She wears Abercrombie & Fitch

Finally got around to listening to the commentary track for ABC Television's Alias pilot Truth Be Told. And it was an unabriged pleasure listening to the dulcet tones of Jennifer Garner and the stuttering energy of J.J. Abrams (who sounds a lot like a young Steven Spielberg).



I recently transcribed my thoughts concerning Alias, which appeared in The Official Magazine #4.

Welcome to The OC

In October Warner Bros lifts the wraps off the first season of The OC (on R1 DVD). The set traverses seven discs and contains compelling added-value. R2 details are unknown at present, but I'll update as soon as I know more.



The creative agency commissioned to produce the DVD packaging also worked on the upcoming Star Wars Trilogy release.

Whilst Mac OS X 10.3 users wait for the final release of 10.3.5 (seeding continues). Technology from PortalPlayer forms part of the iPod DNA.

Splinter of the Mind's Eye

The stylized visage of Darth Vader looms large over a chaotic field of molten lava in Hasbro's forthcoming Episode III product line.



The luxuriously furnished bubble pack is reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings toy line (from Toy Biz). However, of greater note is the design of Vader's helmet, which alludes to Ralph McQuarrie's pre-production paintings for the original trilogy!

It would be remiss of me not to notice the adoption of Apple-style branding - a white and grey backdrop.

The Corpse Bride

Tim Burton has been in the creative wilderness since his meaningless remake of The Planet of the Apes. However, it appears that he may have rediscovered his macabre muse in the stop motion form of The Corpse Bride!



This production, which was originally announced around the theatrical release of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1994), is an animated interpretation of a 19th Century Russian folktale, where a man mistakenly weds a corpse. Burton back on form? The smart money suggests an emphatic yes!

Episode III

On Saturday, as Dad and me embarked on the emotional odyssey of transferring Mum's personal effects from Mardon to Lucerne House, Lucasfilm officially unveiled the title of the final Star Wars movie at Comic-Con International.



There's a symmetry to this title, which underscores George Lucas' narrative technique of repeating threads with different intonations. And Return of the Jedi was initially announced as Revenge in '83.

In a nutshell the title rocks!

i'm lovin' it

Bournemouth University’s Alumni Association interviewed me for a special magazine feature focusing on graduates who are now successfully working in the media. The article was published in The Talbot (Summer 2004) magazine. Download the PDF here (13.9MB).

What's your childhood trauma?

As a follow-up to yesterday's comic book themed post. I'm delighted to now be associated with Batmans.de a cool German site dedicated to the exploits of the Caped Crusader.



On the subject of Dark Knights. Last evening after weeks of waiting, I finally viewed the Angel series finale. The mood, atmosphere and rain-soaked conclusion captured the zeitgeist of my life. The team went out fighting!

Singer soars

X-Men movie franchise auteur Bryan Singer is officially signed to direct Superman's big screen return. According to sources the narrative will intertwine with the mythology of Richard Donner's 70's opus Superman (The Movie). Singer's roster of upcoming projects includes Logan's Run and X3. Presumably the latter project will remain under his aegis as the previous entries are structured as part of a trilogy format. Lets hope that Smallville's Tom Welling is afforded the deserved opportunity to transition to the big screen!



With the news of Superman and Batman Begins (currently in production and headlined by Christian Bale and Katie Holmes) comic book licenses are at an all time high! You can view original Superman and Batman fine art in my gallery. In the future I intend to add new material.

Plug time! My friend Nick Smith is about to release his new novel.

Back to screenplay writing!

Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore

Mum's medical condition continues to manifest issues with no sign of 'closure' in sight! The Yellow Brick Road goes ever on.

Steve Jobs appears on the latest cover of Newsweek sporting the new 4G iPod, which elegantly meshes the signature design of 3G and iPod mini variants.

Anyone interested in the development of Blogger may wish to learn more.

Time to watch Dawson's Creek season one episode Detention - a postmodern pastiche of John Hughes' seminal sociological movie The Breakfast Club.

Happy Birthday Dad

Today we're celebrating my Dad's birthday and taking life easy (a very rare luxury). My Auntie Marion (and family) are here on vacation and meeting us at Mardon Neuro-Rehabilitation Centre (where my Mum has spent the past 8 months of her life).

Mum is moving to Lucerne House midweek. This will be for ever. For ever. Seeing it in type hits hard, but having Mum alive is a gift. Hope is underestimated...