SciFi Now Issue 94 - 2014 UK

A complex, haunting and thoroughly
satisfying thrillerjoblo.com
Twin Peaks meets Silent HillScream Magazine
A twisted tale of boy
meets girlLittle White Lies
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One of the lessons that Planet Of The Apes has
taught us is that great franchises are more than
the sum of one man.
The cult of the creator and the sacred church
of the showrunner is a later development, and its
not always a natural t. Marvels recent big-screen success
owes much to Joss Whedon as its overseer, just as Star Trek
is beholden to Gene Roddenberry and Star Wars to George
Lucas, but all these will exist outside of their progenitors.
As geeks, we invest so much into the people behind our
favourite properties because it gives us a context with which to
understand them. When our heroes move on, we worry about
their legacy often, when that is disrespected, the result is
miserable and our dreams are shattered.
SciFiNow is no different. Much as the team behind Dawn Of
The Planet Of The Apes has drawn on the work of dozens, from
original 1963 author Pierre Boulle to Rise Of The Planet Of The
Apes director Rupert Wyatt, we strive to do right by the spirit
with which this magazine was launched and the keen vision
that successive team members have brought to it.
This issue is the last one with our Deputy Editor Jodie Tyley,
who has moved onto our sister mag How It Works to infuse
their pages with the same dizzying creative energy with which
she invigorated SciFiNow. With the inspiration of Dawn Of The
Planet Of The Apes, well do right by her work well build on
it, learn from it and bask in the brilliance of it to keep making
SciFiNow the best damn genre magazine on the shelves.
Former vampire pin-up R-Patz continues
his incredible career reinvention, from
the callous sterility of Cosmopolis to the
forthcoming grime of post-apocalyptic
thriller The Rover. Co-starring Prometheus
and Iron Man 3s Guy Pearce and Monsters
Scoot McNairy, and directed by Animal
Kingdoms David Michd, The Rover is big-
name brute force with a toxic indie edge.
THE ROVER
GET EXCITED ABOUT
James Hoare
Editor
004 |
06 Avengers: Age Of Ultron
New recruits Elizabeth
Olsen and Aaron Taylor-
Johnson assemble for
Whedons superhero sequel.
10 Star Wars: Episode VII
With the cast announced, we
discover the fate of the much-
loved Expanded Universe
12 Batman Vs Superman
Everything we know so far
about the much-anticipated DC
death match.
15 Gotham Season One
We pick the best moments
in the trailer for FOXs young
Batman TV series.
44 Continuum Season Three
The cast of this time-bending
sci- serial let us know whats
in store for Season Three.
50 The Anomaly
On the set for Doctor Who
star Noel Clarkes near-future
thriller.
52 The 100 Season One
Its Lost meets The Hunger
Games as the stars of the CWs
latest series reveal all.
56 True Blood Season Seven
We talk to actress Carrie
Preston as all-out war hits
Bon Temps.
60 Penny Dreadful Season One
19th Century classics meets
American Horror Story in this
new drama from Sky Atlantic.
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FEATURES REVIEWS PORTAL
Mark Wahlberg talks Autobots
66 X-Men:
Days Of Future Past
Unquestionably the biggest
Marvel mutant movie yet, but is
it the best?
67 Mood Indigo
Michel Gondry embraces his
whimsical side (again) in this
beautiful tragic love story.
67 Oculus
Karen Gillan nds the fright
of her life as haunted houses
abound in this festival favourite.
68 The Voices
Ryan Reynolds gets catty in this
tongue-in-cheek horror from
the director of Persepolis.
38
THE ANOMALY
50
TRUE BLOOD
56
Noel Clarkes new movie The nale revealed
TRANSFORMERS:
AGE OF EXTINCTION
06 PORTAL
Whats happening
in the world of sci-
36 SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscribe to the
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Your rst look at the
next issue of SciFiNow
EVERY ISSUE
THE CROW
122
Teen titans touch-
down on Earth
THE 100
52
On set with the stars
for Season Three
CONTINUUM
44
Eva Green, Timothy
Dalton and more
PENNY DREADFUL
60
20 Dawn Of The Planet Of
The Apes
The creators of the
blockbuster sequel on
drawing close to 1968.
28 Apes Infographic
Charting simian evolution
from 1968s Planet Of The
Apes to today.
30 Post-Apocalyptic
Survival Guide
From The Road to Planet Of
The Apes.
38 Transformers:
Age Of Extinction
Mark Wahlberg leads the cast
in discussing this new start
in the titular toy franchise.
P
R
E
V
IE
W
E
X
C
L
U
S
IV
E
BATMAN
116
102 David Cronenberg
We chart the rise of the
master of body horror.
110 Madeline Smith
The Hammer starlet
discusses her experiences on
The Vampire Lovers.
112 Ray Harryhausen
In depth with the stop-
motion master.
116 Batman
How Burton made the
cult Bat-movie.
122 The Crow
Why this tragic-gothic
superhero thriller
remains a classic
to this day.
84 Essential Read:
The Once And Future King
How TH White reintroduced
the King Arthur story to a
new generation.
88 Beginners Guide:
John Wyndham
Where to start with the Day Of
The Trifds author and purveyor
of underlying horror.
90 Tigerman
Does Nick Harkaways latest
mark the beginning of a new
superhero saga?
98 Sarah Lotz
The South African writer
discusses her inspiration for her
latest novel, The Three.
BOOK CLUB TIMEWARP
68 Transcendence
Can Wally Pster carve a niche
for himself in this Johnny
Depp-starring drama?
69 Godzilla
Does Gareth Edwards update
restore Godzilla to his rightful
place as the king of monsters?
70 In Your Eyes
Can Joss Whedeons Vimeo-
released sci- love story live up
to his rep?
71 Escape From Tomorrow
Disney meets David Lynch
in this ambitious slice of
guerilla lmmaking.
75 Helix Season One
How did the viral horror series
survive its Channel 5 snubbing?
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MEET THE TEAM
Q. Who would be your ideal travel
companion in the post-apocalypse?
A. Carrie Kelly
Smart and scrappy, the
future Robin and I will
have the best time.
A. Rick Grimes
Father, farmer and
badass leader. And Id
be the First Lady of
the PA.
James Hoare Editor
Jodie Tyley Deputy Editor
A. Wolverine
Bodyguard and
probable object of
unrequited bromance.
Steve Wright
Production Editor
A. Blood
A telepathic canine with
a smart mouth from A
Boy And His Dog.
Jonathan Hatfull
Senior Staf Writer
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C
O
V
E
R

F
E
A
T
U
R
E
DAWN OF
THE PLANET
OF THE APES
Director Matt Reeves and more on the
return of sci-s original saga
DAVID CRONENBERG
The Complete Guide
102
006 |
Your essential,
trustworthy and
unrivalled guide
to the latest genre
happenings
THE HOTTEST NEWS FIRST
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
NEWS
IM NOT PUTTING
ANY CHARACTERS
IN THE MOVIE
THAT WILL MAKE
THINGS EASIER
JOSS WHEDON
| 007 TRIVIA THE CHARACTER OF ULTRON WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED BY HANK PYM IN THE COMICS.
014
Reinventing
Alien, Blade
Runner and
more with
cult poster
art
Stars on
bringing an
end to five
seasons
of fan
favourites
How
faithful
is NBCs
Hellblazer
show to the
DC comic?
CONSTANTINE CULT MOVIE POSTERS WAREHOUSE 13 008 015
T
hey may have started life as mutants,
but as Wanda Maximoff said in the
Avengers Origins: The Scarlet Witch &
Quicksilver miniseries: We might nally
nd ourselves a place where we belong.
With the Avengers. The reality-warping
witch and her speedster sibling Pietro,
aka Quicksilver, were teased at the end of Captain
America: The Winter Soldier, pipping X-Men: Days
Of Future Past to the post. Played by Elizabeth
Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the twins were
locked up in dank prison cells. Her character is far
from weak though, as Olsen explained in Flaunt
magazine: Doing things like [Avengers: Age
Of Ultron], Ive noticed Ive felt really condent
recently. I get to be very condent physically all day.
I get to be a kind of grounded badass. And if thats
rubbing off on me, then thats fun.
Their abilities were a major draw for director Joss
Whedon. He admitted that one of the problems
he had with the rst lm was that everyone had
punchy powers, so he couldnt pass on the
chance to freshen up the franchise. He also teased
that the twins will be a potential point of conict for
the group of superheroes: They represent the part
of the world that wouldnt necessarily agree with
the Avengers, he told IGN. So theyre not there to
make things easier. Im not putting any characters
in the movie that will make things easier.
Both were raised in Eastern Europe and
estranged from their biological father in the comics,
and subsequently fell into the Brotherhood of Evil
Mutants before being inducted into the Avengers.
It looks as though the movie will follow a similar
format, but with the Brotherhood traded for
HYDRA. We already know that monocle-clad Baron
Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) is
involved. In the mid-credit sequence, he declared:
This isnt the age of spies. This is not even the age
of heroes. This is the age of miracles and theres
nothing more horrifying than a miracle, hinting at
what these mutants will be known as.
But the main villain will be the robot Ultron
(James Spader), joined by Paul Bettany the voice
of Tony Starks AI system Jarvis in the Iron Man
movies as The Vision. In the panels, hes created
by Ultron to destroy the Avengers, but turns against
his master. Vision eventually married Scarlet Witch,
but its unlikely that their story will progress that
far unless the Time Gem appears. This particular
Innity Gem has the power to stop, slow down or
speed up time, and lets the possessor see into the
past and future. Other stones include the Soul,
Mind and Reality gems, as weve already seen
Power (Aether) and Space (Tesseract).
These stones are sought by Thanos for the
Innity Gauntlet (last seen in Thor). They give the
wearer god-like abilities as depicted in the 1991
comic by writer Jim Starlin and artists George
Prez and Ron Lim and it looks like this will
inspire Phase 3. Marvel president Kevin Feige told
Screenrant as much in a recent interview: Fans of
the comics could surmise that all of this is leading
somewhere, he said. That Joss decision to have
Thanos turn around and smile for the audience at
the end of Avengers was always the plan.
As we know, the Marvel Cinematic Universe
takes the source material seriously, so its no
surprise that Olsen has been swotting up. The
25-year-old actress told The Mary Sue that shes
having a eld day reading the comics: And not even
just the comics, but a whole condensed history of
every single thing that ever happens in the comics.
Avengers: Age Of Ultron is out on 24 April 2015.
I get to be a grounded badass, says Age Of Ultrons Elizabeth Olsen
ITS THE WITCHING
HOUR FOR AVENGERS 2
WORDS JODIE TYLEY
We caught our rst glimpse of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver
in the post-credits sequence of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
008 |
TRIVIA MATT RYAN PROVIDED THE VOICE OF EDWARD KENWAY IN ASSASSINS CREED IV: BLACK FLAG. WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
NEWS
PORTAL
IS CONSTANTINE
FAITHFUL TO
THE COMIC?WORDS JONATHAN HATFULL
BACK TO HELLBLAZER
Hes got the hair
and the coat,
but we ask the
spirits just how
much NBCs new
supernatural
show draws from
the DC comics
GUARDIAN ANGELS
Harold Perrineau appears
as an angel named
Manny, who reveals that
something is coming.
Angels are traditionally
less of a presence than
demons in the comics; Mannys role
could have more to do with providing
the other side of the evil coin, or maybe
playing a similar role to Tilda Swintons
Gabriel in the lm version.
CONSTANTINE
AIRS LATER THIS
YEAR ON NBC IN
THE US.
RAVENSCAR
The trailer opens at
the gates of Ravenscar
Psychiatric Facility for
the Mentally Deranged,
where John Constantine
spent two years receiving
questionable treatment after an
attempted exorcism in Newcastle went
wrong (more on that later).
LOST SOUL ORIGIN
Manny helpfully reminds
Constantine that he lost
his soul when he lost a
girl to hell during an
exorcism gone wrong.
This is taken straight from
the comic-book characters origin, when
the young Constantine summoned
Nergal, a powerful demon, to destroy
the one possessing young Astra Logue.
Nergal sent both the demon and the girl
to hell, and Constantine went straight
to Ravenscar.
THE LOOK
In terms of appearance,
this is denitely the
Constantine that were
familiar with. Hes got the
blonde hair and brown
overcoat all thats
missing is the chain-smoking, although
he does have a lighter. He looks like hes
stepped right out of the comic-book, but
his accent is questionable.
FLAME HANDS
Its nice to see Constantine
using a bit of magic in
the trailer, although
the ame hands have
really become more of
a staple since the
characters New 52 incarnation, helping
to provide the launch covers with a bit
of iconic imagery.
THE MAN
Matt Ryan might have
the look down, but the
sarcastic dialogue isnt
quite as convincing. One
or two slightly sharp
asides aside (I hate to
put on airs), this Constantine looks
like a reluctant hero rather than a
self-interested magician who mostly
does the right thing because he can get
something out of it. Heres hoping we
see a bit more of the rakishness of the
rake at the gates of hell.
D
a
v
e
W
in
e
r
HOT NEWS
Sophie Turner
NEWS
SOPHIE
TURNER
FIVE THINGS WITH
1
Play to win
The most important rule in Game Of Thrones is that no
one is safe. With that in mind, every character needs to adapt to
survive, and Sophie Turner tells us that Sansa has been
developing her own survival skills. I think shes a badass in a
very different way,she tells us. Shes like a sponge thats been
absorbing everything shes heard from Cersei and Margaery,
and shes put on a facade for this past year, and shes nally
going to drop that and begin to manipulate some people.
2
Learn from the best
Three years at Kings Landing has taught Sansa a lot, and
despite spending time with master manipulator Tyrion
Lannister, Turner reveals that her inspirations lie elsewhere. Id
like to say Margaery, because we have the same sort of strategy.
Cersei is just outwardly vile, whereas Margaery very much puts
on a facade of a sweet, innocent girl, and then shes scheming
and Sansa has learnt, especially in this new season, how to use
her femininity to get what she wants: to seduce.
3
Its not about love
Unlike some of her colleagues, Turner doesnt have the
luxury of playing a character that fans of the books love. I dont
have that,she laughs. I get a lot of youre so stupid and I hate
you a lot. Written in blood. I hate you. Die. Id like to be someone
like Joffrey. Sansa is more kind of you hate her, but I want
people to love her, but with Joffrey its universally agreed that
people hate him. Id like to be truly hated.
4
Know your history
Although Game Of Thrones is a giant smash hit now,
Turner tells us that it could have all been very different.
When we did the pilot, apparently the pilot was fairly bad,
she reveals. It wasnt enjoyable. We had to reshoot basically
all of it because it was really bad. And then apparently HBO
was willing to say no, but here we are, and thank goodness
they didnt.
5
Have an exit strategy
Weve had red weddings and purple weddings,
beheadings and golden crowns. There are very few deaths on
Game Of Thrones that arent memorable, and when it comes
to a potential exit for Sansa, Turner tells us that she doesnt
want to go quietly. Id want a whole episode dedicated to my
death. Is she gonna go? Oh no, I feel a bit, ugh no. I feel like
that would be nice. Something that would really drag out. For
a few seasons.
Game Of Thrones is airing now on Sky Atlantic.
Sansa Stark talks inspirations,
survival tricks and her dream death
WORDS JODIE TYLEY INTERVIEW KRYSTAL SIM
| 009
P
ic
t
u
r
e
G
r
o
u
p
/
R
E
X
The title alone hints at a super-
powered punch-up between the
Caped Crusader and the Big Blue
Boy Scout, but director Zack Snyder
has pretty much conrmed it. In an
interview with Forbes, he revealed
what an inuence Frank Millers
The Dark Knight Returns storyline
has been: It was that book that
made me say, Gosh, you know
this could be an amazing lm. I
wasnt sure exactly how that would
manifest itself, but you know you
dream when youre a kid and youre
in college, God, if one day I could
make a Batman movie, that would
be awesome! The seminal comic
saw Superman as a government
agent, ordered to kill Batman in
a ght that pits technical genius
against god-like gifts.
010 |
PORTAL
NEWS
Teased in Man Of Steel with several nods
to STAR Labs, Variety has conrmed the
casting of relative unknown Ray Fisher as
Vic Stone, aka Cyborg, in Zack Snyders
Batman Vs Superman. One of DCs most
high-prole man-made superhumans, Stone
was reconstructed by his scientist father with
enhanced strength and endurance, in addition
to an array of cybernetic functions such as a
sonic canon. Best known as a member of the
Teen Titans, Cyborg was reintroduced as a
member of the Justice League in 2011s New
52 relaunch, and Variety reports a sources
claim that hell have a much more signicant
role as Warner and DC develop more lms
related to the Justice League universe.
The superheroes are celebrating their 75th
anniversary: last year it was Superman; this year Batman,
and by the time the Man Of Steel sequel hits cinemas
it will be Wonder Womans birthday too. If
fans embrace Gal Gadots incarnation of the character
in Batman Vs Superman and Justice League, she could
be rewarded with her own solo outing, according to
Warner Bros president of worldwide marketing Sue
Kroll: That is our hope, she told the Wall Street Journal.
With the right script, that could be viable. The world is
ready for her.
CLASH OF THE CAPES
CYBORG IS CAST
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
Our rst look at Batmans
mode of transport
and Ben Afecks Dark Knight,
via director Zack Snyders Twitter.
NEWS
HOT NEWS
DC Movieverse
Ben Afeck may have the jawline
for the batmask, but the rest of the
suit will need lling out. Hes already
hitting the gym hard with his trainer
Rehan Jalali, who revealed the
physique theyre aiming for: Big,
muscular, yet lean and good body
symmetry! Going for the real-life
superhero look! The celebrity
nutritionist also tweeted
(@SixPackDietPlan) that all is going to
plan on the pectorals: Update: Batman
is getting large! Hes working very
hard! Meanwhile, Afecks co-star
Gal Gadot is undertaking a gruelling
regime of kung fu, kickboxing and
sword ghting in preparation for
becoming Wonder Woman.
Its ofcial: were getting a Justice
League movie, and Zack Synder is
directing. The Avengers Assemble-style
team-up will recruit some members in the
Man Of Steel sequel, with Henry Cavills
Superman joined by Ben Afecks Batman
and Gal Gadots Wonder Woman. Other
recently announced characters include
Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), Cyborg
(Ray Fisher) and Alfred (Jeremy Irons).
But with Green Lantern a op and The
Flash preoccupied with TV, that leaves
Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter.
Heres the line-up so far...
With the recasting of the Dark Knight,
expect to toss out everything Christopher
Nolans Bat-trilogy taught you. Speaking
to the LA Times, Zack Snyder promised
to explode the mythology that the fans
know and love. [The movie] literally
takes the Man Of Steel and Batman
universes and explodes them. Youre not
as tied to the mythology, he said. In
Man Of Steel, we had to create an origin
story, a mythology, and theres a lot of
energy into that which we love doing,
dont get me wrong. But when you think
about how fun it is now that youve got
these characters to now let em loose.
Thats fun!
#THESIXPACKDIETPLAN
BATMAN
VS SUPERMAN
will be released in
2016. All the comics
shown here are
available to read via
the Comixology
app.
One of the major failings of
David E Kelleys Wonder Woman
TV pilot was that costume.
Garish, tacky and oh-so-shiny,
it was slammed by fans and
critics alike, so the movie
version has a lot of wrongs to
right. Chatting to The Wrap,
costume designer Michael
Wilkinson revealed that hes
looking at how the character
has been presented on-screen
in the past, and in the comic-
books and graphic novels: We
process it all and then we work
out what is right for our lm,
he said. We try and create a
Wonder Woman thats relevant
for todays audiences.
Asked if he thought the
Wonder Woman costume
was practical for a superhero,
Wilkinson gave a revealing
answer as to the type of look we
could be getting. Absolutely!
he enthused. I mean, you just
have to look at the gladiators
from ancient Rome, they did
their thing in little loin clothes
and shield It works for Thor,
it works for 300, so lets see
what happens. Sounds to us
like the look Diana adopted
for Brian Azzarello and Cliff
Chiangs critically acclaimed
New 52 reboot.
WONDER WOMAN WILL BE RELEVANT
SUPERMAN
MAN OF STEEL (2013)
SUPERMAN
JUSTICE LEAGUE (TBC)
BATMAN
WONDER WOMAN
CYBORG
MARTIAN MANHUNTER
AQUAMAN
CANON WILL BE
REWRITTEN
| 011
SUPERMAN
BATMAN VS SUPERMAN
2016)
BATMAN
BATMAN VS SUPERMAN
(2016)
WONDER WOMAN
BATMAN VS SUPERMAN
(2016)
CYBORG
BATMAN VS SUPERMAN
(2016)
? ?
JUSTICE LEAGUE, ASSEMBLE!
012 |
NEWS
PORTAL
From The Dark Knight to Man Of
Steel and Spider-Man to The Crow,
the SciFiNow Superhero Movie
Collection bookazine investigates
decades of super-powered men and
women on the big screen.
With the Avengers not only
assembled, but spinning off, and
the Justice League gathering,
superheroes have never had a bigger
presence on our screens. As DC
challenges Marvel for the comic-
book movie crown, weve created
the comprehensive guide to mutants,
vigilantes and demi-gods.
This collection includes features,
interviews, on-set reports and
investigations into your favourite
comic-book movies, while ops are
held accountable for their crimes.
There are over 100 reviews, from
1938s The Spiders Web to this
summers blockbusters.
Its not all about the big guns,
though. Youll nd features on dark
masterpieces like The Crow and
Darkman, while Mike Mignola and
Guillermo del Toro discuss Hellboy.
We investigate why the Wonder
Woman lm has been such a long
time coming, and look ahead to the
likes of Guardians Of The Galaxy
and Batman Vs Superman.
With over 150 pages of stunning
exclusives, the SciFiNow Superhero
Movie Collection bookazine is an
essential purchase!
The SciFiNow Superhero Movie
Collection is available now from all
good newsagents, or directly from us
at imagineshop.co.uk.
HR GIGER
1940-2014
T
he brilliant artist, designer and
visionary HR Giger, responsible
for the design of Ridley Scotts
Alien and inspiring countless
other lmmakers and artists, has
died at the age of 74.
Giger gained worldwide
recognition as a result of his
Xenomorph, which earned him
an Oscar in 1980. His career was
already well underway, having
produced his book Necronomicon
in 1977, and he had been hired to
work on Alejandro Jodorowskys
abandoned version of Dune. It
would be the Alien, however,
that became imprinted on pop
cultures consciousness.
I am very saddened to hear of
Gigers passing, Scott told TIME.
I think back on how committed
and passionate he was, and then
consequently all the security we
built up around his lock-up studios
at Shepperton. I was the only one
allowed the honour of going in, and I
absolutely enjoyed every hour I spent
with him there. He was a real artist
and great eccentric a true original,
but above all he was a really nice
man. He will be missed.
Gigers biomechanical designs
would continue to be used in
future Alien lms, although they
would rarely be as challenging and
nightmarish as his original concepts.
Whether it was creating album
covers for the likes of Deborah Harry,
Danzig, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
and the Dead Kennedys, or inspiring
cyberpunk writers like William
Gibson, Gigers inuence can be seen
in every corner of pop culture. From
Clive Barker to Event Horizon all the
way up to Scotts Prometheus, he is
one of cinemas dening visionaries.
From organic machines to slime-
covered alien creatures, Gigers
work is challenging, beguiling and
utterly unforgettable. The old
adage that an artist has achieved
greatness once his or her name is
used with an -esque to describe
others work rings very true with this
groundbreaking gure. Theres no
mistaking a Giger creation, and his
work will continue to inspire (and
give nightmares to) generations of
lmmakers and lmgoers to come.
Find out more about Gigers
incredible life and work at
hrgiger.com.
THE SECRETS
BEHIND THE
SUPERHEROES
Pick up the SciFiNow Superhero
Movie Collection right now
IN MEMORIAM
WORDS JONATHAN HATFULL Remembering the creator of Alien
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
NEWS
HOT NEWS
Star Wars: Episode VII
THE CAST
After months of speculation, the cast
for Star Wars: Episode VII was nally
conrmed as the stars and lmmakers
gathered in London for a table read.
Alongside the expected returns of Mark
Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher,
Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Kenny
Baker and the previously rumoured
casting of Girls star Adam Driver this new
adventure will star genre veteran Andy
Serkis, John Boyega (Attack The Block),
Domhnall Gleeson (Dredd), Oscar Isaac
(Inside Llewyn Davis) and the great Max
von Sydow, while newcomer Daisy Ridley
will take a starring role.
It is both thrilling and surreal to
watch the beloved original cast and these
brilliant new performers come together to
bring this world to life once again, said JJ
Abrams. The production responded to a
criticism about the lack of gender balance
with a conrmation that casting has not
been completed.
THE EXPANDED
UNIVERSE
The news that the greater expanded
universe would not be treated as canon
may have been greeted by fury and
desperation in some corners of the internet,
but the revelation is less severe than you
might think. Firstly, it doesnt mean the
new lms wont be taking material from
the novels, comics and TV series; they just
wont be beholden to over 30-odd years
of increasingly impenetrable history.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly,
it means that everything from here on out
is canon, from the animated series to the
novels, which brings us to our next point
THE BOOKS
Lucaslm has announced a new series of
tie-in novels to be released over the next
few months, the rst of which ties directly
into upcoming animated series Star Wars:
Rebels. A New Dawn, by John Jackson
Miller, is described as Set prior to the
events of the forthcoming animated series
Star Wars: Rebels, this novel tells the story
of how two of the lead characters of the
series, Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla,
came to cross paths. Future novels also
include Tarkin, Heir To The Jedi and Lord
Of The Sith, to be released in November,
January and March respectively.
Star Wars: Episode VII will be released on
18 December 2015.
A NEW HOPE
1
THERES NO FANTASTIC FOUR
Despite earlier rumours of 20th
Century Foxs shared Marvel movie
universe, writer/producer Simon Kinberg
revealed to DigitalSpy that Fantastic
Four has never lived in the X-Men world
[] if there were mutants in that world
[the Fantastic Four] wouldnt be that
fantastic.
2
GAMBIT GETS RETCONNED
After his appearance/ruination in
X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Louisiana
native Channing Tatum has been
revealed to be joining the returning First
Class-era cast and the new-look teen
Storm, Jean Grey and Cyclops (as we
revealed last issue) as the fan-favourite
ragin Cajun. As if the
ending of Days Of
Future Past wasnt
enough, this is even
more evidence that
Origins has been
retconned out of
existence
3
ITS SHOOTING
BACK-TO-BACK
WITH WOLVERINE 2
Producer and X-Men
powerhouse Lauren
Schuler Donner has
revealed that X-Men:
Apocalypse could be
shooting back-to-
back with James
Mangolds sequel
to The Wolverine
suggesting that Hugh
Jackman is still on
team in a big way as
Marvels mutants
enter the 1980s.
X-Men: Days Of
Future Past is in
cinemas now.
X-MEN:
APOCALYPSE
NOW!
Three things weve learnt about
the Days Of Future Past follow-up
I am but mad north
-
north
-
-.:
v|--:|-:.-.-+.
.-o:|--|,.i|--.o.|-|
r--.o,---.-
STAR WARS: EPISODE
VII FIRST LOOK
More details emerge from
Star Wars: Episode VII
WORDS JONATHAN HATFULL
PORTAL
NEWS
014 |
I
ts easy to lament the absence of classic poster art from a movies marketing campaign,
but just because its underground it doesnt mean its dead.
Inspired by an eclectic mix of fantasy artists, from 2000 AD favourite Simon
Bisley to the late, great HR Giger and the classic, dreamlike visions of Gustav Klimt
and Aubrey Beardsley, the dark and delirious compositions of Welsh-based talent
Godmachine have graced everything from T-shirts and limited-edition prints to BMXs
and skate decks.
Best known for his work in fashion and music, Godmachine has also
reinvented a number of cult movie posters for one-off screenings, and all of
those shown here are collected in The Art Of Godmachine hardcover.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, however, with the artist also
having reanimated Class Of Nuke Em High, Tales From The
Crypt, Donnie Darko, Return Of The Living Dead and
Dark Crystal in his unmistakably lurid
and nightmarish style.
POSTERS GO
UNDERGROUND
Close up on the cult poster art of Godmachine
WORDS JAMES HOARE
ALIEN
I did Ripley as part of
the Alien because thats
how I see the lm, explains
Godmachine in the book.
Without Ripley [in the lm]
it would just be a good
monster, but with Ripley it
becomes something
else.
PREDATOR
After talking to all my
friends about what they
remember most about
Predator, the consensus
was When he rips
out his spine.
BRAM
STOKERS
DRACULA
Aside from zombies,
says Godmachine,
the human psyche
is my favourite
monster.
The Art Of
Godmachine
is available from Flood Gallery
Publishing, priced at 30. Find
out more at theoodgallery.
com and see more of his work
at godmachinedesigns.
blogspot.co.uk.
BLADE RUNNER
I listened to the score
as I worked, and it struck
me that the owl was this part
that wouldnt fade into the
background, it was on the
soundtrack and it was
Rachels entrance.
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
CLOSING THE DOORS
GOTHAM CENTRAL
Stars speak out on the end of Warehouse 13
The ve best moments in Gothams trailer
NEWS
HOT NEWS
Gotham
A
fter ve years of being one of the
most consistently underrated sci-
shows on air, Warehouse 13 is
closing its doors. However, while
the all-too-brief fth season is its last,
the stars of the show are pleased at how
theyve gone out.
We started off knowing that we were
nishing, explains Saul Rubinek, who
played Warehouse chief Artie Nielsen. A
lot of people dont have the luxury of that
they are cut off at the knees, and so are
the fans. Syfy fought really hard for us to
be able to have a proper closing.
Warehouse 13 relied on its dedicated
fanbase, who had their work cut out
for them keeping track of the shows
scheduling. We all felt that we shouldnt
have been on at 10pm in our fourth
season, and that was just unfortunate,
Rubinek tells us. Were probably an
8pm show, even though we were at 9pm.
We were a family show. You could be
ten-years old or 90 and get something out
of this show.
Its the family friendly appeal that both
Rubinek and Ashmore believe will be
the shows lasting legacy. Were really
proud of that, enthuses Rubinek. And
I think that there are a lot of families out
there as the years go on that will discover
that theyve got a great funny interesting
show that the whole family can watch.
We felt very grateful that weve had
ve great years of doing the show, and
our fans are wonderful and have been
incredibly supportive.
Though the show may be over, star
Aaron Ashmore (the intuitive Steve
Jinks) believes it will continue to live
on. I think it is a show thats really
rewatchable, Ashmore tells us. [With]
Netix and all these other places and
ways that shows can stay alive, whereas
before, if when they went off the air,
theyre kind of gone. So hopefully people
will continue to rewatch it, and also new
people will tune in on Netix and keep
it alive.
Warehouse 13: Season Five is available
for pre-order on DVD now.
1
THERE IS A WAR
COMING
Oswald Cobblepot warns Gordon
that There will be chaos rivers
of blood in the streets! in what
feels like a callback to the Jokers
warnings in The Dark Knight.
2
JIM GORDON IS
DANGEROUS
Ben McKenzies got crazy eyes and
sts of fury as the war veteran lays
down the law. Youve got a little
danger in your eye, observes mob
boss Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett
Smith). Lets hope so.
3
HARVEY BULLOCK
Donal Logue is the perfect t for
Gordons rough-and-ready mentor; a
loose cannon whos there to remind
his protg that its not always easy
to do the right thing. This is not a
city for nice guys.
4
JIM MAKES
A PROMISE
Young Jim Gordon, meet young
Bruce Wayne. We know that the
murder of Thomas and Martha
Wayne is the catalyst for nearly
everything in the Batman universe,
and this vow is a colossal moment.
5
ROGUES GALLERY
Although the only villainous
voice we hear is the Penguins,
we get our rst look at young
Catwoman, Riddler and Poison
Ivy. Were especially intrigued to
see how Selina Kyle will t into
Bruces life.
Gotham begins this Autumn on FOX
in the US.
FINAL MOMENTS
BATMAN BEGINS
It will be interesting to see how this version
of Catwoman ts into the Gotham universe.
Its nally curtains for
Warehouse 13.
1- ----.- -- --: :-
----.- :|- -|.-.:, -r
:|- --o:--- r|-.
want from some areas: Lets have it
breathe re, and we were saying No,
no, its Japanese, so therefore we had the
idea that it manipulates the re lanterns
to blow re magically at Kai; it doesnt
breathe re itself. Just to really try and not
do Dragonheart!
Now that the negative publicity
surrounding the lm has died down,
Manz hopes that the intended target
audience will nd this odd blend of
cultures and homages. I really hope so,
because one, I think its a very beautiful-
looking movie, and I think it will become
a bit of a cult thing later on. It was always
difcult dealing with what is a true story.
We were very aware all the way
through God, if the Japanese did a lm
with a dragon in Robin Hood, what would
we think? but we were trying to stay
very true to the Japanese mythology. I
think the performances are amazing, and
its got a good solid story. This movie has
a very denite audience, and hopefully
theyll nd it.
47 Ronin is available now on DVD
and Blu-ray.
PORTAL
NEWS
016 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
47 PROBLEMS AND A
WITCH AINT ONE
VFX king Christian Manz
on why samurai fantasy
47 Ronin deserved better
A
fter around
three years in a
well-publicised
troubled
production period, Carl
Rinschs Keanu Reeves-
led samurai fantasy
epic 47 Ronin arrived
in cinemas last year, grossing less than
$40 million in the US from an estimated
budget of $175 million.
It was a little gutting, the reaction it got
on release, remembers VFX supervisor
Christian Manz. But I really dont think
its the movie that its been painted to be.
The veteran of such high-prole series
as Harry Potter and The Chronicles Of
Narnia, Manz tells us that the blend
of classical Japanese mythology with
Western elements had always been the
intention. Id read a script of the movie
about two or three years beforehand,
he tells us. And it was even more down
that route. But yes, the idea from the
beginning was that it would be a movie
set in the Japan of your imagination from
that time period, and that it would involve
Japanese mythology.
WHAT WENT WRONG?
It was the idea of paying homage to
Japanese art and culture that drew Manz
to the project. Ive always loved things
like the Studio Ghibli Miyazaki movies,
he enthuses. And trying to bring that
Japanese non-Western ideal to the movie
what attracted me to the script was that
it wasnt very Hollywood. Carl was after
artists to work on the movie rather than
coming up with the norm, and thats
always a challenge.
A case in point was Rinko Kikuchis
character, with the Pacic Rim star
stealing the show as a shapeshifting witch.
The moving hair tendrils came from a
Japanese print that showed a witch with
her hair holding chopsticks, and with a
mouth at the back of her hair. That we
didnt do because we thought that it would
look a bit too crazy!
However, a change to her character
meant that the team had to work hard to
retain the Studio Ghibli spirit. Eventually,
it was determined that we would also
turn her into a dragon, he remembers.
We really wanted it to be a Japanese
dragon we were really homaging Haku
in Spirited Away. There was maybe a
NEWS
HOT NEWS
Uncanny Comics
C
omic fans are a superstitious and
cowardly lot (no offence); its why
Uncanny Comics issue 4 chose to
don a black cape and black pointy
ears, spreading news of awesome comics
from the rooftops of Gotham City.
This issue, Uncanny Comics gets to
the dark roots of current DC Comics
sensation Scott Snyder, speaks to Lucifer
creator Mike Carey about his new creator-
owned project, and uncovers the incredible
career of Marie Severin, the rst lady
of Marvel, who Stan Lee eulogise with,
Calling Marie the best woman artist in
the business is an injustice. Marie
was one of the best artists in the
business, period.
Elsewhere in the worlds nest digital
comics magazine, we gather together an
incredible feast of retro reviews, must-read
new release and the usual helping of Silver
Age strangeness, Golden Age grandeur,
Bronze Age brilliance and Modern Age
might for your reading pleasure!
Uncanny Comics issue 4 is on sale
now, priced at 99c/60p. Get yours from
Apples Newsstand.
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS!
UNCANNY COMICS
r--o-+...|-|-:o...:
o--:|---o-+.-+:-||..+
.:--.-.-r:|-r.||-r~-c.+..
Batman, Mike Carey, Marie Severin and more in Uncanny Comics issue 4
1
THE CHARACTER
Im a big Star Wars fan, and
I have an ongoing project
called Star Wars: The Latex
Saga, which consists of myself
and my friend at Kitty Kems
Photography producing latex
cosplay shoots. This came about
when I decided I wanted to do a
latex cosplay of R2-D2, then I was
lucky to be given the chance to
do more by Shhh! Couture Latex,
who contacted me asking me if
I was interested in cosplaying in
their Stormtrooper creation.
There was no way I was going
to say no to the opportunity to
do a Stormtrooper cosplay with
my signature latex twists! This
has led on to me doing Boba Fett,
Slave Leia, Chewbacca (yes its
possible) and C3P0 all in latex.
I guess my playaspect
comes with going outside the
box and not always going for
accurate cosplay (though
I do do them, I promise check
out my Harley Quinn, Slave
Leia and Leeloo Dallas), I
tend to play more with the
creative boundaries.
2
THE HAIR &
MAKE-UP
I have to be honest, there
is not much to say on it, as I am
only wearing liquid eyeliner and
mascara. As for the hair, I just
was really determined to get
blonde/white hair, so I could
channel my inner Targaryen.
3
THE HELMET
I was very lucky to borrow
this from my friend Abi.
Its an eFx from Star Wars:
Episode IV A New Hope. I
wish it was my own; it was an
absolute joy to be able to use it
for the shoot, and it has urged
me to save more pennies aside
so I can get my own from eFx.
However, every bit of money I
end up saving goes on my Harley
Quinn collection
4
THE COSTUME
The material is latex, and
was made by Shh! Couture
Latex. Everything is custom-
made latex is best when made
to measure so there is no way
to get the t wrong unless you
provide incorrect measurements
or misjudge your patterns.
Honestly, I dont view my
cosplays as sexy; I view them
as a latex-clad derp, playing
superheroes and slightly thinking
outside the box. Cosplay is all
about having fun and cosplaying
things you love whether it
results in an accurate rendition
or your own little twist!
Send your cosplay to @SciFiNow
or Facebook.com/SciFiNow
STORMTROOPER (STAR WARS)
COSPLAYER: LADY NOCTIS FROM: MANCHESTER PHOTO: KITTY KEMS PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE: LADYNOCTIS.CO.UK FACEBOOK: /LADYNOCTISOFFICIAL TWITTER: @LADYNOCTIS
1
3
4
2
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TRIVIA THERE HAVE BEEN STAR WARS CELEBRATION EVENTS IN THE USA, EUROPE AND JAPAN. WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
THAT IS THE QUES1iox
Many people know about
v.||..s|.|-.-.--.
famou{ encounter with
the Doctor at the Globe
Theatre in 1599. But what
few people know (though
many have {u{pected)
i{ that it wa{ not the
fir{t time they met.
BIG MOVIE
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
020 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
AN UNEXPECTED BOX-OFFICE TRIUMPH,
2011S RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
REINVIGORATED THE MYTH, NOT WITH THE
THUNDER OF TIM BURTONS FAILED REBOOT,
BUT WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EMPATHY. WE
SPEAK TO THE CREATORS OF DAWN OF THE
PLANET OF THE APES TO DISCOVER HOW
THEY TURNED A SLEEPER HIT INTO A FULL-
BLOWN FRANCHISE WORDS EDWARD GROSS
DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Gorilla Warfare
| 021
S
uch is the musing of Dawn Of The Planet
Of The Apes director Matt Reeves, who
found himself drawn to the project through
a combination of his fascination with this
particular family story and a self-proclaimed
obsession with all things Apes.
What this reimagining of the franchise has
done, he says of the new series of lms that began in
2011 with Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, is get into
the emotional life of the apes. I nd that so exciting, and
for me one of the reasons it was so exciting is that in the
interim between watching Rise and preparing to come in
and talk to them about this lm, Id had a son and I just
suddenly saw, in Caesar, my son.
He saw that there was an inherent intelligence
there; an understanding of so much going on around
him, but at the same time an inability to put any of that
into words.
There was something about that that I found so
exciting and so compelling, he explains, and there
are other moments when he would act in the most
instinctual and impulsive way, and it would remind me
that we are animals. And thats the great thing about the
I THINK ITS AN EPIC
STORY. ITS LIKE
THE GODFATHER
W
ITH APES. ITS A
M
YTHIC, GRAND,
FAM
ILY STORY.
BIG MOVIE
022 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
O
ne of the coolest elements that came out in the
trailers for Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
was the reveal of Caesar and other apes on
horseback a direct reference to the original
Planet Of The Apes, in which the rst shot audiences
were given of apes was gorillas on horseback.
That was all Matt Reeves,enthuses producer
Dylan Clark. I remember when we were in that
location and looking at these giant doors this was a
walkthrough of the sets. Matt put his hands up, spread
them apart and made this noise [whinnying] as the
doors were opening, and then he pointed and said,
Apes! Apes on fucking horses! Can you see it?And
the idea was awesome.
Adds a gleeful Reeves, We didnt have the normal
amount of prep time youd have for a movie of this
scale, so I barely did any pre-viz. There was no time
for it. But we had that set, and I was literally working
with [screenwriter] Mark Bomback to reconceive that
sequence from the original where the apes show up.
We were on set and I said, God, wouldnt it be great
if you saw Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman seeing the
apes from above and below? If we could just have the
huge doors open and there are the apes on horseback
just waiting for them. I said, Sounds like a trailer,
doesnt it?And they used it as a trailer moment!
Which just added to the surreal nature of this whole
project for him. I remember when I was doing this,
Reeves states, and JJ Abrams was getting ready to
do Star Wars. We basically said that if anybody ever
told us when we were kids we met when we were 13
and used to make 8mm movies together that one
day he would be making a Star Wars lm and I would
be making a Planet Of The Apes lm, I think our heads
would have exploded.
The apes on horseback
provides a nod to the
iconic original lm.
Planet Of The Apes franchise the big thing
about the metaphor is that its supposed
to be what if the animals took over? But we
are animals. Seeing what Andy Serkis did as
Caesar and the way that Weta realised him,
and connecting that to my son, made this
whole experience connect with me on a very
personal level. Seeing that child come into
being thats what I was interested in seeing
in the apes.
For producer Dylan Clark, a guiding force
behind the relaunched franchise from the
beginning, the lms are also symbolic of the
very real fact that the world is coming down
around us and that we are, in essence, the
instigators of our own demise.
I remember when we were making
Rise, says Clark, [director] Rupert Wyatt
and I were in some airport, and it was
right during the BP oil spill in the Gulf,
and I said that what was amazing to
me is that these arseholes can nd out
exactly from an engineering and technical
standpoint how to put pipes all the way
down there and drill into oil, yet they dont
have a mechanism to turn it off. That is
The story behind Dawns biggest
fan-pleasing story element
Gorilla Warfare
| 023
Jason Clarke plays
Malcolm, the leader of
the surviving humans.
mankind right there, and thats what fed
into Rise. We liked the idea of some scientist
pushing a virus this way to try to eradicate
Alzheimers. I get that thats something
scientists would do if they could, but of
course, in this case they push the genie so
far out of the bottle that they cant put it back
in. Like I said, thats mankind, and thats
why these movies work.
In Dawn, which takes place a decade
after the events of the rst lm, Caesar
(Andy Serkis) had led his fellow apes
into something of an idyllic existence, as
theyve been building their society from
the ground up. Believing that humanity
has been wiped out by the aforementioned
virus, they are stunned to discover a band of
human survivors (played by, among others,
Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell
and Kodi Smit-McPhee). A fragile peace is
reached between them, but it proves to be
short-lived as both sides are brought to the
brink of a war that, according to the studio,
will determine who will emerge as Earths
dominant species. The answer to that one is
fairly obvious.
W
HEN DAWN WAS PUT INTO
DEVELOPMENT, IT WAS EXPECTED
THAT WYATT WOULD BE RETURNING AS
DIRECTOR, AND THAT RICK JAFFA AND
Amanda Silver from Rise would be scripting.
Indeed, the process started that way, but
changed relatively quickly, largely because
of the speed at which Fox wanted the lm in
theatres. At about the same time that Reeves
was brought aboard, he was joined by writer
Mark Bomback, who explains that early on
the script had much more of a focus on the
human characters. While he understood
the rationale of such an approach, he didnt
necessarily agree with it.
A viral apocalypse is such a traumatic
thing that the instinct is to have empathy
with the survivors and invest yourself very
fully in their story, Bomback proposes, and
then the apes became a problem they were
contending with. Thats how the rst drafts
were going. Matts take, which for me was a
revelation, said, No, it should be the apes
story, and the humans are the problems that
the apes are contending with. And what we
really ended up with is that its both of their
stories, which each one is providing not
necessarily an antagonist, but a dilemma for
the other side to deal with. In repositioning
the storyline to an ape point of view, it did
two things. One, it made it fresh and original
and unlike anything that preceded it, and
two, it capitalised on how tremendously
effective the Caesar plot was in Rise.
Everyone who is a fan of that lm, at least
in my experience, got most excited in those
moments where you saw Caesar become a
leader, and really sort of being the catalyst
for everything thats going to unfold in the
world of the planet of the apes. And rather
than having him just be a character in the
story, lets continue on Caesars journey.
As a result, he elaborates, everything in
the story is in relation to whats happening
for Caesar. In the last lm it was about
Caesar becoming a leader, and in this lm
its about him coming to grips with exactly
how to be the most effective leader he can
be. He has a huge sense of responsibility
towards these apes; they are his family
now, and he has, in a sense, led them out
of captivity and into the wilderness. All
THE LAST
FILM WAS
ABOUT CAESAR
BECOMING A
LEADER, AND THIS
FILM IS ABOUT
HIM COMING
TO GRIPS WITH
EXACTLY HOW
TO BE THE MOST
EFFECTIVE LEADER
HE CAN BE
MARK BOMBACK
BIG MOVIE
024 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
he wants to do is deliver on the promise
hes made to them: to give them a society
thats worthy of, for lack of a better word,
their new species. Theyre not simply apes;
theyre this new generation of apes that
have a human communication to them that
had never existed on the planet before, so
the question, really, is what is the best way
for that society to thrive? All of which falls
on Caesar.
Clark describes the society as a
kingdom, and this lm as having an ape
point of view, largely because Caesar
and his people have no idea initially that
any humans have survived the virus.
Their society, he explains, is a majestic
place, and its working. Its pushing forward
with the growth of a new civilisation.
Theres architecture, theres design, theres
creativity. Caesar has created a home,
and its beautiful because we know that
emotionally its been earned. We know
what theyve been through. And Caesar is
the great patriarch, but of course, this is a
movie where conicts occur; where humans
and apes are forced to deal with each other.
And thus begins a really hard journey for
Caesar to navigate, because humans cant be
trusted completely.
Feeling a need to ignore the fact that
audiences would be aware that there were
humans in the lm from its marketing,
Reeves wanted to begin Dawn with the
notion that this was a world with apes as
the dominant species, and that there were
no humans.
In the beginning, we watch them in their
tribal phase, he reveals. Its like 2001: A
Space Odyssey, only instead of seeing the
dawn of man, were seeing the dawn of
apes. I just thought that would be incredibly
exciting. It would also be terrifying to watch
because theyre so primal, but then we get
into their souls and start to connect to them
emotionally. And then you realise whats at
stake: this world that matters to them, these
relationships that matter. That Caesar is not
only a patriarch and father to the apes, but
hes literally a father. Hes got a son, a wife,
and all of the things that matter to all of us.
Then we realise that there are some humans
left, and its a question of survival. I thought
that this was the moment where you could
explore whether or not and we know it
doesnt work out in the end this could
have been a planet of humans and apes if
they could nd a way to live together; where
tolerance could have worked out. Whats
going to undo that?
I thought that would be a great story,
a grand, epic Western where the question
of violence lives under every scene, but
at the same time its got heart. In that sense,
its not about, Here are the apes, lets
destroy them, or Here are the humans,
lets go destroy them. Its like, Hey, were
both trying to survive. Can we do that
together, or does one have to destroy the
other in order to survive? Its like were on a
razors edge, and the stakes on both sides
are very emotional.
Whether ape or human, it was important,
explains Bomback, that there be a sense of
reality and society (to whatever degree is
possible) for each.
In this lm, youre still in the experience
with Caesar, but now also this much
What iconic
monuments have
been bashed in by
sci-?
ITS LIKE 2001: A SPACE
ODYSSEY, ONLY INSTEAD
OF SEEING THE DAWN OF
MAN, WERE SEEING THE
DAWN OF APES
DYLAN CLARK
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STATUE OF LIBERTY
Location: NewYork, USA
Built: 1886
Destroyed in: Planet Of The Apes (1968),
Ghostbusters (1984), Superman IV: The Quest
For Peace (1987), Independence Day (1996),
Deep Impact (1998), A Man Called Hero (1999),
Clovereld (2008), Oblivion (2013)
BIG BEN
Location: London, United Kingdom
Built: 1859
Destroyed: Gorgo (1961), Independence Day
(1996), The Avengers (1998), Reign of Fire (2002),
The Day After Tomorrow(2004), V For Vendetta
(2005), GI Joe: Retaliation (2013)
EIFFEL TOWER
Location: Paris, France
Built: 1889
Destroyed in: The War Of The Worlds (1953),
Independence Day (1996), Mars Attacks!
(1996), Armageddon (1998), GI Joe: The Rise Of
Cobra (2009)
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
Location: NewYork, USA
Built: 1883
Destroyed in: Godzilla (1998), Deep Impact
(1998), I AmLegend (2007), Clovereld (2008),
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Built: 1885
Destroyed in: Earth Vs the Flying Saucers
(1956), Superman II (1980), Mars Attacks! (1996),
2012 (2012)
MOUNT RUSHMORE
Location: Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Built: 1941
Destroyed in: Superman II (1980), Mars
Attacks! (1996)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Built: 1800
Destroyed in: Independence Day (1996),
2012 (2012)
YOU MANIACS!
YOU BLEW IT UP!
Gorilla Warfare
| 025
Production designer James
Chinlund on building a world
without man
What drew you to the project?
As a production designer, I am most excited
about the opportunity to enter a world I have
never experienced before and explore its rules
and mechanics. When I travel for work, I have
this opportunity in a practical way of going
into a new city, meeting the people who live
there and seeing how their world functions.
This translates to the visual side of my job as
well in that each lm requires its own set of
rules that dene the world visually.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes was
simply an incredible opportunity to dene a
world no one has ever seen before, to think
like an ape and extrapolate how they would
dene their burgeoning civilisation, setting the
launching point for a new world. Its one of the
most unique opportunities I can imagine!
From a production design point of view,
Rise was pretty much set in our real world.
What did the ten-year leap forward in time
afford you in terms of design?
Since we last saw the world in Rise, Earth has
gone through a tremendous transformation.
The idea that humans have been almost
entirely eliminated from the planet allowed us
to explore what might happen if the Earth was
allowed time to heal itself. Our research led us
to realise that the natural world would quite
quickly start attacking the constructions of
man and degrading them: streets paved
in plant life, wildlife moving back into the
cities, etc.
I was super-excited about the visual
potential of these ideas and being able to
represent a human world being erased by
nature as the apes began the process of
carving out their own world within it.
What were the nature of the creative
conversations between you and
Matt Reeves?
Matt came at the lm with the most ferocious
intensity, and was such an inspiring energy for
me to be around. From our very rst moments
of conversation, it was clear that we were
locked in the pursuit of an epic yet entirely
grounded look at the world through the eyes
of the apes. We wanted every stitch of lm
to feel plausible and based on a logic that
seamlessly wove itself through the fabric of
the movie.
Narratively and in the construction of
the story, Matt was relentless in bringing
a humanity to the apes, a complete
representation of their emotional life and the
structures that dened their civilisation. This
challenged me to meet his effort in the visual
construction of their world, really assuming
the mind of the apes and trying to dene their
world in a truthful and grounded way.
Hopefully, we have created an epic
representation of a world at the tipping point,
being handed back to nature at the end of the
reign of man a visual representation of the
end of the world as we know it and the birth of
a new civilisation.
BIG MOVIE
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WHERE NEXT
FOR THE PLANET
OF THE APES?
Writer Mark Bomback
teases the third lm
in the franchise
O
n some level, throughout
the production of Rise and
Dawn and no doubt it
will continue with 2016s
third entry there has been
the feeling on the part of the
lmmakers that these movies
will inevitably lead to the world
of 1968s Planet Of The Apes.
Not in terms of story, but in the
ultimate disposition of apes and
humans on the food chain.
Were trying to get back to
the franchise a little bit more
in tone,says writer Mark
Bomback, and its tricky. In
some ways, in Dawn we left
the immediately recognisable
presence of the last lm, and
now we are in this sort of
alternate future. Even though
its the immediate future, that
landscape lends itself a little
more easily to the spectacle of
the franchise.
What were trying to do
and it remains to be seen if
were successful is nd our
way back to the world of the
1968 lm, not necessarily in its
specics, but in the notion that
the apes will evolve to that state
of culture and that humans will
be subject to them. So in this
lm we were very conscious of
that type of iconography. The
trick, which I think we were
successful at, is making it feel
relatable to the Planet Of The
Apes that everyone knows,
but also to the lm that just
preceded it.
It feels like a logical and
organic extension of what was
going on, but at the same time
it doesnt feel like too big of a
leap to get to that place. On
the ipside, you start to have a
sense of where theyre going to
wind up.
By the point, the
apes have their own
functioning society.
larger group that we introduced in the
last lm, like Rocket, Maurice and Koba
who, next to Caesar, is probably the
most interesting character in the lm. Hes
certainly the most complex next to Caesar, if
not as complex.
As originally developed in the early days
of Dawn, there would have been something
of a civil war brewing between the apes,
with Caesar on one side and Koba on the
other. Ultimately, that idea was jettisoned in
favour of something else that the lmmakers
thought would have more resonance.
When we meet Caesar and Koba in
this lm, one of the surprises is theyve
become almost like brothers, says
Bomback. Which, if youre making any
assumptions about Kobas personality,
youll be surprised by. What I think their
brotherhood up to this point of the lms
shows is just how brilliant a leader Caesar
has been. He could take someone like Koba,
who was clearly damaged in Rise, and take
great strides in repairing his psychology by
giving him this ape community. So ideally,
their brotherhood will be a testimony to
Caesars effectiveness as a leader when the
lm begins. I mean, there is a way to tell a
story where you sort of go to the immediate
place that the last lm took you, but when
were moving forward ten years a lot of
things can happen.
To me as a lmgoer, he adds, I
love those kinds of surprises where the
assumptions I make about certain characters
are upended right out of the gate. And I
think the most successful TV series are
doing this as well, where youll enter a new
season and be very surprised how characters
have evolved since the last time youve seen
them. Think about everyones life a lot can
happen in a year, so in ten years there are
a lot of things that are happening, and part
of the fun of entering Dawn is that guessing
game of what we are going to learn about
how things have evolved. I think the way
Matt divulges that information in the rst
10 or 15 minutes of the lm is spectacular.
There are a lot of little steps in walking you
through just how much it has changed for
the apes, and I think its totally immersive.
For me personally, one movie that was in
my head when I began working on it was
Apocalypto, where it was so immersive
and its a brand new culture that you nd
yourself understanding in a way thats
gratifying, because you would assume it
would be foreign to you. I hope a similar
experience is in the beginning of Dawn,
where you are immersed in the ape society,
and again, step by step you start to realise
how specic, unique and ape-centric a world
theyve built for themselves.
C
OMING INTO THAT WORLD, OF COURSE,
ARE THE AFOREMENTIONED HUMAN
SURVIVORS. JASON CLARKES MALCOLM
HAS A BACKGROUND IN ENGINEERING AND
architecture from his time when he was a
citizen of a normal world. Alongside him is
Gary Oldmans Dreyfus, a former chief of
police in San Francisco.
The two of them, Bomback observes,
have managed to co-found a community
of survivors after years and years of terrible
strife and all sorts of horric breakdowns in
terms of human society. So in a sense theres
a mirroring going on in terms of Caesar and
his allies and how Dreyfus and Malcolm
rely on each other. Malcolm is romantically
involved with Ellie, played by Keri Russell,
who was a nurse who was very active with
the CDC when the virus rst broke out.
CAESAR HAS CREATED A HOME, AND ITS BEAUTIFUL
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT EMOTIONALLY ITS
BEEN EARNED DYLAN CLARK
Gorilla Warfare
| 027
Malcolm has a child named Alexander
from his wife, who is long dead, and theres
the notion that Alexander is the thing
thats allowed Malcolm to regain his sanity
through the viral apocalypse. He became
the thing Malcolm was doing this for to
create a future for his son, who witnessed
one of the worst things imaginable: the virus
that took his mother and everyone else. So
theres a lot of reliance on the people you
trust and love to forge ahead and make a
new civilisation on both sides.
When each side becomes aware of the
other, the age-old question emerges: is this
world big enough for the both of them?
Moreover, to what extent do old suspicions,
prejudices and deep-seeded animosities on
both sides guide them?
Dont forget, points out the writer, the
humans blame the apes for the fact that they
lost everyone. All they know is that a band of
apes escaped and suddenly everyone started
to die. So theres a real deep level of mistrust
on both sides; the view that the other is an
immediate threat to their survival, and really,
both sides are existing with the mindset that
survival is paramount. There is nothing more
important than survival, and they will stop
at nothing.
For Reeves, one of his intentions for
the lm was to imbue it with a sense of
optimism, despite the fatalism that has
been an earmark of this series since the day
Charlton Hestons George Taylor collapsed
before the remains of the Statue of Liberty at
the conclusion of the 1968 original.
One of the central questions of the story
is Can we avoid violence? he says. The
thing is, we have to ght against violence
against that part of our nature but at the
same time it is a part of our nature. That
battle is always going to be an ebb and ow.
Theres this doomed aspect of things that live
under all of the Planet Of The Apes movies.
Theres also this kind of very poignant and
powerful will to ght against that sort of
fatalism: the idea that we can somehow rise
above that. There are some moments in
this movie where you see the connection
between humans and apes, and it becomes
very poignant, because you see ways where
it could work. Thats what makes the story
emotional, because if you didnt have that,
it would just be relentlessly grim, and you
would just indulge in either the destruction
of the humans or the apes. I thought the
story is so resonant and powerful in that
it really only works when you see the
connection as well as the disconnection.
That sense of doom lives under everything,
but at the same time theres also this sense
of yearning for it to work.
This is going to sound very lofty, Reeves
concludes with a laugh, but when you
think of three-act structure with a beginning,
middle and end, the reason it resonates
with us is that our lives are a beginning,
middle and an end. The redemption comes
through moments of meaningfulness, for
the moments of connection. Our lms
trajectory is towards the original Planet Of
The Apes, but along the way its about the
connections that are made, the relationships
that matter and the things that are worth
ghting for, even in the face of destruction.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes will be
released in cinemas on 17 July.
A
s originally conceived, Dawn Of The Planet
Of The Apes was going to feature the ape
society evolved far beyond where it had
been at the conclusion of Rise.
Im not sure what the original timeframe
was,says Matt Reeves, but the apes level of
articulation was incredibly advanced. It was a
lot more in the spirit of where things get to if
you were imagining this would lead, in some
kind of weird parallel way, back to the 1968 lm.
It wasnt quite that far, but pretty far along.
They were pretty eloquent. I wanted them to
be eloquent in instinctual expression, but not in
their verbal abilities.
What I loved about that rst movie was
watching Andy Serkis as Caesar think, putting
things together, feeling the emotion welling
within him and him trying to nd a way to deal
with it all. I think the idea of skipping all of that
is to miss what is delicious about it. We all know
where it ends up it becomes Planet Of The
Apes so then the journey is how do we get
there? Thats what I was interested in; it was like,
Guys, take your time with it, and they were on
board with that, thankfully.
Matt Reeves reveals the Dawn
Of The Planet Of The Apes we
could have seen
Dawn chronicles Caesars
rise as leader of the apes.
BIG MOVIE
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// These gorilla enforcers are the muscle behind the
apes rule. Charlton Heston and his teams illusion of
having found a new Garden of Eden is shattered when
the soldiers arrive to break up the party. Not only do
these damn dirty apes have modern weapons; theyre
also on horseback, rounding up the hapless humans
with brutal efciency to be taken into slavery. Later lms
would continue to use gorillas as the muscle for the more
thoughtful apes, while Beneath The Planet Of The Apes
primary antagonist would be the gorilla General Ursus,
with his controversial opinion that the only good human is
a dead human.
// Chimpanzees are the Planet Of The Apes series
doctors and scientists, as their keen intellects probe the
mystery of Charlton Hestons astronaut. Chief among
these intellectual simians is the kindly Doctor Zira, played
by Kim Hunter, who is fascinated by Taylors apparent
intelligence. She and anc Cornelius are scientists rst
and foremost, and theyre prepared to put Taylor through
some very demeaning procedures until he reveals his
ability to talk. Finally, they help him on his mission to nd
the Forbidden Zone, and despite his being so damn ugly,
she gives him a kiss goodbye. Later sequels continued to
explore her good nature, and even gave her a child.
// The hierarchy of the original Planet Of The Apes
lms reaches its pinnacle with the Orangutans, the
politicians who govern this society. Both a scientist and
one of the most prominent gures in the religious system,
Dr Zaius wisdom and reasonable demeanour mask a
willingness to do whatever it takes to conceal the truth.
He knows exactly what is in the Forbidden Zone and how
important it is that Taylor, Zira and Cornelius dont nd
it. His maliciousness goes as far as lobotomising Taylors
fellow astronauts and accusing the chimpanzees of heresy.
He may occasionally be conicted, but hes a rm believer
that humans are an evil to be kept subordinate.
CHARTING THE EVOLUTION OF APE
SOCIETY ACROSS THE SERIES
Damn Dirty Apes!
| 029
// Tim Burtons adaptation of Planet Of The
Apes may have been a colossal mess, but theres no
denying the fact that there was a well-thought out ape
hierarchy and society to be found, from Tim Roths vicious
General Thade and Paul Giamattis sneaky human trader
to Helena Bonham Carters irty human rights activist.
Still, theres really no explanation for the lms nale,
in which Mark Wahlbergs astronaut returns to Earth,
only to nd that its now a Planet of the Apes too. If the
statue of monkey Abraham Lincoln wasnt enough, theres
an armed Gorilla Police Department there to drive the
point home.
// After Tim Burtons nightmare, the clock was reset
with Rupert Wyatts excellent Rise Of The Planet Of The
Apes, which brought the series back to the present with
a new scenario for the simian takeover. James Francos
brilliant young scientist Will Rodman is working on a cure
for Alzheimers in an attempt to save his father, and his
experiments on chimpanzee Bright Eyes lead to her child
Caesar inheriting her intelligence. Will takes baby Caesar
home, where he learns sign language, as well as forming
a bond with Will and his father. When Caesars violent
temper leads to him being sent to a cruel primate facility,
the stage is set for his escape and uprising.
// Its been ten years since the events in San Francisco
took place, and Caesar has continued to grow into his
role as the leader of the ape revolution. A fragile truce
between humans and apes hangs in the balance as Caesar
must decide on what the best course of action is for his
people. Not only is he the leader of his clan; hes also
now a husband and father, having married chimpanzee
Cornelia (Judy Greer). Will his affection for humanity
help or hinder him? The trailer shows the character
on horseback in a thrilling callback to the original
series, suggesting that this could be the lm in which
everything changes.
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
Just because its the end of the world, it doesnt mean
you should put your holiday plans on hold! Our guide
tells you where to go, what to see and how to avoid
being eaten by cannibals. Grab your crossbow, and
nd out why the end is just the beginning
The Post-
Apocalypse
A VISITORS GUIDE TO
KEY
KODAK
MOMENT
OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES
GET AWAY
FROM IT ALL
FINE DINING
ROAD TRIP
WILD PARTIES
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DOOMED PLANET
A Visitors Guide To The Post-Apocalypse
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Ruined America
THE ROAD (2009)
Have you ever wanted to really get to the heart of
Americas heartland without worrying about hordes of
tourists ruining the atmosphere? Do you wish you could
show your son the country without him going on about
videogames and how bored he is? The ruined landscape
of these United States provides the perfect opportunity for
some father-son (or daughter) bonding, as youll be relying
on each other to survive. The ash-coated landscape is just
stunning to look at, and youll work on your wilderness
skills as you break into houses, avoid cannibal gangs and
ponder the morality of forcing a lone thief to strip. After all,
its just you and him out there, carrying the re.
BUY: Pray you nd a single can of Coca-Cola. Your
kids wont have had it before, and the simple joy
of those sweet, sweet bubbles will move you both
to tears.
EAT: Eat whatever you can nd. Tinned goods are
like gold dust here, but if were being honest, the
important thing is making sure that you arent on
the menu.
SEE: Gaze upon the burnt-out ruins of civilisation.
Forests, cities everything burned, and its really quite
beautiful to look at.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: You have to get to the
coast; everything depends on getting to the coast.
PACK: A gun is useful but loud, so wed recommend a
knife or bow to avoid attracting roving gangs.
BEWARE: Cannibals. We really cant stress this
enough. Dont accept help from them, and be really
careful when going into basements.
Ape City
PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
Do you want to explore a society that is completely
different to our own? Things dont get much more different
than the dizzyingly unique Planet of the Apes! This is
perfect for anyone looking to lose themselves in a foreign
culture and learn about who they are in the process (were
looking at you, gap year students). Anyone approaching
this experience with an air of superiority wont get the
most out of it, and we would advise you to make sure that
the locals recognise you as intelligent as soon as possible,
as there is a chance that you will be incarcerated and
threatened with castration. However, if youre looking for
your razors edge experience, look no further.
BUY: This isnt really a holiday for big spenders,
but if youre looking for alternative fashions you
can accessorise with a ne leather necklace thats
denitely not a collar.
EAT: Vegetarians are welcome in Ape City, as youll
nd many of the human residents working in the elds
to supply their rulers with delicious local produce.
SEE: Dont go without popping into Ape Citys Natural
History Museum, where youll be sure to nd any of
your party who couldnt keep up.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: You simply must take a
scenic horseback ride to the Forbidden Zone. You might
just be surprised by what you nd.
PACK: Bring a pen and paper, and a packet of throat
sweets. If you lose your voice, these will be vital for
proving your intelligence.
BEWARE: Apes on horseback. Dont waste time
asking how this happened; just run.
Keep an eye out for tinned food.
Its best not to get in the native
apes bad books.
Remember, youre the one
carrying the re.
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Monroeville Mall
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
When theres no more room in hell, theres really nothing
else to do except hole up in a secure and well-stocked
location, and where better than the mall? This holiday
package is the perfect choice for all the shopaholics out
there why should the end of the world mean that you
shouldnt treat yourself? Granted, youll have to purge
the mall of the all the undead customers, but once thats
taken care of youll have until the end of the world to enjoy
all the consumerist joys America has to offer. Just forget
about whats going on outside unless, of course, the
zombies get in. Dont let them get in.
BUY: Grab whatever you want! Hit the mall and go on
a shopping spree no ones going to stop you! Just
make sure you close the doors behind you.
EAT: Theres no shortage of dining options, but
obviously youre going to want to get on the
perishables rst; thats just common sense.
SEE: Its worth going up to the roof and taking a look
at the ever-growing zombie horde desperately trying
to get in. Quite a sight.
PACK: Youll be able to nd most of what you need in
the mall, but wed recommend taking a gun with you.
Also, fuel for the chopper.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: Taking a dramatic pause to
decide whether its worth escaping. Your friends will be
all the more happy to see you,
BEWARE: Pointing out the zombies seems a bit too
obvious, so wed ask you to beware of roving gangs
looking for a place to crash. Theyll ruin everything.
The Outback
MAD MAX 2 (1981)
When it comes to ruined desert landscapes, theres this
assumption that America is the best place to go. Wrong. If
you want to embrace wide-open spaces and innite speed
possibilities then hit the Outback. For a reasonable fee,
we can get you on a package tour with our very own Road
Warrior, Mr Mad Max Rockatansky. If youre looking for
a survivalist thrill, theres a good chance youll run into the
Humungus and his Marauders. Max will take you on the
ride of your life for as long as youve got enough gas.
BUY: Dont skimp when buying Maxs protection. Hes
a mean son of a bitch, but hell get the job done.
EAT: Haute cuisine isnt exactly the order of the
day here, so get in touch with your inner animal by
chowing down on some quality tinned dog food.
SEE: Theres not a lot of variety when it comes to the
vast open expanse of the Outback, but its certainly
something you must see before you die.
PACK: Bring gasoline. If you run out of gas, you die.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: You have to get into at least
one good car chase. Its the highlight of any of Mad
Maxs tours, and we cant recommend it highly enough.
BEWARE: Every guidebook will tell you to watch out
for the Marauders, and with good reason. Theyll never
stop chasing you.
Mad Max Rockatansky is a
reliable source of protection.
Hole yourself up in the mall for a true
taste of the zombie apocalypse.
| 033
Quarantined
Scotland
DOOMSDAY (2008)
The Reaper virus was one of the darkest chapters in
Britains history, but were quite condent thats all over
now. Scotland may have been cordoned off by a new
Hadrians Wall, but that makes this thrilling survival
adventure all the more challenging. Youll be taken across
the border in an APC and over to Glasgow, where the
whole thing began. Make your way across the Eighties
gangland of the city centre, brave the medieval kingdom
of the Highlands and get in a good car chase as you rush
to make your helicopter out. The whole experience is so
exotic youll swear youre in South Africa, not Scotland.
BUY: Information. Youll know next to nothing about
your environment before entry, so its worth shelling
out to nd out where youre going.
EAT: Stick to the rations youre given. The locals might
try to sell you barbecued meat, but trust us, you dont
want it.
SEE: Hes an unpredictable fellow, but theres no
denying that gang leader Sol puts on a hell of a show,
and hes got a killer playlist.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: Putting your hand-to-hand
combat skills to the test in Dr Kanes combat arena!
BEWARE: The people left on the other side of the wall
might have survived the virus, but wed encourage
carrying a bottle of anti-bac. You dont want it.
Future France
DELICATESSEN (1991)
Dont let the apocalypse put you off taking that trip to
France you always dreamt of; dig out that phrase book
and pack your appetite! Granted, France isnt quite the
destination it once was, and nding accommodation is
going to be tricky, but there are rooms available if you
can earn your keep. Wed recommend looking at local
businesses like a butchers shop, for example. Theres a
really great sense of community to be found, as everyone
pitches in to make sure that theres food on the table. We
would recommend that vegetarians look elsewhere, as you
might nd yourself on the dinner menu.
BUY: Sadly in this day and age, youre going to be
spending most of your Euros on a place to stay and
something to eat. Dont ask what the meat is.
EAT: Theres not a lot of food to go round, so wed
suggest eating what youre given. Vegetarians are
always welcome to try the sewer.
SEE: The economic crisis means that many
entertainers offer their talents in exchange for room
and board. Louisons clown show is certainly worth
checking out.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: If youre looking for a thrill,
wed recommend heading underground for a chance to
meet rebel vegetarians the Troglodistes.
BEWARE: We hate to have to say this, but if your
new landlord seems a little too pleased to see you, he
might be planning to murder and eat you.
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FIRST AID KIT
1
An obvious choice
perhaps, and it seems
redundant to even
mention it, but do you
really want to be the one
in the post-apocalypse
who forgot to bring the
rst-aid kit?
KENDAL MINT CAKE
2
If it can get you up
mountains then it
can get you through
the apocalypse. Any
energy-rich sugary snack
would probably do, in
fairness, but wed go for
the Kendal Mint Cake
every time.
FLARE GUN
3
Its absolutely
imperative that
you and your team
stick together, so keep
sight of each other with
your are gun. It can
also be used to shoot
a cannibal in the face
if necessary.
TWO-WAY RADIO
4
If you absolutely
must split up, keep in
touch with a two-way
radio. Its particularly
handy if youre in the
process of trying to
locate fellow survivors
who might have found
safe haven.
PASSPORT
5
Theres always a
very short window
in which you can get
out of the impending
apocalypse through
civilised, bureaucratic
channels, so be sure to
keep your papers handy.
PENKNIFE
6
There are few
tools in your post-
apocalyptic survival
pack that are more
useful than the trusty
penknife. All those tinned
goods wont be any good
to anyone if you cant
open the bloody things.
SUNBLOCK
7
Even if youre one of
those people who
claims they dont
burn, trust us; youre
going to want to cover
up in the ultraviolet
furnace that is the
post-apocalyptic
desert landscape.
GEIGER COUNTER
8
Youve made
it through the
blast and waited
patiently for the fall-
out to be over, but only
the foolish would leave
the bunker without
a Geiger counter in
their backpack.
DOOMED PLANET
The Troglodistes can
prove to be a good laugh.
The Reaper virus has made
Scotland a no-go area.
PACK WELL
& SURVIVE
Remember the basic kit for any post-
apocalyptic holiday maker
1
3
2
4
5
6
7
8
034 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
The Domed City
LOGANS RUN (1976)
Pacic Playland
ZOMBIELAND (2009)
The zombie plague happened, and its safe to say that
we werent ready for it. Still, if youve made it this far,
its safe to assume that youve got a set of rules for
your own survival, so why not put them to the test
and have some fun? Zombieland is the ultimate adventure
for action junkies, with an entire nation of undead esh
eaters waiting for you to shoot, run over or set on re.
So gas up your 4x4, grab your incredibly illegal rearms
and make sure youve got your checklist with you. We
also recommend Zombieland for team-building exercises,
as facing the end of the world is always more fun in
a group.
BUY: We mean buy in the metaphorical sense,
but its worth earning the trust of a teammate.
Trust us when we say that youre going to want
some backup.
EAT: Its important to stay buzzing and alert as you
make your way through Zombieland, so the high-
sugar content of Twinkies is the best choice.
SEE: The fairground joys of Pacic Playland have only
been slightly diminished by the infestation of zombies,
but the thrills have doubled!
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: Paying a visit to the homes
of Hollywoods best and brightest. You never know who
youll run into
BEWARE: This might sound like a no-brainer, but if
youre going to wear zombie make-up to blend in, make
sure your whole team knows about it.
If youre looking to enjoy the
post-apocalypse with attractive
pleasure-seekers such as yourself,
we recommend this beautiful
underground metropolis. Here, you
can relax and enjoy yourself, safe
in the knowledge than you wont
nd anyone over the age of 30 to
put a dampener on your good time.
If, for whatever reason, you nd
the connes of the subterranean
city stiing, then you can always
go outside and explore the ruins
of Washington DC. Just a word of
warning: we have been advised that
there is a trouble-making faction
who call themselves Runners, so if
you see anyone sprinting who looks
as though they might almost be 30,
please alert the authorities.
BUY: Jewellery lovers will have
a tremendous time, and weve
seen a few local residents sporting
beautiful ankh pendants.
EAT: Food is provided by the
helpful robot Box. Fish, plankton,
sea greens protein from the sea!
SEE: The Carrousel ceremony
is certainly something to behold;
a beautiful combination of light
and sound that will help you to
forget that its essentially all
about death.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: If
youre in shape, we would denitely
recommend the thrill of chasing
down a Runner.
BEWARE: Do make sure that your
30th birthday doesnt fall on one
of your holiday dates. That would
be unfortunate.
Its very much out with the
old in the Domed City.
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Snowpiercer
SNOWPIERCER (2013)
Deserted
New York
I AM LEGEND (2007)
Weve all pushed through the bustling city streets and
wished that all those annoying commuters and tourists
would simply vanish. Now, thanks to a cancer cure gone
horribly wrong, New York City is all yours. The virus may
have ravaged the Big Apple, but you can make the most of
it. Speed through the streets in a bright red sports car, hit
golf balls all the way down to Central Park or simply take a
relaxing stroll with your trusty dog at your side. If youre a
loner looking for a rambling holiday with a difference, this
urban explorer package is a must.
BUY: The shops will all be deserted, but if youre really
desperate you can always strike up a conversation
with a mannequin. No judgments.
EAT: Sadly, the great cuisine of New York City is off
the table, so you will be on canned goods rather than
pizza, but youre a survivor, right?
SEE: Loneliness can take its toll, so we would
recommend bringing a few DVDs or Blu-rays with
you. Watching something like Shrek can really turn
a day around.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT: This package is more
about soaking up the atmosphere than any specic
single experience, so just make sure you really
appreciate your isolation.
BEWARE: Make sure you lock all your doors and
windows tight; they come for you at night.
DOOMED PLANET
Earth has been locked in a never-
ending deep freeze, but theres
one holiday that never goes out
of style: the long-distance train
journey. Forget the Orient Express;
Snowpiercer will take you on a
never-ending trip around the globe,
and once youre on, youll never
want to get off! The operators have
two different packages available, and
we would suggest that those who
can afford it shell out a little extra
for a rst-class ticket. Youll have
ne dining, wildlife, relaxation and
recreation facilities, while lower class
does frankly leave a lot to be desired.
With the end of days upon us, its
vital to know your place in society,
and theres only a slight chance of a
rebellion taking the entire train. Hail
benevolent Wilford!
BUY: If you can afford it, most of
the pleasures you enjoyed before
the apocalypse are still available,
and recreational drug Kronol is
very more-ish.
EAT: First class passengers can
enjoy fresh sushi once a year, while
those in the back of the train are
given gelatinous green protein
bars. Mmm
SEE: History nuts might be
interested in the documentary
detailing Wilfords grand
design, otherwise wed simply
recommend gazing out at the
frozen planet.
DONT LEAVE WITHOUT:
You must pay a visit to the
engine room. Youll nd what
youre looking for and
more besides.
BEWARE: Keep an eye on your
kids, as the upper class passengers
have been known to arrive in
the rear and snatch adorable
young children.
Like Will Smiths Robert Neville, you can nd
some previous alone time in New York.
Its like the Trans-Siberian
Express, only a bit more fraught.
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BIG MOVIE
Transformers: Age Of Extinction
038 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
I KNEW NICOLA
PELTZ WOULD
BE A PAIN IN
MY ASS
MARK WAHLBERG
TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION
Big Trucking Robots
| 039
MARK WAHLBERG
AND THE CAST OF
TRANSFORMERS:
AGE OF EXTINCTION
ON HOW MICHAEL BAY
PUSHED THEM TO THE
EDGE ON THE BIGGEST
MOVIE OF 2014 AND
WHY WORKING WITH
A SWEARING TEDDY
PREPARED HIM FOR
MEETING OPTIMUS
PRIME
WORDS JODIE TYLEY INTERVIEWS STEVE NASH
T
RANSFORMERS ARE ONE SET OF TOYS THAT ARE WORTH MORE
MONEY OUTSIDE OF THE BOX THAN IF THEY WERE LEFT IN MINT
CONDITION MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE, IN FACT. WHEN THE
MAN WHO ENGINEERED ARMAGEDDON (1998) BEGAN PLAYING
WITH OVERSIZED SENTIENT ROBOTS, IT SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT
COMBUSTION OF RAW TESTOSTERONE, CHILDHOOD NOSTALGIA
AND CARS TO MAKE YOUR ENGINE PURR. NO MATTER HOW MANY
critics tried to cut the franchise down in its (Optimus) prime,
Michael Bay carried on playing in the sandpit regardless.
Not all of the toy parts are left intact, however; Megan Fox
became the rst casualty following a public spat where she
likened Bays directing style to that of Adolf Hitler, and now
Bumblebees bestie, Shia LaBeouf, is out of the picture. His
contract was up, and the franchise needed a new lick of paint
after shoddy third outing Dark Of The Moon. Speaking to The
Inquirer, Bay explained: I wanted to do one more. I knew that
the only way to make it work out was to reinvent the whole thing.
Theres a reason why we have a new cast its in the script.
Originally, the studio said, Lets just do it with another kid. I said,
No, because everyones going to compare that kid to Shia, whos
like magic lightning in a bottle. Hes one of a kind!
Hoping to reignite that spark for fans is Mark Wahlberg, who
plays Cade Yeager, a mechanic and loving father whos trying
to do right by his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz from TVs Bates
Motel). He repairs things for money, but hes an aspiring
inventor on the side, explains Wahlberg. Hes invented a lot that
he thought was going to be the next great thing, and they didnt
turn out that way, but he continues to try. His dream is to be able
to pull himself out of nancial trouble and send his daughter
to college, and all these things that seem to be impossible to
accomplish. The writers really took the time introducing a whole
new set of characters and circumstances, and they spent a lot of
time getting the script right and nailing that emotional anchor of
the movie.
The human cast is not the only shake-up in Age Of Extinction.
While Dark Of The Moon earned over $1 billion worldwide
the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time toy sales were
dwindling. According to TFW2005, Hasbro president and CEO/
Transformers producer Brian Goldner said it was because the
robotic line-up had stayed the same. This could be the reason
why Age Of Extinction will feature Dinobots battling alongside
the fearless leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime (voiced by
Peter Cullen), along with trusted lieutenant Bumblebee and
brave medic Ratchet (Robert Foxworth), who all survived the
battle of Chicago, among others yet to be revealed.
The planet Cybertron wasnt so lucky, however. When the
space bridge collapsed, it destroyed the Autobots homeworld
in the process, leaving them stranded on Earth, where theyre
no longer welcome. Humanitys hatred of these city-squishers
has forced them to go into hiding, and the fourth lm picks up in
present-day Texas, where Cade is wheeling a beat-up Freightliner
Cab-over engine Class 8 truck into his barn. But those spray-
painted ames are familiar, and Kelsey Grammers counter-
intelligence agent Harold Attinger thinks so too, prompting
040 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
him to order a bunch of federal agents to go after Optimus Prime.
Cinemagoers might smirk at the idea of a bunch of puny humans
going a mano-a-machino, but they have a super-sized secret weapon
up their sleeve: Galvatron. In past incarnations, this character was
usually an evolved version of Megatron, and the Decepticon leaders
recent destruction has sparked rumours that hell be resurrected in
this movie.
H
E WONT BE THE ONLY G1 ROBOT TO BE REVIVED. THE ANCIENT DINOBOTS
ARE SET TO MAKE THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE FRANCHISE,
INCLUDING T-REX GRIMLOCK, TWO-HEADED PTERANODONSWOOP
(RENAMED STRAFE) AND TRICERATOPS SLAG (RECHRISTENED SLUG,
for obvious reasons). If the new toyline is any indication, it looks
like theyll be joined by the controversial original creations of Scorn
(Spinosaurus) and Slash (Velociraptor), and some of the beasts
may even give the Autobots a ride into battle. From the recent
footage, however, it seems that Grimlock will take some persuading.
Unsurprisingly, his earth-shaking showdown with Optimus is one of
the most anticipated sequences of the movie.
It seems we just cant get enough of watching colossal robots beat
the nuts and bolts out of each other, And why not? I do, Wahlberg
weighs in. Its very entertaining to me. But especially with this
movie, because I think the story is something I can relate to, and these
are the kind of characters that I like to root for. Theres the ordinary
guy who has probably never been in a ght, who grew up in Texas
playing football, but now hes thrust into this situation where hes
having to battle and shoot guns, and hes starting to dig it!
Behind the scenes, however, it was a different story. I am not the
daredevil, or as reckless as I used to be, he admits. Standing on the
roof of a building in Hong Kong, 20 storeys up, standing on the ledge
and Michael is going, Run faster! And Im like, Dude! They are
throwing stuff at me and Michael is saying, Throw more shit at him!
I am like, Dude! Im laying on the wall in between takes and looking
back at Titus Welliver, looking like he would also rather be anywhere
else in the world. But on screen, Welliver [Losts Man in Black] will
be putting on his best poker face as the villainous Savoy, a Navy Seal
whose job is to destroy all Transformers. Hes also the guy in trailer
who points a gun to Tessas face in front of her father.
There was such a strong emphasis on the connection between
the father and his daughter, and this everyday, regular guy, willing
to do anything to keep his daughter alive, Wahlberg continues. I
think thats something people can relate to I certainly can. I have a
ten-year-old daughter who is growing up way too fast. I just felt like
Michael [Bay] and I had a great bond, and he trusted me to do my
thing, and he gave me a really interesting character to play. The star
has actually known his on-screen daughter, played by 19-year-old
Nicola Peltz, for most of her teenage life: Ive had a relationship with
her father and the rest of her family for some time, so I knew we
The number of deaths in Michael Bays movies
PEARL HARBOR
(2001)
BAD BOYS II
(2003)
THE ISLAND
(2005)
ARMAGEDDON
(1998)
BAD BOYS
(1995)
THE ROCK
(1996)
Mark Wahlberg
plays an inventor
struggling to provide
for his daughter
(Nicola Peltz).
TOTAL DEATHS
298
MICHAEL BAY SAID, THROW
MORE SHIT AT HIM!
MARK WAHLBERG
Which is your favourite
Transformer?
Bumblebee. Denitely. I
love Bumblebee. If I was an
Autobot, I would denitely
want to be friends with him.
He seems so cool. He has a
young kid attitude. He just
seems like the cool kid on
the block.
The movies traditionally
have action gures of the main characters. Are
you going to have one?
I hope so, that would be really cool. Then put me
in Bumblebee. That would be sick; just a little me
and Bumblebee.
How did your six brothers react when you got
this movie?
My little brothers were very excited. My older brothers
are very disappointed that Megan Fox is not still in it.
Thats for sure. They were like, Are you going to be in it
with Megan? Megan or Rosie?They just wanted them
to be in it. I was like, No.They are all huge Megan fans.
You seem to be in most of the action
sequences were any of them particularly
harrowing for you?
There were denitely tricky moments, but I used to
play ice hockey, so I love the whole athletic side of it. I
wanted to do as much and as many of the stunts as I
could, and Michael [Bay] wanted us to. We were really
high up in the air, and I love heights, so I had so much
fun. But Mark was scared.
Was there any reluctance on your part to sign on
for three movies in this franchise?
No, it was a very easy decision. I was so excited, so
hopefully I will still be in the next two.
Bates Motels Nicola Peltz on
stepping into Megan Foxs high heels
| 041
Optimus Prime
starts the lm in
hiding, like the rest
of the Autobots.
Big Trucking Robots
042 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
Can you say how this lm differs
from the other lms in the series?
Its eight years after the previous lm,
and it is denitely a sequel. We have a
nice triangle dynamic between myself,
Mark [Wahlberg] and Nicola [Peltz],
which grounds the lm in a very
human story. The way the Autobots
relate to humans, and even each other,
is very different from the way they did
in the previous series. The Autobots
are very different Transformers.
Can you describe what the human
story is?
In Mark Wahlbergs characters
household, they have a no-dating
rule. He just really wants his daughter
to focus on school and not go out
with anybody, especially not an Irish
race-car driver. My character is in this
secret relationship with her, until the
point where she and her father get
into some trouble and it forces my
character to rescue them, and disclose
the fact that I am her boyfriend.
Obviously, that means that Marks
character and mine have quite a
tentative relationship throughout the
course of the lm.
Are all the Transformers cars in
this one?
Most of them are cars. Then, of
course, we have Optimus, who has
always been a truck, and on top of
that there is one Autobot in this one
who is an APC, an armoured personnel
carrier, and he is a really fun and
interesting Autobot.
Did you have to get into shape for
the role?
Mark generally has a gym in his
room, so I would go in at 5.30am
sometimes, and nd myself sitting
on the ground doing 45lb barbell
set-ups. There is nobody like Mark
when it comes to physically preparing
for a role.
Jack Reynor on having
Marky Mark as an on-
screen father-in-law
It wouldnt be a Transformers
lm without running. Lots of it.
Expect all-sparks
to y in this fourth
Transformers outing.
Its in his garage
that Cade rst
meets a beaten-up
Optimus Prime.
THIS GUY IS WILLING TO
DO ANYTHING TO KEEP HIS
DAUGHTER ALIVE
MARK WAHLBERG
| 043
would have great chemistry and that she would be a pain in my ass
and give me crap when I am not in the mood for it she is feisty.
This a quality she shares with her character, who makes her
father tear his hair out by wearing tiny shorts and secretly dating
race car driver Shane Dyson (Jack Reynor). Shes no oiled Megan
Fox or pouting Rosie Huntington-Whiteley though, according to
the actress: Tessa is younger about 16 or 17 and there is such a
beautiful father/daughter story to it, says Peltz. She is denitely
the more responsible one, but she has an overprotective dad. She
is a strong girl and has a lot of guts, and she is outspoken. To have
that dynamic with Mark was a lot of fun. She has a beautiful arc in
the lm.
Wahlberg is used to sharing the camera with feisty co-stars, having
worked on the fuzzy, foul-mouthed comedy Ted. It also prepared
him for performing with the Transformers, imagining their presence
while acting against a green screen: I couldnt have done either of
these movies 15 years ago, because I would have been uncomfortable
not performing opposite somebody, he says. But I really embraced
the idea in Ted, not having to deal with other actors, so that was a
beautiful discovery I made there. So I felt completely comfortable,
and I knew Michael [Bay] had my back, so all we did was just focus
on making everything as realistic as possible between us, and if we
could believe that the audience would believe us, then everything else
would magically and seamlessly appear.
T
HE DIRECTOR IS KNOWN FOR HIS LOVE OF EXTREME EFFECTS, AMERICAN
PATRIOTISM (JUST COUNT THOSE STARS-N-STRIPES IN THE TRAILER),
SLOW-MO ACTION AND SUNSET-TIMED EXPLOSIONS AN AESTHETIC
BEST KNOWN AS BAYHEM. NOT ALL ACTORS APPRECIATE HIS DARING,
however, as Megan Fox told Wonderland magazine: Shia [LaBeouf]
and I almost die when we make a Transformers movie. He has you
do some really insane things that insurance would never let you do.
And despite Wahlbergs clear rapport with Bay having worked with
him on last years roid rage movie Pain & Gain he wasnt ashamed
to admit that he feared for his life on at least one occasion: Dangling
from a building is not my favourite thing in the world, he says.
There is a little tiny cable, and you have a little clip on you too, but
if you fall, you will drop 10, 12 feet and smack into the wall, and you
will scream like a fucking baby until they pull you up. It gives you the
feeling in your stomach that before I never would have had. Before I
had four kids, and was successful and had a reason to live, I wouldnt
have given a shit.
There were explosives all over the place, and you were running
everywhere, adds co-star Peltz. Michael [Bay] is such a hands-on
director, and he expects 110 per cent from you. We are acting against
a pole, and he just brings them these robots to life, and you can
see how much heart he gives them. He clearly cares about these
movies, which is why they are so good. But we all thought Bay had
had his ll of the franchise after the third instalment, just like Peter
Jackson before he returned to Middle-Earth for The Hobbit trilogy.
In the end, Bay couldnt bear to have someone else take hold of the
megaphone. I thought I was done, he conceded in an interview
with the Hufngton Post. Then the ride came out [at Universal
Studios Hollywood] and the two-and-a-half-hour lines. And then
youre thinking, Oh my God, someones going to take this over. So
Im thinking that if I do this last one, we set it on a new footing, we
change a lot of things, but we keep the history of the three in place.
We broaden it so it can be set up and be carried on it would have a
better chance for survival, I guess.
And the main star aside from Optimus Prime, of course rates
its chances: Michael promised me it would be a very different, stand-
alone movie, which it absolutely is, says Wahlberg. It is bigger and
better than the other three [lms] combined. This will be the biggest
movie of 2014.
Transformers: Age Of Extinction will be released on 10 July.
PEARL HARBOR (2001)
Bays attack on this culturally
signicant event may have
been off-target storywise,
but the bombs set the screen
on re.
EXPLOSION RATING:
BAD BOYS II (2003)
A Cuban mansion goes
kaboom in the Will Smith
starrer, straight-up actioner,
but the best bit is the
bystander screaming, Oh
my God!
EXPLOSION RATING:
ARMAGEDDON (1998)
A gargoyle on Notre Dame
looks on as Paris is obliterated
by a meteorite in what is
arguably one of the coolest
effects shots of all time.
EXPLOSION RATING:
THE ROCK (1996)
Nicolas Cage signals that the
threat has passed, but the
pilot has already dropped the
bomb, and blows Alcatraz to
kingdom come.
EXPLOSION RATING:
The biggest booms in
Michael Bays lm reel
Peltz stars off the back of an
impressive turn in Bates Motel.
Big Trucking Robots
ONE OF THE FEW UNASHAMEDLY SCI-FI SERIALS ON
TV, RACHEL NICHOLS TIME-TWISTING COP-SHOW
CONTINUUM KEEPS EVOLVING INTO ITS THIRD
SEASON, SHADOWING THE CONTROVERSY OF
NSA LEAKS AND THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT. WE
TALK TO THE CREATOR AND CAST ABOUT WHAT
THE FUTURE HAS IN STORE AND HOW WE CAN
CHANGE IT
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
044 |
WORDS MICHAEL SIMPSON
CONTINUUM
Dangerous Times
The sets we visit this year are in
a building used by the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation, Canadas
equivalent of the BBC. One room is
dressed up like a bunker with an odd mix
of modern and retro technology. The
most prominent object is a chair that
looks like something a psychotic dentist
might have used in the Fifties. Another
soundstage houses the lab where
teenage tech genius Alec Sadler (Erik
Knudsen) spent Season Two creating a
surveillance system to rival the one in
Person Of Interest and reconstructing
the time-travel device that is central to
the shows mythology.
We are always looking at the pros
and cons of technology in general,
Barry tells us after the set tour. In
Season Three were using Alecs
expansion as a way to debate the
W
HEN SCIFINOW SPOKE TO CONTINUUMS
BRITISH-BORN CREATOR SIMON
BARRY IN 2013, HE ADMITTED THAT
THE SHOWS PROCEDURAL FORMAT IN
its rst season had been a necessary
compromise to get it on the air. A year
later, were back in Vancouver halfway
through the lming of Season Three,
and from what we see, the Canadian sci-
series is now on a very different path.
This season, it was really more about
where we want these characters to
end up, as opposed to what we want to
happen, Barry tells us in his small ofce
behind the shows downtown sound
stages. I think for the rst two years
you could say that the circumstances
were driving the characters. Now,
we have the characters driving the
circumstances, which is where you
always want a show to get to.
new products that are coming into
our lives in the next few years. What
are we giving up in order to use them?
What are we not aware of? What are
we aware of? What are the ways those
technologies can be exploited without
our knowledge, and how will it change
us in a societal way?
Recent controversies around NSA
snooping and the Heartbleed bug make
the cost of technological progress a
topical subject. It is one of several that
have been progressively woven around
Continuums action-orientated premise
over the past three seasons. In the
series premiere, a group of terrorists
calling themselves Liber8 escapes
execution in the year 2077 by travelling
back to the present day. The terrorists
are hotly pursued by Kiera Cameron,
a Vancouver police ofcer played by
| 045
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location. Doig is here to lm a rare scene
involving Kellog and her character, Liber8
leader Sonya Valentine. But also he has a
moral compass that hes trying to navigate,
so he owns that sense of responsibility and
hes trying to do the right thing. So you have
him as the youth, but hes endowed with
intelligence, power and a desire to create a
vision. Then hes also aware of the potential
end, of what Alec Sadler is, and hes got to be
truthful to himself. In that way hes a mirror
to human nature. Its almost like if he doesnt
move forward hes got to shoot himself in
the head.
Alecs circumstances are made
particularly precarious by his complicated
relationship with his brother, Julian
Randol. Randol is initially used by Liber8
in 2012, and then goes on to lead his own
revolutionary movement. I love the Julian/
Alec dynamic, because its indicative of the
youth of today: what their concerns are and
where they could go and the power that they
have in their hands, Doig says. These are
digital natives; theyre not olds like us that
wear wristwatches and have to wrap our
noodles around technology; theyve grown
up with it. They dont know anything else,
and so their world exists digitally, not in an
analogue way. The possibilities of technology
are endless, but the danger is there. They
didnt grow up without it, so they dont
YOU SEE A LOT
MORE OF THAT
WITH A LOT
OF DIFFERENT
CHARACTERS AS
THE SERIES HAS
PROGRESSED
EVERYBODY
BECOMES MORALLY
GREY
STEPHEN LOBO
the death sentence. By rebuilding the device
from pieces brought back by the terrorists,
young Alec hopes to return Kiera to her
family in 2077 and reset the timeline. Kellog
has a soft spot for Kiera, but his reasons
for helping arent altruistic. Hes not alone
in that regard, Lobo tells us, especially in
Season Three. In the question of moral
versus immoral, I think Kellog is an amoral
character who will function in a way that is
towards his goals, Lobo says. Sometimes,
I think his behaviour could be interpreted
as good, but hes not doing it necessarily for
goods sake. You see a lot more of that with
a lot of different characters as the series has
progressed. Everybody becomes grey. Its
been there since the beginning, but it does
come up more and more.
L
OBO SINGLES OUT ALEC AS A PARTICULAR
EXAMPLE OF THIS. WHEN WE MEET THE
YOUNG SADLER IN THE FIRST SEASON HE
IS AN AWKWARD NERD. AS HE MATURES,
however, his youthful optimism about
progress makes his growing awareness
of the marvels he can create potentially
dangerous. Narratively, Alec represents
the need for human expansion, for growth,
to go into uncharted territory, in this case
technologically, says Lobos co-star and
genre veteran Lexa Doig (Andromeda,
Stargate SG-1, The 4400), who is also on
Alias alumnus Rachel Nichols. Cameron
teams up with present-day detective Carlos
Fonnegra (Victor Webster), and for much
of Season One the pair tries to stop Liber8s
increasingly violent anti-corporation agenda.
Yet, what starts as essentially a cop show
with genre on the fringe subsequently
evolves into a smart blend of sci- and
socially relevant references with guns and
gadgets as the gloss.
Where the worlds heading right
now, the number one issues would be
technology, innovation and how thats
going to change our future, observes star
Stephen Lobo when we speak to him at a
chilly location shoot in a park overlooking
Vancouvers port. Individual rights and
privacy thats all over the place and
corporate interests and the one per cent and
how we treat each other when it comes to
money. Add to that environmentalism
which we did cover initially, and they might
bring back and that covers all the major
issues that were dealing with.
Lobo plays manipulative ex-Liber8
member Matthew Kellog, who becomes
rich in the present day. He then uses his
money to set up the lab for Sadler in order
to keep tabs on the young mans progress.
Sadlers older self (played by The X-Files
favourite William B Davis) will invent the
time machine Liber8s members use to avoid
There could be a change of dynamic
coming up for Carlos and Kiera.
Season Two saw Liber8s
Kagame sacrice himself.
CONTINUUM
Dangerous Times
| 047
WHY DO YOU THINK CONTINUUM
HAS BEEN A HIT?
The strongest part of this
show is its relevance to
whats going on in the world
today. I think it knocks it out
of the park when we stick
with that, and it doesnt
resonate quite as much
when we get away from
that. Its universal. You look
at ve or six years ago and
something like Anonymous,
and people laughed at that.
Now its a pretty big deal.
VIEWERS SEEM TO RELATE TO
LIBER8. WHY?
When the Occupy movement
started, people scoffed
at it. Did it accomplish
anything? Well, I dont think
it ever set out to accomplish
anything other than to get a
conversation started about
whats happening to our
rights. Its a zeitgeist. This
is very important around
the world, and its kind
of what Liber8 is talking
about. Their methods are
abominable, but at the same
time it resonates with people
outside genre boundaries.
WILL WE BE SEEING A STRONGER
SCI-FI ELEMENT THIS YEAR?
I think so, and time travel
denitely ends up being
more in play. We are dealing
with multiple timelines,
characters that we thought
were dead that are back.
These are denitely sci-.
DO YOU ENJOY WORKING IN SCI-FI?
Very much so. One of my
favourite things about
science ction is its
allegorical. This show is a
little less so theres not a
ton of allegory, but its more
like there are parallels in our
show with the real world
because its contemporary. I
love that about sci-.
Sonya Valentine actress
Lexa Doig on what
makes Continuum tick
VALENTINES DAY
The further the series progresses, the more
blurry the already mixed moral shades get.
048 |
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see the dangers and ethical quandaries.
I love the argument Alex had last season
about the technology being used for good
and not seeing how it could be used for bad.
There are so many young people that dont
see the ip side of that argument.
Season Twos cliffhanger provides a
perfect example of what Lobo and Doig
are talking about. In a climactic twist, Alec
completes construction of the time machine,
but jumps into it before Kiera can in order
to rewind the previous week and save his
murdered girlfriend, Emily (Capricas Magda
Apanowicz). Its a crushing blow for Kiera,
who ends the season still trapped in the
present day and locked in a glass prison by
the ruthless Freelancers.
Of course, Kiera gets back on the beat
in Season Three, but things have changed,
as Alecs actions and some disturbing
revelations about the corporate-run future
cause her to re-evaluate her priorities. In
Season Three, the theme for me is, for the
greater good, Nichols says when we talk to
her later. Its taken a long time for Kiera to
realise how bad the future is that she came
from, how it actually is possible to make that
future better and to accept the idea that in
making that future better she may not get
back or when she gets back her son and
her husband may not be there.
A
FTER EVERYTHING THATS HAPPENED,
NICHOLS SAYS KIERA SEES SHE WOULD
BE SELFISH TO FOCUS SOLELY ON GETTING
BACK TO HER FAMILY WHEN PRESERVING
her future will ensure that millions of people
will be disadvantaged to further corporate
interests. Whats more, she realises that her
commitment to stopping Liber8s extremism
has blinded her to the merits in its message.
It is not black-and-white or bad guys versus
good guys, Nichols tells us. You think it is
in the beginning, especially Kiera does its
very straightforward in 2077, where she
came from. One of the things that shes
learned, though, is the future she came from
sucks. Its terrible. Shes learning while shes
here that although Liber8s tactics when it
comes to killing and aggression are obviously
not morally sound, maybe their goal isnt
so bad.
As the shows heroine, Kiera represents
a moral centre on which the audience can
pin their allegiance. Hence, by having her
challenge her ideas about things that initially
appear to be ethically unambiguous, the
writers have enabled Continuum to do what
all good sci- does: stimulate us to evaluate
our own opinions.
This brings us back to the topic of
Continuums ever-evolving themes. Any
hardcore sci- fans who passed up the series
in its rst season because it felt too much like
Law & Order would be well advised to give it
another try, despite time-travel shows rarely
having succeeded in recent years. Even so,
Continuum has successfully managed to
buck that trend, and that has much to do
with its multi-faceted mythology, Nichols
believes. People would never say that
the show is political because it falls under
the sci- time travel guise. But people are
fascinated by the stories of today interwoven
into the whole concept of the future, and
that makes them want to see how it all
turns out.
Continuum Season Three is airing now on
Syfy in the US and Showcase in Canada. Its
currently without a UK broadcaster.
HOW MUCH OF JASON DO WE SEE?
You see a little bit of him up front
in the beginning just to kind of
recap what was happening last
season and to bring that story
forward. Then, while things play
out with Kiera, the Freelancers
and Liber8, Im kind of behind
the scenes for a while when Alec
goes to work at his new place of
employment. As he goes on to
his new job, Im left back at the
lab to keep things going there on
projects that we were working
on. Then, my course of action is
altered by the one and only Mr
Kellog, who has his own ideas
about what I should be up to.
WILL WE LEARN MORE ABOUT
JASON WHEN HE WAS SANE?
Were just developing this as it
goes along. I have yet to play the
perfectly sane Jason, so its not
clear how hes going to be and
who he would have been before.
As we get into the shooting of
it over the next couple of weeks
that will start to reveal itself.
WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE
HIGHLIGHTS OF PLAYING JASON?
I have to rev up to be running
on full amps all the time. In that
sense, it all becomes a highlight
for me; its all heightened. There
are certain days when I walk
away from work, I get in my car
and drive home, and as with any
job, you start to replay your day
and interactions with people and
what you did. Playing Jason, Im
heading home feeling kind of
giddy and chuckling out loud to
myself, a bit like a crazy person,
just because I feel so happy.
IS IT DESTINY THAT YOU HAVE PLAYED
TIME TRAVELLERS IN BOTH CONTINUUM
AND SANCTUARY?
I would say its coincidental.
Playing two characters has kind
of crept in now that some things
happen and I start getting some
sanity back. Going back and
forth, I do get the two characters
much like Sanctuary but
there, one was well-meaning, and
the other was evil. This is more,
crazy or not?
Ian Tracey on the method
to Crazy Jasons madness
JASON AND THE
CRONONAUTS
Even Liber8s previously unambiguously
villainous role comes under scrutiny.
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SET VISIT
The Anomaly
050 |
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ON SET FOR NOEL CLARKES NEW SCI-FI THRILLER THE ANOMALY
WORDS SARAH DOBBS
THE ANOMALY
Cyberpunks Not Dead
| 051
A
PPARENTLY, NO ONE EVER TOLD THE
VAMPIRE DIARIES IAN SOMERHALDER THAT
OLD SAYING ABOUT NOT WORKING WITH
CHILDREN OR ANIMALS. ON THE DAY WE
visited the set of The Anomaly, he was
lming a scene with Ruby, a four-year-
old black labrador. Its her rst lm, but
shes being incredibly well-behaved. Its
Somerhalder who causes the problem:
between takes, he crouches down to
play with her, at one point even putting
his face into her fur to give her a kiss and
provoking a minor stampede as hair and
make-up assistants run in to brush him
down and straighten his hair.
Behind the monitors, director/
producer/actor Noel Clarke is already
in costume, laughing every time
Somerhalder gets to the joke at the
end of his scene. Its the 13th day of
production on the set at Nazareth House,
a former convent on the outskirts of
London. The inside is a maze of turquoise
and brown corridors, with innumerable
doors opening into oral wallpapered
bedrooms. The walls are peeling, but the
elaborate mouldings around the ceilings
are mostly still intact.
Its all a bit creepy, and according
to a production assistant, its worse in
the dark. Earlier in the week, a night-
time shoot had to be halted because
the sound of distant screaming was
interfering with lming. When we catch
up with the many-hatted Clarke, though,
hes more amused than scared. Its a bit
freaky, he tells us. It was an old convent,
and theres 100 dead nuns buried back
there. Its getting a bit spooky.
Maybe its for the best that The
Anomaly isnt a horror lm, then. Its a
science-ction thriller set in the near
future, and based on the snippets of
lming we saw, it features Brian Cox and
Ian Somerhalder as a father-and-son
team running a mysterious biotech
business. Although they werent on set
decidedly painful. It does make it hurt a
lot more, he says, but it looks amazing
if you get it right. Its not clear how much
persuading Clarke had to do to get his
actors to agree to it, but considering how
many different roles he tends to take on,
it seems like hes a pretty determined
guy. Is he a bit of a control freak? After
all, he is doing pretty much everything on
this lm except making the tea. Im very
decisive when I want to do something, he
says. I just get on with it and do it.
Being both an actor and a director
means he gets the exact performance
hes after, and that he can relate to the
other actors. Im really good with the
actors, and over the years Ive learned a
lot more of the technical stuff, he says.
But mostly, we pre-do everything: I do
oor plans, then me, the DOP and the
storyboard artist sort out the angles.
Weve got storyboards of all the scenes,
and thats what were going to shoot. By
the time Im behind the camera, everyone
knows exactly what theyre doing. Then I
can concentrate on the actors and my
own performance.
It sounds like a lot of work. I prepare
probably 50 times more than the average
guy, Clarke acknowledges. I just work as
hard as I can.
The Anomaly is in cinemas on 4 July.
that day, Pitch Perfects Alexis Knapp and
Luke Hemsworth (brother of Chris and
Liam) are also in the lm, playing a love
interest and vengeful cop respectively.
Clarke plays the lead, an ex-soldier
who wakes up in the back of a van to nd
that the last ve years of his memory
are missing and hes got less than
ten minutes to gure out why. Hes a
bit confused about whats going on,
Clarke explains. He has to ght to get his
identity back. He wont be drawn further
on the plot The coolest thing in the lm
is the reveal of whats going on. I cant
tell you! but he will say that theres a
political edge to the story. Its relatable to
whats happening today in a lot of ways.
Its about the idea of control and fear, and
you can imagine that this could possibly
happen in a few years time.
Despite keeping quiet about plot
details, Clarke is happy to tell us all about
his idea for making the ght scenes look
cool. He pulls out his iPhone and shows
us a bit of ungraded footage: a ght
between him and Somerhalder, all done
in one shot, with a Steadicam moving
between the actors, even catching them
but not itself in a mirror.
I had this idea that a lot of people
werent sure about, he admits. They
were like, What? when I said I was going
to do it! The idea is to lm all the ght
scenes in one take, to do really nicely
choreographed moves and then use slow-
mo and a bit of ramping to make them
something different from the kind of ght
scenes youve seen before. Usually, in long
ght scenes theyre cutting and moving
around, and it makes the ghts look
amazing, but its cheating, basically. Were
trying to do them in one smooth take.
It sounds like a brilliant idea until you
realise it means the actors have to do
their own stunts. In the ght he shows us,
Clarke performs a kind of roll, crashing
into some furniture in a way that looks
Kidulthood may have
proved Noel Clarkes
chops behind the
camera, but for sci-
fans, the Doctor Who
star is still very much an
actor. We joined Clarke
on set for The Anomaly
to watch him at work
HE BROUGHT
THE
MEMORIES OF
THE SECRET
AGENT, OR
WAS HE ONE
ALL ALONG?
B 2
HE SWAPPED
OUT HIS
CHILDHOOD
FOR MORE
STORAGE
SPACE.
A 1
HE WIPED HIS
MEMORY FOR
SECURITY
REASONS, ALL
IN A DAYS
WORK.
3 C
MY NAME IS NOT QUAID
Can you match up these
cyberpunk amnesiacs?
A N S W E R S : 1 B , 2 A , 3 C
Noel Clarke stars in
and directs The Anomaly.
Apparently, the big reveal
is an impressive one.
FUTURISTIC TEENAGERS RULE THE EARTH IN THE LATEST US IMPORT,
THE 100. THE MASTERMINDS BEHIND THE SEXIEST DYSTOPIA ON TV
TELL US WHY YOULL BE TUNING IN THIS SUMMER
WORDS JODIE TYLEY INTERVIEWS JODIE TYLEY, STEVE NASH
100
PRETTY YOUNG THINGS
ARE SENT TO EARTH
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE
CWS VERSION OF THE
POST-APOCALYPSE.
AFTER ALL, THIS IS
the same US network that brought us
glossy, love triangle-ridden shows like
Arrow, The Vampire Diaries and The
Tomorrow People, and their new series
The 100 will appeal to the same crowd.
Unlike its fantasy-themed brethren,
however, this is pure science ction,
based on Kass Morgans book by the
same name. Its set 97 years after a
nuclear war wiped out life on Earth, and
the only survivors were living on space
stations. Theyve since formed one big
orbiting community called the Ark, which
has supported three generations so far.
The Ark is dying, explains executive
producer Matt Miller, and they have
no choice but to send a mission to the
ground again to see if it is survivable. They
dont think it will be, because its another
100 years until scientists say it will, so
they send 100 juvenile delinquents to
nd out. There are no adult prisoners, as
you are executed if you are over 18 years
old, so they sent these juveniles because
they are expendable they are the 100
canaries in the coal mine, essentially.
Once they touchdown on Earth,
the rst port of call is to cut off
communication with the adults and start
having fun rather than nding food and
shelter. As they venture into the forest,
they discover the planet has bounced
back from the nukes.
A lot has changed, as everything has
been soaked in radiation for 100 years,
adds creator Jason Rothenberg. It is
important to us to ground everything
in real science as much as possible.
Obviously, it is science ction, so we have
taken some liberties, and there are some
crazy reveals. Among them, viewers
can expect to nd glowing fungi and
two-headed deer. Some of it is beautiful
because of the radiation. But most of it is
not. Most of it is scary, dark and hideous.
052 |
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THE 100
The Expendables
| 053
THEY ARE THE
100 CANARIES
IN THE
COALMINE
MATT MILLER
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We hear youre a bit
of a tomboy riding
a Harley Davidson,
camping and shing is
that what drew you to
this role?
Theres a lot of action in
this sci- role, so it was
the perfect t for me. This
show is denitely for the
outdoorsy type, so for
any actresses that arent,
its a too bad, so sad
situation. Were dealing
with an apocalypse, so we
are shooting in the forest
every single day, battling
the elements.
How do the teenagers
fare down on Earth?
The 100 kids that were
sent down to Earth to
nd out whether its
inhabitable or not were
sent down with hardly
any supplies or training
whatsoever. For 97 years,
mankind has never
stepped foot on Earth,
so they really werent
prepared for this situation.
They have to use whatever
pieces of the drop ship
and what very little
knowledge or preparation
they have to try to survive,
but no one could really
prepare them for this, and
its denitely not what they
were expecting.
Do you share anything
in common with your
character, Octavia?
Octavia and the other
women that youll come
to meet on the show are
very headstrong, for sure. I
can be pretty adventurous
like Octavia, and curious
as well. Shes free for the
rst time in her life, unlike
the others. She was given
the life of a prisoner, and
it was beyond her control,
being an illegal daughter
and sibling. Everyone has
always punished her, and
she trusts nobody expect
her brother, so naturally
shes very curious
about everyone, human
interaction included. Shes
liking the attention she
gets as soon as she lands
on Earth, but soon realises
theres bigger sh to fry.
How did you get into the
mindset of being a child
born in space and seeing
Earth for the rst time?
Octavia has her very own
Neil Armstrong moment,
because her brother
Bellamy gave her the
opportunity to take the
rst step on Earth for the
very rst time. And since
we shoot in the beautiful
protected rainforests of
British Columbia, it made
it really easy for me as an
actress, because its one of
the most beautiful places
Ive ever seen. Our ofce
isnt like a regular ofce;
its breathtaking, green
and exotic.
Whats been the most
challenging part about
being on the show?
We went through the
Canadian winter shooting
for the rst seasons,
so we were constantly
battling the rain and
people were tripping and
falling, running through
the forest. We literally shot
some scenes in knee-high
manure, and in the make-
up chair were constantly
being covered in blood and
sweat. Were not dealing
with teenage content by
any means; if were not
killing each other, were
avoiding whatever lurks
in the forest youll have
to tune in to see what Im
talking about. Sometimes,
when youre dealing with
such heavy content for
a whole season like that,
youre like, Cant we just
go shing or something
that teenagers would
do?Its a very twisted,
dark show where
everything you expect to
happen, doesnt.
Meet one of The 100, Marie Avgeropoulos, who
stars as the irtatious Octavia
As the kids land on Earth, it quickly becomes
a survival-of-the-ttest scenario.
Paige Turco stars
as Abigail Grifn.
THE 100
The Expendables
| 055
However, it seems that the biggest threat
to their survival is each other. Kids start
taking a Lord Of The Flies approach to
leadership, and its safe to presume that
there wont be 100 of them for long. The
theme is about these kids on Earth and
what kind of world they want to create,
he posits. How are they going to deal with
crime and punishment, when a person kills
somebody? We will be dealing with torture
and whether thats acceptable in certain
circumstances. The sky-born children come
from an oppressive society, where the class
system survived the nuclear war and strict
population controls dictate just one child
per family. Thats how Octavia Blake (Marie
Avgeropoulos) came to be one of the 100. A
second-born child, she was kept under the
oorboards until the secret got out. Octavia
and her brother Bellamy (Bob Morley)
were tossed into prison while their mother
was executed, so understandably they have
issues. Hes overprotective and shes
embracing her new-found
freedom, which means
locking lips with the
single spacemen until
it becomes clear that
Earth 2.0 isnt as safe
as it seemed.
L
OOKING OUT FOR
EVERYONES BEST
INTERESTS IS THE
RESPONSIBLE CLARKE,
played by Australian actress Eliza
Taylor. Shes a strong-headed character
that clashes with Octavia, as her co-star
Avgeropoulos reveals: Throw 100 kids down
on Earth that have clashing and meshed
personalities, and theres going to be power
struggles. Clarkes just trying to do whats
best for the group at all times, and Octavia
doesnt like being told what to do, because
she was brought up under the oor, hidden
her whole life. And then as soon as she got
found, she was just thrown in jail. So the fact
that shes discovering freedom for the rst
time and someone is trying to keep her in a
straight line, she doesnt always love that.
Sticking up for her character, Taylor
says the reason for Clarkes caring nature
is her background: Clarke was brought
up in one of the more well-to-do sectors
of the Ark because her mum is the chief
of medicine, she explains. Her dad was
the head of mechanics. She was raised in
a really safe and happy environment, and
then when her father discovered that there
was a aw in the system, her whole world
was turned upside down. Her father was
executed and she was thrown into prison.
So theres a lot of tension between her and
her mother because she took the side of the
Ark in her eyes, anyway. So when she gets
to Earth, those feelings are still there, but
also a responsibility to do the right thing and
make sure we tell the Ark that the ground is
inhabitable and theyre not all going to die.
As viewers will discover, Octavia and
Clarke arent the only ones harbouring
grudges. Everyones been affected by
events on the Ark, where the slightest
misdemeanour ends with the culprit being
oated into space. When establishing this
dystopia, the shows creator looked to other
cult series for inspiration: The template
for the Ark is something like Battlestar
Galactica, with the political system up there,
and having to kill people to make room and
free up more oxygen for the rest of them,
says Rothenberg, and on the ground its like
Lost they are two of my favourite shows.
Hammering home the Lost connection
is actor Henry Ian Cusick, who played
Desmond. In The 100 hes Councillor Kane,
a ercely pragmatic supervisor on
the ship who will do anything
to keep the human race
going. Im doing what
I think is right, says
Cusick. That involves
trying to make sure the
majority survive and
making hard choices.
Theres always friction
between the three
councillors: Councillor
Jaha [Isaiah Washington],
Councillor Abby [Paige Turco]
and my character. Were always trying to
gure out whats best and how to proceed,
and there are a lot of disagreements.
While the space-bound grown-ups
squabble over strategy, the situation is
mirrored on the ground. They are both
striving for the same goal, but theyve lost
their line of communication and all sense
of order along with it. The parents fear for
their childrens lives, and were going to
be invested in them too, says Matt Miller:
You are going to be interested in the kids
on the ground, their survival and their
romantic stories, but how do you keep the
Ark engaging? By making it so that the Ark
is dying, putting those stakes on it, by asking
if they are going to have to oat a certain
amount of people to keep the others alive.
And at what point do the people on the Ark
learn that the Earth is survivable, and how
will they try to get down there?
Perhaps theyd be safer in space, as the
teenage leader, actress Eliza Clarke, points
out: We dont want them to come down. Its
like when you say to a kid, Dont push the
red button, what are they going to do?
The 100 will air on E4 in July.
Actress Eliza Taylor on how
Clarke is challenging Katniss
for her crown
Can you talk about Clarke and
her relationship with the 100
people on the planet?
I think throughout the series, she
relates to a number of different
kids on the ground. Shes an
extremely compassionate
person and very empathic, and
she really just wants to take
care of everyone. So I think
her connection is to everyone
because she feels responsible and
she wants to keep them safe.
It seems like there are two sides
that are going to go at it. Where
will she nd herself most likely?
I think shes really conicted about
that because sometimes being
in a position of power does mean
making hard decisions that other
people arent going to agree with.
So I think she denitely treads
that line between possibly hurting
people, but it being for the good of
the group.
By separating the two groups,
what vulnerabilities do you
think it exposes?
Thats a deep question. The only
thing that changes for people on
the Ark is the parents of the kids
who have gone down, so its more
of a personal thing. For the Ark as
a whole, its a good thing; theyve
saved themselves more time to
gure out what theyre going to
do about the lack of oxygen. The
less people on the Ark, the longer
theyve got. And then youve
got the ground, where these
kids only have basic skills. Instead
of school, theres more of an
apprenticeship-type thing where
you follow in the footsteps of
your parents. But they still
need doctors and engineers, you
know just people to kind of
guide them. That leaves them
very vulnerable.
THE TEMPLATE
FOR THE ARK
IS BATTLESTAR
GALACTICA
JASON ROTHENBERG
The shows genre credibility is backed up by
the presence of Lost star Henry Ian Cusick.
MUST-SEE TV
True Blood
056 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
TRUE BLOODS BIGGEST SCENE-STEALER
REVEALS WHAT THE FINAL SEASON HOLDS
IN STORE FOR ARLENE AND THE REST OF
THE BON TEMPS RESIDENTS
ff-camera,
actress Carrie
Preston is
celebrating
her Emmy
award win for
her role in The
Good Wife. In
True Blood,
its a different story. As the
barmaid-turned-bar-owner
Arlene Belleeur, she recently lost her hubby Terry
(Todd Lowe) in an orchestrated suicide. But while
Terrys death brought the town together in the shows
closing moments, an onslaught of Hep-V infected
vamps are being sent to try them.
The virus was created by humans at the Vamp
Camp in Season Six, and as we saw with Eric
(Alexander Skarsgrd)s ill-fated sister Nora (Lucy
Grifths), it leads to a vein-popping and painful True
Death. Before that time comes, the aficted are
physically weakened and experience an insatiable
thirst for blood, not brains as showrunner Brian
Buckner is quick to clarify: They have to drink human
blood in larger quantities and more frequently than
before, but theyre not going to be zombies, he told
Entertainment Weekly. Theyre far more organised,
and havent lost their mental capacity.
In True Bloods last ever season, Bon Temps will be
cut off from the rest of the country as the government
ignores their pleas for help. Residents are growing
desperate for supplies, forcing them to turn on each
other and their vampire protectors. The last we heard,
Mayor Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) and vampire Bill
(Stephen Moyer) proposed that every human buddies
up with a bloodsucker, providing a clean supply of
the red stuff in exchange for security, but the tense
new situation is going to jeopardise that. Forgiveness
could be on the cards for some characters, though,
with Tara (Rutina Wesley)s mother offering to feed her
(and yes, Buckner conrmed it wasnt a trick), and Bill
seemingly back on the straight and narrow. But will
a reunion with Sookie (Anna Paquin) be too much to
wish for?
Speaking of the blonde Southern belle, well nally
get to see which supernatural suitor Sookie winds
up with. [SPOILER] In the books by Charlaine Harris,
she shacks up with long-time pal and boss Sam,
which seemed to be acknowledged in the Season
Six episode Dead Meat, with Sookie telling him
she always thought the two of them would end up
together. Currently, shes dating werewolf pack leader
Alcide Herveaux (Joe Manganiello), who will need to
ex his pecs in order to save Sookies accident-prone
behind. Meanwhile, Arlene is having her own troubles
of the heart when she catches the eye of an undead
guy, as Preston reveals in our exclusive interview
Were so sad that True Blood is coming to an end!
How did you react to the news?
We were warned a little ahead of time that they were
thinking of one or two more seasons, and we gured
wed put our faith in the writers and trust what they
thought was the best thing. They agreed it was best
to go out strong and have this be our last one, making
every moment count.
WORDS JODIE TYLEY
S
h
a
w
n
F
lin
t
B
la
ir
TRUE BLOOD
One Last Bite
| 057
MUST-SEE TV
True Blood
058 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
ASKING FOR HELP
Theres spray-painted pleas in
the street for FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Agency)
to rescue them, but Sookie says the
government has left them for dead.
VISIONS OF A DARK FUTURE
It looks like our heroine is having
a faerie vision of a ght between
infected vamps and humans. In the
voiceover she conrms that there
was an attack at the church.
DESPERATE MEASURES
Expect to see the townsfolk begin
to turn on each other as well as
the vampires as supplies become
scarce. Its every man and woman
for themselves.
TROUBLED ROMANCE
The end of last season saw Sookie
shacking up with resident werewolf
Alcide and refusing to take part in
Sams blood for safety scheme. Can
he protect her like she thinks?
LAST ONES STANDING
Were the only ones left,says
Sookie, looking staggered at
something off-screen. Perhaps the
town has truly been laid to waste,
judging by their expressions.
BLOOD FEUD
TRULY DISGUSTING
A look at whats brewing in
Bon Temps in Season Seven
R
I
D
I
C
U
L
O
U
S
Q
U
E
S
T
I
O
N
A
B
L
E
N
U
K
I
N
G

T
H
E

F
R
I
D
G
E
SEASON ONE
Bill climbs
out of his
grave to greet
Sookie, and
they end up
rolling in
the mud
Jason drinks vampire blood
and struggles with the
gruelling Viagra-esque efects
Jason and Amy y
around a eld in
a state of trippy
sexual delirium
True Bloods most ridiculous
and gross-out moments
Arlene has been a
mainstay of the series.
Sookie is currently shacked up with
Alcide, but will it stay that way?
TRUE BLOOD
One Last Bite
| 059
Arlenes had quite a journey. What are some of the
moments youll never forget?
The most unforgettable moment was when they
decided to let Terry go. His death was momentous for
the series, and denitely for me.
Now shes a single mother and the owner of
Belleeurs bar (formerly Merlottes), what would
you like to see her get up to this season?
She denitely represents the human world, and that
has become more and more important as the show
has gone on, because so many of the characters have
been turned into supernaturals, or theyre involved
with them. Even Nelsan [Ellis]s Lafayette becomes a
medium! So she really is one of the only characters
that remains 100 per cent human all the time, which
keeps the show contextualised.
Arlene often says or does the wrong thing, but you
never stop rooting for her. What her secret?
As the series has gone on she has become more
serious. Shes been given more dramatic things to
deal with, and she has been taken with bigger world
problems than you would originally have thought. At
the beginning of this series she was narrow-minded
and making a good point about the vampires that
they are dangerous and they could kill you and your
children but as the series has gone on she has
become much more tolerant and open-minded, and
were going to see that even more in this upcoming
season. Theres a vampire that is infatuated with her,
so were going to see how she deals with that.
Shes more open to supernatural assistance,
asking a witch to help her with a miscarriage and a
vampire to glamour her husband
I think it will be interesting to see whether shes able
to set aside her fears and her opinions about the
vampires and really give this guy a chance. I dont
know how its going to turn out, but I am very curious
to see just how much shes evolved since the series
rst started.
The character is very different on screen to in the
books. Had you read them beforehand?
I read the rst four books, but then the show took
a huge departure and our writers became the
architects. Even Charlaine Harris will say that she likes
to watch the show because she doesnt even know
whats going to happen [laughs]; its so different to
what she wrote. I was happy to hear that the writers
were not going to have Arlene go down the path
of joining the Fellowship of the Sun and trying to
kill Sookie. They made her a more compassionate
person; a little more well-rounded and not so
dogmatic and evil!
Bon Temps has a real sense of community, but
what is it like behind the scenes?
We often say that we feel like were all on different TV
shows, because there are several characters on True
Blood that I have never even shared a moment of
screen time with. And in the bar theres more room for
group scenes; its a crossroads for the show and a lot
of the time characters will show up there, so I always
say I feel like Im on a show about a bar, and everyone
else is on a show with vampires and stuff.
Do you plan to take any mementos from the set?
I denitely want to get something from the bar. They
have so many things that are so wonderfully detailed
that the audience doesnt really see, like vintage
posters and advertisements from Southern places. I
would hope that maybe they would let me take one off
the wall so I can put it on mine.
True Blood Season Seven airs on FOX on 7 July.
Season Six is available on DVD now.
SEASON TWO SEASON THREE SEASON FOUR SEASON FIVE SEASON SIX
Maryann
is the
conductor of
a huge orgy
between the
good folk of
Bon Temps
Bill beds his
maker and
twists her
head 180
degrees
The whole town tries to
sacrice hapless Sam
under the inuence of
mind-control mojo
A naked Eric
stakes Talbot
when he least
expects it
A shape-
shifted Sam
tear outs
Mayanns
black beating
heart
The witches
hit Pam
where it
hurts: her
looks
A young boy
is staked
through
his undead
heart
Religious nut
Sarah Newlin
kills a woman
with her
stiletto
Bill discovers his
new bedroom
buddy is actually
his great-great-
great-great
granddaughter
Bill
unleashes
his inner
goddess
when he
becomes
Billith
Sookie
discovers her
father tried
to drown
her, and a
possessed
Lafayette
does
the same
Russell
Edgington
rips out the
spine of a
newscaster
on live TV
Taras brains
are blasted
all over
Sookies
kitchen when
she takes a
bullet for her
friend
Faerie Maurella
has an orgasmic
labour when she
gives birth to
Andys babies
Eric dies! Or
does he? Last
seen naked
and bursting
into ames
MUST-SEE TV
Penny Dreadful
060 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
WORDS SARAH DOBBS
WE PEER THROUGH THE FOG OF VICTORIAN LONDON FOR NEW
HORROR SHOW PENNY DREADFUL WITH CREATOR JOHN LOGAN,
PRODUCER SAM MENDES AND STARS BILLIE PIPER, JOSH HARTNETT,
TIMOTHY DALTON AND HARRY TREADAWAY
London After Midnight
| 061
Victorian London is the birthplace of
most of the classic horror monsters
Mary Shelleys Frankenstein was rst
published in 1818, Oscar Wildes The
Picture Of Dorian Gray in 1890
and Bram Stokers Dracula in
1897 and since then there
have been innumerable
adaptations of their stories,
mostly set in foggy, gas-lit
London backstreets. Penny
Dreadful has held onto this particular
setting, but shifts the characters out
of their well-worn narratives, in the
process dropping them into an entirely
new story.
John was able to pick out these
characters that have been ingrained
in our psyche and breathe new life
into them, says Harry Treadaway,
who plays Dr Frankenstein. He was
moved by the idea of monsters, by
something other: something were
engrossed in, attracted to and repelled
by. Those familiar monsters are given
a modern twist, forced to co-exist not
only with one another, but with new,
original characters.
Still, that kind of monster mash-
up could easily start to seem
silly even camp. Dracula
might be terrifying in his
own right, but stick him in a
movie with Frankenstein and
the Wolfman, and suddenly
youve got a comedy on your
hands. Its a risky endeavour, admits
Josh Hartnett, who plays antihero
Ethan Chandler. It could have been
schlocky if not handled correctly by
the right people.
CLASSIC MONSTERS RISE FROM THE GRAVE
New Production Breathes New Life Into Centuries-Old Ghouls
Penny Dreadful could have
been schlocky if not handled
correctly by the right people
Josh Hartnett
With many plot details under wraps,
expect some surprise reveals.
London, 1891. Its been two years since Jack the Ripper
stalked the streets of Whitechapel, murdering at least ve
women. Since he was never caught or even identi ed, its
not a place anyone could really feel safe, especially not after
dark. John Logans Penny Dreadful drops its audience right
into that world as yet another grisly murder sends ripples of
fear through an already nervous community.
Its a story John wrote in its entirety very quickly,
explains producer Sam Mendes, who previously worked
with Logan on Skyfall. It was in his head since he was 10 or
12 years old, and a fan of early horror movies. So while the
common people of the East End worry that the Ripper might
have returned, fans of Victorian literature and Hammer
horror movies might suspect that something supernatural
is going on especially when Dr Victor Frankenstein turns
up in the rst episode.
GHASTLY MURDER
IN THE EAST END
Is Jack Back In Whitechapel?
Every team needs a leader; someone to bring them all together
in the rst place. In Penny Dreadfuls case, that individual is
Sir Malcolm Murray, played by former 007 Timothy Dalton.
His daughter, Mina, has gone missing. He suspects shes been
kidnapped by a creature of the night, and will go to any lengths
to nd her. Hes an obsessive person, Dalton says. Hes a
very dif cult person; hes obsessive, devious and manipulative.
Hes a lot of different things, but his need as any of our needs
would be when your daughter is at risk knows no bounds.
Hell sacri ce anyone.
Dracula a cionados may already have put two and two
together and guessed whats happened to Mina, but Dalton
cautions against assuming too much about where Penny
Dreadful is taking its literary characters. Its not so much about
those characters, he says. I think they simply serve as an
inspiration for a process of discovery into why they are who
they are, why they do what they do and what drives them.
FAMOUS EXPLORER
VOWS TO 'MURDER
THE WORLD' IN
QUEST FOR MISSING
DAUGHTER
Murray Will Let Nothing Stand In His Way
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
Josh Hartnetts character, on the other hand, is almost a
complete mystery, even to the biggest gothic lit fan. Ethan is a
sharp-shooter, a performer in a touring Wild West show whose
skills with a rearm attract the attention of Sir Malcolm and co.
He doesnt have an obvious literary counterpart, and at rst
glance hes kind of a mess, drinking and womanising his way
around the unfamiliar city.
Hes not all bad, though I personally dont feel like I could
play a character that I didnt ultimately feel had some goodness
to them, says Hartnett and hes got at least some skills the
actor could only pretend to have. Ive shot guns for a couple of
movies in the past, he says, But in England, its not very easy
to have a gun on set, and its even less easy in Dublin, so I was
allowed the guns for about as long as you see them on screen.
Back in the US, I had some weighted dummies rubber guns
with weights on the end that I could practice spinning with,
but I couldnt tell you what I could shoot from the hip. I dont
think Im very accurate, but thats the magic of television.
SHARP SHOOTER
ADMITS DECEIT
Couldnt Hit A Wall From That Distance
One thing is de nitely still on the cards:
Victor Frankenstein is going to build a
Creature. Things might not pan out the
way they did in the book though, since
both the character and the setting have
been reimagined, and theres no room for
homage or knowing nods to the audience.
Treadaway didnt even bother doing
much research before taking on the role.
I didnt watch any of the lms, he
says. Theres about 80 I read most of
the book, and then I felt I was juiced up
enough to go on to Logans original script.
In his script, and the source material
from Mary Shelleys novel, was such a
fascinating character: a genius auteur
scientist from the Victorian era.
The Victorian era might have been
a time of great scienti c curiosity and
discovery, but for Penny Dreadfuls Dr
Frankenstein, theres only one thing worth
studying: the possibility of reanimating
the dead. What could go wrong?
PENNILESS SCIENTIST
ATTEMPTS TO PIERCE
VEIL BETWEEN LIFE
AND DEATH
Billie Pipers character has so many
secrets that its tricky for her to
talk too much about Brona. Its
quite hard, because its a spoiler
mine eld, she says. Shes this girl
from Belfast, and shes this shouty,
feral creature. She comes to London
because shes escaping some kind of
tragic past the tragedy continues,
but she also nds a kindred spirit in
Ethan and various others.
Theres a ticking clock hanging
over Bronas head, though. Shes
living with a fatal illness, Piper
admits, So shes living every day like
its her last. Given her occupation
and the period, any day might be.
A STRANGE
LOVE STORY
Penny Dreadful
The cry has gone out to
apprehend these scoundrels
London After Midnight
Aside from Piper, whos probably best known for playing
Rose Tyler in Doctor Who, most of the cast and crew of Penny
Dreadful have backgrounds in cinema rather than television.
The appeal of TV for actors seems fairly obvious following
prestigious shows like Mad Men, Game Of Thrones and True
Detective, theres no stigma attached to TV work any more, and
its a far steadier gig than movies but for writer John Logan,
who wrote The Last Samurai and Skyfall, and is contracted to
write another two Bond movies, why move to the small screen? John could basically write the telephone book and have it
sold in Hollywood, Hartnett laughs. When I rst met him, I
asked him why he wanted to do television. He said hed always
wanted to write a novel, but hes a dramatist, so this was his
chance to do a long-format story.
NOTED DRAMATIST
EMBRACES LONG-
FORM STORYTELLING
One thing that everyone involved
with Penny Dreadful is keen to stress
is that despite its genre trappings, its a
story thats about more than just gore
and monsters.
Its interesting, I dont
think of this as genre, says
Dalton. I think of it as a
really good human drama,
full of interesting people,
and thats way more interesting to me
than a horror lm. If you want to get
serious about it, you can talk about
guilt and redemption, coming to
terms with oneself; and if you wanted
to take the lighter side, you could say
sex, blood, violence, psychological
terror, compassion, love and good-
looking people.
Piper agrees. Her character, the
down-on-her-luck Brona, has found
herself pushed into prostitution a fate
every bit as scary as that of a vampire.
As much as it has its supernatural
elements, its about mortality, she
says. Its about people existing on
the outskirts of society, living with
darkness and demons, and all that is
pretty scary.
Both avoid saying too much
about whats really going on, or
what their characters might be
hiding. Weve got lots of secrets,
Dalton says, smiling. Who doesnt?
Penny Dreadful is airing now on Sky
Atlantic.
MORE QUESTIONS ADDED TO MYSTERY LIST
Blood, Violence And Psychological Terror?
Weve got a lot of secrets
who doesnt?
Timothy Dalton
As far as television shows go, eight
episodes constitutes more of a
miniseries than a sprawling, novel-
esque epic. But the team beh ind
the show are optimistic that Penny
Dreadfuls rst season will only mark
the beginning of something much,
much bigger. I think the ambition is
to create a story thats long-lasting,
says Hartnett. To create a vessel thats
so large that anything can be poured
into it. The show blooms as the
characters develop.
Mendes, too, envisages a bright
future for his dark little series.
What you see here is hopefully the
beginning of a show that lasts not
only weeks, but years of our lives,
in the way that great long-form
television can, he says. If you dont
watch it when it goes out, I hope you
binge on it on your iPad or laptop, or
do whatever you need to do to catch
every bit of the story as it develops
in the most extraordinary and
unexpected ways.
FATE OF AUDIENCES SEALED
Years Of Gothic Horror Ahead
| 063
Timothy Dalton plays the
desperate Malcolm Murray.
Eva Green also features
in an all-star cast.
The Worldcon
comes to London
August 2014
The 72
nd
World Science Fiction
Convention comes to London
14 - 18 August 2014 at the ExCeL,
London Docklands
Thousands of Fans join hundreds
of writers and other professionals
at the biggest travelling SF
convention on the planet
Its back in London this year after
a gap of 49 years, and you wont
want to miss it.
World Science Fiction Society, WSFS, World Science Fiction Convention, Worldcon, NASFiC, and Hugo Award are service
marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. Loncon 3 is the trading name of London 2014
Ltd, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England. Company number: 7989510. Registered Office: 176 Portland Road,
Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE2 1DJ.
In memoriam.
* Rates increase from 14 July. **Quoted rates are for Saturday/Sunday - cheaper rates Thu/Fri & Mon.
Full 5 day price
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: Over 25 - 125, 16 to 25 - 65, under 16 - 30
Single day price
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Every aspect of Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Artshow, Comics, Cosplay, Dances, Dealers, Exhibits, Filk, Films,
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AWARDEXPLAINED THE MUST SEE NOW AWARD GOES
TO REVIEWS THAT SCORE FOUR STARS OR MORE
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u
s
t
s
e
e
n
o
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66 CINEMA
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releases
66 X-Men: Days Of
Future Past
67 Oculus
67 Mood Indigo
68 The Voices
68 Transcendence
69 Godzilla
70 HOME/FILM
Films on DVD
and Blu-ray
70 In Your Eyes
70, I, Frankenstein
70 Shadow Of
The Cat
71 Escape From
Tomorrow
71 Strange Colour Of
Your Bodys Tears
71 After
72 Theatre Of Blood
72 Her
72 Re-Animator
73 Blue Exorcist:
The Movie
73 Birth Of The
Living Dead
73 Close Encounters
Of The Nerd Kind
74 HOME/TV
TV shows on
DVD, Blu-ray and
Audio
74 Star Trek: The
Next Generation -
Season Six
74 Dragon Ball:
Season One
75 Helix:
Season One
76 VIDEOGAMES
The latest
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rated
76 Child Of Light
76 The Amazing
Spider-Man 2
| 065
Our thoughts on the pick
of the entertainment
releases out this month
TRIVIA THE SHOOTING TITLE FOR X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST WAS HELLO KITTY.
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CINEMA Add your thoughts regarding the latest
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X-MEN:
DAYS OF
FUTURE PAST
PUTS THE X-VERSE ON AN
INTERESTING NEW PATH
Following his supremely successful
introduction of Marvels much-loved mutants
to the big screen in 2000, Bryan Singer returns
with a bang, rmly re-establishing his footprint
on the series from the opening credits and
putting his heroes through hell in the process.
Though the silken tones of Sir Patrick
Stewart are a comforting reintroduction to
the world of the mutants, his words arent
quite as welcome. As he puts it, this is a dark,
desolate world a world of war, suffering and
loss. The familiar X-Men we know and love
are battling an enemy they cannot defeat
shapeshifting, mutant-hunting Sentinels. Set
against the backdrop of a bleak future, bearing
rather obvious parallels to the concentration
camps of World War II and, of course,
Magnetos origin story Kitty Pryde (Ellen
Page), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), Storm (Halle
Berry) and Colossus (Daniel Cudmore) ght
alongside new mutant comrades as they
continue a rather futile struggle for survival.
Their last hope is a rather complicated one,
involving Kittys ability to project a persons
consciousness into their past self, and the
prevention of a murder in 1973 that has set
Trask Industries on a disastrous path of
apocalyptic proportions. In a twist on Chris
Claremont and John Byrnes original tale,
the only mutant capable of surviving such
an ordeal is Wolverine, who reluctantly
volunteers to risk everything once again
to save the future of both mutantkind and
humanity itself. Thus, the mythology of
the original X-Men trilogy is folded rather
neatly into that of First Class.
Audiences might expect Jackman to
steal the show. But as great as he is, bone
claws and all, Hugh cant compete with
James McAvoys superlative talents. From
the rst moment we see Charles, drunken
and broken following the loss of his legs
and Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), being
cared for by Beast (Nicholas Hoult), the
story nally has its heart. In stark contrast
to Patrick Stewarts solid and composed
Professor X of the future, young Charles is
a dishevelled, depressed mess. McAvoys
ability to engage an audience and take
them on an emotional ride is unparalleled,
coming to the fore as we witness his
characters difcult reunion with the man
he blames for ruining his life.
If it all sounds a bit dour then thats
because it is. The fun went out with the
swinging Sixties, and Singers return
brings a sombre, serious tone thats short
on one-liners and lacking in laughs. While
the innumerable cameos and nods to comic-
book canon will please fans, the only real
reprieve is Evan Peters stand-out turn as
Pietro Quicksilver Maximoff.
Despite Magnetos muddled part in this
tale, Michael Fassbender presents a more
nuanced portrayal than before, providing
a nice balance between Ian McKellens
remorseful old man of the future and his
anarchic younger self. Lawrence also shines
as a Raven who has embraced her inner
badass since defecting to the dark side,
and the mutant-hating Bolivar Trask (Peter
Dinklage) is a villain satisfyingly conceived
in shades of grey.
Earnestness and worthiness arent
qualities that tend to produce successful
superhero movies, but Singer makes it work,
neatly negotiating the inherited problems
presented by time travel and the buttery
effect and putting the X-verse on an
interesting new path in the process. X-Men:
Days Of Future Past might present as many
questions as it answers, but for the rst time
in the franchises history, the future seems
truly and gloriously uncertain.
review
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Released
Out now
Certicate
12
Director
Bryan Singer
Screenwriters
Simon Kinberg,
Jane Goldman,
Matthew Vaughn
Cast
Hugh Jackman, James
McAvoy, Michael
Fassbender, Jennifer
Lawrence, Peter Dinklage
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Running Time
131 mins
FILM INFO
X-Men
Bryan Singer redenes the
superhero movie in this
action-lled rst foray into
the franchise.
OR STAY IN AND WATCH
Cat Collins
VERDICT
ALL-NEW X-MEN
Bishop (Omar Sy)
This bold and brash weapon-
toting mutant has the ability to
absorb energy and release it at
his enemies. He also sports an
impressive set of dreads.
Blink (Bingbing Fan)
A pretty mutant with a penchant
for pink, Blinks dimension-
warping powers give her the
ability to teleport people and
objects and enemies.
Sunspot (Adan Canto)
Sunspot doesnt say much, but
his ability to absorb solar energy
and channel it into superhuman
strength, ight and infrared
radiation really speaks for itself.
Warpath (Booboo Stewart)
This Native American mutants
heightened senses make him a
walking, talking Sentinel alarm
system. Hes pretty handy with
a blade, too.
Is the future truly set?
TRIVIA MATTHEWVAUGHNS ORIGINAL PREMISE CENTRED AROUND MAGNETOS INVOLVEMENT IN JFKS ASSASSINATION. THIS CONCEPT WAS LATER WORKED INTO THE VIRAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
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Among the many
familiar faces in Days of
Future Past are several
new characters were
sure to see more of
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Michel Gondrys
return to more
personal lms
following the failure
of The Green Hornet
wasnt surprising, and
its great to see that Mood Indigo has
the Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless
Mind directors ngerprints all over it.
Based on the novel Lcume Des
Jours by Boris Vian, it stars Romain
Duris as Colin, a wealthy young man
with a love of life but no love in his
life. Luckily, he nds Chlo (Audrey
Tautou), a beautiful woman who
is the perfect match. Everything is
wonderful until Chlo contracts a rare
illness: a ower growing in her lung.
Describing a lm as whimsical
and eccentric has long been a way
for people to frame a backhanded
compliment (see: Wes Anderson),
and those who dont get on with
Gondrys work will see plenty to
nd fault with. It opens with such
a concentrated burst of his
trademark stop-motion oddities
that its quite dizzying.
Were told that Colin has enough
money to live comfortably without
working in his beautiful apartment,
with his friend, lawyer and mentor
Nicolas (Omar Sy) on hand to assist
with the days adventure. Hes even
invented the pianocktail, a piano
which creates a cocktails based on
the tune youre playing.
Its almost too much until Chlo
arrives. Tautou is as dazzling as ever,
providing a wonderful romantic foil
for Duris, as well as helping with the
whimsy burden. Their relationship is
a joy to watch develop, which makes
what happens next so powerful.
Gondrys decision to frontload the
joyous whimsy means that Chlos
deteriorating health is felt even more
painfully, as Colins whole world
begins to shrink and rot. Those who
didnt connect with the rst half may
nd themselves not caring, but its
deeply moving and beautifully played
by Duris and Tautou, and we root for
them every step of the way.
Some viewers may nd Gondrys
world somewhat inaccessible, and
there are times when its all laid on
a bit thick, but this is a wonderful,
moving romantic fantasy that is
a welcome reminder of Gondrys
ingenuity, invention and heart.
MOOD INDIGO Love in bloom
The Science Of Sleep
Gael Garca Bernals
dreamer attempts to woo
Charlotte Gainsbourg in
Gondrys bittersweet tale.
Details 12A //94 mins //1 August Director Michel Gondry Screenwriter Michel
Gondry, Luc Bossi Cast Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Omar Sy, Gad Elmaleh
Distributor Studiocanal
Jonathan Hatfull
FILM
Mike Flanagans
much-buzzed
Oculus puts the story
rst to deliver a horror
movie that winds its way
around your throat and
grips you tight.
On the day hes released from the
institution in which he has spent his
childhood, Tim (Brenton Thwaites) is
told by his sister Kaylie (Karen Gillan)
that she has bought the mirror that she
believes caused their parents (Rory
Cochrane and Katee Sackhoff) deaths,
planning on proving that a supernatural
force inhabits it. It wont take long.
Oculus almost feels like the best
J-horror remake not based on an
existing lm. The details of Kaylie and
Tims tragic past are fed to us through
tragic ashbacks and unnerving
hallucinations, calling to mind the
disorientation of The Grudge and the
mournful quality of Dark Water.
Its structure also gives it a sense
of urgency. Once the mission gets
underway the lm never really slows
down, and Kaylies series of fail-safes
and alarms (including a ships anchor,
some pot plants and an unlucky dog)
have us on edge from the get-go.
The mirrors ability to play with
perception makes the past as deadly as
the present. Flanagan delivers plenty of
shocks courtesy of the mirrors ability
to delude and misdirect, with a couple
of moments that will have you putting
your hands over your eyes, but Oculus
is refreshingly light on cheap scares.
At the lms heart is a human tragedy
which Kaylie and Tim are forced to
relive, and the cast is superb. Cochranes
low-key turn keeps Alan the right side
of Jack Torrance, while Thwaites makes
for a sympathetic and haunted male
lead. Sackhoff shines as Marie, bringing
a warmth and heart to the character,
who is gradually worn down as her
insecurities and wounds are exposed.
Gillan, meanwhile, is very much the
star of the show, convincingly showing
Kaylies determination, desperation
and vulnerability.
By rooting its clever narrative
structure in a tragic story, Flanagan has
created a horror movie that pulls on the
heartstrings as often as it grabs you by
the throat, helped every step of the way
by an excellent cast. Nail-biting, mind-
bending and very, very scary, Oculus is
a must-see.
OCULUSSee no evil
Session 9
A team of asbestos removers
go mad in an old asylum in
this underrated horror.
Details 15 // 104 mins // 13 June Director Mike Flanagan Screenwriters Mike Flanagan,
Jeff Howard Cast Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff, Rory Cochrane
Distributor Warner Bros
Jonathan Hatfull
FILM
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SUBSCRIBE WWW.IMAGINESHOP.CO.UK TRIVIA KATEE SACKHOFF WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR KAREN GILLANS CHARACTER IN THE ORIGINAL SHORT FILMTHAT OCULUS IS BASED ON.
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REVIEWS CINEMA
X-Men: Days Of Future Past //Oculus //Mood Indigo
The directorial
debut of Wally Pster
may bear some of
the hallmarks of his
mentor Christopher
Nolan, but a plodding
script and determination to be taken
seriously makes glossed-up B-movie
Transcendence a slog to get through.
When scientist Will Caster (Johnny
Depp) is shot with a radiation-laced
bullet by a member of a terrorist
cell, his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall)
convinces their colleague Max (Paul
Bettany) to help them upload Wills
consciousness to the AI programme
they were working on. As he dies, an
intelligence claiming to be Will wakes
up, demanding more power and to be
put online.
Its clear to the audience that this
new Will isnt exactly what he claims
to be, and Maxs instant desire to turn
him off makes Bettanys character
the only really recognisable human
in the whole lm in addition to his
strong performance. Evelyns at
refusal to acknowledge that this
might not be her late husband makes
it very difcult to sympathise with her,
which in turn hobbles the lm.
The fact that we cant relate to
their love story is a crucial failing,
as its the only real attempt the lm
makes to connect. Hall is a superb
actress who is capable of elevating
material, but she cant nd a way
to make Evelyn the beating heart
that the lm believes she is. With no
real chemistry between her and a
detached Depp, any warmth has bled
from the lm by the half-hour mark.
Transcendence doesnt merely
lack humanity, however; it also has
little momentum. Pster treats Jack
Paglens script with a level of respect
that such a high-concept idea doesnt
necessarily merit. Nolan might have
dour-ed up Batman, but he didnt rob
it of humour completely. The cast
are left stranded as cutouts going
through the plot hole-ridden motions.
With an unconvincing love
story and clunky dialogue, some
self-awareness or even a little
mischievousness could have made
a tremendousness difference. As
it is, this po-faced misre drags to
its conclusion, all the while claiming
a sense of humanity that it simply
doesnt possess.
TRANSCENDENCE
Ghost of the
machine
Flatliners
Some lines shouldnt
be crossed, as Kiefer
Sutherland discovers in this
overwrought classic.
Details 12A //119 mins //Out now Director Wally Pfister Screenwriter Jack Paglen
Cast Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany Distributor Entertainment Film
Jonathan Hatfull
FILM
The Norman Bates
archetype is given a
compelling new twist in
Marjane Satrapis very
funny, very dark comedy
The Voices. As the
conicted and confused Jerry Hickfang
(Ryan Reynolds) toys with the idea
of murder, his dog Bosco and cat Mr
Whiskers are the angel and devil on his
shoulders, providing arguments both
for and against taking his hunting knife
out and lling his fridge.
Jerry has fallen hard for Fiona
(Gemma Arterton), the pretty English
girl in accounts, but does she feel
the same way? Jerrys therapist (Jacki
Weaver) thinks her patient should
be ne as long as he takes his meds,
but has Jerry been following the
doctors orders?
The Voices is the Persepolis directors
live-action debut, and theres a comic-
book sensibility to the lm, especially
in its early stages. Jerrys world bursts
with colour and detail, from his bright
pink work overalls through to the heart-
shaped piece of pepperoni. As Satrapi
lifts the veil, that bright and kooky lter
becomes increasingly skin-crawling.
Satrapi executes some bold tonal
shifts, and the star proves more than
capable of steering Jerry through little-
boy-lost to cold-blooded killer and back,
while Anna Kendrick gives a strong
turn as a colleague who falls for his
charms. Theres also the talking
animals, voiced by Reynolds, with
the reassuring drawl of Bosco and
the sweary Scottish of Mr Whiskers.
Together, theyre his support system; he
cant live without them.
Satrapis approach to the material
may not be for everyone, but theres a
well-earned condence. Its very much
a dark comedy, although it goes to some
upsetting places. She doesnt shy away
from the violence that Jerry commits,
and its tough to watch at times. Whats
more, Satrapi is committed to showing
that Jerry is a tragic gure. Were
shown his traumatic past, and made
to understand how he arrived at his
present state.
Candy-coloured, pitch black and
really quite mad, The Voices presents
tricky subject matter in a manner that is
both confrontational and considered. Its
hilarious, but Satrapis superb direction
and Reynolds excellent performance
ensure that youll be shocked and even a
little moved by the time the credits roll.
A wonderfully dark treat.
THE VOICES Listen up
The Nines
Reynolds shines in the three
lead roles of John Augusts
underrated mind-bender.
Details TBC // 107 mins // TBC Director Marjane Satrapi Screenwriter Michael R Perry
Cast Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton Distributor Lionsgate
Jonathan Hatfull
FILM
review
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TRIVIA DESPITE ITS SMALL-TOWN AMERICA SETTING, THE VOICES WAS FILMED IN GERMANY.
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Few movie monsters have endured such
indignities as the mighty Gojira, so the respect
with which Gareth Edwards treats the Japanese
icon comes as a blessed relief.
15 years ago, a terrible force destroyed the
Japanese nuclear power plant where Joe (Bryan
Cranston) worked, tearing his family apart.
Now, he is trying to get to the truth of what
happened, and when hes arrested breaking into
the quarantine zone, his son Ford (Aaron Taylor-
Johnson) is forced to break off his army leave
with his family in San Francisco to bail dad out.
But Joes not as crazy as he sounds.
Something horrifying has been unleashed, and
only one thing can stop it: Gojira.
Edwards has a ne line to walk. His approach
has been to treat the characters legacy and
spirit with respect and give fans of the franchise
something to get excited about. However, the
lm also needs to be a blockbuster; the kind of
guaranteed money-maker that will avoid the
infuriating (read: American) box-ofce failure of
Guillermo del Toros Pacic Rim. In this respect,
its similar to Rupert Wyatts Rise Of The Planet
Of The Apes, and Edwards nds a way to deliver
fan service and spectacle.
Things get off to a cracking start with the
much-trailered meltdown sequence. Cranston
sinks his teeth into the role of the tortured
physicist, and Juliette Binoche pops up
for long enough to share a powerful scene
with him. Similarly good is Ken Watanabes
awe-lled Gojira expert, whose time spent
concealing the existence of these monsters
has come to an abrupt end.
Theres a strong sense of foreboding, and
with the events of Fukushima still being
felt, its tough not to feel a chill as Joe and
Ford explore the ruins of the (ctional) city
destroyed by the plant. This never feels
exploitative rather an acknowledgment of
the sombre spirit of the 1954 original.
Were waiting for the big guy, but its
the Mutos that appear rst; giant insectoid
creatures that resemble the bugs from
Starship Troopers. These radiation-
devouring menaces are the lms real
threat, and balance must be restored.
Edwards holds off on unleashing the
main attraction for what feels like forever,
but when we nally see the titular titan, its
worth the wait. The scale is truly awesome,
and the detail and personality that the
lmmakers have brought to the monster is
simply stunning.
Its a shame, then, that the same love and
attention isnt paid to the lms characters.
Taylor-Johnsons hero is dropped from
action sequence to action sequence,
following the monsters on their path of
destruction, while Elizabeth Olsen is
given little to do apart from look terried.
However, Edwards has lled the lm with
actors strong enough to make something
from nothing (take a bow Sally Hawkins).
Those Hollywood blockbuster concessions
are similarly distracting, with necessarily
idiotic military strategies and dogs and small
children in peril. By the half-way point it
starts getting a bit silly, and you may nd
yourself wondering if those high hopes were
misguided. Then the nal third kicks in, and
those concerns are shunted to one side by a
superb climax. Edwards strategy of teasing
and suspense building pays off handsomely,
and the stage is set for a magnicent
sustained action sequence. His love of the
character and the series means that he knows
what fans want to see, and he delivers.
While it does occasionally stumble,
this is a superior summer blockbuster that
pays tribute to its heritage while delivering
stunning action sequences. It might tread a
little too cautiously, but by God, Godzilla has
a mighty roar.
review
Released
Out now
Certicate
12A
Director
Gareth Edwards
Screenwriter
Max Borenstein
Cast
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken
Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen,
Bryan Cranston
Distributor
Warner Bros
Running Time
123 mins
FILM INFO
Pacic Rim
Guillermo del Toros kaiju
tribute movie is a glorious and
giddy cinematic experience
that cancels the apocalypse.
Jonathan Hatfull
VERDICT
TRIVIA FRANK DARABONT COMPLETED A REWRITE OF THE FILMS SCRIPT BEFORE SHOOTING BEGAN.
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ANTE UP
Four lmmakers who
went from low-budget
debuts to massive
second features
NEILL BLOMKAMP
District 9 was an inventive sci-
ick with a distinct personality.
Elysium boasted a Hollywood
cast and bigger budget, but was
identiably his.
RUPERT WYATT
Wyatt jumped from his critically
acclaimed Brit prison drama
The Escapist to helming Rise
Of The Planet Of The Apes.
Intelligent and gripping, it got the
franchise back on track.
COLIN TREVORROW
Safety Not Guaranteed is one of
the most charming and loveable
indie sci- movies in recent
memory, and Trevorrow was
linked to every big job going,
nally landing the upcoming
Jurassic World.
JOSH TRANK
Together with writer Max
Landis, Trank made a hell of an
impression with found-footage
superhero movie Chronicle. Big-
budget movies were inevitable,
and The Fantastic Four is on
the way.
GODZILLA Kaiju Crush
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TRIVIA JOSS WHEDON ANNOUNCED THAT IN YOUR EYES WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE ON VIMEO VIA VIDEO MESSAGE AT ITS TRIBECA PREMIERE.
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Rather than a
fertile lifeboat for
the increasingly dull
Underworld franchise,
the slick and staid
I, Frankenstein is a
black-box recorder, sinking right to
the bottom of the ocean as perfect
record of why this line of enquiry
is doomed.
Like an old videogame, only
without the blessed interactivity,
I, Frankenstein romps through
exposition to give you an
obligatory tooling-up scene before
dropping you into a world (located
somewhere in the undiscovered
overlap between New York and
Vienna), populated exclusively by
people you can hit.
Aaron Eckhart grunts like a player
character running into a wall, the
supporting cast growl meaningless
tough-guy dialogue and the dead
glow as if theyve dropped a health
pack. Meanwhile, the city is clearly
such a memory drain on this ageing
console that the Buffy-faced
demons and CGI angels-lite live at
opposite ends of the same street.
I, Frankenstein is bad, its
only saving grace being that its
fascinatingly so.
I, FRANKENSTEIN
Details 12 //92 mins //2014 // //Released
Out now Director Stuart Beattie Cast Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto
Distributor Entertainment In Video
James Hoare
VERDICT
Overlooked as a part
of the classic Hammer
horror canon despite
its cast of stalwarts
(Barbara Shelley, Andr
Morrell etc) and Bray Studios set,
Shadow Of The Cat was quietly
produced by the anonymous BHP
Films for reasons too obscure to
explain and denied a DVD release
for no doubt connected reasons too
byzantine to discover.
Gothic in a sort of poor-mans
Edgar Allan Poe way rather than a
lurid Terence Fisher way, Shadow Of
The Cat is a heads-down morality
play as a clique of grasping servants
bludgeon an old woman to death in
front of her cat. Whether an avatar
of supernatural wrath or simply
their own guilty consciences with
whiskers, the cat then presides over
their unravelling mental states.
Though not as memorable as
director John Gillings The Reptile
or Plague Of The Zombies, theres
some effective cinematography
nonetheless notably the uncut
brutal murder, the manic glee as
the servants cage their four-pawed
tormentor and the dead hand
arching from beneath the marsh.
THE SHADOW OF THE CAT
Details 12 //79 mins //1961 // // Released Out now Director John Gilling
Cast Andr Morell, Barbara Shelley, William Lucas, Freda Jackson, Conrad
Phillips Distributor Final Cut Entertainment
James Hoare
VERDICT
When Joss
Whedon revealed
that his latest project,
sci- romance In Your
Eyes, would be made
available for $5 (3) on
Vimeo, fans were buzzing. However,
you should temper your expectations.
Described by star Zoe Kazan as
Joss Whedon does Nicholas Sparks,
its the story of Dylan (Michael
Stahl-David) and Rebecca (Kazan),
separated by geography but tied
together by something deeper. Hes
a trailer-bound ex-con living in New
Mexico working at a car wash, while
she lives in New Hampshire with her
condescending husband Phillip (Mark
Feuerstein). When they rediscover
the psychic connection they shared as
kids, everything changes.
One or two sequences aside (their
rst connection is nicely written and
played), its a heavy-handed affair that
leans heavily on the charm of the two
leads to carry it through some pretty
rough patches that will have you
shouting at the two to pretend to use
their phones. Its so committed to its
heartfelt romanticism that criticising
it too harshly feels a bit like kicking
a puppy, and Stahl-David and Kazan
are very likeable. However, the more
clunky sequences make it difcult to
ignore the stock elements like the bad
husband, shady friends and mood-
music montages, which are indicative
of a script thats lacking in invention.
Its frustrating to see the characters
adhere so determinedly to type, as
loveable rogue Dylan pulls fragile
darling Rebecca away from her
conceited husband and sheltered life.
This cloys when it should be soaring,
and later revelations have the distinct
whiff of third-act necessity.
Its hard to say if wed be this harsh
if it wasnt Whedon, but we know hes
capable of better. Theres an aching
sincerity and a chance that youll be
won over by its open heart. However,
this paperback romance might have
been best served in a short story that
matched its warmth with wit rather
than 100-odd treacly minutes, and this
is frankly disappointing.
IN YOUR EYES Love connections
Ruby Sparks
Zoe Kazan stars as
writer Paul Danos
dream girl, conjured from
his typewriter.
IF YOU LIKE THIS TRY
Jonathan Hatfull
VERDICT
Details TBC //105 mins //2014 // //Released Out now Director Brin Hill
Cast Michael Stahl-David, Zoe Kazan, Mark Feuerstein, Nikki Reed Distributor
Bellwether Pictures
Modern
Prometheus
is rubbish
review
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Basket case
TRIVIA DURING THE FILMING OF ESCAPE FROMTOMORROW, THE SCRIPTS WERE CIRCULATED ON IPHONES TO AVOID DETECTION.
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Strange Colour Of
Your Bodys Tears
is an artful neo-
giallo, masterfully
directed by Amer
duo Hlne Cattet
and Bruno Forzani with nostalgic
cinematography that places it on the
bleeding edge of cinema circa 1974.
The air is thick with mystery,
eroticism and Moog organ as Dan
Kristensen (Klaus Tange) returns
to his elegant Parisian apartment
to discover his wife missing. Thats
pretty much where conventional
knowledge dries up, leaving you
alone in the dark with your visual
arts degree.
To say the plot is labyrinthine is
to suggest that it has some sort of
resolution and possibly a minotaur.
Thats contentious; its not a
labyrinth at all. Like the apartment
building itself, all endless stairways,
hollow walls and psychosexual
dreamscapes, its an Escher-like
perception trick where everything
loops back to where it began.
James Hoare
VERDICT
Horror fans might
remember Ryan
Smiths debut
feature After from
2013s FrightFest,
although to be
honest theres a good chance
you might not. This gently paced,
low-key fantasy struggled against
louder competitors in a festival
atmosphere, and its natural home is
on the small screen.
Soon after strangers Freddy
(Steven Strait) and Ana (Karolina
Wydra) meet on a bus and realise
that they live on the same street,
their bus crashes. When they
wake up, its several months later
and their small town seems to be
deserted. As a black fog begins to
approach and strange creatures
appear, can the two escape?
After seems torn between
being a creepy, deserted small-
town mystery (Phantoms and
Silent Hill appear to be inuences)
and embracing the treacle-caked
big heart of Mick Garris Stephen
King adaptations. As such, it
ambles along without being
particularly gripping, scary or
offensive. Strait and Wydra are
likeable enough, and Smith delivers
some striking imagery from the
stock palette.
Lacking a clear identity of its own,
After is watchable DTV fare, but
you wont remember much about
it afterwards.
AFTER
Details 15 //89 mins //2012 // // Released Out now Director Ryan Smith
Cast Steven Strait, Karolina Wydra, Madison Lintz Distributor Matchbox Films
Jonathan Hatfull
VERDICT
The story behind
the making of Escape
From Tomorrow is an
impressive one shot
covertly on handheld
cameras in the Walt
Disney Orlando resort without the
knowledge or permission of the
House of Mouse, and done so with
a level of espionage that would
make the NSA proud. Its just a pity
that the nal product is so mind-
bogglingly mundane.
Its a shame really, as this is clearly
a passion project of sorts, and the
level of effort than went into making
this is evident the amount of times
the lmmakers must have traversed
Its A Small World in order to get
the required footage must have been
an ordeal in itself. However, while
this has aspirations of following in
the tradition of David Lynch (Lost
Highway in particularly being a clear
inspiration), the resultant piece of
lmmaking is distinctively third rate,
with little to set it apart other than
the setting.
Its attempts at gaining credibility
are further hamstrung by the
distinctly sub-B movie nature of the
casts performances, with protagonist
Jim (Roy Abramsohn) standing out
by virtue of being possibly one of the
most unsympathetic leads in cinema
history. Whether hes stalking a pair
of teenage girls, cheating on his wife
or getting drunk while hes supposed
to be looking after his kids, his
every action seems purposely and
successfully designed to make him
as hateful as possible, all the while
remaining a bland cardboard cut-out.
Its the classic case of the idea being
far more interesting than the actual
execution, as once you get over the
novelty of the guerrilla lmmaking
style, it becomes clear that there is
little else to engage with. The plot
ranges from dull to bordering on
nonsensical, with ideas strewn around
the lmmaking canvas in a way that
ultimately fails to come together. Its
like something Lynch would have
made in lm school, only without the
little nuggets of genius to mark him
out as one to look out for.
Instead of challenging Escape
From Tomorrows existence in court,
Disneys response has been dened
by apathy and to be brutally honest,
following their example wouldnt be
the worst decision in the world. You
wont miss out on much.
ESCAPE FROM
TOMORROWMousehunt
Lost Highway
By contrast, David Lynchs
surrealist road trip into
nightmare will live long in
the memory.
Steve Wright
VERDICT
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REVIEWS HOME / FILM
In Your Eyes//I, Frankenstein //Shadow Of The Cat //Escape From Tomorrow //Strange Colour Of Your Bodys Tears //After
Ghost town
Details 18//102 mins //2013 // // Released 23 June
Directors Hlne Cattet, Bruno Forzani Cast Klaus Tange, Ursula Bedena, Joe
Koener Distributor Metrodome
STRANGE COLOUR OF
YOUR BODYS TEARS
Crying
shame
Details 15 //90 mins //2013 // //Released Out now Director Randy
Moore Cast Roy Abramsohn, Elena Schuber, Katelynn Rodriguez Distributor House
One of Vincent
Prices favourite works,
Theatre Of Blood
making its crisp
Blu-ray debut with a
commentary from the
League of Gentlemen and a lovely brace
of interviews is an endlessly watchable
feast for fans of the horror giant.
Price plays (over-)actor Edward
Lionheart. Humiliated by a clique of
priggish critics and believed dead,
the killer thesp enacts elaborate
Shakespearean murder scenarios as an
THEATRE OF BLOOD
Stage
fright
The Phantom Of
The Opera
Lon Chaney embodies the
original theatre killer in this
1925 silent chiller.
James Hoare
VERDICT
Details 15 //104 mins //1973 // //Released Out now Director Douglas Hickox
Cast Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry Distributor Arrow Video
Stuart Gordons
blood and re-
agent-spattered
masterpiece gets a
beautiful hi-denition
upgrade from
Second Sight. One
of the dening splatter horrors of
the Eighties and still the best HP
Lovecraft adaptation, Re-Animator
remains every bit as wonderful with
each passing year.
Medical student Dan Cain
(Bruce Abbott)s time at Miskatonic
University is derailed when the
brilliant Herbert West (Jeffrey
Combs) arrives with radical theories
about bringing the dead back to life.
Before long, Herbert has moved in
and recruited Dan to help him test
his re-agent on dead tissue.
Steeped in an obvious love of
classic horror, possessed of a
fantastic sense of humour and
sporting a gleeful, gory irreverence,
Re-Animator is endlessly
rewatchable. The casting is perfect
(Abbott and Barbara Crampton
rarely get the credit theyre due),
but its Combs career-dening turn
as Herbert West that is truly iconic,
from the eye-popping opening to
the psychotic cat, right through to
the stomach churning chaos of the
nal sequence,
Re-Animator is one of the genres
dening lms and, quite frankly,
virtually impossible to dislike.
RE-ANIMATOR
Jonathan Hatfull
VERDICT
Scarlett Johansson
has given two career-
best performances
in 12 months; one
in which she hardly
speaks (Under The Skin) and one in
which she doesnt appear at all. Her
superb vocal performance in Spike
Jonzes Her is arguably the biggest
reason for the lms success.
In the near future, lonely writer
Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix)
falls in love with his sentient
operating system Samantha
(Johansson). Can their love
overcome the obvious obstacles,
and is it any less valid than one
shared between two humans?
Jonzes mournful but achingly
sincere romanticism has always
played a major part in his lms, and
Her is no exception. The developing
relationship between the two is
beautifully played; a witty and
intimate irtation that naturally
progresses into (tricky) physicality.
Less of a commentary on our
dependence on technology and
more of an awkward love story, Her
aims for the heart rather than the
head, helped by an excellent cast
(including Amy Adams, Rooney
Mara, Olivia Wilde and Chris Pratt).
Its overlong at more than two
hours, but its well shot, the score by
Arcade Fire is excellent, and its love
story is genuinely affecting.
HER
Details 15 //126 mins //2013 // // Released 23 June
Director Spike Jonze Cast Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams,
Rooney Mara Distributor Entertainment Film
Jonathan Hatfull
VERDICT
Girl in the machine
act of revenge, each kill lining up neatly
with his nal run of plays and being so
increasingly and wickedly inventive and
rich with black comedy that Theatre Of
Blood almost feels like an anthology,
especially when Prices soliloquies pass
as knowing pieces to camera.
Often thought of as part of his gothic
horror oeuvre, the contemporary
setting and touch of dream-like
surrealism leering meth-guzzling
vagrants, ludicrous disguises and a
corpulent critic cradling his two pet
poodles gives it an aftertaste of giallo.
Conversely, the ritualistic murders can
almost be said to pregure the likes of
Se7en, albeit with a smirk and a heavy
touch of the stars earlier cult classic The
Abominable Dr Phibes.
Luxuriously lensed by Zulu
Dawns Douglas Hickox and lled
with veteran acting talents and a
then-rising Diana Rigg fresh off
The Avengers and On Her Majestys
Secret Service, as his frosty daughter
Edwina its nonetheless Price who
dominates, striding between scenes
like a colossus. Its all a bit too neat to
suggest that the concept was his own
swipe at the critics who wrote him
off as a B-movie schlocker, but his
enthusiasm for the Bard is evident and
his intonation hypnotic.
The most self-aware of the classic
horror stars (beaten only by Boris
Karloff in Mario Bavas Black Sabbath),
Price was a splendid actor who knew
when to ham it up not, as many
detractors believe, a massive ham who
didnt know when to stop. In the role of
Lionheart an elaborate double-ham,
if you will his true grace glimmers
behind the purple prose, arched
eyebrow and curled lip.
A matter of
life and death
Details 18 //86 mins //1985 // / /// Released Out now Director Stuart Gordon
Cast Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton Distributor Second Sight
TRIVIA DOUGLAS HICKOX IS THE FATHER OF HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH DIRECTOR ANTHONY HICKOX.
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review
072 |
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TRIVIA THE OVERALL THEME OF BLUE EXORCIST IS INSPIRED BY THE BROTHERS GRIMMAND THEIR FABLES; FOCUSING ON TWO BROTHERS TAKING DOWN BIBLICALLY INSPIRED CREATURES.
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With a lm like George
A Romeros Night
Of The Living Dead,
you could be forgiven
for thinking that
everything there was
to say on the subject had already
been said. Its impressive indeed,
then, that documentary Birth Of The
Living Dead is such an entertaining
and thoughtful watch.
The lm offers insights into
how Romero landed on NOTLD
as a debut feature after working
in adverts and writing an Ingmar
Bergman-esque drama he couldnt
nd nancing for, through to the
shoestring production and attempts
to nd distribution, as well as its
release and cultural signicance.
Romero is on hand to provide
his customarily frank, funny and
self-deprecating memories, while
academics and critics like Samuel
D Pollard and Elvis Mitchell discuss
the impact that a character like
Ben had on audiences at the time.
Its slightly unclear why scenes of
young children watching the lm
now are included (although their
no-nonsense descriptions are
entertaining), but with commentary
from gures as sharp as Larry
Fessenden and Gale Ann Hurd,
this is an enjoyable reminder of
the importance and power of a
true classic.
Jonathan Hatfull
VERDICT
So rmly tethered to
the era that produced
it bounding gleefully
after Clerks, Mallrats
and, er, Free Enterprise
Close Encounters Of
The Nerd Kind really does raise the
question of how youd rate those
lms were you to encounter them
for the rst time in 2014.
The dialogue taps the same
contrived well of smirk-along
slacker zingers, while the plot is a
mixture of small-town frustration,
unobtainable girls and poop
jokes, punctuated by unanswered
homophobia and bookended by
second-tier pop-punk that rarely
relates to the scene it scores.
Originally released as Beer Money
in 2001, Close Encounters Of The
Nerd Kind has been rebadged to
emphasise its ET-like alien goblin
in the hope of being confused for
a cult lm as opposed to a lm
nobody saw, but so prominent are
the constant close ups of Harmony
from Buffy and Angel (Mercedes
McNab)s chest and recurring jokes
about French-kissing dogs that Zack
from Saved By The Bell (Mark-Paul
Gosselaar)s rst-contact scenario
barely registers.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF
THE NERD KIND
Details 15 //90 mins //2001 // // Released Out now Director Joshua Butler
Cast Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mercedes McNab, Nick von Esmarch, JP Manoux
Distributor Fabulous Films
James Hoare
VERDICT
As with most TV
series-to-theatrical
release anime movies,
Blue Exorcist: The Movie
straddles a range of
demographics. It will
make the most sense to anyone thats
sat through the shows 25 episodes,
but newcomers will nd themselves
aptly introduced to the lms thin
cast quicker than in other tie-in
lmic releases.
Rin, the protagonist, is the son
of Satan, but this seemingly important
detail is often overlooked in a
world full of demons, being the son
of Satan doesnt curry you more
favour than anyone else. In fact, Rin
Okumora, his half-brother Yukio
and other friends at the True Cross
Academy are still struggling their way
through high school-esque demon
training (this is a franchise aimed at
teens, after all). The main narrative
revolves around Rin taking care of a
demon that has the ability to eat bad
memories which turns out to be a
lovely narrative conceit.
The most striking differences
between the series and the lm were
the overall production values; in Blue
Exorcist: The Movie, everything feels
put together in a more focused way.
It is clear that there was a signicant
budget in place behind the lm
something that its TV cousin sadly
lacked. The animation itself still
seems a little wooden, though, with
characters movements often coming
off as robotic and stilted.
Each character seems limited to a
selection of four facial expressions,
too, largely inhibiting what is
otherwise an expressive and capable
English voice cast. Blue Exorcist: The
Movie takes care not to move too far
away from the series manga routes,
and at times you feel like you can even
see panels from the manga pseudo-
recreated on-screen: perhaps this owes
to the stiff, clunky character animation
that weighs the lm down.
Blue Exorcist: The Movie is
intriguing and oddly down-to-earth.
Kept aloft with an action/humour/
set-piece rhythm, the world and
characters feel eshed out in equal
measure. The art style does come
across as rather dated, but is more
suited to the observant, static scenes
the kitchen cooking scene, for
example, is gorgeous.
BLUE EXORCIST:
THE MOVIE
Get Behind
Me, Satan
Berserk
If you like the demon
designs in Blue Exorcist,
the body horror-inspired art
direction will be for you.
Dom Peppiatt
VERDICT
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REVIEWS HOME / FILM
Theatre Of Blood//Her //Re-Animator //Blue Exorcist: The Movie // Birth Of The Living Dead //Close Encounters Of The Nerd Kind
Worst
contact
Details 15//76 mins //2013 // // Released Out now
Director Rob Kuhns Cast George A Romero, Larry Fessenden, Samuel D Pollard
Distributor Screen Media
BIRTH OF THE LIVING DEAD
Theyre still coming to get you, Barbara
Details 12 //88 mins //2012 // //Released Out now Director Kazue Kato
Cast Nobuhiko Okamoto, Jun Fukuyama, Kana Hanazawa, Kazuya Nakai Distributor
Manga Entertainment
review
074 |
TRIVIA SEASON ONE OF STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE PREMIERED IN THE SECOND HALF OF THIS SEASON, MARKING THE FIRST TIME TWO TREK SERIES WERE RUNNING TOGETHER.
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WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
The Dragon Ball saga
is most notable for its
successful sequel, which
carried the Z sufx to
make the series seem
edgier. But it all began
way back in 1986 with the short story
of a small child known as Dragon Boy,
who would travel between planets with
the goal of fullling wishes.
Spread over ve discs, the original
Dragon Ball series highlights what
Dragon Ball Z did to take the franchise
mainstream (or as mainstream as it was
ever going to get). The focus is on Goku
who is, later on in the timeline, a loyal
and attentive father and his journey
through the world as a kid, where he
learns the ropes of being a hero. Its
pretty much what Adventure Time does
now, but considering Dragon Balls
late-Eighties conception and its target of
young Japanese boys, its all pulled off
with slightly less tact and subtlety.
Those excited by the series forays
into uber-violence and over-sexuality
may be disappointed by the more
mature focus there are occasional
over-the-top deaths and the obligatory
upskirt shot here and there but largely
the themes here revolve around male
bonding, self-betterment and relying
on violence to solve everything. Its
traditional Dragon Ball, though, and
completely uncensored, so if you want
to see where modern anime derives
from, this is an essential purchase.
This DVD release is best watched
in Japanese with English subtitles.
Where other anime series sometimes
benet from decent localisation, this
release retains the original voice acting
of the 2001 American dub which
alters dialogue (making some scenes
completely nonsensical) and, honestly,
is all performed a little poorly. It seems
the original lm has been scanned in
for this release too theres no cropping
or zooming, unlike some American
versions, and the colours look great
even on HD TVs. The Eighties lm
grain actually adds character to the
whole thing, too; its like a shortcut to
nostalgia, evoking all those (seemingly)
late nights youd stay up waiting to
watch Dragon Ball as it aired on Skys
Cartoon Network on these shores.
DRAGON BALL
Making a monkey out
of the competition
Hunter X Hunter
A bit camp, a bit sci- and a
bit silly it ties in perfectly
with Dragon Balls more
child-facing themes.
Details 15 //745 mins // / Out now Creators Akira Toriyama Cast Stephanie
Nadolny, Christopher Sabat, Andrea Kwan, Laurie Steele Distributor Manga
Entertainment
When a serious
sci- show gets
away with a script
in which principal
characters are
turned into children,
you know its riding a wave. Star
Trek: The Next Generation is a case
in point. The sixth season episode
Rascals came after the series had
been consistently impressive for
three years. Yet, its juvenile premise
is one of the worst seen in TNG since
its second season. Even so, no one
cared at the time, because critical
acclaim was carrying the show
through scripts that didnt meet
the mark.
Maybe thats just as well, because
Rascals now seems like more
than just an aberration, especially
alongside this seasons other
conspicuous hiccup, A Fistful Of
Datas. As a Wild West homage,
the latter inevitably brings back
memories of Spectre Of The Gun,
and the parallels arent purely
thematic. The earlier episode came
in The Original Series third season
when the writers were nding
smart stories hard to come by. Like
Rascals, A Fistful Of Datas provides
similar hints of creative fatigue.
Part of the problem is that its
yet another episode centred on a
holodeck malfunction. What really
kills it, though, is the absence of
any relevance or dramatic gravitas.
Tepid familiarity also pervades an
unusually high number of episodes
this season, particularly The
Quality Of Life, Man Of The People
and Aquiel, with all three lacking
originality and resonance. Its telling
that the bittersweet return of Scotty
in Relics is the sixth seasons only
outstanding contribution to canon.
While its hard to be as
enthusiastic about TNGs sixth
season as about those that preceded
it, however, disappointment must
be tempered by the many qualities
that persist. In particular, Chain of
Command, Part II includes some
of the best acting in the series.
Meanwhile Tapestry, Lessons and
Second Chances testify to time well
spent building believable characters.
Together with the total absence of
Wesley Crusher and Lwaxana Troi,
these more than compensate for this
seasons crud.
STAR TREK: THE NEXT
GENERATION Cowboys and aliens
Almost Human
Implicitly themed around
the human condition,
this shouldnt be ignored
because it was short-lived.
Season Six
Season One
Details PG //1,300 mins // //16 June Creator Gene Roddenberry Cast Patrick
Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates
McFadden, Michelle Forbes Distributor Paramount Home Entertainment
Michael Simpson
VERDICT Dom Peppiatt
VERDICT
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A team of CDC
scientists are sent to a
polar research station
because things have gone
a bit Outbreak, upon
which hilarity and bloody
death ensues.
Yanked from UK schedules by
the increasingly twitchy Channel 5,
Helix is appropriately feverish for a
show about diseases. A lot of that lies
in its clever structure, each episode
equating to a day of the outbreak. At
rst it plays a little slowly, but as the
show goes on and the pace increases it
HELIXCarpenter calling
The Thing
A group of scientists ght
a shape-changing alien.
One of the greatest horror
movies ever made.
Alasdair Stuart
VERDICT
Details TBC //509 mins //2014 // //Released 30 June Creator Cameron Porsandeh
Cast Billy Campbell, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kyra Zagorsky, Mark Ghanim, Jordan Hayes
Distributor Sony
means youre guaranteed at least one
What?! moment every 45 minutes.
It also has the best use of music since
Lost, combining chirpy vintage pop and
elevator music with moments of oily
body horror to gleeful effect.
Billy Campbell is the still point at
the heart of this story as scientist Alan,
whose brother seems to be Patient Zero.
Campbell and Napier (as his brother)
are an excellent if at times unsettling
double act, and that sense of unease
carries out into the other characters.
Mark Ghanim and Meegwun
Fairbrother are especially great. Mark
Ghanims soldier is one of the shows
most surprising characters, while
Fairbrothers security chief grows from
background support to a surprisingly
central role as the season progresses.
Catherine Lemieux and Kyra
Zagorsky are also great as Doreen and
Julia, two members of Alans team.
Doreen is great fun, the only character
who has seen this sort of movie before
and knows how much trouble theyre
in. Julia is harder to like initially, but as
the show goes on she, just like Ghanim
and Fairbrothers characters, is taken in
some interesting directions.
However, its Hiroyuki Sanada who
steals the show. As the infection spreads
and the series gets crazier, his glacial
calm matches Campbells, and the pair
become the eye of a surprisingly high-
stakes and idea-heavy storm of a show.
Individualistic, deantly odd
and blackly funny, Helix rewards
perseverance. Stick with the slow
opening, because what follows is more
fun than a eld of frozen viral monkeys.
M
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REVIEWS HOME / TV
Star Trek: The Next Generation //Dragon Ball //Helix
Season One
Its easy enough to
blame the Batman:
Arkham series for
making us harbour
lofty expectations
for games based on
licensed properties, but theres simply
no excuse for barely competent
videogames in this day and age.
Beenox has delivered one of the worst
Spider-Man games in recent history,
which fails to not only replicate the
glory of 2004s Spider-Man 2 in any
attractive fashion, but succeeds in
falling short of other Spider-Man
games the studio has delivered in the
last four years.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 uses
the recent Marc Webb-directed
sequel as a starting point, before
spiralling out of control into a
narrative and gameplay mess of epic
proportions. Your time will be spent
swinging around a New York stripped
of all visual interest, personality and
splendour; stopping on frustratingly
frequent occasions to lay the
smackdown on eerily similar-looking
thugs, rescuing trapped people and
disarming bombs. It gets boring
quickly. If Peter Parker has to endure
this sort of nonsense on a daily basis,
patience of steel should be added to
his power set in the next Handbook Of
The Marvel Universe.
The swinging mechanics fail to
replicate the simplicity and nuance
of the aforementioned Spider-Man
2, while the combat isnt a patch on
Beenoxs Shattered Dimensions.
Sadly, the story missions dont fare
much better, unless being pushed
through a gauntlet of tedium is your
idea of an evening well spent. Fetch
quests, repetitive missions and
uninteresting combat (which borders
on broken) quickly stamps out the
Spider-Man fan buried deep inside us.
Theres only so much you can forgive,
even when dealing with a lifelong
favourite franchise. Wed happily
take a game centred on exploring
the nuance of the Clone Saga over
another swing into this uninteresting
depiction of Spideys world.
Theres nothing amazing about
Activisions latest attempt to give
Spider-Man an entertaining digital
out; in fact, theres barely anything
serviceable about it. The Amazing
Spider-Man 2 is a dull, uninteresting
take on one of Marvels most
interesting and complex characters.
Cant blame the Parker luck for this
one, folks the problems run deeper
than superhero superstition.
Format Multi //Age rating 16 //Publisher Activision // Developer Beenox //
Players 1 //Released Out now //Price 49.99 //Downloadable Yes
Josh West
VERDICT
Child Of Light is
a project of passion.
Its whimsical story
and beautiful painted
style isnt what youd
expect from the
team responsible for
the blockbuster fury of Far Cry 3, but
theres plenty to admire about Ubisofts
embrace of the classic RPG formula.
It has been created as an ode to
a genre long thought stagnated, a
reactive slice of creativity aimed at the
violence that seems to pervade the
industry. At its core, Child Of Light is a
Studio Ghibli-inspired fairy tale borne
from a desire to excite and entice with
childlike wonder.
What will be immediately apparent
is how beautiful and striking Child
Of Lights art direction is. Built using
Rayman Legends UbiArt engine, it
showcases beautiful hand-drawn 2D
landscapes; eerie forests tempt you into
danger and gorgeous oating villages
implore you to take to the skies and
explore this world. Its been some time
since weve enjoyed diving so deeply
into a location, although its beauty is a
double-edged sword of sorts.
While it has clearly tried to straddle
the line between accessibility and
playability, the gameplay rarely
challenges. The turn-based combat
system has been revived by Ubisoft;
what was once a staple of mid-Nineties
RPGs now exists as nostalgia, and while
its easy to get to grips with, it doesnt
offer any depth beyond the opening
hours. Its a shame, because every
other aspect feels considered and deftly
designed. We have to wonder whether
Ubisoft hoped its beauty would distract
from its systems, which are disastrously
shallow at times.
Child Of Light has a tendency to get
caught up in its own playful grandeur.
The world and its inhabitants are
a pleasure to interact with, but the
broken rhyme and poetry they spout
becomes grating. The combat system
is a welcome throwback, but fails to
capture the complexity Chrono Trigger
and Grandia 2 once propagated. Its
frustrating, because it has the potential
to be special, but is average in too
many essential areas. Thats not to say
you shouldnt lend it your attention,
however, as its rare we encounter a
game that makes us smile because of
presentation and beauty. Just dont
expect a classic in the making.
CHILD OF LIGHT
Format Multi //Age rating 12 //Publisher Ubisoft //Developer Ubisoft Montreal //
Players 1 //Released Out now //Price 11.99 //Downloadable Yes
South Park:
The Stick Of Truth
Another Ubisoft RPG. For
better or worse, its the most
faithful South Park game ever.
Spider-Man:
Shattered
Dimensions
Beenox released a good
Spidey game once.
Josh West
VERDICT
Once upon a time, there was a long forgotten genre
TRIVIA IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO PACK IN FAN SERVICE, STAN LEE RUNS THE COMIC-BOOK SHOP WHERE YOU CAN VIEWYOUR IN-GAME COLLECTABLES IN THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2.
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review
076 |
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THE AMAZING
SPIDER-MAN 2
A web of
disaster
RULES
This competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland. Imagine Publishing has the right to substitute the prize for a similar item of equal or higher value. Employees of Imagine Publishing (inc freelancers),
their relatives, or any agents are not eligible to enter. The editors decision is nal and no correspondence will be entered into. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash. Full terms and conditions are available upon
request. From time to time Imagine Publishing or its agents may send you related material or special offers. If you do not want to receive this state it clearly on your entry.
L
ost Girl: Season Four is out now
courtesy of Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment. To celebrate its
release, were giving you the
chance to win a 32-inch LED TV, a
Blu-ray player and a copy of the series
on DVD.
Anna Silk is back in her star-
making role as Bo, the fan-favourite
human Succubus. In the seductively
entertaining fourth season, fate
casts a wide shadow over the Fae
world, causing Bo to venture into a
journey of discovery as the difference
between Light and Dark grows ever
more murky.
Bo is joined by sidekick Kenzi
(Ksenia Solo), shapeshifter Dyson
(Kris Holden-Reid) and an incredible
cast of SciFiNow-approved guest
stars that includes Linda Hamilton,
Mia Kirshner and George Takei.
Lost Girl: Season Four contains
all 13 episodes of the fan-favourite
fantasy sensation on a three-disc
set, and is available now from Sony
Pictures Home Entertainment.
| 077
COMPETITION
Lost Girl
WIN!
LOST GIRL SEASON 4
DVD, A BLU-RAY PLAYER
AND A 32 LED TV
For a
chance of winning,
simply answer the
following question:
In Lost Girl, who is the
leader of the Dark Fae?
a) The Morrgan
b) The Ash
c) The Edge
2
0
1
3
B
O
S
e
r
ie
s
4
I
n
c
. A
ll R
ig
h
t
s
R
e
s
e
r
v
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d
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ENTER ONLINE AT SCIFINOW.CO.UK COMPETITION CLOSES 1 JULY
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2
3
Battroborg
For anyone whos been feeling nostalgic
for the days of Rock Em Sock Em Robots,
the Battroborg Battling Robots game is here to
bring back the tiny robotic violence with your tiny
mechanical gladiators beating the hinges off each
other. These motion-controlled battling robots are
designed for one purpose only, which you can help them
to do with your wireless controllers. There are three
different competitive game modes, or you could just go
old school with one-on-one combat. Knock-outs are
achieved by inicting ve damage points to your
opponent robots face (or Neurocranial Optic
Visor if you want to get technical). Fight!
http://uk.battroborg.com // 69.99
PERFECT FOR: ROBOT WARRIORS
2
Deep Space Home
Planetarium and Projector
Observe the wonders of the universe from
your own darkened living room with this Home
Planetarium and Projector. With 24 colour photos
from your friends at NASA to choose from, this nifty
R2-D2-looking piece of equipment projects rotating
star or constellation patterns onto your ceiling. You
can choose from NASAs photos or the view from the
Hubble telescope, and theres a colourful educational
booklet to help your little ones learn about spacecraft,
astronauts, planets and nebulae. This is ideal for
anyone looking to get their kids interested in
looking up at the stars.
www.brainstormltd.co.uk // 30
PERFECT FOR: BUDDING
STARGAZERS
V
a
u
l
t
TOYS // COLLECTABLES // COOL STUFF
1
Fannibal
Tees
The ve best
Hannibal TV shirts for
ne young cannibals
This Is My Design
Hannibal
creator Bryan
Fuller tweeted
this, which
has several
elements
from the
rst season.
designbyhumans.com $24
(approx 14)
Clock
Simple but
effective, this
restrained
design is
perfect for
fans who
might not
want a
cannibal emblasoned across their
chest. Those in the know will know.
Redbubble.com 16.12
Rain
Its hard to be
a fannibal and
not appreciate
the warped
bromance
between Dr
Lecter and
Will, so why
not embrace it with this image of
the two sheltering from the rain?
Available on an array of colours.
Redbubble.com 14.26
Will Grahams All-Breed
Dog Rescue
Pay tribute
to Will
Grahams very
own one-man
dog-rescue
service with
this lovely
looking tee.
Redbubble.com 16.68
Psychopaths Arent Crazy
Fuller recently
told us that
the human
cello was
his favourite
murder
tableau from
the show, and
this striking design recreates it.
Redbubble.com 16.68
| 079
4
3
3
Zombie Gnome
Traditionally, the garden gnome has
been an object of ridicule; something youd
be a bit embarrassed to have sitting on your
front lawn. Well, Thumbs Up have changed all that
by turning your average bearded be-capped gure
of fun into a dead-eyed esh-eating member of the
undead. Theyre made from handcrafted terracotta
with weather-resistant paint, so the cold dead eyes and
blood-drenched beard wont run. Youve got a couple of
options to choose from, so whether youd like him to
have a bloody stump where a nger used to be, or
crawling along the ground thanks to his missing
legs, theres a zombie gnome for everyone.
www.red5.co.uk // 14.95
PERFECT FOR: GARDENING
GHOULS
4
RoboCop Mug
You might not be able to buy it for
a dollar, but this fantastic Thumbs Up
Robocup mug is denitely worth investing in.
Pour your tea or coffee into the immovable face of
law enforcement, and rest easy in the knowledge that
your hot beverage is in the safe hands (well, head) of the
nest that Detroit has to offer. We honestly dont know
whether this mug is made from the broken remains of an
old mug, but we guarantee that it wont remember and
try to take revenge on its corrupt bosses. Ultraviolence
and satirical commentary while youre enjoying your
beverage is entirely optional. Your move, creep.
www.thumbsupuk.com // 20.95
PERFECT FOR: CYBORG COPS
Collectables
VAULT
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
080 |
W
e have covered numerous
Kickstarter projects, but few have
highlighted the strengths and
pitfalls of the crowd-funding service
as effectively as this one.
Atlantic City was rst pitched in early
2012, and effortlessly sailed past its $35,000
goal. Newcomer The Forking Path ended up
securing $122, 874, but just 13 months later
the project was cancelled, with The Forking
Paths owner, Erik Chevalier, stating that all the
money had run out. The games backers and
developers were understandably outraged,
particularly as it was never made clear what
the money was really spent on.
There was a lucky twist to the tale,
however, as a week after the project was
cancelled, Cryptozoic Entertainment entered
a deal with the original designers and
promised to publish the game, giving away free
copies to the 1,246 people who had backed
the project.
So after all the trials the original
development team and the games backers
have gone through, has the wait for Atlantic
City been worth it? Well say yes, even if its one
of the simpler games weve played recently.
The draw of Atlantic City (which saw it
achieve backing in little over a week) was
its brilliant premise Cthulhu by way of
Monopoly. Players control one of eight Old
Ones, and must travel around the game
board, which shares more than a little in
common with a certain property estate game.
Destruction, not property building, is the aim
here, however, and youll soon nd yourself
locked in heated battles of domination with up
to three other players.
THE DOOM THAT CAME TO ATLANTIC CITY
Publisher: Cryptozoic Games //Players: 2-4 //RRP: 59.99
Vault
BOARD GAMES // CARD GAMES // YOUR GAMES
2
BOARD
Youd be mistaken for
thinking this is a Monopoly
board, but it really isnt.
Earning bonuses for
passing Mi-Go is just a
coincidence.
4
CHANTS CARDS
Youd be mistaken for
thinking these were Chance
Cards, but theyre completely
different. Pay the cost of a
card using cultists or homes
to receive a temporary
bonus or penalty.
3
MYTHOS ROLE
CARD
Any Providence Card abilities
and cultists are placed here and
represent your Old One slowly
growing in power. You must
always ll blank spaces with
available cards before
swapping one over.
6
CULTISTS
Cultists are your currency,
and are used to play various
cards and gate powers. If you
lose your last cultist you are
temporarily banished, bash
as many enemies as you
can to gain their own
followers.
5
GATES
You need six gates to win
the game. If anyone lands on
one of your gates the player
will have to pay a gate toll. You
can also choose to use one
of your gates to move
to another on the
board.
1
PROVIDENCE
CARDS
There feature a number of
abilities that will improve
the strength and attack
power of your
Old One.
7
HOMES
Like Cultists Home
form your currency
are used to activa
certain cards and
events.
3
2
5
6
4
1
| 081
BEST FOR: CASUAL GAMERS
Expansion Of The Month
Publisher: Paizo Publishing //Players: 1-6
RRP: 16.99
Theres a great
undead theme to
be found in this
latest Pathnder
expansion, with
the players facing
off against ghouls,
zombies and evil cultists. The scenarios
themselves are varied and solid, seeing your
group staving off attacking hordes of undead,
exploring an extremely creepy mansion and
eventually challenging the puppet master
behind all the undead attacks in Sandpoint.
While there are no new character classes to
experiment with, there are a large number
of new items, weapons and spells as well.
The whole campaign takes roughly ten hours
to complete, and will see your characters
reach level eight by the time you reach its
nail-biting climax.
1. AJANI, MENTOR OF
HEROES 20
2. ATHREOS, GOD OF
PASSAGE 20
3. MANA CONFLUENCE
15
4. GODSEND 11
5. IROAS, GOD OF
VICTORY 10
TOP
FIVE
MAGIC: THE
GATHERING
JOURNEY INTO NIX
Do You Remember?
Turns consist of three phases: Movement,
Combat and Destruction. Movement sees you
rolling two dice (you can discard Chants and
Providence cards to increase movement) and
advancing around the board. Combat gives you
the option of ghting any Old Ones by rolling
two dice and applying any bonus modiers.
Win the skirmish and youll steal a cultist that
allows you to grow in power. The nal phase,
Destruction, lets you destroy a home if you
roll seven or higher. Destroy the last home on
a space, and youll create a gate, of which you
need six to win the game.
Play is enhanced by the addition of Doom
Cards (that will give you an additional unique
way to win the game) and the ability to
increase your Old Ones power with Providence
Cards, but it remains relatively simple in
its mechanics.
Atlantic City may be basic, but its also
highly entertaining and proves that good things
really do come to those who wait.
VAULT
The Doom That Came To Atlantic City
W
hile we love Thunderstone
Advance, its not very
backwards-compatible
with the original Thunderstone.
Publisher AEG has responded by
delivering Worlds Collide, a huge
set of 550 cards that features
some of the best cards from the
original Thunderstone and its
ve popular expansion packs.
Youd expect there to be
balance issues with a series
from so many different
expansions, but credit must
go to AEG, as nothing is too
overpowered. A few cards lose
out under the new mechanics,
but the ability to get to play with
some of the rarer promo cards
is greatly appreciated.
Gameplay-wise its business
as usual, so players slowly build
up their decks by buying cards
on each turn and delving into
dungeons, where they battle
monsters for experience and
victory points. Experience is
used to level up hero cards,
while victory points determine a
winner once the Thunderstone
Bearer has escaped or
been defeated. Unlike other
expansions, it doesnt introduce
any new mechanics, instead
letting you revel in older cards.
Its a big deal for long-
time fans, but its variety and
comprehensive rule set makes
it perfect for beginners as well.
BEST FOR: THUNDERSTONE BEARERS
Publisher: Fantasy Flight Games //Players: 2 //RRP: 31.99
T
he biggest hurdle youll face
with Android: Netrunner is
its cumbersome rulebook.
Its full of confusing terminology
that can be quite intimidating,
particularly to newer gamers.
Fortunately, theres a great
video on its ofcial site, which
enables you to really appreciate
just how good Fantasy Flights
re-imagination of Richard
Garelds game actually is.
The theme of Android is
superb, being a cyberpunk-
based skirmish between two
sides: Runners (essentially
hackers) and the Corporations.
Both sides are trying to score
agenda points, but they do so
in different ways. Corporations
earn them by advancing their
agendas, while Runners steal
them to get by.
Secrecy is key for
Corporations players as they
place their cards face down,
hopefully tricking the Runner
into wasting resources hacking
pointless servers. Hackers, on
the other hand, have the ability
to hack into their opponents
hand, deck or draw pile, which
makes for tremendously tense
games of cat and mouse.
The core set contains 252
cards, which are spread across
numerous factions. All play
differently, while the exible
card pool allows for a variety of
deck-building scenarios. The
core set is amazingly strong,
but if you get bored youll be
pleased to know that a number
of expansion packs exist.
BEST FOR: CYBERPUNK FANS
Android: Netrunner
8
OLD ONES
The design on the main
gures is quite simply
exquisite. Every single model
is full of intricate details
that show off every
gruesome aspect
of it.
es
and
ate
d
7
8
PATHFINDER: THE SKINSAW
MURDERS ADVENTURE DECK
HEROSCAPE
Wargaming
for beginners
Thunderstone Advance:
Worlds Collide
Publisher: AEG //Players: 1-5 //RRP: 39.99
It still pains us that Heroscape was discontinued.
It was a fantastic introduction to wargaming,
but one that was more interested in ensuring its
players had fun rather than worry about boring
rules. The draw of Heroscape was its huge plastic
hexagonal tiles that could be locked or stacked
together to create varied and diverse landscapes.
It also didnt hurt that its combatants were drawn
from both history and fantasy, allowing teams
of World War II soldiers or Samurai to face off
against Orc-riding dinosaurs. While it featured
rules for both advanced and younger gamers and
was supported by various expansions, it was sadly
discontinued in 2010.
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
HAUNTED HOUSE
PRICE: FREE
FOR: IOS
1
Fans of Ataris
classic Haunted
House game will
want to check into
their Haunted House platformer,
as this free app provides a new
spin on the classic formula.
Your lost boy hero isnt the one
youre controlling; instead, youre
controlling his surroundings. Keep
him out of the way of traps and
enemies and collect golden skull
coins. This is a tricky one to get the
hang of, but once you do, it proves
to be a rewarding and addictive
spooky experience.
BEST FOR: GHOST HUNTERS BEST FOR: CRAFTSMEN BEST FOR: SHOOT EM UPS BEST FOR: MINDLESS VIOLENCE BEST FOR: GIGGLES
ROBOTS LOVE
ICE CREAM
PRICE: FREE
FOR: IOS/ANDROID
3
An all-ages blaster
with a quirky
twist: youre saving
humanitys ice cream
supplies from dessert-robbing
robots. You must roam the galaxy
in your ice cream van loaded with
frozen repower, from Boomsicles
to Rapid Pop, and aim them at
the alien threat. These foes grow
increasingly tricky to defeat,
however, forcing you to repeat
missions or open your wallet and
succumb to in-app purchases.
HEARTHSTONE:
HEROES OF
WARCRAFT
PRICE: FREE
FOR: IOS/ANDROID
2
Newbies to
collectable card
games will nd
Hearthstone more
accessible than most. Its based
on the epic World Of Warcraft,
where you unleash spells,
summon minions and control
the battleeld. Introductory
missions help ease you into the
rules of Hearthstone, and theres
the option to rene your skills in
practice matches.
DARK SLASH
PRICE: FREE
FOR: IOS/ANDROID
4
Your phone or
tablet may be the
coolest tech, but this
8-bit-style game will
make you think youre playing on an
ancient Nintendo. In the pixelated
world of Dark Slash, you lift up
your lightsaber and slash through
hordes of demon scum. Youre
ghting for survival in a world of
darkness, facing off against the
undead, samurai and warlocks,
among others, to try and win as
many points as you can before
inevitably dying (with gruesome
sound effects).
SKYFEHL
PRICE: FREE
FOR: IOS
5
Not many
games give
you the choice of
playing as Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Ken from Street
Fighter, Sonic the Hedgehog
or even Hulk Hogan. Meteors
are raining from the sky, the
goal being to get rid of them
before they hit the ground. If
they hit your head, its not good
enough, loser,as the game says.
Collecting power-ups turns the
screen different colours, making it
difcult to dodge the meteors but
boosting the points you earn.
4
5
3
2
1
5 APPS
YOU MUST
DOWNLOAD
RIGHT NOW
Our pick of the best
this month
082 |
84 Essential Read: The Once
And Future King
How TH White looked back
to the past for his alternative
take on the King Arthur story.
88 A Beginners Guide:
John Wyndham
Where to start with this
very British sci- master.
98 Sarah Lotz
The Three author on
conspiracies, Stephen King
and success.
FEATURES
90 Tigerman
91 Defenders
91 Thiefs Magic
92 Koko Takes A Holiday
92 The Voices
94 Prince Of Fools
94 Take Back The Skies
96 Wolverine: Killable
96 Captain America:
Loose Nuke
96 Celeste
97 ABC Warriors: The Mek Files
REVIEWS
THIS IS YOUR BOOK CLUB
Your Opinions
Tell us what youve been
reading on Facebook or
Twitter, and well print it
Your Decision
Let us know what you want
to see. This is your section, so
tell us what you think
Your Reviews
Write a review of the last
book you read, and it could
appear on scinow.co.uk.
Submit your review as a 300-
word text le to scinow@
imagine-publishing.co.uk
| 083
Book Club
Your community for
reading and celebrating
fantastic ction
Get in touch @SciFiNow /SciFiNow
1
Pick up The
War Of The
Worlds by HG
Wells, the alien-
invasion story
that captured
the popular
imagination and
inspired many
more like it.
2
Follow
SciFiNow
on Twitter.
Read and share
your thoughts
with the hashtag
#BookClub;
they might
make it into
the magazine!
3
You can
contribute
to the
Book Club
discussions as
much or as little
as you like; the
most important
thing is that you
have fun.
4
Pick up
issue 96 of
SciFiNow to
check out what
we thought and
learn about the
history of the
book and its
author with our
Essential Read.
This Issue
We Read:
The Once And
Future King
Turn to page 84 to see why, and let
us know what you think
Next
Well Be
Reading:
The War Of
The Worlds
There is a wonderful
moment in Monty
Python And The Holy
Grail one that tends
to get lost among the
Ni-saying knights and holy hand
grenades. Two lth-encrusted fellows
are dragging a wonky-wheeled cart
through a pestilent village, calling
for its starving residents to bring
out their dead. As another corpse
is dumped onto the pile, a gure in
shining armour gallops by, pursued
by a dutiful man-servant carrying his
belongings in a heavy pack.
One lth-encrusted fellow turns and
asks, Whos that then? Dunno, his
equally lthy friend replies. Must be a
king. Whys that then? the fellow asks
again. He hasnt got shit all over im.
The shit-free stranger is Arthur, son of
Uther Pendragon and King of the Britons,
and that scene is a moment of brilliantly
incisive satire in a lm principally known
for its unabashed silliness. You see, in
the days when Arthur was supposedly
riding the land, Britain was far from green
and pleasant, and kings were among the
privileged few who were free from dirt,
disease and drudgery. Life was brutally
difcult and pitilessly short, and the average
commoner was as likely to be slaughtered
by those in the service of their ruler as they
were to perish from the Black Death. The
Holy Grails knights of the round table
with all their brainless bravado and wanton
rampages prove that Monty Python
084 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
BOOK CLUB
ESSENTIAL READ:
The combination
of power and brute
force is a sure recipe
for chaos and violence,
and Merlin knows
that better than a
mortal ever could.
When your life is lived
backwards in time, you witness the
effect before you see the cause, and
on occasion it becomes necessary to
intervene. That duty is inescapable
with Arthur after all, one day he will
rule Britain as its king.
But while a person can be born
into power, true greatness only comes
with education and experience, and it
takes one animal to show another how
to behave. As a sh, a goose, an ant
and a badger, Arthur can learn what
he needs to tackle the challenges to
come in his life and those challenges
will be great, the sort that few men will
ever have to face. None more so than
his uniquely complicated relationship
with a woman called Morgause, the
children they bear together and the
role they will play in his destiny.
SYNOPSIS
WORDS
MATTHEW
HANDRAHAN
THE ONCE AND
FUTURE KING
TH WHITE BREATHED NEW LIFE INTO THE
ARTHURIAN LEGEND. OVER FIVE UNFORGETTABLE
NOVELS, THIS RECLUSIVE AUTHOR TOOK THE
MYTH AND GAVE IT EMOTIONAL REALITY AND
CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE
B
u
r
n
s
L
ib
r
a
r
y
, B
o
s
t
o
n
C
o
lle
g
e
| 085
ESSENTIAL READ
understood the vast gulf between the
chivalrous legacy of the Arthurian legends
and the grim historical context against
which they supposedly played out.
To a large extent, that revision of the idea
of King Arthur started with TH Whites
The Once And Future King and lets be
clear: there was no King Arthur. The gure
to who we assign that name is a construct;
an intoxicating mix of historical factoids
and artistic license, stirred and thickened
over centuries by a string of poets and
storytellers. King Arthur was the mythical
gure that this country needed, ready to
ride into the public imagination and ll
the yawning chasm where our indigenous
culture used to be.
Like most Britons, Terence Hanbury
White was as familiar with King Arthur
as he was with Henry VIII, but it wasnt
until he encountered Thomas Malorys Le
Morte dArthur (The Death Of Arthur) a
collection of tales rst published in 1485,
and one of the rst books to be printed in
England that he recognised how little
of the Arthurian legends potential had
been explored. He rst read Malory as a
ercely bright student at Queens College,
Cambridge in the late Twenties. It was
the subject of his thesis, and at that point
he viewed it entirely through the cool,
detached lens of academia. It wasnt until
1937, by which point he had found some
success as a novelist, that he returned to Le
Morte dArthur while in the grip of writers
block. He was thrilled and astonished by
the depths he saw in this dusty old tome;
depths he had never imagined were there a
decade before.
Suddenly, an emotionally real and
entirely human version of King Arthurs
1
Its British history almost.
Between the Romans, the
Angles, the Saxons and the
Normans, a great deal of British
folk history was lost, and the
Arthurian legends are basically
the spine of whats left. The
debate on just how real the
tales are rages to this day.
2
Its the most perfectly
balanced take on King
Arthur. White nds
the emotional truth in his
characters, and confronts the
harsh reality suggested by
the details of the legends. His
interpretation of Lancelot in
particular is utterly inspired.
3
If youre impatiently
waiting for George RR
Martins next book, TH
Whites opus walks a similarly
seductive line between
historical fact and mythical
ction. Indeed, Martin
personally recommended The
Once And Future King to the
readers of his blog.
4
Whites story has a
unique power as a trilogy.
Many readers start and
nish with the delightful The
Sword In The Stone, but the
series grows darker and more
complex as it progresses,
lending a bittersweet aspect to
that early optimism.
5
As a fan of genre ction,
with TH White youre
one and done. He wrote
many novels besides The
Once And Future King, but
few in the fantasy genre, and
nothing that rivalled its impact
and inuence.
Reasons
to read
5
The Once And
Future King
Check out the book that inspired
the Disney animated classic.
story seemed to leap from the page.
Mordred was hateful. Kay a decent chap
with an inferiority complex. Gawaine that
rarest of literary productions, a swine with
a streak of solid decency, he later wrote
of Malorys cast of characters. Arthur,
Lancelot and Galahad were really glorious
people, not pre-Raphaelite prigs.
However, Whites chosen starting
point revealed far more about his
personality than it did about the subject
matter or, for that matter, the time period
in which it is said to have taken place.
The Sword In The Stone later adapted
as an animated adventure by Disney
was an examination of Arthurs childhood,
and it stands as one of the supreme
documents of the coming of age in all of
literature. I think children are about ten
times more intelligent than grown-ups,
White said in an interview with the BBC
in 1959. Theyre more alive, theyre more
perceptive, theyre doing more, theyre
more vigorous, more vivid, and more able
to distinguish between right and wrong. I
dont write for anybody in particular. I write
for myself, and if Im childish then Im very
glad I am.
With the help of Merlin who has a
penchant for making his point by turning
people into handily analogous animals
Arthur learns not just the qualities
necessary to rule a kingdom, but those
necessary to be a rounded human being.
In every case, the values Arthur is taught
are the very same values that White prized
above all others. A love of animals and a
respect for the natural world, for example
What we write and paint and build, and
the music we make, is more lovely than
ourselves, he later wrote in his journal.
And one of the things we have made is
our domestic animals. Brownie [Whites
beloved dog] is something more lovely
than humanity and a bottomless hunger
for education and knowledge.
At one point in the novel, Merlin advises
a particularly downcast Arthur, The best
thing for being sad is to learn something.
Thats the only thing that never fails.
You may grow old and trembling in your
anatomies, you may lie awake at night
listening to the disorder of your veins, you
may miss your only love, you may see
the world about you devastated by evil
lunatics, or know your honour trampled
in the sewers of baser minds. There is only
one thing for it then to learn. Learn why
the world wags and what wags it. That is
the only thing which the mind can never
exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured
by, never fear or distrust, and never dream
of regretting.
The Sword In The Stone is a wholesome
affair by any reasonable measure, charting
perhaps the only part of King Arthurs
story where such a thing is possible a
passage of maybe 1,000 words in Malorys
Le Morte dArthur. Whether White
intended this at the start is unclear, but
in 1937, the year before the book was rst
published, he expressed something close
CHILDREN ARE ABOUT TEN TIMES MORE
INTELLIGENT THAN GROWN-UPS TH WHITE
TH Whites books provided the King
Arthur legend with a welcome update.
086 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
BOOK CLUB
to surprise at his warm-hearted rendition,
mainly about birds and beasts.
It is more or less a kind of wish-
fullment of the kind of things I should like
to have happened to me when I was a boy,
he noted.
But 1938 was the last year in which
White could warm to such innocence.
There was a storm brewing on the far side
of Europe, orchestrated by a charismatic
and unhinged Austrian who the British
had, until then, been all too eager to
appease. At the start of 1939, war seemed
inevitable, and so it would prove; the worst
and most costly war the world had ever
known. The Sword In The Stone made little
mention of the conict that suffused the
rest of Arthurs story, so with the world on
the brink of catastrophe, White returned to
the source material in an altogether darker
mood. The following year, White sent a
letter to LJ Potts, his old tutor at Cambridge,
that condently stated: The central theme
of Le Morte dArthur is to nd an antidote
to war.
He saw the rest of the story stretching
out before him: a single tale about a very
special boy became three novels, then
four, all before he had even nished
writing the second. As the series took
version of the second. In a letter to a friend
in 1940, he described the endless revisions
of The Witch In The Wood as, a holocaust
of pages.
Indeed, it could be argued that Whites
use of the word holocaust was no accident,
because the primacy of the war in his
imagination was increasing by the day.
Born in 1906, he was too old to play an
active role in combat, and as 1940 turned
into 1941, he came to see the four novels
that comprised The Once And Future King
as the best contribution he could make to
ensuring the world never approached such
calamity again. Ultimately, White decided
to add a fth and nal novel to the series,
and in doing so gave his publisher a return
to the animals they had been asking for
since The Sword In The Stone.
This time, however, Whites intention
was not to delight with metaphors about the
trials of growing up, but to make a political
statement about mankinds true place in the
natural world. Set just before King Arthurs
nal battle with Mordred his son born of
incest The Book Of Merlin is essentially
a rhetorical polemic in which White uses
different species of animals to analyse
competing political systems and prove that
it is humanitys predilection for the use of
might and not the substance of its beliefs
that ultimately leads to war.
I shall have the marvellous opportunity
of bringing the wheel full circle, and ending
on an animal note like the one I began on.
This will turn my completed epic into a
perfect fruit, rounded off, bright and done,
Its fantastic,
once read never
forgotten. Just a
bit of a downbeat
ending, but
thats King Arthur for you.
#BookClub@Anthonyaddis
I actually
hated it. It was
just boring.
#BookClub
@deanfortythree
Ive read
Mongos
bestselling book
of all time The
Once And Future
Ming. #BookClub@i_nesbot
Arguably the
best fantasy
book ever.
Denitely the
best telling of the
King Arthur legend.#BookClub
@psemophile
One of the
best, and most
beautiful, books
about the
Arthurian legend.
Ever. #BookClub@ginash54
Twas patronising
rubbish!!
#BookClub
@irtybloomers
One of the
greats of British
fantasy. The
Sword In The
Stone is perfect.
#BookClub @TomHuddleston_
The rst time Id
heard of this book
was on X-Men.
I wish Patrick
Stewart was my
lecturer at uni. #BookClub
@D_Cuthbert
I got half
way through
it. Rubbish.
#BookClub
@Tim_McNulty
Your Take On
The Classic
WHAT YOU
THOUGHT
@SCIFINOW
What do you think? Let us
know on Twitter or Facebook
Issue 96s
Essential Read:
The War Of
The Worlds
Join in and share your thoughts on
Twitter or Facebook
shape in his mind and the war in Europe
intensied, the necessity of grappling with
the darkness at its core became immediate
and inescapable. The problem was tone; the
high-wire act of shifting the narrative from
the optimism of The Sword In The Stone to
the incest, betrayal and violence that was to
come. His publisher, Collins, was certainly
reluctant, and far more keen on the talking
animals that made the rst novel such a
popular success. But White was resolute.
When I get to the nal book, have I
got to have a lot of badgers and puddocks
chatting away to Mordred while he murders
his own father? White asked in a letter
from 1940. Obviously, the tone of the
series has got to change from sunshine to
darkness The last book is, I hope, the
crown of the whole. The epic theme is war
and how to stop it You see, the round
table was an anti-Hitler measure.
Initially, White envisioned the second
novel, The Witch In The Wood, as a farce
a comic cloak beneath which he could
smuggle the tragedy that suffused the
books to come. However, the difculty of
the transition was so great that he would
complete both the third and fourth novels
The Ill-Made Knight and The Candle In
The Wind before he had settled on a nal
The Once And Future King is as
much an allegory as it is an update.
THE EPIC THEME IS WAR AND HOW TO
STOP IT, THE ROUND TABLE WAS AN ANTI-
HITLER MEASURE TH WHITE
| 087
Where Have
I Seen This
Before?
THE AGE OF EXCALIBUR
ESSENTIAL READ
THE WARLORD
CHRONICLES
Once upon a time,
in a land that was
called Britain, these
things happened
well, maybe. So says
Bernard Cornwell, but it
is nevertheless the most
realistic account of that
semi-ctional period
ever undertaken. Indeed,
Cornwells attention to
historical detail echoes
George RR Martins work
in A Song Of Ice And Fire.
A CONNECTICUT
YANKEE IN KING
ARTHURS COURT
Intended as satire,
it has been claimed
by the science ction
community for its
use of time travel.
Frankly, it works
better as a humorous
swipe at modernity
and a refreshing take
on the Arthurian
legends until then
the focus of only po-
faced sincerity.
THE DA
VINCI CODE
Dan Browns
bafingly successful
novel is only
tenuously linked to
the story of King
Arthur, but an
interpretation of the
legend of the Holy
Grail is essential to
its plot. In truth, the
Grail only started to
appear in Arthurian
tales in the 15th
Century, but it is now
an essential aspect of
the myth, referenced
in everything from
Indiana Jones to
Monty Python.
he wrote in a letter in 1941. The monstrous
hubris of the 19th and 20th Centuries,
which assumed that this one mammal
out of 2,850 mammals was the only
one worth considering makes me sick
Many insects are fascists, many birds
are communists.
Of course, White knew his words could
never divert the course of history, and that
is reected in the tragic, reective end of
The Once And Future Kings narrative. As
much as Arthur struggled to be a better
man and deliver his kingdom from war,
as he lays dying he sees that his own
imperfections were the fatal aw. But
White ends The Book Of Merlin with the
consolation that the death of Arthur is not
the death of hope. He was our king once,
and some day he will return to build his
dream of Camelot.
I am inclined to believe that my beloved
Arthur of the future is sitting at this very
moment among his learned friends, in the
Combination Room of the College of Life,
and that they are thinking away in there for
all they are worth about the best means to
help our curious species: and I for one hope
that some day, when not only England, but
the world has need of them, and when it is
ready to listen to reason, if it ever is, they
will issue forth from their rath in joy and
power: and then perhaps, they will give
us happiness in the world once more and
chivalry, and the old medieval blessing of
certain simple people who tried, at any
rate, in their own small way, to still the
ancient brutal dream of Attila the Hun.
THE SWORD IN
THE STONE
A loose adaptation
of the rst part of
TH Whites epic
narrative, Disneys
1963 lm will
likely be the rst
encounter with
Arthurian legend for
many children. And
its not a bad place
to start; packed
with memorable
characters and
set pieces, chief
among them the
wizard battle
between Merlin
and his nemesis,
Madam Mim.
BEOWULF
The Arthurian legend
is just one example
of artists attempting
to ll the void left in
Britains indigenous
cultural history by a
long line of invading
forces. But the oldest
surviving example
of English literature
is Beowulf, an epic
poem written some
time between the 8th
and 11th centuries.
Robert Zemeckis
animated adaptation
is surprisingly faithful
and entertaining.
MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL
If Walt Disney didnt get to you rst, Monty Python was
following close behind. One of those magical lms that
effortlessly delights regardless of age, The Holy Grails
brilliance as a comedy tends to mask some genuine insight
into the true nature of knighthood and chivalry, and the grim
reality of day-to-day life in the Middle Ages.
Even with the dark ending, Whites saga
ends with an undercurrent of hope.
088 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
H
e would dene the cosy
catastrophe, but the man
who wrote some of the
dening works of British
science ction found it
difcult to nd a profession that
suited him. Born John Wyndham
Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, the
lawyers son attempted to follow
in his fathers footsteps, trying art,
advertising and even farming before
following his passion into short-
story writing. He sold science ction
stories to American magazines as
John Beynon Harris that made his
love of HG Wells very clear.
He wrote serials in England under
the pseudonym John Beynon, and
published his rst science ction
novel, The Secret People, in 1935.
However, his early success would
be suspended with the outbreak
of World War II. He joined the Civil
Service before linking up with the
Royal Corps Of Signals and took
part in the Normandy landings.
It would be a few years before
his next novel, but when he
started using the moniker John
Wyndham in 1951, the story would
be his masterpiece. The Day Of
The Trifds was a huge success,
and included no information about
his previous writing. John Beynon
would be forgotten; John Wyndham
was one of science ctions
brightest talents.
Wyndham followed The Day Of
The Trifds with further geological
sci- yarns The Kraken Wakes and
The Chrysalids, before delivering
The Midwich Cuckoos in 1957. Its
one of his nest novels, and enjoyed
an excellent lm adaptation in
1960. Following the books success,
Wyndham turned to outer space
with mixed results in The Outer
Edge, and wrote the divisive Trouble
With Lichen in 1960. The nal novel
published before his death would
be Chocky.
The term cosy catastrophe
might be a sharp way to distil the
essence of Wyndhams stories,
but the implied lack of bite is
misleading. His novels would tear
apart the fabric of the English
middle-classes, rending holes in
the social structure and forcing
the nations brittle inhabitants to
face a deeply rooted and insidiously
creeping menace.
BOOK CLUB
Which author
would you like to
see tackled next?
Let us know on Twitter
or Facebook
THE DAY OF THE
TRIFFIDS WAS A
HUGE SUCCESS
JOHN WYNDHAM
Where to begin with the master of the cosy catastrophe
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO
THE BEST AND
WORST WYNDHAM
ADAPTATIONS
WYNDHAM
ON SCREEN
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960)
Still the best Wyndham adaptation,
Wolf Rillas lm of The Midwich
Cuckoos made some changes to the
novel, but kept its chilling spirit.
THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (1963)
This optimistic take on Wyndhams
classic isnt regarded as a success.
Despite some great sequences, it
made several poor changes.
CHOCKY (1984)
The Thames Television adaptation is
arguably more fondly remembered
than the novel, followed by Chockys
Children and Chockys Challenge.
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1995)
John Carpenter failed to improve on
the 1960 lm with a cast including
Christopher Reeve, Kirsty Alley and
Mark Hamill.
THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS (2009)
This BBC adaptation went for gritty
and epic, but stumbled again. Fingers
crossed that the announced Mike
Newell lm will be an improvement.
| 089
Its not just the plants
youve got to worry about
Wyndhams rst
novel under his
most famous
pseudonym has
one of sci-s
most iconic
openings, as the
blindfolded Bill
Masen listens to
descriptions of a stunning meteor
shower. Upon waking up, hes one
of the few sighted people left in
a London terrorised by Trifds,
walking plants that can shoot
poison. Savagery and brutality
emerge from the people who
choose to restart society. Fears
of genetic engineering also play a
part, as does the fear of what lay
behind the Soviet Iron Curtain.
I liked it a lot, better than
any of the TV adaptations,
but probably not as good as The
Midwich Cuckoos. #BookClub
@stefmatt68
Sufer the children
The kids arent
alright
The
extraterrestrial
menace takes
on a much more
familiar form in
one of the nest
tales of creepy
children ever written. The village
of Midwich suddenly proves
inaccessible as an apparently
gaseous hemisphere creates a
cordon. A day later, the women
awake to nd that they are all
mysteriously pregnant. 31 boys
and 30 girls are born, but they
have stronger links to each other
than to their parents. Can Gordon
Zellaby avoid their psychic powers
and mind control, and just what
do they want?
Chilling. Was a chilling
black and white movie
too. Something about spooky
kids. Scary little shiny eyed gits.
#BookClub@DaveNeal33
From the deep
The end of the world as
we know it
Wyndham
followed The Day
Of The Trifds
with this bigger,
broader tale of
the end of the
world. Like its
precursor, it opens with a meteor
shower that heralds the arrival
of an extraterrestrial threat.
However, the aliens remain in
the ocean, altering the sea oor
until the humans attack. Nuclear
weapons prove ineffective, and
as the aliens counter-attack, the
US and Russia begin to wonder if
the Cold War has heated up. With
the melting of the polar ice-caps,
this is possibly Wyndhams most
environmentally conscious novel.
Have been a Wyndham
fan since 1980s BBC
Trifds adaptation, but
Kraken Wakes is my favourite.
#BookClub@EvelynSawyer
Brave new world
Mutant youths
go on the run
Wyndham
emphatically
turned away
from alien
menaces
and cosy
catastrophes
for what is considered by
many to be his nest work. A
coming-of-age tale that shifts
the focus to the far future, The
Chrysalids retains many of
Wyndhams concerns regarding
the society of the time (its heavily
implied that a nuclear holocaust
was the Tribulation), and showed
that Wyndham was just as
capable of writing teens as he
was well-to-do middle-class men
and women.
Wyndhams vision was
quite breathtaking, and
Chrysallids may be one of
the nest SF novels written.
#BookClub@Brummie_Jen
Imaginary friend
What about
the boy?
From an entire
village of alien
kids to one
potentially
disturbed young
boy, Wyndham
returned to the eerie, unknowable
nature of children with Chocky,
his nal novel published before
his death. Matthew talks to
himself, but this isnt your
typical imaginary friend. The
arguments are too complex, and
soon Matthew is learning things
far beyond his capabilities. It
may have dated badly, but its a
creepy little chiller thats often
fondly remembered, as is the
subsequent TV adaptation.
Blast from the past! I read
it in junior school, it blew
my tiny mind. helped start my
reading addiction. So thankful. :o)
#BookClub@sherbsville
THE DAY OF THE
TRIFFIDS
Publisher:
Penguin
Classics
Published:
1951
Price:
8.99
THE KRAKEN
WAKES
Publisher:
Penguin
Published:
1953
Price:8.99
THE MIDWICH
CUCKOOS
Publisher:
Penguin
Published:
1957
Price: 8.99
THE
CHRYSALIDS
Publisher:
Penguin
Published:
1955
Price: 8.99
CHOCKY
Publisher:
Penguin
Published:
1968
Price: 8.99
Open your eyes
The Midwich Cuckoos has remained
the denitive creepy-children tale.
Wyndham was capable of expressing societys
fears in the most natural of settings.
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
1. Who is
Killing the
Great Capes
Of Heropa?
Andrez Bergen
Its pretty much
a love letter
to the Golden
Age of comics.
#BookClub
@scottmalt
2. Inside
Straight
George RR
Martin
Gave me a
whole new
spin on the
genre. Also,
my drawings
started to get
edgy, as my
dad put it.
#BookClub @Bunks15
3. Steelheart
Brandon
Sanderson
I quite enjoyed
Brandon
Sandersons
Steelheart
due to the
power always
corrupts theme.
#BookClub
@airlock14
4. EX Heroes
Peter Clines
Ive been really
enjoying Peter
Clines EX
series recently
superheroes
in a zombie
apocalypse!
#BookClub
@iutley73
5. Soon
I Will Be
Invincible
Austin
Grossman
A really great
central
character who
just happens
to be the villain.
#BookClub
@theSteve71
CHOOSE YOUR TOP FIVE
@SCIFINOW ON TWITTER
Your Five
Best Superheroes
Harkaways previous novels
have included clockwork bumblebees
and a 90-year-old superspy in
Angelmaker and kung-fu ghting
truck drivers in Gone Away World.
Tigerman narrows the scope to events
on just one small tropical island, but is
no less fantastic as the author creates
his own superhero saga.
Our reluctant hero is Lester Ferris,
a burnt-out sergeant in the British
Army, currently serving out his time
as the sole representative for the
United Kingdom on the former colony
of Mancreu. After a lifetime ghting
for Queen and country, Lesters new
assignment should be peacefully
uneventful. Mancreu is slowly being
evacuated, but this is being overseen
by an international task force, which
has little to do with him. All Lester
is supposed to do is man the empty
embassy, do some light paperwork
and turn a blind eye to the illicit
ships in the bay exploiting the islands
legal limbo.
The only problem is that Lester has
made a friend: a brilliant street urchin
who has learnt English from reading
internet forums and is obsessed with
comic-books. Concerned about the
boys future, Lester wants to adopt
the child and give him a better life
a noble aim, but despite spending
every day with him, Lester doesnt
even know his name. The archetypal
Englishman, Lester is not one for
talking about his emotions. Unable
to nd the right words to express his
paternal love for the boy, Lester tries
to show him with actions. This results
in him donning a bright orange catsuit,
ghting crime and investigating a series
of murders.
This might seem far-fetched and
lets face it, it is but it helps that the
island of Mancreu is already populated
with some larger-than-life characters,
such as White Raoul, a heavily tattooed
holy man, and Kershaw, a blustering
American bureaucrat. Despite the boys
achingly modern references to l33t
speak and Gangnam Style, Tigerman
reads like a very traditional, almost
Wodehousian English satire.
Just as Lesters investigations lead
him to wonder if the local superstition
of a devil named Black Jack could be the
front for a criminal kingpin, authorities
announce a denitive deadline for
evacuating Mancreau. Lester realises he
is also running out of time to trace the
boys parents and arrange an adoption.
As he asks everyone on the island for
help, they all ask the same question:
why wont he just talk to the boy?
As Lesters stiff upper lip begins to
tremble, Harkaway deconstructs his
superhero, exposing the raw emotions
beneath the mask. Tigerman is about
the often unspoken affection between
fathers and sons, how the feelings are
felt no less keenly for being unsaid
and can provoke fathers to perform
heroic acts. However, it also serves as
a cautionary tale of the dangers of not
sharing those feelings sooner.
The plot twists in Tigerman wont be
terribly shocking to anyone who knows
there comic-book lore or has seen the
movie Unbreakable, and can be guessed
pages before they are revealed, but it is
still a captivating read.
VERDICT
Angelmaker
Nick Harkaway
A quiet watch repairer is thrust into
a plot involving clockwork robots
and a 90-year-old super-spy.
Jack Parsons
BOOK CLUB
090 |
M
ust
read now
!
TIGERMANFather for Justice
TIGERMAN IS ABOUT THE OFTEN
UNSPOKEN FEELINGS BETWEEN
FATHERS AND SONS
Details Author: Nick Harkaway Publisher: William Heinemann Price: 16.99 Released: Out Now
REVIEWS BOOKS
DEFENDERS
My God, its full
of star(she)s
THIEFS MAGIC
Details Writer: Trudi Canavan Publisher: Orbit Price: 18.99 Released: Out now
Magic thats
worth stealing
The darling of fantasy ction returns with
a magical new trilogy to delight loyal readers
and newcomers alike. Antipodean Trudi
Canavan is an expert in the trilogy eld,
with the Millenniums Rule series in which
Thiefs Magic is the rst instalment being
her fourth and equally epic voyage.
Thiefs Magic essentially functions as an
introduction to the multiple-world adventures
of Tyen, a gutsy, Indiana Jones-style
archaeology/sorcery student, and Rielle, the
submissive daughter of a wealthy family,
destined to be married off to maintain their
status. The narrative alternates between
the two seemingly unconnected stories and
the protagonists very different worlds, with
Canavan cleverly keeping you guessing when,
where and indeed, if the two will meet.
Tyens tale begins with a very Raiders Of
The Lost Ark-like excavation, where he comes
across a sentient book created from a human
woman called Vella. Before he can say fedora
hats, Tyen nds himself a fugitive, hounded
by the Academy he was once the star pupil
of. Rielle, on the other hand, comes from a
world governed by priests, where magic is the
sacred preserve of the Angels. Citizens
caught stealing magic from them become
tainted, leaving a trail of magical stain in
their wake.
The opposing worlds are a little gender-
skewed; Tyen has the adventure, while
Rielle has the romance, but they do have
equal helpings of treachery and dishonour to
contend with, which helps the balance and
leads to plausible character development.
The sheer size of this rst instalment of
the Millenniums Rule is intimidating, and
at times the narrative does become a little
tiresome indeed, Canavan could have
been kinder to the environment and
condensed the action by a few hundred
pages. Having said that, Thiefs Magic is
denitely an inviting introduction to the
series. Its a smooth and easy read just
as long as your arm is strong enough to
withstand its hefty ergonomics.
VERDICT
Claire Nicholls
Touch Of Power
Maria V Snyder
Avrys healing powers are feared in
a world riddled with plague. Magic is
forbidden until royalty needs curing.
Short-story veteran Will McIntosh banks
on his strong narrative to paper over the
cracks in his writing on Defenders, his
fourth novel.
30 years in the future, a race of space
starsh called the Luyten have invaded
Earth. Several times our size, telepathic and
with superior weaponry, they lay waste to
billions and leave entire countries in ruin.
But a team of geneticists working for
the US government discover the key to the
Luytens mind reading, and engineer the
defenders: a race of super soldiers who
are immune to telepathy. But will they be
enough to turn the tide?
Like most of McIntoshs work, Defenders
is strong but far from perfect. Setting it in
the future is basically pointless; there is
precious little new technology, and only the
softest sci- textures. Particularly jarring is
a drug that is introduced, exposited, used
once to articially create drama and never
mentioned again.
The plots closing overs are fairly
predictable one romantic subplot is the
worst offender and the distinct hint of
man is the real monster can be grating, as
can the constant timeline hopping, which is
suddenly abandoned at the halfway point.
But Defenders has a strong enough story
to make all these nitpicks seem pedantic.
Perhaps so used to tting all his action and
exposition into a smaller space, McIntosh
ensures that theres no ller, no time to
breathe and no walking away from this book
once the plot hooks you in. Every single
inch of Defenders that isnt rattling forward
like a freight train is crammed with world-
building details.
Defenders may touch bleak, but its dark,
powerful and engrossing just ignore the
blurb on the back, which spoils the entire
rst half of the book.
Gareth Hughes
VERDICT
Robopocalypse
Daniel H Wilson
In this episodic thriller, humanity is again
massacred by superior beings, this time
AI rather than alien.
WILL DELIGHT LOYAL READERS AND
NEWCOMERS ALIKE
Details Author: Will McIntosh Publisher: Orbit Price: 8.99 Released: Out now
M
ust
read now
!
| 091
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
092 |
BOOK CLUB
Its kind of amazing that people
are still telling straightforward
ghost stories. Anyone whos ever
picked up a horror novel or seen
a horror lm can tell you exactly
whats going to happen when a
cash-strapped family moves into a
crumbling old house where things
go bump in the night. With The
Voices, FR Tallis tries valiantly to
pretend that an entire sub-genre
doesnt exist, but succeeds only in
reproducing its most tired clichs.
Christopher Norton is an ageing
composer who resents having to
write scores for cheap sci- lms.
When he sets up his recording
studio in his new Victorian
mansion, he discovers strange
interference on his tapes, and
realises hes capturing the voices of
the dead. Instead of being scared,
however, he uses the voices in a
new composition. A little research
reveals that his new home used to
belong to a creepy stage magician
whose act involved making children
disappear, so when Christophers
wife notices their daughter acting
strangely, youll be shouting at the
page for them to just move out. But
they dont, and everything unfolds
exactly as youd expect.
The only surprises are the
curiously old-fashioned approaches
to issues of sex and gender. There
are a lot of sex scenes, all described
so squeamishly that its not always
possible to know whats happening;
Christophers friend is an offensive
gay caricature, and his wife suffers
less from the ghosts in her house
than from her discovery of second-
wave feminism. Wrap all of those
cringeworthy attitudes up in baggy,
awkward and antiquated prose
and, you end up with something
that reads like it was uncovered in
a dusty corner of a second-hand
bookshop and should have been
left there.
THE VOICES
VERDICT
Details Author: FR Tallis Publisher: Pan Price: 7.99 Released: Out now
Koko Takes A Holiday is a
fast-paced cyberpunk fantasy
with all the anarchic energy of
a graphic novel. Kieran Sheas
debut novel, set 500 years in
the future, teems with colourful
characters and a joyfully dark
sense of humour.
Koko Martstellar is a former
mercenary enjoying retirement
as the owner of a brothel on
manufactured tropical resort
The Sixty Islands. As a holiday
destination its about as far
away from Butlins as you can
get; heaving with sex, violence
and synthetic komodo dragons.
However, combat buddy-
turned corporate bigwig Portia
Delacompte puts a hit on
her not that she can even
remember why, thanks to
selective memory treatment.
Koko makes her escape to
the Second Free Zone, buys a
bunch of weapons and goes
underground, with a trio of
bounty hunters in hot pursuit.
Shea is brilliant at world
building. The universe hes
sketched for Koko feels real,
distinct and more than a bit
rough around the edges. He
doesnt dwell on scenes for
too long, nailing the balance
between descriptive and
snappy language. He uses a
third-person narrative, but as
each chapter shifts perspective
you really feel like youre
walking around in their head.
It seems desperate to burst
out of its medium, with action
scenes so clearly written that
you can see comic panels in
your mind. If youve played
Mass Effect, youll feel like
youre back on the Citadel.
Why the Tenth Doctor?
Were you a big David
Tennant fan?
Yes, he was the
doctor that drew me
to watching Doctor
Who, and I felt that
his character was
the warmest and
most relatable to me. I also really loved his
relationships with Donna and Astrid Peth I
didnt need to think about who I would write
about; my gut told me immediately.

Did you feel any pressure when writing
such a beloved incarnation?
Yes, I did! I think I tiptoed around his
character in the rst few drafts of the
story, and then little by little drew him
in more when I understood him better. I
am very aware that Doctor Who and
particularly David Tennant has a massive
fanbase, so it was important to me to
honour that and do the character justice,
but I also wanted to keep my own
writing voice.
What made you choose an alien
planet as a setting, not to mention an
alien wedding?
I was asked to write the story, and was
immediately honoured and excited, but
couldnt say yes until I got an idea. In the
same week I was asked, I saw a piece in our
national news about the bog body in Cashel
being discovered as being the oldest bog
body in Europe, and as I was in Doctor Who
idea brainstorming mode, I immediately
knew I needed to bring the bog bodies
back to life to create a new species. I loved
immersing myself in a new planet. I wrote it
while on holiday in County Kerry surrounded
by lakes, mountains and rivers, and so as
a result of my surroundings and the bog
theme, it is very natural and earthy themed.

Was it constricting or liberating to write a
story in someone elses universe?
I have never written somebody elses ideas,
so it was unusual for me to write about
a character that didnt come from my
imagination. It was a challenge, but I enjoyed
it. I felt extremely
liberated being able
to create a new world
and species of people
where the rules arent
necessarily the same as
they are on Earth.
Doctor Who: The Bog
Warrior is available to
download now.
Youve heard this one before
KOKO TAKES A HOLIDAY
Cyberpunk with comic-book exuberance
Details Author: Kieran Shea Publisher: Solaris Price: 7.99 Released: Out now
Sarah Dobbs
Ghost Story
Peter Straub
Five old friends tell one another
ghost stories only to nd that
sometimes, they come true.
Krystal Sim
VERDICT
Tank Girl
Jamie Hewlett, Alan Martin
The chaotic misadventures
of Tank Girl and her mutant
kangaroo boyfriend.
Cecelia Ahern
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ME TO DOCTOR WHO
You can easily demolish
Koko Takes A Holiday in a few
sittings. Its tight plotting and
pithy prose make it a fun and
action-packed read.
M
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read now
!
A Harry Heron adventure
www.harryheron.com
Scientifc research ship NECS Beagle is
stalked by an ancient and deadly predator,
threatening a war with no quarter given and
none expected...
Te Outer Edge is available in hard copy and ebook
from all major retailers, including for Kindle,
Nook, iBook and Google Play
Cox has created quite the page turner - the
perfect airplane novel - Why, oh why, cant
some visionary director pick this series up?
If you like science fction that is somewhere
between the hard and pulp variety then you
owe yourself to pick this book up as well as
the rest of the series. -Reviewer
Published by IndieGo Publishing LLC
AMAZON UK AMAZON US
094 |
PRINCE OF FOOLS
Or should it be the
Fool Of A Prince?
TAKE BACK THE SKIES
Details Writer: Lucy Saxon Publisher: Bloomsbury Price: 7.99 Released: Out now
Chance of turbulence
Its not unusual for an author to ease you
into a narrative, building tension as chapters
progress. Its just unfortunate that Lucy Saxon
takes the slow start to an extreme, so by the
time the actually rather gripping second
half has been introduced, you may have
sentenced the book to a life gathering dust on
a shelf.
It begins with the protagonist, Catherine,
making plans to escape her life as the
daughter of a wealthy government ofcial
before her father can marry her off to a rich
brat. Aged just 14, Catherine or Cat, as
she later becomes known is perhaps a
little too young to be relatable. The teen
angst and constant bickering between her
and love interest Fox is exhausting, and soon
becomes dull.
Antagonists often exceed the limit of
malevolence to become nothing more than
theatrical, and the reveal of the involvement
of one crucial bad guy proves to be anything
but surprising.
Granted, Saxons prose ows incredibly
well, especially considering that she was
just 16 when she penned the piece. Similarly,
the concept is clearly well-thought out, her
war-torn world being well developed without
obviously borrowing from other works of
young adult ction.
As mentioned, things do pick up as the
narrative progresses; the storyline gets
darker, tension rises and the pace quickens.
The latter chapters initially make the wait
seem worthwhile, but just as the plot begins
to peak, it comes crashing down in the form
of a disappointing albeit expected
ending. Cat generally remains autonomous
throughout, but all signs of independence
diminish as she succumbs to her birthright in
the last pages.
Take Back The Skies is undoubtedly
suitable for its intended young adult audience,
but isnt likely to possess wide appeal outside
of this demographic.
VERDICT
Rowena Heal
Divergent
Veronica Roth
Tris has a life-changing choice to
make between staying with her
family or starting a whole new life.
Mark Lawrences Prince Of Fools
promises a book about a liar, a cheat and
a coward, and this is exactly what you get
only without the satisfying development
that such a book would usually be expected
to provide.
Our main character is Prince Jalan, who
is tenth in line for the throne. There is very
little to like about his character, and this is
where the majority of the novel falls down. It
is written in rst person, and with a narrator
as horrid and unreliable as Jalan, it makes
the book difcult to enjoy. He gets halfway
through describing something then simply
gives up as if you have heard it all before
and indeed you have, in every other book
with a similar setting.
A saving grace comes in the form of
the character of Snorri ver Snagason, and
perhaps the story as a whole would have
benetted had he been the protagonist. The
best part of the book is by far the section
written about his past, describing his family
and giving him a better history than the
entire story provides Jalan with.
They spend much of the novel travelling,
with very little of note happening. It is static
and doesnt seem to feel a need to move
forwards. Youd expect Jalan to develop as
a character, but he simply doesnt. Each of
the intriguing characters seems to come
and go quicker than Jalans interest. Emma
or Emmer, as she goes by is the most
intriguing of the lot, but spends hardly any
time in the limelight. The book as a whole
lacks female characters that are presented
as more than evil queens or whores.
Prince Of Fools has been likened to
George RR Martins A Song Of Ice And Fire
series, and with good reason. There are
more similarities in the book than your arm
may have the strength to shake a stick at,
but it does it with less pizzazz.
Jen Neal
VERDICT
A Game Of Thrones
George RR Martin
In the game of thrones, you win or you
die. For a more sophisticated version of
Prince Of Fools, try this.
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
COMES CRASHING DOWN IN THE FORM
OF A DISAPPOINTING ENDING
Details Author: Mark Lawrence Publisher: Harper Voyager Price: 14.99 Released: Out now
SelfMadeHeros house band,
writer/artist INJ Culbard does
his bit to claim a small slice of
the bandes dessines ethic for
Britannia with this contemplative
magical realism that has a vibe of
Darren Aronofskys The Fountain
and Mike Cahills Another Earth
about it.
Shorn of simple explanations,
were dropped into a still and
silent world where almost
everyone has vanished, and
the handful who remain follow
frustratingly inconclusive
genre-based tangents theres
a touching romance, as sort of
surreal mystery thriller and a out-
and-out dark fantasy.
Beautiful to look at and heavy
with symbolism, Celeste demands
re-reading or perhaps a full
orchestral score.
Details Writers: INJ Culbard Artist: INJ Culbard
Publisher: SelfMadeHero Price: 15.99 Released: Out now
James Hoare
VERDICT
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
096 |
BOOK CLUB
CELESTE
After Caps John Carter Of
Mars-esque adventures in the
Jack Kirby dimension, adjustment
is hard and angst isnt a natural t
for this character, with the story
reaching an embarrassing nadir
when Steve Rogers has a cry on
a rooftop.
Luckily, Rick Remenders
second story arc is almost set
up to reel back those fans pining
for some Ed Brubaker-era Tom
Clancy action, as the Sentinel of
Liberty is tasked with bringing
pill-popping Vietnam-era nutbag
Nuke down as he massacres his
way through Ersatzistan.
Some of the relevance feels a
touch overwrought, as Nuke has
been shorthand for Americas
bullish foreign policy since his
debut its a bit like squirting
mayo into the salad dressing.
However, the character moments
between these two opposing
forces are fascinating, with Nukes
recasting as less a psychotic racist
and more a Rambo-like remnant
pushed over the edge making him
far more interesting.
Details Writer: Rick Remender Artist: Carlos Pacheco Publisher: Marvel/Panini
Price: 10.99 Released: Out now
James Hoare
VERDICT
HAS A VIBE OF
THE FOUNTAIN
ABOUT IT
Details Writer: Paul Cornell Artists: Alan Davis
Publisher: Marvel/Panini Price: 10.99 Released: Out now
WOLVERINE: KILLABLE
Wolverine, like Judge Dredd, is at
his best when hes at rock bottom. Like
Dredd and every bottle-fumbling noir
detective, Logan carries his pain on his
shoulders and in his scars. We watch
him get tossed around and torn apart
in anticipation of that moment when he
cracks his knuckles, grits his teeth and
begins that climb back up.
With the characters death on
the horizon (obviously it wont be
permanent, but thats not the point
comics are about the journey, not the
destination), theres a palpable sense
of uncertainty about Killable. Sure, we
know Logan will survive so that he can
be killed later on, but everything else
feels imperilled, and peril is the bedrock
of truly great superhero storytelling.
Writer Paul Cornell picks up the
newly vulnerable Wolverine and takes
him down the path of emotionally
illiterate alpha male; he drinks, ghts,
and talks to Nightcrawlers grave,
reaching out for his dead friend before
his living ones. Like Mickey Rourke in
The Wrestler, Logans ego cant take
the strain of not being the best there
is called out by Sabretooth, Mystique,
their pet Ninja clan and a bundle of
hired guns, he willingly walks into a
trap. Suddenly, weve cut right back to
the feral Logan of Chris Claremont and
Barry Windsor-Smiths Weapon X, as
corralled and cornered, he becomes
nothing more than a wounded beast;
a once-proud pack leader harried by
hunting dogs, bleeding from 1,000 bites.
The setting of the Howlett farm, last
seen in Origin now a shopping mall
lends real poignancy, underlining
his emotional fragility as much as his
physical. Wolverine has long been a
character bogged down by overwrought
Dark Secrets and Tragic Back Story,
but weve rarely dwelt on Logans
childhood. Its powerful, setting up
Killable as the start of something
destined to be a classic, and the ending
of this chapter is genuinely affecting.
The rules have changed, and so has
our emotional response; now we fear for
him, and that we never expected.
Daredevil: End Of Days
Brian Michael Bendis, David W
Mack/Klaus Janson
The last days of a Marvel hero
seen from the outside.
VERDICT
James Hoare
Brought to heal
Personal space
M
ust
read now
!
CAPTAIN AMERICA:
LOOSE NUKE
No country for
old supermen
| 097
REVIEWS GRAPHIC NOVELS
The journey of the ABC Warriors
(or Ro-Busters, depending on which
angle youre coming at it from)
is so deeply interwoven into the
convoluted publishing history of
2000 AD that you could probably use
it as the throughline on a biopic.
Introduced in 1979 by writer/editor
Pat Mills (Sline, Marshal Law) and a
rotating cast of some of the irreverent
sci- anthologys best artists, despite
the sentient liquids and dinosaurs of
Mars that populate the rst arc, the
ABC Warriors are still very rooted in
the war comic tradition that the mag
sprung from. Its not all that long ago
that Mills launched Battle Picture
Weekly in 1975 with future Dredd
co-creator John Wagner and future
Rogue Trooper (that other war comic
refugee) co-creator Gerry Finley-Day.
Its simplistic stuff, where world-
building exists purely on a week-
by-week basis, but its lots of fun
getting to know stalwart war-droid
Hammerstein, sleek sniper Joe
Pineapples, brutish Mongrol, the
sinister Deadlock and the conniving
and cruel Blackblood, and er, a sort
of hayseed redneck robot that youll
immediately forget about as they
jump from straight-forward mission
to straight-forward mission in a
wartorn future.
The characters convoluted
publishing history sits right at the
middle of The Mek Files 01 like a pile
of depleted uranium shells, making
this rst collection an awkward
one by its nature. The leap from the
rst solo ABC Warriors arc to the
second one, an altogether darker
and more cosmologically dense
saga with frantic art from the iconic
Simon Bisley, will send neophytes
scurrying to Wikipedia to try and
work out what the Tharg is going
on. The introduction of the more
comedic Mek-Quake and Ro-Jaws
ABC WARRIORS: THE MEK FILES 01
from the earlier Ro-Busters strip
which also introduced Hammerstein
when it appeared in 1978 in 2000 ADs
short-lived sister magazine Starlord
underlines how the real rst chapter in
this epic is elsewhere. Meanwhile, the
missing middle part of the story was
told in Mills baroque Nemesis The
Warlock, explaining how we suddenly
jump from 1979s episodic silliness
to 1988s dark and dense gothic space
opera. Theres a hangover from Mills
Invasion! strip too, and references to
Flesh and Judge Dredd, but its best to
let them go, so migraine-inducing and
contradictory is the timeline.
On their own terms, the rst arc
is fun yet disposable, with little to
really distinguish it or its characters
save their outward appearance and
gimmicky tics from similar team
stories but the second really sets
up something rather special, with
conicts running far deeper and
personalities forming beneath the
one-sentence action gures we rst
met. Ultimately though, its nice to see
Hammerstein and co get the doorstop
treatment from Rebellion, and as we
stick with the Mek-nicent Seven in
the evocative post-Torquemada setting
of chthonic evil, tarot cards and lost
technology, the next volume is going to
be a more consistently evocative and
engrossing read indeed.
VERDICT
The VCs: Back In Action
Dan Abnett/Anthony Williams
King-of-this-sort-of-thing Dan
Abnett resurrects the future war
strip in classic Finley-Day style.
James Hoare
Details Author: Pat Mills Artists: Various Publisher: Rebellion Price: 25 Released: Out now
THIS FIRST COLLECTION IS AN
AWKWARD ONE BY ITS NATURE
Some assembly required
Theres something
lovely and classical
about London Horror
Comic. Did you have
those classic anthology
strips in mind when you
started it?
Absolutely. Comics like Tales From The
Crypt, Eerie and Creepy pushed the
boundaries for horror, but always with a
jet-black humour and without sacricing
their central intelligence. Thats a mix I try
to get across with each issue of London
Horror Comic.
What can you tell us about issue 6?
Its a lights-out issue for our sixth outing.
While the book has been praised for its
humour, weve upped the grim tone. The
jokes are still there, but you have to reach
for them and reaching for things in the
dark isnt always advisable.
Each issue seems to get greater fanfare
than the last. Do you feel any pressure
when the issue goes to the printer?
If I didnt feel the pressure, Id stop. One of
the great things about writing a series of
short stories is that you cant rest on your
laurels; you cant tell the same story twice.
This keeps the writing fresh and alive, like
being asked to knit your own parachute
after being pushed out of a plane.
Theres a denite boom in British small
press comics at a time when people
have been positing digital/web comics
as the future for the self-publishers.
Why do you think Print It Yourself has
become such an attractive proposition?
Printing isnt really the dark art it once was
and technology has lowered entry costs.
A laptop connected to the internet and
a scanner and youre good to go. But for
independents like myself, its more about
producing a beautiful object. Something
you can hold in your hands or claws.
Youve been very active at conventions.
Do you think getting out and meeting
people is an effective way of spreading
the word about London Horror Comic?
Making personal connections with readers
is the best way to build an audience.
By contrast, Facebook and Twitter are
useful tools for maintaining an ambient
awareness. But a chat with someone
standing in front of you is your best bet on
them taking that rst
step of cracking open
your book.
London Horror Comic
issue 6 is out now.
Find out more at
londonhorrorcomic.
com.
John-Paul Kamath
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098 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
BOOK CLUB
Cabin Fever
WE TALK TO THE THREE AUTHOR SARAH LOTZ ABOUT PLANE CRASHES, CREEPY
KIDS AND WHY SOUTH AFRICAN FANTASY FICTION IS BOOMING WORDS JONATHAN HATFULL
| 099
A
nyone with a fear of ying will want to prepare
themselves for the opening of Sarah Lotzs The
Three. A middle-aged American housewife is
ying to visit her daughter when something
goes horribly wrong and this is just the
beginning. What happens next makes for what could
very well be the genre thriller of the year.
I always wanted to write about an air crash and plane
crashes, a) because Im ight-phobic, and b) because
Im completely fascinated by it, enthuses Lotz. My
husband and I for years have been completely obsessed
with air crash investigation and the way, when theres a
crash, it dominates the news, almost to a bigger extent
than a natural disaster. I wanted to look at why that was.
The Three shows what happens when media
sensationalism and conspiracy theories combine. Told
as a non-ction bestseller by Elsepth Martins, its the
story of four concurrent plane crashes, from which three
children emerge unscathed. Is it an accident, a miracle,
a conspiracy, or are they the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse? From Southern fundamentalist Christians
to Japanese chatroom users, different testimonies
combine to create a compelling mystery in which were
never quite sure what exactly has happened. Are these
children evil, or is their tragedy being manipulated?
I love that concept, Lotz tells us. Obviously, if
youve read World War Z, you can see I was heavily
inuenced by that. I loved the idea that you dont
quite know if these stories are actually true. We all
put our own spin on the truth, and we all see things
in different ways, so in fact these people could all
be lying. And the way that Elspeth manipulates the
interviews as well and puts them together, thats also
for sensationalist purposes.
Such a broad scope required a lot of research, from
conspiracy theories to Aokigahara in Japan, the Suicide
Forest which plays a big part in the book. I actually
took my mum there! she remembers. It was absolutely
incredible. We were the only people there, it was
snowing, and there were signs that people had been
there. The feeling that maybe 50 metres deeper inside
that forest there was somebody who had ended their life
was incredibly powerful and disturbing. Research into
dialect was also important, especially when it came to
the sequences set in Texas. The American voices were
by far the hardest for me to do. I really didnt want to
offend people more than I knew I was already going to,
she laughs. Especially with the religious element.
Although The Three has the structure of a thriller,
Lotz considers herself a genre writer, and theres
denitely some horror in there. I love evil kids. I love
The Omen, I grew up with that movie, things like that
and The Shining are all very strong inuences on the
novel. Shes half of the SL Grey horror duo with Louis
Greenberg, and shes written a zombie trilogy with her
daughter Savannah under the name Lily Herne. Ive
been reading [horror] since I was a kid, and I love the
element of a safe fear, she explains. I really love it now,
especially as I live in South Africa, where there is a real
fear a lot of the time, because the violence statistics are
just so massive. I know that the boogeyman isnt going
to come and get me, I know that theres not necessarily
some twitching creature under the bed, but I can feel the
safe thrill. Its quite addictive!
South Africa certainly seems to be experiencing
something of a genre ction boom. The Three has been
enjoying rave reviews, while Lauren Beukes has become
one of the genres brightest stars, and authors like
Charlie Human are delivering ercely creative debuts.
Yeah, a bit of a boom, agrees Lotz. Theres a load of
stuff coming out. Lauren Beukes and I are really good
friends if I get stuck shes always there to help me out,
and Im there to help her out. She used to be my boss
we wrote South Africas rst sci- cartoon together,
which was brilliant. The writing community in Cape
Towns amazing; everyones got each others backs.
Indeed, Lotz believes that Beukes success paved
the way for the exciting wave of new fantasy. She took
off and went into the stratosphere, and I think that in
a weird way gave people permission that this could be
done, and you could write about South Africa in new
and exciting ways. Its still a social critique, because I
dont think you can write a South African story without
touching on some kind of political thing, because its all
around us. South African ction is not quite as heavy as
it used to be. Weve got a brilliant literary tradition, but
at the same time we needed the other side of it as well. I
think its lessening a bit, but well just have to see.
As far as inuences on her own writing go, Lotz
doesnt hesitate to pick one out. Stephen King, she
tells us. I really have been reading him my entire life,
and I think for years he was really undervalued, partly
because he said that thing about him being the Big Mac
and fries of the literary world, and of course he was
completely wrong about that. In terms of storytelling
and characterisation hes number one as far as Im
concerned. Work ethic has been a big one for me as well.
Do you ever get people asking you when are you going
to grow up and not be so Stephen King-orientated? she
laughs. I get that a lot!
It does seem as though the lesson on work ethic has
been taken to heart. Im writing not really a sequel
to The Three, but its kind of
connected tangentially to the rst
book, so Im just nishing off the
rewrites on that, she teases. And
then Louis and I are writing another
book. Still busy. I wouldnt have it
any other way.
The Three by Sarah Lotz is out now
from Hodder & Stoughton.
Creepy kids
SARAH LOTZ CITES THE OMEN AND THE SHINING AS
INSPIRATIONS. HERE ARE OUR TOP 5 CREEPY KID TALES
THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS
John Wyndhams classic has a
group of children who may have
been born in rural England, but
are not of this world.
THE TURN OF THE SCREW
Miles and Flora seem like perfect
little angels in Henry James
seminal ghost story, but are they
really who they claim to be?
THE BAD SEED
Sometimes kids are born bad,
and they dont come worse than
Rhoda. Aged just eight, she
couldnt be a killer could she?
PET SEMATARY
When toddler Gage is taken to
the Pet Sematary after being
hit by a truck, we see why the
ground is sour.
THE FIFTH CHILD
Doris Lessings tale of a loving
family torn apart by their fth
child presents the evil infant as a
horrifyingly real proposition.
IVE BEEN READING
HORROR SINCE I WAS
A KID, AND I LOVE THE
ELEMENT OF A SAFE FEAR
www.animalanswers.co.uk
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Available from all good newsagents and supermarkets
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Stunning photos 100s of facts
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THAT REDEFINED THE SUPERHERO 116
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THE SICKNESS OF SHIVERS, RABID,
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102 |
Born in Toronto, Canada in 1943, David
Cronenberg originally intended to study
science at university, but the young intellectual
would instead opt to graduate at the top of
his class with a degree in English Literature.
Nevertheless, it would be biology and a
clear fascination regarding the human bodys
potential to challenge the threat of mortality
and disease that would ground a great deal
of the directors work. After helming a pair of
short lms 1966s seven-minute, two-person
sketch Transfer and 1967s similarly minimalist
From The Drain a run-in with another student
and aspiring producer called Ivan Reitman
helped set the scene for a major new voice in
the horror genre.
Reitman had been impressed with Cronenbergs two,
largely unseen hour-long projects: 1969s Stereo, a
pretentious but ambitious futuristic story about telepathy
and brain-experimentation, and 1970s Crimes Of
The Future, which focuses on gender-subversion and
pitch-black metaphysical humour. Although these
early works will be intriguing curiosities for die-hard
fans, for all intents and purposes the Cronenberg that
we now know and, perhaps, love began with his rst
professional feature: 1975s Shivers.
Shot under the forthrightly exploitative title of Orgy
Of The Blood Parasites, Cronenberg and Reitman
somehow managed to get public funding to embark on
this unapologetically sanguine-packed shocker.
We got our money from the governments
United Film Corporation, laughs the director. It
actually took us many years to convince them to
invest in Shivers, because it was so extreme. But
they werent really sure what sort of movies they
should or should not fund, and of course, this was
a horror picture. Luckily, they were looking for
something that could get a US release, so ultimately
they nally agreed to put money into Shivers, and it
cost $185,000 to make.
In retrospect, its easy to see Shivers as the rst major
step in a phenomenal fear career, but the movies
focus on a turd-like parasite body-hopping between
residents of a Montreal high-rise was initially viewed as
just another gross-out gore ick. This was the era when
the new wave of horror, led by George Romeros Night
Of The Living Dead (1968), had inltrated the pop-
culture stratosphere, and comparisons between the two
terror totems were not uncommon. That Cronenbergs
theatrical debut was far more sexually subversive than
the Romero ick (the parasite causes its victims to
become carnally aggressive) or practically any other
grindhouse release of the era seemed to pass a lot
of viewers by.
It is interesting to me, because I was originally
asked to do the make-up work on Night Of The Living
Dead, afrms Joe Blasco, the effects man for Shivers.
But I turned that movie down because I was in LA
at the time with a pretty good career in television. So
yeah, there may have been a link there, because we all
knew about the George Romero movie. However, what
I think made Shivers really stand out was the sexual
undercurrent in the lm. Cronenberg depicts things that
are really terrifying the spread of a sexual disease
across this apartment block pregures AIDS and, in my
opinion, was well ahead of its time.
Furthermore, with its eye-opening moments of
a parasite breaking through bodies and leaping
from throats, Shivers foreshadows at least one
other monumental genre movie. Shivers was the
forerunner to Alien, continues Blasco. The parasite
coming out of the guys stomach, bulging and pushing
like that, had not really been done before at least
to that degree. Alien took a tremendous amount of
my work including the creature coming out of John
Hurts midsection.
Cronenberg was also enough of a horror
connoisseur to know who to stack his lm with. Among
the cast was Barbara Steele then cinemas leading
scream-queen, with a CV that included Mario Bavas
I DONT KNOW
HOW WE WERE
ALLOWED TO GET
AWAY WITH RABID
DAVID CRONENBERG
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO
NOW WIDELY RECOGNISED AS ONE OF CONTEMPORARY CINEMAS
FOREMOST AUTEUR FILMMAKERS AND HAVING SUCCESSFULLY
TRANSITIONED HIS PECULIAR BRAND OF BODY HORROR FROM THE
GRINDHOUSE TO THE ARTHOUSE DAVID CRONENBERG IS MORE
THAN DESERVING OF A CANDID CAREER OVERVIEW
WORDS CALUM WADDELL
DAVID
CRONENBERG
DAVID CRONENBERG
COMPLETE GUI DE
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COMPLETE GUIDE TO
alternately released as They Came From Within and
The Parasite Murders did manage to make its cash
back. In the long and short of the lm business, that is
what matters. Furthermore, Cronenbergs rst frightener
was unleashed in its home nation by a promising
distribution company called Cinpix, a Canadian
setup that would hit pay dirt in 1975 with the infamous
Nazi splatter opus Ilsa, She Wolf Of The SS. A surprise
success, the double-whammy of Ilsa with Shivers
provided Cinpix with fresh capital to utilise, resulting in
Cronenbergs second splatter opus, Rabid in 1977.
Cinpix were my mentors and my teachers, afrms
the director. Ivan Reitman had directed a couple of
proper theatrical lms before Shivers, but I hadnt. So
when I did my rst movie I knew nothing. I had only
made my underground lms, where I did everything
by myself; there was no crew. We went to Cannes
with Shivers Ivan and I and a few people didnt
think we had a star that was big enough to sell our
movie to other countries. Even now, that is really how
you distinguish your movie in the opening weekend.
So when we did Rabid, we knew we needed a name
actress for the main role. But the question is: How do
you get a star when you dont have any money? For
Rabid, I originally wanted Sissy Spacek, but she had just
done [the Terrence Malick-directed] Badlands, and they
said, No, she has got a lot attention now.
immortal Black Sunday (1960) and Playboy pin-up
Lynn Lowry, who had previously headlined I Drink Your
Blood (1970) and Romeros The Crazies (1973). Both
have continued to crib fan followings thanks to their
early work.
David Cronenberg was just obsessed with bodily
uids, laughs Steele. However, I decided not to
analyse any of that. I remember I was asked to do a
lesbian kiss in Shivers, and the only thing that upset me
was that the other actress had a violent case of the u. I
knew at the start David was going to be successful he
was a focused lmmaker and very driven.
Yet, Shivers was not the immediate critical winner
that its young director may have been hoping for.
There was an article written by a very powerful and
inuential Canadian critic, adds Cronenberg. And it
said, Do you want to know how bad this lm is? You
paid for it! He was meaning, of course, the taxpayers
of Canada, because Shivers was done with government
money. So questions were actually asked in our Houses
of Parliament about whether or not our $185,000
movie was shameful to the country, because this critic
had labelled it obscene and pornographic and a
bunch of other things.
Despite only garnering a small theatrical stint in both
Canada and the United States, Shivers which was
DAVID CRONENBERG
DAVID CRONENBERG WAS JUST OBSESSED
WITH BODILY FLUIDS BARBARA STEELE
Cronenbergs unique visual style would
denote him as a lmmaker to watch out for.
| 105
COMPLETE GUI DE
As such, Cronenberg and Reitman hit upon the next
best thing, and turned their attention to a recognisable
household name albeit one that had not proven
herself in the mainstream movie world. If this sounds
like a strange dichotomy then turn your attention
back to the mid Seventies, when unsimulated sex
movies such as Deep Throat (1972) and The Devil
In Miss Jones (1973) had broken box-ofce records
for independently produced cinema. This
short-lived era known as porno chic
had created a small gathering of superstar
actors and actresses, and second only to
Deep Throats Linda Lovelace was Marilyn
Chambers, the former model turned esh-
ick performer for the mega-hit Behind The
Green Door (1972).
Chambers was now familiar enough
to gain an income from acting on the Las
Vegas strip, but Cronenberg was about
to come calling. Marilyn was Ivans
idea, states the director. She was this
beautiful, pure-looking blonde who did
these amazing sexually obscene things.
It was fabulous. She had been the Ivory Snow girl
for Proctor & Gamble. For a period, she was on all
the boxes of Ivory Snow, and the logo was 99 and
44/100ths per cent pure, and there was a picture
of Marilyn holding this baby. That was their emblem.
Then it was revealed that this woman, who mod elled
for them, was a porno star! One of the most extreme
ones she did was Behind The Green Door, which is
considered a classic porno I swear I havent seen
it! I wanted to, but I never did see it. That was an
embarrassment to Ivory Snow. So she was famous not
just for the porno lms, but for the Ivory Snow scandal.
So we auditioned her and cast her. She was really quite
good in Rabid, and I have no idea why she didnt go on
to bigger things.
Held together by a frequently fantastic spin by
Chambers who proves her thespian abilities as the
survivor of a motorcycle crash who, after a skin graft,
grows a strange sanguine-sucking penile creature
out of her armpit Rabid is an
even more effective terror title than
Shivers. For a start, the gender-
bending that Cronenberg is often
acclaimed for (but which is actually
as forthright as his lms Freudian
overtones, in this case penis envy)
is given an added complication by
the presence of his adult star leading
lady. For instance, in one sequence
Chambers penetrates and kills a
prowling punter inside a porno
theatre, inviting interesting questions
regarding female empowerment within
the spectrum of sexual objectication.
Indeed, the sight of a woman who is
sexually inviting but ultimately capable of rape lends
Rabid a far more complex aura than many of its
directors later and more famous features. Ultimately,
Rabid ends with both Montreals cityscape being forced
under martial law inviting a possible Marxist reading
of patriarchal dissolution and Chambers meeting a
maudlin conclusion.
Rabid has one of the bleakest endings I have ever
seen, even to this day, says the director. I dont know
how, looking back, we were allowed to get away with
Scanners would go on to spawn an entire series,
albeit without Cronenbergs involvement.
Cronenbergs ex-
partner in producing
genre lms went on
to do fairly well for
himself too, calling
the shots on the
likes of Ghostbusters
(1984), Twins (1988),
Kindergarten Cop
(1990) and Junior
(1994). Currently
attempting to get
Ghostbusters III off
the ground along
with the Twins sequel
Triplets Reitman also directed Evolution (2001) and
My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) although it is his early
days that many horror buffs might nd most curious
How did you rst meet David Cronenberg?
David and I grew up in Toronto. We were both at
university when we rst met. After we graduated he had
written a wonderful script called Orgy Of The Blood
Parasites, which became Shivers, and he had a hard
time getting people to nance it. But I loved the story,
I liked him, and I had just made my very rst horror
lm a movie called Cannibal Girls for a very small
amount of money. So I assisted with the nance, and
even then he was an extraordinarily talented lmmaker.
How do you feel
about these early
days, especially
given the success you
have had since then?
I am still very proud of
Shivers and the lm we
made after that, Rabid.
David and I are still
friends, and it would be
great to work with him
again. I think my rst
lm, Cannibal Girls,
tried to mix the horror
and comedy genres
together, and to be honest, I dont think I did it too
successfully [laughs]. Often, crossing genres does not
work. I was lucky it was done so well in Ghostbusters.
For instance, the horror and sci- fans hated Evolution,
and the comedy buffs didnt like it either [laughs].
Did you have any involvement in the other
lms that were coming out of Cinpix at the
time? Its rumoured that you wrote Ilsa, She
Wolf Of The SS
I had a partnership with John Dunning and Andr Link
in Montreal. They were at Cinpix, and together we
made the two Cronenberg movies. However, contrary
to a lot of rumours that have surfaced, I was never
involved in any of the Ilsa movies. In fact, I told Cinpix
that they should not make them, but they never listened,
and went on to do them without me. So no, I can
conrm that they are not part of my oeuvre.
THE REIT
PLACE AT THE
REIT TIME
How Hollywood king Ivan
Reitman became an unlikely
body-horror pioneer
IM VERY
PROUD OF
SHIVERS
IT WOULD
BE GREAT
TO WORK
WITH DAVID
AGAIN
IVAN REITMAN
106 |
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TOP FIVE CRONENBERG FILMS
Where to start with the stomach-churning master of ick
COMPLETE GUIDE TO
DAVID CRONENBERG
1. VIDEODROME (1983)
Long live the new esh! The concept of a
television channel devoted entirely to horrifying
realities no longer seems too far-fetched
in this day and age, but Cronenberg looks
even further to the future and explores the
concept of the airwaves being used as a tool
for telepathic villainy. James Woods gives a
career-best performance as the slimy and
ambitious small-screen executive Max Renn,
whose womanising and fetish for bondage
and torture eventually lead him into some grim
territories. An American Werewolf In Londons
Rick Baker offers some of his most imaginative
and incredible effects work.
Videodrome is available now on
Blu-ray, priced at 8.50.
3. eXistenZ (1999)
This might be Cronenbergs least-appreciated genre opus,
but eXistenZ is a fast-moving fright ick that sees its director
making a return to the unabashed physical disgust of The
Fly. If, in the interim, Dead Ringers and Crash had offered
a cooler approach to painful penetrations and delirious
disgurements, eXistenZ reintroduces a more menacing
aesthetic to its scenes of distorted esh and uids. Also
presenting rst-class turns from Jude Law and Jennifer Jason
Leigh, Cronenberg hit an ace with this virtual reality nightmare
even if it has yet to really nd its fanbase.
eXistenZ is available now on DVD for 14.99.
4. RABID (1977)
Cronenbergs early years are a little rough around the edges,
but that washed-out, gritty and grim Seventies grindhouse
look only adds to the power of something as bleak as
Rabid. Furthermore, erstwhile adult star Marilyn Chambers
could actually act, giving a sympathetic and often startling
performance as a young woman who becomes a blood-
sucking vampire after a skin graft leaves her with a new
growth under an armpit. The growth in question is an erectile
formation that sucks plasma from other humans, in doing so
creating an outbreak of disease and dementia.
Rabid is available now on DVD for 13.19.
5. THE DEAD ZONE (1983)
One of the nest Stephen King adaptations to date, The
Dead Zone arrived shortly after Videodrome, and re-
established Cronenberg as a commercial force. It is actually
one of his most accessible chillers, with a taut script and
mesmerising leading-man stint from Christopher Walken
as a psychic who can see into the future. His gift eventually
leads him to make a tough decision regarding whether to
assassinate the man who his visions tell him will bring about
nuclear Armageddon. Smart and suspenseful, The Dead Zone
holds up well.
The Dead Zone is available now on DVD for 5.77.
2. THE FLY (1986)
Cronenberg hit the big time with The Fly,
and its effects wizardry was revelatory for
the time. Jeff Goldblum oozes likeability as
Seth Brundle, the ace scientist experimenting
with teleportation pods in his home-made
laboratory. As his girlfriend, Geena Davis is
equally alluring, the lm actually playing
out as a tragic romance. In addition,
Cronenbergs body horror has rarely been so
disgusting witness Goldblum icking off his
ngernails or pulling at the thick, dark hairs
growing out of his back. The Chris Walas-
directed The Fly II (1989) is not without its own
bizarre buzz.
The Fly is available to pre-order on Blu-
ray steelbook for 14.62.
We have
opted to eliminate A
History Of Violence from
this list because it isnt sci-
, but if you want to become
a body-horror expert,
we think these are the
directors must-see
movies
| 107
SUB
without his involvement, as well as a spin-off franchise
called Scanner Cop.
Up next, though, was the directors greatest
achievement yet 1983s Videodrome. Interestingly,
Cronenberg was still obtaining funding from the
Canadian government to make his motion pictures,
but few were still willing to argue with him. Part of
this was undoubtedly due to the fact that shockers
such as Scanners were notching up considerable
prots although its likely that the lmmakers
ability to appease both lofty Sight & Sound-style critics
and the Fangoria mob was also prevalent. Unlike
even George Romero or Wes Craven whose social
commentary tends to be buried underneath layers
of commercial tinfoil (yes, even in something as
surface-explanatory as Dawn Of The Dead)
Cronenberg has a knack for extolling his Freudian-
heavy transformations and titillations with blatant
aesthetic unease.
This is Cronenberg at the height of his creepy craft.
The result is a gut-troubling chiller that touches on snuff
movies, bondage, self-harm and mind control. The
Videodrome itself is a kinky sex show which television
executive James Woods comes into contact with.
However, the technology used to create the endeavour
is designed to trans-morph the viewer, both mentally
and physically.
With some viciously unpleasant visual effects
such as the sight of Woods stomach opening into a
vagina, from which he pulls a handgun and solid
acting support from Debbie Harry and Jack Creley
(as the brilliantly named Professor Brian OBlivion),
Videodrome is an unforgettable ride into Cronenbergs
ercely personal sub-genre of future shock. Alas,
the critical reception to Videodrome was lukewarm
(even his loyalists at Fangoria wrote it off) and the
lm opped in theatres. It also got briey entangled
in the UK video nasty scandal (an irony in itself
when accounting for the subject matter), and British
rental shop junkies were rst exposed to a horribly
censored version. Given such controversy, it is perhaps
understandable why the directors next effort would be
a relatively bloodless but nonetheless impressive
Cronenberg is a fantastic director with a very calm
but dedicated approach to his lmmaking, states Chris
Walas, the effects genius who would create the famous
exploding heads and pulsating bodies of Scanners. We
broke a lot of ground in those days even if, perhaps,
I never realised at the time. When I was working on
Scanners, I honestly never felt like an explorer on a
new horizon at all. I was just happy to be able to create
some crazy effects and make a living from it.
Nonetheless, it is probably not the threadbare
story about two rivals with telepathic gifts who carry
the power to, literally, erupt hearts and heads with
their minds that gave Scanners its fan following.
Rather, it was the pictures jaw-dropping sight of
graphic bloody destruction. Back in 1981, Fangoria
magazine was beginning to have a presence on the
newsstands, and a whole generation of VHS junkies
grew up with their ngers on the rewind and pause
buttons to try and gure out how artists like Walas
created their movie magic. Its hardly surprising, then,
that Scanners became one of Cronenbergs most
celebrated sickies even leading to two (lame) sequels,
it. But it was quite an exhilarating movie to make,
and I think it is an amazing lm.
Blasco, who resumed effects duties for this lm,
agrees: I think it is an even better movie than Shivers,
he states. In Rabid we had this penile creation coming
out of Marilyns armpit. The p word comes up a lot
when we talk about Davids lms, doesnt it? [laughs]
But yeah, I thought Rabid was a great lm. David was
obviously pushing things even further. As with Shivers,
they shot it up in Montreal with very little money.
At this point, it was also clear that Cronenberg was
destined for greener pastures. While his next embarking
would be a car-racing movie (1979s Fast Company),
it was in the $1.5 million-budgeted The Brood (also
1979) that the lmmaker indicated signs of nding a
bigger audience for his unique blend of body horror,
plasma eruptions and female empowerment.
The Brood is about a divorce, afrms the director.
There had been a huge movie on that subject in 1979
with Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep called Kramer
Vs Kramer, and it was totally false. It was emotionally
dishonest because Hoffman seems to care that this split
is taking place, and there is even a scene where Streep
catches him cursing himself. She says, No, dont say
that [laughs]. Well in my movie even though it has
strange creatures in there it is completely realistic and
naturalistic. It is a real story about a divorce.
In The Brood, an explosive id genesised by
actress Samantha Eggar, who is presented as being
in the middle of a custody conict with her husband
is unleashed into the outside world in the shape of
killer dwarves. The creatures bludgeon their victims
to death, and Eggar is nally presented with a big,
bloody, bombastic womb. Oliver Reed co-stars in
this psychoanalytically confrontational creeper that,
despite its thematic obsession with physical intensity
and transformation, is arguably a lot less weighty than
Rabid. Nevertheless, the mainstream was beginning to
respond to Cronenberg (and with its numerous killer
point-of-view shots, The Brood occasionally lapses into
then-popular slasher movie stylisation), and his next
picture, 1981s Scanners, saw him nally break into the
big time.
COMPLETE GUI DE
DAVID CRONENBERG
The directors output contains extensive surrealism and
body horror, with Videodrome being a prime example.
Not long before he passed away at the age
of 84 in September 2011, SciFiNow had the
rare pleasure of interviewing John Dunning,
the co-founder of Canadas Cinpix Releasing.
The company not only launched the careers
of David Cronenberg and Ivan Reitman, but
also blessed genre buffs with a slew of classic
shockers, including the Ilsa series, the original
My Bloody Valentine (1981), Happy Birthday To
Me (1981) and the 3D favourite Spacehunter:
Adventures In The Forbidden Zone (1983).
What do you remember about working
with the young David Cronenberg?
Cinpix was the only commercial distributor of
genre lms in Canada at the time. We put out
low-budget action movies and also kung-fu,
horror, all that sort of thing. Some young
lmmakers became aware of us and began to
come by our ofces, David Cronenberg being
one of them. He told me he wanted to do a
horror movie, with this other guy, Ivan Reitman,
producing. Ivan had a lot more experience, so
I let him shepherd David through Shivers, and
because the movie was so good, we moved on
to Rabid from there.
What can you recall about the
controversy which surrounded Shivers?
We had a magazine here at the time called
Saturday Night, and they had a movie critic
[Robert Fulford] who had a lot of national clout.
He basically said that if Canadas money was
funding this sort of lth it was a crime [laughs].
We actually had to send pamphlets to every
member of the government and explain that
our movie had been showing at places like
the Edinburgh Film Festival and the Sitges Film
Festival, so Shivers was an attempt to prove that
horror had a place in Canadian cinemas.
Can you also share some memories
about Ivan Reitman?
Ivan was, and is, a talented guy but he
had one quality that has remained important
throughout his career: he is every bit as good a
businessman as he is a director and producer.
You very seldom see a director who is as good
at business and making deals as him. He
combined that with being able to conceive and
direct a movie, and that is what worked for him.
Cinpix always tried to go against the grain,
and Im thrilled that we gave Ivan and David
their rst big breaks.
Cinpix also created the notorious Ilsa
series of lms. Can you share some
memories of this period?
Ilsa has cult status now, doesnt it? It was a
real hit. It played for a year in Belgium, and
its reputation went all across the world. They
banned it in Britain because the censors felt it
was too violent [laughs]. Let me tell you this fun
story: the Russian hockey team was coming to
Canada to play our local boys sometime back
in the Seventies, and they were reading one
of the Canadian newspapers. This was at the
height of the Cold War, and they came across
an advertisement for Ilsa, Tigress Of Siberia.
They all decided they had to see this movie. So I
got a call that night asking if we could keep this
major cinema in Montreal open, because the
Russian hockey team wanted to see the new Ilsa
movie! The next day at 10am, they all bundled
into the theatre to see it. And as far as I know,
they had a great time [laughs].
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
108 |
CINEPIX MEMORIES
One-on-one with the father of Canadian exploitation
adaptation of a Stephen King bestseller: 1983s sleeper
hit The Dead Zone. Then, of course, came The Fly.
That was a really challenging lm because of the
nature of Brundles changing character, mentions
Walas of the hit creature feature and the movie which
nabbed him an Academy Award for best make-up
work. We had to design all of the stages of make-
up and puppets to make sense with the gradual
metamorphosis of the Brundle character, while still
keeping Jeff Goldblum relatable as an actor. It was a
very intense design phase, as we only got half of the
time we usually had and needed for a make-up
show like this. To add to the problems, David was
having difculties casting the leading role, so we didnt
get to mould Jeffs features until halfway through our
already shortened pre-production schedule.
The resulting monster mash, loosely based on the
1957 short story from George Langelaan and the
consequent 1958 Vincent Price movie adaptation, was
a huge hit, grossing $60 million at the box ofce: a new
record for Cronenberg. It also sported a superb turn
from Jeff Goldblum, playing Seth Brundle, the genius
scientist specialising in teleportation who accidentally
splices his genetic coding with the titular insect, and all
number of icky highlights, The Fly shot its lmmaker to
the Hollywood A-list. That said, Cronenberg refuses to
think of himself as a mainstream name.
COMPLETE
DAVID CRONENBERG
I have never done an actual in-house studio
picture, he laughs. And I have been trying to sell
out for years! I even almost did Basic Instinct 2. With
Hollywood there is the idea that you will have a strong
release of your lm all the advertising and all of the
prints. These are things that you do not get with an
independent, which means you do not really make a lot
of money if you [distribute] outside the studio system. I
dont think it is a good time for independent cinema.
With the muscle of Fox behind The Fly as its
distributor, though, the feature became one of the
strangest summer successes of the Eighties, but
Cronenberg opted out of helming the 1988 sequel
(effects man Walas took over instead with solid results).
Instead, ever the independent, the director entered a
period of intense pretension, creating epics like Dead
Ringers (1988), Naked Lunch (1991), M Buttery
(1993) and the controversial Crash (1996). While
there are merits in each of these movies especially
an amazing performance by Jeremy Irons in dual
roles as a disturbed gynaecologist in Dead Ringers
it was clear that Cronenberg was moving further
and further away from his early days as a master of
splatter theatrics.
Despite newspaper headlines across the UK, the
JG Ballard adaptation Crash in particular is so slow-
| 109
moving with an intentionally chilly visual approach
to its barren narrative of sexual hi-jinks in the fast
lane that it is hard to warm to. As with the artists
other arthouse-inclined outings, Crash also aspires to
a strange sort of respectability, putting the pedal to the
metal insofar as allegory and screen symbolism goes.
However, any supposed social commentary takes
place in the shadow of ridiculously straight-faced sexual
silliness, such as leading man James Spader attempting
to have intercourse with a esh wound on Rosanna
Arquettes leg. The consequence and the controversy
may have pitted intellectuals against Daily Mail
journalists in hilariously po-faced television debates, but
in reality, Crash like Naked Lunch is all a little too
farcical to take seriously.
Yet, perhaps indicating that he had not entirely
exhausted the concerns of his early years, Cronenberg
did make a return to the fantastic with 1999s rollicking
eXistenZ perhaps his most undervalued masterpiece.
Here, it is videogame technology that is explored,
and the concept of a virtual reality that confuses both
participant and onlooker. Cronenberg penned the
script for eXistenZ, and it is not just one of his smartest
satires, but also one of his most intricate even if the
overriding theme of anal penetration is laboured to
breaking point (the participants in eXistenZ have to be
plugged in through a bodily orice that looks like an
anus). That said, the independently produced pot-boiler
was another nancial op for the lmmaker, as was his
understated follow-up thriller Spider (2002).
Spider didnt really get a release in the US, he
admits. But it did get chosen as the best picture of the
year by Premier magazine, which was nice. The people
who made Spider, including the actors, deferred their
fees, and so did the producers, because that was the
only way we could get the movie made.
Of course, post-Spider, Cronenberg moved on
to yet more new challenges. Action-drama A History
Of Violence (2005), adapted from the John Wagner/
Vince Locke graphic novel, was rightly seen as a work
of bone-breaking brilliance, and acclaimed as such.
Likewise, with 2007s Eastern Promises and 2011s
intriguing historical mediation A Dangerous Method,
as well as a return to genre for the 2012s yuppie-
crushing near-future fable Cosmopolis. Next up is
a satire based around the life of Hollywood elitists:
Maps To The Stars. If such projects indicate that
one of Torontos most celebrated sons continues
to create a niche for himself outside both the studio
mainstream and genre community that he was once
associated with then that is only to be admired.
While his former contemporaries have been caught
in an ever-decreasing cycle of realising
the same thing over and over again,
but with an apparent relaxation in
originality and enthusiasm, Cronenberg
continues to create new cinematic
challenges and he has our
rabid respect.
Scanners and The Brood are out now on
Blu-ray from Second Sight Films.
COMPLETE GUI DE
DAVID CRONENBERG
EVEN THOUGH THE BROOD HAS
STRANGE CREATURES IN THERE,
IT IS COMPLETELY REALISTIC AND
NATURALISTIC DAVID CRONENBERG
It was The Fly starring Jeff Goldblum that
heralded Cronenbergs entry into the mainstream.
Although his genre-friendly output has dried up of late, it
doesnt take anything away from his earlier works.
PETER CUSHING
LOOKED ABSOLUTELY
AWFUL, AND HE
DIDNT EAT
MADELINE SMITH
110 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
MADELINE SMITH
INTERVIEW
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HAMMER STAR MADELINE SMITH REMEMBERS FRANKENSTEIN AND THE
MONSTER FROM HELL, AND TELLS SCIFINOW WHY THERES MORE TO
HAMMERS LEADING LADIES THAN GLAMOUR
Im sitting in a very old graveyard, Madeline
Smith tells us. It will appeal to fans of the
Hammer lms, and its a lovely place to come
for a bit of repose away from the hurly-burly.
Anyway, its a good place to receive calls!
The gothic setting is all too tting for a conversation
with one of the denitive stars of the late Hammer
period. She starred in Taste The Blood Of Dracula, The
Vampire Lovers and the subject of our conversation,
Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell. The nal lm
in Hammers long Frankenstein cycle, it saw director
Terence Fisher and star Peter Cushing attempting to
match the blood-and-guts quota of their competition
from across the Atlantic, only to nd their work cut by
the censors. Now newly restored, we can nally see that
glorious Hammer red in all its glory.
Thats right, Smith tells us. They inserted a lot of
gory bits that had been taken out at the end, specically.
There were some sort of murdery-type bits that had
been taken out. All the gore had been reinserted.
Its hard to believe that the censors were surprised by
what Hammer was offering, but Smith explains that it
was the people who were demanding the increase in
blood and sex that often balked when it was delivered.
I believe that a lot of it was in America, that they didnt
approve of it, she tells us. I think they were more prudy
in America than they were here. Having wanted all the
rudery, the blokes certainly, The Vampire Lovers, when
it was released or about to be released I think they
thought, Uh-oh, and quite a bit was missing.
Although later Hammer does have that reputation for
putting bared breasts and buckets of blood over such
triing matters as plot, Smith believes that Frankenstein
And The Monster From Hell doesnt deserve to painted
with that bawdy brush, particularly in terms of nudity.
In Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell, luckily I
was very clothed, and I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that
I could get on with acting without having to worry about
anything like that. It was more about gore and fright.
Its more an emotional lm; it played on the emotions, I
think, more than anything. They denitely didnt use me
as a sex object. I loved it, I thought it was a lovely lm,
and I looked forward to every day that I made that lm.
Smith plays Angel, the mute servant girl who helps
Cushings Dr Frankenstein to conduct his experiments.
Although her memories of making the lm are clearly
happy ones, Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell
was lmed at a particularly low point in Cushings
life, shortly after the death of his beloved wife. He
looked totally ghastly, Smith remembers. He looked
absolutely awful, and he didnt eat. I seem to remember
quite vividly that all he had was black coffee.
With the Hammer star in such a fragile state, it fell
to Fisher to create a calm and supportive atmosphere
on set. He commanded respect without bullying,
enthuses Smith. He was very quiet; incredibly quiet.
He whispered his directions almost apologetically. It
was a very leisurely lm, and Terence Fisher gave the
impression of leisure. Of course, because Peter Cushing
was in such a woeful way, there was a lot of peace, quiet
and respect. No raised voices at all, so yes, I was very
much aware that Terence Fisher was in command of the
situation and knew exactly what he was doing,
The later Hammer period may not be renowned
for the quality of parts for its leading ladies, but Smith
dispels any notion that she was hard done by, thanks
in part to Fishers condence in her. I think I really
did have quite a meaty albeit silent part there in
Frankenstein, she afrms. I was able to get away with
murder. Terence virtually left me alone; he liked what I
did, so I did my Maddy thing really, in a way. I played it
as I felt she should be played, and as I say, he was very
happy with that. I dont feel I had a rough deal in that.
Strangely enough, I would say that Hammer lms gave
a better opportunity for acting than many other parts
that I came to play in my rather limited career.
Indeed, Smith tells us that even The Vampire Lovers
gave her the chance to stretch her acting muscles,
despite the unpleasant surprise of nude scenes being
sprung upon her. Despite the dreaded nudity bits,
which I certainly wasnt anticipating in The Vampire
Lovers, I think I had a nice opportunity to perform in
that, she tells us. I didnt care for the nudity aspect I
dont to this day. I hadnt anticipated it, and I think that
was a rotten shame, because it didnt need it. It turned
it into a mini porn movie, which really it isnt. It saddens
me, because it means that people associate me with
that brief moment of taking my top off, which as I say, it
didnt need or merit, and it slightly puts in the shade the
fact that I think that I acted probably the best that I ever
acted, except for maybe the Frankenstein one.
With this opportunity to revisit the later Hammer
lms, there is another chance to appreciate the
excellent performances, and Smith believes that its time
Hammers actresses were given their due. Above all, its
the character actors that propped up, they made us look
good, she concludes. I think the Hammer lms that
Ive now caught up with the older ones actually had
the opportunity to play some hefty roles, and I think it
did us ladies proud, being a part of the Hammer genre.
I look at those lms now and think, Oh
gosh, was that really me? Did I do that?
Im quite happy with that!
Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell
is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.
THE FEARLESS
VAMPIRE LOVER
WORDS JONATHAN HATFULL INTERVIEW JAMES HOARE
INTERVIEW
| 111
MADELINE SMITH
I NTERVI EW
112 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
STILL LIFE
Its been just over a year since Ray Harryhausen passed
away, leaving a legacy of artistic and technical innovation,
invention and wonder. His creations for lms such as
The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad, Jason And The Argonauts,
One Million Years BC and Clash Of The Titans stunned
and inspired legions of lmgoers and lmmakers, and
his contribution to cinema can never be underestimated.
These pictures show the artist at work, developing his
craft and tirelessly working on his amazing creations.
Ray Harryhausens life in pictures
GALLERY
| 113
SON OF KONG
One of Harryhausens rst feature projects was
Mighty Joe Young, working under his mentor
and stop-motion legend Willis OBrien. Fully
aware of Harryhausens talent and enthusiasm,
the ageing OBrien left the bulk of the actual
animation to his young protg.
BEHIND THE
LENS
Harryhausen
checks the view
from the camera
during lming of
the 1964 version
of First Men In The
Moon, for which
he created the
fondly-remembered
Selenites.
HAMMERHAUSEN
In 1966, Harryhausen joined forces with
Hammer for their epic One Million Years
BC. Although the lm is perhaps better
remembered for that Ursula Andress
poster, Harryhausens effects work took
the production to another level.
RAY HARRYHAUSEN
GALLERY
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
TIMELESS
IMAGINATION
Harryhausen at work on
the ghting skeleton from
The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad.
This creature would be the
starting point for the epic
ght sequence between the
Argonauts and skeletons in
Jason And The Argonauts.
CRAFTING A
CLASSIC
Harryhausen and Janet
Stevens work on the
model of Medusa during
production of his nal
lm Clash Of The Titans.
The terrifying snake-
haired monster would
be one of his best-
loved creations.
FATHER OF
DRAGONS
At work animating
the dragon on The 7th
Voyage Of Sinbad.
114 |
STILL LIFE
GALLERY
PREHISTORIC PASSIONS
Ray Harryhausen and a pteradactyl on the set of The
Valley Of Gwangi. Gwangi was a passion project for
Harryhausen, as the creature had originally been
designed by his mentor Willis OBrien. However, Warner
Bros lack of faith in the monster movie led to it being
programmed on double bills with a biker movie, and
it would be some years before it found the fandom
it deserved.
Ray Harryhausen:
A Life In Pictures
is available from Amazon
for 30. All proceeds from
the sales go to the Ray &
Diana Harryhausen
Foundation.
| 115
RAY HARRYHAUSEN
GALLERY
116 |
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
Fandom fairly exploded when Ben Afeck was
announced as Batman/Bruce Wayne in 2016s
follow-up to Man Of Steel. But that response
was relatively sedate compared to the one
greeting the news that actor Michael Keaton
Mr Mom himself had been cast in the role
for Tim Burtons 1989 version. And that news,
in turn, was nothing compared to what would
have happened if producers Jon Peters and
Peter Gubers original plans had been brought
to fruition.
There was only one other
actor that we really wanted,
which was Bill Murray, explains
Peters, who paused to let that
one sink in for a minute. At one
point we played with the idea of
Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy
playing Batman and Robin. Peter
and I had done a lot of movies,
and many began in concept as
party jokes. Batman was always something that we
really wanted to do, and we worked on it for a long
time. The idea of Bill Murray set the tone for the movie
in the sense that we wanted someone who had a
comedic sensibility, but also had a dark side and an
explosive side, which most comics do, especially Bill
Murray. Not until we saw Beetlejuice did we realise that
this guy who played Mr Mom had a ferocious side and
was completely, unbelievably explosive. Thats when
we started zeroing in. There was a mention of all kinds
of other actors to play Batman, and every agent in
Hollywood would call us, but Peter and I hung in there
until we met with Michael.
Bottom line: they were right. 25 years ago, Batmania
swept the world in much the same way it had back in
the Sixties with the Adam West-starring television series,
although this wave was decidedly darker, more adult
and grittier. It saw Keaton far surpassing expectations
in the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman; Jack
Nicholson owning the part of the Joker (until Heath
Ledger came along, of course) and did away with
the Sixties stigma that had dogged the character for
decades. There wasnt a POW! or BLAM! in sight.
This is not the TV show, executive producer Michael
Uslan proclaimed. Its completely different, because
it is true to the comics. This is the story of Batman,
the creature of the night who stalks criminals in the
shadows. This is his rst battle with the Joker. Its a
wonderful, original, unique and stylish lm, and one
that will not only thrill [then] 50 years worth of Batman
fans, but the general public as well.
At the beginning of the Eighties, Uslan and his
partner, Benjamin Melnicker, acquired the rights to
the character from Warner Bros/DC for what must
have been a sweet deal (they have executive-produced
every Batman lm since) and began working with
screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz to bring him to life on
the big screen. Mankiewicz, of course, was the nal
writer on Richard Donners Superman: The Movie, and
had penned several James Bond lms. As such, he
seemed like a natural t, although those efforts never
developed beyond the script stage.
When we did the original screenplay, said Peters,
we paid Tom Mankiewicz $750,000 to write the rst
draft, then about seven drafts later we realised it never
really worked. It was like Superman; it was derivative. It
wasnt original, it wasnt different, it wasnt unique. Wed
seen it already. Not until Sam Hamm did this version,
which was darker, more extreme and aggressive, and
saw Batman as a ferocious ghter, did we start to
understand the direction we wanted the lm to go in.
Leading them down that path was the success of
Frank Millers seminal comic-book miniseries of the
time, The Dark Knight Returns, which returned the
character to his roots in a way that
was shocking, yet appropriate.
We started putting this project
together brick by brick, explained
Melniker, and here we are. When
Tim Burton joined the project, he
really started shaping the lm to
his liking, and I think a fascinating
balance has been struck in the
nal draft. Its a wonderful piece
of work and a wonderful blueprint from which to work.
Added Peters, The script is like a blueprint, and
not until you start to build and shape it do you really
understand what youve got. By the time we were
nished, the evolution of Batman was complete, as
was the uniqueness, design and originality we always
wanted to do. How we were going to get there we
werent exactly sure.
Burton was certainly a guiding hand, although
he admitted that he had not been a huge fan of the
character in the comics.
The reason I got involved, he said, not being a
giant comic-book fan and growing up more with the
series, is that I was attracted to the images. Somehow it
just strikes very primal images Batman, the Joker. The
attraction probably also has to do with bats,
MICHAEL KEATON BROUGHT
A FRESHNESS TO THE ROLE
IN OTHER WORDS, HE KNEW
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT
TIM BURTON
BATMAN
IT WASNT THAT NOBODY BELIEVED A BATMAN MOVIE COULD
BE DONE WITHOUT BEING CAM; MORE THAT THEY DIDNT
THINK A SUPERHERO MOVIE COULD BE DONE WITHOUT BEING
CAMP. STARS MICHAEL KEATON AND JACK NICHOLSON,
DIRECTOR TIM BURTON AND OTHERS RECALL THE TRIALS,
TRIBULATIONS AND THE ORIGIN STORY BEHIND THE FIRST
MODERN SUPERHERO FILM
FLASHBACK
WORDS EDWARD GROSS
BATMAN
FLASHBACK
BATMAN
FL ASHBACK
| 117
BATMAN
FLASHBACK
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which are very primal and great creatures. Any time you
show people a bat, something perks up. I think theyre
very beautifully designed creatures and interesting. Its
something that just strikes a very primal chord. I dont
even know what that is, but I know thats why I was
attracted. There was no other reason I would be. I feel
more like a detached, normal person in my approach
to the characters, than veering from one side, which
is the comic-book, and the other side, which is the TV
series.
Prior to being cast in the lm, Keaton had worked
with Burton on Beetlejuice, but had not yet received
critical acclaim from his performance in the drama
Clean And Sober, which is what made his casting so
controversial. For his part, he was essentially unfamiliar
with the character.
I do know that even before
this movie, there was a kind
of a swell of a wave about
Batman, Keaton offered.
Im sure I was probably a year
late noticing it. I noticed this
Batman thing happening, then
Tim [Burton] talks to me about
this movie, and while were
doing it, the wave just
kept building and building,
and then cresting. Beyond that, I
wanted to work with Tim again.
He can get you to do things on
a lm. Sometimes, I get ideas
where I
want to push things out to their
limit, and generally speaking I have an ally in Tim,
because hes willing to go further out. Im not even
talking about just for unusual sake, but trying something
different, and that makes me comfortable. To put it
simply, Id worked with him on Beetlejuice and enjoyed
the experience, and wanted to do something with him
again, and Batman came up.
Michael, Burton interjected, brought a freshness
to the role. In other words, he knew absolutely nothing
about it.
Thats absolutely true, Keaton concurred, because
I chose that way, and also I didnt think I had time to
come up with anything. I decided early on, Im not
going to start going through comic-books and stuff; I
just dont want to work that way. I want this man to stand
on his own. One thing I did, though, was think I should
go right back to the source: bats. So I actually read a
little bit about bats for a while. I checked them out and
tried to learn about them. Back when Tim told me he
wanted me to play the part, I was curious as to what the
script was going to be about, so I read it and just read it
as a script, as a movie, and just really liked it. I liked the
script and the fact that Tim was doing it.
As for creating the dichotomy between Bruce Wayne
and Batman, Keaton laughed, I pretty much guessed.
Seriously, what I did was go with the character as
written. I said, OK, forget hes Batman. Lets say hes
a sumo wrestler. Lets say hes a jeweler. Look at what
hes about and what he does and says. I started
working from the script and found what I found, which
was that this was a very interesting guy to play. Then
you say, This is a man who
decided to put on a bat suit
at night and go out and seek
justice. That made it even
more interesting. That really
made it very interesting, and
I talked about my impression
of it with Tim. Tim told me
what he was thinking, then I
laid down the real basics of
what he is and what he isnt,
to start with. After that, I was
mostly following Tim and
going with my instinct.
Pointed out Burton, The
good thing about the script is
that Sam Hamm, more than
Michael or myself, is a comic-book fan. So he wrote it
very clearly with that in mind. It wasnt like we were all
sitting around going, What are we going to do with
this? It was clearly delineated and true to the spirit of the
character.
The other side of the coin, so to speak, was the
casting of the Joker, with Jack Nicholson ultimately being
chosen. Explained Peters, Jack heard about the project
for the rst time with me in Boston on The Witches Of
Eastwick. It was about 4am when we were preparing for
a church sequence, and he was saying to me, I signed
on to play the Devil, but I dont want to throw up on all
these people, because it will ruin my career. Jack, this is
part of the character, youll be wonderful. And just to get
Michael Keaton went against type
to great effect as Bruce Wayne.
118 |
WE PLAYED
WITH THE
IDEA OF BILL
MURRAY AND
EDDIE MURPHY
PLAYING
BATMAN AND
ROBIN
JON PETERS
| 119
Tim Burton was the rst director to attempt to
sincerely replicate the comic-book universe.
Before The Dark Knight, Jack
Nicholson was the denitive Joker.
Michael Keaton remembered
when he rst saw the world of
Batman come to physical life.
I was amazed by all of these
folks over there [in England]
who build sets, created special
effects, did wardrobe, he
said. I saw the costume
and thought, Yes! That was
actually a question I had: what
would I look like? Then I saw it.
Tim said, Im thinking of
going with armour, because
on the television series he just
happens to elude bullets; his
luck isnt that good, Keaton
added with a laugh. Tim said
he wanted to do armour, and
I asked him to show me. He
started to show me sketches
hes visual, so he gets things.
And Im relatively visual, so
I get
things,
not quite
as clearly,
but I saw
it. Then
they
did a
bodycast and started going
from there, and the end results
were pretty amazing.
A lot of that had to do with
Bob Greenwood, because hes
the best costume designer,
enthused Burton. The key
people him, production
designer Anton Furst, director
of photography Roger Pratt
got into one theme, which is
that you take a human being
and make him something else.
You make him Batman. Even
though we dont get into the
psychology, everybody went
with that premise. I mean, hes
a guy who dresses up as a bat.
What can you say about that?
THE BAT SUIT
Tim Burton and
Michael Keaton
on creating the
iconic costume
TIM
SAID HE
WANTED
TO DO
ARMOUR
BATMAN
FLASHBACK
Kim Basinger
provides the
love interest as
Vicki Vale.
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS
#1-#4 4%
Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Frank Miller
Published: February-June 1986
Released in the run-up to Batman, The Dark
Knight Returns might have contributed the to the
title of Burtons sequel, but all it really lent to the
rst lm was a grim tone and a few little nods.
BATMAN:
THE KILLING JOKE 18%
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Brian Bolland
Published: March 1988
As a character study of the Joker, Moore and
Bollands The Killing Joke is incomparable
and Tim Burton was said to have carried
around a copy of the book on set. Though the
circumstances differ, many Joker/Vicki Vale
scenes echo those between the Joker and
Barbara Gordon.
BATMAN #386 11%
Writer: Doug Moesch
Artist: Tom Mandrake
Published: August 1985
The often overlooked tragedy of Jack Napiers
moll Alicia Hunt is obviously cribbed from Black
Masks girlfriend Circe. A vain model who lives in
an apartment lled with her own portraits, when
Black Mask is disgured, he scars her with toxic
cosmetics - forcing her to don an expressionless
white mask.
DETECTIVE COMICS #27 14%
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Bob Kane
Published: May 1939
Batmans debut appearance foiling a heist at
a chemical factory where a crim falls into a vat
of noxious goo gets bundled in with the Jokers
origin story for Tim Burtons movie.
DETECTIVE COMICS #439 16%
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Marshall Rogers
Published: March 1971
Cited as a direct inspiration for Batmans opening
scene, The Night Of The Stalker puts the dark
back in Dark Knight by showing him from the
perspective of the criminal hes pursuing, all
ominous shadows and threatening silence.
DETECTIVE COMICS
#469-#476 37%
Writer: Steve Englehart
Artist: Marshall Rogers
Published: May 1977-April 1978
Steve Englehart was approach to write an early
treatment for Tim Burtons Batman and the
framework of Englehart and Rogers run is still
obvious - love interest Silver St Cloud becomes
the earlier love interest Vicki Vale, mobster
Boss Thorne becomes Carl Grissom and the
newly maniacal Joker with his Joker-ed trail of
corpses... well, he stays the same.
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
120 |
COPIED
CRUSADERS
Which comics had the largest
impact on Tim Burtons Batman?
your mind off of it, let me tell you about this movie
were doing, Batman. So it began about two years
[earlier]. Enthused Uslan, And Jack Nicholson
is ideal as the Joker. Its like God created him for
this role.
You know, with Michael as Batman, we wanted you
to care for him as a human being, said Peters. We
wanted you to feel for him. We had another problem
with Jack, because we had to be careful not to like him
too much. This guy could shoot you and laugh at you,
and you love him. We wanted a story that basically
had some warmth to it. We were trying to make a real
movie, not just a Lethal Weapon or something.
Smiled Burton, For me, theres a certain kind of
joy when both Jack and Michael come onto the set
knowing their characters, and then its fun after that.
You get a scene ve different ways and come up
with new things on the spot, but its always a strong
framework were working in. Both of them know so
much, and Jack just knows so much about lmmaking
and can take any absurd thing and make it real. That
sort of person is a real spark to me.
But the tricky thing about these characters, he
added, is how you analyse a split personality. Nobody
knows. Here, youre dealing with those issues in a
comic-book movie, so youre really laden with trouble.
So what we tried to do was give it a real short-hand
sense of psychology. Be true to the spirit of it and leave
it open to interpretation. The danger of a comic-book
movie is you dont want to start saying things like, Im
avenging the death of my parents or Theres a bat
in the my window. Now theres an idea. We tried to
avoid that and actually leave things a bit more open,
| 121
therefore taking some of the edge off of the conventions
of seeing a balloon come out of Michaels mouth saying,
Ill get you!
A major problem that had to be dealt with during
production was the sense of propriety fans were trying
exert over the project, and the media backlash they were
creating in the process. Keaton, for one, said he was
unaffected which was particularly true in those pre-
internet days.
I was never aware of their feeling of propriety, so I
was never hurt by it, he said. Then we went to England
to shoot the lm, where we didnt have to deal with it,
which was a big bonus. It was nice to be there, because
when youre away, its about doing the movie, not all the
external things, which turned out to be a blessing. So a
lot of this stuff was going on while I was over there, and
when I got back I started catching up on it. By that time I
just found it pretty amazing and funny. I guess if Id had
a real vested opinion about it one way or the other then
that would have been hard, because then I could argue
with it. I didnt have to do that because, basically, I had
no knowledge.
Peters did, however, and both he and Guber realised
that they had to do something to turn around the
uninformed opinions. I didnt intentionally try to think of
a way to please the fans, I just gured that Im a ghter,
I had 90 ghts as a ghter, Im an aggressive guy, Im
a rough guy in Hollywood, so to speak he detailed. I
knew how to make a movie with a guy who could kick
ass, and I believed that Michael Keaton could kick ass.
So I believed if we made the movie we wanted to make,
ultimately people would discover what we discovered.
But I dont think I realised the depth and intensity of the
Bat-fanatic all over the country.
While we were shooting the movie, Peters
continued, the Wall Street Journal came out with this
article where they absolutely, completely crucied us
and did some research about Bat-conventions all over
the United States where they were booing the concept
of Michael Keaton, and were really feeling that we were
bastardising the movie. These were very aggressive
people. Peter Guber, Mark Canton [from Warner Bros]
and I went into the editing room. We didnt tell Tim
or Michael anything. They were making the movie,
and if they started to read all this stuff, how were they
supposed to make the movie? We had Jack Nicholson,
one of Americas great actors, playing a guy who smiles
all the time. Thats a big risk. He could embarrass
himself. Youve got Michael Keaton in a cape!
In any event, we cut together a trailer, which became
a famous trailer, and we took it back to America.
Theres was no narrative, no music, no names of who
anyone was; just footage from the lm. We put it in
theatres, and it basically changed the direction of
the perception of the movie and really got people on
our side.
Pointed out Uslan, Afterwards, there were a number
of major stories in the media done about the trailer,
and I dont think that had ever happened before in
movie history.
For Keaton, the importance of the whole thing hit him
when he returned to the US from lming. The rst thing
that happened, he said, when I got off the plane from
London is some guy from the airline said, Good luck
with the movie. I said, It went great, without knowing
what movie he was talking about. Then I realised that
the movie was Batman. So it was the
rst thing anybody said to me when
I had gotten back, and I quickly
realised that something amazing
was happening.
Batman is out now on Blu-ray and
DVD
This Gotham was authentically
grimy and lived in.
THE DANGER OF A COMIC-BOOK
MOVIE IS YOU DONT WANT TO START
SAYING THINGS LIKE, IM AVENGING
THE DEATH OF MY PARENTS TIM BURTON
BATMAN
FL ASHBACK
Hollywood in the Nineties didnt
quite know what to do with cult
comics. They either ended up adapted
into horribly miscast star vehicles, such as
Judge Dredd (1995) and Barb Wire (1996),
or too quirky for their own good like Tank
Girl (1995). But there is one that stands
head and shoulders above the rest.
The Crow (1994) is based on James
OBarrs 1989 graphic novel, written as a
way of coping with the death of his ance
in a hit-and-run accident years earlier. It
opens in a dark, re-tinged cityscape; the
sound of sirens blaring in the distance,
buildings ablaze and a weary childs voice.
People once believed that when
someone dies, a crow carries their soul
to the land of the dead. But sometimes,
something so bad
happens that a
terrible sadness is
carried with it and
the soul cant rest.
Then sometimes, just
sometimes, the crow can bring that soul
back to put the wrong things right.
A few moments in, and as the camera
swoops across the decaying city to a
crime scene, you realise just how wrong:
a woman lies dying after being raped
and beaten by thugs on Devils Night
the night before Halloween, where
criminals delight in causing destruction.
Chain-smoking beat cop Albrecht (Ernie
Hudson) looks out of the womans broken
apartment window to see her boyfriends
body below. This was the night before
their wedding.
One year later, a supernatural power
personied as a crow brings the deceased
groom-to-be, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee),
back from the dead as an indestructible
avenging angel. His story has all the
hallmarks of a typical revenge fantasy,
but the movies threatening atmosphere,
gothic lm-noir tone and Lees soulful
performance rescue it from predictability.
At the time of its release, comparisons
were made with the likes of Batman
(1989) and Blade Runner (1982), and its
foreboding intro is cut from a very similar
cloth. Director Alex Proyas creates a city
that is arguably more intimidating than Tim
Burtons Gotham.
Nameless, lawless and bleak, the
festering urban setting of The Crow is
a character in its own right, brought to
life through Alex McDowell (Fight Club,
Watchmen)s baroque production design
and Dariusz Wolski (Sweeney Todd,
Prometheus)s bold cinematography.
Rain-battered, lthy and contemporary
this could be any city if left to rot for
long enough.
Young narrator Sarah (Rochelle Davis)
gives the city its voice. Shes streetwise and
sarcastic, but also lonely. Virtually deserted
by her drug-addict mother and utterly
desensitised, she nevertheless helps to
counterbalance the grime with some much-
needed pluck.
The plot moves fast, with Eric clawing
his way from the grave within the rst
ten minutes, screaming in agony as his
murderers gear up for more of the same
one year on the criminality is relentless.
In one of the most memorable
transformation scenes ever, Eric paints his
face white with black gashes and lips like
a masquerade mask as The Cures Burn
plays one of many standout moments on
the lms soundtrack, which includes Nine
Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots. The
iconic shot of Draven walking towards the
broken window in his new persona of the
Crow still electries, even if that look has
been replicated by countless goths over the
last two decades.
He goes on a hunt to nd the whole jolly
club with jolly pirate nicknames, including
knife man Tin-Tin (Laurence Mason), drug
addict Funboy (Michael Massee), arsonist
T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly) and speed freak
Skank (Angel David), who turn out to be
underlings of crime boss Top Dollar.
Theres a great moment just before his
rst confrontation where
Draven dives gracefully
off the rooftops onto
garbage below before
bursting into exuberant
laughter, like hes only
just beginning to understand the extent of
his power, and hes a little drunk on it.
Within 20 minutes of screen time, the
Crow makes his rst kill, nicking his victims
trenchcoat William the Bloody must have
been taking notes. He picks the gang off
(mostly) using their own hallmarks: Tin-Tin
with knives, Funboy with multiple syringes
to the chest, T-Bird with explosives, and
Skank is turfed from a window, just as Eric
was. A revenge movie is only as good as its
villains, and these guys live to blow stuff up,
drink and murder, so watching them being
picked off is immensely satisfying.
Top Dollar could have been a generic
third-act antagonist, but the gravel-voiced
Michael Wincott makes him something
of an enigma. His half-sister and lover
IN 1994, ERIC DRAVEN BECAME THE FIRST MAINSTREAM
GOTH ICON OF MODERN CINEMA. RELEASED A YEAR
AFTER THE TRAGIC DEATH OF ITS STAR BRANDON LEE,
THE CROW IS A FILM ABOUT VENGEANCE, REDEMPTION
AND LOVE. JOIN SCIFINOW AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
CLASSIC CULT MOVIE 20 YEARS ON
Film
RUNNING TIME:
102 minutes
RELEASE DATE:
13 May 1994
DIRECTOR:
Alex Proyas
WRITERS: David J Schow,
John Shirley
CAST: Brandon Lee, Ernie
Hudson, Rochelle Davis,
David Patrick Kelly, Michael
Wincott, Bai Ling
About
On the eve of their
wedding, Eric Draven
and his ance Shelly
Webster are attacked
by a gang of sadistic
thugs. Shelly is raped and
beaten, while Eric is shot
and thrown out of their
apartment window to
his death. One year on,
Eric is resurrected by a
mystical crow to avenge
them. His only links to the
human world are Sarah,
a young girl he and Shelly
befriended, and beat
cop Albrecht, who was
at the scene when they
died. Now imbued with
superhuman abilities,
Draven stalks his killers
across the ruinous city,
eventually clashing with
crime boss Top Dollar.
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
122 |
THE CROW
RETRO CLASSIC
THE SHOT OF DRAVENS NEW
PERSONA STILL ELECTRIFIES
WORDS KRYSTAL SIM
THE CROW
kCfI0
LldSS/C
/lm
RETRO CL ASSI C
| 123
IT CANT RAIN ALL THE TIME
ERIC DRAVEN
IF THE PEOPLE WE
LOVE ARE STOLEN
FROM US, THE WAY
TO HAVE THEM LIVE
ON IS TO NEVER
STOP LOVING THEM.
BUILDINGS BURN,
PEOPLE DIE, BUT REAL
LOVE IS FOREVER
SARAH
LITTLE THINGS USED
TO MEAN SO MUCH
TO SHELLY I USED TO
THINK THEY WERE KIND
OF TRIVIAL. BELIEVE ME,
NOTHING IS TRIVIAL
ERIC DRAVEN
WE KILLED YOU DEAD, THERE
AINT NO COMING BACK
T-BIRD
ABASHED THE DEVIL STOOD AND
FELT HOW AWFUL GOODNESS IS
T-BIRD
HE WAS ALREADY
DEAD. HE DIED A YEAR
AGO THE MOMENT HE
TOUCHED HER. THEYRE
ALL DEAD. THEY JUST
DONT KNOW IT YET
ERIC DRAVEN
GREED IS FOR
AMATEURS.
DISORDER. CHAOS.
ANARCHY NOW
THATS FUN
TOP DOLLAR
CLASSIC
QUOTES
Brandon Lee gives the dening performance
of his tragically short-lived career.
THE CROW
Myca (Bai Ling) plays the slinky femme
fatale with a link to the supernatural. She
recognises the threat that the Crow poses,
and hurls them all towards their nal
confrontation on the rooftop of a ruined
church, kidnapping Sarah before the event
of her own ironic death.
As often happens with comic characters,
theyre invulnerable until they arent, and
sure enough the Crow is stripped of his
invulnerability just before his big sword
ght with the boss, who matter-of-factly
admits that the responsibility for his and
Shellys deaths ultimately lies with him. Its
a tad convenient, but ties things together.
You know my daddy used to say, Every
mans got a devil and you cant rest till you
nd him You got a lot of spirit son. I am
gonna miss you.
Rather than killing him with a weapon,
Eric uses Albrechts memories of Shellys
last 30 hours in intensive care to nish off
Top Dollar, who plummets to his doom on
the spikes of a gargoyle, its gaping mouth
running red with his blood. If Graeme
Revells touching soundtrack doesnt bring
a lump to your throat as a ghostly Shelly
appears in a halo of white to comfort Eric
at their graveside then you may possibly
be dead already.
So what makes this lm compelling?
Well, conventional superhero stories say
that one person can make a difference,
but they are essentially wish fulllment.
In the really real world, bad people do
terrible things and good people suffer. The
Crow paints a wretched vision of reality
that nonetheless feels closer to what we
cynically expect from real life, and more so
than other comic-book universes.
Compared to his peers, the Crow is as
deadly, but not as macho-clich as the
Punisher, and certainly more unhinged
than Batman. With his harlequin make-up
and gallows humour, he has perhaps
more in common with the Joker. For
instance, the gleeful look on his face as
a bullet-wound instantly heals before the
eyes of his prey is pure Cesar Romero.
Eric embodies traits of the lm-noir
loner: alienated, tormented and morally
ambiguous. He doesnt return to help the
living well, not much but to avenge the
dead, taking an eye for an eye. He stalks
and kills, even engaging in a massive
gangland shootout just to get at one man.
But hes also playful and a total badass.
He seems to enjoy messing with these
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
124 |
THE CROW PAINTS A WRETCHED
VERSION OF REALITY
EDWARD
SCISSORHANDS (1990)
1
Tim
Burton
and
Johnny Depps
rst director/
actor pairing is
part updated
Frankenstein
fable, part fairy
tale with an
outsider love-
story twist.
EVERY
MANS GOT
A DEVIL
5 essential goth
lms of the
Nineties
BRAM STOKERS
DRACULA (1992)
2
Gary
Oldmans
Dracula
manages to be
dark, sexual,
romantic and
terrifying in
Francis Ford
Coppolas stylish
adaptation. Pity
about Keanu
Reeves accent.
ADDAMS FAMILY
VALUES (1993)
3
Embodies
that most
rare of
feats: a sequel
that successfully
manages to
be even better
than the original.
Dont believe
us? Two
words: Camp
Chippewa.
THE CROW
RETRO CLASSIC
people, whether that involves hanging
upside down as he interrogates a dodgy
pawn shop owner or cracking wise while
being shot at.
The Crow isnt quite the hero you
expect to identify with, but you do, partly
because his enemies are so repugnant
that you cant wait to see them get their
comeuppance, but mostly because the
character is played with such focus,
poignancy and depth by Lee, the lms
broken heart and dark soul.
If you grew up in the Nineties then this
angst-ridden and emotionally overwrought
classic probably brings back a lot of
memories. The Crow is a quintessential
tragic hero for the 20th Century, driven by
love and grief like all the best romantics. If
you were a goth kid, this was the moment
when the subculture tipped over into the
mainstream the cinematic equivalent of
Smells Like Teen Spirit. You need only look
at the likes of Blade, Underworld and Buffy
The Vampire Slayer to see how far that
style, black humour and angst travelled.
For many, its hard to watch given the
tragic death of Lee just days from the end
of lming. The actor was accidentally
shot when a gun loaded with a blank
round was red, but with the bullet from
a dummy cartridge from a previous scene
somehow lodged in the barrel. He was only
28, and the lm is dedicated to him and his
ance Eliza.
The parallels between a character whose
life is cut short, played by an actor who
had already passed away, built a kind of
morbid legend into the lm. However, it
should never eclipse what was a career-
best performance from Lee, one that would
have led on to bigger things had he lived.
The iconic imagery, blistering soundtrack
and Lees haunting presence make The
Crow a very special lm indeed.
| 125
IF YOU LIKE THIS YOULL LIKE BATMAN (1989) // DARKMAN (1990) // WATCHMEN (2009)
Imbued with a dark side both on-screen and off,
everything about the lm is ultimately bittersweet.
BLADE
RUNNER
(1982)
The bleak, urban
backdrop of The Crow
takes certain visual
cues from Ridley Scotts
classic lm.
WATCH FIRST
WATCH NEXT
BATMAN
BEGINS (2005)
Like Proyas, Christopher
Nolan creates a wretched
Gotham City rotting from
the inside, lacking hope
and redemption.
YOUR TAKE ON
THE CLASSIC
WHAT YOU THOUGHT @SCIFINOW
It was quite unlike anything
else being made at the time.
Hope the remake does it
justice. #TheCrow
@Tim_M_Matthews
My atmates fave ever.
Showed me it, didnt think it
was great, but was OK. Strange
directing though, very aged.
@willmurta
OMG, yes, one of my fave
lms. A) Brandon Lee C) Epic
makeup/costume C) Epic story
idea D) Awesome one liners
#TheCrow
@Princess_N_SyFy
Its a revenge tale, but one
with heart. I think it resonates
with people because of that.
Plus, visually it was something
fresh at the time. A beautifully
gothic tale.
@LilBlueKaiju
The comic is a beautifully dark
and tragic tale of vengeance
and Im as in love with it now
as I was when I rst read it. The
lm is ok (the soundtrack is
spectacular).
@karlhughes001
Got me through some dark
times. Epic comic book, epic
lm. Please, no remake!
@stefmatt68
RETRO CL ASSI C
THE CROW
The Crows landscape is a city of
horrors, best encapsulated by its
big bad, crime lord Top Dollar.
INTERVIEW WITH
THE VAMPIRE (1994)
4
An early
example
of vampire
self-loathing on
lm, with Tom
Cruise playing
against type as
the enigmatic
Lestat and
a brooding
breakthrough
role for Brad Pitt.
THE CRAFT
(1996)
5
Nothing
says teen
alienation
like joining a
coven, then
getting booted
out. Nails the
dog-eat-dog
toxicity of
high-school
friendships
turned sour.
See how you did with our
arbitrary scoring system DIDNT HE/SHE DO WELL!
DO YOU KNOW YOUR OBSERVERS FROM YOUR SHAPESHIFTERS?
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A FRINGE AGENT? FIND OUT
WITH OUR FRINGE QUIZ!
SETTING THE SCENE
1. Whats the name of Olivia Dunhams partner when
shes introduced?
2. Why has Walter Bishop been incarcerated when the
series begins?
3. What makes Peter Bishop unique?
4. Where does the Fringe team operate out of?
5. Name the company created by Walters old
colleague William Bell.
CASE FILES
6. Where is David Robert Jones being held when we
rst meet him?
7. Why is Walter so excited to meet Roscoe Joyce
(Christopher Lloyd) in Season Three episode
The Firey?
8. What sets Season Two episode Brown Betty apart
from every other Fringe episode?
9. What has Alistair Peck (Peter Weller) turned his body
into in the episode White Tulip?
10. Where is Walters old clinic where he
experimented on Olivia as a child located?
THE OTHER SIDE
11. What form of identication does everyone carry in
the alternate universe?
12. Give two of the names that the other universes
Olivia is referred to by.
13. What is Walter-nates job in the alternate universe?
14. How does the alternate universe contain
Fringe events?
15. What gruesome condition does alternate Charlie
Francis have that requires regular injections?
TRIVIA AND TRIBUTES
16. What does the apple glyph in the opening credits
have instead of seeds?
17. Name the Fringe teams pet cow.
18. David Robert Jones and Thomas Jerome Newton
are named for which music icon?
19. Fringe ties into which cult TV show from the
early Nineties?
20. Who plays Marty McFly in the alt-universe version of
Back To The Future?
A N S W E R S :
?
?
6-10
PETER BISHOP
Youve got a lot of street
smarts, but the fact that you
failed to spot that the object
of your affections had been
replaced by someone from
another universe means you
cant be that bright.
0-5
GENE
Youve got a lot to give, and
everyone enjoys having you
around, but well, youre a
cow, arent you?
WALTER BISHOP
Youre so brilliant that the
fates of both universes lie
in your hands. Your variable
levels of sanity are forgivable,
as is your love of delicious
sugary snacks. Its brain-
food, probably.
16-20 11-15
OLIVIA DUNHAM
Although you might not have
all the secrets of the universe at
your ngertips, you are a very
special individual. Occasional
lapses in judgement aside,
you will not be manipulated;
you will do the right thing.
1 . J O H N S C O T T 2 . C H A R G E D W I T H M A N S L A U G H T E R A N D D E E M E D M E N T A L L Y U N S T A B L E 3 . H E S F R O M T H E A L T E R N A T E U N I V E R S E 4 . A L A B A T H A R V A R D U N I V E R S I T Y 5 . M A S S I V E D Y N A M I C 6 . A P R I S O N
I N F R A N K F U R T , G E R M A N Y . W I S S E N S C H A F T , T O B E S P E C I F I C 7 . H E W A S I N W A L T E R S F A V O U R I T E B A N D . 8 . I T S A M U S I C A L 9 . A T I M E M A C H I N E 1 0 . J A C K S O N V I L L E 1 1 . A S H O W M E C A R D 1 2 . F A U X - L I V I A ,
B O - L I V I A , A L T - L I V I A 1 3 . S E C R E T A R Y O F D E F E N S E 1 4 . A M B E R 1 5 . A R A C H N I D I N F E S T A T I O N 1 6 . H U M A N F O E T U S E S 1 7 . G E N E 1 8 . D A V I D B O W I E 1 9 . T W I N P E A K S 2 0 . E R I C S T O L T Z
WWW.SCIFINOW.CO.UK
126 |
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