Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman's lasting legacy

During a global pandemic and civil unrest, a real-life superhero and pioneer has passed away who leaves a lasting legacy that will inspire countless generations to come.

Chadwick Boseman, who played the charismatic Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has died, following a 4-year battle with colon cancer, aged 43. Boseman made his unforgettable debut as Black Panther in the Russo brothers' Captain America: Civil War and it foreshadowed the monumental cultural impact the character would have.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige paid poignant tribute to Boseman: “Chadwick’s passing is absolutely devastating. He was our T’Challa, our Black Panther, and our dear friend. Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible. He embodied a lot of amazing people in his work, and nobody was better at bringing great men to life. He was as smart and kind and powerful and strong as any person he portrayed. Now he takes his place alongside them as an icon for the ages. The Marvel Studios family deeply mourns his loss, and we are grieving tonight with his family.”



Boseman's iconic role touched myriad lives around the world and the actor gave generously of his time supporting worthy causes. For example, visiting sick children in hospital as he privately underwent cancer treatment too. Bringing boundless joy. Lost for words...

Wakanda forever. Rest in power, king.

Timey-wimey Tenet

As things stand, my big screen adventures are bookended by Star Wars movies. Due to personal circumstances this won't change for the foreseeable future and streaming services will be my goto. Continuing with Disney's live-action Mulan on Disney+ next month.

Following the easing of lockdown, cinemagoers are cautiously beginning to return to multiplexes and independent cinemas, and director Christopher Nolan's latest epic, Tenet, maybe the catalyst the film industry needs in the 'new normal'.

Paul Moxham, our resident film critic, editor and cameraman, discovers a brave new world at his local Vue Cinema.

Guest post by Paul Moxham

I’m just back from the cinema. Such a simple sentence, but one most people haven’t uttered in months. I watched Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. Another sentence I didn’t believe I would be saying in 2020 after the events of the past six months.

Firstly, the actual nuts and bolts of going to watch a movie in today’s world; pre-booking, keeping left, sanitising and mask-wearing. It feels a bit strange I’ll admit, and there’s something of a trial and error situation when combining mask and glasses so as not to watch the whole film through a fog. But when the lights went down and I could feel the bass of the subwoofers vibrate through my seat, the only thought going through my head was “Oh how I have missed this!”

Tenet carries the hopes of an entire industry on its shoulders. If a highly-anticipated Nolan film can’t tempt people back into auditoriums during a global pandemic what chance does anything else have? The film feels like it was made precisely for this task; it is the very definition of the big screen experience. From the concept, to the set pieces, the music, it bellows “This is cinema, and there’s nothing else like it!”

To explain the plot would both spoil things, and assume I know more than I do. Let’s just go with, a secret agent is shown another side of life he never knew existed, and must utilise it in order to prevent complete global annihilation. Does that sound similar to the synopsis of every James Bond film you’ve ever seen? That’s because this is a Bond film according to Christopher Nolan. Every fan wishes he’d make one, only a traditional 007 adventure is too constraining, too riddled with cliche, too shackled to fan service to be truly original. This is high espionage with the very rules of physics bent out of shape. Tenet is the product of uncompromising vision and dedication, the director demonstrating a level of confidence and control that is truly mind-blowing. Just planning something like this must add years to one’s life. But just like the lead character, we are encouraged to look at things in a different way and it is as exhilarating and rewarding as promised.

John David Washington is the coolest guy in the room as The Protagonist, confident and reactive with swagger to spare. Like Neo from The Matrix but with less of the wide eyes, and more of the tools required long ago hardwired into his brain. Rakish British intelligence operative Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki, so brilliant in Widows, provide excellent support. And whilst Kenneth Branagh brings his Russian accent from Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit; he is otherwise marvellous.

The story is simple, but the execution complex; near the beginning of the film, when explaining the mechanics of an object a character tells The Protagonist, “Don’t try to understand it.” I found myself recalling that a few times further down the line, and things felt much better when I considered that that’s what rewatches are for. The film is as gorgeous and glossy as you’d expect from the man behind Inception, the cinematography and soundtrack especially complimenting the themes. And it is Inception that this film cuts closest to, with its high stakes arena, wonderful set pieces and cool approach to character interaction. That’s not to say that Nolan’s films are emotionally barren, but they do cast a more clinical eye over those connections than most.

If there are quibbles to be had they are minor and familiar; the main problem being cranking the soundtrack and effects to kidney-quivering levels whilst leaving the dialogue to be reduced to all but a mumble at times. And in a film where every detail counts, critical information was lost because I simply couldn’t hear what was being said. And it could be argued that Nolan explores these themes and ideas in different guises often throughout his filmography. For me, that’s the true nature of an auteur and why I keep returning to his work with a huge sense of excitement and wonder.

I couldn’t have picked a better film for my return to the silver screen. If this is anything to go by, I can’t wait to go back. Maybe I already have?

The Haunting of Bly Manor first look

The Haunting of Hill House was a supernatural hit for Netflix in 2018 and followed the tragic tale of a family haunted by ghosts of the past and present (a theme also brilliantly explored in stablemate Locke & Key).

Henry Thomas, famous for playing Elliott in director Steven Spielberg's E.T the Extra-Terrestrial, will return in the sequel, The Haunting of Bly Manor, along with Victoria Pedretti who most recently appeared in the Spielberg-produced Amazing Stories reboot for Apple TV+.

Speaking about the new season, series creator Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep) said: “At its foundation, the Haunting series is very much about haunted spaces and haunted people. The way we make those things dance together is really going to be what’s uniform about Hill House and Bly.

“Outside of that, though, it was really important for all of us not to play the same notes we played for the first season. The first season is very much entrenched in family dynamics and death and grief and loss and child trauma. We all collectively felt like we’d said everything we wanted to say about that.”

The Haunting of Bly Manor is rumoured to stream on Netflix this October. Just in time for Halloween.

Cult classics on BritBox

With autumn fast approaching in the northern hemisphere, BritBox, a joint venture between the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV, has added a collection of cult sci-fi and fantasy series to lure geeks (myself included) to the streaming service since my initial review earlier this year.

Thunderbirds, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Prisoner, Sapphire & Steel, Star Cops and Space: 1999 are among the highlights along with every available episode of classic Doctor Who - the reason I resubscribed during lockdown. All the cult series Nick Smith, our resident US-based stellar scribe, and me watched at the Vintage Video club where we first met as undergraduates at Bournemouth University.

Whereas Star Cops has dated horribly, Space: 1999 has never looked better and I was instantly transported back to the late seventies when I watched reruns, on ITV, as my Dinky Toys Eagle battled Kenner die-cast TIE Fighters and a Star Destroyer alongside the Millennium Falcon and Luke Skywalker's X-wing.

Dragon's Domain, with guest star Michael Sheard who appeared in classic Doctor Who serial Pyramids of Mars and played the ill-fated Admiral Ozzel in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, was the stuff of childhood nightmares and is a pre-Alien haunted house in space (Alien reused sound effects from Space: 1999).

Sapphire & Steel, played by Joanna Lumley and David McCallum respectively, remains a creepy, claustrophobic paranormal thriller following the enigmatic titular time travellers as they investigate anomalies. Inspiring the overarching 'cracks in time' plot for Matt Smith's Doctor Who decades later.

The Box of Delights, starring Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who), is now streaming too, but I'd suggest waiting until November to savour that festive timey-wimey tale. Hopefully, many more series will be added to BritBox's burgeoning cult collection including The Children of Green Knowe, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Day of the Triffids, The Tomorrow People, Chocky and Blake's 7.

These cult series will be discovered by a new generation of fans. However, as John Rivers points out in comments, BritBox needs to expand the availability of its app. This is 2020.

Welcome to the FanDome

DC FanDome is over and I missed it! Mostly because of DC Comics' debatable decision to use its own online portal and not livestream the event on YouTube.

So, I opted to watch DC's Stargirl, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime in the UK. Geoff Johns' live-action series is a superhero gem comparable to the early seasons of The CW's The Flash and Supergirl with a Wizarding World twist.

However, Nick Smith, our US-based stellar scribe, don's a virtual cowl to save the day (night if you were watching from the UK).

Guest post by Nick Smith

Unlike San Diego’s Comic-Con@Home event, a lot of which is still viewable on YouTube, the DC FanDome was live and direct, only existing for a giddy 24 hours. While some of the teases, trailers and concept art are now out and about on the internet, if you want to see Gal Gadot and Chris Pine playing Werewolf 1984, you’re out of luck.

With its FanDome, (presumably located somewhere beyond the Thunderdome round the corner from the Pleasuredome), DC Comics made a brave and bold attempt to embrace the interactivity of the internet, with rolling comments on the right-hand side of their Hall of Heroes (“Tweet with #DCFanDome for a chance to be featured”) and, in the main portion of the Hall, cast and crew talking to each other and answering questions from fans.

While the day had its tentpole movies to pitch, such as Wonder Woman 1984, The Flash and a Shazam! sequel, some of these flicks aren’t due for a couple of years and the ones in production – like The Batman, about 25% complete – whetted the appetite but weren’t worth holding your breath for (you would run out of air waiting for the release date). The trailer for The Batman looks great, suggesting that the Bat will be treated right. But more on that later…

Ironically, comic books didn’t really get a look-in; the closest we got was a laid-back, diversity-honouring interview with DC Comics Chief Creative Officer/Publisher Jim Lee (his favourite character as a kid was Matter Eater Lad!), a ‘Legacy of the Bat’ panel and a ‘Surprise DC Comics’ panel. The latter was about the return of Milestone Comics, with God Amongst Artists Denys Cowan amongst the panellists along with Lee, Reggie Hudlin, and actor Phil Lamarr (Static Shock). Yes, a Static film is on the cards – so even on a comic book panel, movies reared their powerful head.

Lee also reviewed portfolios of fan art focused on supervillains, a rare chance to hear opinions from the mentor and motivator. Other fan art was featured during the day, adding to the ‘for the fans’ aspect of the event.

A clip from the Joker documentary, “Put On a Happy Face,” included appearances by Jack Nicholson, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Frank Miller, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Hamill, Stan Lee, Christian Bale, and a whole pack more. Any film that draws attention to Mark Hamill’s incredible talents is well worth a watch.

“I’m Batman: The Voices Behind the Cowl” was a panel that brought overdue attention to actors who voice the superhero. Not just the English-speaking ones, like LEGO Batman’s Will Arnett, but Jaron Löwenburg (who dubs a German version), Sergio Gutiérrez (Spanish), Claudio Santamaria (Italian), Iván Marín (Colombian) and others.

The Sandman is receiving an audio adaptation and there was a panel to prove it, featuring Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs and Michael Sheen. The panel also covered the new spin-off comic (The Dreaming: Waking Hours) and the forthcoming Netflix show. The big news: the Netflix version of The Sandman will be set in the present day rather than the 1980s/’90s setting of the original comics.

The Twitter brigade jumped on Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s comment that his Black Adam was willing to kill, while Superman was not. Henry Cavill’s Supes knobbles General Zod, they tattled. The Rock’s Q&A session was a highlight of the FanDome, as he enthused about his 2022 movie Black Adam, revealed that the Justice Society of America (specifically Atom Smasher, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and Cyclone) would be involved. The project has been in development for over 10 years. The star described it as a passion project and a dream of his.

Mr. Rock likes Adam’s grey-area position on heroism (‘superhero, anti-hero… villain?’). He wants Adam to fight with Superman. I’d spend money in a comic shop where you can have a conversation with The Rock about superhero morals. This was as close as you could get.

In the new Suicide Squad game “Kill the Justice League,” they have good reason to - Superman kills somebody (he’s being controlled by Brainiac). The graphics (you can see Boomerang’s twitching whiskers!), character interplay and sense of fun made this look like a must-play from Rocksteady, developer of Batman: Arkham Asylum. Will Arnett teleported into the ‘Fanzone,’ as he called it, cracking silly jokes and interviewing Rocksteady’s steadfastly British Creative Director and Co-Founder Sefton Hill. Will proved he knew his stuff by dropping a Taskforce X reference and asking about the through-lines from the Arkham games. According to Hill, they will come to fruition in the new project.

Gotham Knights was the other game featured; Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin and Red Hood take up Batman’s mantle after his death. I guess Batman doesn’t know about this whole death thing since he has a movie coming out too, in which he’s played by Robert Pattinson. The pointy-chinned actor gave a watchable performance in Water for Elephants but I’m not on Team Edward. However, after watching director Matt Reeves talk about the gritty film – a kind of Batman: Year Two – and seeing the trailer, with Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred and Zoe Kravitz with a tea cosy on her head, I’m sold.

‘Just like the OG animated series!’ enthused Tweeter Andre Saint-Albin. ‘The detective and the myth that is “The Batman”! Matt Reeves saying all the right things.’ Such as name-checking classic films Chinatown, The French Connection and Taxi Driver. What we really got from Reeves was an extended pitch for the movie and he’s excited, informed and intent on treating Batman as seriously as a playboy millionaire’s heart attack.

In other movie news, Aquaman 2 got a mention in a fun mini-panel with director James Wan and Ocean Master Patrick Wilson, discussing production of the first movie and the sight of, ‘Dolph Lundgren on a tater-totter.’ Wan admitted that nothing was easy underwater. Wilson reminisced about sitting on a blue oil drum, grateful he was made aware of the digital world that would be built around him. He compared the non-sets with, ‘black box theatre where there is nothing… that’s why we get into this business in the first place… we concentrate on relationships.’ Wan was friendly and confident, having done a great job with his team of creating creatures and making people look floaty in the first film.

Shazam 2’s title was announced (Fury of the Gods) in a splendidly goofy Shazoom meeting, and we were teased about the Zack Snyder Cut of Justice League; Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot formed part of the panel. The four-hour version of the Justice League epic will premiere on HBO Max in 2021.

With their Hall of Heroes day, DC Comics really attempted to provide variety and appeal to different ages; the Rock Q&A, for example, was accessible but he didn’t talk down to viewers/users/visitors. A different Q&A with an animated Harley Quinn was a lot sillier and filled with bleeped-out expletives. Like the Marvel Comics contributions to SDCC, their Distinguished Competition never forgot to be slick or fun.

This was the place to see actors from Wonder Woman 1984 play a whodunnit game – a little hard to follow but still fun. As one Tweeter said, ‘the cast… playing Werewolf on video is actually a fun and great idea for an event. Very creative #DCFanDome.’ For a Titans TV show segment, clips were shown then the panellists responded. The new season will visit a Gotham inhabited by the Scarecrow and Commissioner Barbara Gordon. CNN acknowledged real-life heroes around the globe, including the USA, India and our precious old Blighty.

A nod to Wonder Woman’s 80th anniversary next year was too short and we didn’t really get the ‘celebration’ we were promised, but it was worth popping in to see Gal Gadot and Linda Carter together. We didn’t get too much information about The Flash movie but we did get confirmation that Ben Affleck would return as Old Man Bats.

Shazaam! star Zachary Levi hit the nail on the head when he jokingly described this day as trotting out known names to sell something. There was definitely a reliance on currently popular characters like the Joker (thanks to the excellent Joaquin Phoenix movie), Aquaman (thanks to hunky Jason Momoa), the much-anticipated Wonder Woman 1984, a follow-up to the hit Arkham Asylum game, and the ever-popular Batman. Thankfully, amidst all the Hollywood hoop-la, it was made clear that comics won’t go away – if nothing else they are a great testing ground for new ideas.

With hosts from around the world, including the US, Australia and New Zealand, and fan questions from as far afield as Brazil, DC Comics showed how global its reach truly is and how its fans help to spread the comic book gospel far and wide. By acknowledging the fans, there’s an inherent intent to do right by them, placing them all in a virtual Hall of Heroes.

The Batman first look at DC FanDome

Since the conclusion of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy, Batman hasn't captured my imagination on the big screen under the auspices of Zack Snyder (Man of Steel). So, I'm hoping director Matt Reeves' The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson (Tenet) as the titular caped crusader, will be on par with last year's Oscar-winning Joker.

Fans (myself included) were treated to a first look at the upcoming movie during this weekend's DC FanDome. Nick Smith will be commenting on the state of the DC Universe in an upcoming post, but I thought I'd share the official teaser trailer with you.



Are you hyped for The Batman? Let me know in the comments below.

How to watch DC FanDome

DC FanDome, a stay-at-home 24-hour online event covering all things DC Comics, is this weekend.

As a lifelong fan of Batman, reruns of Adam West's camp crusader were synonymous with Saturday morning television and collecting die-cast Corgi toys in the mid-to-late seventies, Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter was a childhood crush, and Superman, Christopher Reeve's silver screen incarnation will always be definitive underscored by Hollywood composer John Williams' heroic soundtrack (Superman: The Movie was the second film I saw at the cinema, after Star Wars, and I still have a Superman pin from the screening), I'll be watching for sure.

To kick things off, Joker: Put On a Happy Face is available for free on Apple TV. The compelling documentary celebrates the cultural impact of Batman's archenemy and argues why The Crown Prince of Crime is the greatest comic book supervillain of all time.

DC's Stargirl has begun streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime (affiliate link) in the UK. The live-action series, based on Geoff Johns' superhero (a poignant tribute to the comic creator's late sister), is on par with Swamp Thing and Watchmen. In a move surprising no one, DC Universe's original shows are moving to HBO Max as part of a wider organisation reshuffle in the wake of major layoffs.

During lockdown a childhood passion for toy photography was reignited. Beginning with Wonder Woman 1984's Golden Armour action figure, from McFarlane's DC Multiverse line, shot on my iPhone SE.

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Golden Goddess @mcfarlane_toys_official #figuart #actionfigure #wonderwoman #ww84 #dcmultiverse #dccomics #dcfandome #mcfarlanetoys #toycollector #toystagram #toyphotography #shotoniphone

A post shared by John Hood (@johnhood) on Jul 3, 2020 at 6:52am PDT

To watch DC FanDome, simply visit here. Stay tuned for Nick Smith's coverage of DC FanDome. DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse is scheduled for 12th September.

What are you most looking forward to during DC FanDome? Let me know in the comments below.

First PS5 ad about all the feels

With the launch of next generation consoles PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X only months away, Sony has released the first PS5 commercial, featuring CGI and socially distanced live-action footage, during a global pandemic. All the feels.



Sony's marketing push for the PS5 has begun in earnest starting with the company's ongoing sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League. Last evening I noticed the PS4 logo had been replaced by PS5 during the semi-final clash between Lyon and Bayern Munich on BT Sport.

Much is being made of the DualSense controller's implementation of haptic feedback. As of now, the Xbox One controller remains my all-time favourite. Will that change this holiday season? Assuming I'm able to get hands-on, I'll let you know.

What are your thoughts? Are you planning on getting a PS5 at launch? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who immersive experience coming to London

Today would have been my late mum's 79th birthday and the mood has been bittersweet. However, Classic FM, one of mum's favourite radio stations, played Adventures on Earth (From E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) in a moment of perfect synchronicity. Yes, it opened the emotional flood gates, but in the best way possible. My mood was further buoyed by the following timey-wimey news concerning our favourite Time Lord.

An immersive Doctor Who experience from the team behind long-running immersive show The Great Gatsby, delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, has been confirmed to premiere in London in February 2021. Featuring Daleks, Cybermen and Time Lords, the unique story arc will have a tie-in with the multimedia event Time Lord Victorious.

The official plot synopsis for the event reads, “1940 – it’s the height of the Blitz. A weapon of unknown origin destroys a small corner of Mayfair, and simultaneously opens up a rift in space and time.

“For decades, UNIT has fought to protect the people of Earth from the dangers it poses, but they’ve been beaten back as the fracture multiplies out of control.

“Earth as we know it is at stake – now is the time for you to step up and be the hero. Travelling to impossible places, confronting menacing monsters and ancient aliens along the way, it’s a journey across space and time to save our race, and our beautiful planet.”

Doctor Who: Time Fracture is directed by Tom Maller and written by Daniel Dingsdale.

Dingsdale said: "Drawing from the rich legacy of Doctor Who, which spans over half a century, we are creating an adventure that will entertain both fans that have immersed themselves in the show’s universe for years, and audience members who will walk in from the street having never seen an episode. It’s going to be an absolute blast."

Louis Hartshorn, joint chief executive of Immersive Everywhere, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with BBC Studios to bring the incredible universe of Doctor Who to life in a way that only immersive theatre can.

"We can’t wait for audiences to step into the world of The Doctor, and find themselves closer to the action than ever before, in this expansive and ambitious new show.

"Based on everything we know now, we are confident that Doctor Who: Time Fracture will be able to go ahead as planned in early 2021 and will be taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our audiences and full creative team."



Doctor Who: Time Fracture will hopefully be as inclusive as the wonderful Doctor Who Experience, which I visited with friends, at London's Olympia, in 2011. Tickets go on general sale from Thursday 20th August and are expected to be in high demand. An Early Bird UNIT bundle is available for £20 and includes an exclusive Operation Time Fracture premium cotton t-shirt, a lapel pin badge and an A2 poster print featuring production artwork.

Fortnite gets The Last Laugh

Epic Games' Fortnite may have been removed from both Apple and Google app stores for the foreseeable future. However, it's DC FanDome this week and the company has teamed up with Warner Bros. to bring a new DC Comics supervillain bundle including The Joker to Fortnite.

You'll be able to download the new The Last Laugh bundle (affiliate link) for £24.99 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch through Fortnite's in-game store or as a physical copy from retailers this November. “It will also arrive in time for the release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X next-generation consoles,” Epic Games said. The company has previously worked with Marvel Comics.

With regards to the app store lawsuit. “For players on mobile and PC platforms, we've got you covered,” the Fortnite creator said. “We'll share how you'll be able to purchase the Fortnite: The Last Laugh Bundle soon.”

Stay tuned for further Fortnite and DC FanDome coverage.