There are times I just miss David Tennant. His time on Doctor Who just never seemed long enough, and while I like Matt Smith just fine, he’s still not the Doctor many of us grew to love. Here’s one of the recently released videos from the Tennant & Davies wrap party a few years back. It’s a cute little musical number about former show-runners Davies and Gardner, featuring John Barrowman, Cathrine Tate and David Tennant. If you’ve never heard Barrowman sing, you’re in for a bit of a treat. David’s immaculate as always, but personally, I could do without Cathrine Tate. Then again, I think that was the whole point of her being on the show in the first place. Regardless, it was a fantastic way to say thank for everything Davies and Gardner did for the series, don’t you think?
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Oct 31, 2011 in Comic Books
Check out this stunning take on the Dark Knight’s Batsuit. This custom suit, recently posted on TheEffectsLab.com’s forum, and designed by X Workz studios, borrows its design from Rocksteady’s Arkham series of games. The recently released Batman: Arkham City has been receiving rave reviews and has been one of the most anticipated titles of the year. While Arkham City has a very gritty and dark atmosphere, the character designs don’t stray too far from the comics. It’s a stark contrast to Nolan’s films, all of which might come across as trying too hard, or two little depending on who you ask, but I digress. This is some incredibly impressive work. If you’d like to get in touch with the designer, you can e-mail them or check the original post for more photos and information.
Mark Hamill may have gotten famous portraying Luke Skywalker, but his acting career never quite took off afterward. Hamill found another route to the hearts and minds of a new generation, though — portraying the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series. Say what you want about Nicholson’s or Ledger’s or even Romero’s Joker, but TAS Joker is the defining Joker for most people my age, and at the very least the very first voice that comes to mind when someone says “The Joker.” Now, Hamill’s ready to say goodbye to the role after his performance as the Clown Prince of Crime in the recently-released video game Batman: Arkham City. For those who’ve been following along at home, Hamill also said this after he wrapped up Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009, but he ended up sticking around for the sequel after its developers promised him that this Joker role would be something special. Everyone give Joker a nice buzzer handshake on his way out. Read more…
I’m not really sure where this lies on the good news-bad news spectrum, but: a) apparently someone wants to make a new Beetlejuice movie, b) it’s a sequel, not a reboot, and c) they want Michael Keaton to come back for the role. Allegedly, screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith and producer pal David Katzenberg have received Tim Burton’s blessing to make a new film starring our garish ghoul friend, but securing Keaton might be a different beast entirely. Grahame-Smith says that their idea is definitely worth Keaton’s time, but man, Michael Keaton ain’t exactly getting any younger. But hey, I think we can all agree on one thing: thank heaven it’s not a remake/reboot. Read more…
The public television show Day at Night ran in the 70s and featured in depth interviews with a wide range of people from nuclear physicist Edward Teller to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. This wonderful interview with science fiction author Ray Bradbury is from 1974 and he goes into wonderful detail on what inspired him: Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 28, 2011 in Television
She’s Warehouse 13‘s most junior officer, so it only makes sense that tough-gal techie Claudia would also get the most adorable maquette. This particular maquette is “Animated” Claudia, meaning (of course) that she’s a little less…realistic than you might find in other statuettes. Thankfully, she’s got a meticulously sculpted rendition of her most iconic outfit, including some very, err, well-fitting jeans. She’s even got a Tesla in her pocket (no, she is not happy to see you). This limited-edition agent is a Quantum Mechanix exclusive — just make sure you put her somewhere nice instead of in, I don’t know, a warehouse? Read more…
Here’s some of the coolest wedding invitations I’ve ever seen. Artist and graphic designer Larry Quach recently crafted these one-of-a-kind invitations for his friend’s wedding. Seeing as the entire wedding was Super Mario Brothers-themed, he went out of his way to include everything from the actual invitations to the party favors and even threw together a custom seating chart for the occasion. I’m incredibly impressed with the amount of work that must have went into it, but Larry did a bang up job, and it really shows.
Check out that scowl. Here’s a look at Medicom’s Han Solo Ultimate Unison collectible figure. At just under a foot tall — 30 centimeters to be exact — this posable figure comes complete with everything you need to re-enact your favorite scenes from the films. Well, almost everything. He’s got his blaster, the removable camo jacket from Return of the Jedi and even his breathing apparatus from the asteroid sequence in Empire Strikes Back. He even comes with interchangeable hands. Unfortunately, the scowl has to stay. At least they did a fantastic job of capturing Harrison Ford’s handsome visage — even if he looks a little like Vigo the Carpathian. I just wish they had spent as much time touching up the rest of his skin to match, after all, the list price is set at ¥25,800, or $340 USD. For that price, you’d think they’d throw in a Wookie while they’re at it. Assuming you have the credits to afford one, you can pre-order it at AmiAmi, but don’t worry, you have plenty of time. The figure won’t be shipping until June 2012. Read more…
It’s been tough times for Netflix. Between the whole Qwikster debacle, price changes, and inability to renew their contract with Starz, many subscribers have decided to move on to greener pastures. Those who’ve stayed are banking on Netflix to provide fresh content despite the recent setbacks. Fortunately for us, they’re trying.
Somehow, I’m not surprised. The other day, I made reference to Uwe Boll and his knack for ruining films while discussing George Lucas’ recent Star Wars edits. In all fairness, Lucas really shouldn’t be compared to Boll, a one-time recipient of the Razzies’ “Worst Career Achievement” award. As much as I take issue with Lucas, I don’t believe anyone has ever started a serious petition to have to him retire. In this amazing clip, we hear from Guinevere Turner, the writer who had the unfortunate experience of having worked with Boll on the first live-action adaptation of Majesco’s BloodRyane franchise. According to Turner, the film went into production with a first draft, of which only twenty percent ended up on screen. Not surprising considering the film, with an estimated budget of twenty-five million, only managed a meager three and a half million at the box office.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Oct 25, 2011 in Dr. Who, Fandom
It’s true. Recently, ThinkGeek updated their catalog with a few Doctor Who cosplay goodies — officially licensed replicas of both Tennant’s overcoat and Smith’s pleated plaid jacket. It wasn’t long before both items sold out completely, and while you can still put an order with them, you can forget about getting it in time for Halloween. Fortunately, there’s still a chance. You can order the items directly from the manufacturer, instead. Abbyshot.com not only carries the Coat and Jacket, but will even throw in a free bow tie for ordering it directly. Read more…
Earlier today, LucasFilm released the official trailer for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D. I’d post it here, but 20th Century Fox has spent most of the day removing it from YouTube. Besides, you’re not missing out on much since it only displays in 2D. That said, I’m not sure how many of you are really looking forward to seeing it again in 3D, especially given Lucas’ penchant for altering his films. Arguably, I don’t think The Phantom Menace could get any worse, but if anyone were to find a way, it’d be him — or Uwe Boll. Still, there still seems to be a market for these 3D conversions, so I’m sure there are some of you out there who just can’t wait. I’m skeptical, and just curious enough to give it a chance myself, and if the film ends looking good enough, I’m sure I’ll see the rest when they eventually hit the original saga. Sorry, I just don’t have any love of Anakin. If you still want to see the trailer, click here. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D opens nationwide on February 10th.
Many of us know about the 1988 video by Apple called Knowledge Navigator — well here’s the follow up video! This nice snapshot of history includes interviews clips from Alvin Toffler, Ray Bradbury, Steve Wozniak and Alan Kay (who really envisioned the iPad in the 60s): Read more…
I honestly haven’t had many reasons to pick up my 3DS in recent months. It’s not that it’s a terrible platform by any means, but Nintendo’s 3D handheld is currently suffering a bit of a dry spill. There isn’t much in the way of software, and while they’ve shown us plenty of exciting titles at recent trade shows, almost all of them have yet to be released. There have been a few good offerings so far, but most of those are just updates of classics like Star Fox 64 and Zelda: Ocarina of Time — experiences we’ve already had. So what do we have in the meantime? So far, its been Netflix and a handful of virtual console/DSi ware releases. Fortunately, you’ll finally have another reason to pick it up, and some of you can even dust off your Wii while you’re at it. Hulu Plus will be headed to both platforms by the end of the year, allowing you to stream hours of anime, television, and film such as Persona 4: The Animation and the critically acclaimed Criterion Collection for only $7.99 a month.
Anyone remember that mid-90s action flick, Face/Off? You know, the one where Travolta and Cage swap faces for whatever reason. I always thought it was kind of ironic that even though they’re supposed to have only swapped faces, it was pretty much their entire bodies — it’s not as if they have the same build. Any way, take that concept, throw in some Disney and you’ll have yourself a hilarious Tumblr account. Disney Face Swap is a collection of ‘shopped’ images featuring one or more characters from our favorite Disney classics. The curator not only posts his own swaps, but also accepts fan submissions, so its updated frequently. The images themselves range from hilarious to outright disturbing, but they’re all work safe and, I guarantee they’ll keep you entertained throughout the day.
I love the hand made quality of this Tardis Dr. Who Messenger Bag which I found on Etsy — while I like the new series it would go great with a vintage Tom Baker multi-colored scarf. Bag design by Rhonda Wojciak of Nani Originals.Read more…
Though he appears not to have managed to regenerate eyebrows in his latest incarnation, the storied Doctor, as played by Matt Smith, has proven more popular than ever in his most recent season on BBC. No Doctor lasts forever, though, and the date of Smith’s departure from the role has been the subject of much speculation. Smith appeared to indicate that he’d only have one more year of Doctor Who in a recent interview, saying that after “another year” as the Doctor, he’d like to come to LA and do some acting work there. Does it mean anything? I bet we’d know if we had some sort of superscientific time-travel device. Anyone know someone who has one? Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Oct 23, 2011 in Animation
On October 23, 1941 the elephant who could use his ears to fly stepped onto the silver screen. Expectations were set low for the film as it was intended originally to be a short, and was done on a low budget to make up for the financial losses from Fantasia. Even though they weren’t trying to push the edge with Dumbo, the strong focus on storytelling and strong characters won over critics. What I love about this film is that Disney wasn’t trying to be realistic as with Snow White, so there’s a great deal of the silly cartoony look which harkened back to their shorts: Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Oct 21, 2011 in Television
I could’ve sworn we already had one of these like six or seven years ago, but it looks like there’s a paranormal drama theme hitting network TV again. The last time, shows like Supernatural did well enough to continue, but others weren’t so lucky. This time, we’ve got shows like Grimm and Once Upon a Time and probably at least two others dealing with the whole supernatural thing. Honestly, I haven’t been following the buzz for either, but if you want to give the latter a shot, the Once Upon a Time pilot is currently available on IMDB to watch in its entirety for free. Hey, isn’t that the guy from Stargate Universe? How bad could it be? Wait, wait, don’t tell me. Read more…
Part of the joy of New York Comic Con is that it’s part party — but it’s also like running through a giant attic that’s filled with various bits of your childhood! I was really happy to come across this origional Mattel Eagle 1 Spaceship on display: the funny thing is that when I was a child it seemed so much larger. This wonderful Space:1999 display was the handy work of Geek box Display Cases who had a booth at the show — they’re based in Hillsborough, North Carolina and you can find their website here and their Facebook page here. Read more…
Here’s a odd bit of news. Several outlets have reported that Christopher Nolan may be planning to shoot footage of the Occupy Wallstreet protests for his latest film, The Dark Knight Rises. The cast and crew will be spending two weeks filming in the big apple this month, and have apparently been told its a possibility. Personally, I’m not sure how legit it is, but if Nolan were to actually go through with those plans, it would be pretty ironic. After all, many of those protesters are having trouble finding decent jobs, but as one journalist put it, they’ll suddenly find themselves employed as unpaid extras. I’m sure that thought didn’t even cross his mind, so I hope that if he does decide to film the scenes, the message won’t get lost. If anything, I hope it helps to further cause, even if its simply to document it. Sadly, that might be more publicity than anyone has bothered to give the protesters to date.
This will either be the most terrifying or magnificent thing you’ll see all day. It’s certainly no “Rocket Man,” but Shatner’s spoken-word cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” could be just as campy — at least, the music video certainly is. I’m not sure how I’d go about explaining the premise, but it starts with a couple who are spending their evening stargazing. Suddenly Shatner’s face materializes in the night sky and everyone seems a little confused as to why, but rather than freak out, they just sort of let him do his thing. There’s some talking carps, a choir of goats, and some other random happenings culminating in Shatner’s latest album, Seeking Major Tom, crash landing to Earth. It’s truly bizarre, to say the least. Any way, if you’re looking to pick up a copy, you can purchase it via Amazon. I should also note, the album’s available in CD, MP3 or vinyl.
As a retro anime fanboy my heart warmed up when I came across the table of Tara Tallan at the New York Comic Con — her webcomic Galaxion is very inspired by Star Blazers which happens to be one of my favorite shows in the universe. Unlike most science fiction stories this manga isn’t dark and gritty, if you love indie comics you can show Tara your support by buying the first two volumes of the series: Read more…
I’m impressed. Earlier this month, director Alex Albrecht threw together this live-action short entitled VOLTRON: The End, starring Psych‘s Timothy Omundson. I have no idea if this was meant as some sort of series or film pitch, or if it was just something he decided to do for fun, but it’s pretty awesome. The idea of a Voltron live-action film never really crossed my mind, but having seen this, I certainly wouldn’t object. I also want to know how he landed Omundson for the role of Lance. He’s not exactly a huge star, but he is a series regular on a popular show that’s currently airing. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say his involvement was either a favor, or Omundson is just a fan of the animated series. You’d almost have to be to want to film this, wouldn’t you? Either way, it’s pretty cool that he’d take the time to contribute to the short. Let’s hope something good materializes from it.
