Friday 31 December 2021

Return to Hogwarts on Sky Max



Return to Hogwarts on New Year's Day.



Read the official synopsis:

"Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson join filmmaker Chris Columbus and other esteemed cast members across all eight Harry Potter films as they travel back to Hogwarts for the first time to celebrate the anniversary of the franchise’s first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which premiered 20 years ago today. The retrospective special Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will tell an enchanting making-of story through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time."

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts debuts on HBO Max and Sky Max on New Year's Day.

What are your Harry Potter memories? Let me know in the comments below.

Wednesday 29 December 2021

The Book of Boba Fett opens on Disney+



Boba Fett’s back to spread mercenary holiday cheer!

40 years ago, I was gifted a 12-inch Boba Fett action figure for Christmas! Palitoy's Slave 1 was one of the toys I always wanted from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, but Boba Fett’s spaceship (rechristened Firespray in Marvel Comics) was rarer than hen’s teeth in deepest, darkest, Devon.

However, the 12-inch Boba Fett action figure was beyond cool and hunted down Action Man's Space Ranger and ROM the Space Knight between battling the Rebel Alliance and pursuing lucrative bounties for Jabba the Hutt.

The Book of Boba Fett opens today and I couldn't be more excited for the latest live-action Star Wars spin-off on Disney+.



Read the official synopsis:

""The Book of Boba Fett," a thrilling Star Wars adventure teased in a surprise end-credit sequence following the Season 2 finale of "The Mandalorian," finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate."

The Book of Boba Fett, starring Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones) as the titular bounty hunter and co-starring Ming-Na Wen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as fan-favourite Fennec Shand, premieres today exclusively on Disney+.

How did the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy escape the Sarlacc pit in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi? Finally, Star Wars fans (myself included) are about to find out.

Tuesday 28 December 2021

The Bat and The Cat



Director Matt Reeves' The Batman is in cinemas next March. Warner Bros. has dropped a new trailer focussing on the complex relationship between Batman (Robert Pattinson) and Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz).



The Batman is in cinemas on 4th March 2022.

Are you looking forward to The Batman? What are your thoughts on the trailer? Let me know in the comments below.

Monday 27 December 2021

Spidey's billion-dollar Betwixmas



Betwixmas brings Spider-Man: No Way Home a billion-dollar bonanza in theatres for Sony Pictures!

It's the first movie to reach that box office milestone since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concluded George Lucas' 9-part space opera, which was the last movie I saw before the pandemic, in 2019.

Whilst I've had the booster vaccine, I remain reluctant to venture into the cinema due to health reasons. So, in place of a press screener, Nick Smith, our resident US-based stellar scribe, will be reviewing Spidey's latest and greatest at his local multiplex. I'll wait to see it on Netflix (hopefully on an LG OLED) in 2022.

Have you seen Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let me know in the comments below.

Wednesday 22 December 2021

Return of a Legend in The Book of Boba Fett



The Book of Boba Fett debuts in one week on Disney+. Lucasfilm has released a new featurette for the latest Star Wars live-action spin-off, which will explain how the notorious bounty hunter introduced in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back survived the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.



Read the official synopsis:

""The Book of Boba Fett," a thrilling Star Wars adventure teased in a surprise end-credit sequence following the Season 2 finale of "The Mandalorian," finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate."

The Book of Boba Fett, starring Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones) as the titular bounty hunter and co-starring Ming-Na Wen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as fan-favourite Fennec Shand, premieres exclusively on 29th December on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to The Book of Boba Fett? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 21 December 2021

How Blake's 7 ruined Christmas 1981



It's the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. Forty years ago, the finale of Terry Nation's Blake’s 7 ruined Christmas and traumatised a generation of fans (myself included). It would be left to Santa to save the big day, which he did with bounty from a galaxy far, far away...

Witnessing a battle-scarred Blake (brilliantly played by the late Gareth Thomas), seemingly betraying his former allies a la Lando Calrissian in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, left a younger cousin unable to eat their Fish & Chip supper (I had warned an aunt and preemptively set a timer recording on the new Panasonic VCR at home).

As for myself, it was an exciting, shocking and scary conclusion to a beloved sci-fi series synonymous with the early years of rehabilitation in the wake of a life-changing childhood injury. The final, fatalistic, image of Avon (Paul Darrow), surrounded by Federation troopers, became an unforgettable ghost of Christmas past.

Years later, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story would achieve a similar feat.

Talk of Blake's 7 reboots has percolated for years. Microsoft purportedly planned to bring it to Xbox!

A new generation of fans can watch Blake's 7 ill-fated rebels on BritBox. Grahame Robertson's love letter to his favourite series, Blake's 7 Annual 1982, continues to raise money for charity. Now, that's a legacy worth celebrating halfway out of the dark.

Blake's 7 is available to stream exclusively on BritBox.

What are your Blake's 7 memories? Let me know in the comments below.

Monday 20 December 2021

Hawkeye finale teases big boss



It's Christmas week and Marvel Studios teases the Hawkeye season finale exclusively on Disney+ this Wednesday. There are spoilers. So, look away now if you'd rather not have your presents opened for you before the big day.



As many fans (myself included) had speculated. Vincent D'Onofrio is reprising the iconic role of Wilson Fisk AKA Kingpin (Daredevil) in Hawkeye on Disney+.

Fisk can be seen photographed with Kate Bishop's (Hailee Steinfeld) mother, Eleanor (Vera Farmiga). Is Eleanor the big bad? After the emotional rollercoaster ride of last week's episode, following the fallout from the battle between Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), Kate, Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), anything is possible.

New episodes of Marvel Studios' Hawkeye premiere every Wednesday exclusively on Disney+.

Are you watching Marvel Studios' Hawkeye on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Sunday 19 December 2021

Spider-Man's box office bite



Spider-Man: No Way Home, starring Tom Holland as the titular web-crawler, opened to a historic $587.2 million weekend box office during the pandemic.

“This weekend’s historic ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ results, from all over the world and in the face of many challenges, reaffirm the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when they are made and marketed with vision and resolve,” says Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO.

Have you seen Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let me know in the comments below.

Wednesday 15 December 2021

Boba Fett wireless controller for Xbox



Bring Home the Bounty, a global consumer product campaign in association with licensees including Funko, Hasbro, LEGO and Mattel, highlights new Star Wars merchandise every Tuesday through 28th December.

To celebrate The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, Razer has announced a limited edition wireless controller for the Xbox family of consoles.

Read Razer's official product description:

"There may be many clones, but there’s only one Boba Fett. No matter who your target is, have no problems hunting them down with our limited-edition, officially licensed Star Wars Xbox controller and charging stand—inspired by the most notorious bounty hunter in the galaxy."

The controller is the perfect holiday gift for Star Wars fans. There's currently no news regarding availability outside the US, but visit the Razer website for further details and how to order.

Tuesday 14 December 2021

Power On: The Story of Xbox



Microsoft has released a refreshingly candid 6-part documentary series chronicling the creation of the Xbox, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Like many avid gamers in the early noughties, I bought an original Xbox solely to play Halo: Combat Evolved.



From Xbox Wire:

“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Xbox this year, we invite you behind-the-scenes for this first-ever comprehensive and authentic history of Xbox, where you’ll hear directly from the team that lived through the compelling and challenging 20-year journey. This docuseries will be a nostalgic walk down memory lane for those who have been Xbox players since day one and an eye-opening origin story for those who are newer to gaming!”

Have you watched Power On: The Story of Xbox? What are your Xbox memories? Let me know in the comments below.

Sunday 12 December 2021

Does Doctor Who survive the Flux?



Doctor Who: Flux has concluded its 6-part timey-wimey run on BBC One, BBC America and AMC+.

Whilst we wait for Eve of the Daleks, Nick Smith, our US-based Whovian par excellence, follows up his review of Revolution of the Daleks with a considered look back at Jodie Whittaker's ambitious final series as the titular Time Lord.

Does the TARDIS fam survive the Flux unscathed?

Guest post by Nick Smith

Doctor Who is far more than a ‘monster of the month’ TV show. At its best, it explores scientific concepts, displays imaginative visuals and above all, features characters we care about and trust. With its narrative device of time and space travel, it has so many possibilities. But after almost 60 years of tootling around in the TARDIS, how many possibilities are left?

Thanks to Doctor Who: Flux, the answer is many more. As with The Timeless Children, showrunner Chris Chibnall drops a couple of lines of dialogue and concepts into the show that stretches its already stretchy envelope. We’ve already visited parallel worlds in stories like Inferno and Rise of the Cybermen; Flux helps make the idea of pocket and coexisting universes more tangible, suggesting that there will be surprising new places to see and things to do in future seasons.

Chibnall set himself a daunting task with this season. He could have played it safe by rehashing successful stories like Rosa and focusing on answering the mystery of the Division. Instead, he is creative and ambitious. He gives us underground portals, ESP, an anthropomorphised guard dog, a shrinking house, literal bodyguards who keep people in their bodies and myriad other ideas. The narrative isn’t as perfectly paced as, say, Silence in the Library, which also had several ideas and plotlines vying for attention. But amazingly, the mélange works.

Compared to other shows on TV and the undoubted pressure to keep Doctor Who marketable, I’ll take a stream of consciousness epic with the head writer letting his imagination run wild over ‘safe and commercial’ any day.

Running at about 6 hours, Flux is the equivalent of 12-13 episodes of the classic Doctor Who. At that length, the most direct comparison would be The Daleks’ Master Plan, a similarly picaresque story that took William Hartnell’s Doctor to many distant worlds, separated him from the TARDIS for a while and proved that companions were vulnerable. Flux even has Dalek cameos to strengthen the comparison. But while watching the new season, I was reminded of another epic, the combined Jon Pertwee stories Frontier in Space and Planet of the Daleks.

While intended as two connecting 6-part tales, the middle is a confusing mess and the glue that holds them together is desperately thin. Frontier in Space, especially, is overlong with at least one capture-and-escape too many. But the overall adventure gives the Doctor plenty of chances to be heroic.

Flux is far more successful in being cohesive and it never feels too long. However, Jodie Whitaker’s Doctor is more passive. Information is given to her by the bad guys. The focus instead is on the consequences of her actions, whether she remembers them or not. She admits that she doesn’t know how to cope and apologizes to Yaz (Mandip Gill) for not being open and honest. It’s all very human. Fortunately, in the finale episode The Vanquished, the Doctor gets less ordinary and more proactive.

Whitaker gets to stretch her acting abilities in Flux, with more opportunities to display different emotions while always remaining Doctorish. You can really believe she’s out of her depth and out of options at some key points in the narrative. Her character is also funny and brilliant – there’s a believable sense that her supersmart brain is running overtime, with Yaz never afraid to admit she’s having trouble keeping up.

Yaz gets her moments to shine, taking the lead when she’s split from the Doctor. Dan (John Bishop) and Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) don’t get enough to do but add an extra aspect of relatability to the mind-boggling proceedings. Professor Eustacius Jericho (Kevin McNally) is adorable. This gentleman explores different cultures and takes his oh-so-English sensibilities to alien worlds with gusto, hearkening back to Doctor Who’s H.G. Wells roots.

It’s a joy to see so many alien worlds in a show that’s so partial to London. The places depicted are a far cry from the Cardiff-centric early days of Nu Who. Still, the grounding reality of Liverpool versus exotic foreign countries and other worlds is highly effective.

One could argue that Flux has one main villain too many (Grand Serpent, I’m hissing at you) and the ending is too neat and tidy after a season of chaotic destruction. Yet, there’s no doubt that Chibnall’s final season is entertaining, refreshing and full of surprises – just like the Thirteenth Doctor.

What did you think of Doctor Who: Flux? Let me know in the comments below.

Saturday 11 December 2021

Star Wars Eclipse from Quantic Dream



Lucasfilm Games announced Star Wars Eclipse during The Game Awards on Thursday. The upcoming Star Wars video game is in collaboration with award-winning studio Quantic Dream (Detroit: Become Human).



Read the official synopsis:

"Set during the High Republic era, Star Wars Eclipse is an intricately branching action-adventure game that can be experienced in many ways, and puts the destinies of multiple playable characters in your hands, created in collaboration between Quantic Dream and Lucasfilm Games."

Star Wars Eclipse is currently in the early stages of development at Quantic Dream’s studios in Paris, France and Montreal, Canada. It's not yet known if this is another PlayStation console exclusive from the studio as no platforms were announced.

As a fan of Quantic Dream's previous PlayStation console exclusives Heavy Rain and Detroit: Become Human, which I completed on PlayStation 5 (PS5) last holiday season, I'm excited to play Star Wars Eclipse. How about you? Let me know in the comments below.

Friday 10 December 2021

Halo series has The Mandalorian vibes



Halo Infinite from 343 Industries was released to critical acclaim on Wednesday.

Immediately, I dived into the highly-anticipated campaign free on Game Pass Ultimate. Halo Infinite's opening level rinsed away any residual memories of Halo 5 on Xbox One.

The Weapon. That is all.

Incidentally, Halo Infinite is a sonic showcase for my newly-acquired Sonos Beam (2nd Gen) compact soundbar, which I unreservedly recommend to all fellow gamers and audiophiles alike. It's a TARDIS with a Dolby Atmos soundstage bigger, much bigger, on the inside.

A first look at the new Halo live-action series on Paramount+ dropped during last night's The Game Awards, and it looks like the ViacomCBS-owned streamer may have its own The Mandalorian.



Read the official synopsis:

"Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, Halo the series will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future."

Master Chief will be played by Pablo Schreiber and Jen Taylor will reprise the role of Cortana.

Halo The Series, executive produced by Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park), is expected to debut in early 2022 exclusively on Paramount+. Are you excited? Let me know in the comments below.

Thursday 9 December 2021

Return of Boba Fett teased in TV Spot



Lucasfilm has released a new TV Spot for The Book of Boba Fett. The clip teases how the notorious bounty hunter escaped from the Sarlacc pit in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.



Read the official synopsis:

""The Book of Boba Fett," a thrilling Star Wars adventure teased in a surprise end-credit sequence following the Season 2 finale of “The Mandalorian,” finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxy’s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate."

The Book of Boba Fett, starring Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones) as the titular bounty hunter and co-starring Ming-Na Wen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as fan-favourite Fennec Shand, premieres exclusively on 29th December on Disney+.

"The relationship between him and Fennec is a unique one amongst bounty hunters," Wen told Total Film. "Because a lot of times, we're all very solo workers. We don't like collaboration. We don't trust anyone. It's a very dysfunctional family, but it's a family that honors a code of ethics, and there's a certain set of rules that you have to follow and that's the only way that it would work. And being bounty hunters, that's very important. And I think that's why Fennec and Boba, they're from the old school. We believe in those code of ethics and we respect each other for it."

Are you looking forward to The Book of Boba Fett? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 7 December 2021

Is The Matrix Resurrections an infinite loop?



Following the announcement of The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience for PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X|S. Warner Bros. has released a second trailer for The Matrix Resurrections, and it's not as if fans (myself included) of the original The Matrix aren't excited enough.



Here's the official synopsis:

"In "The Matrix Resurrections," return to a world of two realities: one, everyday life; the other, what lies behind it. To find out if his reality is a physical or mental construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more. And if Thomas…Neo…has learned anything, it’s that choice, while an illusion, is still the only way out of—or into—the Matrix. Of course, Neo already knows what he has to do. But what he doesn’t yet know is the Matrix is stronger, more secure and more dangerous than ever before. Déjà vu."

The second trailer teases a thought-provoking mashup of the original trilogy over twenty years since the first movie was unleashed ahead of the new millennium. The theme of déjà vu is explored within an ever-changing puzzle box set on repeat.

The Matrix Resurrections is released in theatres and on HBO Max on 22nd December.

What are your theories for The Matrix Resurrections? How have Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) seemingly come back from the dead? Is Jonathan Groff (Frozen) playing Agent Smith or is that a misdirect? Let me know in the comments below.

Monday 6 December 2021

The Matrix Awakens on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S



The Matrix Resurrections is released in theatres and on HBO Max this holiday season.

To celebrate, Warner Bros. has joined forces with Epic Games to create The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience for PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X|S. As a Star Wars fan, I see what you did there, Warner Bros!



Read the official synopsis:

"Created by members of the original movie team including Lana Wachowski along with Epic Games and partners, 'The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience' is a wild ride into the reality-bending universe of 'The Matrix' that features performances by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss."

I'll be pre-downloading The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience onto my PS5 in anticipation of The Matrix Resurrections. Will you? Let me know in the comments below.

Sunday 5 December 2021

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse first look



Sony Pictures has released a first look at the upcoming sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld reprise their roles as Miles Morales AKA Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy AKA Spider-Gwen in the teaser for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One). The film will be the first entry in a multi-part story. Steinfeld can currently be seen playing Kate Bishop in Marvel Studios' Hawkeye on Disney+.



Read the official synopsis:

"Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered."

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) is expected to premiere in cinemas in October 2022. Spider-Man: No Way Home, starring Tom Holland as the titular web-slinger, swings into UK cinemas on 15th December. Both Spider-Man film franchises will be available to stream first on Netflix as part of a multi-year deal announced earlier this year.

Are you looking forward to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)? Let me know in the comments below.

Friday 3 December 2021

Hawkeye hits the mark



Marvel Studios' Hawkeye is a tonic and self-aware enough to take satirical shots (no pun intended) at itself and the wider Walt Disney empire when it debuted with a double-dose of heroic holiday cheer on Disney+ this Thanksgiving.

Hawkeye is ostensibly Avengers: A Christmas Carol and I'm here for it.

Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as Kate Bishop is inspired casting! The chemistry between her and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) is comedic dynamite.

Marvel Studios' WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If...? and now Hawkeye have been a delight amid an ongoing global pandemic. Furthermore, I will be renewing Disney+. Make Mine Marvel.

New episodes of Marvel Studios' Hawkeye premiere every Wednesday exclusively on Disney+.

Are you watching Marvel Studios' Hawkeye on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Thursday 2 December 2021

The Matrix Resurrections Déjà Vu TV Spot



Warner Bros. has released a Déjà Vu TV Spot for The Matrix Resurrections.



No one expected Keanu Reeves & Carrie-Anne Moss to reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity after The Matrix Revolutions. However, there's a palpable sense of excitement surrounding the latest instalment in the cyberpunk franchise.

The Matrix Resurrections is in cinemas and on HBO Max on 22nd December. Our very own Agent Smith, Nick Smith, will be reviewing the highly-anticipated sequel this holiday season.

Are you looking forward to The Matrix Resurrections? Let me know in the comments below.

Wednesday 1 December 2021

Lost Doctor Who serials on BritBox



BritBox, the streaming service co-owned by the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV, continues to be the home of cult sci-fi and fantasy film and television series in the UK.

The platform's exclusive classic Doctor Who collection is about to be further bolstered by two fully-animated stories, starring Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, this December.

Doctor Who: The Faceless Ones

The eighth incomplete Doctor Who serial to receive full-length animated reconstructions of its missing episodes. The Doctor and his companions arrive at Gatwick Airport and discover strange identity-stealing aliens called Chameleons.

Doctor Who: Fury from the Deep

Animated reconstruction of the missing serial. The Doctor and his companions find themselves at a gas refinery where a dangerous plant is infecting everyone and controlling their minds.

Both serials will be available to stream from 23rd December.

Are you subscribing to BritBox? Let me know in the comments below.