Saw this trailer and I was blown away. Any good geek loves a zombie film, but one area that is sadly neglected when it comes to zombies is animation. From the looks of it A.D.intends to put that right.
You have to agree just from the trailer it looks like it could be a lot of fun. I especially like the style they have used, and the actual animation is top notch. Head on over to Zombieinfo where they have an interview with the creators and some additional concept art that looks fantastic.
As of yet I have not found the official site, and IMDB seems to be behind the curve on this one. So keep your eyes peeled and I will put out more info as I find it.
I have also just realised I have hardly talked about zombies on here at all, what a crime against undead nature. I will have to see what I can dig up.
Computer animation must be a very hard field to be in. There is one company that dominates it and everything you do will be held up in comparison and rejected as not being good enough. Not because your work is bad, it is probably amazing. But compared to what Pixar do, it’s worthless.
Out now is “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”, the latest home release from Dreamworks Sony/Columbia. Their work keeps getting better and better, the last film (Monsters vs Aliens) is probably the best they have done. But there very best just does not compare to the standard set. Gaff-tastic: My fault! I even laughed out loud when they showed the classic Columbia title screen that has brought me so much joy over the years, should have remembered that.
Cloudy is a great film, we all laughed out loud at various bits. The voice acting is top notch, the story is a lot of fun, the animation is excellent. But somehow its missing something… Read the rest of this entry »
Announced this week is Bruce Campbell’s next film “Bruce vs Frankenstein”. This is going to be a follow on to the excellent “My name is Bruce” that came out last year.
All of us here at BGR are big fans of Bruce Campbell, from his early beginnings in “Evil Dead” all the way to his show stealing performances in the Spider-man films, he is always a joy to watch.
“My name is Bruce” really surprised me when I saw it. In many ways it felt a little unpolished and probably could have done with a little more work, but somehow that makes it more endearing. Bruce and the supporting cast are fun to watch. Ultimately Bruce carries the film (he also Directed it), wins the day, gets the girl, and slays the demon in a style only he could do.
I am looking forward to this when it is released some time next year.
If you are looking more Bruce Campbell action check out:
So over Christmas David Tennant stepped down as the doctor, and marked the end of a remarkable period in the Dr Who series. Let me just say that David Tennant is responsible for everyone in my house loving Dr Who. From my wife to my children they all think it is a great show, and it is mostly down to him. Billy Piper and Catherine Tate have been stand out assistants who have has astounded me with their ability to take on the role and make more than just a side kick.
So it is unfortunate that David Tennant’s final show is also the weakest of all the episodes he has done. Read the rest of this entry »
Some time ago I wrote about one of my favourite Sci-Fi TV Series “Day of the Triffids“. Made in 1981, much like “Blakes 7” it is a little known British gem of a show that never really seemed to get the regard it should have got. Over Christmas the BBC have finally shown the new version. With some excellent actors, and a more grown up feel it is an excellent addition to the growing catalogue of remakes of this classic story.
I have to confess I have not read the book, and now I am starting to think I should. Every remake of this story has something new, while the core story still remains as chilling as ever. Read the rest of this entry »
Up until two weeks ago my favourite game of 2009 was definitely, and without doubt Batman: Arkham Asylum. This is the Batman game I have been waiting twenty years to play. It has absolutely everything you can want in a Batman game and the best production of a game you can hope for. All of the artistic elements are there that make Batman a thoughtful super hero, as well as some of the best voice acting I have ever heard in a game. All that before we even get onto the game play and story.
All of these things should make this the best games? Until two weeks ago you were right and I was ready to fight to preserve it as the best game I played all year. But all that has changed. While it is still the high point for me in terms of stealth/action/super hero games there is now one game that does all of that, but only much better. Read the rest of this entry »
This film can really only be described as a master piece of film making that it seems only a few directors are able to pull off.
Lets not mince words here, Avatar is a brilliant film! There, it is said! This is an epic film in every way, from the grand story to the amazing vistas, right through to the stunning technology they have used to create this marvel. The majority of this film is computer generated but in such a life like and detailed way it is hard to see where the computer generation ends and the real people begin. I was very impressed with the similarity between the real actors and their avatars. It just leant a little more to the life like quality of the animation work.
This is a long film (3 hours) but not only does it not feel that long, there isn’t really any fluff that can be trimmed away. Every scene has something it needs to get across to you and where there was a chance to remove a scene it was taken. As a result the film is long but moves at a good pace all the way through. In fact there were a number of scenes where I wanted it to slow a little so I could take in the stunning backgrounds and the details of the world. This will be a very rewarding film to watch at home, not only will you get to hear James Cameron’s take on it, but you will get to really take in the details. I get the feeling the directors cut (if there is one) will be longer.
A lot has been made about this films eco ethics, to be honest I did not feel it. I can see why people would say it has an eco message to tell you, but I never felt it was rammed down my throat. It was more realistic than that. A planet has a mineral people want, they turn up and want to destroy the planet and its people because they don’t give a toss. Any corporation would do that, especially if that planet is six years into deep space.
Confession
I did not see this film in 3D, I wish I had. Even though it has been out for two weeks the 3D showing was completely full (I have never seen that before). There is a very good chance I will be going back just so I can see it in 3D. There are various parts of the film that will really reward you for it, and there was only one moment where I thought it was gratuitously used but you have to forgive every 3D film at least one cheap shot.
Conclusion
Go and see this film, it is as amazing as you have been lead to believe!
One of the first robot anime I ever saw was Macron 1, shown rediculously early (5am) on the Super Channel back in the 80s. Of course I didn’t know it was an anime then. To me it was a cartoon with fighter jets that combined into a robot or more often, just docked into the legs and chest of an even larger super robot MacStar (GoShogun) that fired beams from its eyes, had a Photon Battle Axe, and Sword and a gigantic Bazooka that fired a huge energy beam, not to mention it’s trademark lazer bombardment (GoFlasher).
Accompanying the awesomeness of being one of the first super robot shows I saw, it was given a soundtrack comprised of covers of then contemporary music. To this day I still hear the voices of Kathy and Jason as they shoot robotic skeleton warriors whenever I hear “Hit me with your best shot”. Other 80s songs covered included Beat It, The Reflex, Electric Avenue and more.
At this point I will admit that Goshogun isn’t particularly well loved in Japan but they had had Mazinger Z and countless other super robot shows. Us UK cable TV viewers had Transformers, Voltron, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, Macron-1 and Robotech and I’m not sure that some of those weren’t after Macron-1 (my memory sucked when I was 7 too). Anyway, I loved and still love robot shows and being one of so few I saw in my highly impressionable youth definitely helped make this all the more memorable.
No not in that way….well maybe I am a bit hehe. What I’m referring too is my preference for playing games on easy mode <gasp> I hear you cry and “What a noob!” (if your harsh) but yes I play on easy and I always will.
No I’m not a casual gamer in that I only play on the Wii on weekends, I don’t play Sing Star once every six months round someone’s house and I certainly don’t like playing Who wants to be a millionaire on the tv at Christmas. I’ve played games for over 20 years, I’m not elitest or showing off but I’ve played a very broad spectrum of games including many obscure and weird games (mostly Japanese). What this all boils down to is, I’ve been around a bit (gaming wise) I know my stuff but I choose to play games the way I want.
So finally Google is making its push onto the desktop. But not just the desktop, as has been speculated for a long time now they want to make their own operating system. It is time for them to push Microsoft and Mac out of the way and take their place as the gate keepers of the internet.
They have released a wonderfully simple looking and very well done video to introduce you to the concept.
I entirely missed the first installment of this series. I have never been a great fan of the “Call of Duty” games, I always preferred the “Battlefield” series. I have always preferred the more open aspect of that series over the tightly scripted world of COD. I have also never been a huge fan of WWII games, they are interesting but I get the feeling they are unnecessarily limited (hence my enjoyment of jumping into a tank in Battlefield).
But I was in a supermarket, there was the last copy of the game in the shop and it was cheap, so I picked it up. Nikobe is always telling me what a great game it is. I liked the idea of the various perks in the game, not only the ones like the gunship but the ones that beef-up the useless players in the game seeing as that is the area I live in.
I know this is not going to win me any friends (and maybe the ire of the fan boys) but I can’t say I am impressed. Read the rest of this entry »
This week it was my privilege to visit the Natural History and Science museums in London. Two of the most amazing places.
I have always enjoyed going to these museums, they are in the most amazing buildings and they have fantastic displays and exhibits. The main reason for being there is my sons love of the dinosaurs, he has been looking forward too going.
What can be more noble for an institution than to be one of the countries leading museums. They have a simple goal, to enlighten the general public to the amazing natural world around them, and to the wonders of science. These are things close to my heart and I am proud that my children love going to these places to the point they were happy to ignore the toy shops.
Tell me and I forget.
Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin
I have been living away from Windows in the wild country that is Linux for a couple of years now. Windows still infests my day job (in a good way) but Windows has been banished from home PCs for a long while.
This week saw the release of Ubuntu 9.10 and I am already running it. One of the things I love most about Linux is its ability to partition almost everything in clever ways Windows just has not caught up with. This time when I installed my system I setup my home drive on a separate partition. Installed Ubuntu and it pulled in all my settings as if nothing had happened, even my background wallpapers were integrated into the new ones.
In the scheme of things its only a minor thing, but it just makes going from version to version almost effortless. Read the rest of this entry »
There has always been a tradition of remaking films, and healthy culture with take old films and rework them. But they are never straight out copies, they have to be re-imaginings of the original concept.
Sometimes they produce a true classic in their own right. Airplane for example is basically a remake of a 1957 film called “Zero Hour”. A fairly by-the-numbers air disaster film. But with a new look at it a truly hilarious comedy was created.
Then there are cases where the original is a great concept, but the film just does not do it justice. John Carpenter’s 1982 remake of “The Thing” took another obscure film and turned it into a horror classic (one I still have problems watching some scenes).
Every time something new should be brought. Either a new twist on the idea, or just improving it all around with a better director. But a film should never be remade just for the sake of it, and an all time classic definitely shouldn’t. Read the rest of this entry »
This evening the whole of BGR will be in London to see the renewed version of Ghost in the Shell. This is a very special film for all of us, and we are all hoping the renewed version will only make it much better.
An all time classic brought up to date
I posted a quick look at what is in this new version of the anime classic, and I have to admit I an thoroughly looking forward to seeing it in a cinema. As I said before this is one of the film that sets the standard for not only anime, but for Sci-fi. With such a precious film it is not easy to back to and make the decision to re-do it. But I think they have come up with an excellent idea of keeping the original film and story intact and enhancing the actual animations.
I was fortunate enough to see the original when it had a limited cinema run back in 1995. Both Nikobe and Sideswipe turned down my invitation to see it, it is one of only a handful of times I have been to a cinema on my own. But tonight we are going to correct that mistake, and all get a chance to see “The Major” battle a walking tank once more.
If you want to see it, it is on for a limited run around the country. Take a look at the official site for times.
We will put something up about our thoughts on this new version. But I already have the Blu-Ray on order, so its going to be good.
I started off this article thinking about crime comedy, and the distinct lack of films in that area, I picked the first two films immediately and was thinking about other films I can put in that I love. I started searching and started putting in all manner of films I had not considered at first films like “The Lady Killers”, “One of our Dinosaurs is Missing”, “Hot Millions”, “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels” (trust me, though I ping from kids film to adult I am looking at quality and meaning not suitability).
When it occurred to me there are plenty of comedy films in the “Crime” genre, but that is not what I was really going for. I wanted films based around the detectives not the criminals. Alec Guinness alone has some of the best films in “The Lady Killers”, “The Lavender Hill Mob”, and “Kind Hearts and Coronets”.
Then it stuck me, the first two films had come easily. They a films of genius that you may not have heard of (though I hope you will see). The last is a collection of film that screams so obviously that it is in this group, and sets the standard not just of this group of film, but of comedy itself. Read the rest of this entry »
So the real question everyone* is asking is “Do you know Wil Wheaton?”
If not, I’m afraid there is no excuse. We all know Wil, we all enjoyed Star Trek : The Next Generation so he was part of our childhoods. Some of the best times in the evenings were watching a group fail at Knightmare, then switching over to BBC 2 at 6pm to watch Star Trek : TNG. If I was very lucky “The Crystal Maze” would be on a little later (but I’m not sure they happened on the same days.. so I might be making that up).
Either way Wil is about to publish a book called Memories of the Future : Volume One. He has started at the beginning of Star Trek : TNG and takes a look at episode, what it was about, how it fitted in the series, and just his general observation about what was going on and off set at the time.
To go along with this he is doing a series of shot pod casts talking about the book, reading excepts, and just generally being funny. The second episode has just come out, and Wil’s thoughts and observations are excellent. I especially like how he is not precious about the work he did, the show has it flaws, but on the whole its great and he just had fun.
Check out this episode, then the first one (or in order if you are crazy like that) and bask in the glory of Wil.
*When I say everyone.. I might mean the geeks among us.
Over the weekend I got the chance to see “District 9” but what I can’t tell you is whether I enjoyed it?
This is technically a very good film, the CG work is outstanding and the plot is good. The film is shot like a documentary at the start, talking about various events like the arrival of the ship 20 years earlier, and how once we eventually got inside they found it filled with aliens. A camp is created, and the aliens are basically left there. Coming back to the present the camp is almost a prison, squalid and over run with crime.
Various groups are exploiting the aliens for their own ends and we are introduced to Wikus, a mostly useless middle manager for the company in charge of looking after the aliens. The style continues as we follow him around the camp doing the dirty work of the corporation.
Thoughts
This is a very good film, I would recommend you go and see it. Did I really enjoy it.. I don’t know, it was not bad. I can see how it could become an important film in this genre. It did manage the most important thing which is to make you think, and discuss what you have seen.
I will see it again, but I don’t feel the need to to go the cinema to do it.
If there is one anime I want to be released on blu-ray that won’t be in the UK or US for a long time if ever, it is 2008’s Macross Frontier, my next choice would be the 2009 remake of Mazinger Z.
Mazinger Z is the original, big giant robot piloted by a human. A world without Mazinger Z is unimaginable. And now, the king of big giant robots is back in this hi-def re-telling and it is seriously awesome. From the adrenalin pumping intro you know you are in for a treat and it does not disappoint in the action stakes.
The first episode blew me away, it dumps you straight in the middle of the fight to end all fights. I have to admit, I haven’t seen all of the original Mazinger Z and while I marked out like mad as everyone I recognized appeared in the first episode, I still didn’t know everyone and was left thinking there is no way anyone could just pick this up. Then the episode ended, without finishing the epic battle and without telling us how we got to this point. I was hooked, I wanted more, much more. Read the rest of this entry »
“Ghost in the Shell” is simply one of the most amazing films ever made! I don’t say that lightly, there are a lot of films out there, but very few come close to the depth and insight portrayed in GITS.
As far as Sci-fi or Anime films go, this is the bench mark. There are only a few other films that can match it (Akira, My neighbor Totoro, basically master peices). But for me it is the standard by which all of these types of films are measured.
When I saw “The Matrix” (over 10 years ago now) I was astounded like everyone else. But then you compare it to GITS are you start to see whole sequences where they just stole the concepts. It doesn’t detract from “The Matrix”, but shows just how strong GITS is.
Which is why I am so pleased they have gone back to the oringal 1995 film and “Renewed” it. Read the rest of this entry »
I saw this trailer and I was captivated. There is something about Sam Rockwell that means you just need to pat attention to him. Anyone able to play Zaphod Beeblebrox has to be amazing, its a requirement of the job
Just released on XBox live is “Trials HD” a very well done motorbike trials game. After getting the demo I was hooked on this game. Its instant fun factor is evident from the start, and while it initially appears very simple it is actually surprisingly hard to master.
But this game threw me back to one of my most favorite games of all time, and game I played when often over 15 years ago on my ZX Spectrum. That classic game was called Kikstart, and it has more than a passing resemblance to this new title on the XBox.
On Sideswipes recommendation, and to celebrate nikobe’s birthday we saw G.I. Joe. We all agreed Sideswipe was right, as long as you don’t think too hard its a great action-fest that is definitely worth checking out.
But if there is one thing better than that, its the Ballard of G.I. Joe
The premise for the film is quiet simple. Set in a dystopia future a mystery disease has killed the majority of the population. All looked lost for humanity until “Gene Co” offers a solution, they will replace your organs and save your life… for a fee. But there is no problem if you can’t pay now, you can pay on credit. Through the intro to the film it explains the company forced through new laws that made it possible to repossess the organs if the borrower could no longer pay.
I have to admit the opening to this film made me smile, largely because I can see how it would be entirely feasible for this to happen, big business is in the habit of making laws that are not good for the populous, so why not take back their organs? they don’t own them?
This film had a lot of promise, but staring Paris Hilton can it really work? She is not renowned for her glittering acting skill. Read the rest of this entry »
To me it was a cartoon with fighter jets that combined into a robot or more often, just docked into the legs and chest of an even larger super robot MacStar (GoShogun) that fired beams from its eyes, had a Photon Battle Axe, and Sword and a gigantic Bazooka that fired a huge energy beam, not to mention it’s trademark lazer bombardment (GoFlasher).
There has always been a tradition of remaking films, and healthy culture with take old films and rework them. But they are never straight out copies, they have to be re-imaginings of the original concept.
If there is one anime I want to be released on blu-ray that won’t be in the UK or US for a long time if ever, it is 2008’s Macross Frontier, my next choice would be the 2009 remake of Mazinger Z.
