Christian Cawley's Blog, page 354

Eccleston as Malekith in Thor 2

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.

Marvel has released a publicity poster for Thor 2: The Dark World, spotlighting the villain of the piece… as played by Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston!

Following the release of similar posters last week focussing on the lead character, as played by Chris Hemsworth, and Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s evil half-brother, Loki, the image of Malekith, ruler of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, certainly cements Eccleston’s character as a major player in the sequel.

And yes, you might need a double-take. Or a triple-take. I still can’t believe it’s our leather-jacket-wearing Northerner under that incredible make-up.

The film is a sequel to 2011 Kenneth Branagh-directed movie, and features returning characters like Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, and Stellan Skarsgård as Dr. Selvig. Luther fans will also be interested to know that Idris Elba is also back as the all-seeing Heimdall – and he says his role has been increased since his last outing:

“We’re going to get to know Heimdall the Asgardian a bit better, and we’re going to get to know Asgard a bit better. I can’t say too much, but the expansion of Thor in his world is going to be huge.”

Eccleston’s villian, Malekith the Accursed, first appeared in Thor #344, in 1984, as part of Walt Simonson’s critically-acclaimed run on the title. Christopher actually plays the last of his kind in The Dark World – though Malekith’s ultimate aim is a bit different to the Doctor’s: all he wants is to plunge the universe into darkness.

Yep, Malekith sounds a bit Bifrösty. (Sorry.)

Thor: The Dark World is released in the UK on 30th October, or, bizarrely, 8th November in the USA. Mind you, much of the filming was done in Britain…

The post Eccleston as Malekith in Thor 2 appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

What Happened When The Doctors Did Lunch…

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.

So what happens when two versions of the same man are in the same time and place?

It’s a pair-o-Docs!

Ok, sorry for the bad pun but recently, current Doctor Matt Smith and future Doctor Peter Capaldi were spotted having lunch together at Wolseley in London. When asked about the lunch meeting, Smith told the Daily Mirror that the two had gotten together to discuss the role of the Doctor. But he says that the actor, set to take over the role, doesn’t need any pointers.

I really rate Peter – he’s such an amazing actor and completely right for the part.

 

We went out for lunch to talk Doctor tactics. I’m not sure if I gave him any real ideas because it’s not like he needs much help. He’ll play the Doctor in his own way – and do it brilliantly. I can’t wait to see what he does with the part.

I, for one, am glad to hear that Matt thinks Peter more than capable of handling the part of the Doctor. It takes someone who has lived in the role to really know what it entails and if someone else could handle it all. But I am still among the few that aren’t completely sure of our new Doctor. I know he’s a good actor, but he hasn’t wowed me just yet. I think it will take fully seeing him in the role and how he plays it to know if I will like him as our beloved Doctor.

What are your thoughts? Anyone else still a bit hesitant in declaring that Capaldi is “perfect” for the role?

(Via The Congleton Guardian.)

The post What Happened When The Doctors Did Lunch… appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Musical Composed By Arthur Darvill @ Globe

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.

Show of hands – how many out there reading this knew our own sweet Rory Williams, Mr. Arthur Darvill, was an accomplished musician? I know I was unaware of his musical talents until well after I’d seen all of his episodes of Doctor Who.

Mr. Darvill has a number of musical credits to his name, including songs and music for the theater, and is currently on Broadway, starring as Guy in the musical Once. He has collaborated with writer Ché Walker on both a play and a musical and is set to open the first musical at the famed Shakespeare’s Globe theater with Walker’s The Lightning Child.

The musical tells of the classic themes of sex, power, and retribution through a variety of real and imagined characters, from Billie Holiday and Neil Armstrong to addicts, musicians, and even a pittbull terrier all while under-the-influence worshipers gather to honour the god Dionysus, much to the dismay of the king.

Says Darvill of the musical:

The Lightning Child isn’t a story with songs – it’s a story you cannot tell without songs – which makes it rather unique as a musical. Ché’s script ranges hugely across time and space so I had complete stylistic license when it came to composing the music.

 

It’s a big clash and mixture of styles, from blues, to drum and bass, to hymns, to Caribbean steel drums. This is music that makes you move, and we want to use the fact that the groundlings are already on their feet to create a carnival atmosphere and get everyone dancing.

 

If you are lucky enough to be in the area, the show runs from 14th September through 12th October and tickets are available from the Shakespeare’s Globe

Arthur Darvill has also been tweeting a link recently to a contest at The Big Issue. The site has teamed up with Shakespeare’s Globe and is offering a contest to win tickets to see the production. Act fast though, because the contest ends 9th September!

The post Musical Composed By Arthur Darvill @ Globe appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Tennant’s Richard II at a Cinema Near You!

Jonathan Appleton 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.

Tenth Doctor fans will be able to catch him soon at local cinemas in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Richard II.

David opens on stage in Stratford-upon-Avon at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in October 2013 and transfers to the Barbican Theatre, London in December. But if you can’t get to the theatre then fear no more, as Shakespeare said, as it’s to be filmed for screenings in the UK and USA.

British viewers can watch live on 13 November, but in the US you’ll have to wait for recorded screenings which will run from 14 December to 2 January 2014.

Directed by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran, it’s sure to be a high-profile production following David’s success in 2008′s Hamlet.

These screenings of theatre productions seem to be all the rage right now. What do you think: A chance to see plays you wouldn’t have otherwise? Or no substitute for being there?

Find your nearest screening here.

 

 

 

The post Tennant’s Richard II at a Cinema Near You! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

BBC Investigates Tardis Toilet Firm

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.

Ever wandered around a music festival, caked in mud, blood, guts, the larvae of extinct moths, and Slitheen goo, trying desperately to find your tent because, as you now realise, it was a bad idea to buy one that looked the same as everyone else’s – and then stumbled upon a Tardis?

Now, don’t fret – I never worked for TARGET books, nor those questionable-but-nonetheless-official annuals from the 70s and 80s, and so I know that the TARDIS is an acronym, and thus needs to appear in capitals. However, we’re not talking about your conventional TARDIS here.

Tardis Environmentals supplies portable toilets across the UK. And the BBC isn’t very happy about it.

The broadcaster is now investigating the company, who are possibly breaching the name’s trademark and image. The firm has been trading for 15 years, and says that they chose their logo – essentially an orange police public call box – because of its similarity to portable toilets.

A BBC spokesman told The Daily Mail:

“The BBC carefully protects the use of its brands and would take action in the event that it considered members of the public might be confused.”

This isn’t really a question of confusion, however. I doubt any fan would see a portaloo and figure, ‘hey, that must be the official toilet of Doctor Who.’ No, this is purely about who owns the name and image, itself a very interesting and dangerous topic. Even The Metropolitan Police had issue with the BBC’s use of the police box, stating that most associated the iconic design with them and not the sci-fi show.

Well, not any more, obviously; the Met lost the battle in 2002 and were forced to pay the BBC compensation, according to The Daily Mail.

Surprisingly, the name of the Doctor’s incredible time and space machine was only trademarked in 1976, 13 years after it first appeared on screen.

I did actually see one of Tardis Environmentals’ trucks on the motorway last year and thought it was a bit quirky – but then, I no doubt noticed it because it had ‘TARDIS’ written in huge letters on the side. So is this just a kooky notion that doesn’t really matter – after all, no one had noticed for the past 15 years! – or is it the company trying to gain an advantage using the show’s reputation?

The jury’s still out…

The post BBC Investigates Tardis Toilet Firm appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Blu-ray Boxset!

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.

Do you remember 2005, when the Ninth Doctor tempted you into his TARDIS for the first time, making all sorts of unlikely promises that somehow turned out to be true? It went something like this:

“Do you wanna come with me? ‘Cause if you do, then I should warn you, you’re gonna see all sorts of things. Ghosts from the past. Aliens from the future. The day the Earth died in a ball of flame. It won’t be quiet, it won’t be safe and it won’t be calm. But I’ll tell you what it will be: the trip of a lifetime.”

Well, he’s back – about time – alongside his two replacements in the BBC’s biggest ever Blu-ray box set covering every episode of Doctor Who from 2005 to 2013 – and then some!

Yes, you read that right – the Ninth and Tenth Doctors have been upgraded to HD!

The only thing better than watching Doctor Who is watching it in high definition, which is why BBC Worldwide is celebrating Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary with the release of Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Blu-ray Boxset on November 4, 2013. The set includes the complete adventures of the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) available in newly remastered Blu-ray versions at full 1080p resolution for the first time ever, sitting alongside those of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in this high definition collection.

BBC Worldwide has gone above and beyond to bring fans the best possible Doctor Who experience, and has also fully remastered the complete Tenth Doctor Specials as well as The Complete Fifth and Sixth Series (previously available on Blu-ray), to full 1080p resolution as well. Throw in the new Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series Blu-ray set along with hours and hours of bonus features from the past collections.

All of this PLUS 120 minutes of bonus material that has never previously been available on disc, as well as more goodies than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at, and this is one blue box that just might actually be bigger on the inside.

This astonishing limited edition contains 29 Blu-ray discs of episodes, specials and bonus features, as you’ll see below…

Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Blu ray Boxset includes:

Doctor Who: The Complete First Series , starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper
Doctor Who: The Complete Second Series , starring David Tennant and Billie Piper
Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series , starring David Tennant and Freema Agyeman
Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series , starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate
Also included in1080p Resolution:
Doctor Who: The Complete Specials , starring David Tennant
Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series , starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan
Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series , starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill
Doctor Who: The Complete Seventh Series , starring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, and Jenna-Louise Coleman

Bonus Blu-ray disc includes:

The Doctor Who Ultimate List of Lists from BBC AMERICA’s The Brit List – BBC AMERICA’s pop culture correspondent, Asha Leo (@ashaleo), is joined by special guest John Barrowman (“Torchwood,” “Doctor Who”) to announce the rankings of the “Top Five Companions,” “Top Five Scariest Moments,” “Top Five Best Monsters,” “Top Five Guest Stars” and “Top Five Things You’ll Only See on Doctor Who.” Rankings are based on votes from readers of BBCAMERICA.com’s Anglophenia blog.
Doctor Who at the Proms 2010 - companions Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill host a spectacular evening of music from the series played live by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall.  Includes video projections, appearances by the monsters and a special guest appearance from Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith.  For the first time, the collection will include the full 90-minute concert and has been remastered in 5.1 Surround Sound.
Doctor Who: The Best of the Christmas Specials - This previously unreleased special from December 2011 takes an inside look at the very best moments from the incredible Doctor Who Christmas specials that have captivated audiences around the world. A collection of fans from the celebrity, comedy, sci-fi and digital worlds discuss their favourite moments from both David Tennant and Matt Smith era Christmas episodes.

Covering every episode from Rose to The Name of the Doctor, this fantastic collection is out on November 4th 2013. With an RRP of a massive £255.31, you can pre-order now at Amazon for just £167.25.

The post Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Blu-ray Boxset! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Series 8 in September 2014?

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.

According to the Guardian, You are the No.1 most powerful person in the media and Moffat is 87th. They also say we’ll be waiting until Autumn 2014 for the next full series. (I would use a *sad smiley* here but I respect You too much, dear reader…)

“It will not return next year until the autumn, giving it plenty of time to recharge batteries. And what better way to do that than with a new Doctor?”

So after the 50th special (shiver) and a regeneration this Christmas (tingle) we’ll be back to waiting. Waiting to see what Peter Capaldi can do with the role with that acid tongue, amazing hair and TERRIFYING eyes. But we’re pretty good at waiting. It’s time to reflect on the fruits of the Whoniverse so far but also to dream up the rest while our imaginations go crazy (what will he look like, what will he sound like?!).

The Guardian also points out that Moffat, with Doctor Who and the return of Sherlock later this year, is one of the BBC’s “most important programme-makers” They rank Chris Chibnall not far behind at No.91 largely because of the runaway success of his dark whodunit, Broadchurch which is set for an American make-over. Interestingly they also had this to say about our beloved telly show:

“Doctor Who may not be quite the force it was when it returned with Christopher Eccleston and in its David Tennant heyday in the UK, but has a growing audience in the US on cable channel BBC America.”

Not quite the force?! They might be right, insofar as nothing seems to cause more hysteria than Tennant’s quiff but I find this a surprising comment. Has the Moffat lead us into an era that’s loftier but more niche? I’m not sure whether I would prefer the show to be uber-popular over here and unheard of elsewhere, or flagging in the UK (as if that were possible!) but lighting up minds overseas.

My view is the show has grown up a bit with Moffat and it looks set to do a bit more growing up with Capaldi in the role. So what do you think? What will our show look like come Autumn 2014? And has it lost some appeal at home only to win hearts in more exotic climes…?

The post Series 8 in September 2014? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Iannucci: “I’d love to write Doctor Who!”

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.

It would appear that the man behind Peter Capaldi’s most famous role, Malcolm Tucker, is anxious to get in the thick of the TARDIS! Speaking with What’s On TV, Veep creator and Thick of It writer, Armando Iannucci, has expressed interest in writing an episode of Doctor Who. Steven Moffat hasn’t officially asked him…yet. He says that “it would be great because I love sci-fi and I grew up with Doctor Who as well.”

Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview is Iannucci’s thoughts on the kind of Doctor Capaldi is going to be:

“He won’t be Malcolm – that’s the thing…He’s really funny, so I imagine there’ll be lots of humour there, but he can also be powerful and tragic. It’ll be interesting to see if they do stories that allow him to play to those things!”

Would you like to see an episode by Armando? Or do you think the series may be a bit out of his wheelhouse?

The post Iannucci: “I’d love to write Doctor Who!” appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Game: Top Trumps Turbo

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.

Calling all Top Trumps players! If you’re a fan of the classic card game and a fan of Doctor Who, you’ll not want to miss out on the latest from Winning Moves.

Available for pre-order now from Forbidden Planet, Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Top Trumps Turbo features the Doctors, companions, monsters, and some of the best stories from all 50 years of the show’s run. While it can be ordered now, it’s not expected to be available until the middle of this month.

Like the previous version of Doctor Who Top Trumps Turbo, the anniversary set with come equipped with an electronic turbo spinner. It will also features 6 exclusive packs of cards collectors will want to get their hands on.

The set is available from Forbidden Planet for £29.99. Will you be picking this up?

The post Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Game: Top Trumps Turbo appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

PodKast with a Bonfire!

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.

We’re back for another podKast (with a “K) in a wholly audio edition in which we discover that Kasterborous Towers is staffed by munchkins…

Christian Cawley, Brian Terranova and James McLean bring you discussions of the latest Doctor Who news including the unusual tweet attributed to 50th anniversary guest star John Hurt and Brian’s surprise appearance in the same episode (note: not really, but you’ll get what we mean when you’ve had a listen).

Finally, one note of apology. This is one of the longest audio-only posKasts we’ve recorded to date, so if you tune in or download in order to fill a very specific 60 minute gap in your life, I’m afraid we’re going to overrun that gap slightly.

On the other hand, you might consider it an underrun if your slot is 70 minutes long; it’s a all a matter of perspective really, wouldn’t you say?

So, let the house band play you in…

Kasterborous Series 3 Episode 31 Shownotes

Bizarre John Hurt Tweet
Brian in the 50th
Peter Capaldi’s Bonfire of the Geekery
Fan-made title sequence

Alternative sequence #1
Alternative sequence #2
Alternative sequence #3


BBC Doctor Who Proms 2013 Kasterborous Review
Breaking Bad
The Reign of Terror
Who And Me by Barry Letts

Listen to the PodKast

There are several ways to listen. In addition to the usual player above, we’re pleased to announce that you can also stream the podKast using Stitcher, an award-winning, free mobile app available for Android and iPhone/iPad. This pretty much means that you can listen to us anywhere without downloading – pretty neat, we think you’ll agree! (Note that it can take a few hours after a new podKast is published to “catch up”.)

What’s more, you can now listen and subscribe to the podKast via our Audioboo channel! Head to http://audioboo.fm/channel/doctorwhopodkast and click play to start listening. You can also comment and record your own boos in response to our discussions!

Meanwhile you can use the player below to listen through Audioboo:

You haven’t clicked play yet?! What are you waiting for? As well as our new Stitcher and Audioboo presence you can also use one of these amazingly convenient ways to download and enjoy this week’s podKast.

Use the player in the top right of the Kasterborous home page, or visit the podKast menu link.
Listen with the “pop out” player above, which also allows you to download the podKast to your computer.
You can also take advantage of the RSS feed to subscribe to the podKast for your media player, and even find us on iTunes!

Incidentally, if you are listening on iTunes, please take the time to leave a rating and review and help us to bring in new listeners to the podKast!

The post PodKast with a Bonfire! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.