All posts by Adam Parker-Edmondston

Hello there :D i like poster art, films, graphic novels, vhs.........just loads of things really. if i list them all here then you will no doubt leave and no one wants that. Lets just say i like cool stuff and leave it at that ;)
Movie News & Opinions

Benedict Cumberbatch To Have Role In Star Wars VII?

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It seems a few weeks cannot go by with out a new Star Wars related whisper spreading across the internet (like these ones here and here). It is hardly surprising when such a beloved series has a whole new creative team behind it and the possibility of countless new movies ahead of it. The Star Wars fans have a right to be excited. So when the website Film Chronicles puts up an article with the title “Benedict Cumberbatch is in Star Wars VII”, even the most hard core fanboy and fan girls heads are likely to explode.

benedict cumberbatch sw 7 benedict

But this does appear to be the case. Benedict was previously scheduled to be working with Guillermo Del Toro on his new film Crimson Peak but dropped out and strangely no answer was given. As the shooting schedules would have been roughly the same it is hard not to draw a comparison between the two events. Though no information on his role in the franchise is available, we do know he is a huge fan of Star Wars. Look at the extract below from Collider (via Total Film) to see him gush about the franchise.

“I’ve already asked him if I can be a lightsaber and we’re in talks – about whirring sounds and the rates for the lights and everything [laughs].

“I thought, ‘Yeah, I grew up with them,’ and I just looked recently at when they were released and now I’m like, ‘No, I didn’t grow up with them, I was born with them.’ They were a huge part of my background, and my upbringing.

“I was much more connected to [Star Wars] as a kid, in the way that a lot of kids are because it’s immediate storytelling, very simple – a beautifully, outrageously simple narrative in a way – and a wonderful three-act melodrama, opera. And I loved them. I really, really loved those films and I always wanted to be Han Solo. Everything Harrison Ford did I just thought was the coolest thing ever.”

Is there any role this man cannot pull off? In his epic rise to stardom he has already played Frankenstein and his monster, an iconic Star Trek character, given vocal life to Smaug in the upcoming Hobbit movies and brought Sherlock Holmes to life again for a new generation. This guy is incredible so hearing he is in the new Star Wars movies is a definite thumbs up. Working with JJ Abrams again has got to be a dream combination after seeing their great work on Star Trek Into Darkness. Hopefully Disney will not keep us out the loop to long and we will get an insight into his character soon. If not, be safe in the knowledge that it looks like he could be set to wield a lightsaber very soon.

benedict cumberbatch sw 7 sherlock

MOVIES

Cinematic Art Ruined by Thieves; The World Says Goodbye to “The Giant Spider Invasion” Spider

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Now this reviewer is a huge fan of films which some people may call B movies. I have never thought of them that way, they are just as valid a form of cinematic entertainment as any other and if they bring joy to a select amount of people then they should be championed because of this. So it is with a sad heart that we have to report (via IO9) that a piece of cinema has been taken from us. That piece of cinema is the huge frikking spider from The Giant Spider Invasion.

The rusty framework of the spider (which had resided at the director’s home) has been stolen from its home in Merrill Wisconsin which was also where the film was made. Below is the video of the crime with comments from director Bill Rebane.

http://v9.anv.bz/scripts/anv_mcp_9.jsvar p = new anv_pl_def();p.loadVideoWithKey(“eyJtIjoiR1JUViIsInAiOiI1MyIsInYiOiIyNjY2MDE3In0=”);

For those that do not know, The Giant Spider Invasion is a cheesy little movie from 1975 which actually feels more like something made in the atomic obsessed 1950s. It is, for the most part, hilariously bad but part of its charm is the lead: a giant spider with red eyes. A lot of people have seen this from the amazing guys of Mystery Science Theatre 3000, who have pretty much been instrumental in keeping awful movies like this alive (even if it is through their ridicule).

giant spider invasion spider 2

It was actually made from a parade float that went on top of a Volkswagen. If you look at the photo below it becomes pretty apparent that it has car lights for eyes. People in the car would hold the spider legs out the window. It may have been ranked in the top 25 worst movies ever made but who cares? It was loads of fun and to be honest, looks a damn slight more realistic than some of the CGI rubbish I have seen going direct to DVD.

giant spider invasion spider

This film had heart even if it did not have a budget and this is what makes it kind of sad. Sure it is not a crime on the scale of someone stealing a frame model of The Terminator but to the director and a lot of fans around the world, this piece of cinematic history meant a lot and to hear of its theft for the purposes of scrap is very sad. If nothing else we will always have the movie to keep us entertained even if the spider has gone to the big scrap heap in the sky.

MOVIES

DVD Catastrophe – Mock Buster Round Up – What’s Up: Balloon to the Rescue! (2009)

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Since the dawn of cinema, studios have always managed to milk the next best thing until it is bone dry. Genres that come back in vogue again are quickly reused and tons of very similar products instantly hit the market. For the best example, just look at the zombie movie genre now. Since its resurgence (roughly around when Land of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead came out) we are constantly bombarded with new zombie titles every few months with varying degrees of entertainment value. However, some companies are a lot more blatant than just copying a genre; they go one step further and actual copy everything. This is what I want to look at with this section, the cheeky chappies who put out movies copying the entire plot lines and even the cover art too. So welcome to Mock Buster Round Up where it is with much pride that we promote these movies (good or bad) so you know what you are getting yourselves in for the next time you look up a movie on Netflix!

DVD Catastrophe mock busters up rip off whats up

Look familiar? It should, as it looks pretty much like a small, teeny-tiny Pixar movie from 2009 titled Up (as if you did not know). Even having a title as long as What’s Up: Balloon to the Rescue barely disguises that the word ‘Up’ takes up a third of the cover box. Look at the description below from Amazon for even more shameful re-using of plot devices.

[quote]Packed with magic and eye-popping animation, What’s Up Balloon to the Rescue! takes off with a bang when the brilliant, but befuddled Dr. Crumb discovers a magical stone that turns his house into a hot air balloon. The discovery allows Crumb and his trusted brainiac companions to pursue a heroic career of monster-chasing. But soon, the criminal-minded Jean-Pierre hatches a particularly diabolical plan which sends this airborne voyage into a new level of turbulence!
Without the magic stone, will the scientists crash land, or will they be able to save the world by using their own ingenuity? What s Up Balloon to the Rescue! is a gravity-defying adventure for the entire family. [/quote]

So we have a house that floats (only one balloon this time), a quirky old man (this time a doctor) and a balloon having trouble flying. Looks like all bases are covered then. Amazon reviews for this are as you would expect and it seems that some serious borrowing has been going on here. You will no doubt be seeing a lot of Disney and Pixar copy cats in this section just because they can knock out the animation pretty quickly. Just so you can see how bad this is here is a collection of the (so called) best bits some off which come of as slightly racist.

For comparison purposes I leave you with this, the actual cover for Up, one of the most tear jerking Pixar movies ever created. Enjoy.

 DVD Catastrophe mock busters up rip off up

Uncategorized

The Order of X: A Game of Thrones and X-Men Mashup You Need to See

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The X-Men have certainly had their share of makeovers in their illustrious career. Whether it is the yellow and black look of the Jim Lee era, the iconic retro look from the X-Men’s first appearance or even the much talked about leather clad look from the movies, they have all managed to have an impact on fans around the world. This is not even including the multiple alternative Earths that the characters have appeared in. With all these costume changes it is refreshing to see that an artist can still put their own spin on these well traveled mutants. Which is where Nate Hallinan comes into the picture (thanks to Newsarama for the information).

His take on mutants comes from a much more fantastical view point and his character designs certainly have a Game of Thrones feel to them. Here is a quote directly from Nate’s web site to show you exactly the direction he is taking.

[box_light]The Order of X is a group of ‘gifted’ individuals in the service of Lord Charles Xavier. The Order provides sanctuary and protection to individuals outcast by society due to their innate abnormalities. These people are often misidentified as monsters, demons, warlocks and witches. Only those who are accepting of the ‘gifted’ are welcome in the realm of Lord Xavier.[/box_light]

Now that has peaked your interest, have a look at the gallery of newly designed X-Men with an abridged run down of their new origins.

Beast – Hendrick McCoy

order of x beast

[box_dark]Henrick’s mind is as fierce as his appearance. Henrick was given the name “Beast” as an ironic term of endearment. He is loved by his peers and is one of most wise and trusted members of Xavier’s council. He is well educated and continues to be a scholar of many disciplines.[/box_dark]

Colossus – Peter Rasputin

order of x collossus

[box_dark]The mountain of metal; Colossus. His father was a blacksmith and eventually apprenticed him in the family trade. Hard labor made Peter strong but he was always larger than the other kids. His size and strength even made certain people nervous. Others even rumored that it was ‘unnatural.’[/box_dark]

Cyclops – Scott Summers

order of x cyclops

[box_dark]Scott and his younger brother were both orphans who grew up fending for themselves on the streets. The day Scott’s ability manifested he accidentally destroyed several buildings and set fire to half the village. In the chaos of everything Scott lost sight of his brother for he couldn’t open his eye without causing more destruction. Xavier, perceiving the trouble, quickly dispatched members from his order to rescue Scott.[/box_dark]

Lady Grey – Phoenix

order of x lady grey

[box_dark]Jean comes from the noble family of Grey. She was a bit of a tomboy growing up. Her parents despised and discouraged her unladylike behavior, but once she developed unnatural abilities, her family feared the worse. Lord Xavier offered her parents an opportunity to provide her with guidance and protection; they reluctantly accepted.[/box_dark]

Night Crawler – Kyrt V’wagnyr

order of x nightcrawler

[box_dark](Kyrt V’wagnyr roughly translates from elven as Nightcrawler.) Kyrt never knew his real parents. He was found by a band of elves as an infant. They were on a twilight march, celebrating the new moon, when they found him crawling next to his basket on a riverbank. They happily adopted him seeing that he was part elf. His enchanting midnight appearance and mysterious abilities makes him highly regarded among elves. Magic runs deep in the race of elves but Kyrt’s abilities are more potent than most.[/box_dark]

Stormbringer – Ororo

order of x storm bringer

[box_dark]As a young adult, Xavier met Ororo as a child on one of his quests. He caught her trying to steal his coin purse with his mind, but when he did, he saw her potential. He offered her a home where she would never have to steal again. Henrick McCoy took her in as one of his apprentices.[/box_dark]

If you liked these superb pieces of art and want to read more on how the characters were created and their full history then check out Nate’s website here, where he will be putting more character designs up in the near future. Here is hoping that he does not leave us waiting to long for them. Just to give you a taste of what is to come here is Nate’s take on Wolverine. He makes one kick ass dwarf!

order of x wolverine

Uncategorized

New Fan Art Gives the Dark Knight’s Foes a 1920’s feel

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Fan art is fast becoming one of the quickest ways for lovers of all things fandom to express their nerdy tastes. Heck you can’t jump onto the internet without something popping up, whether it be gifs, mash-up t-shirt designs, or just interpretation of old characters in a new light. With the hot news on the net of Affleck’s casting as Batman, it seems appropriate to look at a new re-imagining of the Caped Crusaders foes (thanks to Buzz Feed).

This 1920’s inspired series of mug shots comes from the mind of J.E. Mark (whose website can be found here) and they perfectly sum up the prohibition era. Check out his versions of Mr Freeze, The Joker, Two-Face and company below to see what I mean.

batman fan art 2 face

batman fan art joker

batman fan art mr freeze

batman fan art penguin

batman fan art poison ivy

batman fan art riddler

It is always fun to see a new take on an old characters and Mark has given us some incredibly life-like pieces of art here. The detail is incredible and the harder edge to the characters makes this a world this reviewer would love to visit again. Batman has had adventures in this era many times before in the comic books (mostly through the Elsewhere series of books), but still Mark’s work shows a freshness to it that makes these images a joy to behold. I especially love the Riddler who reminded me of an older version of the Adam West Batman foe The Riddler (played by Frank Gorshin) and the bloodied faces of both The Penguin and The Joker. Here is hoping he gives us some more takes on popular comic creations very soon.

[Editor’s Note – My favorite is actually Ivy, who just seems to fit with that flapper look… – BK]

MOVIES

Fright Night 2 – Trailer Arrives But Does Anyone Care?

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So even though the Fright Night remake never managed to blow away audiences at the box office, it obviously made enough to get a sequel made (even if said sequel is a direct to DVD version). Now for most readers straight to DVD will set off quite a few alarms (most of them are dire), but before you judge here is the films synopsis (thanks to Slash Film).

By day Gerri Dandridge (Jaime Murray) is a sexy professor, but by night she transforms into a real-life vampire with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. So when a group of high school students travel abroad to study in Romania, they find themselves ensnared in Gerri’s chilling web of lust and terror. Charley and “Evil” Ed must stop Gerri from drinking and bathing in the blood of a “new moon virgin,” which just so happens to be Charley’s ex-girlfriend, Amy. They enlist help from Peter Vincent, the vampire hunting host of a reality show called “Fright Night,” to drive a stake through Gerri’s plan and save Amy from a fate far worse than death.

fright night 2 sequel photo

Okay so this is obviously following the laws of the sequel (laid out in the Scream movies) as it will have more blood and sex in it as well as even more annoying teenagers. However it will not have most of the old cast in it. Replacing Peter Vincent, Evil Ed and Amy is Sean Power (Cowboys and Angels), Chris Waller (Inbred) and Sacha Parkinson (A Boy Called Dad) respectively. Will Payne (Elfie Hopkins) plays Charlie. So gone are Colin Farrell (fair enough he is dead in the first film), Anton Yelchin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Imogen Poots and my personal favorite Peter Vincent himself – David Tennant. So I admit it is not looking promising, especially with a cast of relatively unknown actors and actresses.

Here is the trailer for the new movie (directed by Eduardo Rodriguez in case you wanted to know who to blame).

Now not to sound too sexist about this, but it appears the only reason to actually watch this sequel is to see the very easy on the eye actress Jaime Murray (Dexter, Spartacus) in various stages of undress. I have also just learnt Jaime is Bill Murray’s daughter. I only mention this because this is the only interesting thing to come out of the researching of this release. Unfortunately it looks very much like a very generic cash in on the moderate success of the original with only one stand out scene (the car hitting Gerri). Now this is a real shame because they did have another route they could have used.

fright night 2 sequel orginal

Fans of the original 1985 movie will no doubt know the surname Dandridge. It was the name of Jerry Dandrige (spelled slightly differently) the lead vampire played amazingly by Chris Sarandon. Now casual viewers may not know that this film actually had a sequel itself in 1988. Starring most of the original cast (well at least Charlie and Peter Vincent) it basically had the same story line but had Charlie getting seduced by a vampire and the crew having to rescue him from the clutches of Regine Dandridge, Jerry’s sister who wants revenge and plans on turning Charlie into a vampire to torture him forever. It was also cheesy fun with a great selection of henchmen Regine used to help her with her goal (the scene in the bowling alley is great fun).

Now it’s unclear if the sequel to the remake is going to do this or not, but it seems that they are at least going to go with the brother sister angle because otherwise why use the surname? Alas it looks like there will be no henchmen involved which is a loss in my eyes. The final problem this reviewer had while watching the trailer is that because it is a whole new set of actors and actresses playing the roles I found it hard to know who is who. I found it even harder to care. At least with other direct to DVD sequels they managed to incorporate at least one star from the previous movies (look at the Lost Boys and American Pie sequels for evidence of this). If anyone is interested in how this film will play out then it is scheduled for release October 1st of this year.

This reviewer will indeed be checking it out just to see if my predictions on its shoddy nature come true. Hopefully they will not.