Why oh why...?

Sometimes I fail to understand the American big wigs who control the US TV stations. Not only are shows cancelled well before their time (Futurama, Tru Calling, Farscape to name but a few) but they also fail to commission an absolute certainty of a hit, like Joss Whedon's animated Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Originally greenlit for 2002 the series never found a home with any station and the project was dropped. There are rumours it could still happen after all this time and just this week the creators have mentioned revisiting the whole thing again.

Being the huuuuuuge Buffy and Angel fan that I am I know I'm probably being biased but how could this series have possible failed? Not only was Buffy one of the biggest sci-fi/ fantasy shows of it's time but it's cast were also one of the best on TV. Bring 90% of those actors back (only Sarah Michelle Gellar didn't reprise her role) to do the voices for a stylish, funny action packed cartoon that kids as well as adults could engage in and you've bought yourself a cash-cow. But no... animated Buffy never saw the light and it's a huge shame. Just watching this leaked promo makes my stomach churn that I won't see any more of it, well maybe not anyway. See for yourself:

If you want to watch the video on Youtube click HERE

If you feel like joining the Animated Buffy Facebook group click HERE

Red Dwarf back again?

Yesterday the Sun newspaper reported that Red Dwarf was set to return to our screens in 2009, but only for one half-hour episode. A bit of a downer for avid fans like me as I was really hoping it was another series or even the movie we'd been promised so long ago.

The single episode is set to be an anniversary celebration, marking 10 years since the series final episode... 10 YEARS! I can't believe it's been that long!

The whole cast is set to return and the digital channel DAVE are the ones who have commissioned it (thanks DAVE!). Can't wait to see what happens here, let's hope it leads to more Dwarf!

Fast & Furious... again!

As old Biff would say "Well, lookee what we have here"...

Not only do I come across a new trailer for the new Fast & Furious movie out in 2009 but I find that as I watch the trailer some familiar faces seem to pop up.

It would seem that Universal has managed to lasso the original F&F cast back for another petrol fulled outing. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster are all back for the 4th installment of a franchise I didn't think could last this long, let alone get the original "heavy hitters" back! I have to say that although I actually do like the F&F movies I'm a little indifferent as to whether I'm bothered about this one.

Here's the trailer:

Fast & Furious

Star Wars outtakes/ bloopers and fanfilms

Browsing Youtube you sometimes come across something that you've never seen before and sometimes you come across some golden oldies that you'd love other people to see. Both are below.

The Star Wars outtakes/ bloopers I've somehow missed completely, no idea how, the lightsaber battles are 3 of the best you'll find on the web and the Darth Maul movie at the bottom is one of my favourites. Enjoy.

Cool New Item - Donkey Kong Jenga!

While perusing the Internet looking for new weird and wonderful items to purchase as part of my job I came across this little retro styled beauty, a Donkey Kong Jenga! Made by "USAopoly" who develop and manufacture numerous different versions of games such as Monopoly and Yahtzee this version of Jenga doubles as an old school (Game & Watch style) Mario Game.

"You've never seen Jenga like this! This clever twist on the classic tower-building game features 54 black, hardwood blocks decked out with the iconic Donkey Kong girders. Build your themed Jenga tower the traditional way or climb the girders with your Mario mover to save Pauline from Donkey Kong in a new-- and even more challenging-- way to play. Custom Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pauline playing pieces, and a Donkey Kong themed spinner are included for alternate play. Either way you choose, you're guaranteed edge-of-your-seat excitement"!

How cool is this?!

Available now from Entertainment Earth for $24.99 and Amazon.com for $24.95

"The Moster Squad" revisited

Something I was talking about at work yesterday and again today was one of my favourite movies as a kid (and still one of favourite movies of all time) "The Monster Squad". Although I'm sure I've watched The Goonies far more times (probably in excess of 200) The Monster Squad (1987) was one of those films I was completely obsessed with back in the 80's.
I think it was down to the fact that this was a movie I related to about a group of loser kids, obsessed with classic monsters, who actually have to defend their town (and the world for that matter) against the very monsters they talk about in their clubhouse/ treehouse. A silly sounding concept but the execution of the film is done really well. Also Duncan Regehr happens to be the best classic Dracula ever seen on screen (in my opinion) and his scenes are literally electric. The final battle in the square is awesome and the kids all turn from zero's to hero's each one battling against one of the creatures to great effect.

My favourite Drac moment? After appearing ominously in the town square at the end of the movie, charged with electricity and focused completely on nothing but gaining possession of the amulet, Dracula effortlessly swipes away a horde of attacking policeman, zaps the Scary German Guy and picks up Phoebe by her chin with one hand (while her mother and father are screaming her name in fear), he brings her face up to his and roars "Give me the amulet you BITCH"! and hisses at her while she screams... Very cool ;)

The Monsters

I know there's a a certain air of tongue-in-cheek about the whole film, especially things like Van Helsing giving a thumbs up when he finally nabs Dracula, or Phoebe throwing her favourite teddy to Frankenstein at the end, but all in all it's one for the bigger, older kids to enjoy and you should take it as it comes.

Plot Synopsis (From Wiki)

The Monster Squad is a society of young teenagers who idolize classic monsters and monster movies. In addition to a clubhouse in a tree, they actually have their own business cards. Club leader Sean (Andre Gower), whose younger sister desperately wants to join the club, is given the diary of legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing (Jack Gwillam). Sean, his best friend Patrick (Robby Kiger), and the rest of the Monster Squad get their local "Scary German Guy" (Leonardo Cimino) to translate the diary from German to English. (When he is asked how he knows so much, he tells them cryptically that he has "some experience with monsters." When the children leave his home and he closes the front door, a concentration-camp number tattoo is revealed on his forearm.)

Phoebe and Frankenstein's Monster

The diary describes, in great detail, an amulet that is composed of concentrated good. One day out of every century, as the forces of good and evil reach a balance, the otherwise-indestructible amulet becomes vulnerable to destruction. The next day of balance falls within a couple days, at the stroke of midnight.

The kids realize they must gain possession of the amulet before the day of balance arrives; once they have the amulet, the kids can use that-- with an incantation from Van Helsing's diary-- to open a hole in the universe and cast the monsters into Limbo. Dracula's monsters, meanwhile, must obtain the amulet before the Monster Squad does... so that the Count can take control of the world.

Horace (aka Fat Kid), Eugene and Sean

The amulet turns out to be buried in a stone room, under a house that Dracula and the other monsters occupy. The aforementioned room is littered with holy symbols, including crucifixes, which prevents the monsters from simply taking it.

Luckily, the Monster Squad has the assistance of Patrick's lovely-but-nameless elder sister (Lisa Fuller)... because the incantation must be read by a virgin, and she's the only person they know who speaks German. Sadly she is failing German, and not technically a virgin, "Well, Steve... but he doesn't count." Additional help comes from a single good monster: Frankenstein's Creature, who defects after befriending Sean's kid sister Phoebe (Ashley Bank), who ultimately is the virgin needed to read the incantation; with the assistance of "Scary German Guy".


Cast

The Monster Squad

* Andre Gower ... Sean Crenshaw (as André Gower)
* Robby Kiger ... Patrick
* Brent Chalem ... Horace
* Ryan Lambert ... Rudy
* Michael Faustino ... Eugene
* Ashley Bank ... Phoebe Crenshaw

The Monsters

* Duncan Regehr ... Count Dracula
* Tom Noonan ... Frankenstein's Monster
* Carl Thibault ... Wolfman
* Jonathan Gries ... Desperate Man (Wolfman's human form)
* Tom Woodruff Jr. ... Gill-man
* Michael MacKay ... Mummy

Supporting Cast

* Stephen Macht ... Detective Del Crenshaw
* Mary Ellen Trainor ... Emily Crenshaw
* Leonardo Cimino ... Scary German Guy
* Stan Shaw ... Detective Rich Sapir
* Lisa Fuller ... Patrick's Sister
* Jason Hervey ... E.J.
* Jack Gwillim ... Van Helsing
* David Proval ... Pilot
* Daryl Anderson ... Co-Pilot

Sean (Andre Gower), Phoebe (Ashley Bank) and Rudy (Ryan Lambert) as they are now (well last year at SDCC anyway).

Trailer for the two-disc special edition US DVD released last year

Movie Mini Reviews - Not a good week...

I could very well be one of the only people around that didn't like this movie. I'd heard good reviews and seen funky trailers but it simply lacked everything I find enjoyable in an action/ comic book adaptation movie. Two of my favourite actors, Morgan Freeman & Angelina Jolie, couldn't even raise this to a level of watchability for me so it gets a pretty low score.

BORING
4/10

The Missus and I are enormous "Mummy" fans and I'd been waiting ages for this movie to be released. When I'd seen the trailer in the cinema I actually thought it looked amazing and got really excited. Unfortunately numerous overwhelming snags bring the whole thing down into a poor attempt at continuing the franchise. Brendan Fraser's usually enjoyable "Rick" is swept aside for an inferior Alex (Luke Ford) and Maria Bello (although very pretty and capable) cannot replace Rachel Weisz as Evey who really made that part her own in the previous two outings. The Yeti, although a good idea, end up being cheesy along with some wooden performance's from two Chinese greats; Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. The whole thing just doesn't seem right and it could just be that the change of director from Stephen Sommers to Rob Cohen was a grave mistake. (Let's hope Sommer's G.I. Joe turns out well in 2009!)

DISSAPOINTING
5/10

Bugger... I was really looking forward to Tropic Thunder and it ended up as one of those movies where the trailer was 10 times better than the end product. For me this was like a failed melding of Platoon, Galaxy Quest and the Three Amigos... On paper I'm sure it looked great and funny as Hell and the cameos from big wigs like Tom Cruise should have made it a cash cow, but no, it didn't end up that way at all. The film was unfunny and in parts plain embarrassing, the actors were annoying (Stiller more than the rest, but then what's new there) and by the end of the movie I wanted to jump through the screen and tear Tom Cruise's head right off his bald, fat-suited, f-word loving, head. Oh well, live and learn.

UNFUNNY
5/10

Cool New Items - Clone Wars ARTFX and Yoda Plush

Kotobukiya will be releasing their 3 new ARTFX Clone Wars statues in Dec 08/ Jan 09 and they're looking great. I saw these little beauties up close at SDCC last month and although smaller than the last range of Star Wars ARTFX statues they are still high quality, clean looking sculpts. By buying all 3 statues; Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan you're able to use the separate included body parts to build Master Yoda! At £34.99 each they're a great little, affordable collection for Clone Wars fans. (And even if you don't buy all three, or even one, Obi-Wan in Stormtrooper armour will always look cool!). Notice that Ahsoka has Rotta the Huttlett in backpack on her back? It can be removed and put on Anakin too, nice little touch. Pre-order yours now from www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk


Underground Toys have created a cute little Clone Wars Yoda plush to add to your collection. This 9" Jedi Master is a great design and if you pop to your local Clintons you'll be able to pick up their exclusive talking version (I own one!). £10.99 for the basic one from FP.

Some of the best DC fan trailers ever made

I came across these fan made DC movies/ trailers years ago but I was reminded of them the other day at work. I thought I'd post some of my all time favourites up for those of you that haven't seen them. Enjoy!

Batman: Dead End


Batman & Superman: World's Finest


Grayson

Cool New Items

Recent items from Forbiddenplanet.co.uk to lighten your moth eaten wallets are:

(Hasbro) Star Wars: Clonetrooper Voice Changer Helmet (I have one of these and they're awesome!) £27.99 (Instock NOW!)

Indiana Jones - Idol Replica Bank £13.99 (Pre-order)

Star Wars - 6" Darth Vader Roto-Cast Bank £9.99 (Pre-order)

That's no moon...

After the phenomenally popular Hasbro Millennium Falcon last month I came across this equally fantastic Lego Death Star, currently only available via the US Lego website for $400 (about £200 for us British folk) but should be available from Lego stores from Sept 1st. No less than 14 scenes from the original trilogy are present here including 21 Lego figures (Luke and Han as Stormtroopers are so cool!) and 3,803 pieces to build. Its different decks include the Death Star control room, moving turbolaser turrets, hangar bay with TIE Advanced starfighter, tractor beam controls, Emperor’s throne room, detention block, Imperial conference room, droid maintenance facility, and the powerful Death Star superlaser, plus much more! Swing across the chasm with Luke and Leia, face danger in the crushing trash compactor, and duel with Darth Vader for the fate of the galaxy. Measuring 16 inches tall by 16.5 inches wide this Lego behemoth is going to be one for die-hard fans with lots of space to space (and time) to spare!

Check out these great HQ images below and get you wallet ready... Click for the larger versions.

Top Ten Star Wars Games

Gametrailers.com has a countdown of the ten best Star Wars games of all time. I don't necessarily agree with the order these are in (I know number 10 would be much higher up the list if I had anything to do with it) but it brings back fond memories nonetheless! I have no doubt that Force Unleashed will take the top spot next month but we'll see what happens.

Star Wars: he Force Unleashed coming next month

One of the most highly anticipated games of 2008 (and maybe of all time for SW fans) is The Force Unleased, an absolutely stunning third person action game following Darth Vader's extremely powerful sercret apprentice. Watch the trailers below and see if you think this could very well be the best Star Wars game ever made... I know I'm becoming a true believer.

This is a quick rundown of some of the things to expect:

• During the period between Episodes III and IV, players hunt Jedi in the role of Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.
• Unleash and upgrade the Secret Apprentice's four core Force powers - Force push, grip, repulse and lightning - throughout the course of the game, and combine them for ultra-destructive, never-before-seen combos.
• The Secret Apprentice won't just Force push enemies into walls - he'll Force push enemies through walls.
• The Secret Apprentice won't just Force grip foes to throw them aside - he'll Force grip them in midair, zap them with lightning, then drop them to the ground to explode like a bomb.
• In addition to new adversaries created just for the game, such as fugitive Jedi and Force-sensitive Felucians, players will also confront and associate with familiar faces from the Star Wars films, including Darth Vader.
• Visit locations such as Episode III's Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk and the floral Felucia, the junk planet Raxus Prime, plus an Imperial TIE fighter construction facility.
• Decisions made by players throughout the game will determine the path of the story, including multiple endings that will rock Star Wars continuity as they know it.
• The Force Unleashed is LucasArts' first internally developed title for next-generation consoles, and it represents the first in-game collaboration of talents and technology between LucasArts and Industrial Light & Magic, two companies now finally under one roof at the new Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco's Presidio district.
• The Force Unleashed debuts Digital Molecular Matter from Pixelux and euphoria behavioral simulation from NaturalMotion Ltd.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 cast revealed

Being the super geek that I am it'll probably come as no surprise that when I saw the trailer below for the new Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 game I shouted "oh my God...." out loud to the missus... The reason? Well, I knew Gemma Atkinson was appearing in it as it was plastered over every paper, mag and Internet site for the past two weeks, but I wasn't aware of the other actors portraying characters like it was a movie. They used to say that the line between games and movies would start to blur into each other as time went on and here it is. I'm a huge fan of this gaming series and I've played almost every one. It's been one of the only strategy games I've ever liked and the cut scenes always made it the cooler choice when wanting a new PC game.

The cast of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 follows (in alphabetical order by last name): Gemma Atkinson (the UK's Hollyoaks), Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Hunt for Red October), Andrew Divoff (LOST), Kelly Hu (X2, The Scorpion King), Jenny McCarthy (Scream 3, former Playboy Playmate of the Year), Ivana Milicevic (Casino Royale), Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Juno), Autumn Reeser (The OC), Peter Stormare (Prison Break, Armageddon), George Takei (Star Trek, Heroes), and two of the most recognizable names in competitive mixed martial arts Randy "The Natural" Couture (former UFC Heavyweight champion) and Gina "Conviction" Carano (Undefeated Elite XC fighter, American Gladiators).

The cast of C&C Red Alert 3, fronted (quite literally) here by Jenny McCarthy

Gemma Atkinson as Lt. Eva McKenna

MMA legend and American Gladiator Gina Carano as Natasha Volkova (she could totally kick your ass y'know!)

Now I'm aware that the previous Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars had it's fair share of actors who were cast in the full motion video scenes and they were maybe even more high profile than the people above but still I have to say I was pleasantly shocked to see actors like George Takai, models/ actresses like Jenny McCarthy and even UFC legend Randy Couture in the new game.

Actors in the previous Tiberium Wars just FYI were:
Josh Holloway (Lost) appears as a Nod intelligence officer by the name of Ajay.
Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) portrays the Nod General Kilian Qatar.
Michael Ironside (Top Gun, Starship Troopers, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell video game series, SeaQuest DSV) appears as the Global Defense Initiative's General Jack Granger.
Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi, Batman) plays GDI Director Redmond Boyle.
Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) as GDI Lt. Sandra Telfair.
Jennifer Morrison (House, M.D.) portrays GDI Lt. Kirce James.

Here's the trailer for C&C Red Alert 3

Christina Applegate update: Now Cancer free

Earlier this month, Christina Applegate revealed she had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer which I reported last week on here. Today, she claims she is "100% cancer free" thanks to a double mastectomy. People reports:

Privately, she admits, "Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I scream, and I get really angry and I get really into wallowing in self-pity sometimes, and I think it's all part of healing." Having watched her mother, Nancy Priddy, battle breast cancer - and then suffer from a recurrence many years later - the Emmy-nominated star of Samantha Who?, 36, told interviewer Robin Roberts that she wasn't taking any chances...."My decision, after looking at all the treatment plans that were possibilities for me, the only one that seemed the most logical and the one that was going to work for me was to have a bilateral mastectomy," said Applegate. "So basically I had a prophylactic double mastectomies." Explaining her rationale in taking that dramatic step, she said, "I didn't want to go back to the doctors every four months for testing and squishing and everything. I just wanted to kind of be rid of this whole thing for me. This was the choice that I made, and it was a tough one." The surgery took place three weeks ago. She did not undergo radiation or chemotherapy."

Drastic measures to be sure but good luck Christina!

Hot Mama - Gillian Anderson

Ah Miss Anderson... When I was younger this red headed wonder's pics adorned about 40% of my bedroom wall and rated as my all-time favourite female next to Cindy Crawford and Pamela Anderson. Although Cindy and Pam dropped off my radar as I got older Gillian was always a concrete member of my top ten "list".

As Gillian has already had one son and is expecting again at the moment she is my "Hot Mama" of the week. Below are some older pics of her along with one recent one in full bloom.

Funny pics

"Kids toy" my ass!

"Er, excuse me"?

"Care Bears Stare" takes on a whole new meaning with this lot...

"Surprise"!

Easter won't ever seem the same again... I'm disturbed now...

"I told you so" just doesn't seem enough here...

Why are Mario and Luigi always trying to save the Princess? Here are two very good reasons!

Jeez, the Joker craze is spreading to the pets now!

"I swear if you laugh at me I'm gonna fry your ass with my eye beams..."

Blind Giraffes don't give s**t...

Oh dear God, they've found Peter Griffen...

The answer to that age old question "does a bear s**t in the woods" is yes, clearly they do!

"Darling, perhaps now isn't the time to tell you that I really was asking you if you wanted a bite of my Banana"!

Holy crap! Brooke Hogan does have superpowers!

Call the Japanese, Godzilla is loose!

Super Mario finds a new way to get "1-up"!

The Watchmen work for "Peanuts"...

"Oh Jesus! That's so funny I think a little pee came out!"

The Emperor's Halloween creation went down a storm with the troopers...

(Thanks to the great site "Collegehumour" for some of these pics).