Scientists, Mutants, Androids, Time Travel And Tubes

A reader sent in this question about a scifi film:

Q) The was a sci fi movie I saw when I was small.

The world had gone through some nuclear war. The scientists were working on a viewer that could see into the past or present. They also had some cool androids that had tubes running through them. There were also mutants in the outside world. The mutants broke in…

While the androids fought them, the scientists learned they could walk into the viewing screen, into another time when the planet was less barren.

What is the name of this movie? I hope you can help.

A) Even though it has a lot of ’scifi’ traits, this outline of a film doesn’t ring a bell.

If you have any ideas, please let us know via the contact form.

See the answers so far here.

Brian Aldiss Does The Desert Island Discs Interview

Desert Island Discs is one of BBC Radio 4’s longest running programmes.

Today, Sunday January 28th, author Brian Aldiss was Kirsty Young’s victim and duly chose the eight records to take to the desert island whilst talking about his life.

It certainly sounds interesting, and from someone who missed most of it and just caught the last few minutes, it is worth a listen.

Unfortunately, you can’t download it from the BBC Radio 4 website, but it will be repeated on Feb 2 at 9 am.

So maybe it will be available after that.

Night Is Day Series Promotional Trailer

The new Night Is Day Series Trailer is now available from Fraser Coull and Silly Wee Films.

I’m telling you now, if you haven’t watched any of the episodes yet, then watch the new trailer - it’s free, short and will give you the gist of how the series is coming together.

And it looks really cool. I’m guessing there will be a new ‘trailer’ every few episodes, so they can mix in what has been shot in the more recent episodes.

There’s also a new sound effects technician on Night Is Day, so expect more ear pounding electricity noises in future.

Read other articles/reviews on Night Is Day.

A Stop Motion Animation Android Stuck In A World Remeniscent Of The Cube Movies

Thanks to Darren for this.

Android 207 is a scifi stop motion animation of an android who is lost in a maze.

The maze is full of surprises and he is seen to learn as he has to complete certain tasks to enable his escape.

The maze is vast and filled with traps, decpetions and puzzles. Even Android 207, a sophisticated (and somewhat scary looking) android becomes overwhelmed with confusion and frustration as it struggles to navigate through the twisted maze of white walled corridors, having no idea what fate awaits it around each and every corner.

I found this a pleasure to watch. Sometimes, stop motion animation, can be clunky, but this flowed nicely. Along with the ‘grainy’ look, as if it was filmed 80 years ago, it comes across as a neat little movie. I particularly liked the sound effects which tied in well with the visuals.

When watching Android 207 himself (itself), I found that I went from being pretty weirded out by the way he looks, with his spindly body and skulled head, to feeling more empathy towards him, as he started to get frustrated on his journey around the maze. Eventually, though, you just can’t help lovin’ the critter. Parts of it made me laugh, as you see the Android almost, kind of, scratch his head as he’s working things out.

I don’t want to describe the obsticles he comes up against too much, as that would spoil it somewhat, but I recommened you spend a few minutes checking it out.

The animation has been screened at some festivals and won some awards.

2006 Milwaukee Internation Short Film Festival
- Winner of the Audience Favourite Award
- Winner of the Homourable Mention Award

2006 Vancouver International Film Festival
- Official Selection (Sept. 28 - Oct 13, 2006)

2006 MUUUVI Short Film & Animation Festival
- Winner of the Special Mention Award

2006 TriggerStreet.com Short Film Festival
- Official Selection

View Android 207 Online
Buy Android 207 and/or Table-Top Kid on DVD

The Downlink
By Kenneth C. Goldman

© 1997 and reprinted with the author’s permission.

‘Attaboy , Boatswain. There’s a good dog. You’re hungry, aren’t you, pal? A few more minutes, okay? Soon as I’m through talking with this nice man.

Don’t care . . .

Some imbecile of a poet once wrote how it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, blah, blah, and blah. I guess the words look good on paper if you’re a Freshman taking Horsefeathers Lit 101. Well, Jim, I’m here to tell you Mr. Tennyson got it wrong.

I loved once.

I lost love once.
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Irish SciFi News

Q) A reader who has just moved to Ireland got in touch, and she asked, “I would very much like to get in touch with other sci-fi-fans. Especially trekkie-fans. I would also like to know, if there is an Irish Sci-Fi Convention planed; within the nearest future. Do you know of any websites to visit, to get more information?”

A) If you’re looking for Irish SciFi, the site I monitor for information is Irish SciFi News. And if you need something more specific, you can always email them.

Night Is Day Episode Three Trailer

The Night Is Day Episode Three Trailer is now available from Fraser Coull and Silly Wee Films. One thing which is apparent when watching this is that the lighting seems to have gotten better. It looks darker than before - and gives it a more mysterious look.

Also available through this link are other videos including cast interviews, outtakes, bloopers, teasers for Episodes One and Two and the actual audition footage for Chris and Shian.

They are all interesting, especially if you’re interested in seeing how a project like this is put together from start to finish.

Read other articles/reviews on Night Is Day.

Ideal Present For Your Loved One On Valentine’s Day

Do you struggle to know what to get your other half for St. Valentine’s Day? Well, worry no more.

Forget chocolates, flowers and bath bombs.

What you need is something unique, something which shows how much you care for them, how much you treasure them:

What’s more romantic than a Lost Board Game. Based on the successful hit TV show Lost. It was developed in conjunction with the show producers and will keep you and your loved one(s) entertained with themes taken from the show.

I’ve got no idea what the rules are, and how you’d ‘complete’ the game, but I was suprised to find this on a site called ‘What Women Want’!

I’d play as Sawyer.

Don’t Be erm.. LOST! Check This Place Out! It’s A Game!

Ladies And Gentlemen:

“A mysterious artifact (usually of extraterrestrial origin) in a story which generates an intense sense of wonder just by being there; to a certain extent, the term deliberately deflates this“…

… wins the most prestigious 2007 SciFi UK Review Award In The Category Of Funniest And Shortest Review…

… for his thoughts on Torchwood Series 1.

Torchwood Goodies!

Murky Depths Promo Issue

Graphically Dark Speculative Fiction

As previously mentioned, Murky Depths is a brand new printed ‘zine which posits itself as something which brings together different storytelling techniques in a single magazine that will entertain its reader with its enjoyable, dark and thought-provoking fiction.

This demo issue has a mixture of graphically dark art strips, written fiction, poetry based on the artwork accompanying it - which was inspired by Richard Matheson’s ‘I Am Legend’, and one story which is a mixture of written fiction and graphical fiction.

First impressions: even though this is only sixteen pages long, it crams a whole lot in. And you have to remember that this is the promo issue, and that issue one will be around eighty pages. The pages are ‘american comic book’ size, which to me is neither here nor there, it works very well, and reminds me of Marvel and DC comics. On page sizing, as long as something printed is not too small it can’t be read, or too big it looks like you’re reading The Times, I don’t mind.

The quality of the paper is professional and it is non-glossy, which again, is perfect - it stops light reflecting off it and making it unreadable, or only readable at an angle. Binding is a couple of staples which is suitable for this small promo issue. The colour on the front and back cover is vivid and certainly stands out. I should mention the unusual front cover artwork ( By Les Edwards) which you can see in this review - it looks way better on the cover. And it is dark. And weird. And.. well, maybe not one for the kiddies.

Inside it is black and white, but don’t let this put you off. The eye catching black and white artwork (including the comic strips) throughout does well to complement the black text on white background, which again, means it’s easy on the eyes, and readable (non of this red text on a nice colour picture which looks totally unreadable).
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Night Is Day Episode Two

“My City, My Business.”

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.

This episode delves deeper into character building. Detective Chief Inspector Sloan (goodish cop) and DCI Mullan (mad cop) are expanded upon and learn that there is a supposed vigilante on the streets who can shoot electricity. They are in two minds as to whether this is a good thing, even though the vigilante is ‘on their side’. Amy and Jason seem to come closer as they use humour to see the funny side of how Jason is foiled by a newly introduced female villian, even though he has super powers. This shows that Jason is only human and can still make mistakes.

Whether Jason’s powers are a curse or a blessing remains to be seen, but he handles it pretty well, even cracking the occassional joke as someone in distress runs past him being chased, he shakes his head, puts down his shopping (superheros have to eat), and pursues them. He comes up short and shakes his head saying that it’s always an alley, never a Pub or Casino. And that even a beach would do. But oh no, it’s always an alley.

The visual effects, again are spot on, and if you ignore the fact that the sound effects of the electricity are somewhat subdued, the overall impression is eyecatching. I have a feeling that the electricity SFX are probably still being tweeked, and as this is an ongoing project for at least six episodes, there is plenty of space and time to get the SFX in synch with the quality of the visuals.

As with Episode One, this is still the warming up and setting the scene part of the story, with new characters being introduced.

With the limitation of approx. 15 minutes per episode, I would imagine that by the end of the third episode, the story will be at medium throttle, and will get to full throttle towards the end. As I said before, I’d like to see it edited into a full, continuous film. But if this isn’t done, there is the possibility of a full length movie anyway.

I recommend watching Night Is Day for various reasons, it is excellent entertainment for the price, you also get to see all the background information, behind the scenes footage, interviews and much more on the official website, and most of all, you will get to watch each episode as they are scripted, filmed, edited and released, including bloopers and outtakes. It is also something which has so much potential in terms of the story arc, that it will get better and better and more indepth as time goes on.

Read other articles/reviews on Night Is Day.

Pazza Idea
Di Marcello Nicolini
(English Version Coming Soon.)

1.
E se gli alieni fossero idee?
So che non dovrei credere a roba simile, visto la professione che esercito, ma, non hai notato un incredibile aumento di azioni stupide e idee bizzarre in questi ultimi mesi?
Certo, il freddo, il cielo grigio, lo smog: queste cose ci mettono del loro, ma…
…prendiamo quei tizi che recentemente hanno massacrato un’intera famiglia o la ragazza che ha ucciso madre e padre. Perché, mi domando? Si tratta di gente normale, all’apparenza; lavoratori, studenti, persone col conto in banca, le bollette da pagare, la rata dell’auto, creature, insomma, come te e me. Cosa scatta nella loro testa ad un certo punto? Cosa li fa agire diversamente da come faremmo noi due?
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Derek Lawrence has informed us about a new publication due for release on January 23rd 2007:

“It is a new, and we believe unique novel, entitled ‘Skaters, Trekkies, & Cool Dudes’, a comedy fantasy, and the first book in the series, ‘The Divine Cock Up Trilogy’.

A laugh a minute tale of a heaven and hell now run by committees, God and Lucifer running away to open a cult TV memorabilia shop, and a search for them by a power hungry Archangel and his reluctant partner and Gargoyle, Embram Ferret Frightener.

It is the first novel by the author Derek Lawrence, a new face on the scene, who lives in Worcester UK.

The novel itself is published by FrontList Books, an imprint of Soft Editions, who are based in Gullane, East Lothian Scotland, a small but professional publishing house with a personal outlook when it comes to business.

Publishers Address: Soft Editions Ltd. 21 Muirfield Station. Gullane. East Lothian. Scotland. EH31 2HY.
Publishers Phone Number: +44 (0)131 208 1296

Book Information: ISBN:1-84350-098-1 / ISBN: 13:9781843500988
“

Stop The Press !
Breaking, Important, World Shattering, Consciencious Newsflash Alert!

UNLEASHED

I don’t really watch trash like Celebrity Big Brother (UK - Channel 4) on purpose, honest. It’s just it was on when they had the opening ceremonies, and I found myself erm.. watching.

So, who should appear but Dirk Gently Dirk Benedict, Starbuck from the A-Team original Battlestar Galactica. Each contestant who enter the house each get to take a bag in with them, probably containing items like toiletries, underwear and other such essentials.

It appeared to me that Dirk’s bag was loaded to the brim with about 2,500 large cigars and nothing much else.

I won’t will watch it much a lot for its entertainment educational value.

If you see someone stealthily entering the house under cover of darkness, dressed in black, wearing a ‘Battlestar Galactica Rocks!’ t-shirt, with pen and paper in hand, then rest assured it won’t be me after an interview…

[Additional news: There’s a rumour about a Cylon…
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Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling

Author: D M Cornish

From the good people at Random House Children’s Books:

In February Random House Children’s Books is publishing the first novel in a brand new fantasy trilogy called Monster Blood Tattoo. The books feature an extensive explicarium - the perfect introduction to the new world plus beautiful illustrations by the author D M Cornish.

Synopsys
Monsters, rogues and wonder abound in this utterly original, fearsomely exciting and beautifully detailed fantasy tale of an orphaned boy’s journey to seek his destiny.

Rossamund has always dreamed of a career in the Navy, fighting tentacled monsters and rescuing damsels from hook-handed pirates. But fate has chosen him for a different path. He is being sent to train as a Lamplighter - to bring light to the inland roads of the Half-Continent, to shine the way for travellers through lands peopled by outcasts, monsters and worse. But for Rossamund to begin his education, he must first undertake a journey of his own: to the great city of High Vesting. Such a road is not for the faint of heart. Only monster-hunters, leers and the most desperate of brigands dare travel the inland ways unguarded. And al lRossamund carries with him is a battered almanac and a pocketful of cheap potions. It is unlikely to be enough. Stunning in scope and rich in detail, alive with memorable heroes and villains and brimming with new and original science and magics, D.M.Cornish’s tale of scolds, scourges, smugglers and shrewds will thrill and captivate, and leave the reader desperate for more.

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