Christian Cawley's Blog, page 240

Sylvester McCoy Signs Up For Sci-Fi Weekender 6

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.

Sylvester McCoy, Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson’s favorite actor in the whole world (well, probably!), will be appearing at the Sci-Fi Weekender in Hafan y Mor, Wales next year.

The Seventh Doctor actor agreed to appear at the event way, way in advance, as the Weekender does not take place until March 19-22, 2015.

When he’s not appearing in those flash-in-the-pan $500 million little Hobbit movies as wizard Radagast the Brown or pulling around Sophie Aldred with an umbrella, McCoy is a favorite at conventions and events around the world.

The sixth Sci-Fi Weekender has been put together by Jonni Davis, who seems delighted to announce the actor as a guest, and says of the event:

“People often ask us if we’re putting a convention here and we’re not; it’s more of an experience and what we do is bring together around 3,500 people of a similar mindset to engage with all the different aspects of Sci-Fi and fantasy and live in those worlds for a few days.”

For more information and ticket prices, visit www.scifiweekender.com.

The post Sylvester McCoy Signs Up For Sci-Fi Weekender 6 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Irony: “Selfie” Draws Ire From Self-Obsessed Tech Blogger

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.

Is it a case of dishing it out but not being able to take it, or just a reaction to the state of American TV?

According to Tech Crunch blogger Anthony Ha in his oh-so-cleverly titled whinge article “There’s an Upcoming TV Show Called Selfie and I Hate Everything About It”, Karen Gillan’s recently greenlighted sitcom Selfie should have stayed on the shelfie.  He thinks that it was put together in a by-the-numbers Hollywood way, latching on to the wave of selfie popularity, nerd-chic (former Doctor Who companion alert!), and instant internet stardom.

And he may have a point.

But he also missed that it is a take-off on My Fair Lady… at least at first (he has added a later addendum at the end of his article admitting as much).  So, Ms. Gillan’s character of Eliza Doolittle, er Dooley, probably won’t be unlikeable–in that air-headed, sexed-up kind of way– or even selfie-obsessed for very long.

Honestly, any controversy or publicity, even negative, will work in Selfie‘s favor.  In the increasingly crazy world of American television, where dozens of shows can seemingly suddenly disappear without a trace (and have over the last few weeks!), anything at all that gets a show noticed definitely helps that show.  I won’t even get into how pay-cable (HBO, Showtime) and Internet streaming (Netflix, Amazon Prime) seem to be taking over more and more each day, adding even more uncertainty.

Kasterborites, do you believe that even bad publicity is good publicity, or would you rather have bloggers keep it to themselves?

 

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Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel Hits Big Screen!

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 and Fathom Events have announced a special screening of two David Tennant Doctor Who episodes and the premiere of BBC Earth’s Wings 3D to the big screen.

One Ticket for a Two-Night Cinema Event featuring Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel on June 16 followed by the David Tennant-narrated Wings 3D on June 17

BBC Worldwide North America and Fathom Events announce the celebration of David Tennant in a two-night special theatrical screening event all for the price of one ticket. Tennant can be seen on the big screen as the Tenth Doctor in the epic two-part Doctor Who story Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel on June 16 at 7:30 p.m. local time with never-before-seen bonus content from Tennant himself, while the next night, you can listen to his voice and experience the earth from a bird’s eye view in Wings 3D at 7:30 p.m. local time in RealD™ 3D.

Tickets for “Doctor Who Cybermen + Wings 3D” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com to the public beginning May 15. The event will be presented in 620 select movie theaters around the country through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Soumya Sriraman, EVP of Licensing and Home Entertainment for BBC Worldwide North America, says:

Once again we are bringing Doctor Who to theaters to give fans a new way to experience the Tenth Doctor – David Tennant, and we are making it extra special with a two-night theatrical event for Tennant fans across the country. From the finest in science fiction to the best of natural history, there will be something for everyone to enjoy- all on the same ticket.

Dan Diamond, senior vice president of Fathom Events:

Fans of all types come out in full force to experience the infamous Doctor Who in our cinema events. We’re sure that this special two-night event featuring the incomparable David Tennant will offer them a unique opportunity they won’t want to miss.

In this special theatrical cut of Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel the TARDIS is trapped on a parallel Earth and Rose discovers her father is still alive. But sinister forces are at work as John Lumic prepares British society for the Ultimate Upgrade reawakening an old enemy. Can the Doctor and Rose save the people from conversion or will they face deletion at the hands of the Cybermen?

These 2006 episodes mark the first appearance of the Cybermen in the relaunched series of Doctor Who bringing a brand new look to the Doctor’s terrifying adversaries. Doctor Who is BBC AMERICA’s highest rated series and celebrated its 50th Anniversary last year.

The following evening from Emmy® Award-nominated director John Downer comes the theatrical event Wings 3D a groundbreaking aerial adventure. This feature-length RealD™ 3D experience was filmed with revolutionary aerial devices and techniques to fly right alongside birds. This breathtaking journey will take viewers across the world’s most iconic landscapes to the heart of the greatest animal spectacles on Earth: snow geese dash through Monument Valley and New York City, vultures ascend miles above the earth then dive down to huge wildebeest herds below, scarlet macaws race at breakneck speed through the rainforest. Using unique, state-of-the-art 3D cameras in barely accessible and highly dangerous places, the audience has never before been so close to the drama and beauty of nature until now.

Tickets for “Doctor Who Cybermen + Wings 3D” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com to the public beginning May 15. The event will be presented in 620 select movie theaters around the country through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network.

Will you be attending?

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Director Rachel Talalay Joins Doctor Who Series 8

Andrew Reynolds 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.

While there has been no word yet on a new female writer contributing towards the new run, we now at least have a female director – Tank Girl director Rachel Talalay, who’ll be helming two episodes of Peter Capaldi’s debut series.

Talalay, who also directed the popular Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, the sixth part in the long-running Nightmare on Elm Street series, came to prominence directed such small screen fare as Supernatural, Haven and Continuum.

A self-confessed fan of the show, Talalay has, so far, been keeping mum about the content of those episodes, telling Film UFC that she is sworn to secrecy ‘until it leaks out’ but she has admitted that she’ll be taking ‘crappy selfies in the TARDIS.’

Talalay is a bold, sure-handed choice for an increasing impressive roster of filmmakers including: Paul Wilmhurst (Da Vinci’s Demons), Paul Murphy (Wizards & Aliens), Ben Wheatley (the feature film Kill List) and Douglas Mackinnon (Doctor Who episodes Cold War, The Power of Three and many more.)

So what do you think of the announcement? A step in the right direction *pun intended? Are you looking forward to the Doctors new relationship with a mutant Kangaroo?

(Den of Geek | Thanks to Joe)

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No More “Flirting” For The Doctor?

Rebecca Crockett 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.

When Doctor Who returned in 2005, one goal of the show was that with youthful, archetypal characters it might appeal to a younger audience, one who hadn’t grown up watching the adventures of the Doctor and his companions, maybe even gaining fans that were not even born when the show was originally canceled. 

With the reboot came the introduction of romance into the show – the Doctor seeming to fall for a 19 year old girl who was just as crazy about him. A strong and confident woman who was sexually aware and loved to flirt with the Doctor, who, in his own quirky, awkward way, flirted right back.

Some fans of the show have worried that the Doctor was no longer the man they knew – “their” Doctor would never act in such a way. And now that the next man to play the character was someone who was older (in fact the oldest man to ever inhabit the role) there were fears that he would be just as flirty and romance-minded with his current companion, who by human standards looks to be less than half his age!

But head writer Steven Moffat has possibly allayed those fears. In an interview with Radio Times, Moffat has said that Capaldi’s Doctor won’t be like the other most recent incarnations of the man.

[Capaldi's incarnation of the Time Lord] goes back to being the trickier version of the Doctor, the fierce alien wanderer. He’s not a human being, however much he larks around pretending he is. He is different and it’s time to stop play-acting. He’s not apologising, he’s not flirting with you – that’s over.

Moffat also added that while Capaldi is older than his past counterparts, that doesn’t mean he is all serious.

I always thought Matt, while a very young man, had something of the demeanour of a much older man, whereas Peter is a man in his 50s but is terribly boyish and young at times.

As a newer fan of the show, I really haven’t minded the romance aspect that has been added. It isn’t always part of the story and personally I think it shows another side of the Doctor, more about why he so truly seems to care for  humanity. I really enjoyed the times we’ve gotten to see the Doctor and River Song together and I am very much hoping that we get to see Peter Capaldi and Alex Kingston play off each other at least once. River always seemed to be one of the few humans that was an equal of the Doctor for all of his ability and intelligence, and it would be nice to see her with a man that she didn’t immediately make awkward and befuddled!

(via Yahoo TV UK and Digital Spy)

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Two New Doctor Who T-Shirts Available Today Only From RIPT Apparel

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.

Companion Recruitment 10 and Geronimeow! from foureyedesign and fishbiscuit are the latest awesome new Doctor Who tees from RIPT Apparel.

Available in t-shirt form for just $10 plus shipping in a range of male, female and children sizes (with hoodies, posters and decals among the alternatives), these designs are certainly striking and will look superb on any garment, wall  or object, whatever the size.

Don’t miss out – place your order now!

This offer ends at midnight US time on Thursday May 15th 2014.

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5 Reasons Why Doctor Who Might Return To Sarn (Or Is It Pompeii…?)

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.

No matter where you go, there you are. Thirty years after the Doctor Who team filmed 1984′s Planet of Fire on location on the island of Lanzarote, the team is headed there once again.

This, coupled with Steven Moffat’s announcement that they are filming a sequel there to an “earlier story”, has set off a flurry of speculation.  Are they filming a direct follow-up to Planet of Fire–where the Canary Island locale doubled for the volcanic planet of Sarn– or it something completely different?  Let’s fire up our brains:

Planet of Fire is best known for five things: the return of a shrink-obsessed Master, the departure of sometime companion Turlough (Mark Strickson), the destruction of robotic assistant Kamelion, and the introduction of American (cough) companion Peri Brown (Nicola Bryant)… and several amazing scenes involving her barely-there swimwear.  Will Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor be returning to Sarn for some until-now-unexplained reason?
Will this lead to possible guest appearances by Mark Strickson and/or Nicola Bryant?  (Both of whom have aged very well.)  Or even the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison?  Does the Doctor have some secret unfinished business with one of his former companions?
The main villain of Planet of Fire was the Master (Anthony Ainley).  There are continuing rumors that the Master will return once again… possibly even during series eight.  Will this episode serve to introduce a new Master, played by someone other than John Simm?
Why did it take the Doctor so long to go back?  If Sarn, or the events of Planet of Fire‘s story, were of some importance, why has it taken three decades to follow up on it?  Or is it just that 1984 visions of a bikini-clad Peri Brown are forever imbedded in the now-middle-aged brains of the current writers and producers?
Is the Sarn sequel speculation completely wrong–well, the completely wrong story?  Lanzarote is known for it’s volcanic terrain–could it be that it is doubling for another setting, say, Pompeii?  Could this all be tied to the Tenth Doctor story The Fires of Pompeii (filmed in Italy), which guest-starred Peter Capaldi?  Will we find out why the Twelfth Doctor seems to have the face of Caecilius, a man he almost decided not to save?  After seeing makeup supervisor Claire Pritchard’s Twitter pix, one could certainly imagine volcano day as a possibility!

An incredible sight! Xx pic.twitter.com/XkW00WaTWo

— Claire Pritchard (@Claire_cpj) May 12, 2014

Until more details or behind-the-scenes photos leak, we can only speculate.  Kasterborites, what do you think of this sequel-tastic mystery?

The post 5 Reasons Why Doctor Who Might Return To Sarn (Or Is It Pompeii…?) appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Pay What You Want For IDW Doctor Who Comics With Humble Bundle!

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.

Customers pay what they want for a collection of more than 60 issues of Doctor Who comic books for the next 7 days thanks to Humble Bundle and IDW!

Humble Bundle, the pay-what-you-want plus charity digital platform, and award-winning publisher IDW Publishing have teamed up to launch the Humble Doctor Who Comics Bundle today. Customers can pay what they want for up to 14 digital collections of Doctor Who comic books along with puzzle-RPG adventure Doctor Who: Legacy with unlocked bonus content for Android.

Customers can name their price for Doctor Who: Series 1, a three-volume series following Tenth Doctor David Tennant, and Doctor Who: Series 2, a four-volume series featuring the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith. Each series contains 16 issues of Doctor Who comics. Also included is the critically-praised mobile game, Doctor Who: Legacy for Android, which comes with 10 pre-unlocked Doctor characters.

If customers pay more than the average price, they will also receive four more volumes from Doctor Who: Series 3 featuring Matt Smith. Paying $15 or more will unlock the three-volume series Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time, which features all 11 of the Doctors’ previous incarnations, as well as the 50th anniversary celebration issue, The Girl Who Loved Doctor Who.

Customers can choose where their money goes: between IDW Publishing and two vital charities, Doctors Without Borders, which delivers independent emergency medical care and relief to more than 70 countries around the world, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community. Since Humble Bundle’s launch in 2010, $37 million has been raised for more than 20 different charities and non-profit organizations.

Head to www.humblebundle.com/books to order yours now and help to make a difference to your e-reader and the world!

The Humble Doctor Who Comics Bundle ends on Tuesday, May 28, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. PDT.

The post Pay What You Want For IDW Doctor Who Comics With Humble Bundle! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Paul Darrow & John Guilor Star In New Interactive Movie Video Game

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.

In the early days of digital technology, we had laser discs, some of which featured interactive movies. The idea was poorly employed sadly, with under-par actors cast in plots they didn’t understand. Some were light gun shooters, while others were detective dramas, and they all had the production values of a cheap Californian porn movie.

Thankfully, technology has come a long way since then, but while many impressive voices appear in video games, their faces are usually replaced by equally impressive computer graphics.

But could the interactive video game genre be about to raise from the dead? Former Blake’s 7 star Paul Darrow – who also appeared in The Silurians (1970) and more notably in 1984′s Timelash – has been cast in a new game alongside The Day of the Doctor‘s voice artist John Guilor (who recently guested on the podKast).

Darrow and Guilor star as Paul and Ryan Rand, leaders of Atlas, a controversial cult-like training company. Also appearing are Rupert Booth, Melanie Gray, Magnus Sinding, Ellen Chivers, Stephen Mosley, Anarosa De Eizaguirre Butler, Daniel Alfieri and Chris Jackson. The game has been written, directed, designed and music by Tim Follin and produced by Clare Follin.

Find out more at baggycat.com/updates and the game’s Facebook page.

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Doctor Who Legend Tom Baker Cast in Heretic Kingdoms Game!

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.

Fourth Doctor Who star Tom Baker has been cast as the renegade high sage Krenze in an upcoming RPG. Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms is being developed by the Games Farm studio, and will be available on Windows PC.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Tom Baker has played a role in the series. He previously voiced the Narrator in Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition, which came out in 2005.

Lead writer and franchise co-creator Chris Bateman seems overjoyed that Tom is returning.

“I’m overjoyed that Tom is returning…” he said in a prepared statement. “The recording sessions for [Inquisition] were amazing, and Tom took on the role of narrator and knocked it out of the park. I can’t wait to hear his take on this new role, which is integral to the story of the new game.”

Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms is set for release later in the year.

(via Polygon.)

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