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You can now see the London Zombie Walk in glorious technicolour.
A review is coming, but if you've not yet played this most amazing and immersive game on Xbox 360 and PC, you're missing out.
It's probably the finest, most well-crafted, and atmospheric game ever made.
Find out more by visiting the Bioshock website.
You may remember Alien War.
It opened in London in 1993 and closed again due to a flood (and the Alien license dwindling). Alien War was part exhibition, part roller-coaster ride, and part horror show. With real actors, anamatronic aliens, incredible effects, and a whole load more, it was a terrifying and visceral experience not to be missed.
Although it closed nearly ten years ago, with Aliens vs. Predator 2 hitting screens later this year, Alien War is back in 2007.
There's not a lot of information about it right now, but click here to visit the Myspace Page.
You'll be able to flee from Aliens all over again.
Here are the pictures of the Zombie Walk.
Hey. It's me.
This is my pal Dan. Who had an unfortunate accident with a shovel!
Some people came dressed up! The cheek of it all!
Even zombie mothers love their (zombie?) babies.
Zombie tattoos.
These guys were just plain scary!
More zombie chicks...
A zombie family. In green! Someone's seen Wicked too many times!
Zombie workers...
There were loads more pictures, but sadly, they didn't come out. The day finished with everyone staggering toward a nearby office complex in an attempt to storm the building, but sadly they were repelled by security.
There's a video of the zombie conga, which I'll try and post tomorrow.
All in all, a very good day.
Day four of FrightFest was the end of four days of horror fun.
We saw The Zombie Diaries, a UK based zombie movie with serious Blair Witch leanings. It's only the second movie ever to make me feel nauseous, and it did it very well indeed.
Yet aside from not watching the screen (to avoid being horribly sick all over everyone), the movie was interesting enough. Reviews are coming (unless the magazine asks for them - in which case I know where my loyalties lie).
So the movie was so-so, but what was way more fun was the Zombie Walk. Now, you might be wondering just what a zombie walk is, well, it's just what it says: people get dressed up as zombies and walk around places looking, well, dead.
Sounds pretty crazy, right?
Well, by far the craziest thing about the zombie walk was that it started at 9:30. On a bank holiday Monday.
That's right. You heard me. Nine Thirty. AM.
The organisers were trying to break the world record, but at that time in the morning, they had little or no chance. Did the know the British never get up before midday (unless it's to watch football or drink beer).
While there were well over six hundred of us there, it was by no means enough to break the current record for the most zombies in one place (currently held in America at over 850). If they'd held the event on an evening I think they'd have had a much higher turn out.
But the atmosphere was electric and they certainly caused a scare in Leicester Square.
Here's another movie trailer - this time for Dungeon Siege: In the Name of the King.
Come on, it doesn't look at all bad, does it?
Just a note to everyone who has already voted on the Uwe Boll Bashing on IMDB in the past 24 hours. We've already managed to raise the ratings of these films by a few points.
But please, it's not enough. I firmly believe NO MOVIE deserves a 1/10 rating (just as very few deserve 10/10).
So we can do more. Please get your friends to vote, get them to sign up. IMDB is the largest and most influential movie website in the world. If they choose to cheat by allowing people to vote who've not seen a movie, then with your help, we can turn the tables on this injustice.
So, thanks for voting, and if you haven't. Please do!
Again, the links are below.
As you know, I interviewed movie director Uwe Boll yesterday for Shivers Magazine (I'm not sure if I've mentioned that enough yet).
Now, what you might not know is the hideous amount of Boll Bashing that's prevalent on the internet. It's become a phenomenon - people slag off his movies without even seeing them.
Now, everyone is allowed to make mistakes. It would be remiss of us to deny any artist the chance to evolve, and there's no wisdom in prejudging anything without first seeing it.
But there's a total lack of respect where Uwe Boll is concerned, and this is most manifest on IMDB.
You can only normally vote for a movie on IMDB when the movie sees general release. But for Uwe Boll - the rules have changed. Someone at IMDB must have a vendetta against Uwe, because the voting for ALL of his movies is open (despite the fact that Seed has only been shown at select pre-screenings around the world). Only a few thousand people have seen this movie, yet IMDB is allowing this injustice to continue and allowing people to ignorantly vote on it.
Yet neither movies are on general release. It's the same with his $60 million winter blockbuster Dungeon Siege, over two and a half thousand votes, and only a handful of people have seen it. The pre-screenings haven't even been sent out!
So, while I've written to IMDB to demand they show some fairness and to close the voting on Uwe Boll's movies, we can do something about this voting.
Go to IMDB, take a few short minutes to create an account, and give these movies a fair score.
Oh, sod that, please go and give them all 10/10. It doesn't hurt you at all and it will balance out those dismal scores given by people who have no opinion of their own and mindlessly follow the herd (shamefully, I know there are people who read this site who speak and act in exactly the same way).
This is your chance to make a difference. All this negativity hurts. Just take a few mins to register to IMDB, vote on those new movies with a whopping score, and do something to address all this negatvity in the world.
After all, even if you hated the Mona Lisa, you wouldn't tell Da Vinci (if he were alive) that it was a disgusting piece of sh!t and that he deserves to die / be flogged / should never make any more art.
Thanks to everyone who votes!
Today was probably the best day of FrightFest. Saw three really fun movies: Botched, Postal, and Seed (well, all except Seed which was bloody, dark, and ultra violent).
Botched was an off-the-wall comedy horror slasher that really made me laugh. A rubbish thief (Stephen Dorff)
Postal was Uwe Boll's political and highly controversial comedy. It was also really, really funny.
Seed was Uwe Boll's dark and highly disturbing horror movie about the human psyche (and a madman). It was gritty, very bleak and inwardly looking (which is exactly what it was intended to be).
Finally, I got to spend two hours interviewing "the most hated and controversial director in history" Uwe Boll, finding out about his life, his passions, and pretty much anything one person can ask another in two hours.
Find out more about my interview later in the week. I think you'll find it fascinating.
Or better still, read the full interview in Shivers Magazine in a month or so.
The scares come to an end tomorrow with the final day of FrightFest. I will be seeing The Zombie Diaries and taking part in the Zombie Walk. Did they break the world record?
Find out tomorrow.
Day two of FrightFest was absolutely no different to day one. More movies, more excitement, more enthusiasm, and, well, more of yesterday, really.
Today I saw The Sword Bearer and 1408. As always, reviews to follow, but I can't help but be insanely disappointed. The Sword Bearer was exceptionally weak, and if that's what consitutes a Russian blockbuster, then I can only wonder at what kind of movies the Russians are used to seeing. Devoid of story, budget, or meaning, I give The Sword Bearer a shabby 3 out of 10.
And 1408 didn't fare much better. It might have been the biggest grossing Stephen King movie in America, but I can only assume that people haven't seen proper reviews before going to see it on the King name alone, as the movie is hackeneyed, predictable, and simply dreary. The opening is brilliant; the way the story layers until the lead character gets to Room 1408 is exceptional, with wonderful performances from Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusak. But the story is dreary (did I say that yet - well it needs saying twice) and everything hangs on the double twist at the end which, unlike the Sixth Sense, is entirely devoid of suprises. I give it a watered-down 5 out of 10.
So, very disappointed in both movies. The only thing shocking about both movies was that they were both so bad.
Still, there's always tomorrow, with comedy slasher - Botched, controversial 911 mockfest Postal, and Uwe Boll's latest horror flick, Seed.
They're cutting it pretty fine with a December release, but we finally have an Aliens vs. Predator: Requriem trailer.
It looks as if the Aliens crash land in a small American town and the Predators quickly follow for an extra-terrestrial scap-a-thon. Aliens versus Predators with the hapless humans sandwiched in between them.
Visit the movie site, and download the trailer by going to the AVP website at: www.avp-r.com.
But BE WARNED, the trailer is the goriest I've ever seen, so please don't download if you're of a nervous disposition...
The movie is out on December 25th 2007 - not a bad Christmas present!
Day One of FrightFest is now over and what a day it's been.
I saw Black Sheep, a fantastic movie by up and coming director Jonathan King which was very dark, very gory, and very funny. It's about were-sheep and includes just about every sheep joke ever.
Tomorrow is Russian blockbuster The Sword Bearer and Stephen King scare-a-thon 1408. Was also going to watch P2, but apparently the movie didn't arrive in time, so they're showing - well - it's almost too rude to say.
OK, I'll tell you (as you're clearly all grown ups). It's an as yet unreleased movie called Teeth - which is about a woman who has teeth in her, well, you can imagine *winks*.
So, there you go. The start of FrightFest has been excellent - fanastic atmosphere and a lot of audience appreciation. What I noticed is how much more you appreciate the art of movie-making when you gather with 1000 people who love movies.
Apart from the crazy man who sat beside me for the first movie and behind me for the second. He fidgetted through the first movie and coughed at me through the second - it was lovely...
As always, reviews to follow come the middle of the week.
Well its official. I am now a journalist for Shivers Magazine.
My hard work finally paid off and I can't tell you all how happy I am.
I will admit to feeling a certain level of trepidation. After all, how will I feel when I've got everything I ever wanted?
But, it's a really exciting time and you can see my first articles in Shivers Magazine at the end of the year.
I'll be back from FrightFest on Monday with a review of the event, and pictures of the Zombie Walk.
But, for once, I think I can say; YAY ME!
This is great. Google are trying to raise awareness of the stars and constellations - something many of us city bound people have never really seen.
Google Earth allows you to look at a comprehensive map of the stars, all without ever having to leave the comfort of your living room.
I don't talk about myself much in this column, just the occasional bout of exceptional weirdness, but today's post is so important to me, I felt I'd share it with you.
It's a scary time for me today, as so much is happening in my writing life. I've got a lot of projects on the go right now, and like so many things, they can make or break a career.
I should hear about all these things in the next few days/weeks. So it's very exciting (and nervous) time for me.
I'm quite jittery, but hopeful. After all, it would be such a shame if all three were to fall through. But then again, I've three chances of something coming out of this.
So wish me luck. Any one of these jobs would be a dream come true. Two of them would make me euphoric.
I reckon if I hook all three, I'd probably explode!
More news on this as I hear it.
My friend, Alan Connor, has his first single out next month. It's called Now the Rain Has Gone.
See an early edit of the video by clicking here: Now the Rain Has Gone
What do you think?
Alan, good luck with the single and let's hope you get lots of chart-topping goodness!
Someone told me some jokes today. They're probably the worst in the world. I thought I'd share them with you.
Cast your mind back two years to when Everquest 2 and World of Warcraft were about to be released. At that time, Everquest was the world's most successful MMO in the world with literally a quarter of a million players subscribed at any one time. How times change.
Now, Everquest 2 is suffering; it has a tiny fraction of Warcraft's playerbase, and I wanted to know why.
So, I went back to revisit the game two years on - only to found out one very disturbing fact.
The game is brilliant. Not only does it look gorgeous, it plays beautifully, has all the features that WOW does (and a lot more besides). It has voice overs, housing, a card game, endless monsters, some truly beautiful zones, and some very interesting quests...
But, the biggest pull for me: the developers actually develop for Everquest 2. There has been a SLEW of new content since the game was released, expansions, mini-expansions, content patches, free stuff.
What have we had for Warcraft? A half-finished expansion, and a bunch of raid dungeons a disembowled badger to code just by dragging itself across a keyboard!
I've been enthralled with Everquest this weekend, and can't wait to get back to Norrath for a longer examination of the new game. Gone is all the stuff that was rubbish (like class paths and all that confusing stuff). They've hugely expanded PVP and they've polished off just about everything in the world.
It's the ugly duckling that has transformed into a class game that can easily stand toe to toe with Warcraft.
So, why is no one playing it?
Well, after much thought, all I can say is that it's inaccessible to new players. The graphical requirements are steep indeed, and unless you've got a meaty PC, the game might drag a little.
But that's no excuse. Really, there's so much to see and do, it's baffling why more people aren't making the exodus from Azeroth. In this lull between games, consider this the best time to try it out.
Warhammer Vault - the company for whom I write a gaming column, is holding a whopping competition.
They are giving away 10 North American Beta Keys - and all you have to do is match the images to their screenshots on the two Warhammer websites.
Sounds easy (believe me it's not), there are a lot of screenshots and the test requires the eyes of a hawk and nerves of steel (or at least a fairly robust cardboard).
Remember, these beta keys are rarer than a high school jock at a Role Playing Games Convention, so you don't have long to act.
If you've got the time and patience, head on over to Warhammer Vault to find out more.
What's better than ninjas (apart from zombies)?
Well, I just answered my own question.
And you can think about the answer while playing this ninja based oh-so-simple game for ten minutes.
Dungeons & Dragons - game played only by nerds, geeks, and social misfits (or so the common misconception goes). If you hadn't heard of the role playing adventure game for a decade, that's probably because sales have plummeted and the game looked set to fall from the face of the earth.
Only the developers, Wizards of the Coast, are planning a new edition.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition is set for release in May 2008.
There's not a lot to learn at the moment, but you can visit the forum by clicking here.
The question is: should I release books for 4th Edition? Let me know here.
This is, of course, Robby the Robot, famous for early sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet.
Stand him on guard in your front porch and he'll scare the burglars away (unless they're incredibly geeky and came simply to steal him - which is highly likely as he's so incredibly pricey).
He's mechanical, hand-crafted. He lights up, and does all kinds of nifty things. Sadly, unlike the movie, he does not drink gin and transmute it into diamonds.
That would be something to see, though.
I said I'd mention Monday's Zombie Walk. So it's not for everyone, but here's the lowdown.
To celebrate the first screening of UK based zombie flick The Zombie Diaries, the clever promotions people have organised a zombie walk before the movie on Monday 27th August 2007 at Leicester Square.But I have no idea of what this Zombie Walk thing is, I hear you cry.
Well, fear not. Because a zombie walk is exactly what it sounds like. You get dressed up as a zombie and you make a short walk across London from one tube station to another (taking great care not to scare the living bejeebies out of the mortals around you).
And that's about. I'll be going - so expect lots of gruesome pictures on Tuesday.
You can go see The Zombie Diaries at FrightFest, details below... Or visit their website: www.frightfest.co.uk
All that needs to be said now is, where's my ketchup?
Find out more at the Zombie Walk Myspace Page: http://www.myspace.com/zombiewalkuk
And find out more about The Zombie Diaries at their website: http://www.thezombiediaries.co.uk/walk.htm
I don't tend to talk about stuff that's actually happened to me too much here, but this was too good to pass up.
I had a dream last night that I was talking to some ancient animal gods. While this very cutesy dream was totally adorable, what was even MORE adorable was their names:
The Cow God (which was a cow) was called Rumu
The Horse God (a horse) was called Runay
And the Sheep God (you guessed it, a sheep) was called Ruba
I thought that was so worthy of note (and so cute), it deserved a mention on my forum.
You'll probably just think I'm crazy, or something.
But, c'mon, Rumu. How CUTE is that!
Maybe there's a novel there?
It'll soon be FrightFest time again. For those of you who don't know, FrightFest is a five day horrorthon at London's Leicester Square Odeon. This year they are showing twenty seven horror/fantasy and those-that-can't-make-their-mind-up-what-they-are movies.
This year's highlights are:
Black Sheep - Australian black comedy about killer sheep (no, really!)
1408 - Terrifying movie about a journalist who seeks proof of the afterlife. Does he find what he's looking for when he stays at Room 1408, and, never mind staying the night! Can he survive just one hour...?
Joshua - Creepy movie about Joshua and his dysfunctional family. But, just who, or what, is Joshua? Supernatural being, or moody pre-teen with attitude? Find out at FrightFest
Postal - Super Controversial director Ewe Boll (and currently my favourite director - for sheer underdog status) returns for his most shocking picture ever - a movie mocking the actions of 911. Ewe will not only be showing his movie, but he will be at the event to talk about Postal and his other movies.
Skinwalkers - Jason Behr's new movie about two tribes of warring werewolves.
The Zombie Diaries - not only is this the first proper showing of the UK made zombie movie, but the organisers are going for the world record Zombie Walk before the event. I'll talk more about this in a few days!
Day Watch - we all saw the original movie that, despite being translated from its native Russian, we still had no idea what was going on in this high-budget and glossy matrix wannabee vampire movie.
Find out more at: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/
Warhammer Online beta keys are the new gold dust...
People have been lusting over them since beta began, and do you know what - I think there's a better way for companies to allow people to get their grubby mitts on a beta key:
They should sell them online - with all the proceeds going to charity.
They could set up schemes, whereby they sell, say, 1000 accounts at a time, with all the proceeds going to various charities.
Now, you could sit in the queue and wait to be invited to beta (for free), or the eager beavers could buy their way into beta.
It would also mean no more Ebay sales, as you'd know just how much a beta account was worth and that if you missed a round, another one would be available very soon.
It's a win-win. Everybody benefits, and the gaming industry gets to do something good for the community.
Can't see it happening any time soon, though.
Want something mindless that will waste ten minutes of your life?
Of course you do!
Nope, it's the yearly Perseid meteor shower. If you're into that sort of thing, you can see the show any time after it gets dark tonight and tomorrow (Monday 13th August 2007).
Just look to the north, watch for a bit, and you'll be able to see between 50 to 100 meteors an hour.
It'll be at its most active between midnight and three am tomorrow. So get out in the garden and see the light show.
It might not be as spectacular as a firework display, but it will certainly make you feel very small as you gaze up into the heavens.
Those movie moguls* in America clearly have more money than sense, for in the vein of the reimagining of '80s TV shows, they decided to work their 'magic' on Flash Gordon.
Now, it's pretty hard to go wrong with Flash Gordon. You need a gorgeous male lead, and even more gorgeouser female lead, and a tall bald (and not so gorgeous) bloke for a villain - the lovely Ming the Merciless.
You need it to be bright, colourful, and camp. It's goto to be fast-paced, brilliantly written, and full of witticisms and one-liners.
What you have instead is an overly long, badly written, action-at-a-snail's-pace ninety minute pilot of the new series. Complete with Eric Johnson (ex Smallville, season 1) as the oh-so-poorly cast Flash Gordon. You've got the not bald Ming the Merciless (with not an over the top robe anywhere in sight), and a cast-by-the-numbers Dale Arden. Oh, and a script that could have been written by preschoolers.
You can see what people are saying about the new show, which aired on Sci-Fi on Friday 9th August, by clicking on the following link: I wanna see the hate!
USA Today gives "Flash Gordon" one and a half stars and says: … Badly written, badly cast and done on the cheap in the Canadian woods, Flash is the kind of fantasy toss-off that gives sci-fi, and Sci Fi, a bad name. ...
The New York Post gives it “no stars” and says: I wish I could have been in the pitch meeting for Sci Fi's latest reincarnation of "Flash Gordon." It must have been an out of this world experience - because there's no other way this incredibly dopey series would ever have, er, gotten off the ground. … I apologize to all the Flash Gordon fans around the world ... but it's so horrible I somehow feel responsible - just by watching it.
The Boston Herald gives it a “C-plus” and says: … Johnson is wooden as Flash, and he and Dale have zero chemistry. As Ming the Merciless, Flash’s eternal nemesis, John Ralston is as terrifying as a granola bar. Sci Fi needed an actor who could project even camp menace. This guy looks as if he got lost on the way to Dunkin’ Donuts. …
The Tampa Tribune says: … Staying with this for 22 episodes will be a challenge for viewers. …
The Deseret Morning News says: … incredibly boring, unwatchable … The first time I tried to watch the 90-minute pilot of "Flash Gordon," I fell asleep. The second time, it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. And I like science fiction shows. I was sort of looking forward to this one. … Don't waste your time watching this Sci Fi Channel version of "Flash Gordon," which is just plain bad, unless you're suffering from insomnia. It might help with that.
So, it looks like Flash can't save this show from the cancelled pile...
*What is a mogul, anyway, and is it anything like an Ewok?
Here’s a cheery bit of news: cancer rates have risen by 40% in the last ten years. This alarming increase has been attributed to drinking and smoking, as well as with obesity/inaction, and exposure to the Sun, revealed this week by UK cancer charity Cancer Research.
Overall, cancer has more than doubled in the last thirty years – an alarming statistic. But that's not all:
Half of these "lifestyle cancers" could be prevented by taking a few simple precautions or leading healthier lives, campaigners say.
Everyone can help reduce their risk of cancer by avoiding smoking, keeping a healthy body weight, eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables and fibre, and taking regular exercise.
Sounds simple, but if so, why are the rates of cancer increasing?
Well, exposure to UV radiation in sunlight is the main cause of skin cancer. Most cases of this disease could be prevented if people protected themselves from the Sun and took care not to burn.
In addition, dietary factors are linked to up to a third of all cancers. People just aren't eating enough fruit and vegetables, or drinking enough water.
While survival rates are going up, Diet, radioactivity, or exposure to chemical pollutants have been suggested as possible factors in the development of cancer. Clearly, our world is becoming more toxic - a worrying sign of things to come.
The good news is rates of cervical cancers are falling as a result of the national screening programme and thanks to successful smoking cessation campaigns, lung cancer rates are continuing to decrease - especially in men.
Cancer Research’s Reduce the Risk campaign actively encourages people to learn how they can lead healthier lives and cut their risk of developing cancer.
Their 5 Key Messages are:
Following on from yesterday's report on the inevitable extinction of the Yangtze River Dolphin, want to see something really scary?
This is a list of all the endangered species around the world.
Scary isn't it? And it's not even a comprehensive list.
Here's a list of the most common. Just remember it's the world as a whole which is killing most of these animals. Deforestation, destruction of their environment, overfarming; these are just some of the reasons why these beautiful creatures are vanishing from the face of our planet.
These titles they don't just make themselves, you know. They take literally seconds to think up...
What I found really disturbing today is the news that the Yangtze River Dolphin (the baiji) is now (likely to be) extinct.
A freshwater dolphin found only in China is now "likely to be extinct", a team of scientists has concluded. The researchers failed to spot any baiji during an extensive six-week survey of the mammals' habitat.
If confirmed, it would be the first extinction of a large vertebrate for over 50 years.
The team, blamed unregulated fishing as the main reason behind their demise.
The World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Species currently classifies the creature as "critically endangered".
The species (Lipotes Vexillifer) was the only remaining member of the Lipotidae, an ancient mammal family that is understood to have separated from other marine mammals, including whales, dolphins and porpoises, about 40-20 million years ago.
The white, freshwater dolphin had a long, narrow beak and low dorsal fin; lived in groups of three or four and fed on fish.
"While it is conceivable that a couple of surviving individuals were missed by the survey teams," the team wrote, "our inability to detect any baiji despite this intensive search effort indicates that the prospect of finding and translocating them to a [reserve] has all but vanished."
The scientists added that there were a number of human activities that caused baiji numbers to decline, including construction of dams and boat collisions.
"However, the primary factor was probably unsustainable by-catch in local fisheries, which used rolling hooks, nets and electrofishing," they suggested.
"Unlike most historical-era extinctions of large bodied animals, the baiji was the victim not of active persecution but incidental mortality resulting from massive-scale human environmental impacts - primarily uncontrolled and unselective fishing," the researchers concluded.
An absolutely tragic story.
There's a whole load of hoo-hah about at the moment about comedienne Catherine Tate reprising her role as Donna Noble in the fourth season of Doctor Who.
Apparently, people feel she's too annoying and entirely 'wrong' for the role (whatever that means - I think Bonnie Langford covers a multitude of sins).
Personally, I think having Donna aboard the TARDIS for a whole season is fantastic. Catherine Tate has a hugely versatile acting range, we'll see the riotous Donna, a calm Donna, the contemplative Donna, and lots of attitude, shouting, and screaming. All probably in the first episode.
It all sounds rather fun, and, after the last two rather serious assistants, it's more than time the Doctor picked up someone with a bit more oopmh. We'll miss Rose and Martha, but Donna's the one for me.
Incidentally, did I mention that Catherine Tate pushed me out of the way in a West London chocolate shop last year (apparently, she's a nutter for violet creams).
Anyway, I can just see Donna doing this up against the creator of the Daleks?
It would be comedy genius. The Daleks could be shouting, EXTERMINATE, to which, she'd reply (wait for it!)...
Am I Bovvered?
Oh, I should be writing comedy for a living...
This is a nifty game, perfect for wasting a half hour of your life...
You've got to make the orbs strike the grey cubes. The orbs are attracted to your mouse pointer but don't allow the cursor to touch the cubes, or move offscreen too far, or you'll lose the game.
With so many big budget movies coming out this year, who’d have thought that a little movie swamped by such huge blockbusters as Transformers and The Simpsons Movie would manage to shine so brightly?
Based on the 1988 movie (starring the late, great Divine) and the 2002 Broadway musical, Hairspray tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenager who dreams of dancing on the ‘60s TV show – The Corny Collins Show.
Well, this is a mystery and no mistake.
Cloverfield. You may have heard the name. You may even have seen the trailer, but what you won't know is anything about the movie. There's been a lot of speculation, which started a month ago, with this:
http://www.ethanhaaswasright.com/
Click NO - I Need to See the Warnings and you'll be taken to a puzzle website where every time you get a puzzle correct, you're rewarded with a short and exceedingly grainy snippet of footage. Something's coming and Ethan Haas, it seems, was right about something... But what?
Click YES and you'll be taken to a website advertising the release of a role playing game called Alpha Omega.
So, what is going on? Who is Ethan Haas and what is all this mystery surrounding the movie?
Want to see more, then check out the trailer
Still confused? So am I! Well, this movie is clearly a monster movie - but what kind of monster? Is it Godzilla or an alien parasite? Or perhaps it's something entirely different - the media is convinced it's a spin-off of a series like Lost - but I think that's highly doubtful.
Personlly, with all the H.P. Lovecraftian puzzles and the cryptic warnings in the Ethan Haas Was Right website, I'm hoping this is a movie based on the bizarre works of H.P. Lovecraft. The Cthulhu Mythos is finally coming and we're all doomed (although I fear I'm hoping for too much).
And there's more! Visit this new promo / teaser site:
http://www.1-18-08.com/ - there's not much to see, yet, but a few
photos, which you can put in order to see what is presumably some of
the cast in various stages of emotion and distress...
So, with all these websites and a definite lack of actual information, one thing is clear, the producers have this thing tightly wrapped up. And with so much speculation surrounding it, the movie world is holding its breath almost as though New York city WAS being destroyed by a hundred foot tall green monster...
I've consulted the Necronomicon and the Book of Dyzan, and even conjured my own Byakhee, but even the dark powers are strangely silent...
I guess we'll have to wait a little while longer to find out the answers to thinks man was never meant to know...
Cloverfield (real title to be confirmed) is scheduled for a worldwide release on January 18th 2008.
Until then, keep watching the stars...
Foreward: I love my online games, and, as you may already know, I'm extremely unhappy with the World of Warcraft has been run over the past three years. Don't get me wrong, it's a great game which looks beautiful, but I'm after more from my games. I'm after something to stimulate me - not the same mindless quests repeated from 1st to 70th level. I want thoughtful ideas and meaningful quests - not endless time sinks. I want exciting adventures and fun PVP, and a game that isn't driven by items obtained on raids that take weeks to organise...
I accept that I would never get that from a Blizzard game (although I still have hope). I feel ripped off and conned by Blizzard and I can't understand why other people can't see it, either.
If you're a Warcraft fan, then skip this update. You probably won't like it and you definitely won't agree with it.
Now, read on...
So, it's Blizzard's yearly promotional convention this weekend (Blizzcon) and for the one person in Outer Mongolia who doesn't know, Blizzard have announced their second expansion for the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.
These are just some of the exciting additions in the new expansion:
So basically, Blizzard are giving us stuff they promised FREE more than two years ago. We're finally getting Hero Classes, or rather, we're getting ONE Hero Class. Apparently, you have to do an epic and arduous quest (a.k.a. visiting every instance you ever had the misfortune of visiting) in order to unlock this new Hero Class, which, instead of being an extension of your MAIN character, is, unbelievably, a NEW character class with new powers that starts the game around level 60.
Blizzard has spiced up the game a bit by proclaiming the Death Knight is for 'advanced' players only. OOH!
So, where is our elementalist Hero Class, or Lich, or our Demon Hunter? Well, nowhere to be seen, it appears, 'cos if Blizzard can get away with not coding it, they most certainly will.
I find this typical of Blizzard. It's always too little, too late, and in this case, it's always the path of least resistance. Blizzard never innovate, they simply provide the least amount of content they possibly can do while they can get away with it. The Burning Crusade was barely an expansion, yet people lapped it up. A few unfinished zones does not constitute a proper expansion - and certainly not after two years' wait...
And yet, despite all of this, there are still more than nine million people playing.
If you bought a book and the last hundred pages were blank, you'd not expect to have to pay a dollar a month to get those extra pages! Nope. You'd expect the whole book when you bought it, or it would go straight back to the shop.
Yet still people are playing Warcraft.
Boggles the mind, really.
What surprises me the most is how much Blizzard has made the game more in line with Warhammer Online. We all know it's just around the corner and it's a serious threat to Warcraft. I've not heard a bad word from any of the beta testers and as we know, if it's even a tiny bit better than Warcraft, millions will make the switch.
So, Blizzard has a very good reason to be afraid, and as such, they're revamping their PVP in order try and improve it. They've not got a hope in hell, Blizzard's developers haven't got a clue how to rework their PVP so it's good, but by all means let them try.
Blizzard just doesn't know about innovation.
Maybe someone should send them a dictionary with the word highlighted in yellow marker...
The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say about space: "Space," reads the entry, "is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space."
And it's true. Space is just so enormous, we cannot imagine how vast it is.
But we can get a glimmer of an idea. The Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its seventeenth birthday this year and, to celebrate, they released some of the most dazzling images of space ever seen.
In this image, it's impossible to imagine how large space is.
Yet you can see actual galaxies around the edges of the picture. And there are so many... There's no word to describe how unfathomably vast the universe is!
See a larger image by clicking here
I included this because I thought it was gorgeous. Not as visually stunning as some, but awesome nonetheless.
You can see a larger version by clicking here
An exploding star
This Hubble image of NGC 2440 shows the last colourful display of a star like our Sun in the act of dying. The star is ending its life by casting off its outer layers of gas, which formed a cocoon around the star's remaining core. Ultraviolet light from the dying star makes the material glow. The burned-out star, called a white dwarf, is the white dot in the centre.
See a larger picture at:
See a larger version by clicking here
I saved the best 'till last.
The Carina Nebula. It's about 8000 light years from Earth.
View a larger image by clicking here
Find out more about the Hubble at their website: http://hubblesite.org/
More moans about Ebay. This time about how Ebay is biased toward those people who want to con you or rip you off with inferior goods.
They can hold back on feedback until you give theirs, and if you give them negative feedback, they'll do the same for you out of spite even IF you've paid on close of auction and been polite and courteous throughout the transaction.
And in cases like these, Ebay does nothing. It seems as long as its making a bazillion dollars a year, it really doesn't care about the few who get ripped off.
There's no policing on Ebay and an absolute We Don't Care attitude.
Ebay really does let the cheaters win.
It really does suck.
I was at the cinema the other day, and every film on the board was a top-budget blockbuster.
And you'd be forgiven for thinking that that's it, that we're at the end of this year's summer blockbusters.
But you'd be wrong.
Here's a list of just some of the movies scheduled for release over the next six months. It's never been a better time to be a movie fan (especially if you're into horror). Movies below are listed in date order, and release dates could change.
STARDUST
A boy travels to a mythical world in search of the falling star that will help him win the heart of his true love. In order to find the fallen star, the boy will have to venture deep into the forbidden heart of the fantastical realm known as Stormhold. As he makes his way through Stormhold on a mission to bring the star back to Wall, he will encounter a series of spectacular characters and creatures that will lead him to a fate he never imagined.
See a Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/stardust/
Find out More: http://www.stardustmovie.com/site.htm
Release Date: 10 August 2007 (USA) 19 October 2007 (UK)
THE INVASION
Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig star in the science fiction action thriller "The Invasion," a remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers… With a difference (it could be crap – apparently, various directors and a whole change of pace could make this movie rubbish indeed). Plus – Could Daniel Craig be ANY more airbrushed in the movie poster?
See a Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/theinvasion/
Find out More: http://theinvasionmovie.warnerbros.com/
Release Date: 17 August 2007
HALLOWEEN
Movie director, musician-turned filmmaker Rob Zombie tackles the remake of the original '80s horror slasher. It'll be scary, it'll be bloody. PLUS, it's got the original music! Bonus. Tomato ketchup all round, then.
Find out More: http://www.halloween-themovie.com/
Release Date: 31 August 2007 (and not Halloween, strangely…)
1408
Based on the horror story of the same name by Stephen King, 1408 tells the tale of supernatural writer Mike Enslin, an author of two books on supernatural phenomena. As research for his latest book, Enslin is determined to stay the night in Room 1408 - in a New York City hotel with a terrible history. Hotel manager Mr. Olin has strong objections to Enslin's stay and warns him of the many deaths thaht have occurred in room 1408. But Enslin is determined to go through and convinced that the horrific past of 1408 is merely bad luck transformed into myth.
Find out More: http://www.1408-themovie.com/ (including creepy trailer)
Release Date: 13 September 2007
RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION
The third and final installment of the Resident Evil trilogy picks up where the last film left off. Alice (MILLA JOVOVICH), now in hiding in the Nevada desert, once again joins forces with Carlos Olivera (ODED FEHR) and L.J. (Mike Epps), along with new survivors Claire (Ali Larter), K-Mart (Spencer Locke) and Nurse Betty (Ashanti) to try to eliminate the deadly virus that threatens to make every human being undead...and to seek justice.
See a Trailer: Resident Evil Trailer
Find out More: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/residentevilextinction/
Release Date: 21 September 2007
30 DAYS OF NIGHT
Set in the isolated town of Barrow, Alaska, in the extreme northern hemisphere, which is plunged into complete darkness annually for an entire month. When most of the inhabitants head south for the winter, a mysterious group of strangers appear: bloodthirsty vampires, ready to take advantage of the uninterrupted darkness to feed on the town's residents. Yummy!
See a Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/30daysofnight/
Find out More: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/30daysofnight/
Release Date: October 2007
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
Based on author Philip Pullman's bestselling and award-winning novel, The Golden Compass tells the first story in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The Golden Compass is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. Although quite why it's called The Golden Compass and not Northern Lights is beyond me. It's got Lyra, a little girl in it, giant fighting polar bears, and Nicole Kidman, and a golden monkey (that could be Kidman, not entirely sure...)
See a Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/newline/thegoldencompass/
Find out More: The Official The Golden Compass Site
Release Date: 16 November 2007
I AM LEGEND
Robert Neville (Will Smith) is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable… and manmade. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City… and maybe the world. But he is not alone. He is surrounded by “the Infected”—victims of the plague who have mutated into carnivorous beings who can only exist in the dark and who will devour or infect anyone or anything in their path. Zombie-disaster movie...?
See a Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/iamlegend/ (Warning: the trailer is crap).
Find out More: http://iamlegend.warnerbros.com/
Release Date: 14 December 2007
NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS
Nicholas Cage returns to play Ben Gates in this sequel to the 2004 action hit NATIONAL TREASURE. This time, Gates and his team solve a mystery that stretches from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln to the contemporary streets of Washington, DC. What do you mean "you never saw the original?" Well it was dead good and you missed out. As a punishment, go write 100 lines: "I like Nicholas Cage and will go to see all of his movies..."
Find out More: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/nationaltreasure/
Release Date: 21 December 2007
ALIENS VERSUS PREDATOR 2
Strangely, there's not a lot to say here. There's no website, there's not a trailer (or even a sneak peak). I saw a picture, but it was horribly blurred and could have been from Predator 1. But, there is a movie coming, but with there being so little, and the movie out so soon, I think this could be horribly delayed until 2008... Still, the director has promised a lot more excitement this time with the teaser: what happened if the Aliens really made it to Earth...?
See a Trailer: There isn’t one – yet…
Find out More: You can’t – yet…
Release Date: 27 December 2007
THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
The what? I hear you ask… Well it's based on the popular children's fantasy series from Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. The Grace family depart New York City for a quieter home, but excitement isn't far away when they move into the strange family house in the country.
See a Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thespiderwickchronicles/
Find out More: http://www.spiderwickchronicles.com/
Release Date: 15 February 2008
IRON MAN
Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, a man who becomes a superhero after a near-death incident, in this big-budget Marvel Comics adaptation. Iron powered superpowers abound. But who is the supervillain? Please let it be Rust Man... *
See a Trailer: There isn’t one. But look down a few days ago…
Find out More: http://www.ironmanmovie.com/
Release Date: 2 May 2008
* that was a joke!
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN
The characters of C.S. Lewis's timeless fantasy come to life once again in this newest installment of the "Chronicles of Narnia" series, in which the Pevensie siblings are magically transported to the world of Narnia where a thrilling, perilous new adventure and an even greater test of their faith and courage awaits them. I bet you can't wait!
See a Trailer: Coming soon!
Find out More: Coming soon!
Release Date: 15 May 2008
INDIANA JONES 4
Twenty-five years after "Raiders of the Lost Ark," Harrison Ford reprises his role in "Indiana Jones 4."
Find out More: http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html
Release Date: 22 May 2008
THE DARK KNIGHT
Do I really need to say any more. Sequel to the 2005 super dark Batman Begins starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and that crap bird from Dawson's Creek (who's thankfully not in this movie). With a new outfit, the Bat Bike, and the Joker, this sets out to be bigger and better than the first movie (and hopefully no rubber nipples or chaps).
See the Teaser Page: http://ibelieveinharveydent.warnerbros.com/
Find out More: http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/
Release Date: 18 July 2008 (USA) / 25 July 2008 (UK)
HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY
With a signature blend of action, humor and character-based spectacle, the saga of the world's toughest, kitten-loving hero from Hell continues to unfold in Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. Bigger muscle, badder weapons and more ungodly villains arrive in an epic vision of imagination from Oscar®-nominated director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy). After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm of the fantastic is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt.
See a Trailer: Come back soon…
Find out More: No. I don’t think so.
Release Date: 14 August 2008
AVATAR
Based on the fantastic cartoon of the same name and directed by super action-meister James Cameron. In the future, Jake, a paraplegic war veteran, is brought to another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na'vi, a humanoid race with their own language and culture. Those from Earth find themselves at odds with each other and the local culture.
See a Trailer: http://www.avatarmovie.co.uk/avatar-trailer.php
Find out More: http://www.avatarmovie.co.uk/
Release Date: 21 May 2009
I remember a time when the Virgin brand represented something good, something of value made by a company that cared...
But after they stumbled under the recent UK airline pricing scandal (they conspired with British Airways to increase taxes), it seems things aren't nearly as clear cut and that Virgin and Richard Brandson aren't nearly as clean as they would have you believe.
It's so easy to say 'we're sorry' after the event, to feign penitence and sincerity, and to protest that your part in the sordid public scam was only slight, but it's clear Virgin's reputation has been sorely tarnished.
They're as corrupt as every other company.
I firmly believed that when there was the Sky One row (when Virgin bought out NTL Telewest), it was Sky One who was to blame. Virgin were quick to throw the first stone and to stand on their lofty pedestal, yet I'm no longer so sure they were as innocent as they make themselves out to be.
So, are there any decent companies out there?
Certainly, this is one Virgin whose reputation has been forever sullied...
