I think my jaw may have been nailed to the floor. Yep… can’t pick it up. It’s really stuck there. Why you ask? Watch this latest trailer for Guillermo del Toro‘s epic Pacific Rim, and you’ll understand.
See what I mean? Now you can only talk in vowels. You’re welcome.
Pacific Rim hits cinemas on July 12th.
Amazon debuted the pilot for the Zombieland series directed by Eli Craig (Tucker & Dale vs Evil), and it seems that it’s a swing and a miss. And if you swing at a zombie and miss, it’s going to eat your face.
So the Zombieland TV series is a no-go, and officially dead in the water. Although Amazon decided they weren’t going to take the series up, they have said that the creators are welcome to develop it further without them.
At the moment though it seems that director Eli Craig will move on to helm “Little Evil” (according to The Hollywood Reporter), which sounds like the project he mentioned while doing press for Tucker & Dale that he called “Evil Kid”.
This is definitely a shame, as Zombieland was originally conceived as a series I’d liked to have seen it develop. However – it’s ripe for Netflix to pick it up now… if they were so inclined.
Joe Fitzgerald has a reputation for dealing with problems, the kind of problems that the police or anyone else won’t deal with. The kind of problems that involve missing people and claws, teeth and shadows. When a girl called Debbie asks Joe for help with a problem – her sister Sarah going missing after joining a mysterious cult named The Divine Will – things get interesting. The leader of the cult should be dead because Joe shot him in the head two years ago, before his life fell to pieces and he made a deal with an angel.
Ten Grand is a reminder that there’s plenty going on in comics besides what Marvel and DC are producing.
Joe’s story introduces a world where urban life, horror, crime and the supernatural blend together in a way not seen since the demise of Hellblazer.
Bordering on tenancy at Lenny’s a local bar, the titular owner is a friend who knew Joe’s partner Laura, he sits in his usual place and waits. Joe used to be a mob enforcer but he works for a different outfit now.
One of the most immediate things about Ten Grand is Ben Templesmith‘s instantly recognisable art. The muted dark colours, colour washes and sparingly used brighter colours make everything drip with an ominous atmosphere bordering on Lovecraftian in it’s potency.
A transition to a flashback utilising Joe looking at a photo in two separate panels is an impressively subtle device and just one of the numerous details that makes all the difference here.
The world of Ten Grand is an interesting one. Following the brutal murder of Laura and Joe after he tried to leave his employer to live the life he wanted with Laura, an angel appears and offers him a deal since the angel knows that Laura and Joe are headed to different places and will never be together again. Bleeding out on the floor looking into the glassy eyes of Laura staring lifelessly back at him he takes the deal.
Whilst this may seem like the usual quest for redemption, it’s not as simple as that. Joe is a fixer for the holy powers now. If he completes a job well or dies in a heroic manner trying to he will get to see Laura again but only for the briefest of moments before he is resurrected again for another job.
This premise itself is rich with potential but it’s the myriad of details that really make you want to sink into the world that J. Michael Straczynski has created.
Joe communicates with his employer via avatars – angels that can be summoned to possess someone temporarily – and as a small act of rebellion Joe chooses a dancer at a strip club who is ‘doing taxes in her head’ on stage.
Whilst rituals and ‘magic’ are present they’re not reserved to dusty tomes and relics – at one point Joe uses a keyboard with angelic script to search for the leader of The Divine Will cult “Amazing what you can find when you search using the alphabet of the angels”.
Just like more traditional avenues though these have their own inherent risks. Despite his deal Joe doesn’t just do jobs for his employer, if you’ve got the money (which is where the title comes from) then he will take on a job that no-one else will, “Ten grand is just enough to weed out the kooks, the clowns, the whackos, the feebs, the creeps…”
The internal monologue which narrates the story adds an additional noiresque touch to the proceedings which only adds to it’s charm.
On the evidence here this looks to be a most fruitful partnership, and Ten Grand could easily find itself an appreciative readership in Hellblazer fans wanting something dark and dangerous like John Constantine‘s former home (before he was dragged into the DC 52).
Nice guy Chris Smith talks to God via various means, and one drunken evening ends up making the decision that leads to Nazi zombies being unleashed from the depths of Hell. You know… as you do. This kids, is the first issue of indie comic Chris Smith and The Nazi Zombies From Hell from writer Julian Burrett.
Setting the scene, the comic introduces the downtrodden characters of Chris Smith and Tina Tandy, residents of my current hometown Swindon in 2020 (I always knew the apocalypse would start in Swindon!). Chris is the nice guy – always misconstrued & always seemingly alone, and Tina was up until recently the punchbag for her latest boyfriend. Chris talks to God, who talks back through his fish (initially), and later a dog and a kebab.
The two characters get thrown together, and when Tina’s mum goes missing thanks to a local politician running for office, a drunken plan is hatched to combat the menace. Of course as dunken plans go, this is probably one of the worst possible solutions dreamt up: combat the current oppressive regime by resurrecting the most prolific oppressive regime in history to fight them.
Through Chris’ connection to the almighty via the aforementioned kebab, he manages to make this happen just before he passes out. That’s the synopsis in a nutshell, and it’s suitably bonkers.
The start of this comic is like a slow wind-up to a movie – it brings in the characters and starts the story gradually… making you empathise with Chris who perfectly fits the old adage “Nice guys finish last”. Tina is introduced as the strong-willed woman who won’t take any shit, quickly demonstrated by her throwing a hot beverage over her former boyfriend as penance for giving her a black eye.
You’re then briefly introduced to Hermann, a naked drug-obsessed slob living in what appears to be a urine-soaked cell – this is insinuated as being his own personal hell for his life of evil deeds. This seems a little abstract really, as it doesn’t appear to connect to the story, but I imagine this will be interwoven in future issues. I like the touch of the red-eyed hooded figure giving him what he thinks are tablets so he can overdose, but he’s actually eating cockroaches and beetles.
Tina’s mother Sarah is also briefly introduced, depicting her abduction into the “hospitality” of nazi-esque politician Mr. Ffording. Again at the time this also seems somewhat disjointed as there’s no explanation for the home invasion and ensuing violence. However the following conversation between Tina & Chris, as well as the later panels showing Ffording depict Mrs. Tandy as an activist or campaigner against Mr. Ffording’s efforts to get into office.
The humour ingrained in the book from the start is initially subtle – Chris talking to God via his goldfish about inane topics like the weather, and his drunken back and forth with his kebab incite a chuckle or two… the funny thing is I’ve actually seen people talking to their kebab before – now I know why!
I did feel that Chris’ connection to God, and what Tina refers to as “magic” is accepted way too easily… the man brings a dog back to life (one that clearly shouldn’t come back to life as it’s bowels were all over the road), and he just gets strange looks, and it’s mentioned briefly in the pub later.
The artwork by Vik Bogdanovic, Ian Sharman & John Charles is great – Swindon’s grubby atmosphere is captured to a tee, and all the characters convey emotion really well – particularly the destitute Hermann while he chomps down insects.
The closing sequence of the comic with Chris’ conversation with God-dog is great, and reminiscent of something from a Simon Pegg / Nick Frost / Edgar Wright movie – this is the reason I’ll keep reading this comic.
Although slow to start, Chris Smith and The Nazi Zombies From Hell has a solid base to run from now, and it looks like it will up the tempo from issue #2. If the dark humour keeps coming from the pen of Burrett, then I imagine it’s going to get better and better.
There is nothing worst then getting a new table top game and then discovering the 6000 page rule booklet, a whole host of cards and easy to lose plastic bits. Games like this can be very awesome but they also require dedicated time in which to first learn to play then a couple of times to get the hang off before you can really enjoy the adventure for all it’s intended awesomeness. Well today I stumbled across this little piece comedy from the guys over at Rhett & Link which I feel highlights some of the problems with rule and prop heavy table top games…
For more funny subscribe to Rhett & Link HERE
Prepare for the latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga that began with 2000’s hit sci-fi film Pitch Black and 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick.
The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered.
The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.
Director: David Twohy
Release: 9/6/2013
Studio: Universal Pictures
Website: http://www.RiddickTheMovie.com
Starring: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban, Jordi Molla, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Bokeem Woodbine, Dave Bautista, Conrad Pla, Raoul Trujillo, Nolan Funk, Keri Hilson
Good news for gamers everywhere – EA has decided to stop it’s Online Pass program, a controversial form of DRM.
For the last 3 years the number of games requiring an online pass has increased as several publishers, including EA, have incorporated the system in order to deter consumers from buying second-hand copies of their titles. This has often restricted content like multiplayer modes and in some cases single-player content too, much to the annoyance of many gamers.
It appears that players’ views on the matter have finally been recognised, as EA’s motives for the decision are said to be due to poor player response. Hopefully other publishers will soon follow suit.
Here’s the full story from Games Industry International:
[quote]EA has decided to stop its Online Pass program based on poor player response. The company launched the program – an extension of its Project $10 program for Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins – three years ago, as a defense against second-hand game sales. Online passes were available on all EA titles with a significant online component, including Battlefield 3, Madden NFL, and FIFA. The one-time use codes forced second-hand buyers to pay for a $10 digital key to unlock online modes.
EA senior director of corporate communications John Reseburg confirmed toVentureBeat that the program was going away. Reseburg said that player response to online passes was poor.
“Yes, we’re discontinuing Online Pass,” said Reseburg. “None of our new EA titles will include that feature. Initially launched as an effort to package a full menu of online content and services, many players didn’t respond to the format. We’ve listened to the feedback and decided to do away with it moving forward.”
“We’re still committed to creating content and services that enhance the game experience well beyond the day you first start playing,” Reseburg added.
EA was one of the originators, but Sony, Activision, and Ubisoft are among the publishers that use online passes today.[/quote]
Swamp Thing, under the effects of Scarecrow‘s fear toxin, is trapped in a nightmare and his connection with The Green is wreaking havoc in Metropolis- which gets the attention of Superman.
The start of this issue depicts Alec Holland in a perfect life, his love Abby by his side and a daughter, only for it to turn to ashes. It’s a powerful intro that shows what he has sacrificed and also what Holland fears the most that he has no humanity left and is just a monster.
Whilst Holland may be experiencing a nightmare, Metropolis is experiencing its own as the streets and buildings are choking with wild foliage as Holland’s powers react to his mental anguish.
A team of fire fighters is having to deal with the rampant vines that are filling the streets and constricting buildings. It’s a refreshing change to see some civilian faces who aren’t victims, the reality of the situation is made clear when one of them points out how calls are coming in from all over Metropolis.
Superman soon appears on the scene to assist the fire fighters, but in a great endearing character moment one of them non-chalantly asks “Do you know what it is this time? These plants? Is this one of your…. battles or whatever?” and then rebuffs his reply with a “Whatever just get up there and do what you do”.
This exchange is one of the best things in this issue for all the things it says between the lines, Superman is such a regular sight that he doesn’t even phase the Fire Fighters but also the indifferent dismissal he gets speaks to the seen it all mentality of being an emergency responder in Metropolis.
As Holland’s nightmares deepen so does the chaos in Metropolis, with a bridge collapsing under the weight of huge vines forcing Superman to act when he finds Holland.
There are some interesting ideas revealed in the conversation between the two as Holland asks Superman how he deals with his immense power and why he acts like a human when he’s clearly not. Superman’s response of “we’re not monsters. We can be as human as we want to be” ties into Hollands nightmares and his mental turmoil.
There’s an intriguing end to this issue too with Holland encountering a mysterious stranger.
Kano has established himself pretty well on this title and here his endearingly human Swamp Thing, with clear emotion being visible in his amber eyes and his horror at realising the carnage he has wrought, re-inforces that Holland isn’t the monster his appearance would imply.
Scarecrow is essentially used as a comedic device as he tries to sneak off only to be pinned to a wall by Swamp Thing’s arm, now changed into a massive vine. It’s a great sequence, the overhead shot, showing Holland hasn’t even moved and is still conversing with Superman is one of the best panels in this issue. It’s amusing but more importantly reasserts Swamp Thing’s power and just how insignificant Scarecrow is to him.
It does seem though that Scarecrow was used as a macguffin for Holland’s epiphany and grounds for a meet up with Superman.
By far the worst thing for the second time in a row is the awful cover from Andy Brase, which actually makes last months look good. Charles Soule‘s efforts are being hamstrung by a cover that seems to feature a winking Swamp Thing and a child running around in a Superman outfit.
Considering how consistently impressive Yanick Paquette‘s work was on Scott Snyder‘s run on the title both complimenting the story and being good art it seems like Soule is getting a raw deal at the moment.
“You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?” Riddick‘s gravelly-voiced catchphrase surfaces yet again in the latest installment of our shiny-eyed mass-murderer.
I was pretty excited about returning to see what our old friend Richard B. Riddick had been up to since he prettymuch became Conan at the end of Chronicles of Riddick… however from the trailer I’m a little disappointed.
It starts verymuch like the trailer for Chronicles… Riddick in a wasteland, bounty hunters chasing him… but then it seems it can’t make up it’s mind. Here – watch the trailer below, and you’ll see what I mean.
So from what I gather the trailer looks pretty good, but there’s little to nothing original about it – at least, from first appearances. It looks like whoever’s created the trailer has taken all the bits that were cool from Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick, and combined them into a two-and-a-half minute montage – complete with the same aforementioned recycled closing line.
Happily there’s more to the movie than just Vin Diesel‘s muscles and Horatio Cane-esque goggle removing – Dredd and Starbuck aka Karl Urban & Katee Sackhoff are also present, so the extra star potential will hopefully make the film one to watch.
Riddick is due for release on 6th September
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