Christian Cawley's Blog, page 218

Help Kickstart a Doctor Who Themed Advent Calendar!

Nick Kitchen is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

I’ve said it before and will say so again: Whovians are the most creative of all of the known fandoms. After all, a fan made trailer for Series 8 is said to be the actual inspiration for the new credits we’ll see in just over a month. But as is typical with the creative arts, sometimes the artists need a little help getting their vision to the masses.

Outfits like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo have been a boon to creators who lack the resources for their creations and want to offer fans the chance to be backers of the project and get a little exclusive swag for their contributions.

We here at Kasterborous Tower have been known to help draw attention to these projects when they relate to Doctor Who, and today we want to bring your attention to a rather unique idea. We were recently contacted by Matt Fox of CultureCal, a US based producer of Advent calendars. Now, in case anyone needs a refresher, an Advent calendar is a popular way of tracking the 24 days before Christmas.

I can vividly remember using these as a child when trying to suffer the incredibly long wait until the presents that Christmas day always brought and the excitement that built as you placed a token (in my case it was a stuffed felt mouse that moved along the calendar) each day that brought you closer to the holiday. Fox is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to get his custom advent calendars to market, the first of which is based upon the Nintendo game, iand employs all 24 masks from the video game.

Where do us Whovians come in, dear reader? The answer is simply that CultureCal’s next project if the kickstarter is funded will be to produce a Doctor Who themed Advent calendar. With the aid of laser printing into wood, CultureCal will be able to create pretty much anything a discerning Whovian may want to see on an Advent calendar. Perhaps you’d like to see all 13 Doctors and a mix of 12 companions and monsters? Or maybe you want an Eleventh Doctor set comprised of the characters during Smith’s era? The cool part of CultureCal’s setup is that they can take on custom designs as well, meaning anything you’d like to see is within grasp. At the time of writing, the campaign has about 5 days left and some work to do to get completely backed. If you’re interested in getting in on the ground level, check out the campaign page here.

Will you be checking out and contribuiting to the cause? What kind of Whovian Advent calendar would you like to see produced? Sound off below!

(Thanks to Matt)

The post Help Kickstart a Doctor Who Themed Advent Calendar! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Titan Comics: The Tenth Doctor #01 Reviewed

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

If you’re a comic book aficionado, you’ll know that IDW recently relinquished the Doctor Who license to Titan after six years of Doctors Ten and Eleven. Titan obviously realise how popular David Tennant and Matt Smith’s incarnations of the Time Lord are and so here we are, with two new ongoings, followed later in the year by adventures with the Twelfth Doctor.

I’m sure both will sell well. But are they any good…?

We must first come to the cover of The Tenth Doctor#01 – because it’s stunning. It’s by Alice X. Zhang, whose paintings are some of the best I’ve ever seen. The Tenth Doctor here looks superb. I do wonder why they even bothered with variants!

The art inside, however, is very divisive. Elena Casagrande’s work looks to be inspired by manga; personally, I’m not a fan of manga, but many are. I prefer realism, particularly as this series is an extension of the TV show. Nonetheless, the art works well, particularly in the execution of the first ‘attack.’ Its scratchiness works is in its favour there, but come the issue’s close, it’s a struggle to make out quite what’s happening.

Titan doesn’t fall back on well-worn enemies, instead coming up with an intriguing threat that very quickly draws you in.

I do, however, love the TARDIS-centric first page. In some ways, it echoes the zooming-into-Earth effect notably seen in Rose, The Runaway Bride and The Christmas Invasion. It’s taken to another level here, showcasing what good comic book storytelling looks like: as the TARDIS moves across, towards the Earth, the readers’ eye, too, crosses the page and all five panels appear as one motion. Comic creators, take note. It’s so simple, but so effective.

Writer, Nick Abadzis depicts the Tenth Doctor (and ergo the Russell T. Davies) era well: we have a seemingly-watery enemy, reminscient of The Waters of Mars; a cobbled-together device (that really should go “ding”); back-from-the-dead antagonists; and the possibility of psychics. All that’s missing is a Dalek reference.

That’s one thing I took issue with about IDW’s run: falling back on Sontarans, Draconians, Ice Warriors, Cybermen et al. always made it feel a bit forced; like the writers merely wanted to be let loose with Skaro’s finest, not come up with their own horrors. It made me question whether anything could be considered canon. That’s not a major concern to all, but to me, it certainly makes a difference.

Thankfully, Titan doesn’t fall back on well-worn enemies, instead coming up with an intriguing threat that very quickly draws you in. It helps that the Day of the Dead festival is a perfect setting.

It would’ve been nice to see an on-screen companion used, but at least Donna gets a reference (the story takes place after Journey’s End) and the new character, Gabby Gonzalez, is likeable and interesting. The Doctor did seem very much against getting a new companion after Donna, so hopefully the conclusion to the opening arc, Revolutions of Terror, will give readers a good reason to accept that he’s momentarily moved on.

This is a strong start, however, and gives me great hope for the new licensees’ range.

The post Titan Comics: The Tenth Doctor #01 Reviewed appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Karen Gillan’s Guardians of the Galaxy Poster Unveiled!

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Released on August 1st 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy is an unusual sci-fi adventure film based on an unusual sci-fi adventure Marvel comic strip. Fortunately, even if it completely sucks, it’s got Karen Gillan in it – and my, doesn’t she look fantastic as alien villain Nebula?

This, Kasterborites, is the role Gillan famously shaved her hair off for in 2013. Of course, if you didn’t know that the striking Scottish redhead was in this movie (which also stars Zoe Saldana, John C Reilly, Vin Diesel and Glenn Close) then we reckon that you would barely recognise her.

Just in case, here’s a newly-released poster of Karen as Nebula – click the photo for a hi-res version.

Enjoy!

(Via AintItCool, IGN)

The post Karen Gillan’s Guardians of the Galaxy Poster Unveiled! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

1974 Doctor Who Trailer – 2014 Style!

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Perhaps you haven’t noticed the similarities between the new Doctor Who Series 8 trailer and elements of the show from 1974; perhaps you have.

Either way, this excellent trailer highlights them, from the arrival of a darker, new Doctor to the appearance of Daleks, possibly Davros, and the use of the phrase “here we go again”. Moreover, we know that the Cybermen will appear in Series 8, although they don’t appear in the trailer.

(Perhaps what’s more worrying about the trailer, however, is that it highlights that 1974 was 40 years ago. If that doesn’t make you feel old, then spare a thought for the rest of us.)

Click play to enjoy the trailer, which features the soundtrack of the new 2014 trailer (complete with cleverly-edited Fourth Doctor dialogue!) with clips from Season 12.

(With thanks to Elton)

The post 1974 Doctor Who Trailer – 2014 Style! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Big Finish Team Discuss ‘Dark Eyes 3′ at London Film and Comic Con

Alex Skerratt is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Two members of the Big Finish team were in attendance at last week’s London Film and Comic Con. Writer Matt Fitton (The Wrong Doctors) and line producer David Richardson have appeared in a video on the company’s YouTube channel discussing a range of Big Finish productions, including their recent Survivors box set and their first season of The Avengers.

Most interestingly for Doctor Who fans, though, were the comments about the upcoming chapter in the Dark Eyes saga. Dark Eyes 3 picks up where Dark Eyes 2 left off, and features the Eight Doctor Paul McGann in a rollercoaster adventure involving Time Lords, Daleks and the dreaded Master.

As Matt Fitton explains in the video: “David gave me the brief of making it a story of the Doctor versus the Master, and if you’ve heard Dark Eyes 2 then you know where we’re left hanging, and we find out what’s happened to all the various characters.”

David Richardson also confirmed that the trailer for Dark Eyes 3 “popped into his inbox” whilst he was at the London Film and Comic Con, and promised that it would be made available soon, and that it was “very special.”

Indeed, it certainly will be, if the synopsis on the Big Finish website is anything to go by:

“Paranoid and perplexed after his recent experience, the Doctor skirts the fringes of the fifty-year conflict between humanity and the Infinite Armies. Wary of changing the course of history, he fears that to fight the Eminence would be to do the Daleks’ bidding. But when Time Lord CIA agent Narvin provides the impetus for the Doctor to act, Liv Chenka joins him in a desperate race to save their friend and stop the Master.

“As the Doctor goes head to head with his oldest and deadliest rival, this war is about to get very personal indeed…”

How much would you like to see this made as a television adventure? (Quite muchly, please.)

In the meantime, science fiction / audio fans might also be interested in the Big Finish production of Survivors, originally devised by Dalek creator Terry Nation. Matt and David admitted that they were pleasantly surprised at how well the range had sold. As David pointed out: “We had a Big Finish listenership survey and it featured down towards the bottom, so the feedback was that it probably wasn’t going to attract a big audience. But it’s had really great reviews - people have really started buying into it, and it’s been a great success for us.”

And while you’re waiting (and hoping) for a mass return of classic television to the archives, you might also want to consider Big Finish’s The Avengers. Matt and David talk a little about their recent Season 1 box set in the video, which recreates the lost episodes of this cult ‘spy-fi’ show from the 1960s. Incidentally, it was also the brainchild of one of Doctor Who‘s creators Sydney Newman, so if you’ve never sampled The Avengers before, this could be a good place to start.

As for Dark Eyes 3, the release date is currently set for November 2014, and it’s available for pre-order now.

The post Big Finish Team Discuss ‘Dark Eyes 3′ at London Film and Comic Con appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Ticket Ballot for Doctor Who Series 8 Premier At BFI!

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The Doctor Who World Tour kicks off on August 7th, starting off in Cardiff and ending in Mexico via Australia. Following a lunchtime premiere of Deep Breath in Cardiff, the show moves to the BFI London for an 8.30pm screening, and you could be there!

BBC Worldwide has today announced that the ticket ballot is now open until 8.30pm BST on Sunday 20th July.

Also featuring a Q&A with cast and production crew, you can apply for up to two paid tickets from now until 8.30pm this Sunday (20th July).

Head to the BFI website for more details and to apply for tickets, and good luck!

The post Ticket Ballot for Doctor Who Series 8 Premier At BFI! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Genuine 1960s Dr. Who and the Daleks Movie Poster on EBay

Drew Boynton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Calling all “Dr. Who” fans! Calling all “Dr. Who” fans!

Is Peter Cushing, who also played Grand Moff–no, not that one–Tarkin in Star Wars, your favorite Doctor? Do you think of the Doctor as a doddering old human inventor who looks good in spectacles and a mustache? Were you filled with outright disdain and disgust when Peter Cushing’s face failed to appear in The Day of the Doctor? Do you believe that Doctor Who begins and ends with two Technicolor films from the 1960s?

Then I have a deal for you! Well, actually, “markbates15″ has a deal for you, and on eBay, no less!

The seller has an original–an original!–poster for sale from 1965′s Technicolor “masterpiece”, Dr. Who & The Daleks. Even though the auction title says “1960″, three years before the television show even began, this writer is just going to assume that markbates15 probably just ran out of room for an “s” on the end. The poster appears to be in great shape, but does have fold creases from some point in the last 50 years when someone folded instead of rolling.

The photo accompanying the auction shows the poster in a frame, which is apparently included as well. A size is not specified, but it is probably comparable to other movie theater posters (around 40 inches by 27 inches). The image itself is of a line of Daleks, with the title Dr. Who & THE DALEKS below in bright yellow. In fact, the simple and bright coloring utilizes yellow and red against basic black.

Dr. Who & The Daleks was one of two Technicolor movies released in theaters in the 1960s that were based on Doctor Who (with a few changes). The television show had achieved instant success with the introduction of those certain extermination-obsessed robots and producers at Amicus productions looked to cash in on the craze. They hired actor Peter Cushing, well-known as a Hammer Horror icon, to play a human inventor named Dr. Who. The first film was a success; the sequel, however, 1966′s Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. was not. Several posters were produced to promote the films, usually showcasing the Daleks over the human actors.

Getting back to eBay, the seller is asking £150 for an opening bid on his Dr. Who & The Daleks poster, with free shipping to the UK. But, with a simple click on the “Buy It Now” button, it can be yours straight away for £225. Compared to the selling prices of other Doctor Who posters from the movies, the price seems fair, especially with the frame included and no shipping charge.

So, howsabout it, Kasterborites? Would an original 1960s Doctor Who movie poster look good in your living room, or would you rather spend your money in a more practical way (more yarn for your Tom Baker scarf)?

The post Genuine 1960s Dr. Who and the Daleks Movie Poster on EBay appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Is Your Family The Ultimate Doctor Who Family?

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

This fortnight, BBC Doctor Who Adventures magazine is looking for the ultimate Doctor Who family in the UK. There will be Doctor Who goodie bags stuffed with prizes for the overall winner and three runner-up families – and readers can enter, no matter how big or small their family is, for a chance to win.

Doctor Who Adventures Editor Moray Laing says: “The search is on! Does your family live and breathe Doctor Who? Do you own the biggest Doctor Who collection? Perhaps you all like to dress up as the Doctor, monsters or companions and watch the episodes? We want to know so that we can find the ultimate family!”

Make sure you get the latest issue for more details. Plus:

Alien Babies comic fun.
The latest news.
Use the free app Blippar to upgrade yourself into a Cyberman or take the TARDIS on a special journey into time and space!
Our MonsterChef makes terrors on toast.
Davros facts!
A guide to the Weeping Angels.
Photo special about the new series.
Adventures for the Doctor and Clara in the comic strip – written by Richard Cookson, who recently worked on Doctor Who as script editor
Five Fantastic posters!

 

Issue 350, on sale 16- 29 July 2014, priced £2.99. The magazine comes with free racing Cybermen! Don’t miss it!

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BBC Worldwide Updates Fans On Doctor Who Leaks

Christian Cawley is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

BBC Worldwide has issued a statement to the press concerning the recent Doctor Who leaks, which resulted in scripts and even episodes from Series 8 to be shared online weeks ahead of the scheduled airdate.

Released today, it reads:

We would like to thank Doctor Who fans everywhere for their amazing efforts in helping us contain the recent leaks.

The mistake was damaging and resulted in the exposure of five scripts and the first six unfinished episodes from Series 8 on a publicly accessible FTP site. While there is still a risk that this leak will result in more of this content emerging, so far the impact has been contained to a limited amount of this material through a combination of fans efforts and the plan that we put in place using new technology and internal manpower to limit any illegal activity.

We would particularly like to thank the fansite moderators and Doctor Who devotees who have actively protected the programme.

BBC Worldwide has taken this issue extremely seriously and disciplinary action has been implemented as a result of the incident. We would particularly like to thank the fansite moderators and Doctor Who devotees who have actively protected the programme.

Our sincere apologies again to Steven Moffat, the cast and production team who toil long hours to make the show in Cardiff, the BBC, and of course the fans who expect so much better.

While the episodes continue to exist online (Deep Breath has been widely circulated, although episodes two and later seem to have run into problems), the hope is that their low quality (black and white, limited CGI, no new titles or theme tune) has convinced those who might be interested to simply wait.

After all, August 23rd isn’t that long away now, is it? And what better way to enjoy the show’s return than to watch it simultaneously with almost every other fan?

You can find out what we thought of the recent revelations about the leak in this week’s podKast.

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See How Doctor Who Companions Affect Online Discussion

James Lomond is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The lovely chaps at TVShowtime.com have furnished us with an infographic showing how frequently Doctor Who companions and other characters were discussed after each episode.

The site/app allows you coordinate TV-viewing par excellence – the next best thing to abandoning physical form altogether and becoming a being of pure televisual energy. You can track when shows are on and available online, join in discussion with other fans and download or stream direct from the site. There are apparently over 40 000 series to chose from and -of course- that includes the good Doctor.

This infographic uses data from the online discussion from fans after each episode and sums the number of times a character’s name appears. The site has over 200 000 members – not *all * will be Who fans though there’s sure to be a good number in there (all the best people). Take a look below – first here’s a quick reminder of the title…

Asylum of the Daleks
Dinosaurs on a Spaceship
A Town Called Mercy
The Power of Three
The Angels Take Manhattan
The Bells of St John
The Rings of Akhaten
Cold War
Hide
Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
The Crimson Horror
Nightmare in Silver
The Name of the Doctor

What do you think – anything surprising? Interesting to see how much more of an impact Rory’s departure had on the audience than Amy’s. And it’s nice to see that everyone got some attention at the finale. What think ye Kasterborites? Fancy seeing one of the WHOLE of New Who?… We can ask…

(With thanks to TVShowtime.com)

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