A SERIES OF NEW MOVIE RELEASE BLOG BITES - No1: THE MAN OF STEEL

Original Line Art produced by Zack Anderson

This week (June 14th) sees the much anticipated release of the retelling, re-imagination or whatever re-ing that you want to call the new Superman movie.

On the face of it, when one considers the calibre of artists involved,  the film just cannot go wrong - can it?  

The movie is produced by Christopher Nolan  - responsible in many eyes in resurrecting the Batman franchise and forever soothing those tarnished memories that many of us have of a certain Mr Clooney & a certain Mr Freeze.

It is also directed by another darling of the Geek community (of which you know that I'm a proud member) - Zack Snyder; he of Watchmen (shush, I loved it), Dawn of the Dead and Sucker Punch. If you add to the mix, Laurence Fishburne, the delicious Amy Adams, Russell Crowe and the magnificent Michael Shannon as General Zod….. it all sounds rather promising after the rather lacklustre Superman Returns of a few years ago - I still haven't forgiven Kevin Spacey for THAT!

The story is set to take a slightly different approach to the familiar tale of an alien boy being sent by his parents from the dying planet Of Krypton to Earth, where he is adopted  by a kindly middle American couple to become the all-American apple pie eating man man of principle. In this version, we are promised angst upon angst as this particular Man of Steel is confronted with not only his own self-doubts but also the notion that the rest of his adopted planet would fear,distrust and possibly hate him if they knew the truth about his origin.  

So a Superman for the Radiohead & My Chemical Romance generation? I personally cannot wait!

Stan Lee's Comikaze! - An interview with CEO Regina Carpinelli

I must admit that interviewing the CEO of the newest ( and possibly most exciting) pop culture convention in the United States came around purely by accident. I had contacted the Facebook page of Comikaze in the hope that they might help publicise this blog - however I was advised (very nicely & very politely) that they couldn't do that. I was informed though that if I could persuade the CEO of the company into an interview then things might happen…… and well, as it turned out, the said CEO (Regina Carpinelli) kindly gave in eventually to my pestering and agreed to answer some of this Geek's questions. 

Now I know what you're thinking - I live in Scotland so the chances of making over to the convention when it takes place later this year are pretty slim for me, so why my specific interest  in this event? 

Well, there are two reasons.  As I've explained before more than once or twice throughout this blog, that I was a nerd, a geek, whatever you want to call it, well before the nerds et al became the new cool. In fact, being a geek was seemingly a licence for some to give ones backside a good kicking. But even in those times of Geek-bashing, there were some shining lights out there for we few. There was a time when a certain Stan Lee and his creations were one of my most precious links to a universe where I could escape to whenever I wanted to - well at least whenever I could afford the latest Defenders Marvel comic etc. It sounds sad. It's not……. and it's definitely not sad that his universe is still a much valued place where I travel to. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it you nerd-bashers!

The Generalissimo himself 

So when I read last year that Stan himself had finally decided to involve himself with a convention that could eventually rival the legendary San Diego comic-con, well, this nerd was more than a little interested. I could, and at some point will, write more about the man himself and what his work has meant over the years, not just to me, but as a wider 'icon' in popular culture….However, that blog entry of at least a 1000 pages will have to wait for a while…….

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark…… & just a bit gorgeous..

The second reason? Well her name is Elvira and I've been a little in love with her for more years than she would care to hear about. For those poor souls out there who may not be familiar with her loveliness - I ask you just what planet do you come from? Because, boy have you missed out. Elvira,  Mistress of the dark is an internationally famous horror movie actress, hostess, comic book character and overall cult Geek icon……I think that just about sums it up…. well apart from the fact that she is a bit gorgeous.

She, or rather her alter-ego Cassandra Peterson, in partnership with Stan Lee, also in 2012 became involved in the expo. I ask you, what the heck is there not to like?!

Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo is a two day event held during the Autumn period that started in 2011. The expo embraces a variety of genres, including science fiction, anime, comics (Marvel, of course), fantasy and horror. It was founded by Regina Carpinelli and her two younger brothers and had an initially successful first year in Los Angeles. 

In 2012  Regina announced the legendary Stan Lee, together with Cassandra Peterson (the wonderful Elvira) would form a partnership with Comikaze Expo, therefore completely rebranding the convention. 

As this week's press release states….'This year’s expo will be held on November 1-3 at the Los Angeles Convention Centre in Los Angeles, California.  Now in its third year, the organisers of the largest regional multi-media, pop culture, comic, horror and gaming convention invite visitors to unleash their inner geek as they unveil the first wave of guests and activities that promise to delight entertainment fans of all ages'……. I personally have no doubts that its going to be bloody amazing!

So here is the interview with Regina Carpinelli. I'm sure that you'll agree that her passion for her cause, as well as her drive and humour come out perfectly, even in this written form!

THE INTERVIEW

(FD) Comikaze has only been around since 2011, and yet it feels like it’s been part of the convention landscape forever. Why do you think that is?

(RC) We are young, but we are mighty! I really think that it’s our whole approach on creating the show and interacting with the fans. We are a business, but we are also fans ourselves. The entire attitude around Comikaze is being a community event that deeply cares for its community.  We have this Punk DIY vibe. My entire team is under 35, and we just get it.

(FD) How did you deal at first with comparisons to the world famous San Diego comic-con? Was it like being the 'new kid on the block'?

(RC) It really wasn’t something I dealt with. We are similar to what SDCC was like 10 years ago, but we are also totally different from any other convention. In all honesty you cannot really compare us to anything. We are a totally interactive media experience unlike any other show. We create content and fun specifically for our fans. And being new is always hard, especially in the Geek world. People are always judging you, but I think its pretty clear that we are a great show that benefits fans, exhibitors, and everyone involved. :-)

Cassandra, the man himself and Regina

(FD) What makes Comikaze different from any other convention and why should we Europeans come over to yours rather than any other? 

(RC) Well for one, since Stan Lee and Elvira are both owners, they do things at Comikaze that can never be seen anywhere else. But we really hit on nostalgia in an interesting way. We stack and mix pop culture so much that it’s GEEK-CEPTION! 

(FD) You must get a little tired of being asked what it's like to work with Stan Lee, so I won't ask! Well actually I will...What is he like?

(RC) I never get tired of that. I have to always remember that I am not dreaming and that I get to work with Stan Lee and travel with him. People say to never meet your heroes, and for the most part I agree unless that hero is Stan Lee. He is such a brilliant and kind man. I have learned so much from him. He loves his fans, he works hard, and he is a genius. I learn so much from him. Because of him I wake up everyday and give my all in everything I do. It is an honor to be able to learn and work with such a legend!

Stan and Cassandra eyeball each other while Regina sinks in quicksand..

(FD) As for Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), well I've been a little in love with her for quite a few years. So please tell me she's a terrible person so I can leave it behind me! :-)

(RC) She is terribly amazing. Cassandra has become like an aunt to me. She is a smart, hilarious, and beautiful woman. She and I have a blast. We have tons of inside jokes, and like Stan, I have learned a ton from her. She is a great role model. She is also an amazing business woman. Total package. Everyone should fall in love with her!

(FD) Lets just pretend for a moment that Stan Lee isn't involved. So...........Marvel or DC for you? Be honest! ;-)

Some blogging fool with Regina's hero …kind of.

(RC) Honest?  Well, Stan or not, I never lie about my opinion. I love them both, but I love Batman. I wanted to grow up to be Batman, but I also wanted to grow up to be Galactus. But I do read more Marvel, with the exception of Batman. :-)

(FD) I know from what I've read about you that you're a full on geek!  So what to you know of British sci-fi and horror? :-)

(RC) Aside from Doctor Who? Absolutely Fabulous is one of the most amazing British Sci-Fi horror shows to ever be made; I quote it daily! I love French and Saunders. Creep and F. are amazing horror films. I love Hitchhikers Guide, and I also love the Young Ones. But then again, I am a punk rocker at heart, and I just decided like AB Fab that it can fall in this category, “Sweetie Darling!”

(FD) Talking about being a nerd or geek. Like you I was a full-on nerd growing up, but for me, back in the 70s & 80s, it wasn't always a pleasant experience. Why do you think Nerds are the new cool?

(RC) I think that all of us kids who grew up in the 70s and 80s on such great cartoons and movies grew to appreciate geek culture, and as we grew, we knew what we liked, and we recreated or tried to recreate those classic moments in film and media today. It’s amazing for me that as a child I watched Ninja Turtles and now its back again and bigger than ever. Honestly I think everyone is a geek. Everyone likes a super hero or a video game.  I don’t care who you are, we all got some geek in us!

(FD) I know that you're officially launching this month, so can you tell me what goodies are in store for the convention this year?

(RC) Ohhhhhh so so so many. Right now, Stan Winston’s Special FX Studio Legacy is putting on a HUGE museum of their most famous props. 

The event was a 'bit' popular last year...

They did Jurassic Park, Predator, Iron Man, Avatar and pretty much every major awesome FX movie that there ever there was. have a glorious cosplay contest with over $5000 in cash prizes. Also, Stan Lee will be bringing his personal collection of amazing art and props to form his own museum on the show floor! I have a ton of great guests that we are announcing, and we have news on new fun things every week.

(FD) I'm sure many of us who cant make it over to the States would love to see some of the main events. Is any of it filmed?

(RC) Actually, it is. We are working on live streaming and taping all our awesome content, but we’re also looking to grow internationally. The UK is at the top of our list, so keep those fingers crossed!

Well I'm going to look forward to the live streaming and whatever and however the UK involved with that!…

Tickets for the event are now on sale folks! The accompanying press release for the event that Regina sent me can be found on my FB page for this blog HERE

I would sincerely like to thank Regina for her time in corresponding with me over what I know has been a busy last few weeks for her and would like to wish her and the rest of the team a very successful 2013 expo!

Now all I need is an interview, or preferably a meeting with, Stan and Cassandra…...

Starblood by Carmilla Voiez - A delectable tale of horror.

Carmilla Voiez

I want to be upfront about this review straight away. The fact that Carmilla lives only about 20 miles along the Moray Firth coast in Scotland from me, that she is a Goth, has seemingly excellent musical tastes and, best of all, writes horror novels, has absolutely no influence on my opinion of her book. Nope, not at all.

Actually, I am being very serious. As always, the opinions when it comes to reviews are honest and entirely my own.

Though there is the intention to do a face to face interview as a follow up to this review, Camilla and I haven't actually met as yet. If memory serves me correctly, our paths crossed via a book discussion group on Facebook (naturally, a group mostly involving the horror genre). It was through this that Camilla asked me to review her book in my blog. It was only after agreeing to that and then doing some legalised stalking on Facebook that I realised how geographically close we are. 

Carmilla Voiez resides in in Banff, in the North East of Scotland. She is currently putting the finishing touches to the final instalment of the Starblood trilogy and is also planning world domination for the Sisterhood of Feminazi Splatter Goth - more of which later in this piece.

Starblood tells the story of a circle of friends and acquaintances including Satori (Steve) and Star (Sarah) who inhabit the Goth subculture in a southern city in England. Torn apart by his obsessive love for Star , Satori, who has a knowledge of magic, accidentally unleashes the demon Lilith after producing a spell that he hoped would win back Star. 

This demon, in the words of the author to me, is "mad, bad and very very dangerous"….. so much so that clearly things are not going to go well for those that inspire the wrath of Lilith - and believe me she has a LOT of wrath. 

In fact Lilith soon decides to wreak her own particular brand of sexual and murderous havoc and instigates a horrific chain of events amongst the interconnected group of people in the story. Meanwhile, Satori realises that he must devise a way of sending the demon back to hell. 

The story makes for an often brutal (both psychologically and physically) journey. We see characters and plot evolve before our very eyes, until we eventually move away from the seedy nightclub culture to my part of the world in Scotland where we witness a final, desperate conclusion to the story.

Yes, at face value, Starblood is a heady and rich mixture of horror and erotica - and both of those genre's are written beautifully. The horror is suitably graphic and brutal at times, the erotic scenes too are wonderfully described.

However, it is also a story about flawed individuals who at face value may seem arrogant and superficial, but underneath are simply trying to make sense of the unravelling chaos and confusion that soon surrounds them as Lilith and her world of devious, and deviant turmoil slowly envelops them. Starblood is a wonderful read - I finished it in a day, which for me, traditionally a slow reader, is almost unheard of.

However, don't just take my word for it. Carmilla recently won the author of the year award from Horror fans asylum. 

The thing that I perhaps enjoyed most from the experience of reading Starblood was the way that Carmilla seems to have taken a number of 'commonalities' in some traditional horror and simply reverses them. Foremost in this subversion of horror rules is the role of men and women. Take for instance my two favourite characters, Satori and Lilith. Satori is in some ways the traditional stereotyped female character - vain, superficial and lacking in a degree of common sense. He thinks that he is in control, but in reality he is the victim of practices and actions that he simply doesn't understand. 

Lilith is simply delicious, acting as the driving force and instigator of the violence that ensues  - her actions are, amoral, powerful, lustful and vengeful. And she does it all with more than a touch of panache. I may be just a little bit smitten.

Carmilla clearly wants to write about, and comment upon, the roles of females in contemporary society and showing that through a strong powerful (both physically and sexually) female character, those issues can be brought to a wider audience. Carmilla and her Sisterhood of Feminazi Splatter Goth's aim seems to be a wish to remove some of those traditional horror cliches', particularly sexual ones - 'The first nubile young teen to have sex is always the first to die', a prime case in point. This new genre of horror, Feminaze splatter Goth, will take some of this cliches and shove them down your throat - sometimes quite deliciously literally as seen in this story …..

This may unsettle some more of the 'traditionalist' followers of horror that like to see their 'scream queens' go through the requisite range of decibel cries for help - instead we witness the females being the violent and sexual aggressors whilst the males for the most part are the victims (though not always)……. well as Lilith herself would say to those people raising an eyebrow to this horror subversion …..

" You want power and glory…..I see through you, into the black heart beating pointlessly in your skinny chest. You are nothing, good for nothing."

There is a quite wonderful video that has been produced to accompany the Starblood trilogy, with a quite delicious musical background too - the link can be found HERE.

The second book in the trilogy -  Psychonaut, is available now both in the traditional ( and best) format and on kindle, HERE

"Satori is caught between two worlds. There is something he needs in one, but the other keeps drawing him back. However, he is in love and he isn’t going to let a little thing like death get in his way. To reach his goal, he must face unimaginable horrors, not least of which is his true self.

Star’s tortured and broken body awaits Satori, but does she really need him to save her? His rival, a rage-filled young woman, grows more powerful and becomes as twisted as the ribbons in her hair while the demon, Lilith, draws each of them inexorably towards her. Who will survive the coming battle?"  (Description taken from http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZ8B1OQ ) 

Book 3 in the series- Black Sun,  will be out in September of 2013.  

For more information on Carmilla and her work you can view her website at   http://www.carmillavoiez.com.

In loving appreciation of 'The Time Machine' (1960)

I decided this week to take a break from championing all things independent sci-fi & horror filming to talk about another one of the many loves of my science-fiction life. I think like many children, I chanced upon the works of H.G.Wells through some wondrous movie adaptations before ever reading his books; The first men on the Moon, The Island of lost souls, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man…… and this beauty, my favourite of them all; The Time Machine.

The movie holds a special place in my sci-fi affections for two reasons. Firstly, it seems to have served as a much needed 'crutch' to lean upon in times of emotional uncertainty. For some reason, it has always been one of my 'go to' films where I could be certain that it would either soothe, inspire or provoke whatever emotions needed to be provoked at that particular time. I'm not sure why other films that I love with equal measure aren't on that 'go to' list, while this has one pride of place on that list……….hmmmm, maybe this blog entry will serve as yet another much needed self-indulgent analysis of yours truly :-).

This masterpiece was made in 1960 and directed by the excellent George Pal, who had not only already directed the first H.G Wells adaptation of The War of the Worlds, but was also responsible for a notable body of work with perhaps most famously, the wonderful When Worlds Collide.

OK lads, but size isn't everything you know...…

The story begins at the very beginning of the 20th century as a group of well-to-do individuals meet at the house of a certain George Wells ( see what they did there?), who has asked them to attend his dinner party. However, George isn't yet present so, in accordance with his prior wishes, they begin without him. Not before long, a clearly stressed and exhausted George stumbles into the dining room and so begins to recount a quite remarkable tale of time travel and adventure. 

Only a week before he had tried to persuade his friends that he had mastered the the problem of time travel, even to the point of showing off his time machine. The problem was that his friends didn't exactly take him seriously, both on the notion of time travel, but also on the little fact that his time machine was, well, little. It measured only a few centimetres high and when he set it to travel in time and it disappears, they mock him believing it to be nothing more than a cheap parlour trick- poor George.

And not a flux capacitor in sight…..

Undeterred, our idealistic hero, who is disillusioned with modern industrial society that seems hell bent on destroying itself, decides to use the larger version he has already built to travel to the future. George finds himself roaming in time through London via two world wars until the year 1966 when nuclear holocaust is finally on the way to destroying humanity. Trapped by the consequences of global catastrophe he has to travel to the far distant future - to the year 802,701 to be exact. Here the world is divided between the surface-dwelling, simple, and without exception, good-looking Eloi and the hideous, underground, Eloi eating, nasty looking Morlocks. Soon, he meets Wenna (Yvette Mimieux) one of the Eloi people and confronts the Morlocks - It's not exactly yippie Kai yay from this moment on, but let's say George kicks some arse.

Take That haven't aged well by the year 802,701..

For those two of you in the world who haven't seen this movie, I won't give away the ending….well actually I will, kind of….. The film ends where we began, at the dinner party. It turns out that George has used the time machine to escape back to January 5, 1900 in time to meet his old friends for dinner and to tell them of his time travelling adventure. Naturally, they really don't believe a word of what he tells them and abruptly leave, with only his closest friend, Filby, showing some belief in his story. The very last scene of the movie sees George departing again in the time machine, but this time possibly forever. Filby and the housekeeper see that three books are unaccounted for from the library. It seems that George needs these three books for life with the Eloi and Wenna.  We are all are left to hypothesise which books were taken and why. Who says that Science fiction cannot be intelligent and thought provoking?

There is much debate amongst Wells aficionados in regard to the this, or any for that matter, adaptation of his books. Whilst it is true that this movie moves away at times from his often bleak dystopian story about how society was on a one way road to oblivion if steps weren't taken to change our way of thinking. At the same time the story contains a thinly veiled vilification of British class system. Yes, the movie deviates at times away from Well's vision, but it still retains enough both in plot and acting performance to retain some of the original story's premise and message. 

Not only that, the cinematography is sumptuous, as is the director Pal's eye for the meticulous detail of Victorian life and whilst the special effects may seem a little dated in some parts (as does the make-up of the Eloi) there is THAT sequence that still never fails to deliver an emotional punch. 

The scene shows George in the initial joy and excitement of travelling through the early years of the 20th century. Across the street from his time machine is a clothes shop, in the window of which is a mannequin. The time travel scene remains a triumph of filming to this day, with the shop window mannequin demonstrating a succession of fashion and style as the years fly by in seconds. The sequence is adorable, ingenious and effective in equal measures. This particular sequence, plus other equally inventive time-lapse scenes were enough to earn the best photography Oscar that year.

Originally, the film's producers wanted an established star for the lead role - David Niven to name but one, was muted at the time for the role. However, it was decided that a younger, more athletic actor was needed and the Australian actor Rod Taylor is simply magnificent in the role. It could be a disservice to Taylor in saying that he never

bettered himself as he enjoyed a rich and varied career as an actor. All I would say is that the mixture of action, sensitivity and humanity needed for what is a deceptively complex part was carried off with distinction by a fine actor.

However, for myself and many others,  the real star of the film is the time machine itself. It is a thing of genuine beauty.

I want this and I want this now...

MGM art director Bill Ferrari created the Machine, a sled-like design with a big, rotating vertical wheel behind the red plush seat, together with with a plethora of knobs and levers that is a attention to a detailers wet dream. It is a movie prop that has become an integral part of the wider entertainment history. Even those few that may never have seen the whole of this wonderful movie will recognise the truly beautiful design of the machine and from which film it comes from. It is a contraption that quite simply screams out Victorian Steampunk charm. 

If anyone was to give me a full size, half size or even mini-sized Time machine copy, I would love them forever.

15-05-08 - How to make an excellent short movie

In my last blog entry I wrote how Nikki Chatwin from the Nottingham-based company Sick Bunny Pictures had asked me to promote their latest venture into movie making, their 16 minute short horror flick, 15-05-08. 

Well today I received a sneak early look at the now finished product. I'll do my best to reduce any spoilers as it doesn't go on full release to youtube until Wednesday of this week. You know me, discreet is my middle name….well it isn't, but you know…..

What I will say is that I was surprised when I watched this for the first time today. "Why were you surprised Stuart?" I hear you ask. Well as i mentioned in my previous entry, 'found footage /hand held camera POV' movies such as Blair Witch etc aren't really my horror bag. So I experienced a fair amount of trepidation when Nikki sent me the movie today and asked me to give it a review - after all, my intention was to be honest, and i wasn't looking forward to telling all and sundry that I didn't like it. Well, I had absolutely no need to worry. This movie is something of a treat. 

Considering that we are only witnessing just over 16 minutes of movie time, a huge amount of emotional experience is packed into it. At first, when the group of friends in a very normal suburban house on a very normal suburban road witness a light going on in what they thought was the empty house across the road, they treat it as a bit of fun. It's all giggles and bad taste jokes at first. 

However, before we the viewer have time to realise it, the tension is being raised as the mood subtly  changes, not only amongst the group of friends in the film, but also at the same time for the rest of us watching . We all begin experiencing the same rising unsettling feeling that something isn't right, until the suspense and tension has been raised to such a level before we witness the final few moments of, well, terror. The ending is simply excellent.

I wish I had more time to write about this movie. I love my independent low budget productions, often even though the filming may not always be great and the acting may not always be exactly top notch. But these guys at Sick Bunny pictures may give indie movies a bad rep - for the camera work is excellent, as is the acting. To say this is a debut feature belies the quality of work behind , and in front of the camera. The delivery of the dialogue is natural and convincing from this group of players, almost to the point that I was wondering just how much of the dialogue was scripted or improvised.

This is a fine movie experience. If you like your suspense built upon suspense until you're hit full in the face with the finest of brutal film climaxes - then this is nearly 17 minutes of just what you ( and I it seems) like.

I really can't wait to see what the future holds for this company.