, if very wet. Hans deadpan portrayal works wonderful in this style of film though our students lacked somewhat in personality (so it’s quite satisfying when one of them gets eaten, hee hee) and the film was sluggish in parts.

Overall, Troll Hunter is a confused film has some brilliant comedic moments but lacks the tension and terror to qualify it as a comedy-horror. If you’re after a dry, satirical, fee-fi-fo-fun monster movie, however Troll Hunter is the film for you.

Across the remotest mountains, deepest fjords and treacherous Arctic tundra of Norway, the most dangerous and secretive of occupations has gone unnoticed for hundreds of years. By the dark of the night, one brave, mysterious man protects the innocent from an ancient and deadly threat without reward or glory. He is the legendary TROLL HUNTER.

Investigating a spate of bear shootings, a group of students soon become suspicious of a mysterious loner in a beaten up Land Rover who has been spotted at every incident. When they decide to follow him across the country, they soon realise dead bears aren’t the worst of their problems, they’ve stumbled upon the last remaining TROLL HUNTER and he’s their only hope.

Troll Hunter (viewed at Moving Picture Co., Soho, 12.07.11)
Director: André Øvredal
Starring: Otto Jespersen, Robert Stoltenberg, Knut Nærum
Cert: 15
Running Time: 90 min

Guest blogger Emeni Rice reviews Craig Gillespie’ remake of the classic 1980s movie Fright Night.

It’s always a struggle to review remakes of films that I love and have watched so many times that the words and images are ingrained in my brain; to view the re-creation as a stand-alone entity and not connect it to its source. The trouble, I think, is that the originals were just that – original, telling a story I’ve not heard before. Can a remake really bring anything new and fresh to an old audience?

This is my problem as I review Craig Gillespie’ Fright Night (original released 1985).

David Tennant as the bed-hopping lothario Peter Vincent

For those who haven’t seen the original (and who presumably live in caves?) Yelchin plays Charlie Brewster, a high school student with a new neighbour, Jerry Dandridge (Farrell); a vampire neighbour that is. Convinced of Dandridge’s daylight affliction, Brewster seeks the help of Peter Vincent (Tennant), magician and illusionist, to destroy the evil blood-sucker and protect his mum (a sadly under-used Colette) and girlfriend.

Without drawing too many comparisons between the two Fright Nights, Farrell is convincing as an evil vamp (which is a refreshing change from the recent spate of loved up fangers) but plays Dandridge as a low rent thug, very different to Chris Sarandon’s 1985 portrayal of Dandridge as sophisticated and charismatic, possessing an allure that made him powerfully dangerous.

Yelchin is likeable as Charlie Brewster, a boy torn between geeky friends of his past (enter the excellent Christopher Mintz-Plasse as ‘Evil’ Ed) and leaving that past behind to establish a ‘normal present’ with his hot girlfriend.
Refreshingly, Gillespie has made the women of the story, Brewster’s mum and girlfriend, more involved and hands-on with the action, rather than submissive and docile or downright oblivious.

The star of Fright Night is assuredly David Tennant, playing bed-hopping lothario Peter Vincent, and not solely because of those tight leather trousers (hubba, hubba!).

Revamped (sorry) to be a fast-paced and witty comedy-horror, with a cameo from one of the original cast members, Gillespie has made a fun romp of a movie which audiences new to Fright Night will enjoy, particularly its target teenage audience. My hope is it will generate enough interest for Fright Night 2 (the original, naturally) to be re-released on DVD so I won’t have to fork out £116 to buy it (current price on Amazon!).

But for us old fans, it lacks the dark, seductive atmosphere, the superb soundtrack and the 18 certificate of its predecessor. I want to say “you’re so cool Brewster, I can’t stand it,” but sadly, you’re just not cool enough.

Senior Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) finally has it all—he’s running with the popular crowd and dating the hottest girl in high school. In fact, he’s so cool he’s even dissing his best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). But trouble arrives when an intriguing stranger Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door. He seems like a great guy at first, but there’s something not quite right—and everyone, including Charlie’s mom (Toni Collette), doesn’t notice. After witnessing some very unusual activity, Charlie comes to an unmistakable conclusion: Jerry is a vampire preying on his neighborhood. Unable to convince anyone that he’s telling the truth, Charlie has to find a way to get rid of the monster himself in this Craig Gillespie-helmed revamp of the comedy-horror classic.

Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) is a high school senior who’s on top of the world—that is until Jerry (Colin Farrell) moves in next door and Charlie discovers that he is a vampire preying on the neighborhood.

Fright Night
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Toni Colette and Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Cert: 15
Running Time: 106 mins

The Silent House (La casa muda) is apparently based on a true story that occurred in Uruguay during the 1940s. Filmed in one continuous take, the movie concerns Laura (Florencia Colucci) and her father Wilson (Gustavo Alonso) who are about to stay the night at an isolated house. They are there to help restore the house for their friend Nestor (Abel Tripaldi), who wishes to sell it. Boarded up, the interior of the house is dark, dank and very creepy. Having been warned by Nestor not to go upstairs, Laura and Wilson settle down for night. Unable to sleep, Laura hears noises coming from the outside and then inside from the upper floor. Afraid, Laura wakes her father and while he goes to investigate, Wilson leaves his daughter downstairs. When she hears what sounds like the inevitable struggle between her father and an unseen assailant, Laura rushes upstairs to find Wilson bloodied and dead. Alone and terrified, Laura explores the confines of the claustrophobic house, while trying to hide from her father’s killer. Having finally fled the house, we’re taken back into it when Nestor arrives with some food for Laura and Wilson. Taking her back into the house to find Wilson, the two are separated and yet again, Laura is left alone.

The problem with The Silent House is that up until the final twist, Laura’s strange insistence on remaining within the house and grounds makes no sense. Surely someone who is being stalked after in a dark, creepy house would flee screaming for the hills? And boy does Laura scream, gratingly so, embodying the oft seen one dimensional pretty girl found in most slasher horror films, though The Silent House isn’t a straight forward slasher film. However as I was watching it, it felt like the writers were not sure what it was either. Ghost story? Psychological horror?  With glimpses of a long haired girl in white (aka The Ring‘s Samara/Sadako) and a flash of a mad man with a knife, it could’ve been any or all three. Even with the big reveal at the end of the film, I was left slightly confused as to the real story. Was it left ambiguous on purpose, or did the writers struggle to finish the story? As I can’t find any evidence of this being based on a true story either, I’d treat the marketing of The Silent House as the same as The Blair Witch Project. It sets the tone of story up as something tangibly real before viewing.

Having said all that, what I really enjoyed about The Silent House was the sense of dread that built up as the story progressed. The notion of “real fear in real time”, actually worked, as The Silent House focuses on the last seventy eight minutes of the story.  I doubt that the directors and actors actually filmed this in one continuous take, however the notion and execution of this technique worked in the story’s favour. There’s quite a few obvious places where the editor could have spliced footage together given the house’s dark and unlit rooms. The lighting itself was only a few halogen lamps and a bunch of candles, which further adds to the sense of dread as we’re taken around the house with Laura.

Filmed on a shoestring budget, The Silent House is to be commended for its fresh take within the horror genre. The technical execution of the “continuous” filming is to be praised.  While the story’s ending and Florencia Colucci’s acting lets it down to some degree, the film has some truly scary scenes. So despite its flaws, the sense of anxiety that it invokes and builds upon, sets The Silent House above your average horror flick.

The Silent House is out on DVD and Blu-ray 1st August 2011.

Buy it now from Amazon UK on DVD or Blu-ray

Guest blogger Emeni Rice reviews the last installment of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

The end is nigh! The end is nigh!

We all knew it was coming and most fans will know exactly what ‘it’ entails either from reading the book or looking it up on Wikipedia . David Yates’ responsibility was immense, falling under the scrutiny of millions of adoring fans and this final instalment delivers as a thrilling, fantastical and a fitting farewell to these much beloved characters.

For those not in the know, we re-join Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and co, having just buried Dobby (oh Dobby! *sob*) on their search for the remaining Horcruxes. Picking up the pace considerably after rambling across England in Part 1, Harry has to forge an alliance with a treacherous Goblin, contend with a fire-breathing dragon in the vaults of Gringotts and return to his home of Hogwarts, the final battle ground between the boy who lived and vile Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

The film is very much the slick production we have come to expect from Yates. The special effects, particularly during the battle scenes at Hogwarts, are fantastic and the music of the last two films in particular seem to have matured with the characters, flourishing from its original whimsical lullaby into something much more haunting and melancholy.

Radcliffe steps more comfortably into his heroic role though remains as ever slightly on the stiff side; Rupert Grint is still ‘bloody brilliant’ as steadfast Ron Weasley and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger is undoubtedly the most talented of the three. Their on screen chemistry can’t be denied and it’s been quite sweet to watch them all grow up on screen together.

A special mention has to be made of the superb Alan Rickman, who always seemed rather under-used playing the ambiguous Severus Snape in previous films. Understanding the depth of his love for Lily Potter and why Dumbledore trusted him so wholly is really very touching and heart-breaking. (Oh no, I’m welling up again…).

Click to see larger photo

The real revelation of the film however has got to be Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom. Not only has the acting improved immensely but so have his looks! Since completing work on the Deathly Hallows Part 2 it seems Lewis has had his teeth fixed (could he not have magically fixed them for the film?) and is looking rather handsome. Judge for yourselves, boys and girls….

Overall, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 has a great sense of homecoming about it. Present are all the characters, albeit it briefly, from previous instalments – Professors’ Trelawney, Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall (who kicks ass) et al; all of the Weasley’s (save Percy who seems to have been written out a couple of films ago); members of the Order of the Phoenix; loyal and brave classmates and the indomitable Hagrid, banding together to fight the good fight to end Voldemort and the Death Eater’s tyranny and establish peace in the wizarding world. We lose a few old friends along the way and shed a few tears, revel in brief moments of romance (Ron and Hermione finally snog – hurrah!) and rest easy knowing that the future for our heroes and heroines is contented, peaceful and well-deserved.

The down-side? Only that it’s all over!

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Cert 12A
Running Time 130 mins
Director: David Yates
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helen Bonham-Carter

Seth Green and the Robot Chicken crew returns to the Star Wars Universe with Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III. Yet again they show their love for George Lucas’s creation while gently, and sometimes cruelly, poking at it with a double bladed lightsaber.

As always, the writers deliver on the laughs and there are plenty of in-jokes to keep the fans satisfied, while those new to Robot Chicken and Star Wars will also be entertained. The stop motion animation is simply superb and does show that a lot of effort and love has gone into each skit. Whereas the previous episodes’ running times were around the 35-40 minute mark, we’re given a real treat with episode III with over 40 comedy gems – a total of an hour’s viewing pleasure.

While RC fan favourites Emperor Palpatine and Boba Fett get the best skits, there are a couple that I found truly hilarious and really do stand out.
Anakin Skywalker is encased into his life support suit and becomes the Vader we all know. After and funny disco scene, Vader realises he needs the bathroom. How does the Dark Lord of the Sith get out of his leather suit and use the toilet? What about the cape? Well Robot Chicken tackles the question that everybody has asked…
During a quiet moment in the summer palace, Padmé insists on having a chaste conversation, taken from the actual movie Attack of the Clones, while at the same time tormenting Anakin with her very suggestive behaviour…
The Emperor calls Jar Jar Binks to apologise for manipulating him in the Senate. We finally find out who truly manipulated who in a sketch that makes the Binks very, very cool…
And finally, featuring RC Stormtrooper Gary, we find out the about the last tragic few moments of Luke’s aunt Beru and uncle Owen…

We love the previous Robot Chicken Star Wars specials and we wholeheartedly recommended Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III.

Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III is released on DVD on the 4th July 2011.

Not forgetting the ever-popular DVD extras, this edition is loaded with 3 hours of special features, including: For the Love of Toys Featurette — For the Love of Star Wars Featurette – For the Love of Filmmaking Featurette – Trailers – Skate tour – Sunday in the – Boardroom with George Lucas – SW Celebration Panels – Easter Eggs – Voice Records Featurette – Writing Process Featurette – VFX Featurette – Skywalker Ranch premiere – Deleted Animatics – Chicken Nuggets – Gag Reel — Commentaries.

Millions of years from now, after Socrates, Shakespeare and the bible are long forgotten, only two great works will remain: the sci-fi cinema epic Star Wars and Adult Swim’s stop-motion animated, cheap gag extravanganza Robot Chicken. And now, for the first time, they come together for the third time, in this all-new special.

That’s right, all your most beloved Star Wars characters are going back through the comedy meat grinder. Watch Darth Vader fall into a toilet, while Emperor Palpatine rides the endless Death Star escalator! See Gary the Stormtrooper’s speederbike test-drive come to a gruesome, Ewok-splattering end! And witness the firepower of Boba Fett’s fully armed and operational T-SHIRT CANNON! Plus much, much more! It’s Robot Chicken Star Wars Episode III. Set your phasers to ”fun”! (Oh wait, wrong franchise.)

I’m sure by now you read most of the reviews for X-Men: First Class, and they’re all good. Well guess what, they’re all right. Matthew Vaughn has successfully breathed life back into Marvel’s X-Men movie franchise.

First of all I have to say that I’m not one of the X-Men: The Last Stand haters. Yes it was deeply flawed, with too many characters, Scott Summer’s “death” and the wasted potential of using the Phoenix force. However, Famke Janssen looked great as she flicked from Jean Grey to Dark Phoenix and the scene between her and Xavier was brilliant. Brett Ratner was accused of taking the heart out of the series and yet in the final moments between Phoenix and Hugh Jackman’s, I couldn’t help but feel emotional as he killed Jean.

Matthew Vaughn has continued to deride The Last Stand, and perhaps he feels justified in doing so, as First Class delivers so much more than the previous installment.

Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men.

With the film taking place during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the franchise continues to ground itself in our world, giving it a true feeling of realism – despite the blue and yellow costumes making their appearance. Surprisingly not looking too camp even though set in the sixties.

I loved the fact that the opening, featuring a young Erik Lensherr being separated from his parents, was shot scene for scene from Bryan Singer’s first X-Men movie. Kevin Bacon plays the evil Nazi scientist role really menacingly, without going overboard, as he does Sebastian Shaw. Seeing the Hellfire Club set in swinging 60s Las Vegas was a real hoot, along with Rose Byrne’s Moira MacTaggert and the other totties strutting in their underwear. The whole thing smacked of early James Bond with the tiniest touch of Austin Powers – groovy baby!

Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy scenes together are just brilliant and adds to that great “friendship” we saw with portrayed by Ian McKellan and Patrick Steward in the previous X-Men trilogy. I love it that they play chess in a number of scenes together while debating their points of view on how to handle mutants and humans. Charles plays the role of mentor to the fledgling band of mutants, helping them develop and control their abilities, while Erik tries to teach them they’re now the evolved and dominant species. While Charles wants Raven to hide her true form from the world, Erik tells her to be proud of her true self, slowly seducing her to the dark side.

We have the emotion with Michael Fassbender’s Magneto as he searches for the man responsible for the death of his mother in the Nazi concentration camps. We have the heart, as Charles Xavier, played by James McAvoy, searches for other mutants to help mankind. There’s also some touching scenes between Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) and Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult).

However there are a few points I’d like to pick out which slightly disappointed me. Riptide (Álex González) and Azazel (Jason Flemyng) had no character development, they were just there to move the plot along and the same could be said for Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones) and Havok (Lucas Till). I was also unhappy with the ending, as the divide between Charles and Erik happened too soon. I had hoped that we would’ve seen more of their great friendship develop, only to then pull apart over the course of two or three films.

There’s two funny cameos featuring Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romijn. Certainly made this nerd laugh!

Ultimately X-Men: First Class is an excellent origins movie which isn’t bogged down by striving to have all the background story. By concentrating mostly on Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, we’re treated to wonderful chemistry between the characters, as well as Fassbender and McAvoy. The story is well paced and at no point did I feel its 132 minutes running time. Bad points aside, Vaughn delivers a classy film with all the 1960s chic geek appeal it deserves.

I really wanted to like Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block, I truly did. Attack the Block premiered at the SXSW 2011 festival in Austin Texas to rave reviews, so I was really excited to see yet another homegrown movie doing well. It ticked all of the boxes for me; based in the UK; British cast; Joe Cornish as director; Edgar Wright of Shaun of the Dead fame producing; and Nick Frost. And yet, when I left the cinema I couldn’t help but question why Joe Cornish thought the story would be appealing…

Usually I try to write reviews with the negative points first and the positives after, so that I leave the reader with happy vibes. Perhaps even encourage you to go see the movie based on our opinions. I just don’t think I can with Attack the Block, so I’ll start with the good.

I love the fact that Attack the Block is set in London as it’s my home town. We don’t have enough genre films set in the UK. The actors all do a pretty top notch job on the acting front, including the largely unknown cast that make up the Sarf London yoofs (UK pronunciation for South London youths). The are funny jokes and scares that make you jump out of your seat. I really loved the alien design – though Drew thought they looked like a bunch of guys running around in Gorilla suits, albeit good ones. The black fur and glow in the dark teeth are particularly effective in the film. There are some nice sci-fi nods too, such as naming the block of flats Wyndham and the alien meteors resembling the Triffid spores. The cinema photography is also really good – who knew a council block of flats could look so beautiful on the big screen.

However, despite all of the above, the film as one huge major flaw, the story. Set on a council estate in South London Jodie Whittaker’s character Sam is mugged by a gang from the block. She only gets away because of a meteor crashing into a nearby car, distracting her assailants. The gang, Pest (Alex Esmail), Dennis (Franz Drameh), Jerome (Leeon Jones) and Biggz (Simon Howard) who are lead by Moses (John Boyega) investigate and are attacked by a small creature. Chasing it to a park, they kill the beast and revel in the fact.

At no point throughout the entire film do they show any enough redeeming qualities for the audience to show any sympathy for the gang. Joe Cornish tries, by having the gang try to behave as good little boys in front of their families, but they’re lying, so they can go back out onto the streets. Towards the end Sam finds out about Moses home life which again is supposed to endear sympathy but to me it doesn’t excuse his actions. The local drug dealer recruits Moses to sell “white stuff” and the rest of the gang are proud. How is this a good thing? If one of them was Cuba Gooding Jr and the other Ice Cube a la Boyz n the Hood and showed their struggle to better themselves, then perhaps I would’ve felt felt better about the story. As it stands, I wished more of the gang was killed off as it would’ve made the movie more entertaining – they would have got what they deserved.

I’ve read a number of reviews that go on about the morality of the story, but I don’t think the yoofs of London will get it. It glorifies gang violence. As long as the gang in Attack the Block know you live in the block, they’ll leave you alone – Well that’s alright, innit!? Perhaps I’m feeling too uncomfortable with the story because I’ve been the victim of mugging – more than once. Perhaps I would’ve liked to have seen Attack the Block‘s bastards killed to feel some satisfaction. The story failed where it could’ve been great.

That leaves us with Jodie Whittaker’s Sam. The victim of a mugging who feels she has to follow the gang to stay alive, and who does more to keep them alive. Sam may have been suffering from Stockholm syndrome judging her actions towards the end of the movie. However, the real hero isn’t the gang leader who protects the block from alien invaders, but a young female nurse who got mugged.

Written and directed by Joe Cornish, Attack the Block stars Jodie Whittaker, Nick Frost, Luke Treadaway, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones and Simon Howard and is out now.

Robert Kirkman with Walking Dead Zombies

What proved to be one of the most anticipated television shows to premiere in 2010, The Walking Dead gets its UK DVD & Blu-ray release on 16th May 2011 with The Complete First Season.

The Walking Dead TV series is an adaptation of the highly popular graphic novels bearing the same title, written by the rather hunky bear Robert Kirkman. The story sees deputy sheriff Rick Grimes awaken from a coma and faced with a world forever changed in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. As Grimes ventures out into the zombie infested America, he searches for his lost family and becomes the leader of a small group trying to survive unbearable horrors.

First all all let me say thank you to the production team who didn’t skimp on the gore. THANK YOU! A zombie TV show without the blood and gore would’ve made for poor viewing. It’s refreshing to see shows from HBO, Showtime, FX and of course AMC, producing more mature content. Shows like Tru Blood, Dexter, Spartacus: Blood and Sand and The Walking Dead prove that there is a place for high quality drama, that just so happens to have a good amount of the red stuff splattering all over the screen.

AMC and Frank Darabont have come up with a great drama series that really does feel like a zombie plague has swept America – has it spread to the rest of the planet, who knows? The production certainly feels like it has a big budget, with dead cities, overturned cars and creature FX that wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood blockbuster. Our first sighting of a zombie shows how beautifully crafted the special effects are and that it doesn’t rely much, if at all on CGI. Known as “Bicycle Girl” the below video – one of the DVD extras – shows the casting process as well as how the make-up was designed and fitted. The short video is fascinating viewing, as well as the other featured extras, such as the zombie school, which Shaun of the Dead also had.

Speaking of extras, there’s quite a few to choose from (full list below). Our American cousins grumbled that many of the extras were already available via AMC’s website. However these videos weren’t available in the UK and so are a welcome addition.

At the heart of The Walking Dead is not so much the zombies, but the emotion behind the story. Although The Walking Dead is told from Rick Grimes’s point of view, it is every bit about the survivors he meets and their stories. Some already suffering from their struggles, and some with more suffering to come as loved ones are killed by the undead. The cast do a great job and you truly feel for the characters, even the ones that a just as hideous as the zombies themselves – Merle Dixon is particularly nasty and must’ve been a delicious character for Michael Rooker to sink his teeth into.

Whether you’re a fan of the graphic novels or just a zombie nut, if you like your TV shows to have a bite, then The Walking Dead will not disappoint.

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season on UK DVD & Blu-ray is released on 16th May 2011 .

Synopsis:

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season”breathes new life into the zombie genre as it unfolds a post-apocalyptic saga that follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln, Love Actually), who searches for a safe haven and, hopefully, a new home, far from the undead that now roam the earth hungry for human flesh.  Each episode explores the challenges of life in a world overrun by zombies, and the toll it takes on the survivors who now find themselves going to extremes just to see another day. In this horrific world gone mad, each turn brings new surprises and dangers, as the survivors try to regain some semblance of a normal life.

“The Walking Dead” is based on the popular Image Comics’ comic book written by Robert Kirkman. The series premiered on AMC Fearfest Halloween night and immediately became the most watched drama series in cable’s history among Adults 18-49 with 3.5 million viewers. It also gained a following among critics (from People to Vanity Fair) who have hailed it as one of the best new series of the year.

Starring:

• Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes
• Jon Bernthal as Shane Walsh
• Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori Grimes
• Laurie Holden as Andrea
• Jeffrey DeMunn as Dale Horwath
• Steven Yeun as Glenn
• Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes
• Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon

DVD bonus features include:

Featurettes:

• The Making of The Walking Dead
• Inside The Walking Dead: Episode 1-6
• A Sneak Peek with Robert Kirkman
• Behind The Scenes Zombie Make-Up Tips
• Convention Panel With Producers
• The Walking Dead Trailer

Extra Footage:

• Zombie School
• Bicycle Girl
• On Set With Robert Kirkman
• Hanging With Steven Yeun
• Inside Dale’s RV
• On Set With Andrew Lincoln

This year’s superhero season has kicked off with an almighty punch as Marvel’s Thor comes to the big screen. When I first heard that Kenneth Branagh was taking the role as director, I wasn’t sure what to think. A man renown for his leanings towards the more highbrow productions, I was interested in how Branagh’s Shakespearean background would bring Thor and the Norse gods to life. It could’ve gone bad like Ang Lee’s Hulk or, as is the case, Branagh could’ve brought those Shakespearean themes such as deception, family betrayal and character driven drama.

The epic adventure “Thor” spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the mystical realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. As a result, Thor is banished to Earth, where he is forced to live among humans. When the most dangerous villain of his world sends its darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero.

Let’s get the bad stuff out of the ways first. Most of the Earth based scenes aren’t anywhere near as interesting as those that take place on Asgard and Jotunheim, home of the Frost Giants. Natalie Portman is adequate as Jane Foster (Thor’s love interest) and Stellan Skarsgard her research scientist colleague Erik Selvig. They are however easily outdone by Kat Dennings who plays their assistant, Darcy Lewis. A gutsy, cool and hip chick, Dennings does comic relief really well. The only other highlights is seeing S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson from Iron Man and Iron Man 2 and an uncredited cameo by Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye. There are also a few fun moments with Thor and his interactions on Earth.

The post production 3D conversion adds nothing to the overall feel of the movie, but as least it doesn’t impact it badly, like it did with Clash of the Titans.

The real magic lies in Asgard, as Thor and Loki vie for the attention of their father Odin, King of the Asgardians. Chris Hemsworth playing the titular Thor to good affect as the good natured, but quick to temper god, who is ruled by his emotions. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is deceitful, easily manipulating those around him. Loki constantly keeps the audience guessing where his allegiances lie. On top of these two solidly good performances is Anthony Hopkins’s portrayal of Odin who steals every scene he is in. The film is more about the relationship of the father and two sons and as Hopkins describes “It’s a superhero movie, but with a bit of Shakespeare thrown in”.

Also of note is Idris Elba as Heimdall, the all-seeing, all-hearing Asgardian sentry of the Bifrost bridge. He has a gravitas about him almost as good as Anthony Hopkins. Elba’s casting prompted a a planned boycott by the Council of Conservative Citizens and a debate amongst comic book fans, some insisting it was wrong for a black man to play a Nordic god. In response Elba called the debate, “ridiculous” and rightly so, he was simply brilliant.

Aside from a couple of dodgy scenes (Thor against the Destroyer on Earth), the special effects are top notch. Asgard and the Bifrost look stunning, as do the Frost Giants and Jotunheim. Branagh grounds the idea of Norse gods into the Marvel film universe with a sense of realism – yes despite it being a story about gods – and tying magic and science together as one and the same adds to this.

Thor is an extremely fun movie to watch and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a movie that children will like as well as adults and comic book fans alike. With Captain America: The First Avenger set for release this summer and The Avengers movie next year, Thor successfully expands the Marvel film universe.

Fan boys Simon Pegg and Nick Frost not only co-star but also wrote the script for Paul and their obvious love for the sci-fi genre simply slaps you in the face almost every minute of the movie.

Sci-fi uber-geeks, Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost), set off on a road trip to explore famous alien sightings across America where they happen to stumble upon the foul mouthed fugitive alien, Paul (voiced brilliantly by Seth Rogen). Pursued by federal agents and the religiously fanatical father of (accidental) female kidnap victim Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig), the film keeps up the pace, with plenty of action and laughs. Though all the cast are brilliant, for me and the geeks this movie is aimed at, the true star is the script and the many references to sci-fi movies and TV shows. I don’t think I got half the references but included are Aliens, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, E.T., Star Trek and of course, Star Wars.

However you don’t have to be a sci-fi nerd to enjoy Paul. With plenty of gay and anal probing gags, there’s enough jokes to keep even a non sci-fi movie goer laughing throughout. The special effects are mostly excellent and Pegg’s and Frost’s interactions with Paul are very believable.

Despite losing the British charm that permeated Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and with some predictable plot threads, this funny road movie about alien bromance is truly genius. And I defy anyone not to laugh at the big joke at the end.

The publishers of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, boldly go where no science-fiction mash-up has gone before! Night of the Living Trekkies.

There have been a number of books where diverse genres have been mixed together yielding unexpectedly brilliant flashes of genius. Most notably Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Well now, we have a place where our beloved Star Trek and zombies collide in this very funny parody.

Jim Pike, former special forces soldier and Star Trek fan, is the assistant manager of a hotel hosting the “largest Starfleet Convention in the western Gulf Coast region”. Disillusioned after his time in Iraq, all Jim wants is a quiet life with minimal responsibilities and stress. When a number of strange incidents happen, Jim slowly discovers all is not right in the hotel. As Jim finally discovers that a strange virus outbreak results in a flesh-eating zombie horde attacking the hotel, he has to dig deep and summon the courage to save the ragtag crew of fanboys and fangirls. On top of all of that, if it wasn’t enough to deal with, Jim and his crew have to save the planet as it faces total apocalypse. Aiding Jim in his endeavor are; Jim’s sister, a Klingon weapons designer, a Vulcan, a red shirt and Star Wars’ Slave Girl Leia (who’s consistently quoting Star Wars without realising it).

Each chapter of Night of the Living Trekkies is titled after an episode from the Star Trek franchise and there are plenty of jokes from both Star Trek and Star Wars to keep any science fiction fan entertained. The story is well paced. The authors, Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall, clearly have a love of Star Trek, knowing the difference between Trekkies and Trekkers. If you don’t think there is a difference, take some advice, never use either term infront of a Dutch fanboy.

It maybe unofficial, unimaginable, unbelievable! It may not be Jane Austen. But, Night of the Living Trekkies is one of those rare books that I could not put down until I had read it cover to cover. A highly entertaining and very much recommended read. And, if I’ve not convinced you yet, check out the trailer for Night of the Living Trekkies below, which gives you a bloody good taste of things to come.

Quirk Books has given us four copies of their Star Trek zombie mash-up book Night of the Living Trekkies to giveaway in our competition. To enter, click here.

Order your copy from Amazon UK or Amazon US .

Guest blogger Emeni Rice reviews the first part of the of the last installment of the Harry Potter franchise, The Deathly Hallows.

The beginning of the end has arrived. The first part of the final adventure, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, follows our heroes Harry, Ron and Hermione as they seek out to destroy the sources of Voldemort’s immortality, the Horcruxes. Far away from home and loved ones, from the safety and protection of Hogwarts, from the care of their parents, guardians, professors, they have only each other to rely on and begin to feel the strain of their responsibilities. Grim and dark as ever with director Yates at the helm, we’re forced to forget about the cosy, enchanting world of magic, butterbeer and Quidditch; interrogation and torture and death have taken their place. The Ministry of Magic has been taken over by Death Eaters and, as the tagline proclaims, ‘Nowhere Is Safe’. It’s bleak and frightening and as Ron Weasley might say, it’s bloody brilliant!

Yes it’s dark and gloomy but hey, have you read the books? Like any good story there’s tragedy, loss and pain in abundance before we reach the light at the end of the tunnel. You have to earn a happy ending after all. There are still laughs to be had in this film though some tinged with sadness, and OK I had a lump in my throat within the first five minutes as Hermione leaves her parents and Hagrid arrives to protect Harry on his final departure from No.4 Privet Drive. But times are changing and our kids have all grown up (seriously, Daniel has pecs and everything!). There are plenty of thrills to be had, with a sky-high battle between Harry’s protectors and Death Eaters, a motorcycle with sidecar chase through the Dartford Tunnel, and infiltration of the Ministry in poly-juice disguises. There’s a lovely piece of shadow-animation too portraying the story of the Deathly Hallows.

Bellatrix Lestrange (Bonham-Carter in top form) scares the crackers out of me, Voldemort repulses, Nagini nauseates, Draco evokes pity. Is it one for the younger kids who’ve recently joined Harry’s legion of fans? Not really (I’m 30 odd years and found the torture elements a little squeamish truth be told!) but for those who have grown up with the books, films and Daniel, Rupert and Emma this is definitely to be seen and on the big screen.

A final special mention to a fourth hero, Dobby, former house-elf to the Malfoys and friend of Harry, firm and true. He may be CGI but people, have a hanky at the ready, you have been warned!

Go watch and be spellbound.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part I
Release Date: 19 November 2010
Cert: 12A
Director: David Yates
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helen Bonham-Carter

Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley) returns in “A Nightmare on Elm Street“, a contemporary re-imagining of the horror classic. A group of suburban teenagers share one common bond, they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger. The horribly disfigured killer hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake they can protect one another… but when they sleep there is no escape from him.

We reviewed A Nightmare on Elm Street when it had its theatrical release back in May. Regardless of some of the film’s flaws, we concluded that despite the negative reviews received, it’s worth watching especially if you’re not a die-hard fan of the long-standing Freddy Krueger franchise. Chances are you’ll rather enjoy the film.

Emeni Rice and I are both huge fans of the original film, including the sequels. And, it’s worth stating how much we loved Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger. So perhaps it was never going to live up to our expectations…

This weekend I revisited the re-imagined Elm Street on Blu-ray and I was surprised how much more I enjoyed it a second time around. First though, I opted to watch some of the extras that were on the disc. I went straight to the deleted scenes to see what was cut from the theatrical release. The three deleted scenes are titled Hospital Opening, Nightmare Street and Alternate Ending. While the first two didn’t offer too much; a burnt Krueger dying in hospital and Nancy experiencing a micronap nightmare of a burning Elm Street; the third scene offers a substantial and I think much better alternative to the ending. Krueger taunts a helpless Nancy in her dream, he changes his appearance back to what he looked like when alive. When Nancy pulls Krueger into the real world, he’s very much the normal man that preyed on the children, rather than the twisted nightmare he becomes. I really liked how the tables are turned, with Nancy in power over a “helpless” and “vulnerable” Krueger.

The other features are just as interesting and what’s obvious from watching these is that the cast and crew have a real love for the franchise and the Freddy Krueger character. There are mini clips on make-up, the processes involved in designing the iconic hat, sweater and glove. These features highlight all the meticulous attention to detail paid in making sure Freddy Krueger’s screen appearance is as spine tingling and chilling as possible.

Freddy Krueger Reborn featurette

[See post to watch QuickTime movie]

The film itself was much better, from my perspective, on second viewing. There are the flaws that I mentioned, most notably the special effect used when Freddy Krueger ripples behind Nancy’s bedroom wall, before trying to push through. Kris’s death scene is nowhere near as terrifying as Tina’s from the original Wes Craven Elm Street film. The story also lacks development of any sort of bond between the audience and the teens in trouble. You’re not that cut up when they, well, get cut up…

I love some of cinema photography where the positions of the real world characters mirrored their dream states, especially towards the end with Nancy and Quentin (real world) and Nancy and Freddy (dream state). Freddy Krueger‘s back story is more fleshed out and we’re also shown a connection between him and the children he pursues from death. There’s the ambiguity of whether Krueger was a paedophile or an innocent victim of a child’s tale. The concept of micronaps is also a clever plot line, making the children of Elm Street unable to avoid falling asleep, their minds shutting down due to exhaustion. A condition Krueger uses to every advantage.

The make-up used to create Freddy Kreuger’s horribly burnt visage on Jackie Earle Hayley was designed to resemble a real burns victim and definitely makes his version a lot more cruel and evil. And while his is a more serious dream demon, Krueger still manages to chuck in a wet dream joke, something I haven’t heard since Joey was drowned in his water bed in A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Master. Made me chuckle…

“Who are you?” movie clip

[See post to watch QuickTime movie]

A Nightmare on Elm Street is out now on DVD and Blu-ray. It may not be perfect but what it does is hold true to the original in that it goes against the teen slasher norm, avoiding tits, ass and teen sex.

Buy A Nightmare on Elm Street from Amazon UK

• A Nightmare on Elm Street [DVD]
• A Nightmare on Elm Street [Blu-ray + DVD Combi]

Buy A Nightmare on Elm Street from Amazon US

• A Nightmare on Elm Street [DVD]
• A Nightmare on Elm Street [Blu-ray]

Malcolm McDowell, Moby, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins, Dave Foley, oh and someone called Rob Stefaniuk

Do yourself a favor – close the curtains, switch the lights off and enjoy Suck with your friends! It stands up by itself as a movie, a cheesy schlock rock riot with plenty of fun, laughs and music. Malcolm McDowell and Dave Foley are really good and do more than a cameo appearance. Moby, Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper turn up and do their bit. Alice is not as connected with the audience as he should be, but it doesn’t matter anyho’! The main cast turn in believable performances including Dimitri Coat’s demonic grinning face as Queeney, the big bad vampire. Where did he get that face from, Laboritoire GURN?

The plot is about a wannabe rock band called ‘The Winners’ who are good, but not good enough to make the big times. Until that is, Jessica Paré’s character, Jennifer gets a chance at big time success. Only trouble is that she has to pay a forfeit to earn her stardom by getting turned in to a vampire by Queeney. Other members of the band notice how the audience are falling in love with her vampish charms. It is not long before the band members succumb to the bite in pursuit of fame and the big times. The band goes from strength to strength leaving a string of dead bodies from Canada to America. Rob Stefaniuk writes and stars in Suck as the lead singer Joey Winner.

Vamps and dead bodies can only be fixed by one person, the long suffering Eddie Van Helsing. This time Van Helsing is revived by Malcolm McDowell who embraces the part in an insane, chaotic but tender portrayal. His arrival elevates this odd ball movie by Rob Stefaniuk in to a minor cult classic. McDowell’s presence somehow glues the thing together into an entertaining ensemble and balances good cast acting with the more varied ability of some venerable rock legends.

Suck also stars Paul Anthony, Mike Lobel, Chris Ratz and Danny Smith.

Play Suck and see for yourself, it’s recommended!

Suck is out now on Blu-ray and DVD. For more info, check out the Suck: The Movie website.

Buy Suck from Amazon UK

• Suck [DVD]
• Suck [Blu-ray]

Buy Suck from Amazon US

• Suck [DVD]
• Suck [Blu-ray]

Dollhouse was always going to have a rough ride. Despite Fox messing with Firefly and cancelling the series after only eleven of the fourteen episodes aired, Joss Whedon returned to the studio. Again, Fox seemed intent on interfering with Whedon’s work which was evident in the first half of season one. For some inane reason, Fox executive’s seemed to push for a pseudo Quantum Leap TV show where we would see the main protagonist in various guises and situations, some good, some bad. Unlike the lost in time Dr Sam Beckett (played by Scott Bakula) who retained his memory and personality, Eliza Dushku’s Dollhouse “Active” Echo was a constant blank slate. With no opportunity to bond with the heroine, Dollhouse started its run as a form of glamorous prostitution, where these Actives where sold to the highest bidder and programmed to perform any function or mission required. Thankfully after these early episodes, Joss Whedon was able to start exploring the mythology he always intended, culminating with the unaired episode Epitaph One. Which brings us to Dollhouse season 2.

First of all, I think I can say that the whole world and his dog was very surprised that Fox ordered a second run of thirteen episodes. Fox’s president of entertainment stated that “if we’d cancelled Joss’s show I’d probably have 110 million e-mails this morning from the fans”. Fox’s other sci-fi show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles wasn’t so lucky.

Regardless of seemingly returning to the same formula as the first season, Dollhouse season 2 had given us a taste of things to come. With the first few episodes showing Echo remembering her previous engagements and skills I was finally able to connect with the character. Rather than hoping that Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett) would save Echo’s original personality Caroline Farrell, I didn’t want the evolving multilayered multiple personality to be wiped clean.

Season two delved deeper into the characters’ story. We found out about Caroline’s connection to the Rossum Corporation. We see a consequence of her actions against them, in the form of Bennett Halverson (Summer Glau). Halverson also provides light relief when Topher Brink (Fran Kranz) and her find themselves attracted to each other. Ballard and Echo’s , and Sierra (Dichen Lachman) and Victor’s (Enver Gjokaj) relationships grow, while  Adelle DeWitt, played brilliantly by Olivia Williams, shows her lonely, vulnerable side. Not withstanding DeWitt also becomes increasingly cynicial, unhinged and downright tyrannical.

When the fifth episode, The Public Eye aired, we started to see how manipulative and evil the Rossum Corporation really was. In fact, the intrigue and the relationships between the different Dollhouses alongside the Rossum Corporation was a much stronger storyline than Echo’s development. Also the offering of “full body upgrades” into Actives with the prospect of immortality for hundreds of millions, added to insidious nature of the Rossum Corporation. If that wasn’t bad enough, add to that Topher’s remote wipe technology and the future for the employees and Actives of the LA Dollhouse, and indeed the world became very bleak.

With viewing figures remaining low in the US, it was inevitable that Fox was going to cancel Dollhouse. It was however good to see a show that was given an opportunity to end properly, albeit crammed into the final few episodes. Joss Whedon’s tale of science gone bad and mind control almost feels like a warning and it’s a shame Dollhouse ended when it did. Even flawed as it was, there were some rather brilliant pieces in that tale.

Dollhouse season 2 is available now on Blu-ray and DVD.

[See post to watch Flash video]

Legendary Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly) reunites with fellow Buffy alumna Eliza Dushku for the thrilling finale of the sexy sci-fi drama, Dollhouse. Dollhouse Season 2 and the Complete Collection are available to own on Blu-ray & DVD from 11 October 2010 courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

In Season 2 of Dollhouse, ex-FBI agent Paul Ballard is desperate to free missing girl Caroline from the clutches of the Dollhouse; a secret organisation that preys on vulnerable men and women, and ‘buys’ their bodies for a period of three years. During this time their minds are wiped blank by the resident programming expert and they are imprinted with an infinite number of different personas; one to suit every new elite client that visits the ‘house’….

After coming too close to uncovering the truth in Season 1, however, Ballard has been convinced (or coerced?) to work inside the house, and has become Caroline (Eliza Dushku, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tru Calling) – codename Echo’s – ‘handler’ and guardian. He soon realises that Echo’s mind has not been wiped as cleanly as everyone thinks, and as she starts to remember the truth, they work together to uncover the real reason for the Dollhouse’s power and influence…

Other cast favourites returning for the electrifying season finale include Olivia Williams (Broken Lines, The Sixth Sense), Dichen Lachman (Neighbours) and Harry Lennix (State of Play, The Matrix Reloaded).

Unlock the secrets of the Dollhouse with the highly anticipated season finale and Complete Collection of this captivating series from cult creator Joss Whedon. Go deeper behind the scenes with exclusive bonus features and unseen footage – only available on Blu-ray & DVD from 11 October.

Dollhouse Season 2 Special Features:

• Trailer
• Stills
• Syndicated cast interviews

Buy Dollhouse from Amazon UK

• Dollhouse: Season 2 [DVD]
• Dollhouse: Season 2 [Blu-ray]
• Dollhouse: Complete Seasons 1 and 2 [DVD]
• Dollhouse: Complete Seasons 1 and 2 [Blu-ray]

Buy Dollhouse from Amazon US

• Dollhouse: Season 2 [DVD]
• Dollhouse: Season 2 [Blu-ray]

Dollhouse season 2 deleted scene – starring Dichen Lachman (as Sierra) and Fran Kranz (as Topher)

When I actually stop to think about the Millennium books by Stieg Larsson, it strikes me that they are pretty outlandish and that if I were to describe what occurs in the books to someone who’d never heard of them they might consider the stories simply preposterous. It’s only the level of detail and skill in Larsson’s writing that makes the chronicle and characters so compelling, but it’s also what makes it a challenge to translate these films onto the big screen. It helps then to have a strong and committed actor in the title role.

The extremely talented Noomi Rapace returns as protagonist Lisbeth Salander, haunted by a violent and disturbing childhood and, more recently, a brutal rape committed by her Guardian, Nils Bjurman. Unwittingly embroiled in a triple homicide, she must uncover the real perpetrators and in doing so face her past. She is aided in this quest by Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) who, although not having had any contact with her for more than a year, is convinced of her innocence and seeks to clear her name. It is unclear in the film quite why they have not had any contact for so long since their friendship began in Dragon Tattoo and they go about their investigations separately from each other, only communicating briefly via Salander’s hacking of Blomkvist’s computer.

Unfortunately herein lies a problem with the film. There’s no development of Salander and Blomkvist’s relationship, there’s no sense of what they mean to each other, given their history from the first film. If anything Director Daniel Alfredson seems more interested in some rather graphic girl-on-girl action (which no doubt will please some viewers) but fails to deliver the same chemistry between the two leads as was seen in Dragon Tattoo.

Fortunately Rapace continues to play Salander with intensity, portraying a troubled young woman who’s a kaleidoscope of characters – feminist, computer hacker, Goth, bisexual, social deviant, boxer, loyal friend. Yet in exploring the multitude of facets of this much loved heroine, other characters seem to fall by the wayside.
Arguably the book has too many main characters, so much so that in the film they all seem to be out on the periphery, carried along by the plot rather than driving it.
This includes the villain of the piece Zala and his hulk of a henchman Niederman.

The most disappointing aspect of Fire is the clumsy cinematography. Gone is the stylish feel of Dragon Tattoo (directed by Niels Arden Oplev) that drew in and gripped viewers; in it’s place an inelegant made-for-TV ambience that makes you question the level of experience Alfredson has in film (as a quick IMDB search shows he has produced/directed a number of Swedish TV shows. It also says that he directs The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest – bah!).

Overall, a fair effort made only slightly better than average by the inimitable Rapace and suspenseful plot by Larsson.

It’s always highly debatable whether a cinematic classic should ever be remade. Why mess with the original? It’s very rare to add any value to the original story and if anything just loses out on comparison, often due to the nostalgia of longstanding fans.

So could Samuel Bayer’s re-imagining of A Nightmare On Elm Street even begin to capture that terror I experienced the first time I saw Wes Craven’s 1984 film? True, I may be a little less easy to scare these days and watching the original now does seem somewhat dated but Craven’s original story has such cinematic potential; the tale of Freddy Krueger, a child murderer burnt alive by vengeful parents in the fictional town of Springwood, wreaking his revenge on the children of his executioner’s by tormenting and slaying them in a dream world where if they die, they die for real….

Bayer’s film is definitely darker than the original. I came away feeling slightly disturbed by the 21st century Krueger, here played by Jackie Earle Haley with cruel and sinister aplomb. Writer Wesley Strick has placed more focus on Fred Krueger as a depraved man who molested young children, his particular favourite being Nancy (Rooney Mara) and who continues on in his depravity even after death. The children in question, Nancy, Quentin, Kris, Jesse and Dean – now teenagers, must fight to learn the truth of their past from their parents and find a way to survive Krueger’s attacks.

Unfortunately this remake lacks the chilling effect of the original film despite the recreation of Craven’s iconic scenes, including Freddy pushing through the wall above Nancy’s bed (done here with poor CGI), Kris’s body being dragged up the walls of her bedroom (minus Tina’s blood-curdling screams from the 1984 film) and the bladed hand between Nancy’s legs in the bathtub, which sounded a round of tittering from the audience. The few scares there are come from cheap jump-in-your-seat moments and the atmosphere suffers from the indifference you feel towards to teenagers who do not engage the viewer.

Interesting though is the idea that deprived of sleep long enough, the body falls into a micro-sleep state meaning even though the body remains conscious, part of the brain is asleep, allowing Freddy to get to his victims even while awake. Further, the direct connection between Krueger and the teens when aged five and Nancy’s discovery of her particular history with Krueger magnifies the human monster that Fred Krueger was before being burned alive.

There’s no getting away from the fact that I’m a big fan of Craven’s A Nightmare On Elm Street, it began my love of horror movies after all. I have perhaps judged this more harshly than someone ignorant of the original and therefore it’s worth noting that I went to see the new version with my cousin who’s in his early twenties and could not recall the 1984 version. His verdict was that while not especially scary it was a sound story with a few interesting twists and well acted by the young stars, most notably Katie Cassidy (Kris). What we both agreed on was that this remake is a cut above recent others such as Friday the 13th.

Despite the negative reviews received, I think it’s worth a watch if you’re not a die-hard fan of the long-standing Freddy Krueger franchise; chances are you’ll rather enjoy the film.

A Nightmare On Elm Street is released 7th May 2010.

He destroyed the Phantom Menace in his scathing review, now Mike turns his attention to the second episode of the new Star Wars trilogy, Attack of the Clones.

Jasmin Rice reviews ep1 of Being Human’s second series.

The eagerly anticipated Being Human is returning to our screens with its second series on the 10th of January 2010, and boy what a treat it’ll be. I was one of the lucky few that managed to nab tickets to a premier screening of the first episode at London’s Curzon Mayfair. Standing outside waiting for the doors to open it wasn’t long before the cold started to settle in. However, the show began before we even got through the doors; we saw vampires coolly sipping blood on the street, police officers interrogating unsuspecting audience members and men in black coats firmly holding onto their bibles. With an introduction to the series by Aidan Turner (Mitchell), Russell Tovey (George), Lenora Crichlow (Annie), and Sinead Keenan (Nina) the unveiling of series two began.

The actual episode was fangtastic (see what I did there!). It picks up almost directly where it left off and although it answers some questions, it creates a lot more. All of our favourite characters are still there, along with a few additions: a love interest for Mitchell and a vampire couple who have trouble written all over them. With Herrick gone the heroes of the story finally begin to feel safe, however, there is a position of power to be filled and it wont be vacant for long…
Although there are some laugh-out-loud moments in the episode the tone is much darker than that of the first series and it is set to continue throughout second.

Get eager folks, as I definitely don’t think the second series will be any less exciting and intriguing than the first.

Being Human Series 2 airs on BBC Three at 9:30 pm on the 10th of January 2010.

Something, Something, Something Dark Side is the second Family Guy outing into the Star Wars universe. This time they take on what is arguably the best of all six George Lucas’ films, The Empire Strikes Back.

Starting in the same way that Family Guy: Blue Harvest did, having suffered a power cut in their home, Peter Griffin narrates his version of Star Wars to his eager family.

A long time ago, when the gays weren’t all in your face about it….

Luke (Chris), Leia (Lois), Han Solo (Peter) and Chewbacca (Brian) have evaded the dreaded Imperial Starfleet led by the cunning, conniving and curiously short evil lord Darth Vader (Stewie), setting up a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth. With the rebellion in trouble, young Skywalker must take the advice of his late, and rather lascivious, mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi (Herbert) and learn the ways of the “farce” under Jedi Master Yoda (Carl) to save the galaxy once and for all.

SSSDS has Peter, Lois, Brian, Stewie, Chris, Quagmire and Meg (in a tiny role again) playing Han, Leia, Chewie, Darth Vader, Luke, C3PO and the giant asteroid worm that the Millennium Falcon lands in. The plot plays out exactly like The Empire Strikes Back, starting on the ice planet of Hoth with Luke getting attacked by a Cookie Monster Wompa; The arrival and attack by the Empire; Luke seeking out Yoda and the pursuit of Han and Leia by Darth Stewie.

As someone who always seems to miss Family Guy when it’s airing on TV, I have to admit that some of the jokes were lost on me. I also think some of the gags were squarely aimed for our American cousins. That said, some of the best jokes were the ones based on scenes from The Empire Strikes Back. Of note and without giving any spoilers are the Han and Leia “I love you” scene on Bespin – Han/Peter’s response had me crying on the floor – and Leia’s briefing of the rebel pilots fleeing Hoth.

I’m okay, but the midget inside of me has a head concussion

Seth MacFarlane has to be commended as the attention to detail is superb. Some of the scenes, especially the battles on Hoth and in space are so exact that you almost forget you’re watching Family Guy and not The Empire Strikes Back. The sound effects and the score have also benefited from from this attention to detail and makes SSSDS just as thrilling as George Lucas’ version and obviously more so when compared to episodes I-III.

This is a very slick and professional animation with some good balls out laughter as well as loads and loads of in jokes to keep the Geeks-a-smirkin! If you’re on the fence about cartoon canned comedy, don’t be! This is grown up humor in a childish sort of way and merges Robot Chicken’s irreverent wet kippers with Family Guy’s professional wit and pace. Its a keeper – go buy a copy now!

The Farce Is Strong With This Never-Before Seen “Family Guy” Adventure, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD December 28 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Fully loaded with hilarious bonus material including deleted scenes, commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a pop-up video feature and more!

Having missed Orphan during its theatrical run, I was more than happy to check out a review copy and to find out why “there’s something wrong with Esther…”

The tragic loss of their unborn child has devastated Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard), taking a toll on both their marriage and Kate’s fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares and haunted by demons from her past. Struggling to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the couple decides to adopt another child. At the local orphanage, both John and Kate find themselves strangely drawn to a young girl named Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman)…but Esther is not what she appears to be and, concerned for the safety of her family, Kate tries to get John and others to see past Esther’s sweet facade. But her warnings go unheeded until it may be too late…for everyone.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this “evil child” movie. The opening dream sequence concerned me because it seemed to infer that the movie might be a ripped off version of David Cronenburg’s Dead Ringers, with torturous surgical tools and buckets of blood. Thankfully, this small inconsistency didn’t spoil the rest of the film.

Having come to terms with the stillborn birth of their third child, Kate and John visit an orphanage. As they wander around the building, John comes across a lone Esther, painting. Showing an interest in her precocious ability, John strikes up a rapport with Esther and along with Kate they choose to adopt her. While things appear to start of smoothly on the surface, Esther soon begins to manipulate her new family, turning them against each other, while staying in favour with her new daddy – “I like it when it’s just the two of us. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for a daddy just like you“.

Parts of the storyline have their weaker moments, like John’s consistent refusal to believe Kate’s uneasy feelings regarding Esther. No matter what Kate says to John, her mother-in-law and even her therapist, she isn’t believed. John also shows a much stronger fatherly devotion to Esther than towards his own family, which frankly leaves you wondering if it’s, ahem, too strong. These two points really frustrated me at times, especially John’s pantomime like inability to spot the monster no matter how hard Kate screamed ‘Behind You!’.

The storyline involving their two children was far more compelling, as was the final big reveal. Daniel and hearing-impaired Max also come to realise that Esther is dangerous, but are unable to communicate this to each other or their parents. Daniel is the recipient of the best put down line in the film – “If I find out that you’re lying, I’ll cut your hairless little prick off before you even figure out what it’s for. Do you understand me?” (imagine with Russian accent). Poor Max is used by Esther, both emotionally and criminally, further isolating Max from the help of her family.

The acting is very good and the performances from the children are strong given their ages (all under the age of 13). Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther is especially brilliant as the orphaned Esther. Her Russian accent convincing, her capability for manipulation, cruelty and murder utterly scary, Isabelle Fuhrman is believable and will hopefully go on to bigger and better things. Hearing-impaired in real-life Aryana Engineer, who plays the youngest child Max, is also very good.

“You’ll never guess her secret” – for those who haven’t seen the film or heard what Esther’s secret is, the Orphan is a consistently above average film that delivers a psychotic child, murder and a truly jaw dropping twist. I defy anyone who sees this film not want to rush off and Google straight after.

Extras:

• Mama’s Little Devils: Bad Seeds & Evil Children
• Interviews with Director Jaume Collet-Serra
• Interview with Producers Joel Silver & Susan Downey
• Interview with Isabelle Fuhrman
• Deleted Scenes
• Alternate Ending
• Theatrical trailer

Out to own on DVD & Blu-ray 30th November 2009

David Tennant’s second of four final Doctor Who appearances sees him arrive on the planet Mars without a companion. As he explores the planet, he is captured by a robot and taken to a base inhabited by a team from Earth. The Doctor learns that the date is 21st November 2059, and that this is in fact Bowie Base One, the first human outpost on Mars.

As the story progresses, it becomes apparent to the Doctor that he is witness to a fixed point in time. He cannot interfere with the events that are unfolding around him. Without giving anything away, The Waters of Mars improves on the previous specials Planet of the Dead and The Next Doctor considerably. That’s not to say that it is a perfect episode. To start with, there’s the running, lot’s of it – from one end of the base to the other. The script writers even make a joke out of it. It was only needed the once to set up another scene later on. Then there’s the robot, GADGET which goes around saying “gadget, gadget” all the time. Annoyingly. I’m sure without GADGET, a lot of children could have found this special very frightening, which leads me on to the good points…

It’s scary, well for family viewing it is. Some of the humans on the base become infected after coming into contact with the waters of Mars, and the result is very creepy. The Doctor is no longer the fun adventurer or confident hero. He’s reduced to indecision, confusion and inaction as he tries to leave the crew to their fate. Though unable or unwilling to interfere with the fixed point in time we see the Doctor wrestle with his curiosity and conscience. And with all of this turmoil within the Doctor, we see the darker side of him (think The Runaway Bride as the vengeful Doctor destroys the Racnoss). Arrogant, unbound, the “Time Lord victorious”.

Unfortunately for the script writers that last line, the “Time Lord Victorious” made me cringe and I don’t think I was the only one who felt that (judging by the mixed reviews). The Waters of Mars is an improvement and certainly sets the story up for the last two part specials.

Picture the scene. Drew and I are driving to one of the late night preview showings of the U.S. hit horror film Paranormal Activity. It’s Friday 13th, the cinema is situated just a stone’s throw away from the beach and the UK’s South West coast is being battered by one of the worst storms of the year.

The movie’s opening introduction leads you believe that the events are based on a true story. It informs us that Paramount would like to thank the families of Micah and Katie, as well as the San Diego Police Department, for their co-operation and support with the film. The film is the story of Katie and Micah, a carefree couple who become haunted by a presence in their home. They decide to capture video evidence of the increasingly bizarre and escalating intrusions of what turns out to be a demonic presence in their house.

The movie starts with Micah testing out the camera which he’s bought to document the incidents that have started to occur in the home he shares with Katie. It’s all very cute and twee between the couple as the play with their new toy. There’s nothing to hint that there’s anything really happening that has them worried for their safety. Having finally gotten into the bed, the camera set up on a tripod records the sleeping couple. This we see speeded up until something important happens, which we as the viewer (voyuer?) have to see. At first, we hear noises emanating from various parts of the house. During the day, objects are found not in their usual place and so on.

We soon find out that Katie has been experiencing these paranormal activities since the age of eight. During a visit from Dr. Fredrichs, a self-professed psychic, he assesses that they are being plagued by a demon which feeds off “negative energy” and is intent on haunting Katie no matter where she goes. Dr. Fredrichs also recommends the two contact Dr. Abrams, a demonologist. Micah’s reluctance to do so and his need to capture more evidence leads to frequent arguments between the couple. In fact, while Katie just wants to end the haunting, Micah seems hell bent on provoking the demon and playing the part of the boyfriend defending his distressed girlfriend.

As the tension builds between the two protagonists so does the demonic acts plaguing the beleaguered couple. For those audience members caught up in the movie the night time scenes are very tense and at times very frightening.

Paranormal Activity is similar to The Blair Witch Project, with a tiny cast, small budget and minimal special effects. From happy go lucky characters at the start of the film, to tense feelings towards each of the characters at the end, Paranormal Activity also follows a familiar path. In fact, one night time scene where Katie spends hours standing over Micah as he sleeps reminded me of Mikey from The Blair Witch Project. That film’s mythology has one victim standing still in the corner of a room while the Blair Witch kills another.

As for the “self-filmed” quality of the movie, what I like was that the beginning of the movie had Katie chastise Micah for spending more money than agreed on a big camera and good microphones. For the most part, the camera is also static, either on it’s tripod or on a table or counter. The only time the camera is moving is when Micah or Katie are trying to document the demon’s activity and it’s so much a better film for it.

When the special effects include a hair dryer and talcum powder you know you’re in trouble.

This movie was always going to divide opinion between Drew and I. He doesn’t “do” mocukmentory or schlock horror films, whereas I love them. Also anything that is, or even made out to be, based on true events scares the shit out of me. For Drew it was more a case of chuckling at the lacklustre special effects and holding my hand when I started to get freaked. And although you could argue that the film was nothing more than a build up to two very quick successive scares, I leave you with this thought – I spent the following two hours after viewing Paranormal Activity in front of the TV watching comedy and trying not to think about going to bed and demonic hauntings.

Paranormal Activity will open in cinemas everywhere across the UK on Wednesday 25th November 2009.
Certificate 15 / Running Time 85 minutes

As described by the strap line above, Blood: The Last Vampire is a tale about Saya, half human half vampire. Hell bent on revenge, she hunts demonic creatures using her slain father’s sword, as she searches for the oldest of all demons, Onigen.

Helped by a mysterious organisation know as the Council, the 400 year old Saya transfers to a school near the Yokota Air Base, a United States Army camp in Tokyo. After saving fellow student, Alice, from a pair of sword wielding demon classmates (teenage school girls can be so evil), Saya and Alice form a bond, as they’re pursued by demons and Onigen.

Firstly, despite some top notch actors, notably Liam Cunningham (Dog Soldiers) and Colin Salmon (James Bond, Resident Evil), the acting is stiff and wooden. Allison Miller (Desperate Housewives) who plays the General’s daughter, Alice, spends a lot of the time bewildered or annoyingly screaming. JJ Field who plays one of Saya’s handlers has the strangest accent (is it supposed to be American?) throughout his scenes, though to be fair he’s easy on the eye in a Jude Law kind of way.

Then of course, the special effects aren’t very good either. The blood splatter visuals has Saya hacks away at her enemies are reminiscent of the effects used in the first Blade film – you know, the weird blobs of blood when Deacon Frost/La Magra has various bits of him chopped off by Blade. The CGI for the winged demons are also lacking in consistency and quality, which is a shame as the physical models/suits were much better. While watching Blood: The Last Vampire I was actually asked how old the film was, not a good sign considering it’s theatrical release was this year.

The plot does gets convoluted, which considering the source material, makes it more disappointing. With the Anime version being a shorter film, I guess the director Chris Nahon (Kiss of the Dragon) felt the need to extend the story. However, instead of showing us more of Onigen, whose appearances are short until the big reveal at the end, we’re either served long fight scenes or flashbacks to Saya’s childhood. Both which felt like padding, rather than essential to the plot. Indeed, once we get to the end showdown between Saya and Onigen, it’s over too quickly and in the most unspectacular way.

That said, Gianna Jun (Saya) and her guardian/mentor Kato portrayed by Yasuaki Kurata are actually very good in their roles. Gianna’s portrayal of vengeful half human half vampire Saya, who is still trying to hang onto her humanity, is more than adequate. 63 year old Yasuaki Kurata deserves a special mention, as despite his age, he’s fitter than a lot of men half his age (me included). His woodland fight scene against a host of ninja demons, with Cory Yuen’s martial arts choreography (Transporter) make for great viewing. I was also taken by the two Cleaners (brothers Santiago and Hector Alonso) who mop up after Saya. They reminded of the Thompson Twins from Tin Tin. They should’ve been used more.

Blood: The Last Vampire is saved from total mediocrity due to the beautiful cinematography provided by Hang-Sang Poon (Fearless, Kung Fu Hustle). Although the end battle between Saya and Onigen is shorter than I would have liked, Onigen’s beauty and flowing white dress is very ethereal. Kato’s fight scene is simply stunning, with ninjas darting through the air or exploding out of the ground. In fact the whole film has enough genuinely stylish content to make it engaging.

Blood: The Last Vampire is actually a very competently made film here. Beautifully shot film with some great actions scenes Blood: The Last Vampire could’ve been a great Manga/Vampire flick, instead of  an average one.

Blood: The Last Vampire UK DVD and Blu-ray release is on 2nd November 2009.

Blood: The Last Vampire Blu-ray and DVD Details

Release date: 2 November 2009
Running time: 91 minutes
Format: Blu-ray & DVD
CERT: 18
Price: £24.99 (Blu-ray), £15.99 (DVD)
Special Features TBC

• Gianna
• Chris Nahon
• Cory Yuen
• The Metro
• The Alley
• Japanese Stars

Following the dramatic finale of Season 7 and the collapse of the Fortress of Solitude, Clark is at a cross roads in his life and decides he needs to make some big changes.

In SMALLVILLE: SEASON 8, Clark Kent moves closer to embracing his destiny as the iconic superhero he will become. Spending less time in his hometown and more time in the big city of Metropolis, Clark comes across a multitude of DC Comic characters, including the “Ultimate Destroyer”, an alien from Clark’s home world of Krypton. Clark also begins his career at the Daily Planet working opposite Lois Lane. With Clark and Lois thrust into such close proximity, sparks begin to fly and feelings start to surface while he struggles to deal with his dual personalities of reporter and superhero.

Follow the transformation of boy to man and local hero to superhero, as Clark takes us closer to his destiny in this reinterpretation of the enduring Superman mythology.

So with very little time to get this review together, I dived straight into season 8 without really knowing what occurred in the previous seasons’ storylines.

Well let me just start with all of the man candy that’s on offer! Gosh, a few episodes in and not only has the action heated up but so has this gay sci-fi nerd! Let’s start with the main star,

Tom Welling. Other than being extremely fit, Tom Welling has played Clark Kent/Superman for 9 series (season 9 aired recently in the US) and I have to say he’s doing a very good job. Although he has yet to develop the ‘Superman’ alter-ego, Welling’s Clark Kent is showing the moral development of the character and he truly does want to help the humans around him. I really like the fact that were not subjected to the “Look (puts glasses on), I’m Clark Kent. (Takes glasses off) No, I’m Superman. (Puts glasses on) Mild-mannered reporter. (Takes glasses off) Superhero.“, though it will be interesting how the writers will address the dual identity that is eluded at as in-jokes between the characters.

Justin Hartley plays Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. A friend of Clark Kent, Oliver knows his alien secret and it pivotal in helping Clark at the beginning of season 8. Interestingly he played the role of Aquaman in a 2006 TV pilot, which leads me very nicely to…

Alan Ritchson plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, who, like Oliver Queen is a friend of Clark Kent and seems to spend most of the first two episodes in a state of undress. And who am I to complain when he looks as good looking as this photo here.

Finally the last actor here who appears with all his clothes off is Sam Witwer who appeared in sci-fi favourites, Battlestar Galactica (Crashdown), Angel, Star Trek Enterprise, along with Bones and Dexter and having voiced the Apprentice in the Star Wars game The Force Unleashed.

Spoiler Alert!

Tom Welling, Justin Hartley, Jason Ritchson and Sam Witwer

Sam Witwer plays the role of Davis Bloome and also this seasons bad guy, Doomsday. For those not too familiar with Doomsday, the character is destined to kill Superman in the future and destroy all life on Earth. Here the storyline deviates from the comic books as Doomsday is a large genetically modified humanoid with spikes on his arms and back. In Smallville we’re introduced to the character Davis Bloome, a paramedic who has no idea of what he will become. Giving Doomsday and human side is the driving force behind this season’s story arc. Bloome slowly realising that he is a Kryptonian with super powers, sent to destroy the son of Jor-El. Giving Doomsday a human side, one who has to struggle against an ever growing urge to transform into a beast and kill all around him. On top of that, placing him into a love triangle with Chloe Sullivan and Jimmy Olsen (disappointingly Davis and Chloe) and the effect it causes within him is the most compelling part of the storyline. It’s a shame that the ending was somewhat abrupt, but I can understand that the special effects needed to give the Doomsday creature would eat up the budget.

Outside of the Doomsday arc, some of the episodes are nothing more than fillers and the reappearance of Lana Lang is an unwelcome plot device, what with the progression of Clark Kent’s and Lois Lane’s relationship.

With the general consensus from various online sources, all stating that Smallville lost its way from around season 2 or 3, I’m encouraged with the writers moving Clark Kent from Smallville to Metropolis. We’re starting to truly see the development of the young man turning into the ‘super’ man all us sci-fi nerds adore. It was great seeing the relationship between Clark and Lois grow as they work together at The Daily Planet. The chemistry between Tom Welling and Erica Durance is worth mentioning too and this gets better as the season progresses. Erica Durance gets a special mention as I think her version of Lois is now one of my favourites, based on what I’ve seen, since Margot Kidder’s (who will always remain my fave). Kate Bosworth’s Lane in Superman Returns was so wet. In a movie peppered with so many references to the Christopher Reeves and Margot Lane Superman films, Kate’s Lane lacked that spunky nature and was almost insulting.

Smallville season 8 may have its faults, but as a new viewer, there is certainly enough there for me to consider starting from the beginning and watching all of the series.

SMALLVILLE: SEASON 8 is available now on Blu-ray and DVD [12th October].
SMALLVILLE: COMPLETE SEASON 1 – 8 is also available now on DVD [12th October].

Special Features include:

• Cast/creator commentary
• Unaired scenes
• In the director’s chair: Behind the scenes with Allison Mack
• Smallvilles Doomsday: The making of a monster

This is the third review I’ve been asked to do for the lovely lads of GSFN, this time I decided not to do any research on Avatar before I went to see this trailer. I’m sure there’s probably some kind of rule against doing that for reviewers but sod it, eh? I loved going to the cinema to simply see a 15 minute trailer for a film that isn’t due out until December. The personal message from James Cameron was a nice touch and added to the feeling that you were one of a privileged few.

The story follows the experiences of paraplegic soldier, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), and a band of human explorers on the planet of Pandora.  To help them survive in an atmosphere that would kill them, they have their minds transferred into artificially created bodies, called Avatars, that are made in the image of the Na’vi, the humanoid population of the planet. They are 9 foot tall, well built, blue humanoids with tails, large ears and eyes and very dishy in an alien type way!

It’s taken 14 years of waiting, from Cameron’s original conception of the film, before the technology was available to make it and you can see that it’s worth the wait. The special effects, computer generation and general feel of the film can be explained in one word: beautiful. The 3D nature of the film makes the alien landscape and the creatures of the world, if you’ll pardon the pun, stand out in a way that you would lose in a 2D format. A scene we were shown takes place on a cliff face above a gorge that looks thousands of feet high and the 3D gives you the feeling of that height and when Jake finds himself riding a flying creature as he plummets off this cliff face it gave me goosebumps. James Cameron is notorious for his perfectionism and you can see this in the quality in the CGI of the Avatars. There is so much expression in their faces, the look of wonder and surprise is clearly seen in every scene, where someone else might use a long shot, dramatic music and sound bytes of the actors whooping with joy or yelps of surprise, the camera angles are on the faces as they experience these emotions and its infectious.

If the rest of the film is as exciting as the 15 minute montage of clips we saw then its going to be amazing. I hope it is as I know I’ve been let down in the past but you’ve got to be optimistic about these things.

I haven’t read any of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books bar the first one, The Philosopher’s Stone and that was some years ago. It’s not that I dislike them or that I simply do not read, it’s just that I’ve never gotten round to them.

The films however I have watch and a couple of them many times. I love the whole ‘Britishness’ of them, from the setting to all of the cast members. Had they been ‘Americanized’, I don’t think I would have liked the film franchise as much. And it’s not just the British feel of the movies, but also the fact that Warner Bros have managed to keep all of the principal cast members as well as the peripheral ones too. Speaking of the cast, it has been great watching Daniel, Emma and Rupert not only grow into young adults but also good actors. One of the early criticisms was the wooden acting from all of the young cast, but hey – they’re children. Each film, they become more confident in their ability and comfortable in their roles.

So what about the latest offering, The Half Blood Prince? Well, Drew and I went to an IMAX screening of the movie in which the first 12 minutes were shown in 3-D. This was my first modern 3-D experience (does the Muppet Show in Disney World count?), but if this is any indication of things to come, I’ll be travelling to London a lot more often. The opening sequences felt like flying through the WB shield and the titles. The Death Eater’s attack on London was superb and Harry and Dumbledore’s visit to Professor Horace Slughorn magical.

Once the 3-D bit was over I relaxed into the rest of the film. There can be no argument that this film is the darkest yet. And yes, there are lots of rampant raging teenage hormones running riot all over Hogwarts and the obligatory Quidditch match, all of which were listed as faults by critics. Yes they could’ve gone into You Know Who’s back story or The Half Blood Prince but I think the writers and director took a good path that will set up the final two parts even better.

I don’t think I’ll be giving away any spoilers here but just in case, scroll down to the bottom for some relates news links.

It was important to show the developing relationships between Harry and Ginny and also that of Hermione and Ron and the only was to do that is following that particular thread within the book. This outcome of these relationships are important to the future of each of those characters.

The Quidditch match was equally worth putting in, without it, Ron’s display of luck and heroics might have less of an effect on the above thread. Especially with his entanglement with Lavender Brown. Also, watching Ron under the effect of the luck potion sets the audience up for the real effects when Harry drink it.

And yes it’s dark, of course it is. Draco is tasked with opening a portal into Hogwarts AND the murder of Dumbledore (a tragic ending which brought the young woman next to me to tears). It cannot be anything but dark, as we see the muggle and magical world succumb to Lord Voldemort.

It may not stand up against the Goblet of Fire and the Order of the Phoenix both of had more drama and pace, however the Half Blood Prince is still worthy of being part of a great series.

For more information and news about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, see the list below:

• BBC News – Potter filmgoer in bleach attack
• BBC News – Potter box office magic continues
• BBC News – Potter casts UK box office spell
• BBC News- Potter actor sentenced over drugs
• SCI FI Wire – Potter stars on love, heartache … and a final kiss?
• BBC News – Potter film conjures up top slot
• Empire – Harry Potter Breaks More Records
• Underwire – 3 Half-Blood Prince Bits Fans Will Love (and 3 They Might Not)
• SCI FI Wire – Does Potter 6′s ‘Dumbledore’ have a future in 7 and 8?
• /Film – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Pulls in $22.2 Million at Midnight
• Filmonic – Harry Potter expected to overtake Bond to become top grossing franchise
• GeekTyrant – HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE Review
• Empire – Half-Blood Prince Breaks Records Already
• SCI FI Wire – Potter’s ‘Scrimgeour’ reveals finale hints
• /Film – Bill Nighy Talks Up Role In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• BBC News – Potter broadens actor’s appeal
• /Film – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Earns $58.4 Million in 24 Hours
• Total Film – Harry Potter tops the US box office
• BBC News – Potter actor admits drug charge
• /Film – Harry Potter Through Fresh Eyes: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Movie Review)
• /Film – Harry Potter Vs. Voldemort Rap Battle
• SCI FI Wire – What’s cut, what stays, what’s new in Half-Blood Prince
• Filmonic – Harry and Dumbledore Half-Blood Prince featurette
• Empire – Nighy To Join Potter’s Deathly Hallows?

Torchwood’s third series was always going to be an exciting event. Why? Because over 5 consecutive nights we were going to be treated to one hour episodes telling one big story. And it certainly didn’t disappoint the Gay Sci-Fi Nerds here in creamy Devonshire.

Torchwood always explored the darker side of the Doctor Who universe, but the Children of Earth turned out to be one of the darkest sci-fi series the BBC has ever produced. The Children of Earth sees an unknown threat taking over the minds of all the children on Earth as a means of communication, scenes which reminded be of the Village of the Damned. As the story unfolds we see not only the British Government’s prior involvement with the alien entities, but that of Torchwood’s too. Something that comes back to haunt Captain Jack Harkness. Rather than seeking help from Torchwood, the Government decides to deny prior engagement and hunts down Jack, Gwen and Ianto.

Family being at the core of this tale, we see Jack’s daughter and grandson, Ianto’s sister and her family and Gwen and Rhys’ shock surprise at her pregnancy. Added to that there’s is the alien threat over the children of earth and the disgusting solution the Government comes up with. And caught in the middle is the poor civil servant, John Frobisher who is force to take drastic action to keep the Government’s secrets and his family safe from harm.

The juxtaposition of Jack’s and Frobisher’s actions are perhaps the most poignant in the Children of Earth. One having to make a painful sacrifice and the other unwilling to do so. Both betraying and causing the deaths of family.

With the already diminished Torchwood team of Captain Jack Harness, Gwen Copper and Ianto Jones, death, betrayal and murder, made for compulsive viewing, especially in hi-def. Add the extra creepy factor of the possession of all of the Earth’s children, Torchwood out shone the last few fairings offered by Doctor Who. We can only hope that David Tennant’s departure will be as gripping.

For more information and news about Torchwood: Children of Earth, see the list below:

• BBC News – Fans aim to save sci-fi character
• SCI FI Wire – Torchwood is back with a thrilling third season
• SFX – Torchwood – Brilliantly Awesome
• SFX – Torchwood – Popular But Unloved?
• SFX – Torchwood A Ratings Smash
• BBC News – Torchwood move sees ratings boost
• SFX – Torchwood producer talks Children Of Earth
• SCI FI Wire – Torchwood’s John Barrowman reveals Children of Earth details and why the show may not be done yet
• SFX – Russell T Davies talks Torchwood
• BBC News – Torchwood cut ‘like punishment’

THIS SUMMER THE CHICKEN STRIKES BACK! Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II is the 10th DVD from US cult comedy and animation brand Adult Swim which launched its UK DVD franchise with the smash-hit Star Wars spoof ‘Robot Chicken: Star Wars’ in August 2008 selling 13,000 copies in its 1st week alone.

I’ve always had a thing for Seth Green. He is even hornier than Elijah Wood. Mmm what a sandwich that would make!

But I had to wonder where he was going with the Robot Chicken animations. Seth owns a chunk of Robot Chicken, which produces cartoon animation features. These animations find their way to the public via the Adult Swim channel, which uses the same slots as the better known Cartoon Network on your satellite or cable box, long after the kids have hit the sack.

Let’s face it, most cartoons are crap and that’s just my humble opinion! So the prospect of watching cartoons leaves me stone cold, and that’s why I couldn’t see value in why Seth Green wanted to get involved so deeply with animation.

However, I needn’t have worried about Seth. Robot Chicken’s Star Wars first episode was a really funny piss take of George Lucas’ Star Wars movies. Robot Chicken Star Wars Episode II, escalates the animated franchise in to a league of its own. Make no mistake, the animation team and the voice actors are putting out cartoons that make you snigger, make you smile and make you laugh out loud. The skits are genuinely funny, have pace and fuck with your funny bone!

As a casual fan of Star Wars I genuinely loved the Robot Chicken parallel universe. The more you know about the original Lucas movies, the more you will enjoy Robot Chicken as it is layered enough to keep fan geeks smirking at each other as the skits parade by.

The added DVD features show all sorts of behind the scenes stuff including a showing of the Robot Chicken Star Wars episodes to George Lucas at his Skywalker Ranch cinema facility. You get to see Seth Green doing his directing and being a funny flake as well. As a happy homo with a thing for the ginger Green one, it is enough to get a load of Seth, but, as a Gay Sci-Fi Nerd, being able to work out that it is actually Carrie Fisher’s voice, acting the ‘toon Princess Leia was pretty cool too!

If you have not bought or downloaded the Star Wars episodes from Robot Chicken then make sure you catch the repeats on Adult Swim! The DVD release has a bunch of extra stuff that makes it a must have for those of you with a bit more credit than crunch!

To celebrate the release of the Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II on DVD, we’re giving away five limited edition T-shirts courtesy of Revolver in our Robot Chicken Competition.

Buy Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II [Adult Swim] [DVD] [2008] through our UK Amazon Store now!

ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE II – Available on DVD on 27th July 2009 Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken travels back to a galaxy far, far away to create a second, all new Star Wars themed feature special. This hilarious take on the biggest sci-fi franchise of all time, brazenly combines the satirical sensibilities of Seth Green (Austin Powers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Family Guy) and Matthew Senreich’s Emmy® Award winning Robot Chicken, with unforgettable moments and favourite characters from the Star Wars universe.

Jango and Bobba in a father-son dance contest against Vader and Luke

DVD Information:
TITLE: Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II
RELEASED: July 27th 2009
EXTRAS: Bonus Robot Chicken Episodes, Chicken Nuggets, The making of Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II, Behind-the-Scenes: Sneak Peek, Skywalker Ranch Premiere, 501st Visit, Animation Meeting, Accepted/Rejected, Time Lapse, Production Design, Video Blogs, Deleted Animatics, Alternate Audio, On-Air Bumps & Trailers
RRP: £12.99
CERTIFICATE: 15
FEATURE RUNNING TIME: 38 minutes approx
EXTRAS RUNNING TIME: 113 minutes approx
CREDIT: Revolver Entertainment 2009
WEBSITE: www.adultswim.co.uk/dvd

Guest blogger Chris Boulton posts the GSFN website’s second (glowing) review of the new Star Trek movie.

As a third generation Trekkie I was surprised how quickly I was won over by the idea of a reboot/re-imagination of Star Trek. The part of my mind that will forever want to dress in the uniform rebelled at the thought of someone coming in and messing with 40-odd years of established history but then thinking about it logically (as all good Trekkies obviously do) we needed fresh blood. Since Insurrection, I feel, that we’ve lost our way a little bit, but that’s just my opinion.

The film was simply brilliant, I can’t imagine how daunting it was for the cast to be doing something like this. The two that really stood out for me were Spock (Zachary Quinto) and ‘Bones’ (Karl Urban). Quinto undoubtedly had the hardest role due to working along side Leonard Nimoy – where the rest of the cast could put their own stamp on the characters, Quinto didn’t really have that luxary and was simply spectacular but Urban, in my eyes, nailed McCoy’s character. He could have put his own twist to McCoy’s character but from the moment you see him there is just a Deforest Kelley look about him and the rant about space and why he hated it just gave me goosebumps! I have to say though – that Kirk in nothing but a pair of tight grey pants was something I’d pay to see Chris Pine do over and over again.. William Shatner, not so much. Pine’s version of Kirk was very good and a lot less sleazy, again in my opinion, than the original but just the right amount of Kirk ‘cockiness’ (not a reference to the pants) to suit me.

I think that they had enough original features for the old fans such as the design of the Enterprise, the look of the uniforms as well as enough in-jokes to keep us satisfied and chuckling but there is an updated feel to it that’ll bring new fans into the fold.

J. J. Abrams is a genius and amazingly covered the majority of the plot holes that I could see happening by the time the film had ended, such as playing around with established canon and how it would fit in. Giving the film to fans of the show was a brilliant idea by Paramount and I hope that they continue this in later films (and hopefully a series). Go see it!!

From the Desk of Squishy McSquish III

Generation Star Wars blogger John Hood reviews the latest Star trek offering by JJ Abrams (spoilers ahead).

@JJ_Abrams‘ Star Trek reboot is a revelation, that has challenged my jaded expectations of a franchise that no longer seemed relevant, nor enjoyable! Abrams’ and his cohorts have passed the Kobayashi Maru test: with such kinetic zeal and aplomb it’s exhausting!

The traditional revenge narrative is predicated on the notion that the future of Star Trek has been altered, irrevocably, by time-travelling Romulans lead by Nero (an uncharismatic Eric Bana)! An age old deceit, which is most welcome here. We’re, literally, in an undiscovered country…

JJ Abrams proved his character-driven credentials with original network television drama series such as Felicity, Alias and Lost! The underrated M:I III proved conclusively that action sequences can boast bombast, but not at the expense of human drama. Star Trek cements that reputation to the nth degree with the interpersonal conflicts between Kirk, Spock and Nero.

The hero shots are reserved, rightly, for the USS Enterprise itself! The starship’s design referencing the incarnations seen in Star Trek I to VI. The bridge is imbued with the design ethos of Steve Jobs’ Apple – another successful reboot! This is an Enterprise for the iPhone and iPod touch generation!

This Trek has been rebuilt from the ground up. A master stroke that reconnects/introduces many fans (myself included) to the adventures of Kirk, Spock and Bones! Frankly, I’ll always prefer Kirk in the captain’s chair! Phasers on stunning…

Generation Star Wars, written by John Hood, is a blog about Star Wars, Mac evangelism and consumer culture! The original review can be found on John’s Generation Star Wars website and has been reproduced here by kind permission.

Friday 10th April saw the start of Star Wars – A Musical Journey’s premiere at the O2 Arena in London. After the enjoyment Drew and I had attending a similar concert featuring music from a number of Gerry Anderson’s works, I happily booked tickets and made the necessary arrangements for a trip to London. The basic premise of the concert was the music composed by John Williams for all six Star Wars films was grouped into themes. Performed live by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a giant video screen played key scenes to match the score behind them.

Experience has taught us that if we want to go to the O2 Arena for a relaxing evening, including time for something to eat, we have to get there very early. So we turned up 4 hours early and went to Goucho’s for a good old fashioned meat-fest and cocktails. With food in our bellies and armed with the customary programme, we set off to have a gander at the Star Wars exhibition that accompanied the concert. I have to say I was a little disappointed. To put things in perspective, we had already seen the larger Star Wars exhibition when it was on at County Hall in 2007. The O2 Arena’s exhibition paled by comparison, but at least they had the favourites, Darth Vader, C-3PO and Boba Fett. Also in attendance were a number of Jedi Knight, Storm Troopers (one, a little too short to be a Storm Trooper), some Crimson Guards and a certain Dark Lord of the Sith.

After having a wander around the O2 Arena I took advantage of being an O2 customer and got us it into the O2 Lounge. After a couple of more cocktails and also bumping into a couple of Twitter acquaintances (aatom & evilgaytwin) we made our way to our seats for the concert (thank you O2 priority check in).

The venue wasn’t nearly as full as I expected it to be and I wonder if this was because of the Easter weekend or due to the current worldwide economic crisis – it also annoyingly explained why they resorted to a 2 for 1 offer on the tickets a few days before the first night.

Unfortunately, as beautiful as the programme is, it neglects to breakdown the running order of the themes in the concert. I’m having to resort checking the the running order of the bonus DVD that was included with the musical score of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. While there are some differences here are for me, the most memorable.

20th Century Fox Fanfare / Star Wars Main Title (from all six films)
Duel of the Fates (The Phantom Menace)
The Imperial March (The Empire Strikes Back)
The Asteroid Field (The Empire Strikes Back)
Luke and Leia (Return of the Jedi)
Throne Room / Finale (A New Hope)

The themes themselves were titled as “A Long Time Ago”, “Droids”, “Dark Forces Conspire”, “An Empire is Forged”, “A Narrow Escape” etc. Each section was narrated by the man in that golden suit, Anthony Daniels who did an excellent job and kept us, the audience, entertained. I have to admit that as soon as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra started playing, I sat there with a stupid grin on my face, which grew when the large choir launched into the Duel of the Fates. Once the Imperial March was performed, I wondered how the first half could be topped after the intermission. Well once the orchestra started to perform “The Asteroid Field”, I knew they had. With scenes of the Millennium Falcon negotiating the asteroid field in The Empire Strikes Back, my evening was complete.

As I found with the Barry Gray/Gerry Anderson concert, there is something very accessible about going to see live orchestral music being played, especially when based on a movie’s musical score. For those not interested in classical music, unwittingly, this will be the closest experience they will come. While this is a great experience I wonder if I miss out because of this preconception that classical music is boring or sombre. Perhaps the visuals taken from all six Star Wars films helped keep an interest in the music? Without a shadow of a doubt, the evening was a success and perhaps classical music concerts could learn a thing or two from Star Wars – A Musical Journey.

Guest blogger Chris Boulton reviews Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical

I always like to go see the movie adaptation of a book I’ve read or a musical version of a film with an open mind but I will admit that because it was Priscilla I expected a lot from them and I did doubt that they’d pull it off but I was wrong, so very wrong, it was amazing.

The basic premise of the story is the adventures of three female impersonators as they cross Australia, from Sydney to Alice Springs, in a bus called Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. One of the major problems the producers had to overcome was translating what is essentially a road trip movie into a stage platform. Apart from a scene where they appear to be running over several different animals (including one brilliant appearance of Queen Elizabeth and her Corgi’s) and the moving of the bus wheels they didn’t waste too much time on setting up lots of props or SFX to show the movement of the bus – they left that to your own imagination and it worked very well.

The audience, unsurprisingly, went a bit wild when Jason Donovan appeared on stage. He looked every bit the tired Sydney Boy, someone who wants to get away from it all, and then the transformation begins and he’s every bit the Mitzi we know and love. Top points for the way he camps it up (worryingly he made it look a bit too easy)!

Bernadette (Tony Sheldon) was spectacular and I’m ashamed to say it but I think I might even prefer this incarnation of her to the original. The comedy element of Bernadette was exaggerated and fit her very well, with slightly too long pauses between the lines you know are coming, such as her response to the fact they’re going to Alice Springs. They made you lean forward, quivering with excitement and, in my case, muttering “say it… say it” under my breath!

Adam/Felicia (Oliver Thornton) was – I’m going to have to get this out early, okay? – Hot! I apologise as it’s probably not very professional while writing a review but he was. Setting that aside completely, again the character was exaggerated a bit more than the already camptastic Guy Pearce version but he pulled it off brilliantly and to quote, “he’s a great little performer”.

Strangely there was only one person who got a bigger cheer than Jason when appearing on stage and that was Cynthia, the Ping-Pong ball welding wife of Bob the Mechanic. By the bemused look on the rest of the casts face, I’m sure that the reaction was an occurrence at every show. (Ping-Pong balls did make an appearance, I’m happy to report.) The musical obsession with ABBA has been switched to Kylie and being the ABBA fan rather than the Kylie that did disappoint a bit but the “new music” fitted well with the original tracks. The outfits were, as you can expect, spectacular and almost every single one from the film appeared either worn by the three ladies themselves or during the final sequence by the rest of the ensemble.

I expect you’ve picked this up by now but I really enjoyed myself and judging by the fact that the entire audience leapt to their feet for a standing ovation, I wasn’t the only one. I recommend you go and see it at least twice. So with the help of Miss Understanding, the Club’s MC in Sydney where you first meet Mitzi, and her lessons on how to be a good Drag Queen (exaggerated arm movements and quivering lower lip) I think I’ll leave you and go try out a few moves in front of the mirror!

The first disc kick starts the best of the mini “collectives” – Mirror Universe. These episodes feature the characters from “our” universe interacting with their counterparts in a parallel “Mirror Universe”. The actors’ from the Mirror Universe, especially those from Deep Space Nine, are given the opportunity to go all out with some outrageous performances. Seeing the characters’ Mirror counterparts behave in complete contradiction to how we normally see them, is extremely entertaining. Kira Nerys’ and Benjamin Sisko’s counterparts are of note: Kira is a cruel, playfully vain bisexual nymphet and Sisko, a marauding space pirate. Of course, as a Vulcan, Spock retains his “cold logic”, though even within the Mirror Universe the friendship between himself and Kirk remains a constant.

One small thing lets the Mirror Universe collective down unfortunately, and that is the incomplete set of episodes. In their defence, the editors have had to balance the focus given to each franchise incarnation. Deep Space Nine explored the Mirror Universe with 2 more episodes, Resurrection and The Emperor’s New Cloak. Also absent is The Original Series episode, The Tholian Web, though there is no obvious connection to the Mirror Universe until the two part Enterprise episode In a Mirror Darkly. With 4 episodes taken from each series this would have left the bias distinctly with Deep Space Nine (which is fine by me as I preferred the darker side to the universe it portrayed).

Although it’s great seeing the way the large Mirror Universe stories tie together between TOS, DS9 and ENT, some fans may have missed the “mini” death of a Ferengi trilogy in Deep Space Nine. By far the funniest of tales, the Mirror Universe versions of Quark, Rom and Nog all meet their doom on Terok Nor (Deep Space Nine) in separate episodes, and all three are included on the first disc. Of course the most compelling aspect of the Mirror Universe collective is that we can easily follow the consequences that beset the Mirror Universe, as a result of Kirk’s initial involvement.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed a journey back through the looking glass (sorry), all 50 plasma filled inches of it.

The worst story included within the Alternate Realities collection has to be the Star Trek: Voyager episode Course: Oblivion.

With an enhanced warp drive which promises to deliver Voyager home in 2+ years, the new core radiation starts breaking down the molecular cohesion of the ship and it’s crew. Tuvok and Chakotay realize everyone and everything are not the originals; they are the silver- blood copies left behind on the “Demon Class” planet ten months ago. As the crew continue to die, Chakotay tries to convince Janeway to return to the Demon planet, reminding her that Earth is not their home.

Ultimately, Course: Oblivion is a weak choice, not just for this box set but as an episode in general. Once it becomes apparent that mere ‘copies’ of the Voyager crew are dying, we’re left unsympathetic to their plight. The ending suffers from an almost throwaway gesture as the real Voyager crew encounter the debris and move on with their own journey home.

Other notable episodes include fan favourites – TNG’s Yesterday’s Enterprise and The Inner Light and TOS’s The Enemy Within.

Extras include past cast and crew members taking about each of the episodes and themes presented on the box set. Five commentary tracks are available with one on each disc in the set. “Crossover” offers a commentary by David Livingston, “Parallels” has Brannon Braga talking about it, “The Enemy Within” features Garfield and Judith Reveves- Stevens, “Yesterday’s Enterprise” is commentated by Davide Carson, and “Twilight” is discussed by Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill. The Original Series, TNG, DS9, and Voyager are presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratios, while Enterprise comes with an anamorphic widescreen. The episodes here are presented with options for 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby Digital English tracks. The Original Series episodes are taken from the recently remastered editions.

Ultimately, if you already have each of the completed series on video (remember VHS?) or DVD, you may want to forego purchasing the Star Trek: Alternate Realities DVD box set. Unless of course it makes your collection more complete. However for the more casual sci-fi fan or for those Star Trek fans who do not have all 5 complete series, Star Trek: Alternate Realities features on the whole an excellent selection from the Star Trek universe and makes a very good addition to any DVD collection.

If you’re interested, buy it now from our Amazon UK or Amazon USA stores now. Alternatively enter our Star Trek Competition where you can not only win yourself a copy of the Star Trek: Alternate Realities DVD box set but also the Blu-ray editions of Star Trek: The Original Series (season 1) and Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection (1-6).

Incidentally, the previous 5 collections can be bought a single box set [Amazon UK (US import) | Amazon USA].

Complete contents

Disc One: Mirror Universe

• Mirror, Mirror -The Original Series
• Crossover – Deep Space Nine [+ audio commentary]
• Through The Looking Glass – Deep Space Nine
• Shattered Mirror – Deep Space Nine
• Mirror Universe Part 1 featurette

Disc Two: Mirror Universe & Parallel Dimensions

• In A Mirror Darkly (Part 1) – Enterprise
• In A Mirror Darkly (Part 2) – Enterprise
• Mirror Universe Part 2 featurette
• The Alternative Factor – The Original Series
• Parallels – The Next Generation [+ audio commentary]
• Parallel Dimensions featurette

Disc Three: Twisted Realities

• The Enemy Within -The Original Series [+ audio commentary]
• Turnabout Intruder -The Original Series
• Frame of Mind – The Next Generation
• Shattered – Voyager
• Twisted Realities featurette

Disc Four: Alternate Lives

• Yesterday’s Enterprise – The Next Generation [+ audio commentary]
• The Inner Light – The Next Generation
• The Visitor – Deep Space Nine
• Before And After – Voyager
• Alternate Lives Part 1 featurette

Disc Five: Alternate Lives

• Timeless – Voyager
• Course: Oblivion – Voyager
• Twilight – Enterprise [+ audio commentary]
• E2 – Enterprise
• Alternate Lives Part 2 featurette

Written and directed by James Watkins (Writer of The Descent 2)

Primary school teacher Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and her boyfriend Steve (Michael Fassbender) head out of London for a weekend break at a beautiful secluded lake. Steve has chosen the romantic spot, and is waiting for the perfect moment to surprise Jenny with a marriage proposal.

They pitch a tent, go swimming, sunbathe, and enjoy the peace – until it is shattered by a group of rowdy, threatening teenagers. When Steve confronts the group about their behaviour, a fight breaks out, and Steve accidentally kills gang leader Brett’s dog.

Suddenly the couple’s idyllic getaway turns into a survival nightmare, as they are forced into the forest to escape the vengeance of their pursuers. Separated from Steve, Jenny has to draw on unknown reserves of strength– and mercilessness – to survive.

Also starring Jack O’Connell (Skins) and Thomas Turgoose (This is England, Somers Town).

Eden Lake turned out to be a harder film for Drew and I to watch and review than expected. First all there was the preconception that this was going to be a slasher flick of some variety, not one of Drew’s favourite genre’s. Me, I’m usually less fussed about the quality of a film and I’ll watch it right to the end.

At first Eden Lake felt like it was trying to be one of those American horror movies where a couple, family or group off friends venture of the beaten track and encounter a situation that will ultimately end up with a body count. This did not bode well for us viewing the movie as it didn’t feel right for that sort of story to be set in Britain. As we started to get into the main part of the story, a gang of youths testing the boundaries of a couple camping on the shores of Eden Lake, we started to get very uncomfortable. I think we tried to dismiss this feeling with our preconceptions that Eden Lake was trying to be the English equivalent of Wrong Turn, with happy slapping teenagers instead of mutants. It was at this point that we stopped watching the first, no frills time coded, check disc we were sent and returned it to the promotional company.

Not long after and we were offered the chance to see the final DVD copy that’s out on 19th January 2009 and so I thought, “why not?” and decided to give Eden Lake another viewing. This time I thought I’d start with the extras, featuring interviews with the stars and the writer/director James Watkins. It was this interview with James that helped me understand why we felt uncomfortable watching Eden Lake. It was too close to home…

Kelly Reilly as Jenny

The director himself tells a tale of an encounter he had, where he is forced to think whether to say something to intimidating teens or to just leave it. We ourselves have been in the same position before Drew and I made the move to creamy Devoniashire. We used to lived in urban London, and quite a posh bit at that. However, as is mostly the case in an inner city, there are always areas of poverty and trouble right next to the nicer parts of town. In the year before we left London a gang of youths made living on our road a nightmare. A car was set on fire almost spreading to a building via a tree, neighbours windows were smashed, cars broken into and the block was cordoned because of a fire at an garage which contain welding equipment including acetylene gas. For us it was one of the worse times we had at that house.

Seeing a gang of youths terrorising people in Eden Lake was not entertainment to us. It was, albeit an exaggerated one, a view of what occurs in inner cities, what occurred on our road. Gang culture, binge drinking, violence, all topped off with recording crime on camera phones for uploading to YouTube. It is a painful reminder of the generational divide between adults and the young. Gone is any respect between the two, only to be replaced by fear and loathing.

What makes Eden Lake even more horrific is the setting for the tragic events in the story, the countryside. What should have been an idyllic weekend away from the city in the countryside begins with obnoxious behaviour and theft, culminating in confrontation and death. Placing the events away from an inner city environment and taking it into the English countryside, a place of rural peace makes for more disturbing viewing.

Jenny and Steve fooling around in the Lake

The adult actors, Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender do a very good job as the teacher turned survivor and the brave or indeed foolish man who stands up to the young group. However it is the teen cast who do a fantastic job of playing the troublesome group, leaving the viewer shocked as the events fold out. Of note is the leader of this gang, Brett (played by Jack O’Connell), who in one point of view scene is seen punching and kicking the audience a la Vinnie Jones’ Big Chris from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. In fact I think Jack O’Connell is more ferocious as the violent teen, making for a much scarier scene.

Ultimately, as is the case from films in this genre, there is a twist at the end of the story. Given it’s more rural setting, where communities are closer and pull together in times of trouble and need, perhaps it is not surprising that Jenny and Steve find themselves in a lot more danger than first thought.

I’m very glad I gave Eden Lake a second viewing, as uncomfortable as it was, and heartily recommend it.

Released on 19th January 2009, Eden Lake is an exceptional British horror movie. Terrifyingly realistic, it feels like it could easily have been based on a true story. A shocking view at the gang culture in Britain today.

Thomas Turgoose as the youngest gang member Cooper

DVD/Blu Ray Extras
Interview with James Watkins / Interview with Kelly Reilly / Interview with Thomas Turgoose / Interview with Michael Fassbender / Interview with Christian Colson / Behind the scenes / Q & A with Director James Watkins / TV spots
Theatrical trailer / Extreme trailer / Subtitles for HOH

Tech specs
Release Date: 19th January 2009
Region 2
Cert: 18
Feature Running Time: 87 mins approx
Feature Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Colour PAL
Audio: Stereo, 5.1
English Language

Surviving each floor is the name of the game

Just when you thought New Year couldn’t get any worse….Seven adventurous partygoers find themselves trapped in a sadistic game of death after accepting an invitation to a mysterious party.

It’s New Year’s Eve, and a group of revellers are living it up on the roof of an abandoned skyscraper when five of the guests receive an intriguing text message. According to the sender, there’s an exclusive VIP party happening on the twenty seventh floor, and they’re all invited.

Once on the floor, however, the five guests and two party crashers quickly realize that they have fallen into a trap. The only way off of this floor is to follow a series of morbid clues left by a murderous psychopath. But who conceived these deadly games, and why have they targeted this specific group?

Revenge is a trap.

This was a bit of a surprise for us here at the Gay Sci-Fi Nerds Podcast Show as the check disc for Steel Trap turned up with a copy of Eden Lake (review to follow). Not one that I’d heard of, I decided to look it up on the Internet using all the usual sources, and well let’s just say they were mixed. Though mostly bad. We had a friend who is really into horror films,coming over for dinner and so we decided give Steel Trap a go.

With a promising idea, a cross between Saw and Cube, a group of people trapped in a building with a potential for a number of Saw like games the film was severely lacking in a number of aspects.

First of all where were the Saw like games and traps which the audience is led to believe there are? Each of the party goers are given place cards with nicknames such as Loser, Lover Boy, Heartless and Pig. A gruesome foreshadowing of the killers intent? Yes and no in a manner of sorts. The masked killer, who neither has the presence or memorability of any masked villain (think Scream, Saw, Halloween etc) , manually dispatches his victims. No weird or elaborate machinations resulting in a painful torture scene, before a blood splattering death. It leaves the self titled building woefully under used, some locked doors and a few electric barriers, shepherding the body count.

Next, the script, the acting and even the quality of the picture. They’re all bad and in fact so is most of the film. The dialogue is continually made up of one liners designed to make the characters look very cool, even when faced with being stalked in a sealed building with a psychopathic killer. The acting is either very wooden or barely tolerable, and don’t get me started on the scene where Georgia Mackenzie, playing Kathy, has to portray having a seizure. It was terribly acted and filmed from an unflattering camera angle i.e. the cameraman was standing right over her with the camera pointing directly on her face. It was laughable and not in a good way. The picture quality looks like it was made as a TV or direct to DVD movie and looked very grainy on our large TV. Perhaps a poor conversion from NTSC to Pal?

There are two death scenes which are good, more so because the others were generally adequate. However it is the twist and the ending that sets this above a number of other low budget horror films. It was expected and at the very least left us thinking “okay, not too bad”, rather than “oh god that was mediocre”.

That said, our horror fan friend spent most of the time texting on her mobile phone…

An average horror flick that fails to live up to expectation, but a good twist at the end leaves the viewer not too disappointed.

DVD Extras
Making of Featurette

Cast & Crew
Georgia Mackenzie: Kathy
Mark Wilson: Wade
Pascal Langdale: Robert
Luis Camara: Director/ Writer
Gabrielle Galanter: Writer

DVD Technical Information
Release Date: 15th January 2009
Distributor: Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK
Copyright: © 2008 Lions Gate Home Entertainment UK Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Running time: 89 mins
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic 1.78:1
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Languages: English
Hearing Impaired: English for the hearing impaired
Cert: 18

Drew and I unfortunately missed The Midnight Meat Train when it was shown in this year’s FrightFest and again when we were invited to an interview session with the man himself, Clive Barker (sometimes, living in Devon has its real drawbacks). I’m a pretty big fan of Clive Barker’s work, especially his earlier books and of course the first Hellraiser as well as Nightbreed. Having met Clive Barker twice over 17 years ago I was really sad that I couldn’t make it to the interview opportunity.

Lucky for us, our man on the inside (actually he works for the company doing the promotion for the film), sent Drew and I a copy of the film to review before its main release this Friday.

Next stop, death

When his latest body of work – provocative, nighttime studies of the city and its inhabitants — earns struggling photographer Leon Kaufman (Bradley Cooper) interest from a prominent art gallerist (Brooke Shields), she propels him to get grittier and show the darker side of humanity for his upcoming debut at her downtown art space.

Believing he’s finally on track for success, Leon’s obsessive pursuit of dark subject matter leads him into the path of a serial killer, Mahogany (Vinnie Jones), the subway murderer who stalks late-night commuters — ultimately butchering them in the most gruesome ways imaginable.

With his concerned girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb) fearing for his life, Leon’s relentless fascination with Mahogany lures him further and further into the bowels of the subways and ultimately into an abyss of pure evil – inadvertently pulling Maya right along with him.

Drew – It is really weird how the presence of ROGER BART (aka. the psycho pharmacist who fatally got on the wrong side of Desperate Housewives’ Bree) reassured me that The Midnight Meat Train was going to be a journey I wanted to take!

Slasher movies, teen gore and morally repugnant horror are simply not my thing and frankly annoy me. Clive Barker, his movies, books and art inhabit a peculiar and uncomfortable zone. He can haphazardly slop very close to being annoying.

Thankfully, TMMT stays right on track and dishes out a good dollop of old fashioned horror and it certainly gets you to your scary destination, just about on time! This is largely due to the presence of not just Roger Bart but also Bradley Cooper – Leon (Wedding Crashers and Wet Hot American Summer) and Leslie Bibb – Maya (Ironman). Bradley, by the way, is about to hit the A list movie glitterati, soon to be starring opposite Affleck, Barrymore & Carey and that’s just the ABC’s. Believe me, this boys star is on the way up. He has to bridge two persona’s in this movie and achieves something that his co-star Vinnie Jones – Mahogany (Nasty Fucking Git), will never do.

Vinnie is menacing, and this is where Clive Barker & his director Ryuhei Kitamura get so close to slopping over in to the annoying. I was so glad when I realised Vinnie only opens his mouth to speak one word! Make no mistake, this is not a daft Vinnie appearance. He gets to wear on the outside, what we all know is lurking only partly leashed, on the inside. He is a right bastard.

Calling this movie The Midnight Meat Train is a calculated gamble on the part of Barker, as no doubt many movie goers, my self included, might be put off from seeing it simply because of the word ‘Meat’ in the title. Barker just has to get so close to being irritating, and yet manages to get away with it, a bit like Vinnie Jones perhaps?

So many horror movies pushed out these days should be cut and dumped amid the bright red fake blood and wobbly rubber body parts, but not this one.

TMMT is a good scary flick, go and see this movie as it is a classy piece of horror.

Skip – It’s always difficult for me to review a horror movie, because anything that is closely related to horror and I’m there and having fun like the proverbial pig in shit. It doesn’t matter how well or badly they are reviewed, I’ll always find something that has me hooked enough to continue watching from behind my bucket of popcorn.

With Clive Barker’s works put onto celluloid, it can sometimes be a mixed bag, though I blame the studios more for this. Clive Barker movies have given us some of the most iconic characters from horror to splatter across the screen, most notably Hellraiser’s Pinhead and Candyman’s Daniel Robitaille.

Unfortunately they fall foul to the same need to make money and turn it into a franchise. While the two Candyman sequels didn’t have the same impact as the first (the first film scared the heebie jeebies out of me), the Hellraiser franchise hasn’t faired so well and with a possible remake of the original looming close, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy The Midnight Meat Train.

Like Drew, I’m glad to have been proved wrong. What starts off as a serial killer movie, The Midnight Meat Train progresses into a story of dark obsessions, age old secrets and conspiracy, and ultimately the supernatural – as Leon’s (Bradley Cooper) photography crosses paths with the silent and menacing killer Mahogany (Vinnie Jones).

While the cast do a great job, for me the casting of Vinnie Jones was just perfect, he does what come natural to him… Silent. Scary. Sadistic. You know when Vinnie’s on screen he’s going to deliver. Such is the intensity of his portrayal of Mahogany, especially when he’s working his way through a train of unsuspecting victims, I can easily say it’s his best performance yet. Not bad for an English ex-footballer. Mahogany may not be as iconic as Pinhead or Daniel Robitaille, but he’s very close to Nightbreed’s psychotic psychiatrist Dr. Philip K. Decker (as played by director David Cronenberg).

And speaking of victims, Ted Raimi makes a brief but welcome return to a Clive Barker film after playing the role of Billy in Candyman, who chickens out of saying “Candyman” in the mirror for a fifth time, before his girlfriend does.

As for the film, although there are some very graphic scenes, fans will recognise the style of director Ryuhei Kitamura’s other films such as Versus and the two Azumi. Though I suspect with a bigger budget, Ryuhei Kitamura latest offering it is a huge improvement in terms of delivering visceral horror. And while the subject matter is gruesome (a serial killing butcher carving up meat), it has nothing in common with films like the Hostel and Saw series.

The director does seem to rush the ending and the big reveal happens a bit too quickly in my opinion, likewise with the supernatural tone of story. While Mahogany’s strength and perception of Leon following him does suggest an unnerving or unnatural ability to sense those around him, the explanation is only shown at the end of the movie with the reveal.

Barker hopes that the film will offer audiences an experience that will dare them to keep looking at the screen. And he notes that there is also a lot of character development in the film. “I think you’re going to care about these people,” he says. “We’ve got some wonderful performances and marvelous actors. It’s not a simple story. It’s a complex tale of somebody giving up their social identity and their identity as a lover to become something else, to become a servant of darkness, which is a choice we perhaps all sometimes have to make.”

I agree with what Clive Barker says about the character development as both Drew and I cared for the characters, most notably Bradley Cooper’s Leon as he descended not only into the subway but into darkness and Leslie Bibb’s Maya, as she desperately attempts to save him from his obsession with Mahogany and the evil around him. The Midnight Meat Train is good horror and one to watch this Halloween. It also has the added bonus of putting a Clive Barker story back onto the big screen, which in my book of blood is a very good thing.

The Midnight Meat Train is out on general release in the UK Friday 31st October 2008.

A very lovely lady over at digital marketing agency Hyperlaunch has kindly given the Gay Sci-Fi Nerds a review copy of the [adult swim] new DVD release, Robot Chicken: Star Wars out on DVD 11th August 2008. So here is a shameless plug as we review Robot Chicken: Star Wars.

Now Drew and I have spent a few late nights watching [adult swim] on the Bravo channel in the UK. Actually, it’s mostly me doing the watching while Drew is surfing the Internet or something as he’s not too much of a cartoon fan. One thing that Drew and I have in common is that we’ve never managed to watch an episode of Robot Chicken. The other thing we have in common is the hots for red heads like Seth Green. There’s something about red haired guys that’s absolutely hot which people in the UK normally just don’t get. I’m finding Michael C. Hall in Dexter especially hunky.

In modern-day UK, despite (or because of) being one of the places with the highest populations of redheads, the words “ginger” or “ginga” are derogatorily used to describe red-headed people, with terms such as “gingerphobia” (fear of redheads) or “gingerism” (prejudice against redheads) used by the media. Redheads are also sometimes referred to disparagingly as “carrot tops” and “carrot heads”. “Gingerism” has been compared to racism, although this is widely disputed and bodies such as the UK Commission for Racial Equality do not monitor cases of discrimination and hate crimes against redheads. A UK woman recently won an award from a tribunal after being sexually harassed and receiving abuse because of her red hair; a family in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, was forced to move twice after being targeted for abuse and hate crime on account of their red hair; and in 2003, a 20 year old was stabbed in the back for “being ginger.”

What’s all this got to do with Robot Chicken: Star Wars? Well Seth Green is the Director and one of the writers on this 22-minute extravaganza of sketches all related to Star Wars . The episode was nominated for an Emmy (Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)) in 2008.

Robot Chicken: Star Wars features 33 skits and a Star Wars themed Robot Chicken opening intro and a end credits. Some are credibly short like the Jawa in the Mos Eisley Cantina who shouts “Martini!” instead of the Jawa’s usual call of “Utini!” to the longer skits such as Luke Skywalker having a “Yo Mamma Fight” against Emperor Palpatine. Darth Vader announces the fight to others and keeps score. It would be wrong to review every single skit here but we can honestly say that every single one of them had us laughing. It does help if you’re a Star Wars fan as most of the jokes involves scenes and situation taken from the franchise.

The most notable skits include Darth Vader’s collect call to the Emperor informing him of the destruction of the first Death Star; A Day in the life of Ponda Baba as we find out what exactly he was saying to Luke Skywalker in the Cantina before Obi-Wan Kenobi slices his arm off with a lightsaber; Orientation day, as a bunch of new Death Star recruits are told how to react when Darth Vader “uses the Force” death grip on them; and George Dubya Bush as a Jedi.

The best skit has to be the one featuring Han Solo frozen in Carbonite while Boba Fett tries to impress Han with his bounty hunter skills saying “you like that don’t you”. Fett then proceeds to lust over Han Solo, stroking him before reaching up and holding Han’s hand (Editor’s note: I told you that Boba Fett was gay here, which explains why the Clone Troopers are behaving in this manner).

The most annoying skit (and rightly so) is the Jar Jar Binks and Darth Vader reunion as Binks continues to call Vader by his childhood cosename “Ani”; in order to get rid of him, Vader throws him out an airlock into space. Later, however, as Vader prepares to sleep, he is woken up by Jar Jar, who has returned as a Force ghost. Ahmed Best returns to the role of Binks and provides the voice again.

In fact in a skit featuring George Lucas, La Georgina himself provides his own voice, thus giving Robot Chicken: Star Wars his seal of approval. And here at the Gay Sci-Fi Nerds podcast show, we give our approval too!

Robot Chicken: Star Wars is available on DVD in the UK on 11th August 2008. If you’re on Facebook, you can access wallpapers, video clips, with more to come by becoming become a fan of Robot Chicken: Star Wars by clicking here.

Drew and I like to go to the theatre on occasion, mostly for comedy rather than serious performances. We also like a good musical too like Chicago or Wicked, but most definitely not The Lord of the Rings. So after I had emailed Drew that Dionne Warwick was performing at the Princess Theatre in Torquay, he rushed down there to buy himself and his mother (he’s a good boy), tickets (not for me as it’s not really me). Also bought quite a few more including tickets for Frankie Boyle and Jo Brand as well as a pair for the One Man Star Wars show starring Charles “one man” Ross.

Now you see, Drew knew I would be excited by all of these. Some more than others, but most definitely by Frankie, Jo and the One Man Star Wars show. I like Frankie because of his sometimes disgustingly un-politically correct humour, Jo for her amble bosom and love of chocolate, and finally Charles Ross in the One Man Star Wars show, because HELLO, it’s STAR WARS.

Now having bought the tickets, Drew suddenly decided that he wanted to back out of going. Perhaps it was because I didn’t want to see the Sing-a-long Hairspray that he also bought tickets for. If it was the Rikki Lake version, I’d be there, but it wasn’t, so I won’t. I now had to find someone to go with me for last Friday night’s (25th July) performance. I was thinking of asking a fellow sci-fi nerd who is a big fan of Star Wars (see Generation Star Wars), but he was out of town, so I decided to ask my fag hag Miss Mina instead. She’s not your usual type of fag hag, she’s into performing burlesque, loves sci-fi and horror and is covered in tattoos. Lucky for Drew she agreed to a night out on the town that is Torquay.

Typically things were not going smoothly that evening. The cleaner kept me talking while I wanted to to get into the shower. Drew couldn’t decided whether he was going to join us for an evening supper or not. I’d left my wallet at work, so I had to go there before picking up Miss Mina. We were running late and didn’t think we’d be able to eat, but lucky for us, our waitress for the evening was a friend of Miss Mina and we were served drinks, food and bill in half an hour. So we had a nice stroll along the promenade up to the theatre, not entirely knowing what to expect.

We handed over our tickets, bought some munchies and took to our seats. I have to say that I was surprised by the lack of people in the auditorium. Now to put things into perspective, Torquay is a small seaside town, but still, there couldn’t have been more than fifty people in the theatre. This was not looking promising…

The warm up act was a comedian by the name of Graham Clark, who like Charles Ross was Canadian. Although Graham’s routine started without much response from the audience he soon got everybody laughing. The jokes were clean, something Graham may have been struggling with, but a lot of them were specifically about Torbay and since there was only one night’s performance, he did really good. He also said “awesome”, a lot. There was a short interval so I went and bought some drinks and we settled down with munchies and liquid refreshments and waited for Charles Ross to start the One Man Star Wars show.

What we were subjected to was one of the funniest scripts and mime acting to perfectly condense and describe the original Star Wars trilogy in one hour. From the way that Charles uses his body to portray the different space craft, his arms to visually describe the opening credits and a disco ball and some stage lights to dazzle the audience when both Death Stars are destroyed, we were pretty much laughing all the way though. Peppered throughout the performance are small jokes such as Obi Wan Kenobi’s nose doing a Pinocchio when he tells Luke that his father was betrayed and murdered by Darth Vader to Han Solo asking why Leia kept of kissing Luke in the manner that she did, seeing as he is her twin.

However, despite all of this people were walking out before the end of the show. This was really sad as Charles Ross’ performance was funny and engaging. The first couple left as he was about to kick start Return of the Jedi. In fact Charles stopped the show to make light of the situation, reminding people that he’d picked the most obvious title he could think of that best describes the show One Man Star Wars. The next lot of people left just before the end of episode VI. Really stupid as they missed his Mark Hamil realisation that his last words were “Father, I won’t leave you” and that he’d never work in something as successful again.

Why did these people leave? My guess would be that they were chav scum holiday makers who had no sense of imagination or actually what they’d bought tickets for. There were still plenty of people who enjoyed Charles Ross in the One Man Star Wars show, as evidenced by the laughing in the audience.

After Charles Ross finished the final act, he sat on the stage and explained how he started with a small comedy sketch which snowballed into performing the show to four thousand people at a convention, invited to do so by Lucas Films. How he thought that Lucas would shut him down, but was embraced and allowed to continue the One Man Star Wars show (25% of the takings going to Lucas Film). And also how he started and One Man Lord of the Rings show, which Ian McKellen saw and stamped his seal of approval, only for someone (I forget who) to slap him with a cease and desist order. Charles Ross remarked that it was probably something to do with the timing and The Lord of the Rings musical about to start its run, and looked what happened to that…

I hope Charles Ross wasn’t too despondent with how he perceived the show went. Torquay is a small seaside town that is beset each summer by the worse hive of scum and villainy.

Those of us who live here all year round and are true sci-fi nerds knew what we were letting ourselves in for, and we had a fantastic time.