Tuesday 17 September 2024

LEGO Star Wars Jabba’s Sail Barge



Today, the LEGO Group reveals the launch of the LEGO Star Wars Jabba’s Sail Barge display set. This iconic Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) model is perfect for any Star Wars fan, packed with intricate details and LEGO Minifigures.

Aboard the barge, LEGO senior designer César Carvalhosa Soares notes that fans will notice some artistic license that adds elements beyond the vessel’s interior as seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. “The entire top deck has several features like hatches and stairs, cannons, and blasters and, of course, the huge textile sails that give the barge its iconic silhouette,” Carvalhosa Soares tells the official Star Wars website.

Throughout 2024, the LEGO Star Wars team plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary with fans front and centre of it all.

Discover LEGO Star Wars on LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

Will you be adding the LEGO Star Wars Jabba’s Sail Barge to your collection? Let me know in the comments below.

Saturday 14 September 2024

Alien: Romulus



Prey successfully rebooted the Predator franchise on Hulu and Star on Disney+ in 2022. Can Alien: Romulus do the same for the Alien franchise on the big screen in 2024?

Nick Smith, our resident US-based xenomorph expert, discovers a derelict space station harbouring a deadly cargo. Will it be enough to scare the TikTok generation?

Guest post by Nick Smith

“How many different ways do you want me to tell the same story?”

This is the question Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) posed to a roomful of heartless corporate execs in the 1986 movie, Aliens. The answer is a lot, as long as it makes them money.

After a steady trickle of special editions, sequels and rip-offs, a glossy new $80 million Alien movie (originally intended to go straight-to-streaming on Hulu and Star on Disney+) is filling Fox’s coffers. Although it’s directed by hot shot horror director Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe, 2013’s Evil Dead), Alien: Romulus fails to tell that same old story freshly.

Álvarez knows how to tell a suspenseful story – Don’t Breathe was an exquisite update of the ‘old dark house’ movies of yore, and Evil Dead’s female-centric cast and grave tone made it a worthy remake. Álvarez ratchets up the fear factor in Alien: Romulus, and there are some great set pieces, including a scene where protagonists are trapped in a lab with facehuggers, another with an alien in an elevator shaft, and a twist where the Weyland-Yutani Corporation places profit over human lives.

If these scenes sound familiar, it’s because you’ve seen them before in previous Alien instalments. Which is all fine and dandy if those story elements build on what has gone before to show something new.

James Cameron had the right idea with Aliens, raising the stakes and using Ridley Scott’s original as a foundation, not a photocopy. In the first movie, Ripley puts herself in danger to save a cat; in the sequel, she saves a young girl (it would be a shame if anything bad happened to her). In Alien, Ripley dons a protective spacesuit; in Aliens, she climbs into a load lifter. You get the idea. The moments are similar but different, reminding audience members of what has gone before while simultaneously satisfying them with an extra layer of imagery and theme.

Alien: Romulus does not take that extra step where it really matters. It’s the movie equivalent of a remix, taking sequences and dialogue from its predecessors and reusing them to tell a not-so-new story.

The law of diminishing returns has never been so diminishing.

Alien: Romulus is really aimed at 18 to 25-year-old moviegoers who haven’t seen those creaky old Alien movies – Scott’s initial instalment celebrates its 45th birthday this year – and want to take a ghost train trip to the future. The mumbly young characters are endearing (it’s Gen Z versus Gen Xenomorph), and the off-planet setting is wonderfully dingy, in keeping with Alien’s lived-in look.

Weyland-Yutani is ruthless from the outset. Life is tough and unfair for these feckless heroes in a way we can all relate to; they feel powerless in the face of capitalist greed. Any worker who’s been sponsored by a company or hired under unscrupulous pretences will sympathize with the dispossessed kids, especially the heroine, little orphan Rain (Cailee Spaeny), who desperately wants to escape her grim, repetitive lifestyle, dreaming of a better world. Spaeny and her castmates give believable performances, with David Jonsson a standout as Rain’s non-biological brother, Andy.

The film also brings an original cast member back, ignoring the nuances of a great British actor, smoothing over his subtleties with de-ageing CGI. Another nod to the first film denigrates Ripley’s victory, telling us that she did not slay her dragon after all.

There are problems of logic – aliens can survive a shuttle rocket blast, but not a gunshot – and pacing, where a tight 90-minute rollercoaster ride has an extra half hour of rickety track bolted on.

Nevertheless, if sheer visceral thrills are what you came for, you’ll get your movie ticket’s worth. Álvarez is great at evoking feelings in the audience, keeping them on the edge of their seat, grossing them out, and encouraging them to care about the characters. He taps into primal fears regarding pregnancy, genetic research, tight spaces, high spaces and losing a loved one, to name just a clawful. All underscored by composer Benjamin Wallfisch's (Blade Runner 2049) lush orchestrations filled with creepy callbacks to previous Alien movies.

There’s enough sick body horror and sexual symbolism to make even the notoriously gloomy H.R. Giger smile from beyond the grave.

As French film director Robert Bresson once said, “I’d rather people feel a film before understanding it. I’d rather feelings arise before intellect.” Turn off your phone, mind and memory, soak up the scares, and you’ll be on tenterhooks like I was.

Ultimately, franchises like Alien are damned if they try something different (as with David Fincher’s Alien 3 and the bleak ending of Scott’s Alien: Covenant), and damned if they don’t, keeping in mind that Alien wasn’t original in the first place, inspired by 1958’s It! The Terror from Beyond Space.

Episodic series offer a possible solution, with enough running time to tell a similar story with new ideas added. Netflix’s anime Terminator Zero is the perfect example of a show that refers to its source material, using it to tell a story of its own (the Battlestar Galactica reboot is another great example of this, so say we all). Hopefully, Alien: Earth, from Noah Hawley (Fargo), will perform a similar feat when it bursts onto Hulu on Disney+ in 2025.

While we wait, we have the derivative Alien: Romulus to watch as it drifts by like a sleek cryotube, a time capsule of older, better movies with a shiny new shell. Without the copied bits, this movie could have been a true sci-fi horror classic; instead, it feels like the company has interfered too much, insisting on a greatest hits package to maximise its profit. Judging by the box office returns, the company is right and audiences are eating this up with a bigger appetite than John Hurt at the breakfast table.

Despite the gripes, it’s great to see xenomorphs alive and killing, frightening a new generation of fans while acknowledging what has come before. As Bill Paxton’s character Hudson says in Aliens, “Hey, if you like that, you're gonna love this ...”

Have you seen Alien: Romulus? Let me know in the comments below.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

Thursday 12 September 2024

Tomb Raider this October on Netflix



More than 25 years after her debut, Lara Croft will once again don her fingerless gloves to reclaim ancient relics in the new animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, hitting Netflix on 10th October.



Following the events of the Survivor series, Lara Croft has abandoned her friends to embark on increasingly more perilous solo adventures. But she must return home when a dangerous and powerful Chinese artefact is stolen from Croft Manor by a thief with an uncanny personal connection. Her daring pursuit will take her on an adventure around the world and to the depths of forgotten tombs, where she will be forced to confront her true self and decide just what kind of hero she wants to become.

In addition to Atwell in the title role, the voice cast will also include Allen Maldonado as Zip, and Earl Baylon reprising his role as Jonah Maiava from the video game.

Are you looking forward to Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft on Netflix? Let me know in the comments below.

Wednesday 11 September 2024

Hasbro Pulse Con 2024



Hasbro Pulse Con returns on Friday. Those tuning in can expect product reveals, fan trivia, Q&As, interactive polls, and more from fan-favourite brands including TRANSFORMERS, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and G.I. JOE, as well as products based on premier collaboration brands, Star Wars and Marvel from Disney Consumer Products, reaching fans across the globe.

Our friends at Hasbro have sent over details regarding the upcoming online event.

Hasbro Pulse Premium Members can enter an exclusive pre-show experience starting at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET where they can expect brand sneak peeks and teasers for the main event. They’ll be treated to a Hasbro Pulse Con Exclusive Product Showcase as well, along with special products and a live Q&A session hosted by members of the Hasbro team.

This year’s virtual pop culture and fandom experience will be hosted by Jordan Hembrough and will feature special guests: Actress Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian) and popular YouTube Creator Dan Larson of Secret Galaxy.

During the 2-hour event, fans will get a first look at the new TRANSFORMERS ONE Studio Series action figures, hear about new G.I. JOE Classified Series product reveals, get a sneak peek of a new Marvel Legends wave, view the latest Hasbro Star Wars products, and take part in the ongoing celebration of the 50th Anniversary of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, among other activities.

Over 35 products will be showcased, including four Hasbro Pulse Con 2024 exclusives:

G.I. Joe Classified Series #136 Edward "Starduster" Skylar Figure
Star Wars: The Black Series STAP and Battle Droid Figure
Marvel Legends Series Kang the Conqueror Figure
Transformers Legacy United Dinobot Dinoking Multipack Figures

Are you looking forward to Hasbro Pulse Con 2024? Which exclusives are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 10 September 2024

James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader, dies



“If you only knew the power of the dark side…” James Earl Jones, the iconic voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and so much more, has passed away aged 93.

“James was an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit,” says George Lucas, creator of Star Wars. “For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being. He gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, amongst the most important being a devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn. James will be missed by so many of us...friends and fans alike.”

It's impossible to imagine anyone else as the voice of Darth Vader - the biggest bad of them all. However, Jones was always humble about the role that immortalised him in popular culture.

“The rumor is that he thought of Orson Welles,” recalled Jones. “And then probably thought that Orson might be too recognizable, so what he ends up picking is a voice that was born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, and was a stutterer. And, that happened to be my voice.”

Upon Star Wars' original release in 1977, David Prowse was credited as Darth Vader and Jones' involvement was uncredited to preserve the mystique surrounding the evil Lord of the Sith. This was changed in time for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. The combination of Prowse's physicality and Jones' baritone was Force lightning in a bottle.

Personally, listening to Jones' velvet tones helped with speech therapy during rehabilitation following a life-changing head injury in primary school in 1977. Along with the late Richard Burton (Where Eagles Dare), he would be instrumental in inspiring a lifelong love of oration. Culminating in an English GSCE Oral Grade 1 in school.

Like many Star Wars fans, I will be forever thankful for Jones' contribution to my life.

What are your memories of James Earl Jones? Let me know in the comments below.

Sunday 8 September 2024

Star Wars in Concert



Experience the entire Star Wars saga through specially edited film clips and the power of John Williams' unforgettable music, hosted by C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels!

Star Wars in Concert is unmissable from 21st to 24th November at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Hopefully highlights from the concert, conducted by Sarah Hicks, will be made available later on Disney+. Read Matt Charlton's review.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars in Concert? Will you be attending? Let me know in the comments below.

Thursday 5 September 2024

The Spectrum from Retro Games



Christmas 1982, I unwrapped a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K and saw Disney's Tron. From then on I was hooked on computers, thanks to Sir Clive Sinclair and the generosity of my parents.

Hours were lost inputting basic code from the pack-in manual and Crash magazine. Although my coding skills fell far short of any lofty ambitions I may have had to create Tron's Master Control Program (MCP), programming helped to take my mind off of weekly rehabilitation from a life-changing brain injury.

And games! So many great games!

Most notably from Ultimate Play the Game AKA Rare. Plugging in the Currah μSpeech peripheral unlocked voices in Atic Atac years before Atari's Gauntlet gobbled up my allowance at the arcades! Titles such as Knight Lore were revolutionary. And Ocean's Daley Thompson’s Decathlon culminated in the premature demise of joysticks.

So, when Retro Games announced The Spectrum (affiliate link), my interest was piqued.

Paul Andrews, Managing Director at Retro Games Ltd., had this to say about the announcement:

"While we’ve enjoyed working on our other retro computers, this is the one that we’ve always really wanted to do. We all remember it fondly from our childhoods, so it was important that we got every detail right, it’s been a real passion project. So many enthusiasts will be excited by the return of this iconic machine, and we don’t want to let them down, so we’ve poured years of exacting detail into our recreation of arguably the most loved home computer of all time. It has drawn an emotional response from those who have seen it, which is not surprising given its close association with childhood and the 1980s, which are now viewed as a halcyon time. We can’t wait for gamers to get their hands on The Spectrum and enjoy a truly magical reminder of the past."

The Spectrum will include classic 8-bit video games such as Manic Miner, The Hobbit, Horace Goes Skiing, Skool Daze, Lords of Midnight, Match Day and Saboteur, as well as celebrated homebrew games like Alien Girl and Shovel Adventure.

I would go on to own a Sinclair ZX Spectrum+ (the beloved original handed down to a younger cousin who soon broke it), Commodore 64 and all things Apple ever after. But nothing will surpass discovering that little 8-bit home computer, with the rubbery keyboard, filled with a rainbow of infinite possibilities under the Christmas tree...

What are your memories of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 3 September 2024

Alien: Earth teaser



Alien: Romulus is a box office success. Disney has released an official teaser for Alien: Earth, a live-action spin-off series from Noah Hawley (Fargo) set three decades before the original Alien.



Read the official synopsis:

"When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat."

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter (THR) in August, Hawley teased Alien: Earth would be something special, saying, “We just wrapped,” adding, “I’m in post, editing away. Obviously, there’s a large visual effects component that takes time. But I couldn’t be happier with the show that we shot. If people wanted a television series based on the world of Alien, I think I’m going to give them something special.”

The cast for Alien: Earth includes Sydney Chandler (Don't Worry Darling), Alex Lawther (Andor), Samuel Blenkin (The Sandman), Kit Young (Shadow and Bone), Essie Davis (Assassin's Creed), Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger) and Timothy Olyphant (The Mandalorian).

Alien: Earth premieres only on Hulu and Disney+ in 2025.

Are you looking forward to Alien: Earth? Let me know in the comments below.

Sunday 1 September 2024

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story



Superman: The Movie formed part of a movie trifecta including Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, all scored by Hollywood composer John Williams, in the wake of a life-changing childhood trauma that culminated in a diagnosis of paraplegia and years of rehabilitation.

Like Luke Skywalker, Superman, perfectly portrayed by Christopher Reeve, became a beacon of hope and inspiration in the darkest times. In a tragic twist, Reeve would suffer a life-changing injury of his own.

Warner Bros. Pictures has released a moving official trailer for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.



Read the official synopsis:

“The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down,” reads Warner Bros. Pictures’ synopsis. “After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care – all while continuing his career in cinema in front of and behind the camera and dedicating himself to his beloved family.”

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is only in cinemas on the 21st and 25th of September.

What are your memories of watching Christopher Reeve's Superman? Let me know in the comments below.

Friday 30 August 2024

Jurassic World: Rebirth first look



Universal Pictures has released the first images and an official synopsis for Jurassic World: Rebirth.

The upcoming instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise is directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and stars Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation) and Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton).

Read the official synopsis:

“Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind. Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.”

Jurassic World: Rebirth will be in cinemas in July 2025.

Are you looking forward to Jurassic World: Rebirth? Let me know in the comments below.