Bottle!
A Fun And Surreal Journey Into The Darkest Depths Of A Bottle’s Mischief

Bottle written and directed by Fraser Coull from Silly Week Films, was shot for the BBC’s New Filmmaker competition in the summer of 2005. Shot for £150, the story focuses on a student, Alan (Ross Maxwell) who is tormented by an evil bottle of LimboJuice.

Alan is a typical student who goes to get some milk from the fridge, but finds it out of date. Looking again, he sees a strange bottle of LimboJuice which has mysteriously appeared, and which he’s seen adverts on television for (or has he?). You need to decide for yourself, as a lot of what goes on in this film is just plain weird. There’s an essence of Twilight Zone, mixed lovingly with a dash of Outer Limits, then topped off with some luscious ‘let’s make it unexplainable and a bit barmy’.

The bottle seems to have a life of its own, and anarchy, not to mention Three Stooges type comedy, ensues.

Animator and Digital Compositor Paul McConnochie of Vortex 42 along with composer Steve Dunster took 3 days to complete their work for the film. Filmed in only two days, Steve composed the music score in three without seeing the film. He was able to score the movie using time-codes to alert him of events in the movie.

Even though the film is only 10 minutes long, it is worth watching. The digital effects add to the hilarity of it, and you can see how Fraser Coull has progressed in one year. I get the feeling from watching it, it was almost like a test screening for what a camera can do, with bigger ideas always in the background for the next project. I was very impressed with one shot where the bottle appears from nowhere - it wasn’t CGI or film manipulation, you see it right in front of your eyes.

Special Features include outtakes, which are hilarious, and the obligatory trailer.

Click [more] for screenshots and media links.
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Soul Searcher (12)
Would You Accept The Apprenticeship?

Imagine, if you will, the cold, crisp night air of Hereford. Now imagine being stuck out in it, freezing your butt off - and working, and to top it all off, you’re driving an embarrassing road sweeper machine, which you manage to smack into a bollard. While this is going on, you see the Grim Reaper do his stuff to a demon and you realise your day is only going from bad to badder. This is how Joe Fallow (Ray Bullock Jnr) is introduced.

What’s even worse is that Joe is falling in love with Heather (Katrina Cooke), whom he can’t even manage to talk to properly, and along with his unsympathic friend, Gary (Chris Hatherall), can’t imagine his situation going further downhill.

Except Joe realises to the contrary when the Grim Reaper Ezekiel (Johnny Lewis) accosts him in the street and he becomes his apprentice (probably not through the Youth Training Scheme).

Elsewhere in town, an evil force threatens to merge the worlds of Hell and Earth into one. And only Joe, assisted by an enigmatic supernatural bounter-hunter, Luca Callista (Lara Greenway), can stop it from happening.

Lara Greenway and her character, Luca Callista bring the film to life. She could be a lead role in her own right. She looks sexy, has a couple of wicked weapons (large guns which make noises as they’re charging up between each shot), dark dreads and cool glasses. And her car - an open top Mustang! A powerful character visually, which is complimented with an almost sarcastic sense of humour, and a casualness that is downright scary.

A mention should go to the makeup (especially version two, or was it version three?) of the bad guys shines through, the texture and depth brings the evilness of the creatures out. The music adds atmosphere to Neil’s framed camera shots and distinct colouring in certain scenes.

Neil Oseman did a cracking job of bringing a full blown film together on a next to nothing budget (£20,000). The tight budget does have repercussions on the film, especially some of the visual effects. There are some (what appear to be) Harry Hausen type effects, and obvious models, which, contrary to a lot of critics, I think look perfect within the essence of the film. It also appears that a lot of critics base their idea of a ‘good’ film on how much CGI is packed in, not on the story or interaction of characters, or what the base effects are actually portraying. It reminded me of the skeletons in Clash Of The Titans, the stop motion animation, and the film itself harks back to that era of film making, while still holding modern attributes.

As a small independent film that is more no-budget than low-budget, the package of extras really provide an unexpected wealth of interest and entertainment. The making of documentary is a really honest and brutal look into what it takes to get such a project moving, and the film (and it’s inevitable limitations) really do benefit from such insight into the making of process. I’m suprised Oseman had any hair left, or sanity: watching the extras made me cringe in parts seeing what he, the crew and the actors went through; from nearly running out of money and special effects models not working, to their schedule going all kaput and cameras freezing solid.

It’s a classy film, with an almost typical dungeons and dragons storyline, a bunch of everyday people banding together to fight the forces of evil, with an extra helping of things which make a film enjoyable (including one scene that might bring a tear to your eye).

I’ll quote directly from someone else by saying, “If you can’t see past the flaws to see what’s been achieved then clearly low budget movies aren’t for you.”

Official Soul Searcher Site.
WYSIWYG Film Distribution And Production.

Click [more] for screenshots and media links.
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Night Is Day Debuts

Night Is Day, produced by Silly Wee Films is a six part scifi drama which follows Jason Mackenzine, Glasgow’s first superhero, as he come to terms with his new found powers and uses them to fight crime on the streets.

Episode one deals with flashbacks to how Jason (Chris Somerville) gets his powers, including a mental change of the ability to see people’s traumatic future and a physical change which enables him to pass high powered electricity through his body (I’ve heard it said that originally this series was going to be called Mr. Volts but they went for the cooler name of Night Is Day).

It’s while Jason is being patched up by Amy (Shian Denovan), a young writer who he saved just hours earlier, he recounts to her how he came to be a vigilante, swearing to protect the innocent.

The acting is spot on, with the fight scenes looking realistic (and when watching the extras, you realise it is indeed realistic) as is the camera direction from Fraser Coull. I believe the sound effect of the electricity should be revamped - the electricity effects and overall visuals are spot on, but there’s something lacking in the sound area - if anything it’s too quiet and doesn’t really whip your ear holes to any extent.

This is certainly what could be termed as a ‘warming up’ episode, showing the background to how Jason got his superpowers and how he is gradually coming to terms with them.

As well as the lead character, it introduces the bad guys, Mr Philips and his enterage, and the good guys, Detective Chief Inspector Sloan, DCI Mullan and also Amy, who as it turns out, appears to be his protector and confident - someone with whom he can speak to frankly about the turmoils involved with his powers.

Ames is a powerful spiritual being who sees good in Jason and decides to help him when Jason searches for a way to change his misfortune - he is a powerful, intelligent and peaceful character, who perhaps, on the face of it, afflicts Jason with more problems that he had originally.

Fraser Coull (the writer and director) and his team have spawned something which could go on for a lot longer than six 15 minute episodes - and this is reflected in the thoughts during the interviews given with the cast and crew. As this is episode one, there are quite a few unanswered questions.

Accessibility to Night Is Day is easy, so you have no excuse to not watch it. Episode one is free to watch.

I will be particularly interesed to know if it will be edited into a full size film once the episodes have been completed.

Read other articles/reviews on Night Is Day.

LEGO STAR WARS II
KICK SOME BRICK!

Use the force to find and rescue Princess Leia from the Death Star. The battle against the dark side returns to mobile!

With a comical take on the Star Wars Trilogy that revolutionized pop culture forever, LEGO Star Wars II includes even more of the family-friendly LEGO action, puzzles and humour that earned the original LEGO Star Wars such popularity and acclaim.

Features Include:
· Take on the role of your favourite Star Wars character including Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 and battle to find Princess Leia.

· Wield your Lightsaber against battle droids, droid commanders and droidekas.

· Use your mastery of the Force to move LEGO objects and build new pathways as you explore the ship.

· Use the force to move Lego blocks to be used as weapons.

· 18 levels over 4 separate missions.

· Automatically adjusting difficulty levels.

· Featuring classic music from the original films.

To Preview LEGO Star Wars II:
http://wap.thqwireless.com/web/LegoStarWarsIIMicroSite/index.html

To Get LEGO Star Wars 2 For Your Mobile:
text LSW 2 to 88188 (standard text rates apply - UK only).

Click [more] for screenshots and media links.
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Or If You’d Prefer: Happy Newton’s ‘day!

But whatever you do today, whether you celebrate anything or not, we here hope that you all have a great time!

And we want to thank you for coming back time after time, the daily amount of visitors, either to the page, or viewing through syndications etc, is phenominal. When I started it last year, I never thought there’d be so many people interested.

Just goes to show that scifi is still going strong.

Anyways, what are you doing reading this? You should be with your family and friends, watching Star Wars back to back, or a few James Bond films with Christmas hats on and your new scifi DVDs/comics/books/costumes and armour. Or just waving your Light Saber around making Bzzzz noises (if it’s not built in).

Have a good one people!

On A Lost Planet, Fight For Survival, Hunt For Revenge… Human Existance Hangs In The Balance

Release Date: January 12th 2007

LOST PLANET™: EXTREME CONDITION FOR XBOX 360™

Your memory lies in pieces, like shattered glass… Green Eye… your father… lying dead on the ground. These memories continue to haunt your steps. But now is not the time for quiet contemplation. The Akrid are attacking! It’s time to put it all on the line, avenge your father and save the tattered remnants of humanity. Find Thermal Energy, destroy the Akrid menace. On a lost planet, your destiny will unfold… Extreme conditions of epic proportions await in this Sci-fi Action Shooter.

Set within the ruthless conditions of an ice-veiled planet, humankind struggles for survival as colonization initiatives clash with menacing alien creatures with a gripping single player campaign and numerous multiplayer modes.

In Lost Planet Extreme Conditions, human snow pirates navigate VS (Vital Suits) through unforgiving arctic environments, fighting against the indigenous Akrid creatures for the precious thermal energy they need to survive. For one such pilot named Wayne, death almost seemed imminent until he was fortunately rescued. However, he can only remember a few fragments of his past including the slaying of his father by these enigmatic menaces. Yet under the shroud of ice, a devious plan has been set into motion by the Neo Venus Construction Corporation (NEVEC) that plans to sterilize the world of all Akrid and snow pirates alike. What really happened to Wayne and how will his destiny become intertwined with NEVEC’s plans?

Taking full advantage of Xbox 360’s power, Lost Planet contains an unrivalled level of detail as advanced light sourcing is used to ensure a realistic presentation that enhances every explosion, smoke and particle effect. Enormous world maps unfold as players battle the hostile creatures during blistering weather conditions throughout vast snow fields and deserted cities either on foot or with armed vehicles.

Feature Include:
· Extreme conditions - Battle enemies and the environment. Conserve heat from enemy bodies and keep killing, before your temperature drops.

· Survival tools - Defeat giant Akrid using numerous weapons and “Vital Suits” that can upgrade into fast-moving vehicles and heavy tanks.

· Band together - Beyond the 12 epic single-player missions, take the battle for survival online with unique 16-player multi-player modes.

Official Lost Planet : Extreme Condition Site.

Click [more] for screenshots and media links.
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Do It Yourself Star Wars Costumes And Props.

Stuck for a costume for halloween, Christmas or that special occasion (like a wedding (!) or birthday); or do you just want to walk down the street looking just that little bit different? Don’t want to pay through the nose for the costume?

Then check out tk409. It shows how to build various aspects of the costumes, from Stormtroopers and Sandtroopers to C-3PO and Jawas. There are pictures which show the various stages, so for example they show before weathering and after weathering.

Also included is a link to electronics such as the Stormtrooper/Boba Fett Voice Amplifier - excellent for scaring your granny on Christmas Day.

There’s detailed descriptions of the build process and external links to places to buy the kit. The guy running it also occasionally auctions his older kit on eBay.

This site is a must for someone who’s got the patience to put together Star Wars props, or just interested in how they can be put together.

“May the force be with you. click”

Premade Star Wars Armour Also Availble At Forbidden Planet

An Experiment Into Change Blindness / Cognitive Psychology

This isn’t really scifi, but it highlights that a lot of the time, a lot of people walk around without taking any notice of specifics in their surroundings. They sometimes suffer from ‘change blindness’.

Daniel Simons and Daniel Levins had experimenters approach a passer by with a map in hand (they were on the Cornell U. campus), and ask for directions to a campus building. After the passer by had been giving directions for about 15 seconds, a second and third experimenter, both carrying a door, passed between the first experimenter and the passer by. As the door went by, the first experimenter (the one who’d asked for directions) switched places with the experimenter carrying the back end of the door, who took the direction-taker’s place in front of the passer by. Here are photos from the paper, so you can see exactly what happened:

The results kind of boggle the mind and are interesting, in that they outline that people really don’t notice change, and tend to think they do.

You can read the results and more information here. It’s time to stop walking around with our eyes closed.

Geek Fiction For The ‘Slashdot Crowd’

Matt Stephens from Geek Fiction has put us onto this:

“I’ve just begun a series of edgy sci-fi stories titled “Geek Fiction“, a story arc in 10 parts.

The idea behind the series is to do something a bit like Pulp Fiction (with the same sort of random violence, interwoven storylines etc), but for geeks, with references to things like hacking, Ruby programming, Star Trek, Babylon 5, err politics, and so on — kind of tailor-made for the Slashdot crowd, I guess.

In the Geek Fiction universe, mostly “normal” things happen, but the technology, in the right hands, is virtually omnipotent — e.g. a hacker with a Perl script can harness a zombie network of PCs to resurrect famous people from history and plant their minds in doddering robots built out of kitchen appliances (in the story the main antagonist brings back Jack the Ripper and
General Custer).

Example line from an upcoming episode: “They stared blinkingly, as helpless and perplexed as a
Web 2.0 start-up experiencing its first server crash.”"

And so sayeth the geek’N'ess > go read!

INTERZONE 207 (Nov-Dec 2006)

Cover Art By Richard Marchand

Interzone/Cover/207

STORIES

The Purring Of Cats By Dave Hoing
Illustrated by Kenn Brown
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RECON 2020

I’ve got a bit more info on the film I mentioned earlier, and it’s looking pretty hot. Hopefully they’ll indulge me with a review copy, so I can see the finished product.

Behind the [more] you’ll get to know the characters and actors, see screen shots, contact names, crew/cast profiles and what equipment was used (to name but some items).

A Movie Seals film

Running Time: 89 minutes
Not Rated

Further Information:
Blood & Bullets Productions or
Movie Seals Productions
5291 Ste-Clotilde
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Email: bloodNbullets@sympatico.ca
moviesealsproductions@sympatico.ca
www.movieseals.biz
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What (Programming) Code Doesn’t Do In Real Life (That It Does In The Movies)

Via Big Dumb Object this article written by Matthew Inman highlights (craps on) a bunch of ridiculous ideas about programming and code that Hollywood can’t seem to stay away from.

The funniest bit for me was the section entitled “Code does not make blip noises as it appears on the screen.”

BDO goes on to say, “Personally I think watching someone code very fast in Visual Studio can be very exciting. Ooohh, the colour, ooh the Intellisense, oooh a build.”

Made me laugh - I work in the industry, and I can see the tongue in cheekness with this statement. I mean, is using Visual Studio coding? Code to me means assembler or machine code, not semi english jsp/asp/java/html etc etc (this is pretending to code. OK, tongue in cheek again).

Anyways, it’s an interesting read, and people who do code/program will relate to it and probably further endevour to shake their head at the silver screen when such artistic license is shown.

Polis: a city-state . policy . politics . metropolis

Read the review.

Rowena Wright says, “I just wanted to tell you about my new book called A Loop In Time, book one of Polis fantasy/scifi series.

In my book, Einstein and Fibonacci live as companions in a baby blanket and lend credibility to the existence of time tunnels, Tunnel Wars, and Ringgolds, a society of ancient immortals who intervene to aid the mortals in the Tunnel Wars.

Dotsy Harland in the October 2006 VOYA, Voice of Youth Advocates characterizes the book as “descriptive and poetic.”

Harriett Klausner on Amazon recommends the book to those “looking for something different in their science fiction.”

Annie Haws of Euro-Reviews comments, “Time travel, historical scientific personages, and
mythology and ancient spirituality are themes tightly woven in this very readable story. I
highly recommend it…Rowena Wright is an author definitely to be watched!” She so gets the book!

John W. Weiss, of CICLOPS/Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, remarks, “Wright has clearly done her research well: as a scientist I was impressed at how accurate the science is.”

There’s an excerpt of the first five chapters of A Loop In Time here.

Find out more at polisgames.com.”