Home Blog Page 28

Sci-Fi Weekender X: Part 1

Peter Ray Allison
-
0
Sci-Fi Weekender X: Part 1

It may be cold outside (despite the atmosphere), but 2019 is the year that Sci Fi Weekender (SFW) celebrates their tenth anniversary with not one, but two “geek camp” weekends.

Part 1 kicks off in Sheffield on the last weekend in March, with Part 2 taking place six months later on the Halloween weekend in Great Yarmouth.

Christopher Judge (Teal’c in Star Gate: SG-1), Sam Jones (the Flash Gordon), the ever-effusive Brian Blessed (“LOTS OF SHOUTING!”) and the award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky have already been confirmed for March.

Joining these guests are the authors George Mann, Thana Niveau and John Llewellyn Probert, as well as the editor Michael Rowley.

Sci-Fi Weekender would not be the same without The Dark Room, a live-show inspired by video games (which in turn inspired its own video game), where members of the audience contend with the show to see if they can escape and win £10,000.  This is only slightly harder than trying not to laugh through the experience.

For gamers everywhere, there will be MMORPG, described as “D&D Live”, but in reality it is so much more.  Forget your live-streamers, this unique experience from the creators of Knightmare Live redefines the concept of audience participation.  No show is ever the same.

Pop-up Puppet Cinema makes their welcome return with recreations of classic sci-fi films using hand-held Puppets.  With Sam Jones and Brian Blessed in attendance, they will be recreating Flash Gordon in their own unique style.

In addition to the cabaret performances, there will also be a deluge of bands.  First up are the classic eighties band Dr and the Medics, who are best known for Spirit in the Sky and their cover of Waterloo.  These flamboyant icons have a reputation as a great live act, with the NME referring to them as “THE live band of the year.”

Making a welcome return to SFW after their storming set in Sheffield last year is the cantina band Blues Harvest, who have built up a devoted following through their covers of tracks from sci-fi films and TV shows.

Joining the masters are the more piratical Jollyboat, a musical comedy double act known for their pirate pop songs and keyboard love song.  There will also be Flesh Tetris (yes, that is their name); retro SciFi eurotrash who use barbed weaponised synths to create pop music for unpopular people.

No stranger to Sci-Fi Weekender is the master of chap-rap; Professor Elemental.  For anyone not familiar with the Professor, imagine hip-hop extolling the virtues of a nice cup of tea.

When the bands are over, it isn’t time to go home, instead Level-Up Leroy strikes back for you all to hit the dance floor and learn why Leroy is the best nerd DJ in the universe (“There can be only one,” y’know…)

So, strap-on and strap-in for the Europe’s largest, and the UK’s only, sci-fi festival 10th anniversary.  2019 will be the year of The Geek.

5 best data recovery software’s for MAC

Andrew Corban
-
0
5 best data recovery software’s for MAC

We are handling a large amount of data in our daily lives. Each of those data is involved with certain important tasks with which we are dealing. One should ensure that these data are stored in a secure manner so that they can be retrieved whenever there is a requirement. Most people are storing their important data either in their hard drives or external storage media. The most popular data recovery software is EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for MAC.

Different storage media is having their respective peculiarities. It is therefore required to select the most appropriate storage media which can help us for fast retrieval. Still, there are likely chances that during some issue with the storage media you can likely lose your data. This can lead to losses which can be either financial, psychological and many others.

Best Data recovery software for MAC

It is quite clear that the security of the data is extremely important. As many different ways exist which can lead to loss of data one needs to have an alternative solution which can help them to recover back their data. We have discussed here a few of the data recovery software’s which one can use over MAC.

  1. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard: Large numbers of people are using this recovery software. One can get three different software apps which include free, pro and also unlimited. With the free version, you are able to recover up to 2 GB of data. It is also possible to recover data which is lost in many different kinds of scenarios. Documents, music, videos and many other kinds of data can be recovered easily with the use of this software.
  2. Apeaksoft: This software is capable of retrieving back your data from the drive, trash, flash drive, or even memory card. You can easily retrieve images, videos, music, documents, emails, and other items. It will help you to remain rest assured that you might lose your data upon some suspicious activity on your drives while you are using Mac data recovery software.
  3. Prosoft Data Rescue 5: One can get advanced features like searching and also getting different notifications for their files. Real-time data recovery is also possible using this software. It is possible to get back our files using this application without duplicating the files. Files from the hard disk can be recovered with great ease by use of this application. Scanning and recovering back your data will be done quite easily with this software. Also, the files which are recovered will be without any kind of data loss. Files are also provided with preview before we actually recover them.
  4. Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery: Data can be recovered with this software from different file systems and also drive formats. There is also none of the limitations over recovering files from any of the storage device. Customization is also possible for the scanning process to ensure that we are able to get back our desired files quite easily. This software is also supporting the large number of drive formats which will help in getting files.
  5. Mac free any data recovery: This is a free program which can recover data from any devices like mobile phones, external storage or any other device. The interface is quite clear to use by any individual which will help in getting back their data. Deep and quick scan is possible with this software.

Discussion

Thus, we can say that there are a number of software’s available for MAC Data Recovery. Each of them is having their own pros and cons which should be considered before selecting them for the desired application. It will help the user to get back their data from the different storage device in a smooth and convenient manner.

Rivers of London: Water Weed, by Ben Aaronovitch

Laura Benson
-
0
Rivers of London: Water Weed, by Ben Aaronovitch

New from acclaimed British author and all around nerd Ben Aaronovitch is volume 4 of his graphic novels based of his award winning book series Rivers of London.

For those who have not read his work, fear not! One doesn’t need to have read the original books to enjoy this graphic novel series.

The world you are introduced to in these novels is from the perspective of London Police Constable Peter Grant, who has discovered – and as a result become part of – a special squad within the London Police department. This small fairly well kept secret group manages the magical and supernatural affairs of the United Kingdom, lead by the enigmatic “Nightingale”. This powerful magic user takes Peter as his apprentice to help keep London safe from things that go bump in the night.

The comics are spread out through the continuity of the books and for those wandering about the chronology of the series, the author has provided a handy list here.

Why we recommend:

A big draw for this story to the modern comic reader will be the diversity of the characters available. As a result, the comic portrays, somewhat ironically for its magical origins, a more realistic London than many other works. Aaronovitch’s deep passionate love for London shines through in the painstaking rendering of locations on each page. Therefore, one needs only be mildly familiar with London to recognise where the stories take place.

The art by Lee Sullivan (best known for his work with Doctor Who comics) is a joy. Each character has clearly defined features and there is no cut and paste designs going on here. Action scenes compliment the writing (provided by British Author Andrew Cartmel of Doctor Who fame!) and the end result is a well paced and enjoyable graphic novel experience.

Rivers of London – Water Weed – Graphic Novel Volume is out now!

“Spring Breakers meets Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels on the banks of the Thames in this new graphic novel from Ben Aaronovitch!

When two of the less well-behaved River goddesses, Chelsea and Olympia, decide to earn a few quid on the side, Peter and Bev find themselves drawn into a sordid cannabis-smuggling operation. Controlled by London’s new queenpin of crime – the brutal and beautiful Hoodette.”

Devil’s Due team up with Gus Fink for Boogily Heads release

TinkerTonks
-
0
Devil’s Due team up with Gus Fink for Boogily Heads release

This Summer, comic publisher Devil’s Due will release the first of several comic books by talented creator, Gus Fink. Featuring his collectible ‘Boogily Heads’ line of toys, the original comic book story will centre around a boy who is teleported by a magical portal into the land of Boogilyville, and encounters many creepy creatures who accompany him on his quest to return home.

“Boogily Heads is a perfect fit for the Devil’s Due line because not only is it a great comic with a ‘Burtonesque” style that people will love,” said the publisher’s commander-in-chief Josh Blaylock, “But it also fills a void we have for comics that appeal to the growing all-ages comics audience, while still fitting our vibe.” 

Working alongside artist Laura Pendl, Fink expressed a great deal of enthusiasm for the project and his return to comics.

“I’m very happy to be working in comics again. I haven’t been in the game since working with Slave Labor Graphics in the mid 2000s on The Trouble with Igor, and It’s great to return to my first true love in art,” says Fink.

Devil’s Due and Fink also plan to release a range of merchandise alongside the books, with retailers Hot Topic and Spencers getting in on the action. Avid fans will have a few months to wait until it hits the shelves, but in the meantime you can track the project’s updates via instagram!

Justice Returns!!! Young Justice: Outsiders Season 3 Premieres

joshkingofgeeks
-
0
Justice Returns!!! Young Justice: Outsiders Season 3 Premieres

 

After the rumour of it being cancelled back in 2013 due to too many girls watching it (if you can believe such tripe) and the resulting and justified outcry, Young Justice: Outsiders has returned to the DC streaming service for a 3rd Season!

With the original target audience being teenagers, we got a rather dark, gritty and extremely edgy PG13 out of 2 seasons. Now, with the return, that demographic has matured and so too has Young Justice.  It’s more violently dark, dealing with the worst side of humanity and you can honestly see why its new home would be a streaming service, otherwise the censorship on this would be a lumberjacks dreamland “chop, chop, chop”.


We arrive two years after the Reach’s defeat, Kaldur is now Aquaman and co-chairs the League with Wonder Woman, Miss Martian leads the Alpha Team and is engaged to Superboy and Artemis is still mourning Wally’s death although now lives with the clone Roy, renamed Will.


The seasons deals with a subject not many would expect to see in an animated series; child trafficking (told you it was darker). Meta-human trafficking of children is now reaching new levels, children being sold on Earth and across the galaxy as weapons by the mysterious “Bedlam” and the substance known as “Tar”, with the Justice League unable to intervene due to U.N. Secretary General Lex Luthor, who is still unfathomably in power.

With things looking ever bleak and the public disapproval of the League at an all time high,  Batman, Green Arrow, The Flash and four other heroes, (along with their respective protégés) quit in a pre-planned move to operate as vigilantes again; Outsiders if you will.


Black Lightning also quits, but to recover from an incident on Rann where he unfortunately accidentally killed a child in metahuman form; Plasma, a 14 year old girl named Ana Von Furth who was sold as a weapon and died due to heart failure.

As you can see, Young Justice has followed the age growth from 2013 and continued on, with more trafficking, blood, murder and villains who are not above killing children or at least young adults. It’s a gripping new season that’s also not short on action, drama and twists.

Darkseid is ever present in Outsiders, as Boom-Tubes, Mother Boxes, Paradaemons and the looming threat of Apokolips hang in the title sequence and throughout the first episode titled “Princes All”. Suffice to say, this King of Geeks had the first 3 episodes cued up back to back and now I can’t wait for the next 2 on the 11th.

Since leaving the scene in 2013 Young Justice has gathered a large following which has helped the return of the show, but has it done it any good? Definitely! With the starbucking of many animated series and the likes of She-Ra and Thundercats going the safe route and becoming more child friendly, it’s refreshing to see that geeks and pop-culture enthusiasts have a more adult/real world series to hook our claws into. Honestly it’s the only place I think Marvel could learn a thing or two from DC about their animated series but that’s just one geek’s opinion.

Great writing from the likes of Greg Weisman (who wrote the premiere episode), amazing animation once again from the guys at DC and Warner Bros Animation, you continue to knock it out of the park. If you can’t get hold of the DC streaming service in the UK Rejoice! The animated series is back on Netflix and definitely well worth a watch.

The Party’s Just Beginning with Karen Gillan’s directorial debut

TinkerTonks
-
0
The Party’s Just Beginning with Karen Gillan’s directorial debut

Actress Karen Gillan has always been versatile. We’ve seen her supporting the timelord as Amy Pond in Doctor Who, showcasing a fierce sibling rivalry as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy and chasing through the jungle wilds of Jumanji as Ruby Roundhouse, but until 2018, we had never seen Gillan tackle the world of filmmaking from behind the lens.

Making her directorial debut with ‘The Party’s Just Beginning’, Karen has proven once again that there’s nothing she can’t do. Showcasing her screenwriting skills alongside her directing, she has crafted a well oiled vehicle of a film that embodies all of her personality, but also offers just a glimpse of how versatile her talents truly are.

We find her in this film as Liusaidh, a twenty something woman, still living at home with her parents in quaint Inverness, while working a soul sucking job that offers no direction other than painful mediocrity. Her nights are spent indulging in the pub, bed hopping her way through to morning and crafting a little piece of sanity for herself in a sea of despair. All set to the backdrop of a recurring hallucination that recounts her best friend’s suicide.

Told through a series of flashbacks, we see the events that led to said friend’s suicides and how Liusaidh’s own self absorbed mentality led to her missing the warning sides until it was all too late. It also serves as a powerful catalyst when she finds herself thrust into the unwanted role of life coach to two suicidal strangers, and the film explores their unconventional friendships.

At a first glance, it doesn’t seem like it’s an easy watch – and truthfully, it isn’t. It’s a film about suicide, about guilt, and the emotional rollercoaster that goes along with it. It’s a far cry from the work we’ve seen before, but it’s that originality and ambition of the project that makes it worth the uncomfortable nature of the film. The story does finds itself at times disjointed, with plot threads left dangling rather than being fully explored, but it’s the disjointed narrative that makes it so much easier to believe Liusaidh’s situation. There’s a melancholic apathy in what she’s doing, but also a questionable sense of morality that never quite makes it to it’s full potential.

For a first movie, it showcases a lot of different sides to Gillan beyond her comedic and family geared action roles. It’s dark and drama filled, but also nuanced and intelligent, with a voice that is wholly unique and a credit to Karen’s first venture as both a writer and director. Granted, it may not be entirely perfect, but it’s a successful debut that she should most definitely be proud of.

Sundance London to return in 2019!

TinkerTonks
-
0
Sundance London to return in 2019!

With Sundance Film Festival’s annual film extravaganza set to return to Park City, Utah in just a few weeks time, British film fans can rejoice as the London offshoot is set to return in 2019! 

Now in it’s fifth year, the popular film festival returns once again to Picturehouse Central between May 30th and June 2nd, as it brings with it a hefty dose of Indie gems and future classics, including those cherrypicked from the Park City slate. 

Although the official lineup won’t be announced until Spring, if past festivals are anything to go by, you can expect some real head turners, not to mention glimpses of the top filmmaking talent as they accompany their films London debuts. 

Earlybird tickets are on sale now and offer the best value for money, even allowing priority bookings on film tickets and access to special events. For the more devoted film fans amongst us, there’s also a VIP offering which even comes complete with a goodie bag and access to every film and party on the festival slate. 

It may still be a little way off, but it’s definitely a festival we’ll be keeping our eye on in the months to come. Stay tuned for more details as they’re announced! 

The Christmas Chronicles – Review

Matt Geary
-
0
The Christmas Chronicles – Review

The Christmas Chronicles is the newest Chrimbo film to hit Netflix and it might not have been able to reach the lofty heights of Elf or a Christmas Story but this does not mean it was / is a bad film. In fact, I would go as far as to say, despite its mixed bag of reviews, it is a pretty damn good one. Granted Its nothing new, somewhat predictable and has some dubious CGI, BUT… but, it has a lot of heart and warmth within and Kurt Russell is the best Santa Claus I’ve seen in a film to date; just oozing with cool and bringing what could have been a subpar film straight out of the snow drift…. Oh and the additional cameo, at the end, of Mrs Claus is pure Gold…ie.

The story is a variation of a well-trodden path:  sister and a brother, Kate and Teddy Pierce have a  Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus on camera. This unexpectedly turns into a journey that most kids could only dream about! So far, so generic BUT there is something in this familiarity, and coupled with Russell’s portrayal of the great man himself, that works and keeps you hooked in. On top of this, there are also two additional facets that truly gave me the warm and fuzzies.

First off is simple exposition of how Santa, well, works. From how he gets from one place to another, with basically a Santafied warp drive, to how he gets in and out of people’s houses with the aid of his magic hat… What about all the presents? Well his toy sack is a portal to his work shop; simple. I loved it, it was silly, but it gave me, and my girlfriends daughter, explanation and reason.. it worked so well in fact that whenever the elf on the Shelf in our house  teleports around and gets up to mischief, she believes it all the more, unquestioned and that to me is beautiful.

Secondly is a personal one and I think only something a family who has suffered loss will resonate with. The main premise behind the film is one of loss, how it can dilute, if not destroy, your Christmas spirit and how that without that spirit people are just, well, dicks. And so it is that Teddy and Kate lose their dad, Kate is too young to fully understand but Teddy, being older, not only lost his role model but also lost his belief in Christmas. All the while their mother works late to make sure they are supported and just wants them both to get a long and for them all to have a proper Christmas again.

This for me was pretty powerful stuff. My father died a few years ago and Christmas has never been the same since.. like Teddy I’d give anything to see him again and like Teddy there was a time when I lost my Christmas Spirit, but as is shown in the film, family and friends can bring it back for you and that to me is a warm and impactful message for anyone who has been through the same thing.

The Christmas Chronicles is pure heart. It might not have been the most original film out there but who wants originality at Christmas eah? Its all about Familiarity, warmth and embracing the spirit of the season.

Enjoyable, heart-warming, funny and with the greatest portrayal of Santa to date, the Christmas Chronicles is definitely worth some air time with you loved ones close by.

The Flash 100th Episode

joshkingofgeeks
-
0
The Flash 100th Episode

The Flash 100th Episode— BEWARE THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD!

Its always a great milestone when a TV series reaches certain achievements, First season finale, first cliff-hanger 2 parter, the crossover and the 100th episode. The Flash has reached so many of those already in its 4 seasons and now we’re at the beginning of Season 5, the fastest man alive has reached one more.

On the 4th of December The Flash aired its 100TH Episode titled “What’s Past is Prologue” Directed by show regular and fan favourite Tom Cavanagh. To say I was excited about this episode would be an understatement. I had been waiting since plot points and spoilers had been released, weeks prior, about past villains returning; including one of my favourites, Eobard Thawne aka The Reverse Flash.

Unfortunately though, my excitement was misplaced and the 100th Episode didnt quite hit the lofty heights I had wished it to.

Please know, i’m a long time fan of The Flash and have been ever since John Wesley Shipp strapped on the tights and cowl as the Scarlet Speedster back in the early 90’s. Now with Grant Gustin donning the Cowl and John adopting the helmet of the golden age flash; Jay Garrick, i was a back in my element of shouting “Run Barry! RUN!!” at the TV.

So, the 100th episode. It was a time travel episode which could have been brilliant and incredibly well written, we even had Hartley Sawyer’s Ralph playing Huey Lewis and the News’s “Back in Time” from Back to the Future as Barry and daughter Nora start to travel through time, alas this was one of a small selection of scenes that were good and for the rest.. well, we were given was a clip show, a lazily written clip show.

The inclusion of the villains was not what i expected apart from the scenes with Reverse Flash. Hunter Zoloman aka ZOOM was poorly used and could have been a lot more dangerous, instead he just got wiped out by a Time Wraith, Savatar was hit and miss and gone in a…well..a Flash!

My disappointment was quenched slightly when we had scenes with Tom Cavanagh as Eobard Thawne. Every time Tom switches on the maniacal, evil, cerebral and genius of the Reverse Flash it always gives me chills to watch… to think this was J.D’s brother in Scrubs!

On top of this, anytime i got to see Danielle Panabaker as Killer Frost was always a good point.. but the minuses very much outweighed the pluses and I was left somewhat deminisjed by it all.

I’d love to write more about the episode…i want to write more about this episode but there was nothing to write about. Nothing grabbed me in excited squealing delight as a Flash fan and to me, especially with this milestone, was a disappointment. Granted the last 10 minutes was enjoyable but to be honest it was more of a preview of the new crossover and couldn’t really be taken as part of the episode itself.

We find out Nora has been a naughty girl and is in fact working alongside Eobard in the 2049, tut tut. End of episode. woohoo! Then Pow!!!

We get a titular preview of the new “Elseworlds” major crossover, huge wasteland with explosions and hero bodies laid out across the stricken battlefield, then we see a familiar form; bathed in red, with gold lightning. He raises his head to show John Wesley Shipp back in his 90’s Flash suit. Straight from my childhood and into my present without missing a beat the Hero of my TV Childhood was back and looking amazing, i could hear the original TV theme as he raced away with the final scene being a close up of his chest emblem.

I guess, all being said and done It was worth watching this subpar, 39 minutes episode, just to see that.

All in all The Flash 100th didn’t quite live up to expectation and yes i know we shouldn’t have expected it to be fantastic only being 8 episodes into a new season and with a huge villain like Cicada being the main focus, but i couldn’t help but feel it could have been so much more than just a cheap clip show with some minor good scenes and a final preview scene right at the end. Come on Flash writers, you’re better than this.

So with only 3 days left to go before the “Elseworlds” crossover I guess we can only go up and on from here.

That’ll bout do it from this King of geeks, so until next time. Face Front True Believers!

R.I.P. Stan Lee (1922-2018)

Jonjo Cosgrove
-
0
R.I.P. Stan Lee (1922-2018)

The face of Marvel, the king of the cameo and the man that every geek wanted to have as a best friend!

The news that has brought streams of tears to millions of geeks, the day that many thought would never come…Stan “The Man” Lee has passed away. At the age of 95, many would say that Stan has had a long and rich life. The comic book maestro is well known for creating characters such as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Doctor Strange, Daredevil and so many more!

While many know Stan for his various cameos in the Marvel movies and aware of his contributions to the iconic characters we know and love, he was responsible for keeping the comic book medium alive! After some advice from his wife who sadly died in 2017, Stan went to Marvel with an idea for a group of heroes who would change the very face of the company.

The Story Of Lee at Marvel

Stan Lee was assigned by publisher Martin Goodman to create a superhero team that could possibly compete with DC’s Justice League Of America. Stan’s wife Joan suggested to her husband that he should make the stories that he wanted to tell and with that great piece of advice, he created what would be the first family of superheroes. The Fantastic Four! With these characters, the comic connoisseur made individuals who would feel more like real people with everyday problems being mixed with something more extraordinary.

This was also the start of a beautiful working relationship between Lee and the legendary Jack Kirby! With this duo, the world saw a modern retelling of Jekyll and Hyde (The Incredible Hulk) and a Norse God brought to the real world (Thor). But no character could top their most popular creation, Spider-Man! Spider-Man was seen as relatable due to the problems he faced balancing his life, relationships and responsibilities. With Spider-Man being a teenager for the majority of his tenure, we get to grow with Peter Parker and see the ups and downs of his adolescence.

With the success of the comics and the status that the heroes and villains received in pop-culture, TV and film deals were inevitable. What was the first major studio film for Marvel? Howard The Duck! Ok, maybe not the greatest one, but Stan did put his own personal stamp on the franchise going forward. X-Men, Spider-Man and even the Blade trilogy worked superbly, but there was one more gamble that was in time going to change the way the superhero genre would be seen.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Stan Lee was appointed a producer for the newly formed Marvel Studios in 2005. Where many of the A-grade characters had been sold off to other film companies, the 2008 film Iron Man was not only a success, it also begun the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stan Lee would keep himself involved with every film in this series which would attempt to create a fully living Universe that incorporated many characters and styles to form a single universe. With the success of The Avengers merging these films together, this was the best way for Stan Lee’s characters to finally shine who many have never had that spotlight before.

Before the MCU, who would have said Black Panther or Iron Man would have earned more than Spidey? “The Man” has managed to get many of his more obscure creations to see the light of day from this phenomenal creation. Also, one constant that was there for every Marvel fan was finding Stan Lee in a cameo which was always a fun break in the movie to entertain you. This will upset me now to know that we shall no longer see the legend on screen.

What Comes Next

I know that me and the other guys and girls from Geek Pride will miss Stan Lee a lot! I know that Joshua Varney from our geekdom will miss this legend a lot as he was lucky enough to meet his hero a few years ago!

A man who changed the comic book medium forever and will never be forgotten by the men and women who have grown up with the characters and stories that have shaped many lives. Marvel will forever keep his spirit alive as will the millions of fans, but nothing will ever diminish the light this soul will burn for the rest of eternity!

R.I.P. Stan Lee, may you never be forgotten!

EXCELSIOR!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygyeeltzkdg

1...272829...362Page 28 of 362