The STARSTORE blog from starstore.com

AMERICAN PIE to be rebooted? Seriously?

2010-02-18T11:32:00.001-08:00

Apparently, Universal are looking to reboot the AMERICAN PIE movies franchise. Oh come on, of all the things you could make, of all of those thousands of scripts in your slush pile, of all of those properties that you could make some cash from, you choose AMERICAN PIE?

Look, I didn't mind the first two American Pie movies. They weren't brilliant, but they were funny and did have some gross-out moments that became synonymous with this kind of film. They also brought about the creation of a ton of copyist movies, not to mention all of those needless sequels. It didn't even need American Pie: The Wedding, in all honesty.

Sure, the American Pie DVD movies have been pretty popular (as far as endless DVD sequels go, anyway) and I can understand the interest in continuing to make those films, even though I'm not a fan of them. What I Can't understand is the need to bring it back to the big screen, or indeed to reboot it.

Really, come on, is there nothing else that could be done with the cash for another American Pie flick? In addition, hasn't the audience shrunk enough now that the DVD films have settled into their own genre? Please, for all our sakes, do something NEW.

Retro Video Games FTW

2010-02-15T12:21:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend came up trumps with her valentine's Day gift to me this year- six Sega Megadrive games (Genesis to our US readers). I promptly spent a chunk of the evening playing Sonic The Hedgehog and reliving my youth before we headed out to see a film.

What a great idea for a gift. Plus, retro video games are a great idea for a gift at any time of the year. If there's a video games fan in your life, then retro video games would make great gift ideas for pretty much any occasion.

There's some great alternatives to tracking down vintage consoles too when looking for retro video games, including Plug and Play versions of classic games, handheld games devices loaded with 16-bit classics and even new consoles capable of taking old cartridges.

It's a cool idea that's sure to raise a smile with that games fan in your life, and it's a field which does seem to be growing right now as interest in retro video games continues to grow.

Zac Efron To Star In Bendis Adaptation

2010-01-29T03:17:00.000-08:00

What? Nooooo! Look, I know the guy has his fans, but sticking him in as the lead in a gritty, violent and really damn good comic book story is just wrong and make my every atom quiver with fear. Word is that Zac is to tackle FIRE, the classic two issue indie title written and illustrated by comics luminary Brian Michael Bendis, in which he would play a college student who is recruited by the CIA for a secret program that takes a rather sinister turn.

It's nasty, hard hitting and really not the sort of thing I can see Efron pulling off. Then again, that's probably down to my abject dislike of High School Musical. I can understand the guy wanting to get away from his HSM days, but this just seems a bit wrong. Shia LaBeouf would have been great for the role, but if it's gotta be Zac, at least the flick will find a decent sized audience.

It's probably a good thing that FIRE, originally published by Caliber Comics and later reprinted by Image, was a pretty small scale tale that only the diehard comics geeks will have heard of, let alone read, as it means there's a smaller number of people that will be picking over the film for inconsistencies. It'll be interesting to see where this project goes.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: Orlando Bloom Out

2010-01-27T07:27:00.000-08:00

Following on from Keira Knightley's statement a while back about not appearing in any more Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Orlando 'Legolas' Bloom has also now said he won't be appearing in the fourth film, entitled Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which is due to start shooting late this Spring.

Johnny Depp is set to return as Captain Jack Sparrow, which is good otherwise it wouldn't get made, really.

Rob Marshall is in the director's chair for this latest entry in the adventure franchise, which, while being greeted with open arms by the hardcore POTC fans, has the rest of the moviegoing public going 'Eh?'.

After the mediocre reception the last film got (despite its huge box office totals), isn't it time to just let this franchise fade out?

If anything, a TV series of young Jack Sparrow adventures would be a hit, and give the series a new lease of life rather than continuing to make loads of sequels with ever diminishing returns. Still, no matter what a geek like me says about it, the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film will be a hit. The question is though, will it be any good?

REMAKES: JUST STOP IT ALREADY. PLEASE.

2010-01-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

You will have to excuse my apoplexy. There are few things that make me seethe about the movie industry right now than the subject of remakes.

These damn things are popping up left right and centre lately, and they are getting to be ever more predictable. Case in point- recently we've had remakes of all of the big horror icons from years gone by, such as Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Leatherface and Michael Myers, fair enough, the originals were made decades ago.

But now we have things like the remakes of Let The Right One In (Let Me In), [rec] (Quarantine) and news of an American remake of The Orphanage coming too! What next? remaking Twilight six months after each film comes out? Actually, that one might work.

Nevertheless, this constant stream of remakes dilutes the power of the originals, and as many people already know what's going to happen in them, they are becoming an increasingly pointless waste of everyone's time.

Stick to the originals, people. Enjoy them and appreciate them, and maybe one day Hollywood will remember what it's like to put something new out that isn't based on a Japanese or European flick that most of the core audience will already have seen.

Nightmare on Elm Street Remake- Screening Reviews Start To Surface

2009-11-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

Early reviews of test screenings of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remake have started to turn up online, and while they are of an unfinished print of the film, there are still legitimate concerns for fans of the classic film.

It seems that a bunch of things that made the original Nightmare on Elm Street movie so special are missing from this reboot, such as the iconic 'tongue phone' shot and the hugely memorable 'blood fountain' that are so very much loved by horror fans.

But that's not all. It also appears that much of the atmosphere of the original is missing too, not helped by a mediocre cast. Jackie Earle Hayley (aka Rorschach in the WATCHMEN movie) apparently gives a great performance as a truly evil incarnation of Freddy Krueger. This is great news, as previous Elm Street movies (in particular entries 4, 5 and 6 in the original batch of films) saw the character become a cartoonish joke.

This time round he's the real deal, scarred and terrifying, cold and pure evil. There are also mentions of his background as a child molester and murderer being talked about more in the film, making his character even more unsavoury for the audience. This is cool, as Freddy Krueger should always be the villain and not the hero of a film like this.

Hopefully the film will be tightened up for its release, and some of he pacing issues and scare cues are dealt with. Now that we know this won't be brilliant but it also won't be terrible, we can all stop worrying. It's the same old remake deal. decent, but could be so much better, and nowhere near as great as the original.

San Diego Comic Con: New Movie Posters for SAW 6, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, JONAH HEX and the new TRON: LEGACY logo!

2009-07-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

There are some fantastic new movie posters being revealed at this year's annual San Diego Comic Con!

Many are only visible at the event as banners, but we've looked around for good, clear images of these great new posters.

While you can catch up on the biggest events at the convention with our San Diego Comic Con coverage and the new items from Sideshow with our Sideshow Collectibles San Diego Comic Con coverage, here we'll show you some of the new posters that are doing the rounds at SDCC!

SAW VI

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (REMAKE)

JONAH HEX

THE TRON: LEGACY LOGO

More news on the latest unveilings soon!

Green Lantern: First Flight - The best animated comic book movie yet?

2009-07-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Following on from hits such as Superman Vs Doomsday, Justice League: New Frontier and the awesome Wonder Woman animated movie, the latest DC hero to get the animated feature film treatment is The Green Lantern.

In Green Lantern: First Flight, fans of the character get to see Hal Jordan's transformation into the Green Lantern and his iconic first meeting with the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps. Featuring the voice talents of Michael Madsen and Trisha Helfer along with Christopher Meloni as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, it looks set to be another hot for the DC Universe range of DVD movies.

These films are a great idea. They help fill a niche until live action movies come out, and they can also help gauge the demand for other films, as well as being superb entertainment. Something that is great about all of these animated DC universe films is the faithful representation of these classic characters in updated settings.

The films are an interesting diversion, but as they are being released, the DC Universe animated movies are building up their own unique vision of DC continuity and stories, and it will be fascinating to see where the range goes next.

Some of these films are surprisingly violent and brutal, such as the Superman Doomsday movie or the recent Wonder Woman 2009 animated film. They're cartoons, but they ain’t necessarily for kids.

That's cool, but parents need to keep an eye on what their children are being exposed to. That said, having children watch DC Universe animated movies is a damn sight better than exposing them to things like Gears of War, Halo and Resident Evil. Get your kids into something good. Try the Green Lantern: First Flight movie for starters.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Diamond Select Enterprise D models in stock!

2009-07-10T05:07:00.001-07:00

A fantastic pair of Enterprise models have arrived in store this week, with 2 versions of the USS Enterprise D landing on our shelves. One is the original Star Trek: The Next Generation version, and the other is the enhanced version seen in the series finale, 'All Good Things'.

Both of them are awesome pieces of Star Trek memorabilia that are an absolute must-have for any fan of this iconic incarnation of the famous Star Trek flagship.

Made by Diamond Select and stuffed with sounds and lights, these large format ships are a thing of beauty that no fan can really be without. The detail on the ships is gorgeous, and they are very reasonably priced for a model of such size. Brilliant.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen -The Starstore Movie Review

2009-06-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

The hotly anticipated sequel to the hugely successful Transformers is here. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the original on steroids. Its bigger, longer, with more battles and a whole host of new Transformers. So does Revenge of the Fallen crush its puny fleshling prequel?

The sheer scale of Revenge of the Fallen is epic, and Michael Bay has managed to fix one niggling problem from the first, and that’s the fight scenes. In the original, the fight scenes between Autobots and Decepticons where great, but it was hard to tell between them and the camera was too shaky. However, Bay has managed to overcome this and the fight scenes go from great to absolutely freaking awesome!

The one that sticks out the most is Optimus Prime's last stand in the woods, where he fights Blackout, Starscream and Megatron. It’s obvious Bay has had a lot of money to spend on special effects and it shows as the special effects are incredible, shown greatest with all the environmental destruction that ensues with Autobot on Decepticon fights. It’s not only the battles that have grown in scale, but also the locations. The original was mainly in LA, this time it’s on a global scale, with Autobots and the US special forces hunting down Decepticons that have gone into hiding in China, and the massive onslaught in Egypt.

One thing Bay is notorious for is his humour in his action flicks, most notable is the Bad Boys films. In the first film it seemed a bit strained and tacked on. However, the writers have done a much better job, especially with Judy and Ron Witwicky who stole the show. Their comic performances were brilliant, more so when Judy ate some marijuana cake.

As with most action flicks the story of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is simple, but works, the Autobots and the US military, along with Sam have to stop Megatron and the Decepticons, lead by The Fallen - probably the most evilest Transformer ever, from harvesting the Sun into Energon. The only problem with Revenge of the Fallen is it takes too long to get to the inevitable final battle. With it being over 2 hours long you are too stiff and numb to enjoy the epic final battle, but this is the only negative to what was an absolutely rollercoaster film that made the inner geek scream with delight as giant robots tried to smash each other up.

Doctor Who: New companion announced

2009-05-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

The next big Doctor Who announmcement is here! The build-up to the era of Matt Smith's eleventh Doctor continues with the long-awaited reveal of the 11th Doctor's companion!

Scottish actress Karen Gillan has been cast in the role alongside Smith, and will be appearing alongside the eleventh Doctor in the 2010 series 5 of Doctor Who. Fans have already seen her in the show, as the Soothsayer in the series 4 episode 'The Fires of Pompeii'

The BBC press release features a quote from new showrunner Steven Moffat: "We saw some amazing actresses for this part, but when Karen came through the door the game was up. Funny, and clever, and gorgeous, and sexy. Or Scottish, which is the quick way of saying it. A generation of little girls will want to be her. And a generation of little boys will want them to be her too."

Looks like Doctor Who series 5 is shaping up to be something special. The main players are in place now, so who do you think will be the big villain this year? Here's hoping for sonething new. Moffat is in charge, so I think the series is going to turn out to be fantastuc, no matter who is in it.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Douglas Adams and the answer to everything

2009-05-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

For our next look at a classic author and work, we'll be covering The Hitchhiker's guide to The galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Let's face it, if you've ever read much SF, or indeed much fiction at all, chances are that you'll have read the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, by the late Douglas Adams. There's a much more to HHGTTG than the movie or the much-loved BBC TV series. The original radio series was marvellous, and the five books in the 'trilogy' are wonderful things that nothing else has genuinely been able to capture the magic of.

The use of language is ingenious, and it is a testament to the talent of Douglas Adams that the books have not only been hugely popular, but also have become deeply ingrained into popular culture.

The character of Arthur Dent is a very recognizable Everyman character that the general populace really latched onto. Add to this the wild levels of creativity in painting his vision of this science fiction universe and you have the basis for a classic.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy captured the imaginations of millions of readers, and via the TV series, radio plays and movie it found generations of new addicts. Not bad for a comedy Sci-fi story about not forgetting your towel. The various versions do differ from one another in subtle ways as Adams liked to rework the universe he created for it for each medium that it went to.

Arthur Dent is a very interesting character to have as the central protagonist in a science fiction comedy. he's not a hero, not particularly bright, but is someone audiences can really relate to because of those very things. Arthur was played in the 2005 movie by Martin Freeman of 'the Office' and other popular comedy shows, and while the film itself was flawed and imperfect, martin was pitch perfect as the rather hapless Arthur.

After Douglas Adams sadly passed away, it seemed the saga had ended. Not so. A new sixth book in the series is on the way from author Eoin Colfer, who used Adams' notes to help continue the legendary book series.

Why is it seen as one of the greatest works of fiction ever produced? Well, the simple answer is that it is brilliant, and the other answer, even more simply, is 42.

MARS ATTACKS: Tim Burton’s flawed pulp classic

2009-04-28T03:17:00.000-07:00

When it comes to visuals that leave a lasting impression, there is little in the modern cinema era that match up to the films of Tim Burton. Whether it’s Johhny Depp’s mad turn as Edward Scissorhands or, erm, Johhny Depp as Willy Wonka, Tim Burton’s movies have a visual style and language all of their own. Before every film he made had Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in starring roles, Tim Burton was responsible for Mars Attacks, a loveable yet flawed tribute to the classic era of Pulp SF and genre cinema.

With a hugely impressive cast and some eyepopping effects, Mars attacks is one of the most entertaining films of the 1990s, that most annoying of decades.

Mars Attacks features such sheer visual inventiveness that it is hard not to get swept away by it., This is probably a good thing, as the plot is paper thin and the acting (despite the pedigree of the cast), is far from perfect. The CGI had certainly dated since the movie was released, and looks even cheaper than it was intended to in the first place now, but you can still get a kick out of seeing bubble-headed aliens zapping people left right and center. You really can’t go wrong with people getting zapped, can you?

Mars Attacks is a curio now. Not one of Tim Burton’s most remembered or appreciated films, it was a huge hit at the time and was also very popular on Video (and latterly DVD) following its release. Definitely flawed but a ton of fun, Mars Attacks deserves a well-earned repeat viewing.

While you’re at it, you could follow up on Mars Attacks by sticking Galaxy Quest on after it. With movies like Fanboys, Free Enterprise and so on bringing the Geek manifesto to the masses in recent years, it’d be cool to go and check out this spoof SF gem from 1998. Thanks to the awesome cast headed up by Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen and Alan Rickman, its cheesy (but oh so true) stabs at Star Trek and SF fan culture hit close to home, and are still hilarious.

Anne McCaffrey: Creator of the Pern books

2009-04-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

The beginning of a series of articles in which we appreciate the true greats of the science fiction and fantasy genres.

If anyone has earned their status as a legend in the fields of science fiction and fantasy, then it is Anne McCaffrey. As creator of the Dragonriders of Pern and the hugely popular series of science fiction and fantasy novels that followed the first book ('Dragonflight', which was made up of two novellas originally published in Analog magazine), Anne has secured her place in the history books as a writer of monumental power and talent.

The Pern novels now number well over twenty, and many of them have become essential titles in the science fiction genre.

But there is more to Anne McCaffrey's career than just creating the Pern novels and the world that they take place on. She is also author (and co-author on several books) of several science fiction novels dealing with sentient spacecraft.

Some of the most influential of these books are probably the anthology The Ship Who Sang and the novel The Ship Who Fought. These showed a different side to her writing, allowing her to deal with a more SF style universe than the science-fantasy worlds of the Pern novels.

She is also the author and co-author of many other books in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and while her output has slowed in recent years, she remains one of the finest exponents of the genre around.

What is it that makes her work so special though? Dragons? Crystal Singers? Children hardwired into starship computers? maybe all of these, but she is also an incredibly talented writer when it comes to characterization and social issues within the fictional universes she has created.

Her books aren't just action extravaganzas or character studies, they are both and much more. Each book of hers boasts many layers that a lot of other writers wouldn’t even contemplate, and thus she achieved her status as one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, as well as creating one of the most loved science fiction series ever conceived- Pern.

ROBIN HOOD: William Hurt joins the cast

2009-04-14T07:15:00.001-07:00

Now here’s a project that is slowly gathering some interest to film fans. Ridley Scott’s forthcoming and as-yet-untitled Robin Hood movie has now added William Hurt to its cast. William Hurt is to play William Marshall, the Earl of Pembroke in the film.

Other actors now confirmed for the project include Russell Crowe (Billed on the IMDB as both Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham), Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian and Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Eleanor.

I guess it is something to do with Kevin Costner’s mullet in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, or that bloody Brian Adams song that went with it, that had me fearing any new versions. The thought of those things strikes fear into the heart of any seasoned film fan.

The good news is this Ridley Scott version of the classic Robin Hood tale looks set to be rather special. Well, anything has to be better than that atrocious TV version from 2006, anyway. Hopefully.

Sarah Michelle Gellar: 'Would love to see Buffy as a Mum'

2009-04-10T06:01:00.000-07:00

Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of the TV phenomenon Buffy The Vampire Slayer and several movies, has said that she would consider returning to her legendary role as the vampire-killing cheerleader, but only if the story was right for her. The actress states "There is an idea for a script and to pick the story up with Buffy older and maybe even a mother", which kind of negates the whole 'Season 8' comics series created by Joss Whedon that has been such a hit. This is a shame really, as the stories that covered were great. Nevertheless, this may well be great news for fans of the Buffyverse and its characters. here's hoping that if this movie does get made, it is a damn sight better than the 1992 version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I still have nightmares about Luke Perry's hair.

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: One, Two, Rorschach's coming for you?

2009-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

I love this one. The forthcoming Wolverine movie remake, which I was previously very dubious of, may have actually won some points. Word has come down that the current frontrunner for the role of iconic undead serial killer Freddy Krueger is none other than WATCHMEN's sociopathic nutter Rorschach, aka Jackie Earle Hayley.

This could actually work really well. Judging from his performance in Watchmen, he can certainly handle a deranged character well, but I'd worry a little that the makers of this new version of the 1984 horror classic may try and give Freddy too much of a sympathetic character overhaul.

There seems to be this trend in current horror remakes to explain away the background of horror icons and as such take away much of the impact they originally had. If the new Wolverine movie movie can stick to the basics and not go too deep into Kruger's motivations for what he does, then I think it can be saved.

The casting of Jackie Earle Haley would be a huge step in the right direction for a film I'd really rather not get made in the first place

DOCTOR WHO: Planet of the Dead trailer reaction

2009-04-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

So then, the first trailer for the next Doctor Who special episode, Planet of the Dead, has now aired and also leaked online (but not through the BBC yet, so I'm not posting it here), giving us a glimpse at one of the tenth Doctor's final few adventures. While it seems that stylistically the episode will have some elements in common with season 4's 'Midnight' episode, I think it is going to be a winner.

Thanks to the fact that it doesn’t have to have any Christmas elements nailed to the script, it looks like a solid Doctor Who story with some interesting effects (although the Tritovore still look horrendous to me) and a nice, strong science fiction setting.

The Dubai footage has a beautiful look to it, and will hopefully provide the episode with a great atmosphere. I'm curious to see if the edit style in the trailer matches that of the episode itself- a little adventurous editing and visual effects will help elevate it above a mere episode into something more special. After all, isn’t that the point?

I'm still not quite sold on Michelle Ryan yet, but I'll reserve judgment until I see the episode itself. The Doctor seems a little on autopilot, but that is probably/hopefully just down to the limited running time of the trailer. It does look promising. Not long now!

Angel star Andy Hallet dies of heart failure

2009-03-31T05:33:00.000-07:00

As reported across the media, Andy Hallet, aka Lorne in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off series Angel, died last night from heart failure. This sad news ends the story of his five year-long battle against heart disease. He was 33.

Hallet brought a unique personality to the character of Lorne, a demon who sings at a supernatural bar, in more than 70 episodes of the Joss Whedon creation. Hallet's talents as a singer came in handy, and in recent years he had been concentrating on his music career rather than acting.

Lorne became a fan favourite character throughout Angel's run, and while this is partly down to strong scripts, it is Hallet that really gave the character his sparkle.

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time- The End is Coming

2009-03-30T10:42:00.001-07:00

The late Robert Jordan's legendary series of books The Wheel of Time commences its final trilogy this November. The final three books are being completed by bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, working from material Jordan wrote before his untimely death in 2007. Originally intended to be one book, such was the scope of the story that it was decided that the final part of the iconic fantasy series would work better as a trilogy.

According to various reports, comics and a movie are also in the works (The movie will be made by Universal Studios).

The first book of these final three installments, The Gathering Storm, will be released on the 3rd of November this year. The previous eleven volumes of this truly epic work have each become mainstays of the fantasy literature pantheon, thrilling and enthralling millions of readers the world over. While each volume is a chunky beast of a book, there is so much action and plot on offer that fans have been gripped since page one.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

Robert Silverberg- A grand master returns

2009-03-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

In a message posted to his Yahoo group, science fiction legend Robert Silverberg has revealed he is to write a brand new novella. While he has been writing the occasional short story, this will be the first new book (albeit novella length) he has released in years.

The message reads:

"I've just signed on to write a new novella, tentatively called "The Last Song of Orpheus," to be published as an original book by Subterranean Press in 2010. I expect to write it this fall and it will probably run about 25,000 words, and, no, I'm not sneaking back into writing novel-length books in some gradual way by doing this one. It's a theme that appeals to me and I've been meaning to write it for the past two or three years, and finally the impulse to do it reached the surface. But it's just a novella, and I'm not quietly hatching any novels for later years."

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

Clerks 2: Damn you, Pillow Pants

2009-03-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

While Zack and Miri Make a Porno saw Kevin Smith return to the gross-out humour of Jay and Silent Bob strike Back, while keeping hold of the very human comedy and drama of Chasing Amy, Clerks 2 seems to have been somewhat forgotten. While it differed in many ways from the classic original, it is still a fantastic, funny, moving and rude film that holds a special place in the hearts of many fans.

I personally love the Clerks 2 movie`, and in the characters of Dante and Randall is see big chunks of my life being played out in front of my very eyes. The situations may be ridiculous, but then, so is life.

Beck, played by the delightful Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds, Sin City, and, erm, Josie and the Pussycats) is one of Kevin Smith's most delightful creations- a woman with her own problems, a real sense of humour and a very believable emotional connection to Dante (Brian O'Halloran). Dante and Randall are still very much the same characters they were in the original Clerks, just a little more jaded, a little more sad with their lot in life.

The dilemmas they face throughout Clerks 2 movie as they hurtle on deeper into their thirties are something that resonate deeply with Kevin Smith's last few films, which tells us something about the filmmaker himself. Yes, his earlier films were juvenile and puerile, but he's growing up at last, and wants to make something a little deeper.

Sure, I can’t really argue that a film with a Donkey Show in it is anything remotely deep, but the pop culture obsessed main characters are drawn as pretty real people. Hell, even Jay and Silent Bob seem to have matured a bit in Clerks 2. The film works as a sequel to the first Clerks very well, but it also works as a denouement of that period in Kevin Smith's career- the Jersey series, the Jay and Silent Bob stuff, and one of the most beloved pieces of Geek culture there has ever been.

It holds up very well on repeated viewings, and even though a couple of things are now rather dated (the announcement of a live action Transformers movie, for example), the story is moving and funny, which is pretty much we want from a Kevin Smith film.

Mind you... That poor Donkey...

NEW STAR TREK AND WOLVERINE TRAILERS

2009-03-06T03:58:00.000-08:00

New trailers for JJ Abrams' Star Trek reimagining and the new Wolverone Prequel have gone live, and both look impressive. The Star Trek trailer is nothing short of brilliant, while the Wolverine trailer (which is embedded at the USA today site on their piece about the movie here) looks, erm, like it is going to screw up continuity even more than the Star Trek film!

Check out the new Star Trek movie trailer below:

ALIEN VS PREDATOR: SCOOP ON THE NEXT TWO FILMS?

2009-02-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

According to undisclosed sources, the next two films in the Alien Vs Predator franchise are set to go into production back to back later this year.

The two films are allegedly to be called ALIEN VS PREDATOR: SURVIVAL and ALIEN VS PREDATOR: INSTINCT and take a much more hard sci-fi approach to the series, taking it back to the roots of the creatures themselves.

AVP3 is said to be set on a derelict space freighter, which is being used as a hunting ground for a band of Predators who have discovered and Alien nest on the vessel.

A group of human survivors from a skirmish on a remote outpost have landed their escape pod on the derelict station, and with failing air and supplies, they must survive the combined threats of the Predators and Aliens as the two races of alien creatures battle it out.

This is said to lead into the fourth film, INSTINCT, which sees the remaining survivors of AVP3 bringing the freighter down for a crash landing on the Alien homeworld, right into the middle of an all-out war between Aliens and Predators that is to feature the most epic battle scenes ever attempted for the franchise.

This is intended as an ending for the VS series in order for new films in the individual Alien and Predator franchises to be made in years to come.

None of the characters from previous films are to return for these two films, although various nods to the earlier films, and the original Alien and Predator films, will feature throughout. The rumour mentions a number of Colonial Marine Dropships arriving at the climax of AVP4 in order to rescue the last survivors before the planet is purged of all life.

As yet there is no confirmation as to whether these rumours are true, buit we thought we would put them out there for you as they sound awesome, and hell, they can't be any worse than Requiem...

Where next for fantastic fiction?

2009-02-17T04:51:00.000-08:00

With Star Wars complete, the Watchmen film on the big screen, all the superhero movies we have always dreamed of and countless other much-dreamed of pieces of entertainment at our disposal, where will science fiction, fantasy and other genres go for its next fix? We have had the previously 'unfilmable' stories such as The Lord of The Rings, and now Watchmen, made into huge blockbuster movies. We have had Anakin's fall to the Dark Side.

We have had a trilogy of X-Men movies, Spider-Man films, Batman, Iron Man, Hulk, a reimagining of the Star Trek universe, video game films and TVs alight with Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica and many other huge genre franchises.

All of which means the studios and networks will have to look a little further afield for the next big thing. The big names have been taken care of- now its time to move onto other classics of each genre and make something spectacular for audiences.

Long-mooted projects are moving forward that may provide some cause for celebration, with science fiction classics such as Asimov's Foundation books and Orson Scott Card's Ender's game heading to the screen at varying speeds being two good examples.

The possibilities are endless, but what we must also take into consideration is the possibility that new ideas will go ahead. New ones! Could you imagine that? New films and TV series based on original ideas instead of rehashed versions of the same old song and dance. That would really be something else, and while there are numerous things I would love to see adapted into movies, I would also love to see some new and vibrant original ideas go forward.

I think that the current trend for adapting everything in sight does have it's strengths, though. It is keeping the genres of the fantastic alive in the cinema and the general public consciousness with properties that are at least familiar to the masses if not well known. This keeps an interest in science fiction, superheroes and whatnot alive and helps smaller, more daring projects go ahead.

So I guess my point is that to move forward, there are areas of the entertainment industry that need to remain the same. Carry on adapting the classics, but now that the various Holy Grails have been found and made into movies, maintaining a sizable interest in the general public is going to be kind of hard. Thankfully, with two Hobbit movies, more Transformers, superheroes and epics to come, we will be enjoying this current age of wonder for some time to come.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN- FALLEN AND DEVASTATOR!

2009-02-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

Here are two awesome pictures from the new TRANSFORMERS movie- REVENGE OF THE FALLEN! These are fantastic character shots of THE FALLEN and DEVASTATOR! Of course, Devastator is made up of the CONSTRUCTICONS, hence the multicoloured look. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is going to be EPIC. These pictures have been floated on a number of movie sites, and originate from a Japanese toy company's site. Check out these monstrosities:

FINAL FANTASY 13 TRAILER

2009-01-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

The trailer for the long-awaited FINAL FANTASY XIII has been posted on the front page of the Square Enix site! If you can't wait, here's a lower quality version:

It certainly looks impressive, but will the latest Final Fantasy game be able to replicate the success of the previous entries in the series? The new game looks much more sci-fi than the last couple of games, but the real test will come with the gameplay itself.

SUPERMAN- DOOMSDAY FOR THE LEGENDARY HERO?

2009-01-25T05:42:00.000-08:00

With DC's apparent U-turn on all of their comic book movies, (see this article) it seems that the original DC superhero, Superman himself, is in limbo once more. With the Superman Returns film being something of a damp squib with fans, critics and the box office, it was clear that the franchise needed a new direction to survive. Now, there had been many attempts to bring Superman back to the screen before that film, and most of them would have fared better than what was eventually released. It wasn't the fault of Brandon Routh or director Bryan Singer- it was a pedestrian script and a lackluster story that just came off flat and tired, which was a shame.

How should Superman come back to the screen? We need a better villain than tired old Lex Luthor, for a start. Braniac or Darkseid would be fantastic, but then again, they might not have enough of an impact to really invigorate the series, so how about adapting that most hard-hitting (literally) of modern Superman stories...

DOOMSDAY.

If Superman was to face off against Doomsday, as in the Death of Superman story from the early 90s, we would have a massive film full of action and drama that could tie into the larger DC movie universe that so sorely needs to be created for the DC movies to survive and grow beyond the blinkered view that everything should be like The Dark Knight now. It would also provide Warners/DC with huge merchandising opportunities for the character, not to mention the other DC heroes that show up in the story. It could even be the precursor to a Justice League movie, if you think about it.

The Death of Superman storyline would even be a good idea for a trilogy of films. There could be the Death of Superman story to start with, then the second film could be the World Without a Superman/Reign of the Supermen stories rolled into one. The third would take care of the Return of Superman and maybe the second Doomsday story. think about it. It has the potential to be the greatest superhero movie trilogy ever, with genuine danger and something at stake as the heroes take on this terrifying foe.

The source material is there. The ideas are there. The graphic novels are there to be adapted. The talent is out there. Come on Warners, give us a Superman film we can be thrilled with. It's been far too long since Zod did his stuff.

80's Ninja Movies. I blame you for making me this way.

2009-01-18T07:17:00.000-08:00

Joseph Lai has a lot to answer for. He was the man that filled the 80s with a million and one insane Ninja movies. Some of those films, such as NINJA THE PROTECTOR, NINJA HUNT, RAGE OF A NINJA and NINJA CAR BOOT SALE (I made that last one up) were amongst the most deliriously odd things ever committed to film. Haven't seen any of them? Don't, unless you are drunk, insane, or work in a comic shop. Well, go on then, watch them, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Here was a genre all by itself; Asian action movies intercut with footage of European and American actors in luridly coloured Ninja costumes, beating the hell out of each other (usually in a forest) and acting like superheroes. These Ninja movies made little sense, regularly defied all notions of physics and story, and were really quite brilliant. The fact that these films got released at all astounds me, and they remain a guilty pleasure of many geeks to this day.

Watching a film in which the major action sequences take place with a different cast and have little to do with the film itself is an odd experience, and I do wonder how many of these have been used as models for modern Hollywood flicks. They make about as much narrative sense.

I blame Joseph Lai and his merry band of demented, costumed action heroes, plots on secret documents and crime lords, explosions made of coloured smoke, music made on someone's watch and NINJA headbands for turning me into this seething mass of oddness. have you any idea what you did to my teenaged self? It's all your fault, Lai, and now I'm going to spin in the air and transform into a superhuman ninja and fly through the air, shooting fire, smoke and plastic shuriken at you.

Seriously though, you can't go wrong with guys in white/yellow/pink/red/silver ninja costumes beating each other to death with the same sound effect (BOOOCH) for every hit. These were grown men playing dress-up, with swords that shot smoke, magic teleportation powers, blunt swords and the acting abilities of a shoelace.

Quite simply, they were awesome, and you know it.

Plus, they kick the ass of pirates any day. Fact.

COWBOY BEBOP- COWBOY KEANU?!!!

2009-01-16T06:03:00.000-08:00

Altogether now: Whoooa. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox are going to be bringing anime classic Cowboy Bebop to the big screen, with none other than Keanu 'One trick Pony' Reeves as lead character Spike. Now, I like a bit of anime myself, and to be frank, this is about as needed as, well, that Dragonball movie Fox are spitting out.

Maybe I'm wrong and this wwill be fantastic, but thus far we're yet to see any anime adaptations that really kick any ass. Hmm. I'll have a think about it, but I really can't think of any that have really grapsed the original feel of the source material. Maybe the two recent Appleseed movies, but they were animated!

Oh, hang on, yueah- the Death Note movies
were pretty spot on, as well as the Boogiepop adaptations, but nothing from a US based studio has been that good, and with a franchise as beloved as Cowboy Bebop, can a movie version actually do anything other than be picked apart?

Prove me wrong, Hollywood. I dare you.

TRANSFORMERS: SIDESWIPE REVEALED!

2009-01-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

He may not be the red Lamborghini Countache that we remember from our childhoods, but he's certainly in the movie. Taken from a leaked toy packaging image, this is the internet's first look at Sideswipe from TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, this summer's dose of giant robots beating the hell out of each other.

It certainly looks like the makers of TF2 are tonibng down how 'busy' the robot designs are, which is going to make for some much clearer onscreen action and more fun for viewers who found the uber-complicated designs in the first film a bit hard to follow. Everything is pointing at this sequel kicking all kinds of ass, even though we still have to stare at Shia Labeouf's sole facial expression.

CHUN LI MOVIE POSTER REVEALED

2009-01-06T02:30:00.000-08:00

Um, is that it? Sorry, but that's not much of a movie poster is it? Especially considering the franchise the movie is from. The Japanese poster included the proper Street Fighter logo, and actually looked pretty cool (moreso than the lacklustre trailer did), so why the half-arsed attempt shown here (click to view the full image)?

Surely this five minute photoshop job isn't the best they could come up with for the first 'serious' Street Fighter movie? It looks like some kind of Fast and Furious knockoff instead of a film based on a huge video game phenomenon with a global following.

Plus, there's no sign of the proper Chun Li costume, and the film's lead star, the lovely Kristen Kreuk, doesn't even get that much space on the damn thing. I hope the film is better than this sorry excuse for a poster.

That was the year that was...

2009-01-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Right then. Christmas and new year are over and done with, and we can get back to bickering about films and whether or not Greedo shot first. Everyone at Starstore hopes you had a great time and wishes you well for the year ahead. Updates here and across our other sites will now recommence, and wit some fantastic stuff to look forward to in the next 12 monthsm we certainly won;t be short of things to get you angry/excited about.

SEVEN GREAT HALLOWEEN COSTUME IDEAS

2008-10-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

Stuck for an idea of which horror icon or TV character to dress as on Halloween this year? Check out these suggestions for seven simple costumes based on famous horror characters...

MICHAEL MYERS
WHAT YOU NEED: White mask with wig, overalls, boots, fake machete.

FREDDY KRUEGER
WHAT YOU NEED: Brown fedora/similar hat, red and green striped jumper, brown trousers, work boots, replica clawed glove (right hand)

JASON VOORHEES
Hockey mask, undead makeup, overalls or dark/old 'hick' style clothes, boots, gloves, fake machete.

SCREAM/GHOSTFACE
'Scream' mask, black hooded robe, black boots, gloves, fake butcher knife.

CHUCKY
Dungarees, striped sweatshirt, red/orange shoes, red wig, freckle makeup, fake 'scars'.

DOCTOR WHO
Pinstripe suit, long brown coat, sneakers, sonic screwdriver prop, white shirt, dark tie.

SCARFACE
White suit, black shirt, red tie, 'scar' makeup.

Specialist makeup items and masks are available from your local party supplies stockist. For more ideas and suggestions on Hallowen costumes and more, check out this superb Halloween Ideas blog.

THE SPIRIT: NEW POSTER REVEALED

2008-10-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

A brand new poster for Frank Miller's forthcoming movie adaptation of Will Eisner's classic comic book character has arrived online. Check it out by hitting the thumbnail. While nowhere near as inspiring as the other images that have surfaced from the film, this does take away a bit of the 'another Sin City' problems the film has had so far. The film looks awesome, like some kind of sick Dick Tracy movie put through Frank Miller's unique visual blender, but this poster doesn't really convey just how awesome the film is going to be.

TORCHWOOD ACTION FIGURES- NEW IMAGES RELEASED

2008-10-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

New images have been released of the forthcoming first wave of Torchwood action figures, which were originally due for release in August. The figures of Jack, Gwen, a Weevil and the Cyberwoman were then pushed back to September, and now word is that they will be out in November, but I'll believe it when I see it, really. Fans are still looking forward to the figures arriving, so these new images will only serve to whet their appetite even further. What's interesting is the fact that this range of figures will only be available in speciality comic and collectibles shops, and not in supermarkets! Bear that in mind when they do arrive. The Torchwood figures are available to pre-order now.

Here are the new images:

DEATH RACE- THE STARSTORE REVIEW

2008-10-02T03:34:00.000-07:00

This was never going to be a great, deep, emotional piece of art, was it? Come on, this was always going to be about armoured cars, explosions and machismo. That, my friends, is exactly what you get with the remake of Death Race 2000, and you get it with all the bells and whistles you could crave. The action scenes, and indeed the sections of the movie intended as clips from the televised 'Death Race' events, look like they have come straight out of a video game, and that seems to be who the film is aimed squarely at- fans of ultra violent video games. As a statement against violent culture it fails completely (that was never the intention though), but as a high octane piece of entertainment, it hits the spot right between the eyes.

If you ever saw the original, Stallone-starring Death Race 2000 bit of low budget fluff, you'll recognize the ingredients that made that flick fun to watch, but this is by no means a literal remake- this is Death Race suped-up to the maximum and then used as a weapon to beat people's eyes with. Jason Statham plays his usual Man-With-A-Chisel-For-A-Face routine, which he does remarkably well. I say he should be the new Judge Dredd. The flimsiest of plots sees him take on the mantle of Frankenstein, a masked participant in the lethal Death Race matches, so that he may be released from the prison that stages them (he was framed for the murder of his wife), and the stage is set for cars covered in armour and machine guns to race around a track and blow each other to pieces for many, many scenes.

You know what? I loved it. The film seems to live on adrenaline alone, and pretty much every edit is cut so that each shot smacks you in the face. There are some truly spectacular action scenes, and the film doesn't hang around getting to these explosive sequences. The cast do a great job with what is essentially a terrible script (Ian McShane is great as 'Coach'), but this isn't a film to be looked too deeply into. At the end of the day it is a flick where you want to see stuff blow up, and in that sense it is an excellent thrill ride that delivers serious value for money in the action department. The stunts performed onscreen are nothing short of incredible, and the integration of practical effects, stunts, CG and live action is really rather impressive. When you get to see the Dreadnought there's a little pang of 'That should look cooler after the build-up they gave it', but this is a small niggle with what is a pretty damn fun piece of action cinema. Turn your brain off, buckle up and enjoy every bloody, noisy, violent, exciting moment.

9/10

PRODUCT REVIEW: BEETLEJUICE FIGURES FROM NECA

2008-09-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

At long last, the Beetlejuice figures have arrived. Announced last year and supposed to be arriving sometime in August, the 18 inch and 7 inch action figures are now on our shelves, so have they been worth the wait? Yes, they most certainly have. The 7 inch version shiops as part of the new range of CULT CLASSICS figures, and is a great addition to that range. It comes packed in a clamshell package with two snakes and book accessory. While his arms, neck and waist are articulated, his legs aren't, which does limit his poses but it does mean the figure remains quite sturdy. The 18 inch version has an awesome sculpt, but the paintjob on the suit could have been better. As with the other 18 inch figures from NECA, the Beetlejuice figure comes with motion-activated sound, featuring lines of dialogue from the classic movie. It's about damn time these things showed up, and they are fantastic aside from that questionable paintjob.The packaging on the 18 inch figure seems aimed at fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is a bit of a let own as I'd have loved to have seen some more graphics from the film itself. Now can we please have a giant Sandworm too?

ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW FROM STARSTORE.COM

2008-09-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

I do love the fact that we get to bring you news and opinion in so many ways. Not only do we have our blogs, Twitter, PDF newsletter and Myspace, but now we can bring you STARSTORECAST, our brand new podcast show! Presented by Andrew Hawnt with Jonathan Winwood and Rich Thorp, STARSTORECAST features us covering the latest geek culture news, movies, comics and merchandise in our own *special* way. You can check out the first free episode in the player below!

Remember you can check out our website for the latest in movie and TV collectibles and our blogs for the latest movie, TV, comics and collectibles news!

STARSTORE NEWSLETTER: FREE DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE NOW

2008-09-22T04:47:00.001-07:00

We are pleased to offer you our newsletter as a free PDF download. A regular look at what's new instore and online, as well as featuring news on merchandise, movies and more, the newsletter is topped off with a feature article and all of our contact info. You can download the current issue now by right clicking the link below and selecting 'Save As'. The next issue will be coming soon, as will our brand new podcast series, STARSTORECAST!

Check out the Starstore.com/The Last Picture Show newsletter!

NEW ZACK AND MIRI POSTER REVEALED

2008-09-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

So there we are- after the original poster for Zack and Miri Make a Porno was deemed unsuitable by Those In Positions of Influence, those cheeky blighters at View Askew have brought us a new one. In keeping with the work of our Lord Kevin Smith, the poster is suitably cheeky and intended as a knock at the people who deemed the original too risque. Good lad.

ADD US ON SHELFARI

2008-08-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

Shelfari is a great new free service allowing users to share their bookshelves. Show your friends what you've read, what you're reading and what you plan to read soon. Add us and check out what we're currently flipping the pages of! You can even buy the books from Amazon via the Shelfari service. Go along and check it out!

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

SUPERMAN: FRANCHISE GETS A REBOOT

2008-08-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

Here’s one instance where starting over again is a good thing. With every film under the sun getting a remake, which I’m absolutely sick to death of, the news that the Superman movie franchise is to be started over again is actually a breath of fresh air. Bryan Singer’s bloated misfire Superman Returns was a big fat lesson in mediocrity. It did look and feel like a Superman film, but absolutely nothing happened in it bar the baseball stadium scene. To carry on from that film would have been a mistake, as there was no real sense of scale or drama in that film, despite strong performances from a pretty decent cast.

Warners have made a brave - not to mention sensible – move in starting the franchise over. That said, I’m hoping they give us something a bit different than just another origin story (maybe something more along the lines of the recent Incredible Hulk reboot), and that there are some supervillains in it other than Lex bloody Luthor.

Y’know, there’s still some of out there that think Warners should take another look at Kevin Smith’s Superman Reborn script and use some of that. If nothing else, they need Smith or another comics afficianado on board to ensure we get something cool this time around. Doomsday would be cool. A big screen version of Superman’s death would go down very well indeed, and of course then there could be the relevant sequels.

Mind you, this new revamp could also be used to start tying the DCU movies together a bit, much in the same way Marvel have been doing of late. If there’s something that the recent DCU movies are lacking it is any coherent world. Remember, there’s a Justice League movie on the way (eventually) and this would probably have to tie into that somehow. One problem is, with that JLA movie coming, won’t that have a different Superman actor? Aaaaaaggghhh…. Is the DCU movie universe imploding already? I swear if someone says the word ‘Multiverse’ ion there I’m going to have to go Doomsday on DC’s asses.

WATCHMEN MOVIE: POSSIBLE DELAY

2008-08-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Fox appear to be having a bit of a tantrum, don’t they? Apparently the movie giant still retains some rights to the Watchmen property, and is trying to stop the Warner Bros-made movie being released. Right, why on earth did Fox wait until the film had actually completed production until bringing this up? The matter came up six months or so ago, after the Zack Snyder film was in the can, and has now reared its ugly head again. Look, Fox, people want to see this film. Lots of people. Some of those people have been waiting twenty years to see it, and if you held the rights back then, why wasn’t it put into production. Warners have made good on their promise of creating a hell of a feature film, that looks set to do the legendary Watchmen comic book series justice, and now fans can’t help but feel that Fox are throwing a bit of a strop for no good reason, I mean, they had their chance. Let it lie. I hope this matter can be resolved without any delay to the film’s release, or there are going to be a lot of fans out there calling for Fox’s collective heads on a platter. This is a real shame, as both studios are excellent and sometimes it would just be nice if they would get along.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN- THE MOST CONSISTENT COMIC AROUND?

2008-08-15T04:10:00.000-07:00

The current run of Captain Britain and MI13 from Marvel Comics has just hit issue four, and it really does feel like the most consistently entertaining and well made comic on the scene at the moment. Paul Cornell weaves a script that is always gripping, funny and action packed and yet it still carries some dramatic weight. The art of Leonard Kirk and Jesse Delperdang is strong throughout. The joy of the book is that it can be enjoyed as a standalone title despite its involvement in the Secret Invasion storyline. It is most certainly part of that huge crossover event, but it can be read and understood on its own merits.

The invasion in these pages isn’t chock full of Marvel mainstays, but it is chock full of surprises and wit that can’t be ignored. The tone of the series is nigh on perfect for a modern Marvel title, and with such a strong creative team I really am excited to see where the series goes. I for one am hoping the title lasts long beyond the Secret Invasion storyline, and that Cornell stays involved in some fashion too.

WONDER WOMAN- TRAILER FOR ANIMATED MOVIE NOW ONLINE

2008-08-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Following on from the success of animated DVD features like Superman: Doomsday and DC: New Frontiers, the latest addition to the growing range of licensed animated comic movies is a feature length adventure featuring Wonder Woman. The trailer for this project is now online and looks pretty good for a DVD feature. Diana/Wonder Woman is voiced in the feature by Keri Russell, and the animation certainly does the character’s pedigree proud. Check it out:

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE- THE STARSTORE REVIEW

2008-08-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

I had gone into this film without expecting a great deal. The reviews I’d read had largely been indifferent or negative, but a few had said this was a return to form for a franchise that lost its way in its later years as a TV show. Now, as a fan of the X-Files from the start I was always going to go and see it anyway, and really I was just happy to see the characters of Mulder and Scully together again. So, how does the new film fare?

Surprisingly well, actually. It is a far cry from the megabucks 1997 movie- there are no aliens, no conspiracy, no spaceships, and not one bit of the scale of that earlier film. What we have here is an old fashioned X-Files caper that is unashamedly an extended TV episode. Its extremely low key storyline and minimal set pieces and effects explain why it took such a short time to make (It was only shot in December, and post was completed quickly on it). Some are yelling that it is too subdued, too small scale, but I say that this is a necessary thing to reintroduce the characters of Mulder and Scully to the current audience.

The story, involving a missing FBI agent, stolen body parts and a psychic priest with a terrible past (played to unsettling effect by an astonishingly creepy Billy Connolly), is secondary to the matter of getting the two leads back together for another outing and to set up the third film that |Chris Carter has talked about, intended for release in 2012 and featuring a full scale alien invasion. For now we have I Want To Believe, and for those of us who loved the standalone classics of the series, this is a welcome return to form. It is a self contained and gripping tale that not only serves as a fitting epilogue to the series, but also sets us up well for another adventure.

Interaction between the two leads is strong, although I’m not sure how Gillian Anderson coped with David Duchovny’s comedy beard for the first half an hour of the film. The beard deserves its own film. That aside, it is great to catch up with the characters’ lives after the end of the big X-Files arc and have them caught up in an old school runaround in search of a missing FBI agent who may be fair game for medical experimentation.

There are a number of fan pleasing moments, but I do think that the piece is so very low key and minimalist that it will turn off a good portion of moviegoers who wanted to see spectacle instead of suspense. Billy Connolly’s Father Joe character is an uncomfortable addition to the cast, but it is that discomfort that works in his favour and makes him such an uneasy presence.

Chris Carter’s direction is a little conservative- this really does feel like an episode of the early X-Files era put onto the big screen, but that works here. The world isn’t at stake, the effects shots that there are tend to be suggested rather than huge money shots, which is also great to see in this age of overblown CG epics. The comparatively tiny budget has been used here to secure a sterling cast (even Xzibit is pretty good) and bring us a nicely rounded, nicely handled story that is resolved tidily and brings the notion of the two investigators Mulder and Scully back into the public consciousness with dignity and surprisingly little fanfare. An enjoyable return for two much loved genre icons. I just hope it does well enough to warrant the production of the next one. Thankfully, with such a small budget for this one, it should gross enough for that to happen.

Incidentally, I picked up the soundtrack album after getting out of the cinema- Mark Snow’s score for the movie is really, really good. Unkle’s retooling of the X-Files theme (which plays over the closing credits) is great, and adds some real majesty to those six immortal notes.

THE DARK KNIGHT- A SECOND OPINION

2008-08-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, Rich posted his glowing review of The Dark Knight over at our mothership blog on this post here, and now I’ve finally had chance to see the film I can offer my own take. I’m probably going to be burned at the stake for this, but I honestly thought the film was a huge disappointment. Whoa, put those pitchforks and flaming torches down a second, let me explain.

I went into the cinema with my girlfriend (a writer and journalist) and a bunch of friends (who are also big fans of Batman) and eagerly awaited the follow-up to the excellent Batman Begins, a film that saved the franchise from the awful memories of Joel Schumacher and Batman’s nipples. In that company, I was genuinely embarrassed by the film.

The film that followed the inane trailers was a lengthy, repetitive bore. I hate to have to write a review like this, but I’m here to tell you the truth and bring you genuine opinion. The Dark Knight, to these eyes, was a tedious film full of tedious scenes linking tedious set pieces. Much has been made of the cast, but they are almost all criminally underused, apart from the ever glorious Gary Oldman and the late Heath Ledger. The Joker does steal the show, but unfortunately this is due to there not being much of a show to steal.

Something that stunned all of us is the rating the film has been given. 12A for this? A film crammed with knives, violence, death, scarred faces and someone with half their head burnt into a mess of meat and sinew? How did the BBFC come to the decision that this was appropriate for viewing by small children? Many parents will be going under the assumption that this is a kiddie friendly superhero movie (trust me, some people WILL think that), and instead will have their kids watching the Joker stab a pencil into someone's head, shoot people at point blank range, kill people and slice a man's face open.

With the running time so bloated and arse-numbingly long, I couldn’t help but notice a good hour or so that could have been cut. Where I had expected a fascinating crime drama with added costumed action, I got the same 30 minutes of story repeated six times. The film kept on building towards something and the payoff never came. No satisfying resolution was offered, no scene really gripped me and the closing speech from Commissioner Gordon had us all cringing. I wish I could be less critical, but this is a Batman movie and thus needs more scrutiny.

Heath Ledger’s deranged performance as the Joker was a high point, and didn’t echo Jack Nicholson’s pantomime performance from the Tim Burton era, but it isn’t the earth shattering feast that the reviews have been deeming it as. It was indeed a tragic loss when he died, but his performance has to be seen on its own merits. He was an unusual choice for the clown prince of crime, and as an epitaph this seems sadly hollow.

Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent (and indeed Two Face) was my favourite aspect of the film, and his descent into madness was gripping, if a little rushed. That’s one strength the film has- Two Face wasn’t just tagged on, like, say, Venom in Spider-Man 3. The effects for his mangled face were well handled, and he carries the part off well. Unfortunately he’s in the middle of a cast who, aside from Ledger, seem to be on autopilot. Actually, Nolan seemed to be a bit on autopilot too.

With a surprisingly weak script, uninspired cinematography (what happened? Batman begins was beautifully shot!) and overly minimalist production design, the film was sadly lacking and this fan left the screen feeling short-changed, tired and rather let down. Hopefully the third in this series will prove to be better, and not get bogged down in hyperbole.

ANGELINA JOLIE TO BE CATWOMAN IN NEXT BATMAN MOVIE?

2008-07-31T05:18:00.001-07:00

Lara Croft, ahem, sorry, Angelina Jolie has been showing an interest in portraying Catwoman in the next Batman film from Christopher Nolan. Jolie has been putting her feelers out for the part recently, and is fuelling speculation that it will indeed be the feline burglar hitting the screen alongside Two face in the next film. Angelina would be a suitable candidate for the role, and would hopefully play the character more along the lines of Michelle Pfeiffer’s legendary appearance in 1991's Tim Burton sequel Batman Returns, and not that godawful Halle Berry movie from 2004. Concerns that she wouldn’t have the right presence or action skills need just watch wanted or the Tomb Raider movies again. While not quite as slinky and suggestive as I’d like, she would be able to tackle the part with purrfect character. Sorry, I couldn’t help that. Even former 60's Catwoman actress Julie Newmar thinks this is a great idea. Here’s hoping that this third film will do justice to the legacy of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and doesn’t slip back into Joel Schumacher territory.

TRANSFORMERS 2 LOGO REVEALED

2008-07-24T02:15:00.000-07:00

The logo for next year's Transformers sequel has been revealed and the official movie site has been updated. How does it look? Erm, well it looks like the first movie title with 'Revenge of the Fallen' shoved underneath it. The logo is as underwhelming as the title, so let's hope that the movie makes up for it. Everything is pointing to a sequel that surpasses the first film in every way, and as hard as it is to say it, I'm trusting Michael Bay will deliver something cool for the fans. I do still hate the title, but I can live with it if the film is good enough.

VIDEO GAME MOVIES- WHAT SHOULD BE NEXT?

2008-07-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so there’s a movie of Gears of war on the way, and Bioshock, and (evetually) Halo, but there’s still a ton of classic video game titles out there that could be given the big screen treatment. Why has this come to mind? A review of Paul W.S. Amderson’s script for a proposed Castlevania movie has gone up online, and it got me thinking. The blatant one that comes to mind would have to be Zelda, but then I’d also love to see a great big CG version of Sonic the Hedgehog. Think about it. A full speed Sonic adventure on the big screen, full of badass Robotnik action would be an awesome sight.

So if Hollywood is running out of ideas (as it certainly appears to be doing), here’s a few suggestions for classic video games that would make fantastic films (animated or otherwise).

Streets of Rage

Fatal Fury

Eternal Champions (I’m joking with this one)

Golden Axe

Altered Beast

Space Invaders (think about it- this could be the definitive game movie)

Alien Storm

Frogger

Alex Kidd

Flashback (oh sweet Geek Jesus yes)

Ecco (hehehe)

Out Run (an all time classic that would be great fun onscreen)

Zero Wing (ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US- on the big screen. That sells itself doesn’t it?)

There are literally hundreds of others out there. Any of you guys and gals have any other suggestions? God knows we’ve spent enough of our lives in front of these things- they must have something going for them. I know this list is kind of old school by current standards, but there’s so much good stuff in those video-games that it’d be a crime to ignore them.

MICHAEL TURNER R.I.P.

2008-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

The world of comics has lost one of is contemporary guiding lights. Michael Turner, creator of FATHOM and KIANI and the man behind the Aspen company, sadly passed away after losing his battle against cancer. This is a time for the comics industry to put their differences aside and acknowledge the man and his work. We have lost an incredible talent and a much loved person, and the comics world seems a bit less fun now. Known the world over for his distinctive art style and unique character designs, Michael built a name for himself and his colleagues with his own property, the aquatic heroine Aspen, aka Fathom.

Speaking as a fan of his work and a retailer, I can vouch for the feeling whenever something new arrived with his art on it- there was an excitement that was shared by everyone, and we would all check it out before pointing it out to our customers. That’s how I’ll be remembering him- someone that brought some excitement back to the world of graphic storytelling.

Starstore would like to pass our sincere condolences to the friends, family and workmates of Mr Turner.

STARSTORE: OUR ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC NOVELS

2008-07-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

We all love graphic novels and the comics that they collect, but what are the biggies for the Starstore staff? Lets take a look at our favourites, and there may well be one or two surprises on the list amid the usual suspects. This heralds the start of some regular looks at our favourite trade paperbacks…

WATCHMEN

The graphic novel masterpiece. How could this not be on here? Utterly perfect in every possible way apart from the odd dodgy hairstyle. Zack Snyder better have done something incredible with the movie…

V FOR VENDETTA

V is one of the most compelling characters ever to appear in a comic series. His personality and quest are so timeless that it is easy to see why this has been a consistent seller for so long.

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN

The early 1990s were rocked with the death of the iconic superhero at the hands of the behemoth known as Doomsday, and even though he came back, things were never the same.

DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING

A very low key book with a very moving story. Death, from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman universe, appears in this heart warming (and equally heartbreaking) tale of life and love.

PREACHER

All 9 graphic novels. You heard me. Preacher is about as badass as a comic series can possibly be, and the series has stood the test of time more than most titles.

SANDMAN

Likewise with this. The ten books may have dated in terms of artwork, but the twists of surreal plot are still every bit as compelling as anything Gaiman has written outside of comics. Genius.

TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE

Look, it’s a rule. You work in a comic shop, you love TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE. Strips done with action figures, satirising the comics scene and industry? Yes please. Just keep Tony Stark away from the beer.

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS

A stark and beautifully written piece of graphic novel art that shows another side to the character we know and love. The early years of the X-Men’s most mysterious ally.

SIN CITY

Frank Miller’s definitive noir comics series, collected in graphic novel form. Rounded characters. Incredible artwork. Impeccable. What happened frank? How can you go from this to DK2?!

RIOT GRRLS

Jim Mahfood’s excellent take on the lives of a bunch of twentysomething slacker girls.

TANK GIRL

The reprints of her classic stories are a constantly popular line, and now that the new era Tank Girl is coming to trades with ‘The Gifting’ and so on, her popularity is on the rise again.

DORK TOWER

John Kovalic’s affectionate look at comics and game geeks remains to this day the most entertaining geek inside joke around. Come on, we all know an Igor. Some of us have to work with one!

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE

Alan Moore gets about a bit doesn’t he? Here’s another one from him. Pretty much the definitive Batman graphic novel story, up there with Arkham Asylum, Knightfall and A Death in The Family. Perfect.

More favourites coming soon, as well as some that we don’t like quite so much ;)

CAPTAIN SPAULDING LIVING DEAD DOLL COMING SOON

2008-06-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Mezco’s range of film-related LIVING DEAD DOLLS is to get a hell of a boost this October with the release of a stylized doll of CAPTAIN SPAULDING from House of 1,000 corpses. The doll is set to stand approximately 10 inches tall and comes dressed in the clown outfit we saw in that seminal movie from Rob Zombie. To be shipped in a House of 1,000 Corpses themed window display box, it’ll be the perfect accompaniment to the earlier Otis and baby double pack release. Cast in sturdy plastic and wearing an authentic fabric costume, you might almost mistake it for a regular doll, but no… not quite.

I love these things. Where the regular Living Dead Dolls can tend to be a little bit samey and overly twee in some cases, the movie related ones are a great way to put a new spin on a tried and tested franchise. Following hot on the heels of Living Dead Dolls series 15, this is a great addition to the range. The Jason and Leatherface ones have been a big hit with fans, and it looks like the Captain Spaulding one is going to do well too- but this one has a clown outfit on so it is automatically more terrifying. Clowns…gaaaahhh. What? You don’t find them insanely terrifying? Watch IT or CLOWNHOUSE. Go on. I dare you.

NEWS ROUNDUP! DARK KNIGHT TWO FACE CLIP, FRIDAY THE 13TH, ROBOTECH...

2008-06-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

THE DARK KNIGHT: TWO-FACE CLIP NOW ONLINE
Warner Bros have released a tantalizing clip from The Dark Knight in which we get a glimpse of Harvey Dent/Two face after his transformation! The clip has been posted as party of the film’s viral marketing campaign, which has been great fun to follow. Go to http://www.gothamcitypizzeria.com/ and click on the HA in the title. You’ll be taken to the clip in question. Its short, but its cool.

JASON TO WEAR HOCKEY MASK IN REMAKE
What? Excuse me for being a continuity snob here but Jason doesn’t wear the trademark hockey mask until the third Friday the 13th film. This remake is edging ever closer to ‘reinvention’ which isn’t really that great if you think about it. I can see the point in putting him in it in this film- after all, that’s what today’s dumbed down audience will be expecting, but how is this going to be worked in for crying out loud? I know, lets ignore an integral part of film history and just make any old nonsense shall we? Hang on, they already did that with Freddy Vs Jason…

ROBOTECH GETS A WRITER?
The long-talked of Robotech movie appears to be getting some muscle behind it now. Long-said to have Tobey MacGuire involved, the project now has a writer attached- none other than LAWRENCE KASDAN. You may remember him from a certain little film called THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Yeah. That’s more like it. This has great potential. Such an incredible and epic franchise as Robotech needs talent like this. Although, due to rights issues, the amount of MACROSS material in the film is going to be very limited. Hmm. I’ll still be there to see it. Robotech FTW.

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE TRAILER HITS THE NET

2008-06-13T04:55:00.000-07:00

The first trailer for the half reboot/half sequel PUNISHER: WAR ZONE is online now, and it looks as though this stripped down new movie is going to hit the Bullseye with fans. Where some/many/all fans were disappointed with the 2004 Tom Jane/JohnTravolta misfire, and I think those fans are going to be pleased with this new flick. Frank Castle needs to look like he’s had a crappy life, and ray Stevenson has the perfect face and voice for it. Looks like we’re going to be in for the definitive Punisher movie at last. The budget and scale of this film may be smaller, but it does seem that it is going to be a much more compelling and gritty film. Take a look:

GUY RITCHIE TO BRING SHERLOCK HOLMES TO LIFE

2008-06-10T03:51:00.000-07:00

'Director' Guy Ritchie is to helm a brand new big screen adaptation of the legendary Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This news has been floating around for a little while now, but I’ve held my tongue on the subject until I heard what the direction was going to be. Upon reading the reports of how the film is going to be handled, I have been cursed with a feeling of impending doom, which is shared by many other people who have heard the news.

You see, instead of depicting Sherlock Holmes as a master of deduction in an atmospheric and weighty drama, he is to leap onto the screen in a comic-book style movie featuring him as a swashbuckling action hero. Due to hit screens in 2010 from Warner Bros, it is conjouring all manner of nightmarish visions of some sub-LXG aberration stuffed with ironic cameos and ‘witty’ one liners. Even the version of Watson to feature in this movie is described as a ‘Sidekick.’ SIDEKICK?! This seems like a train wreck waiting to happen (complete with climactic battle in a big CG waterfall, no doubt). The destruction of another literary character begins! I’m not holding much hope for the project whatsoever, but I do hope it is better than Van Helsing. Mind you, that isn’t asking much. How about Warners save themselves a few million quid, stick Stephen Fry in a chair in front of a camera, and have him read a couple of the original stories. That would be a much more entertaining way of getting Holmes onscreen than the cringefest that we are in for with this film. I hope I am proven wrong. Bring him to the screen faithfully, or not at all!

GEARS OF WAR BOX SET- NECA REVEAL FIRST IMAGES

2008-06-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

The recently released action figures based on the games hit Gears of War have been snapped up almost as fast as stores have been able to get them onto the hooks. Now, NECA have unveiled the next addition to the figures range- a brand spanking new Gears of War action figure box set. Erm, the only thing is, this box set contains the full set of figures that have already been released, along with one variant figure. Pardon me being picky, but wouldn’t it have been more lucrative for NECA to have released this box set first, and THEN the individual Gears of War figures? Or at least simultaneously? Okay, there are new accessories included in the pack that weren’t included with the original release of the figures, but is that really enough to get the fans to buy them again? This set is perfect for anyone who is yet to get their hands on some Gears of war figures, but for those that have already got them on their shelves, I can’t see it being snapped up that quickly. That said, the Gears of War action figures have been flying out at a mad rate, so maybe I’m wrong. Oh, and not forgetting there’s a movie of the game in preproduction, so we may well be on the brink of it taking over more aspects of the media. We shall see. If anything from the games arena has a chance of breaking out into the general public’s consciousness, I’d say it is Gears of War, even over Halo. I dunno, it just seems to have a bit more of a brain. A bit, anyway.

FATHOM RETURNS: FATHOM #0 REVIEW

2008-05-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

Michael Turner’s aquatic strumpet returns to the comics field with this teaser for the new series from Turner’s Aspen company. The reader may feel a little short changed with this issue, as much of it has already been given away as part of this year’s Free Comic Book Day shenanigans a while back. Plus, it’s a bit light on content anyway. What there is though is decent, if not really that inspiring. There’s some nice setup material and the necessary exposition, but little else. The art, pencilled by Ale Garza and inked by Sal Regla, is very attractive, and fills the characters out a but more than Turner’s own comic book style does, which is cool to see, but it doesn’t stop the book looking a little like something Crossgen would have published (especially in the colour palette used). The script, by JT Krul, is serviceable but maybe a little flat in places, relying too much on monologues instead of dialogue, which makes the whole thing feel too much like an advert. I guess it is exactly that really, and its going to be interesting to see where this goes when the comics series starts for real. It looks great, but this issue is a bit of a let down, aside from the superb and rather eye catching cover featuring Aspen herself.

STAR TREK COMPOSER PASSES AWAY

2008-05-29T02:50:00.000-07:00

All of us here at Starstore.com and The Last Picture Show would like to pass along our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Alexander Courage, who it has been reported passed away on May the 15th. Born in 1919, Mr Courage was the composer behind the legendary theme tune to the original Star Trek series, including the famed Enterprise fanfare. His work was instantly recognizable and hugely memorable, and stands as a testament to a great talent. As well as Star Trek, he also contributed music to Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space and many more iconic genre shows, as well as working as an arranger and orchestrator for many of the great composers of the last century, including movie greats John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith. I do hope that some of his work is used in the upcoming Star Trek movie from JJ Abrams.

WITCHBLADE MOVIE SITE AND POSTER NOW ONLINE

2008-05-27T03:28:00.000-07:00

Well this is jumping the gun a bit isn’t it? Not a frame shot, and is there even a script yet? Already there’s a Witchblade movie site, and, get this, a teaser poster available. The poster looks superb, but who is the girl in the glove? The role of Sara Pezzini hasn’t been cast yet (although rumour has it that Megan Fox is up for the role), and they’re going to have to float some names soon if the hype and production machines are to get underway on the Witchblade movie properly. It was only announced recently, so it does make me wonder how much work has already been done on the project. I do hope they stick with the glove design as it appears on this teaser poster. The version that appeared in the TV movie and subsequent series was cool but not cool enough. This one looks pretty much exactly how the gauntlet looks in the comic book series, which is what fans wanted all along anyway. Hopefully this time we’ll also get to see the real Witchblade armour in all its glory. Megan Fox would certainly have the presence for it, and she does have a strong resemblance to the comics incarnation of Ms Pezzini. One question though; Will the Darkness make an appearance in this new movie? We will keep you posted on the latest developments.

MARVEL RUNAWAYS MOVIE ON THE WAY

2008-05-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

In a rather random move, a movie adaptation of the gritty Marvel superheroes title RUNAWAYS is heading to the big screen. Now, I’m all for superhero movies, and even moreso for Marvel movies, but this has taken me somewhat by surprise. Its going to be interesting to see how the stylized artwork of the comic series is adapted for a live action film. The plot, that of the kids of supervillains who run away and join up as a force for good, has given Marvel Comics some very strong storylines that rely heaviliy on characterization as opposed to action. There’s a great deal of action to be enjoyed, but it is mostly a character piece, which is cool and should make for a great film. Hopefully. I’m not that sure how it will be accepted by a mass audience though. I mean, who’s heard of Runaways outside of comic fandom? Personally I’d rather see a new Generation X movie. I alway7s had a soft spot for the cheap TV movie from 1996 and would love to see a new version with a cast that actually fit the character descriptions this time. The Runaways movie is due for release in 2011, alongside the CAPTAIN AMERICA, IRON MAN 2 and ANT MAN Marvel movies.

DOCTOR WHO WRITER RECOVERING FROM CAR SMASH

2008-05-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

Doctor Who writer, comics scribe and all round fanboy idol Paul Cornell, along with his other half, are currently recuperating after a nasty car accident that took place last Tuesday. Both were injured in the collision, but are on the mend and essentially okay. All of us at Starstore and The Last Picture Show wish Paul and Caroline all the best for a speedy recovery.

Aside from his work on Doctor Who on TV and in books and audio, Paul is an established novelist and comics writer. His recent first issue of Captain Britain and MI:13 sold out of its entire print run within the first week of publication, and Marvel Comics are now going for a second print, so keep an eye out for that hitting the shelves! A respected advocate of comics and British Science Fiction, Mr Cornell’s work is highly regarded in fan circles, and we look forward to his future projects.

Hope you both get well soon!

(Regular updates on all things Doctor Who, including our TARDISWATCH features, can be found at The Famous Starstore Blog)

JURASSIC PARK 4: WILL IT HAPPEN?

2008-05-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

Laura Dern has recently stated that her character from the original JP movie, Dr. Ellie Sattler, features heavily in the fourth instalment of the legendary Dinosaur franchise. This is cool, but is that project even still on the go? Last I heard there was an insane script featuring superpowered mutant dinosaurs sent out to war against the Jurassic Park dinosaurs. Yeah. X-Dinos. Hmm. Another Jurassic Park movie would be brilliant, but I’d want Michael Crichton involved somewhere. The Lost World was far from perfect, but it was still a very strong film in many respects, and it sure beat the hell out of that train wreck that was Jurassic Park 3. So whats the score at the moment? I pray they aren’t going with that mad script and that something good can come of it. The first Jurassic Park is a milestone in cinema history, and I hope that if a fourth is made then it does the legacy justice.

DANCE YOUR CARES AWAY- FRAGGLE ROCK TO RETURN!

2008-05-15T02:17:00.000-07:00

Fraggle Rock, that bastion of bizarre 1980s puppetry genius, is all set to make a comeback on the big screen in an all singing, all dancing live action musical extravaganza. I love this idea. Its so mad it may just turn out brilliant. DVD sales of the first 3 seasons have been so strong that it has made the prospect of a return very viable. Created by the Jim Henson company, the show became a hit with kids in the 80s and has struck a chord with viewers ever since those early days. The Weinstein Co. are to adapt the Fraggle Rock series for the big screen with a script by director Cory Edwards. Lisa and Brian Henson will be acting as producers for the project. You know, I think this is going to be lapped up by kids and those who remember Fraggle Rock from its original run. I certainly fall into the latter category, and will probably be in line when the thing gets released. I mean, with THAT theme tune, how could you not want to see the Fraggles back onscreen? The story, like the classic TV series, concerns the main Fraggles (and new characters) emerging from their magical home and being mistaken for aliens. Here’s hoping that we get to see the Doozers back onscreen too! This project has been reported to be live action, and I am hoping that the Fraggles aren’t CG, or at least for the most part. It would be great to see them run and jump and interact like fully rendered characters, so some CG is unavoidable, but they do need to mostly be traditional puppets for the transition to work. Anyway, I think we’ve got something to look forward to here. And yeah, I can’t get the theme tune out of my head either now :/

WITCHBLADE MOVIE ANNOUNCED

2008-05-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

According to Variety, the long-running comic book franchise Witchblade is heading for the big screen. Set to be a co production between Top Cow, Arclight and Platinum studios, the film will be the first big screen outing for the legendarily sultry superhero. She did, of course, turn up on TV in one TV movie and a series that lasted for two seasons, starring Yancy Butler as the feisty brunette Sara Pezzini. The anime incarnation of Witchblade has also proved to be a success, but in cinemas, I think we’re in for the finest version yet. The comics mythology has some clout in the movie, and Top Cow’s Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins will be on hand as Executive producers. Here’s hoping the film lives up to the promise shown in the years of comic book stories. I hope it doesn’t dwell on the origin story for too long. The trend for comic book origin movies is becoming a bit stale. Sure, deal with the origin but don’t let it take over the whole film. There’s been a hell of a lot of fans garnered since the comic began in 1995, and the audience is gonna want a bit more than two hours of being told what they already know. It is hoped that the Witchblade feature film will begin production in September.

STREET FIGHTER- CHUN LI MOVIE GETS ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE

2008-05-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

The forthcoming new Street Fighter movie, based on the immortal beat 'em up video game franchise, now has an official release date. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li is set to be released in the US on February 27th, 2009. A UK and worldwide release will follow soon after. The film, starring Smallville's Kristen Kreuk as the adorable (and lethal) lead character, is the first live action Street Fighter project to get off the ground since 1994's atrocious Jean Claude van Damme clunker. Thankfully it looks like it is going to be a rather more serious and entertaining affair this time. While Kristen may not have the perfect look for the character (lovely as she is), he certainly has the background, with training in dance, gymnastics and martial arts. This is one character that is certainly more than just a pretty face. The film also stars Moon Bloodgood, who will also be appearing on the big screen in the eagerly awaited Terminator Salvation movie alongside Christian Bale. While it is known that M Bison will show up in the Chun Li film, details are sketchy on the other Street Fighter characters that are to make an appearance.

NEW ALIEN FIGURES COMING FROM NECA

2008-05-08T05:20:00.001-07:00

It has been reported that NECA are to expand their range of officially licensed ALIEN figures this year with the addition of two new items, namely 9 inch and 18 inch versions of the original Alien creature itself, as seen in the legendary first movie! The creature that first thrilled audiences back in 1979 with Ridley Scott’s science fiction masterpiece has become a staple of SF fandom, adorning myriad posters, Alien action figures and collectibles since then, and across the sequels and the AVP spinoff movies. Now NECA have produced two very special figures, and if I remember rightly, the 18 inch version is the FIRST EVER 18 inch Alien action figure to be produced. Both the regular figure and the deluxe 18 inch figure are due to ship later this month, and thus should arrive in the UK in early June. The figures ;look superb, and it is great to see that the designs have closely matched those of HR Giger, who, of course, designed the creatures in the first place. After the various AVP figure versions of the Alien, it is wonderful to see NECA going right back to the original source material and creating something spectacular. I can see both of these figures being a major hit for NECA, and I can’t wait to get them in. Now, if only someone would make a new Alien Queen set of some description, to fill the void left by the retirement of McFarlane’s gorgeous set from 2001. Any takers? That said, an 18 inch Predator action figure would also be a great idea, but a Predator based on the original 1987 film and not the modified versions from the AVP flicks. That would be a massive release, both in terms of interest and the size of the figures! Getting back to the basic essence of these creatures is something that has been missing from both the movies and the merchandise in recent years, and it looks like NECA have put the style back into the range with these new releases.

MARVEL ANNOUNCE MORE MOVIE RELEASE DATES

2008-05-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

Marvel studios have announced the tentative release dates for their next batch of superhero movies, including the first sequel to the current smash hit IRON MAN movie. Check these out:

IRON MAN 2 - April 30^th, 2010

THOR – June 4^th, 2010

CAPTAIN AMERICA – May 6^th 2011

Apparently, the Captain America movie is to be titled: THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA, a title that is, hmm, not to great really is it? Mind you, all these go some way towards us getting an AVENGERS movie, so it’s all good.

MARVEL COMICS MOVIES- Where next?

2008-05-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

Iron Man is currently filling cinemas with fans and converts to the superhero movie genre, and The Incredible Hulk is on his way to start smashing things to pieces, so where next for Marvel Comics related movies? Let’s take a look at some of their current slate of forthcoming projects…

IRON MAN 2 AND 3

These don’t have a date yet, but I’m sure they’ll be rushed into production as soon as possible, judging by the reaction to this first movie from Marvel Productions.

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE

The latest entry in the Punisher series of movies will be released later this year. With a completely different cast to the last one, it remains to be seen whether or not it will be a hit.

IRON FIST and DEATHLOK

These two projects are both slated for release this year, but have they even started shooting yet? That Iron Fist movie has been talked about ever since Ray Park (who is to play the title character) was in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. That was nine years ago!!! As for Deathlok, would anyone really go and see it? If it is marketed as something other than a superhero movie, it would probably stand a chance. Otherwise I’d say DVD bargain bin fodder.

X-MEN ORIGINS MOVIES

The first two X-Men Origins films are due next year, following the early years of both WOLVERINE and MAGNETO respectively. The Wolverine movie, starring Hugh Jackman in the role again, is halfway through production now, but the Magneto one is yet to commence. The Magneto movie tells the story of his young days, and will not feature Ian McKellen in it at all.

LUKE CAGE

A Power Man movie? If you say so. Apparently due in 2009, here’s another one with rather limited appeal, but I’m curious to see how it turns out.

SPIDER-MAN 4

A fourth Spider Man movie is on the way next year, but with a whole new cast, a new director and a new direction. I hope they don’t reboot the series again…

CAPTAIN AMERICA

Marvel’s own big blue boyscout is said to be arriving on screens next year. This one could be important, as it would set up the proposed Avengers movie very nicely.

AVENGERS

Okay, we have Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Spidey and so on already onscreen. We’ve almost got a full set, so this 2009 slated release is looking like a certainty. Especially after the extra scene at the end of the Iron man movie...

SILVER SURFER

Also due next year (2009 is getting crowded isn’t it?) is the Silver Surfer’s solo movie, which is shaping up to be brilliant. The demand for a Surfer film has pretty much killed any call for another Fantastic Four. I guess that’s something…

2010

The year after that we’re apparently in for movies of Nick Fury, Ant Man (Why?), and Doctor Strange. Where’s the Thor movie? It is going to be interesting to see how many of these films actually get made. I’d say we’re due another Daredevil too, please. Get Frank Miller to make it, or at least write it. Thanks...

IRON MAN- THE FANS AND CRITICS AGREE!

2008-05-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

For once the critics and the audiences are in agreement- the Iron Man movie is about as good as superhero movies get. Reviews have said it is brilliant pretty much across the board, and fans seem to agree. The film has opened to massive audiences everywhere and looks set to be a huge hit. The film seems to have struck the right mixture of humour, action and drama that every superhero movie dreams of pulling off. This is very exciting for comic movie fans the world over, as it means that our beloved genre is getting a bit more critical and commercial kudos, thus ensuring its future.

The Iron Man story, of a billionaire discovering the error of his ways and using his wealth and technology to make amends seems to have translated to the screen perfectly, and the casting of Robert Downey Jr couldn’t be better. If ever a man was meant to play Tony Stark onscreen, it’d be him. Aside from the scale of this film and its suitably heroic storyline, there are nods to various other forthcoming projects (stay until after the end credits to see what I mean. No really, you MUST see the extra bit), which hints at the Marvel Comics movies universe starting to edge towards becoming a coherent world in which characters from different films may interact. In the end, this will only serve to make the films better as they will all have to play alongside each other as well as being strong standalone tales.

Iron man really is about as good as the genre gets. It is huge, fun, scary, thrilling and uplifting, and is a great introduction to those outside of comics fandom to one of the industry’s most interesting and compelling characters. Two sequels are apparently on the way, and the first of those is already secure following the first film’s massive opening weekend. Now out in the UK too, we can all revel in the first big screen outing for the red and gold wonder. Here’s to Iron Man.

A full review will be posted soon!

DOCTOR WHO – FANDOM VINDICATED ON TV AND IN COLLECTIBLES

2008-05-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Here we are, in the midst of the fourth series in the Doctor’s new era of adventures, and it is time for the long-term fans to sit back and take stock for a moment. The shops are full of merchandise, the newsagents are packed with magazines with Doctor Who content, childrens’ walls are covered with Daleks, and their shelves full of DVDS. In addition, there is still a massive legion of old-school fans out there that, for the fourth year running, are able to cry out “I told you it was brilliant!” at all the people that slagged the show off while it was off the air. Make no mistake about it, the Doctor Who adventures are the biggest thing to happen to UK television screens in a very long time. A bona fide phenomenon, it has crossed age barriers, generation gaps, and doesn’t talk down to its viewers both young and old.

Yes, I am a gloating Doctor Who fan, and I readily admit it. We put up with so much before the show came back, that I’m damned well enjoying our moment of vindication while it lasts, if you don’t bloody mind. There was a time I remember only too clearly when the only new Doctor Who that was regularly coming out consisted of the BBC novels and the Big Finish audios. Reading a Doctor Who novel on public transport before the show came back made you something of a social leper. Not only were you into this shoddy old science fiction show, but you were displaying your love for it by actually paying money for a tie-in novel. You know what? Yes I did. The very idea of Doctor Who is a wonderful thing that really has done a great service to the country by coming back- a real hero, simply trying to help those in need with no desire for personal gain.

That, in this current climate of pointless violence and the gimme gimme mine min mentality is a breath of fresh air, and children have been introduced to a classic hero in a very modern guise. Hearing about kids’ reactions to the first series was wonderful for someone in my line of work. Their imaginations had been opened up to all the possibilities that science fiction could bring up, and families finally had something they could enjoy together again. That is massively important on many levels. Here is something that every generation can find something in, and they can find it in a format that doesn’t get bogged down with politics, shady characters or the acquisition of wealth. They are very simple stories told in a direct manner, but they are done in such a way that anyone can enjoy them.

It has come to a beautiful point in the evolution of Doctor Who’s new era, in that we are now literally going along for the ride and wondering where the enigmatic Time Lord will take us next, what we will see there, and how we will face the dangers that these journeys bring. The BBC are still releasing Doctor Who novels (albeit in a different manner) AND Big Finish are still producing their exemplary range of licensed Doctor Who audio plays, but now we also have Character Options bringing us all manner of Doctor who action figures and Doctor Who collectibles, as well as other companies bringing us posters., T shirts, magazines and much more. The new golden age of Doctor Who continues, and after this series is over, there is still the Christmas special to look forward to, and three more specials next year, followed by series five in 2010. After that, who knows where the Doctor will take us next? Hit the randomizer and let us discover the universe alongside our hero.

IRON MAN: TWO SEQUELS AND WAR MACHINE TO COME?

2008-04-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

It has come to light that John Favreau, director of the eagerly anticipated IRON MAN movie, is looking forward to the future of the series, with two sequels currently being planned. He has gone on record saying that the second would probably introduce War machine properly, and also Iron Man’s classic nemesis, The Mandarin, which is also hinted at in this first Iron Man feature film.

Terence Howard has also talked about the possibility of War Machine showing up in the next movie, but he states nothing is set in stone yet. There are various teasers in the first movie that he will one day don his own version of Stark’s armour, and plans are afoot to bring the popular character to life in the second movie, or possibly even the third.

I do think we have something special to look forward to here. The Iron Man property isn’t as massive as Spider-Man or the X-Men, and as such expectations haven’t been boiling over quite so much. People seem to be stunned by how cool the trailers look, and judging from the early reviews that are filtering through, the film more than backs up the hype. Not long now!!!

THE HOBBIT: IT’S OFFICIAL- DEL TORO TO DIRECT!

2008-04-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

As reported in every corner of geekdom, Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth director Benicio Del Toro has now been conformed to helm the two HOBBIT movies. To be made by New Line and MGM, the two films are to be shot in New Zealand, just like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The first of the two films will be a complete adaptation of the legendary book by JRR Tolkien, and the second (and more risky) part is to bridge the gap between the Hobbit and LotR, using Tolkien’s original notes to fill in the blanks.

While it was a no-brainer that there would end up being a Hobbit movie, I’m very pleased by Del Toro’s involvement and excited at the prospect of an original movie stuck in the middle of such a well-loved franchise. It is most certainly a risky move on the part of the studios, but in Del Toro’s more than capable hands we should be in for something spectacular and compelling added to the Lord of the Rings mythology. It will certainly be interesting to see what the second film will bring in terms of story, and I’m very curious as to what the title of the piece will be.

JJ ABRAMS TALKS STAR TREK AND CLOVERFIELD 2

2008-04-24T03:42:00.000-07:00

Here’s a superb video in which JJ Abrams talks about the reasons behind the new Star Trek movie having its release date pushed back five months, and the possibility of a sequel to the Cloverfield movie. Interesting stuff.

I’m kinda glad Paramount have moved the new JJ Abrams Star Trek movie
to a more sensible release date. The original, Christmas Day, release was a nice idea but would have made for a lousy opening weekend if you think about it. This way it gives more time for the effects to be polished and the marketing to build up a bigger buzz for the film.

Michael Stahl-David, star of the first Cloverfield movie
, has recently stated that he doubts he’ll be asked back for the proposed sequel, unless it was just a glimpse on somebody else’s camera. As previously rumoured, Cloverfield 2 is said to follow the same events covered in the first film, this time telling the story from the perspective of a different set of characters. I do wonder if any of them will survive this time…

TERMINATOR 4 GETS ITS LEADING LADY

2008-04-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

News on the forthcoming Terminator movie sequel, TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS, has been released- the film’s leading female character is to be played by a lady called Moon Bloodgood. Set to play a battle-hardened freedom fighter and colleague of John Connor (being played in the film by Batman star Christian Bale), Moon is to bring to life a major character in the film, and aside from being beautiful has a string of credible acting to her name, including work on Journeyman, Pathfinder and CSI amongst a lengthy list.

She is also currently filming the new video game film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li, in which she plays Maya. I think we have the beginnings of a brand new Geek Queen here….The new Terminator movie is due for worldwide release in 2009.

G.I. JOE MOVIE- FIRST IMAGE OF SCARLETT

2008-04-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

The G.I. Joe live-action feature film is starting to get interesting again. After the photo of Ray Park as Snake Eyes came to light recently, now various sources have posted a brand new image from the movie- that of the character Scarlett in full costume (click the image to see the larger version). She’s looking fantastic, too. Played in the big-budget toy line adaptation by Rachel Nichols (who is also in the brand new STAR TREK movie), who was previously best known for her role in the ALIAS TV show, the G.I. Joe character shows a definite change from her action figure counterpart. Updated for the contemporary audience, she looks great as the character, and it does look as though this movie is going to be a bit more interesting than your average run of the mill toy movie.

What worries me about the project now is whether it is being treated as an actual feature film with coherent plot, or as a lengthy advert for new toys. Hopefully a happy medium can be reached. I know there’ll be some fantastic merchandise available once the movie hits, but I’m hoping its placement in the film doesn’t end up detracting from the narrative flow or the audience’s enjoyment. We shall see.

INCREDIBLE HULK MOVIE POSTER REVEALED

2008-04-16T05:02:00.001-07:00

The one sheet poster for the forthcoming Marvel Comics adaptation THE INCREDIBLE HULK has been revealed. Starring Ed Norton and Liv Tyler, the movie is certainly looking like a better prospect than Ang Lee’s decent but somewhat misguided version, and the poster looks pretty cool. Check it out:

The feel of this version of the Hulk feels a lot closer to the rest of the Marvel movies that have been released. Hell, even Elektra felt more like it took place in the Marvel universe than the first Hulk movie. Boasting a great cast and what appears to be some very admirable effects, the Incredible Hulk is gearing up to take on the world alongside the Iron Man movie. It’s weird- I don’t really see these two movies as being against each other at the box office. It really seems a case of the two of them working alongside each other in order to fill seats with Marvel Comics fans old and new.

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS MOVIE TRAILER REVEALED?

2008-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

The geeks over at IESB have posted what appears to be the full trailer for the brand new animated CLONE WARS movie. Telling the tale of the Clone wars, those legends often talked of in the STAR WARS universe, the film is to help bridge the gap between the second and third instalments of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. It differs from the original animated Clone wars TV series in that this one is major-league CG as opposed to the cel-shaded style. The idea behind the big-screen release of the film is to kickstart the TV series of the same name which will follow later in the year. Essentially the first three episodes of the series edited together into feature length, the film looks like it is going to fill the gaps in very nicely, not to mention get the TV show off to one hell of a good start.

Judging from the trailer, the feel is very much that of the prequels in tone and storyline. The stylized artwork looks fantastic (and will no doubt kick off a whole new range of Star Wars action figures too), and is remarkably adventurous for such a large property. There does seem to be several nods towards the expanded universe in there, with all the extra characters hitherto unseen in a Star wars movie, and I honestly think this is going to be huge, and also surprise a lot of people with its conceptual complexity. Those detractors saying it’s a kids movie need to wait in line and see the damn thing before berating it.

Personally I think this is a brilliant way to start a TV series and would love to see more premieres air first as movies on the big screen, even in limited runs I think this would benefit both Cinemas and the TV companies that produce the shows. You want people to watch? Give them spectacle. Check out the Clone Wars when it is released for some major lessons in spectacle.

STAR TREK- WRATH OF KHAN 25TH ANNIVERSARY ACTION FIGURES

2008-04-13T08:35:00.001-07:00

Going where lots of people have gone before- just doing it better this time!

The Star Trek: Wrath of Khan 25^th Anniversary Figures have been out for a while now but they’re still a firm favourite with staff and fans. With the new film on the way (eventually, anyway. Does it still have a release date? Last I heard it had been shoved back to May 09 or something), there is a renewed interest in all things Trek, and these recent releases are some of the best Star Trek figures released in at least a decade. Series one contains superb figures of Admiral Kirk, Khan himself (aka Khan Noonian Singh, or just ‘Khaaaaaan’), Captain Terrel and ‘Double Cross’ Kirk (with bloodied tunic). There’s also the Comic-con exclusive figures, consisting of McCoy, Chekov, Sulu and Scotty.

Featuring superior sculpts of the classic stars and a great range of accessories, the only place the figures don’t hit the mark is the packaging- and that’s only because they don’t hang that great on a hook. Small quibble, but still, it does annoy us a bit. The figures are great though, and bode well for the future of the range.

I’m actually getting kinda curious as to what the figures will look like for the new movie. I know we’re in for different uniforms and an overall different feel to the new version of the Star Trek universe, but I’m getting quite stoked after seeing the spy photos of the new uniforms to check out the new figures and tech from the movie.

NECA UNVEIL NEW NINJA TURTLES RANGE

2008-04-10T04:39:00.000-07:00

HEROES IN A HALF SHELL GO BACK TO BASICS

Cowab- okay, I won’t scream it from the rooftops, sorry! NECA have revealed the first images of their brand new officially licensed range of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES action figures. Following on from their recent regular release of standard packaging Turtles figures, NECA now offer up the range in brand new Tubular packaging, which, while they will be a nightmare for us to display in the store, will look fantastic on display at home. Due for release at the back end of May in the US (Meaning we won’t be that far behind that here in the UK), these editions of the figures will feature just the basic weapons for each character. To be honest, fans don’t want anything else do they? We want the Turtles as we remember them, Sais and Katanas and whatnot. Who gives a monkeys about masses of pointless additions? These stripped- down figures should be very popular with fans old and new, and despite their design leaning heavily towards their original comics incarntaions (remember Eastman and Laird’s ass kicking comics of the 1980s, before the TMNTs went kiddie friendly?), fans of the recent CG movie should love them too.

Images of the range have been posted over on the NECA website and are looking awesome. Seeing the Turtles all wearing red bandanas again is very cool indeed- back to their roots! Seeing the Turtles all wearing red bandanas again is very cool indeed- back to their roots! The original version of the green foursome were vicious ninja warriors who would hack, slash and mutilate their way through as many bad guys as possible. It is heartwarming to see them revisiting their days as insane mutant killers with a penchant for pizza and kicking vast quantities of rump.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL: REMAKE GOES WRONG ALREADY!

2008-04-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Excuse me while I scream a second. AAAAAGGGH!!!! Thanks. Appreciated. I just read AICN’s report on the remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, which is now shooting in Vancouver with Keanu Reeves in the lead role of Klaatu. According to this report, there’ll be no Gort onscreen, and nobody even says ‘Klaatu Barada Nikto’ once! This really isn't on, guys. Come on. Look at the original. Rarely has such an image lived on for so long in so many minds and on so many shelves. This is the real thing, and it shouldn;t be messed with like this.

Right, how in the name of our lord, George Lucas, can you remake this film without those two elements? You can’t! I’m really getting sick of classics getting screwed up when they are remade. You can bang on all you want about ‘updating’ or ‘reinventing’ but when you take away something as fundamental and iconic as Gort, you pretty much rob the movie of its links to the original.

Yeah yeah, Gort and the ‘Klaatu..’ phrase aren’t what the movie is totally about, but those two things are amongst the most important things in the entire science fiction pantheon. To do away with them is to do a massive disservice to the original and the fans of the genre. Don’t rob this generation of their Gort, and please, please don’t screw up The Day The Earth Stood Still. Its like remaking Star Wars and not putting Darth Vader in it! The classics attain their status for damn clear reasons, and when these remakes get pitched, these elements should be first and foremost in the makers’ minds. Please, do us all a favour and respect the giants of the genre. Do them justice.

WHY THE WORLD NEEDS TANK GIRL

2008-04-06T07:10:00.001-07:00

Comics have been a dull place without Tank Girl. When she finally returned with The Gifting (Out now in trades from IDW), it was like a breath of foul-mouthed air. We went for far too long without her raucous, obnoxious and incredibly sexy self adorning pages and shelves, and it is fantastic to have her back where she belongs. The art may have changed, but its still the same oddly-dressed punk freedom fighter with a penchant for Kangaroo men and tiny shorts.

While it may be difficult for old fans to take with the new art style (which is pretty cool, if a bit too messy and chaotic), the writing, by Tank Girl co-creator Alan Martin, is top notch and well in keeping with the character's past.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

The comics industry needs Tank Girl. Why? Because she comes across as a very real person, who is both easy to relate to and incredibly likeable in a potty-mouthed antiheroine way. Comics have become far too safe of late, and the return of Tank Girl will hopefully inspire the return of other similar ass kickers. I nominate Marshall Law, Death's Head (I mean the REAL Death's Head), and Spider Jerusalem. lets shake things up a bit shall we people? We're sick of spandex again.

TRANSFORMERS 2: CONSTRUCTICONS TO APPEAR?

2008-04-04T06:34:00.000-07:00

Right, we know Michael Bay has gone on record to say that he'll be leaking fake news surrounding Transformers 2, but a rumour that we are to see the Constructicons in the next movie, and they are indeed going to join together to become Devastator, has been floated online. The problem is, even though we know all manner of tidbits are going to be put forward about the film, this one makes sense. Devastator would be incredible onscreen, especially as a major foe in the climax. I like this idea much more than the rumours of Dinobots showing up really...

NEWSFLASH- ANOTHER TRANSFORMER SPOTTED

2008-04-03T05:27:00.000-07:00

Another vehicle has been spotted being shipped to the same place as the Barricade cars last week! Superhero Hype have posted an image of none other than Optimus Prime's vehicular incarnation being shipped by truck across America. Now, are the vehicles just being shipped into storage or to have work done on them? The fanboy in me wants to go with last week's rumours that tyhe sequel may already be shooting soon, but right now we can't be sure. Transformers 2 is going to be a huge release, and we literally can't wait to get our hands on any bit of news regarding it. Let the madness commence!

To refresh yourself, check out our review of the first movie.

SECRET INVASION – MARVEL COMICS UNIVERSE INFILTRATED!

2008-04-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

Marvel’s latest universe-spanning crossover is set to be a doozy. The Skrulls have been a presence in the Marvel Universe for decades, and are well integrated into continuity, but they’ve never seemed that much of a threat to me. Granted they can shapeshift and are capable of extremely brutal acts of violence, but for the most part they just came across as a generic alien-of-the-issue bad guiys with bumpy chins and pointy green ears.

It seems that my opinion of them is about to change with this forthcoming crossover. Commencing this month with Secret Invasion 1, Mighty Avengers 12 and New Avengers 40, it looks set to send some considerable chaos out across all of Marveldom, and will do so in a rather exciting and original way. The Marvel Universe has been infiltrated by the shapeshifting aliens, who have worked their way into all the major parts of major characters’ lives and homes. Every superpowered organization has been affected, and it is going to leave the heroes wondering exactly who they can trust in the battle against this secret invasion.

Marvel have released an animated webisode trailer for the crossover, which gives you a taste of the paranoia and action to come…

I must say I’m into the whole idea of alien infiltration like this in comics. Instead of a whacking great battle from the start, there’s going to be some genuine drama and mystery before the chaos kicks off, and that can only be a good thing in an age where many superhero titles are beginning to stagnate again. This is one crossover to get genuinely excited about. Now then DC, when’s your next ‘Crisis’ eh?

Now you can find us on Twitter too!

2008-04-02T10:25:00.001-07:00

Hey all...

We've started up a TWITTER page... so if you fancy keeping literally up to the minute with what we're up to (and catching various outbursts of unadulterated geekery to boot), then go follow us at our new page!

Starstore on TWITTER

Cheers
Andy

PVP CELEBRATES TENTH ANNIVERSARY- AND RIGHTLY SO!

2008-03-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

Glorious webcomic/comic book series PVP (Player Vs Player) is celebrating its tenth anniversary in May with a special release from Image. The continuing misadventures of Brent, Cole, Francis, Jade and Skull are something we enjoy greatly here, and it's cool that a webcomic has been able to cross that great divide into print without disappearing completely. PVP does have its detractors, but they can whinge all they want, as PVP has earned its decade of success, and I sincerely hope therwill be years more of it to come. The geekery involved in the strip is spomething wonderful, and while the stories may sometimes teeter on the edge of being soap operas with chuckles, the characters save it from becoming too twee. Scott Jurtz is an incredibly talented man, and in bringing us PVP he has created essentially the comic book and video game version of Dilbert. The tenth anniversary will be celebrated with a special all-colour issue from the title's print home, Image Comics.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

G.I. JOE- SNAKE EYES PICS ONLINE

2008-03-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

Well there we go, the first image to be released from Stephen Somers’ big screen G.I. JOE movie. Snake Eyes is played in the film by Ray “I was Darth Maul, me” Park, and the costume is looking pretty damn cool. There’s another pic on show over at AICN, again making Snake Eyes look as badass as he should do. People are already flaming each other left right and centre over the pics, but jeez, get some perspective. It could be fantastic, despite the overt patriotism.

There’s a divide in opinion regarding the movie, which is understandable as the G.I. JOE toy line is such a popular and well-loved piece of modern pop culture history, but seriously folks, wait and see what the movie is like before you start complaining about it. As long as we’re not in for another STREET FIGHTER debacle, we should be fine. Whats that you say? There’s a new Street Fighter movie on the way too? Well yes, but until I see Kristen Kreuk in the Chun Li costume I’m pretending that doesn’t exist.

The new HAMMER FILMS horror movie has a trailer out!

2008-03-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

The brand new Hammer Films production has had its official trailer released in the past couple of days. The internet-only film is entitled BEYOND THE RAVE and will be released in installments via Myspace TV. Not exactly the glorious return of Hammer that fans had hoped for, but still, blood will be spilled. The film, while looking remarkably cheap, does seem to have some level of atmosphere to it, but isn;t the whole thing of Vamps in a club rather old hat (Vamp/From Dusk Til Dawn) and the concept of raves a bit, well, dated? I know Hammer were into making period pieces but this is pushing the definition a bit. Not sure about this one yet. It seems a bit amateurish and rushed, but you never know, it could be awesome.

SPACED US- THE TRAVESTY CONTINUES

2008-03-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, following on from my earlier post concerning the US version of our beloved SPACED, it would appear that this McG infused nightmare is going ahead with a pilot episode. Don't give me any of that 'It might not be that bad' crap, as quite frankly, it will be terrible. DO NOT DO IT.

The thing is, not only do the Spaced fans think this is a terrible idea, but now Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson have gone record to say the exact same thing. Want proof? Check out this post on Edgar Wright's Myspace blog. See? This really shouldn't happen, and now here we have the people behind the original backing up the cries of the fans. Yeah, I can see why the suits would want the thing to be remade, I mean, look at it, it's pretty much perfect in every damn way. Who wouldn't want something that good to have their name on it? Myself, my colleagues, my friends, my fellow fans cannot stress this enough: CANCEL THE PILOT AND LEAVE SPACED ALONE. Your network's money is going to be wasted on something that will turn out to be nothing but another sitcom, with none of the heart or ingenuity of the original. Sermon over.

Well, actually, I will add this: It says alot about the attention to detail McG's monkeys are applying to Spaced (please note sarcasm): The cover page of the pilot script says 'Based on the BBC series'.

Pardon?

BBC?

*sigh*

LOST BOYS 2 TRAILER REVEALED!

2008-03-13T03:54:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest genre movies of the 80s was THE LOST BOYS. There’s no two ways about it. That decade was great for vampire movies that crossed over into the brat-pack mentality of the time, and there are some very varied examples of genre from that era. Films such as Vamp mixed vampires and comedy, and films like the legendary NEAR DARK (which is currently being remade…surprise surprise) mixed vamps with a hard edge and some stereotype-bashing. Above them all in terms of style and longevity stands THE LOST BOYS. A weird mix of ‘the Breakfast Club’, ‘Easy Rider’, ‘The Hunger’ and Anne Rice, it boasted a strong cast of young faces including a certain Kiefer Sutherland, now known the world over as Jack Bauer in 24.

The film, the questionable outfits, the stunning soundtrack and the whole iconography of a bunch of rock n’ roll vampire party animals became the stuff of legend.

A sequel has long been planned and talked about, but it took a hell of a long time for the thing to get filmed, and not only that, but this film has been completed for a good long while already, and just hasn’t been released.

Last year saw the Cult Classics range of figures add LOST BOYS action figures to their arsenal, proving straight away that interest still existed in the franchise. Add to that the constantly strong DVD and soundtrack sales. The first Lost Boys film has indeed become part of our pop culture tapestry, and a rather integral part at that. Now at last comes the sequel, titled LOST BOYS: THE TRIBE, which sadly won’t be getting a theatrical release (it will go straight to DVD).

Now, the trailer has been revealed and looks, hmm, like a straight to DVD sequel. On the upside, it does star 80’s legend Corey Feldman from the original movie, which can only be a good thing. Rumour has it (and so does the actor) that the other Corey, namely Corey Haim, will also be appearing in the film, but he doesn’t show up in the trailer, so something tells me this is going to be little more than a cameo.

As for the trailer itself? Check it out. The limits of the budget and the shoot itself are immediately apparent, but if I’m not mistaken it does seem to carry some of the same atmosphere as the first film, but that might be down to the succession of shots that seem to have been lifted directly from it! The lead vamp even seems to have been given a very similar appearance to Kiefer Sutherland’s 80s character, but with action, vampires, the Corey and THAT TUNE (it is still an awesome song), the new LOST BOYS movie at least looks entertaining.

Something to sink your teeth into, anyway.

Sorry.

I couldn’t help that one.

WATCHMEN CHARACTER PHOTOS NOW ONLINE

2008-03-06T02:58:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, yes yes! Zack Snyder has been a very kind man indeed and deemed us worthy of some juicy photos from his forthcoming feature film based on the legendary WATCHMEN graphic novel. The photos went up on the official site, and as soon as AICN caught wind of it, servers were working overtime as fanboys and girls the world over feasted their eyes on the delights that are to come.

So what has been revealed over at the official website?

First up is a great action shot of The Comedian. His costume as expression are spot on, but I’m a little wary of the white in his hair. Is it going to look natural onscreen? I do love the wiseass grin he’s sporting. The Night Owl photo has surprised me somewhat. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting him to look this cool. Looking for all the world like some feral version of Batman, the costume is perfect, even though it strays from the comic a fair bit. Can’t be helped really. Ozymandias looks as camp as expected, but the costume looks, hmm, a bit much? Mind you, this is perfect for the character, as he always was a bit of a pretty boy.

Then we have a great photo of the Silver Spectre. Oh yes, she is looking foxy, even in those impractical heels. This is the most comic-book style photo of the batch, with her in a suitably heroic pose that could have been taken straight from a comic frame. I bet that costume rides up a bit. Poor girl. The most exciting photo is, naturally, another picture of Rorscharch. Yes, we’ve seen him a few times already, but the character is so important to comic fandom, and indeed the film, that any glimpse of our favourite antihero is a moment to savour. He is looking every bit as unhinged as we wanted him to, and I love it. I can’t wait for this movie. At long last, the general public will get a chance to experience what we have been ranting on about for two decades. Watch out world…

SPACED- Why the US version should never happen...

2008-03-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

(aka 'What're you Doin?')

This is something that everyone here at Starstore/The Last Picture Show feels incredibly strongly about. Haven’t heard? McG is intent on remaking SPACED for the US market (old news I know, but it seems to be moving forward now), and despite Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson et al explicitly saying NO to being involved, and indeed saying it shouldn’t happen, it looks as though the damn thing is going ahead. I just read the article over at CHUD and wanted to write something about it myself.

Now lets get something straight. SPACED is about as English as it gets. The humour, the pacing the plots, they are very, very English. Add to that the characters are so British, that any attempt at shoving that into the American market will rob the show of everything that made it so special in the first place. Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson (not to mention the marvellous Mark Heap and everyone else in the show) made those fourteen episodes so utterly perfect that not only should a US version never be made, but I don’t think a third UK series should either. Now, I am a HUGE fan of Spaced, I mean, I am pretty much living Tim Bisley’s life myself right now (although my girlfriend is more like Fran from Black Books than Daisy, even though she’s a journalist), and everyone here can relate to every story, pop culture reference and one liner. An American version would not work. It would not work. Do you hear me?

The last time something similar happened was the US version of MEN BEHAVING BADLY, which came out like a poor man’s Friends. A US version of Spaced would come out pretty much the same. The humour would not translate. Plus, can you imagine getting a character like Tyres onto American screens? He’d have straight teeth and everything!

Fair enough, I can see the temptation in remaking it. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz were huge and made people aware of what had come before, thus the legion of Spaced fans growing so much in recent years. I was there from the start dammit, and I don’t want the characters I love so much to be tarnished by something so crass and cheap as a remake. Everyone here thinks the idea stinks, as do pretty much everyone else that enjoyed the show. Save your money, big American network, try and get something original off the ground.

And if you must get Spaced remade, don’t let McG anywhere near it. Actually, forget I said that. Don’t remake it at all. Watch those episodes. Look at the character interplay. The timing. The direction. That could never be replicated. Leave them be. There is the definite feeling of things going very, very right in those two series. It is one of those rarest of creatures; a show in which literally everything fell into place and there are no weak links at all.

It is also incredibly watchable again and again. I know every episode off by heart, but with every viewing, the show loses none of its humour and none of its pathos. It is a very special thing to us, as well as the people that made it. Please, please, please don’t spoil it. Let us have our Spaced.

GEORGE TAKEI TO APPEAR IN STAR TREK PREQUEL?

2008-02-28T02:52:00.000-08:00

Word is getting around that George ‘Sulu’ Takei may show up in JJ Abram’s new STAR TREK movie. Oh come on, seriously. The film already concerns the old Spock communicating with the young Spock. We don’t need any more faces from the classic series/films. The thing is, people are asking if William Shatner is going to show up in it too. Now, if you remember, Kirk died in the seventh movie, and even though he was resurrected in the billion novels Shatner put his name on, I doubt the moviegoing public would know this. Spock being in the new movie can be forgiven- he’s a Vulcan after all, but putting other classic characters in there for the sake of it would do little other than steal the show from the new cast.

Now, these Sulu rumours are largely being circulated due to Takei saying ‘No comment’ when asked about any involvement in the new film. Naturally, the net went insane with ‘Sulu is in the new movie!’ claims.

I could well be wrong and Abrams will handle it perfectly, with the original cast providing something of a bookend for the film. Granted, Hollywood STILL CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING NEW, which is seriously ticking me off, but at least this is looking promising. Just don’t mess it up, okay? Make sure that if it isn’t another Khan, its at least another Undiscovered Country. Pretty please? At least it has Simon Pegg in it, which is a brilliant idea.

Personally I think the remake/prequel/redux/whatever shouldn’t have been made, and that a whole new, Abrams-led era of Star Trek could begin, taking place after the era of TNG/DS9/Voyager. That said, I am looking forward to seeing Kirk and Spock reborn onscreen for a new generation, even if this re-imagining of the franchise only lasts for one film.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to play the teaser trailer again. Mmmm… spaceships…

PRODUCT REVIEW- THE GODFATHER FIGURE

2008-02-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

THE GODFATHER

Don Vito Corleone Action Figure

McFarlane Toys

A great likeness, but not a great figure overall.

Mcfarlane Toys continue expanding their range of movie licenses with this, a 7 inch action figure of Marlon Brando in his iconic Don Vito Corleone role from the Godfather movies. Well, I say ‘Action’, it is more just a ‘Figure’ as it isn’t articulated at all. The Sculpt is of a high standard, resembling the late star rather well, but its bland diorama base and lack of accessories (not even a cat for him to stroke!) smacks of a rush release. The packaging, a fiddly clamshell, is smaller than the usual McFarlane releases, and I hope it doesn’t hint of things to come as it is a rather unattractive package, and the weak hook on the top of the packaging and will break off easily, so take note if you want to hang it in its package.

Granted, anyone that wants a Godfather figure probably isn’t going to want to use it for much other than a display piece, but that in itself should have made McFarlane throw in some interesting accessories. A rare dud for the usually reliable McF. How about re-releasing it as a box set with a cat and desk? Just a thought.

STARS OUT OF 5: **

FOR FANS OF: The Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface

X-FILES 2 FOOTAGE LEAKED

2008-02-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

The exclusive X-Files 2 teaser that was screened at Wondercon has, surprise surprise, leaked all over the internet. How does it look? Well from the grainy, tiny, phone-cam shot version I saw, it probably isn’t an actual teaser. I’m guessing this is just a selection of completed scenes, cut together into a teaser trailer. Well, it does exactly what it says on the tin- it teases.

From the intriguing shots of Billy Connolly flanked by FBI agents as he strides across a snowy wasteland crying out ‘It’s here, it’s here!’, to the tantalising glimpses of action scenes, and of course our first look at Mulder and Scully in years, it looks, well, like the X-Files. I am very happy about this. It only runs to about 35 seconds, but it looks very interesting indeed. Who is the man with the scratches on his face? Why are Billy Connolly’s eye bleeding? Who (or what) is being dragged across the ice?

Where the first film (Fight The Future- remember that?) may have been close to the series in spirit, it lost a little something by giving the story such a massive scale onscreen. This new X-Files movie is billed a standalone story, and is rumoured to be of a supernatural nature. Chris Carter has gone record at Wondercon to say that while the mythos of the show- i.e. the conspiracy aspect- will be mentioned and dealt with, it isn’t the crux of the story. This is a very good sign. The show got too boged down with its own continuity and lost a bunch of viewers along the way. The standalone stories were generally superb, and also the most memorable (Tooms!).

It is wonderful to know there’s a new story on the way, and great to see Mulder and Scully on the big screen again. Early word is that the chemistry between the two main characters is as good as ever, just the right side of flirtatious, and the interplay is back how it was in the early years of the show.

Judging from the reaction at Wondercon in the video (the screams an applause are deafening) it would seem that all the old X-Philes are hungry for more. Just you wait and see come this summer- the X-Files are open again, and by the look of it, all hell is about to break loose.

Cloverfield: The Starstore review

2008-02-24T06:20:00.000-08:00

The ingenious viral marketing campaign for Cloverfield, great as it was, really doesn’t prepare you for the assault on the senses you get when watching the movie. The film itself is a superb reimagining of the monster movie genre, and while its detractors may describe it as little more than ‘The Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla’, but it is so much more. It is an excellent piece of modern film terror, and more than aptly fits the ‘Godzilla for the Youtube generation’ moniker its producer, JJ Abrams, gave it.

The basic premise, that of a monster invading Manhattan, told from the viewpoint of a handheld digital camcorder, is a great way of keeping the story at a very human level, as opposed to the usual predictable spectacle of the monster movie genre. Cloverfield is a film that takes hold of the standard elements of the genre and rips them to pieces. The monster, when you see it, is absolutely horrific, and is thankfully far from the usual ‘Giant Dinosaur’ design these kind of films tend to lean towards. I won’t describe it here, you really should see it for yourself.

I loved the fact that the main characters don’t just get the odd cut and bruise- these people really do suffer in their fight for survival, and what a fight it is. The military are terrified, the public even more so. What the monster does to the city is chilling and has you on the edge of your seat for its duration. The set up may feel like it goes on too long, but there is a reason, and the inclusion of what was originally on the tape between the attack footage is a stroke of genius and plays out a plot point to a perfect conclusion. Watch it and see what I mean. The editing, while intended to look like it hasn’t been edited at all, is also incredibly effective.

The fact that you don’t actually see the monster that much adds so much by way of drama and intensity. The glimpses are tantalizing, and its trail of destruction is insane.

There are some shots that echo the 9/11 footage in tone and content, but that was to be expected really. One scene in particular, once the monster attacks, is a frame for frame recreation of a certain piece of 9/11 footage. It may sound a little crass, but it fits with the film. The tension is through the roof.

While there is the odd ‘Hollywood’ moment in there, it comes across as gritty, frightening and utterly compelling. It isn’t a film for the faint of heart, and the shaky camera work may make your eyes ache a little, but I implore you to see this on the big screen. The sound design is inspired, the script mostly comes across as natural, and the use of editing and background to fill in the plot is a great thing to see. Far from being another dumb big monster movie, this is an incredibly intelligent and, scarily, believable film.

10/10

Incidentally, there is a large scale action figure of the monster on the way, and it looks incredible. The promo photos looks superb, and give you a great look at the monster that you never really see all of in the movie itself.

GAMBIT CAST IN WOLVERINE MOVIE

2008-02-20T06:57:00.000-08:00

Sam and Rich have already shouted their opinions over my shoulder regarding the breaking news of taylor Kitsch being cast as Gambit in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (hey guys, can you think of an even clunkier title please? jeez...), but I'm undecided yet- mainly because I have no idea who the guy is. Maybe he'll be great. Who knows? Now, he was in teen warlock cheapie THE COVENANT, so at least he's somewhat familiar with making genre films, but I'm yet to see if he can bring anything to the part other than a sculpted chin.

Here's his IMDB page.

Gambit has been a fan favourite character ever since his first appearence in the comics and subsequently the 1990s cartoons. With his wisecracking personality and constant flirting, it was his character more than his mutant abilities that made him star, even if the charged-up playing cards were cool. This Wolverine movie is a strange thing though- it is being billed as an origin tale, and features a young Sabretooth, the Blob, Gambit and apparently Deadpool as well. There's a distinct risk that the thing could become too overcrowded, but I'm hoping for the best. What I would really like is for the title to be changed, as it just sounds like a TV movie with the current monicker, which, of course, will be repeated with X-Men Origins: Magneto.

Once we have some pics and maybe a scene or two, I maight get excited. For now I'm sceptical.

DOCTOR WHO: Series four is coming...

2008-02-18T06:59:00.001-08:00

The trailer currently playing in cinemas across the country for series four of Doctor Who's new era is a beautiful thing. Edited just like a movie trailer, it teases, tantalises and raises all manner fo questions. The biggest thing in the trailer, naturally, is the single shot of Billie Piper, back in the role of Rose Tyler. This may well only be for one episode, but it is something the fans are goiung to lap up. Also, what the hell is Martha covered in at the end of the trailer? The goo makes her looks like she's just come out of the Matrix! A clone maybe? Even Donna (Catherine Tate) looks okay- she doesn't seem anywhere near as annoying as in The Runaway Bride, which can only be a good thing. I'm yet to be sold on season four really... The three big villains are all back now, Daleks, Cybermen and The Master have all come and gone, which leaves... Davros. Think about it. Dalek Caan escaped at the End of S3's Evolution of the Daleks. He is the last surviuving Dalek in existence, and where else would he go but back to their creator? I do hope this happens, as a new-era version of Davros would be an awesome thing to see on the screen. Davros was always one of the more convincing villains of the classic era, and also a good old fashioned bad guy in that he was absolutely and totaly evil in every way. Newer fans may not be familiar with stories such as 'Revelation of the Daleks', but that stands as a great example of the nastiness he is capable of. In one of the most unnerving scenes of 80s Doctor Who, we are privy to a severed human head, trapped inside a clear Dalek casing, begging to be killed by its own daughter. Davros was harvesting humans and building Daleks from the parts. This was supposedly kids TV! I do feel a new incarnation of him would go down a treat.

Then there are the Sontarans, which do pop up a couple of times in the new series. I'm not convinced yet that the new audience won't think of them as a knock-off Judoon, and their short stature and modified (almost cute) makeup doesn't help much either.

Something that did strike me when watching the trailer (check it out on Youtube while it lasts!) is the overwhelmingly bleak atmosphere. The music and Donna's monologue are rather downbeat, and the way it is edited suggests that this series is going to be quite harrowing in tone. Could this be the tenth Doctor's swansong? Will the wisecracking Time Lord finally be bettered by an enemy and be forced into regenerating into his eleventh incarnation? personally I'm looking foirward to finding out. Bring on series four, and lets hope the BBC continue to trounce everyone else in the originality stakes.