Torchwood

By Ian M. Cullen

Everything Changes was the first episode of the first season of Torchwood, and one can’t but help wonder if that episode title was to lead to some of the changes we’ll likely see in the third season, which is all one five hour story arc, titled Children Of Earth.

One of the first major changes for Torchwood season three is new producer Peter Bennett who is taking over that role from Richard Stokes, who produced all of last seasons episodes. Bennet is a producer who has over time risen through the ranks, and has 30 - year’s worth of experience behind him. Over the course of his career he has worked on both television and movies. Some of his highlights include two Bond movies, Hart To Hart and more recently just before getting work on Doctor Who and Torchwood he was a First Assistant Director on the hit movie Syirana.

While talking to Torchwood Magazine Bennett shared a little insight about his role as the producer, and gave a few insights about the new alien race known as the 456.

When talking about his favourite moments about working on season three of the series, Bennett talked about shooting one scene where the actor’s performances were so spot on, that “you could hear a pin drop” after the performance. But the one experience, which really opened his eyes were the story meetings, which took place during the shows pre - production back in March of 2008.

“We sat round a table and came up with the first ideas for the series. I’d never been involved at that stage before, so it was great to sit there with Russell and Julie and Euros as everyone pitched their ideas. You start off with a blank page, and by the end of the meeting you’ve got some kind of structure to go away and think about. To see that from the beginning was a definite highlight.”

When asked about his reaction to those early story ideas, Bennett revealed that it was very different after having done 26 stand-alone stories for season one and two.

“Russell wanted to take this series to another level, and the ideas that came out of that were very bold, very epic. When I first saw the concept designs for the 456, I thought they looked brilliant! I think we’ve captured that look and that feel, and I’m very proud of that.”

When asked to talk a little about the new aliens, known as 456, Bennett chose his words very carefully.

“Ah, it’s a tricky one, because I don’t want to give too much away! I can tell you that they’re named after the radio wavelength on which they first communicate with Earth, and what Millennium FX has done looks fantastic! As I say, those first drawings were great, but they were drawings, and when you saw them, you got to see the whole thing in one go. What we’ve now filmed is even better, because you only see glimpses, and you’re desperately trying to see everything, in all its raw huge, scary horror. It’s one of those monsters where less is more, I think. It’s very atmospheric.”

You can read much more of this interview with Torchwood Producer Peter Bennett in the new issue of Torchwood Magazine, which is out now.

Sir Michael Grade Chairman Of ITV

By Ian M. Cullen

A long time ago… in a decade not so long ago. There lived a fiendish man far worse than the Daleks, and he wielded far more power than The Master. His name was Michael Grade, and he made himself public enemy number one with most Doctor Who fans when he did everything in his power as a BBC executive to cancel the series, so he could bore us all to death with loads of snooker, and drive us all to suicide with soaps such as EastEnders.

Grade managed to cancel the show for a first time, when he forced the series to take an 18 month break, only he suffered the wrath of the fans, and eventually had to reverse his decision and bring the show back, with one stipulation. Sixth Doctor Who Colin Baker was given the sack, and was replaced by Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy, and thus the series trundled on for a few more years, with a vastly reduced budget thanks to evil Darth Grades dislike of the series, and at the time Sci-Fi in general.

Eventually after having pitted The Doctor up against the UK’s highest rated TV show of the 80’s Grade managed to get his wish and cancel Doctor Who once and for all, just before leaving the BBC to take on a post at Channel 4.

Now Grade is highly placed as Chairman of the BBC’s main rival ITV, and in a recent interview on Monday’s edition of The Today Show on Radio 4. He admitted defeat and told presenter Sarah Montague that he was wrong.

Back in the 80s Grade had called the series “Rubbish” and “a waste of license payers money.” But since then, thanks to Timelord mind manipulation technology Grade has done a complete U - Turn.

“The Doctor’s back, he has beaten me,” Grade proclaimed. “It was a very clunky studio show, it was as if the producers had not been to see any Spielberg films, or Star Wars. It got left behind. Now of course the filmic quality, the production values that BBC Wales has put into the show has transformed it and I have to admit that I am now a keen viewer. I am recording it of course, because I am watching ITV.”

If you missed the show and can’t believe what your reading. You can check out the program via radio 4’s Today Program Website.

By Ian M. Cullen

Below is the UK DVD Chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company for week starting Monday 5, January and ending on 12, January. All DVD’s are hot linked to Amazon.co.uk

Batman Dark Knight at the top of the UK DVD Chart

Not all the movies below are Sci-Fi.

1. Batman Dark Knight
2. Mamma Mia - The Movie
3. Iron Man
4. I Am Legend
5. Lee Evens - Big - Live At The O2
6. Blood Diamond
7. Sex And The City - The Movie
8. No Country For Old Men
9. Hot Fuzz
10. Michael Mcintyre - Live & Laughing

Copyright © The Official UK Charts company 2008

By Ian M. Cullen

According to a report at Hollywood Reporter Horton Hears a Who! Director Jimmy Hayward has signed up to director the new comic book movie Jonah Hex.

Actor Josh Brolin is attached to play the title role, which previously had Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank) on board as directors. Neveldine and Taylor both penned the script but bowed out of the project in November citing creative differences.

The studio hopes to start production on Hex in March of this year, and fast tracked their search for a new director with a short list that included such illustrious talent as McG and Andy Fickman.

Jonah Hex was dreamed up by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga for DC Comics in 1972. His first appearance being in a revived series, All-Star Western (Issue #10), which was renamed as Weird Western Tales for its twelfth issue.

The right side of his face is horribly distinctly scarred. He was an officer for the Confederacy during the American Civil War, fought at Gettysburg and is normally shown wearing a tattered Confederate States Army jacket. Hex is surly and cynical, and is in many ways similar to Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name or The Outlaw Josey Wales.

As the comic book series progressed, so did the plot lines. After a time the stories would use Sci-Fi and Supernatural plot devices in order to keep the characters fresh, by upping to odds stacked against them. In one mini series Hex is transported to the 21st century as a kind of Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic warrior, in other stories he takes on zombies, spirit people and even an H.P. Lovecraft-style monster.

Neveldine and Taylor’s script reportedly includes the supernatural elements, and the studio will likely keep the script, though it’s expected that Hayward will put his stamp on it.

By Ian M. Cullen

Tim Roth who played the dule role of Emil Blonsky and The Abomination in last years Incredible Hulk movie, told assorted reporters that he was up for more.

During a press event attended by SciFi Wire the actor revealed that he’d signed a contract to do three movies for the superheroe series, and was open to do more once a script is finalised for the proposed third movie in the series.

“Yeah, they’ve got me for three,” Roth said in a group interview on Monday, Jan. 5, in Culver City, Calif., on the set of his new Fox drama Lie to Me. “If we do one,” he added.

At present a script for the third movie is in the works, and Roth says that if director Louis Leterrier stays with the franchise, then he’s likely to be happy with whatever role they want the Abomination to play in the movie.

Roth’s commitment to Lie to Me still leaves him open to make films during the hiatuses, as he already has. “Between the pilot and when we started, I did one, and then in the hiatus I’m going to do one as well,” he said. “So I’ll be in and out of film. Then they’ll let us know at some point in February if we’re going to carry on doing this.”

PRESS RELEASE

NEW YORK - January 6, 2009 - The Wagner/Cuban Companies’ Magnet Releasing (www.magnetreleasing.com) announced today that it has acquired US rights to the sci-fi/action epic, MUTANT CHRONICLES. With an impressive ensemble cast, including Thomas Jane (THE MIST), Ron Perlman (HELLBOY), Devon Aoki (SIN CITY) and John Malkovich, MUTANT CHRONICLES boasts incredible special effects and riveting, action-packed battle sequences in a painstakingly crafted post-apocalyptic landscape. An Edward R. Pressman production directed by Simon Hunter and written by Philip Eisner, the film is long anticipated by fans of the Mutant Chronicles intellectual property, which is owned by Paradox Entertainment and based on a classic role-playing game that has already inspired card games, video games, novels, comic books and collectible miniatures. As part of the Wagner/Cuban Companies’ Ultra VOD program, MUTANT CHRONICLES will premiere on VOD on Friday, March 27th, 2009, followed by a theatrical release in select cities on Friday, April 24th.

MUTANT CHRONICLES is set in the year 2707, on an unrecognizable Earth where a war is raging between four giant corporations who control the planet as they battle over the planet’s dwindling resources. This war is soon rendered irrelevant when an errant bomb shatters an ancient buried seal, releasing a horrific mutant army from its prison deep within the earth. As the mutant scourge threatens human extinction, a squad of ragged soldiers, led by Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane), descends into the earth in a last ditch effort to destroy the mutants and save mankind.

“MUTANT CHRONICLES is a blast,” said Magnolia Pictures President Eamonn Bowles. “It’s an action-packed thriller with a dynamite cast and very impressive production values. We’re thrilled to add it to Magnet’s slate of quality genre pictures.”

“Simon Hunter is an exciting cinematic talent who has created a provocative world for MUTANT CHRONICLES,” said producer Edward R. Pressman. “I see in Simon the rare visionary quality that was evident to me when working with Sam Raimi, Alex Proyas, and Brian De Palma on their early films. MUTANT CHRONICLES is just the beginning for him.”

Producers on the film, in addition to Pressman, include Tim Dennison, Peter La Terriere, Stephen Belafonte, and Pras Michel. Grosvenor Park and Isle of Man were the principal financiers. The deal was negotiated by Magnet/Magnolia Senior Vice President Tom Quinn and Head of Business Affairs Jason Janego with Cinetic Media, who negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers.

About Magnet

Magnet is the recently launched genre arm of Magnolia Pictures (www.magpictures.com <http://www.magpictures.com/> ) specializing in films from the vanguard of horror, action, comedy and Asian cinema, such as LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, the most critically acclaimed foreign film of 2008. Magnolia Pictures is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also include the Landmark Theatres chain, the production company 2929 Productions, and high-definition cable networks HDNet and HDNet Movies.

Tenth Doctor Toy from Character Options

BBC Worldwide has deemed Doctor Who not just a ratings-winning TV show but also one of its “priority licensing brands” for 2009 and beyond, and announced a renewal and extension of its master toy license with Character Options.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of Matt Smith’s casting as the new Doctor for eason five, which will screen in 2010. Character Options, the master toy partner since 2005, will lead the development of new product featuring Smith. BBC Worldwide will develop new style elements for licensees for season five, with products expected to hit retail in summer 2010.

“We’re thrilled about the announcement of Matt Smith as the new Doctor, not least because of the opportunities it gives our creative team and licensees,” said Neil Ross Russell, the managing director of BBC Worldwide Children’s and Licensing, who assumed his role of what licensing magazine License Global says is the 27th richest licensing body in the world, above the NHL, WWE and Coca Cola, last August.

“Doctor Who is a long-term priority for us as a commercial business and with Matt on board,” he says. “We will be looking to develop a new style guide with fresh creative elements to inspire our licensing partners.”

Russell reports to Peter Phippen, Managing Director of BBC Magazines, which could suggest he will have an eye on further developments for the licensed magazines such as Panini’s Doctor Who Magazine and the BBC’s own Doctor Who Adventures.

With a background in strategy and business development, Russell was previously Business Development Director for Sparrowhawk Media Group, now part of NBC Universal. One of his key achievements there was the creation of the ground-breaking digital independent children’s channel KidsCo, a three –way joint venture between Sparrowhawk, DIC Entertainment and Nelvana.

Russell is keen to exploit BBC brands, although conscious that the UK is not as developed in the licensing arena as US companies. “As downloads increase and people consume more TV online, you’re going to see a time where merchandising becomes part of the marketing for a show as well as a revenue stream,” he told The Guardian back in December.

Doctor Who merchandise slated for release this year includes Time Squad collectible figures in the spring and repackaged and revamped Cyberman ‘Age of Steel’ products.

Over 125 million pairs of FREE Intel 3D glasses will be disseminated via 25,000 SoBe Lifewater retail displays in grocery, drug and other retail venues beginning in early January and will be free to consumers. (Photo: Business Wire)

Even in an age of fragmented TV audiences the US Super Bowl remains ‘event television’ and prompts companies to vie for something memorable when it comes to plugging their products and launches in the ad breaks. This year, DreamWorks Animation and PepsiCo’s SoBe Lifewater have announced that they have joined together with Intel Corporation and NBC to create a first-of-its kind, nationwide ‘Monstrous’ 3D event for Super Bowl XLIII to promote the upcoming animated feature Monsters Vs. Aliens.

This first-ever all 3D Super Bowl commercial break event will mark the debut of DreamWorks Animation’s premier 3D movie trailer Monsters vs. Aliens, released in the US on 27th March.

DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens, the Company’s first InTru 3D release, opens nationwide March 27, 2009, and will be distributed by Paramount Pictures. When California girl Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. The military jumps into action and Susan is captured and secreted away to a covert government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country.

In a moment of desperation, the President is persuaded to enlist the motley crew of monsters to combat the Alien Robot and save the world from imminent destruction.

The film features  the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Kiefer Sutherland and Paul Rudd and is directed by Rob Letterman (Shark Tale) and Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2). A 2D version will also be available.

The SuperBowl timeslot will also feature a 60-second 3D SoBe Lifewater commercial marking the return of the ultra-hip SoBe lizards, who made noise during last year’s Super Bowl broadcast with one of the most talked about spots.

DreamWorks Animation’s history-making 3D movie trailer was animated using Intel’s latest, high-performance processing technologies and will be broadcasted along with the SoBe television spot at the end of the second quarter of the game, which airs on NBC on Sunday, 1 February 2009.

Intel has produced over 125 million pairs of free 3D glasses, which are being distributed via 25,000 SoBe Lifewater retail displays in grocery, drug and other retail venues beginning in early January.

Viewers will have the opportunity to re-use their glasses for a special 3D episode of NBC’s hit comedy Chuck, airing Monday, February 2, 2009 (8-9pm ET.)

The 60-second SoBe Lifewater spot, directed by Super Bowl commercial veteran and brand architect Peter Arnell, will mark arguably the first ever Super Bowl ad cross over event - with the SoBe Lizards sharing the screen with characters from the upcoming DreamWorks Animation film that will be showcased in the pod’s preceding spot. The SoBe Lizards and stars from DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens will dance alongside current NFL stars in what promises to be among the most highly-anticipated commercials on Super Sunday.

The spot features a modern interpretation of the famed ballet Swan Lake, and the rhythmic effects when the players and creatures are infused with the refreshing and re-invigorating impact of SoBe Lifewater. (Sounds a bit like that ad featuring Thunderbirds’ Brains to me…)

Quantum of Solace - still in the UK Top Ten games chart

By John Freeman

Here are the top selling Entertainment Titles in the UK for the first week in January, compiled by Chart Track. All links are to amazon.co.uk. Not all are SciFi…

1 FIFA 09
2 Call of Duty: World At War
3 Need For Speed: Undercover
4 Guitar Hero: World Tour
5 Mario and Sonic At The Olympic Games
6 Far Cry 2
7 Mario Kart Wii
8 Quantum of Solace
9 Gears of War 2
10 Tomb Raider: Underworld

Data © 2008 ELSPA Ltd. More info: www.elspa.com

By John Freeman

Is that everyday desk chair a bit too bland for your taste? Do you want to feel less like Dilbert and more like Captain Kirk? If so, we have just the chair you’ve been looking for.

Imagine meeting with clients or watching the latest match while sitting in your very own Star Trek Command Chair, apparently based on the one seen in on the Bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the original Star Trek series.

First announced last August, the chair swivels, has light-up controls and it uses sound effects from the original TV series, making it quite possible to live out all your childhood Star Trek fantasies. All you have to do is pretend you’re in outer space.

For a measly $2,717.01 (plus $400 shipping and handling), you could own this fully-licensed geek masterpiece, currently available through SkyMall. (Female not included).

Sadly, the distributors are only delivering in the US (Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico will have to wait) and have as yet no distrubtion rights overseas.

By Ian M. Cullen

Last weekend saw ITV1 premier the much-anticipated Buffy Clone Demons, and clone is probably the best words for this series, given that it seems to have borrowed heavily from the initial pilot episode of Buffy.

Episode one introduces us to Luke, and right from the get go the half lives led by Vampire Gladiolus Thrip are hot on Luke’s heals. The discovery of Luke’s identity, which has been hidden from the world, prompts the return of Rupert Galvin (Philip Glenister) to London, who informs Luke of the half-lives, and his destiny as a monster smiter. He explains that there are many different classes of monsters and takes Luke to monster hunting HQ, a giant library known as the stacks, which was build by original monster slayer Abraham Van Helsing.

Some of the dialogue that Glenister has to deliver is fairly complex, and the put on American accent doesn’t really help Glenister’s performance, or help him with the dialogue. At one point in the episode, the fast delivery of dialogue put me in mind of Gene Hunt, which is a better character for Glenister because his Manchester accent is flawless, I know because I’m from Manchester. However I couldn’t help but see a few cracks in his American accent. Hopefully it improves with time, but much like Paul Simpson who reviews Demons for Total Sci-Fi. I can’t help but feel that having Rupert Galvin be an American kind takes away from the series. I mean it would have been easier for Glenister and as interesting to have Rupert Galvin be a former MI6 agent.

Zoe Tapper who has ruled the roost on UK genre shows of late put in a very good performance as blind piano player Mina Harker, a throw back to the original Dracula story on, which this series borrows much from. She did an excellent job of convincing me that she was actually blind, and the physicality of playing a blind person is no easy task. Tapper plays Mina as a Psychic who has other as yet unknown gifts, which I have no doubt we will learn about in later episodes.

Luke as played by Christian Cooke also put in a fairly good performance as a somewhat skeptical future smiter. And his performance is complimented by the love interest provided by Ruby as played by Holliday Grainger.

The villain as played by Mackenzie Crook is wonderfully over the top. Though it was not clear if once a nasty is smited, whether it’s permanent or not.

The special effects were all well done, and the set for the library was impressive to say the least.

As stated about, the pilot was a little to close perhaps to that of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and I really feel that this show needs to move away from relying to much on references to shows that came before.

It was an entertaining hour of television, which holds much promise, but it needs to create its own mythology from here on in, if it stands a chance of being looked back on with fondness by fans in the years to come.

Score 6/10