Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: Reenactment On Your Mobile Phone

SW: TESBOM is an action/arcade game based around a series of fun and challenging mini-games where the player participates in the key events from the Episode V movie.

Take control of either Luke Skywalker or various Star Wars vehicles such as Snow Speeders or even the Millennium Falcon itself.

Travel through the various worlds of the Star Wars universe; fly through asteroid fields, train with Yoda, or even fight the mighty Imperial Forces on foot.

Key Features:

· Re-enact key scenes from the Empire Strikes Back!
· Jedi Combat/Training Mode featuring Yoda and Luke Skywalker
· Millennium Falcon game mode – Escape from the Star Destroyer through the asteroid field
· Train your force abilities with mini-games featuring the famous scenes with Yoda and Luke in the swamps of Degobah
· Easy control mechanism using contextual action points

Actual Screenshots And Purchase Info:
(more…)

We Just Want To Borrow Your Brain For a Few Minutes.

Q) Walter asks, I once saw a sci-fi flick when I was young. It was in the early 70’s. I had to do with scientist trying to creat a view screen into the future.

There were also some robots that helped them. They looked pretty cool with tubes and things. There were also mutants above ground.

At the end the mutants made it below ground and the scientist realized that their view screen was really a time portal into a new geneation.They escaped through the screen into the future.

What was the name of this movie? Help.

A) Do you know the answer? If you have an idea, post a comment!

First There Was Orson Welles’ Radio Broadcast, Then Came Alternative 3

DVD Release Date: October 8th 2007.

Released through Soda Pictures.

In 1977 Anglia Television broadcast a programme called Alternative 3, a film By Christopher Miles, which purported to show evidence of life on a scientific colony on Mars and how scientists were being shipped to the planet.

By the time the programme had finished the switchboard at ITV was jammed, partly by callers alarmed at the end of life on earth as we know it and partly by viewers, recognising the programme as a hoax, ringing to blame the channel of being irresponsible.

Thirty years later however, life on Mars is not as outrageous a statement as it once was.

Alternative 3 is a spoof documentary. Originally scheduled for broadcast on April 1st it was meant to be an update on the now infamous radio broadcast by Orson Welles War Of The Worlds which was broadcast in the 1930s.

It stars Tim Brinton, Gregory Munroe, Carol Hazell. The piece is held together by the believability of the Tim Brinton (the commentator), who in his 70s Queens English voice comes across as a real broadcaster, which I believe he actually was.

Making an apprearance is Richard Marner (as Dr. Carl Gerstein) of ‘Allo ‘Allo fame. Of course, when first made, he wasn’t as well known, so you need to pretend he’s a stranger on screen.

The rest of the cast really look like they’re straining to look at ease in front of the screen, they seem to force their words and don’t look relaxed at all. Maybe it’s by design, but it looked to me totally contrived. Although, it could be because it’s quite an old program and was purposely shot like that.

Science Report is an old science program, and this was broadcast as part of it, adding to the realism.

At the time, the filmmakers were unrepentant at the furore that met their programme stating that the message from the film is that people should analyse what they see and hear on TV or radio - and shouldn’t just jump in and believe all they see, hear or read.

Thirty years later however, life on Mars is not as outrageous a statement as it once was, albeit the probability of intelligent life on Mars is probably just about zero.

I’ve been told, that apparently it has been banned from rebroadcast on British TV and undoubtely add fuel to the conpiracy theorists fire - they believe that it was to blow the whistle on an actual government project and alien threat.

It’s worth watching to see a piece of broadcasting history, if not well known. The chuckle factor is definitely present, so you need to watch it as if it’s 1977.

Is It Really 30 Years Old?

As Star Wars celebrates its 30th anniversary, we look back at how Barry Norman - the presenter of the BBC’s Film 77 - reviewed the “utterly delightful romp” Star Wars when it burst on to the big screen in 1977.

It makes you think, what would have happened if he’d have said it was utter rubbish!

More off the beeb at : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6687459.stm

Woman Hears Screams, Follows To An Underground Bunker And Finds An Alien

Q) Wendy says, “Hi! I hope you can help! I am looking for the title of a 80’s (possibly late 70’s) sci-fi film that played a zillion times on cable in early 80’s.

It’s about a woman who hears sounds/screams in her head, a ‘calling’ if you will. She and her man travel across country/desert to get to source of it and find an underground military facility that was housing and experimenting on aliens that had crashed to earth.

She could ‘hear’ the last remaining one and they both break into and out of the facility to rescue the alien. The girl is a blond and the actor playing the man was in a lot of suporting rolls in the 80’s. Please help? What movie am I speaking about?”

A) I’m afraid we came up blank again, Wendy. Even using search engines didn’t help - though possibly I didn’t use the right search words…

So, if any of you out there any ideas, please let us know via the contact form. And get famous(ish).

Q) Desperately looking to find name of cover artist for Coronet edition of Kurt Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan published in 1970’s.

Doesn’t say anywhere in the book and publishers no help at all! Any suggestions?

A) This is another of those questions which we wish we could answer, but after a some hefty searches, and asking some people ‘in the know’, we’ve come up blank.

Suprisingly, even when looking at image specific search engines. This is a shame, as I’m not sure what the 1970s cover of Sirens Of Titan looked like, and some of the older covers are a lot blander, and at the same time more effective, than today’s glossy, colourful cover artwork.

Anyone know the answer? Let us know!

If there’s any Scifi Question you’d like to ask us, then let us know and we’ll bust our brains to find the answer!

Q) Do you happen to know the name of a show I watched in the early 70’s as a child, all I remember was a ship with 6 or 8 semispheres that were little worlds and a man and woman trying to get to the other end!

A) This one has us stumped, we have absolutely no idea to be honest. If it’s a 70s movie it’s probably called, The Ship In Space” or something.

Click, joystick left, click joystick right…

…dodgy black sheet with pin pricks in, with light shining through to make stars.. beep…

Nice flares. Nice solar flares too.

Anyone have any ideas - it must ring a bell with someone!

Rare Interview : Philip K Dick 1977

A Rare Philip K Dick interview on his book, A SCANNER DARKLY. Also words from cast and crew from the film.

This is pretty neat. I don’t remember seeing any parts of it before. See how many of the A Scanner Darkly book covers you’ve seen or own.

I also noticed loads of other movie/trailer excerpts which are linked to Philip K Dick. Very much worth a persual (if you’ve got a spare couple of weeks).

Bill Paxton Pullman Paxton Pullman Might Almost Get To Play With A Sick Stick

These people have said that Bill Pullman is in talks to land the role of playing Philip K. Dick.

And I quote:

Details are thin as the producers of this indie production haven’t yet seen fit to list the film in IMDb’s database. The movie is currently entitled Panasonic (very non-PKD) which will be hell for them come search engine marketing time. Shooting is scheduled to begin next month with musician Matthew “Break My Stride” Wilder taking the director’s chair.

And I end quote.

Check it out. Made me laugh.

By the way, that’s Bill PULLMAN from the ever so cool Brain Dead, not Bill PAXTON from the ever so not cool Big Love. Saying that, they both starred in Brain Dead.

Now the serious questions is: Who will star in a biographical film of the life of Philip K. Dick? (I bet you a vanilla ice-cream the PKD Society won’t let it happen. Ever.)

Let us know who you think would be able to do the PKD biz with the feedback form, and we’ll make you a bit famous - or something.

To be honest, I was going to put up some ideas, but my mind is a blank…

Blimey, you could almost get confused (with the Bills), like when people talk about the Gregs: Greg Bear, Greg Egan or Greg(ory) Benford.

Q) I am searching for the title of a 1960s or 1970s UK produced television sci-fi show. It was about a moon based space station the would intercept random incoming alien space ships. The aliens wore a “space” suit and were liquid breathing.

I thought the show was Space1999 but after reviewing the on-line information this isn’t correct.

A) Ah ha, yes, with the mention of a moon based space station it does sound like Space 1999. After a bit of digging around it appears it could be the TV series UFO (pronounced you-fo and you-eff-oh in the series). Some of the episodes included aliens which breathed liquid. I just love their hair-doos.

The Future Was FAB: The Art of Mike Trim

Thunderbirds, War of the Worlds , Images of Sci-Fi. Artist Mike Trim Featured in NewBook Slated for July Release

“A book of Mike Trim’s design work is a thing to be treasured.” — Richard Taylor

Five-time Academy Award winner & Special Effects Director of Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World, and director of Weta Workshop.

In 1964, young Mike Trim answered a newspaper advertisement seeking model makers for a film production crew and embarked on an odyssey that would last for more than four decades. Beginning in the final days of Stingray, Trim went to work as a model maker and designer for Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s television series Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, The Secret Service and UFO - as well as their feature films: Thunderbirds Are GO, Thunderbird 6 and Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (aka Doppelganger).

Starting out in the model shop, Trim later became Special Effects Director Derek Meddings’ assistant in designing the fabulous futuristic architecture, vehicles, and distinctive look of the Andersons’ imaginative series. Eventually, he assumed responsibility for the majority of the design work for the series as Meddings (who won an Academy Award for his work on the 1978 film Superman) became more involved in feature films.

After contributing a single (unused) vehicle design and model to the series Space: 1999, Trim moved into freelance illustration, creating an iconic cover painting for one of the best-selling albums of all time, Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, in 1978.

The Art Of Mike Trim. Images Of SciFi.

Celebrating more than forty years as a designer, Trim has now collaborated with author Anthony Taylor to produce a full-color collection of his works. The Future Was FAB: The Art of Mike Trim is an in-depth review of the artist’s entire career as a sci-fi designer and illustrator. Featuring hundreds of full-color and black-and-white drawings, paintings, marker comps and photos, the book offers a one-of-a-kind, up-close-and-personal view of how the artist foretells the future at the end of a paintbrush. The illustrations are annotated by Trim via his anecdotes and insights as he worked with the Andersons, Meddings and the crew of Century 21 Films, as well as his experiences as a freelance artist and his account of how the instantly recognizable cover art for The War of the Worlds LP was created. Also chronicled: his techniques and influences, unproduced and upcoming projects, and more. With chapters covering his techniques and early influences, unproduced and upcoming projects and more, The Future was FAB: The Art of Mike Trim is a fitting tribute to an artist whose work has permeated the pop culture landscape for more than forty years, and a meticulous archive of his seminal works in the field of sci-fi art and design.

The Art Of Mike Trim. Images Of SciFi.

AVAILABLE JULY 25, 2006
from Fabgearusa.com, Amazon.com, and book stores worldwide.

All Mike Trim Images Are Copyright.

# # #

The Future Was FAB: The Art of Mike Trim

By Anthony Taylor with Mike Trim

Forewords by Richard Taylor and David Tremont of Weta Workshop

Published by Hermes Press. 128 pages. Trade Paperback, 9×12 inches, $29.95

ISBN: 1932563822

SF Never Sounded So Alive.

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. The Eve Of The War - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton And Justin Hayward
2. Horsell Common And The Heat Ray - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
3. The Artilleryman And The Fighting Machine - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton And David Essex
4. Forever Autumn - Featuring Richard Burton And Justin Hayward
5. Thunder Child - Featuring Richard Burton And Chris Thompson

Disc: 2
1. The Red Weed (Part 1) - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
2. The Spirit Of Man - Featuring Richard Burton, Phil Lynott And Julie Covington
3. The Red Weed (Part 2) - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
4. The Artilleryman Returns - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
5. Brave New World - Featuring Richard Burton And David Essex
6. Dead London - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
7. Epilogue (Part 1) - Featuring Richard Burton
8. Epilogue (Part 2) (Nasa)