What the heck!!!! (yup no references to Odin, beards or hammers and such here)

Just sat down and the big freaking news that jumps up and chews my nuts in a totally welcome way is the director of THOR.

KENETH freaking BRANAGH!!!

Dead Again is an amazing film, and though I wasn't blown away by his Frankenstein it was still rather pretty. Couple this news with the fact that the budget for this is pretty big and I may be starting to think that there taking this one seriously.

I know it's bad case of stereotyping Branagh here but you can't help imagining Thor with a Shakespearian tone to it. And thats what you need with Thor, christ just look at the way he talks.

This is genius, out of the box thinking, I love it.

Sweet!

Dead Set - Charlie Brooker

I've been doing some sleuthing on Dead Set and I have found out some info based an a Guardian feature done a while back.

It turns out that Charlie Brooker has penned this new E4 Zombie thriller. If you have never heard of him, he is the guy that co-wrote Nathan Barley with Chris Morris. He also used to write for PC Zone so he's a fan of computer games which is always a good thing.

The countdown on the E4.com/deadset will reach zero tomorrow - 19th September. So I'm waiting with baited breath for the zombie infested horrors that the site will undoubtedly hold.


Trailer 1:

Dexter - Season 3

Season 3 is about to start in America for all the people that watch this.



For everyone that doesn't, please do yourselves a favor and buy it on DVD, or download it or whatever. Because it's amazing TV.

It's based on a series of books, and for once, the TV lives up the to it's literacy counter part. It's a black comedy / thriller about a rather charming serial killer. He has rules though, the most interesting of which being he can only kill criminals. Unfortunately for his victims hes a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Police so hes able to cover his tracks and run interference when the police call him to examine his own crime scenes.

He has a sweary sister who is also in the police force, and some comedy friends. My favorite being Vince Masuka, one of Dexter's colleagues who's unrequited feelings for Dexter's sister, lead to some incredibly crass and indecent conversations.

This gets a Wyvern thumbs up so makes sure you take the time to watch it, or I will send Dexter round to cut you up and dump you in the sea...only kidding, or am I ?

Has the World Ended?

Here's a question for you, posed over some fish nuggets and a peri peri turkey wrap (that didn't quite work) this very lunchtime; When does costume drama become sci-fi, and therefore acceptable on this blog?

I throw it out there because I've pretty much been banned from the discussion of the relative merits of bustles, phaetons and tits.

"Oooh, you've got to be single and play computer games if you want to post on here," he'll mutter like the disaffected youth he is. But if GeekyTom decides he's going to start watching ITV's ace new mid-week drama (which I give three Wyverns), on the basis it has "an element of sci-fi" does that mean the world has irrevocably changed? And if it has, what kind of scary person is he turning into?

Braid - The Come Down



I have been following this game all through its creation and I feel it's about time I posted about it considering I have just completed it.

Braid is like a onion, it has layers...lots of layers. On the surface it just looks like a simple platform game. Peel back a layer and you come across the time travel aspect. You could essentially complete the game in 10 minutes but you would be missing the point, as you get to the next layer you discover that you are on a search for your princess who has been kidnapped. However upon completion you realise that there could be a lot more to this plot then a simple rescue mission.

Now you arrive at the last and rather interesting layer, it turns out that you are in fact a scientist. A scientist from the 1940's...in New York, and a member of the Manhattan Project. And your princess is in fact the secret to the Atomic Bomb...

Tim the main character is a dreamer, and likes to get rapped up in his memories and thoughts which are worlds in which you have had to traverse.

I have undoubtedly let a bit more go then I should of but I have a feeling that most people who have played this game haven't discover the real drive behind Tim, and have just enjoyed the puzzle and platform aspect. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that, its just that there is so much more to this game.

If you have an Xbox 360 then I can't recommend this game enough. I wait with baited breath for Johnathan Blow's next creation, as I have a feeling that he has even better things up his sleeves.

Dead Set – E4.Com

While cyber-strolling around E4.Com, I stumbled across a rather intriguing banner that proclaimed "DEAD SET" in a rather familiar font. Immediately my zombie sense started tingerling, "If I’m not completely mistaken, that’s the font from the "of the dead" series. You know, Land of the dead, Day of the dead - All those George A Romero master pieces.


My instincts where proved right as I was directed through to a page with a countdown and rather bloodied Big Brother logo. Upon clicking said logo a rather nice trailer started to roll. Showing a few minutes of what seems to be a Big Brother house, infested with Zombies.

Divina was there, and everything...I wonder if the Geordie voice over guy will be too?

I did a Google and came up blank so I guess we will have to wait for the countdown to get to zero!


Anyway, It looks bloody amazing, See for you self.

The fantastic tale of Guillermo Del Toro.

The news that Guillermo Del Toro is directing The Hobbit films is old news, and though I know without a doubt that his amazing style that brings back the feeling of wonder and fantasy to a movie business that is a little too transparent these days, I still can't get that excited about it. I'm tired of Tolkien. Sure that will change when I start seeing stuff from the project but that's not here yet.

So when I read this article from Variety that explains how Del Toro has signed an first look contract with Universal and saw the material we're going to be getting, its safe to say I did a big 'ole geeky sex-wee in my pants.

You really have to hand it to Universal, I have to say as Studios go, they have been good to Del Toro. They took a chance on Hellboy first time round, and when it came to number two after everyone else had turned him down they took another chance, good for them. But Del Toro is definitely the guy you take chances on cause the goods just don't stop coming.

So on top of the two Hobbit movies we'll be seeing an adaptation of DROOD by Dan Simmons (after a bit of Googlology this is a book, musical, etc based on Charles Dickens last unfinished novel). There's SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE which was an award winning film in the 70s, though a box office flop(anybody else notice a strange link between box office flops and films winning awards or becoming cult classics?). There's also the exciting news that he wants to do FRANKENSTEIN and DR JEKLL AND MR HYDE, projects that I feel would really suit Del Toro's style.

And finally his pet project which he's been trying to get made for a while AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS by H.P. Lovecraft. The issue with this project is that its Lovecraft and that means two things, theres no love story and there sure as hell is no happy ending. Del Toro himself has claimed these reasons for why the project hasn't yet been signed. But lets hope Universal take another risk, because Del Toro visualizing Lovecraft, I would think, will blow your socks off.

There seems to be a lot of focus on the human condition here, especially when you consider FRANKENSTEIN and DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE. And the stuff Del Toro is saying in Variety sounds like what someone with a brain would want to hear about these projects. FRANKENSTEIN will focus on the monsters relationship with his creator and questions of why am I here. While DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE will look at Jekyll's addiction to the dark freedom of his alter ego.

And there's always the promise of another Hellboy we hope, that will of course be decided when the dust has settled and Universal see how much dollar they get back in the bank. Personally I think this one will come down to DVD sales. Hellboy had two DVD releases, the first was one of the best I've seen and the second was even better, the kind of DVDs you have to own. If we see a repeat with the sequel you be damn sure we should see another Del Toro Hellboy. I personally hope we see some more of the animated movies to tide us over.

I can't wait, the director who has returned some of the wonder of the cinema to me has an amazing diary of projects, what more could I ask for.

Sweet.

Alan Dale on his role in LOST


Just saw this interview with Alan Dale on Digital Spy - freaking superb, not for him the diplomatic and cagey answers common to American stars, he just tells it like it is!

Few choice quotes but go and read it yourselves!

"How invested are you in the show? Do you follow the twists?
"Truthfully, no. I know as much as anyone else, but I don't even know as much as you because I got sick of it. It went through a lull in scripts in the third season. At that point I felt like I had watched them wandering in a line through the forests a bit sweaty for the 1000th time. I thought 'I can't watch this anymore'. Then out of the bushes came a black cloud, which grabbed a black man and threw him to the ground, and I thought 'I definitely can't watch this anymore'."

The [producers] don't tell anyone what's going on because the show has a lot of nutcase fans, and people could get a lot of money if they sell the storylines online. So they protect themselves by telling nobody."

Hahahahahaha!!

The new (Beverly Hills) 90210



For anyone that might be remotely interested, I saw the first instalment of the new 90210 recently. Back in the 90s, Shannon Doherty, Luke Perry and Jason Priestly supposedly spawned a generation of teen and prepubescent crushes, and this is an attempt to resurrect the highly successful teen drama for a new generation. I have to confess - the original pretty much passed me by, I don't recall watching more than the occasional episode and I certainly never, EVER found leading men Perry or Priestly remotely attractive.

As it happens, little has changed this time around - and probably for the best as it would be tantamount to cradle-snatching now. The teen(y) girls and boys are all immaculately coiffed and styled, and look as wholesome as could be. Unfortunately, after recent glossy teen angst like THE OC and GOSSIP GIRL, this just lacks bite, sophistication and glamour.

The pilot hour introduces us to the Wilson family en route to California – teenagers Annie and Dixon are about to join the privileged ranks of high schoolers at West Beverly Hills High School, where dad Harry is the new head teacher. Annie is shocked to stumble on the popular jock she hooked up with the previous summer indulging in some playground tomfoolery - especially as spoiled rich bitch Naomi thinks he's her boyfriend. Presumably in a nod to contemporary pasttimes, there's a rebel girl called Silver(!) who updates her own blog on fellow classmates, as well as an aspiring journo who produces a daily video newscast. Rounding out the adults are the high school counsellor (Jennie Garth, former BH 90210 alumni) and the egotistical, wealthy parents of Naomi. Adding to the complicated relationships, Annie's dad Harry Dixon learns that Naomi's mother, a former girlfriend, may have had a child by him. Confused yet?!

This was a messy and overly plotted introduction, striving to be edgy and modern, as signposted by a decent pop soundtrack including Ting Tings, MGMT, Adele and Coldplay - but actually feeling oddly dated and young, particularly when compared to other aforementioned teen dramas. The opening scene, featuring the four members of the Wilson family in the car en route to California from Beverly Hills, is stilted and suffers from some painfully contrived dialogue and unfortunately things don't really improve.

Much of the writing is clunky, and in attempting to set up complicated relationships and tensions between characters it feels as if the writers have over-egged the pudding – in the space of one episode couples are established, cheated on, broken up with – friendships formed, trust broken and new allegiances made. Not to mention the reveal of a love child between the parents of frenemies Naomi and Annie!

The cast are undeniably pretty young things with varying degrees of charisma, but the older characters (apart from the splendid Jessica Walter as Annie's grandmother who steals the show) are less successful – one of the teachers appears to be barely six months older than the students and trying to meld a former character from the old series into the story felt a bit disjointed.

Overall, not a great first instalment, but the CW were airing the second one immediately after, which could help if it's a marked improvement. The cast are pretty easy on the eye and the nostalgia factor mean this series could still take off and frankly, if something as dire as THE SECRET LIFE OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER can be so successful in the States then there's no reason to think this won't do well.

However, I shall be sticking with the new Gossip Girl for my fix of beautiful, troubled young things.