Fractal Matter

Coming Soon!

Rambo

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/rambo/

First up we have the resurrection of an 80’s screen icon with the return of the troubled Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Sylvester Stallone’s war on cinema continues on - having brought the ‘Italian Stallion’ Rocky Balboa out of retirement and back for one last round of fisticuffs - he now revives the mullet-haired super-soldier for a fourth movie outing.

For those too young to remember, Rambo’s first appearance was in First Blood (1982), and Stallone’s portrayal of a quiet-yet-emotionally-unstable soldier who returns back to an America that isn’t as welcoming as he remembers was memorable and successful enough to lead to sequels Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), and Rambo III (1988).

The trailer for this fourth film (simply called ‘Rambo) begins by introducing John Rambo and the mythology behind this ‘Legend of War’ whilst showing images of conflict and slaughter. A group of missionary workers arrive seeking Rambo’s help (who has sworn against his violent ways and now works as a river boatman in Thailand) in travelling into Burma, to give aid in an area engulfed in civil war. Rambo refuses to help them at first but then agrees to take them over the border; not long after they are captured and Rambo learns that they never returned back and are being held hostage by Burmese soldiers. So Rambo has no option but to go behind enemy lines and do what he does best: preach pseudo-spiritual philosophy whilst killing lots and lots of bad guys.

The film is a throwback to the gritty old days of bloody action movies, and although this older and chubbier Rambo is bordering on OAP status he still looks like he can do the business.

Hancock

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/hancock/

Hancock is a comedic superhero film starring Will Smith, and is about a washed-up alcoholic hero named ‘John Hancock’ who has gained negative publicity due to his disastrous brand of heroism. A PR consultant tries to help the hero rebuild his reputation, however things get complicated when the superhero ends up having an affair with the consultant’s wife.

The trailer starts with the tagline: ‘There are heroes, there are superheroes and then there’s Hancock’. We meet the down-and-out superhero as he awakes from a drunken haze on a bench and, after being chastised by a kid, flies off to the rescue, only to cause more harm than good. He’s not your typical costumed hero either, looking more like a homeless person than a caped crusader. Then there are the inevitable scenes of Hancock flying drunkenly, landing drunkenly, throwing cars and trying to be ‘more powerful than a locomotive’.

Romantic comedies of the superhero persuasion don’t seem to fare well or live up to their own hype in experience - eg. My Super Ex-Girlfriend - and yet we get treated to another one. Hancock does look a little more fun though, despite the obvious jokes and the whale-throwing.

The Dark Knight

Trailer: http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/videopage.html

Finally the fan-anticipated sequel to the dodgy-titled-but-rather-good Batman Begins. Having successfully rebooted the film franchise, Christopher Nolan returns with the second instalment of Batman’s on-going fight against crime. This time we get a re-interpretation of the clown prince himself, the crazed criminal mastermind known only as ‘The Joker’ - who was briefly alluded to at the end of the first film - this new breed of criminal is as a direct consequence of Bruce Wayne’s actions in creating the ‘Batman’ and becomes chief antagonist.

The trailer starts with the Joker (talking to Batman) as he discusses Batman’s effect upon the criminal element in Gotham. We glimpse Batman racing along on a motorcycle, sitting in an office contemplating, as well as landing onto the roof of a car in typical ‘Dark Knight’ fashion. A shot of the Joker standing on a deserted street and a massive explosion that leaves trademark ‘Joker’ playing cards hint at the chaotic carnage wreaked by this new type of criminal and the further devastation to come. The battle for Gotham begins as Batman faces off against the Joker.

The trailer has all the right elements, from the action, angst and drama to the realistic incarnation of the Joker (portrayed by Heath Ledger) which will no doubt be an attempt to banish memories of Jack Nicholson’s over-the-top version of the purple-clad villain.

Discuss this topic here.

Russell

Favourite Comic of 2007

The Immortal Iron Fist

Like a vast majority of people currently buying and loving this title, if you had told me 18 months ago that this would be my favourite title, I’d have laughed in your face. Sure, I had enjoyed Essential Iron Fist and his appearances in Bendis’ Daredevil run, but this is IRON FIST.

Hands down, this is the best title on the stands. There’s an energy to it, a pure comics joy that takes me back to how I felt reading comics as a kid. Like so many have said before, this is the natural successor to Robinson’s Starman. Pick up the hardcovers, the trades, the singles on the back issue market, whatever. You should be reading this title.

Hopes for 2008

My first hope is that IDW can find a way to get their Doctor Who title out over here in the UK. I have high hopes for The Incredible Herc and Millar’s Kick-Ass. Marvel’s big summer event, Secret Invasion, looks like it might actually be worth reading. Oh, and when it comes around, Paul Cornell’s run on Excalibur. That’s going to be incredible.

Frank

Favorite Comic of 2007

The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way, Gabriel Ba, James Jean, Dave Stewart and Nakt Piekos is the type of comic that I would love automatically. Way’s high watermark of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol is a high place to shoot for for challenging, daring, emotional storytelling and Way and company out do themselves. The first story of the series is addictive, entertaining, smart, but not smarty pants and somberly beautiful. It is a project that I am glad to see, read and want to see more of. It is a prject that proves that Dark Horse is on fire when it comes to good comics and is a book that holds it’s own to the quality of the Dark Horse publishing scheme and what comic creators should try to aim for every month.

Hopes for 2008

Planetary 27 to be published, so I can retire from heavy comics consumption. Monthly Goon, BPRD,The Boys, and Buffy. Yay!
Howard Chaykin to write and draw a creator owned book again or the American Flagg trades to ship.

More Criminal, Desolation Jones, newuniversal, Doktor Sleepless and Fell.
New League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Umbrella Academy, and Hellboy.
The launch of Greg Rucka’s Stumptown. Also, I would like it if the crossover bug stopped being so prevalent that it makes comics no fun.

Mark

Favourite Comic of 2007

Got to go with Iron Fist too. A series that works with an artist who can’t quite do a full monthly book and turns it into a bonus for the storytelling rather than let it slow it down.

It still seems a silly idea, but Iron Fist is the book of the moment at Marvel even with fierce competition.

Hopes for 2008

Starman Hardcovers being done right. My favourite comic of all time in Hardcover. DC better not use crappy paper.

Paul Cornell on Excalibur - here’s hoping this gives Iron Fist a run for the best monthly at Marvel.

Hitch and Millar on Fantastic Four. Jeff Smith’s RASL - he’s done wonders for fantasy and now it’s Sci-fi’s turn. Zorro - I was already interested when it was Matt Wagner writing this, but now with Francesco Francavilla on art I cannot wait.

Ross

Favourite of 2007

I have to confess that the comic I get most enjoyment from each month is probably also Iron Fist…In the interest of variety though Black Summer has been some ultra violent Ellis fin, The Boys has been quite a fabulous breath of OTT fresh air and Suburban Glamour was a nice surprise.

Hopes for 2008

That some of the new Vertigo series stand out in the same way Y or 100 Bullets did way back when they starrted. That secret invasion doesn’t suck, and that against all odds the WSU actually becomes good again.

Voyage of the Damned

Another year another Doctor Who Christmas special. Who would have thought that this would become a tradition?

Initial Thoughts?

Mo - When the ‘Titanic’ crashed into the TARDIS, I thought this might’ve been some kind of 9th and 10th Doctor team-up (especially after seeing the excellent ‘Time Crash’ mini episode), but alas it’s a Titanic space-ship instead, hovering over present day Earth. Another Christmas themed tale (a Christmas special so fair enough I suppose), but again more robotic baddies involved - and aside from some jokes about previous Christmas perils and the “I’m the Doctor, I’m a Time-Lord..” speech, the story felt underwhelming. This combined with the return of Donna Noble doesn’t bode well.

Russell - Well, after the initial let-down of realising that it wasn’t actually the Titanic we were dealing with, just a space-going ship with the same name, I settled into this quite nicely. It’s not the best thing that they’ve ever done, but it was still an enjoyable little Christmas adventure.

James - I found it enjoyable though, a bit like last year’s, elements of it fell a bit flat. Using the formula of “The Poseidon Adventure” crossed with “Titanic” meant that everyone was going to get something out of it, but it didn’t really hold any surprises for myself. The whole introduce a character give them a little background and then bump them off was a little tired, but I’m sure kids found it highly entertaining. I liked the concept of the Titanic being a spaceship, and it proved that when it comes to cruises, you can’t even have a good time on one operated by extra-terrestials – if it isn’t meteors killing everyone, it would probably be a norovirus that would have everyone puking and shitting. Hmm, I’m surprised RTD didn’t go for that approach instead.

Overall, it did pretty much what I expected it to do – provide great entertainment for all the family. It was good to see Who doing something so ambitious.

Mark- As a disaster movie homage it worked fairly well assembling a mismatched group and then killing them. I’m hopeful that now even RTD has voiced that his specials have taken on similar elements that next year he stops playing it so safe and tries something new.

Kylie - we should be so lucky?

Mo - She wasn’t that bad but I didn’t see what the fuss was all about, the money could’ve been better spent, perhaps in creating a Christmas special that isn’t set on/around Earth and doesn’t feature killer robots and a space-borne menace descending to cause some killing. (I’m a misery this year, aren’t I?)

Russell - The combination of Doctor Who and Kylie Minogue was always going to appeal as they have a reasonable crossover among their respective fandoms. Thankfully, she quickly dispelled the memories of some of her less-appealing acting roles (Street Fighter, much of her time in Neighbours, those awful sketches on her recent ITV special) and went out to prove that, actually, she can act. A good cast all round, although I’m still undecided about Bernard Cribbins being an occasional recurring character though.

James- Really, her character could have been played by anyone, the only reason she was in it was so the BBC could chuck her name out every five minutes on the run up to the programme. This may be more a problem of the script, although I don’t think her acting was spectacular, whereas Tennent continues to chew scenery (in a good way).

Mark- I have to agree with James that Kylie did her role fine, but she was just there as stunt casting to get the media interest. I hate to say it, but Catherine Tate made more of an impression last year.

CGI/Special effects?

Mo - Very good, the ship design especially, and the ‘Host’ looked ok, but kept reminding me of Axons (bring them back!).

Russell - A few weeks back, I bought myself a very large television, which suited this episode perfectly. The shots of the ship in space were very impressive, and The Host worked quite well, even when flying.

James - The Titanic looked fabulous, full marks there. The Host were pretty good as well, although the budget restrictions still show when you have them flying around.

Mark - No real clunkers and the Titanic really did look good. It was also nice to see that they could do industrial stuff in the lower bits of the ship even now their favourite factory has been demolished.

London - a dangerous place?

Mo - This scene was good I thought, with Bernard Cribbins turning up and the joke about Londoners not hanging around - never mind London folks, the whole of England is getting dangerous whenever the TARDIS turns up…

Russell - London has always been a dangerous place, and Doctor Who reflects this. If it’s not Sycorax flying overhead, it’s the Ice Warriors, or it’s War Machines in the Post Office tower, or the Cybermen in Camden. Good to see that RTD has acknowledged that he’s done the same thing three times in a row with the Christmas special – now, can you please do something different next year?

James - Well, London is a dangerous place, although we didn’t bloody leave when the Germans were bombing us, so I’m a bit put out everyone legged it just because aliens keep trying to kill you one day of the year. Bernard Cribbins doesn’t count, how sane can a man be whose job is to sell newspapers when there is no-one to sell them to?

And I prayed for the ship to smash Buckingham Palace; is that heresy?

Mark - You’re not the only one. To be fair though only London and Cardiff exist in RTD Who.

The intro.

Mo - Revamped again, the guitar riff might’ve annoyed if not for the ooo-eee-ooo that harks back to the lovely weirdness of the older version of the tune.

James - I need to listen to it a few more times I think, although I’m not sure why they bothered to change it in the first place?

Russell - On my first few listens, not too keen. More and more conventional instruments (or samples thereof) seem to be making their way into the theme, and they don’t belong there.

Things that someone orchestrating a new arrangement of the theme should listen to:

- The original version (or, at least, all the versions up to pre-JNT)
- Orbital’s version
- David Arnold’s version from the audios
- Orbital’s live version
- Spread Your Love by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- Strict Machine by Goldfrapp
- Empire by Kasabian
- The original version again

Listen to that lot, go into the studio and make something bloody weird. The original version, even when you hear it today, makes you think “I don’t know what the hell this is, but I want to watch this show”. That’s what the Doctor Who theme should be.

Hopes for Season 4?

Russell - Firstly, I hope that the BBC can bring back the downloadable commentaries on their website. Secondly, I hope Donna is a lot less annoying than she was in the worst moments of last year’s Christmas Special (Note to Catherine Tate and David Tennant – the word acting does not start with the letters o-v-e-r) and that she’s not another bloody companion with a crush on the Doctor. Can we also please not have her popping back home every five minutes to see her family? The return of the Sontarans and U.N.I.T. (and the Brigadier? PLEASE?) pleases this old-school fanboy, and the Pompeii episode looks suitably grand.

James - Catherine Tate is probably going to be the balance as to whether the series will be as enjoyable as the previous. The trick may well be how well defined the character is and how well the writers understand that. Apart from Tate, I have high hopes for the series. I expect it to be a lot of fun, and with a bit of luck have some episodes the quality of “Human Nature” and “Blink” and less Dalek nonsense.

Mark - There’s no chance we’re not going to get Daleks again. Catherine Tate needs to be allowed to develop as Donna and not just be shouty woman. At least RTD has realised that having someone moon over the Doctor is a disservice to their character. I want to see Martha showing her skills and her brains when she shows up. No family please. Even though RTD has said they are backing away from the darkness I’m still hoping we’ll see more because that’s when Tennant shines.

Hopes for Torchwood?

Mo

- Less profanity and sex just for the sake of it and better stories. Judging by the teasers there is some hope.

Russell - I hope that Torchwood will be watchable and enjoyable, or at least bearable, with characters who you want to follow. (They don’t have to be likeable, but they shouldn’t make you feel like you want to pull your eyeballs out of their sockets). The best review I’ve ever read of Torchwood season 1 said “Imagine a sci-fi franchise that somehow skipped the stage of being a proper TV show and went direct to fanfic, and you get the general idea.” – This year, I want the actual show.

Mark - I want a team that actually functions like a team. I want to see a Torchwood that doesn’t make me go “and you set this bunch of losers up to honour the Doctor”. I’d like to see the other Torchwood offices. I want good stories and Chris Chibnall to grow up and stop running a show that thinks mature storylines involve boobies and swearing.

James - Erm, not be shit?

The Doctor Who Roundtable will return. God help us all

Star Trek

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/startrek/

First up for consideration this month is the massive cinematic reboot of Star Trek. The filmic incarnation of the franchise stalled in 2002 with the 10th film ‘Nemesis’, the final adventure for the Next Generation crew, which sadly failed to live up to fan and box office expectations. Some serious pondering and brain-ache no doubt followed, before it was decided that the best thing to do would be to start from the beginning. Literally.

Enter Mister J.J. Abrams, the creative mind behind successful TV shows Alias and Lost. Having been initiated by Paramount (helming Mission Impossible 3) Abrams has now been given the keys to their other lucrative franchise; and so we have a fresh new approach to this 11th film - to be simply called ‘Star Trek’ - which will focus on the early adventures of James T. Kirk and Spock, as well as the formation of the famous crew of the Starship U.S.S. Enterprise.

A prequel to the original 1966 television series, the film will also include Leonard Nimoy returning as Spock, with the younger version portrayed by Heroes regular Zachary Quinto. Other big names in the film will include Eric Bana, Winona Ryder, Simon Pegg and Karl Urban.

The teaser trailer is quite sparse in terms of what it actually shows (hence the word ‘teaser’), but does show construction work being carried out on something big. The voice of President John F. Kennedy can be heard in his famous speech about the ‘Space Race’, as well as transmissions from the Apollo Moon landings, and finally the voice of Spock uttering those famous words ‘Space…the Final Frontier’. The teaser ends showing the Enterprise under construction on Earth, with only the briefest glimpses of the futuristic cityscape behind it.

The amount of money being spent and the quality of people involved in a science-fiction franchise, that has a long history and a vocal fanbase, means that judgement will have to be reserved, at least until more is shown, but so far things look promising.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/hellboy2thegoldenarmy/

Next we have the sequel to Hellboy, Guillermo del Toro’s 2004 movie based on the Dark Horse comic by Mike Mignola, which starred Ron Perlman as the titular character. The comic series is about a cigar-smoking red-skinned demon who is meant to bring about the end of the world thanks to Nazi machinations, but instead is raised in America and becomes a ‘paranormal investigator’ working for the government - investigations which usually entail finding monsters and beating them senseless.

Although the first movie was a fun supernatural action thriller with all the right ingredients - Lovecraftian monsters, clockwork Nazi gimps and kittens - the film was a partial misfire, but the sequel promises to deliver all manner of supernatural escapism and more, leaving behind some of the pulp elements from the first film and delving into the dark world of fairytales and folklore.

The trailer begins with the B.P.R.D - The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense - investigating strange events involving fairytale creatures; our world is beginning to collide with another. Whilst many of the old gods and creatures of this other world are resigned to the fact that their existence is being affected in such a way one creature - an Elf Prince (Luke Goss) - decides to take very drastic action, which inevitably brings him head-to-head with Hellboy. Cue the fisticuffs, rock monsters, swordfights, freaky angels and…well, you get the idea. The trailer should please fans of both del Toro and Mignola, and leave them in anticipation for when The Golden Army hits the big screen.

Wanted

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/wanted/

We end with another comicbook movie, this one less supernatural and more super-criminal.Wanted is based on the comicbook miniseries by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones; the story is about ‘Wesley Gibson’, a young man who discovers his recently assassinated father was a super-powered criminal and that his father’s incredible abilities (perfect aim and superior weapons skills) have been passed onto Wesley, leading him into a new and altogether more dangerous life in a world where super-villains control everything.

The film stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, and is directed by russian(Nightwatch and Daywatch director) Timur Bekmambetov. The film has been ‘loosely’ based on the comic, jettisoning some of the ‘comicbook’ elements (superhero/supervillain history, costumes etc.) and instead running with the characters, the ‘assassin’ aspects of the story, and the truckloads of automatic weaponry.

We meet Wesley at the start of the trailer, a young office employee who is approached by a beautiful woman called ‘The Fox’ (Jolie); she reveals that Wesley’s deceased father was an assassin of great stature. She takes him to see Sloan (Freeman), a partner of Wesley’s father who invites him to join the ‘Fraternity’ - a brotherhood of assassins who carry out death orders as ordained by mystical weavers.

The film looks to be a nice mix of John Woo gunplay, parkour, car chases and breath-taking visuals, but whether it can rise above the post-Matrixaction level remains to be seen - though a shot in the trailer of a man’s face hitting a glass window which fractures like a spiderweb is probably worth the price of admission alone.

Discuss this topic here.

Torchwood Season 2

The boys and girls from Torchwood are back. Now that news either fills you with joy or dread, depending how you reacted to last year’s series. A series that got great viewing figures, beating Doctor Who in the US, but which also got some venomous reviews online and some prolific ranting.

However, it’s back on BBC television and Sci-Fi Channel with new purpose, and hopefully some of the old problems solved in order to lessen the cries of anguish on the internet.

So far so good, and with 3 episodes done it does look like a lot of the problems that beset Torchwood season 1 have been addressed to at least some degree.

Picking up some time after the disappearance by Captain Jack, who went off gallivanting with the Doctor again, the new series opens with Gwen in charge of the team and them in hot pursuit of an alien Blowfish. It’s probably the most fun Torchwood has ever been and there’s some verve to proceedings that was sorely missing last year. Then Jack’s back and it’s the proper Captain Jack. The fun one, not the one that was seen last year in Torchwood.

What about the rest of the team? Well Gwen in charge leads to some friction with Jack in episode 1 and then it’s forgotten for the next 2. So continuity between episodes is still pretty poor. Ianto has developed a personality, but still no actual purpose on the team, and picks up where he left off with Jack. Their scenes together have actually been some of the better ones for this season, along with, scarily, Owen and Toshiko. In a monumental shift from season 1 Owen has now turned into a human being who actually talks about having a relationship. Once the epitome of all that was wrong with Torchwood, Owen’s character shift bodes well for the future. When Torchwood started we were promised adult relationships and instead we got prepubescent antics. By pairing off Owen and Toshiko it gives both a chance to develop rather than leave the fantastic Toshiko in the background.

As for the lovely Toshiko, we have to really wait until a bittersweet episode 3 for her to shine, just as she did in every spotlight last year. More screen time for her this season can only be a bonus as she is one of the true stars of the show, and we’re promised that her past and how she came to Torchwood will be addressed. For those of you who don’t know, that will mean explaining what she was doing in the Aliens of London episode all the way back in the Christopher Eccleston Slitheen two parter from Doctor Who Season 1.

And the episodes themselves? Well generally they’ve been ok. Far better than most of season 1, but not without fault. The first episode with James Marsters’ Captain John was an exercise in flash and little substance, but had energy and you wanted to see more of Captain John, which bodes well for his reappearance later in the season. It, like the second episode had plot holes the size of Cardiff in them, but you were still entertained. On the other hand, Helen Raynor’s episode 3, with the tale of a man frozen by Torchwood in 1918 and woken up for 1 day a year every year since, was a great character piece that worked despite a mcguffin device. All in all the episodes showed promise and with Freema “Martha Jones” Agyeman due to join the cast for a brief spell soon it seems that lessons have been learned, no matter what the producers might say. It’s still not perfect and it still needs tightening up, but you don’t hate the characters now and that’s a huge step forward from last year.

Discuss this topic here.

Voyage of the Damned

Another year another Doctor Who Christmas special. Who would have thought that this would become a tradition?

Initial Thoughts?

Mo - When the ‘Titanic’ crashed into the TARDIS, I thought this might’ve been some kind of 9th and 10th Doctor team-up (especially after seeing the excellent ‘Time Crash’ mini episode), but alas it’s a Titanic space-ship instead, hovering over present day Earth. Another Christmas themed tale (a Christmas special so fair enough I suppose), but again more robotic baddies involved - and aside from some jokes about previous Christmas perils and the “I’m the Doctor, I’m a Time-Lord..” speech, the story felt underwhelming. This combined with the return of Donna Noble doesn’t bode well.

Russell - Well, after the initial let-down of realising that it wasn’t actually the Titanic we were dealing with, just a space-going ship with the same name, I settled into this quite nicely. It’s not the best thing that they’ve ever done, but it was still an enjoyable little Christmas adventure.

James - I found it enjoyable though, a bit like last year’s, elements of it fell a bit flat. Using the formula of “The Poseidon Adventure” crossed with “Titanic” meant that everyone was going to get something out of it, but it didn’t really hold any surprises for myself. The whole introduce a character give them a little background and then bump them off was a little tired, but I’m sure kids found it highly entertaining. I liked the concept of the Titanic being a spaceship, and it proved that when it comes to cruises, you can’t even have a good time on one operated by extra-terrestials – if it isn’t meteors killing everyone, it would probably be a norovirus that would have everyone puking and shitting. Hmm, I’m surprised RTD didn’t go for that approach instead.

Overall, it did pretty much what I expected it to do – provide great entertainment for all the family. It was good to see Who doing something so ambitious.

Mark- As a disaster movie homage it worked fairly well assembling a mismatched group and then killing them. I’m hopeful that now even RTD has voiced that his specials have taken on similar elements that next year he stops playing it so safe and tries something new.

Kylie - we should be so lucky?

Mo - She wasn’t that bad but I didn’t see what the fuss was all about, the money could’ve been better spent, perhaps in creating a Christmas special that isn’t set on/around Earth and doesn’t feature killer robots and a space-borne menace descending to cause some killing. (I’m a misery this year, aren’t I?)

Russell - The combination of Doctor Who and Kylie Minogue was always going to appeal as they have a reasonable crossover among their respective fandoms. Thankfully, she quickly dispelled the memories of some of her less-appealing acting roles (Street Fighter, much of her time in Neighbours, those awful sketches on her recent ITV special) and went out to prove that, actually, she can act. A good cast all round, although I’m still undecided about Bernard Cribbins being an occasional recurring character though.

James- Really, her character could have been played by anyone, the only reason she was in it was so the BBC could chuck her name out every five minutes on the run up to the programme. This may be more a problem of the script, although I don’t think her acting was spectacular, whereas Tennent continues to chew scenery (in a good way).

Mark- I have to agree with James that Kylie did her role fine, but she was just there as stunt casting to get the media interest. I hate to say it, but Catherine Tate made more of an impression last year.

CGI/Special effects?

Mo - Very good, the ship design especially, and the ‘Host’ looked ok, but kept reminding me of Axons (bring them back!).

Russell - A few weeks back, I bought myself a very large television, which suited this episode perfectly. The shots of the ship in space were very impressive, and The Host worked quite well, even when flying.

James - The Titanic looked fabulous, full marks there. The Host were pretty good as well, although the budget restrictions still show when you have them flying around.

Mark - No real clunkers and the Titanic really did look good. It was also nice to see that they could do industrial stuff in the lower bits of the ship even now their favourite factory has been demolished.

London - a dangerous place?

Mo - This scene was good I thought, with Bernard Cribbins turning up and the joke about Londoners not hanging around - never mind London folks, the whole of England is getting dangerous whenever the TARDIS turns up…

Russell - London has always been a dangerous place, and Doctor Who reflects this. If it’s not Sycorax flying overhead, it’s the Ice Warriors, or it’s War Machines in the Post Office tower, or the Cybermen in Camden. Good to see that RTD has acknowledged that he’s done the same thing three times in a row with the Christmas special – now, can you please do something different next year?

James - Well, London is a dangerous place, although we didn’t bloody leave when the Germans were bombing us, so I’m a bit put out everyone legged it just because aliens keep trying to kill you one day of the year. Bernard Cribbins doesn’t count, how sane can a man be whose job is to sell newspapers when there is no-one to sell them to?

And I prayed for the ship to smash Buckingham Palace; is that heresy?

Mark - You’re not the only one. To be fair though only London and Cardiff exist in RTD Who.

The intro.

Mo - Revamped again, the guitar riff might’ve annoyed if not for the ooo-eee-ooo that harks back to the lovely weirdness of the older version of the tune.

James - I need to listen to it a few more times I think, although I’m not sure why they bothered to change it in the first place?

Russell - On my first few listens, not too keen. More and more conventional instruments (or samples thereof) seem to be making their way into the theme, and they don’t belong there.

Things that someone orchestrating a new arrangement of the theme should listen to:

- The original version (or, at least, all the versions up to pre-JNT)
- Orbital’s version
- David Arnold’s version from the audios
- Orbital’s live version
- Spread Your Love by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- Strict Machine by Goldfrapp
- Empire by Kasabian
- The original version again

Listen to that lot, go into the studio and make something bloody weird. The original version, even when you hear it today, makes you think “I don’t know what the hell this is, but I want to watch this show”. That’s what the Doctor Who theme should be.

Hopes for Season 4?

Russell - Firstly, I hope that the BBC can bring back the downloadable commentaries on their website. Secondly, I hope Donna is a lot less annoying than she was in the worst moments of last year’s Christmas Special (Note to Catherine Tate and David Tennant – the word acting does not start with the letters o-v-e-r) and that she’s not another bloody companion with a crush on the Doctor. Can we also please not have her popping back home every five minutes to see her family? The return of the Sontarans and U.N.I.T. (and the Brigadier? PLEASE?) pleases this old-school fanboy, and the Pompeii episode looks suitably grand.

James - Catherine Tate is probably going to be the balance as to whether the series will be as enjoyable as the previous. The trick may well be how well defined the character is and how well the writers understand that. Apart from Tate, I have high hopes for the series. I expect it to be a lot of fun, and with a bit of luck have some episodes the quality of “Human Nature” and “Blink” and less Dalek nonsense.

Mark - There’s no chance we’re not going to get Daleks again. Catherine Tate needs to be allowed to develop as Donna and not just be shouty woman. At least RTD has realised that having someone moon over the Doctor is a disservice to their character. I want to see Martha showing her skills and her brains when she shows up. No family please. Even though RTD has said they are backing away from the darkness I’m still hoping we’ll see more because that’s when Tennant shines.

Hopes for Torchwood?

Mo

- Less profanity and sex just for the sake of it and better stories. Judging by the teasers there is some hope.

Russell - I hope that Torchwood will be watchable and enjoyable, or at least bearable, with characters who you want to follow. (They don’t have to be likeable, but they shouldn’t make you feel like you want to pull your eyeballs out of their sockets). The best review I’ve ever read of Torchwood season 1 said “Imagine a sci-fi franchise that somehow skipped the stage of being a proper TV show and went direct to fanfic, and you get the general idea.” – This year, I want the actual show.

Mark - I want a team that actually functions like a team. I want to see a Torchwood that doesn’t make me go “and you set this bunch of losers up to honour the Doctor”. I’d like to see the other Torchwood offices. I want good stories and Chris Chibnall to grow up and stop running a show that thinks mature storylines involve boobies and swearing.

James - Erm, not be shit?

The Doctor Who Roundtable will return. God help us all

Russell

Favourite Comic of 2007

The Immortal Iron Fist

Like a vast majority of people currently buying and loving this title, if you had told me 18 months ago that this would be my favourite title, I’d have laughed in your face. Sure, I had enjoyed Essential Iron Fist and his appearances in Bendis’ Daredevil run, but this is IRON FIST.

Hands down, this is the best title on the stands. There’s an energy to it, a pure comics joy that takes me back to how I felt reading comics as a kid. Like so many have said before, this is the natural successor to Robinson’s Starman. Pick up the hardcovers, the trades, the singles on the back issue market, whatever. You should be reading this title.

Hopes for 2008

My first hope is that IDW can find a way to get their Doctor Who title out over here in the UK. I have high hopes for The Incredible Herc and Millar’s Kick-Ass. Marvel’s big summer event, Secret Invasion, looks like it might actually be worth reading. Oh, and when it comes around, Paul Cornell’s run on Excalibur. That’s going to be incredible.

Frank

Favorite Comic of 2007

The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way, Gabriel Ba, James Jean, Dave Stewart and Nakt Piekos is the type of comic that I would love automatically. Way’s high watermark of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol is a high place to shoot for for challenging, daring, emotional storytelling and Way and company out do themselves. The first story of the series is addictive, entertaining, smart, but not smarty pants and somberly beautiful. It is a project that I am glad to see, read and want to see more of. It is a prject that proves that Dark Horse is on fire when it comes to good comics and is a book that holds it’s own to the quality of the Dark Horse publishing scheme and what comic creators should try to aim for every month.

Hopes for 2008

Planetary 27 to be published, so I can retire from heavy comics consumption. Monthly Goon, BPRD,The Boys, and Buffy. Yay!
Howard Chaykin to write and draw a creator owned book again or the American Flagg trades to ship.

More Criminal, Desolation Jones, newuniversal, Doktor Sleepless and Fell.
New League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Umbrella Academy, and Hellboy.
The launch of Greg Rucka’s Stumptown. Also, I would like it if the crossover bug stopped being so prevalent that it makes comics no fun.

Mark

Favourite Comic of 2007

Got to go with Iron Fist too. A series that works with an artist who can’t quite do a full monthly book and turns it into a bonus for the storytelling rather than let it slow it down.

It still seems a silly idea, but Iron Fist is the book of the moment at Marvel even with fierce competition.

Hopes for 2008

Starman Hardcovers being done right. My favourite comic of all time in Hardcover. DC better not use crappy paper.

Paul Cornell on Excalibur - here’s hoping this gives Iron Fist a run for the best monthly at Marvel.

Hitch and Millar on Fantastic Four. Jeff Smith’s RASL - he’s done wonders for fantasy and now it’s Sci-fi’s turn. Zorro - I was already interested when it was Matt Wagner writing this, but now with Francesco Francavilla on art I cannot wait.

Ross

Favourite of 2007

I have to confess that the comic I get most enjoyment from each month is probably also Iron Fist…In the interest of variety though Black Summer has been some ultra violent Ellis fin, The Boys has been quite a fabulous breath of OTT fresh air and Suburban Glamour was a nice surprise.

Hopes for 2008

That some of the new Vertigo series stand out in the same way Y or 100 Bullets did way back when they starrted. That secret invasion doesn’t suck, and that against all odds the WSU actually becomes good again.

Rambo

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/rambo/

First up we have the resurrection of an 80’s screen icon with the return of the troubled Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. Sylvester Stallone’s war on cinema continues on - having brought the ‘Italian Stallion’ Rocky Balboa out of retirement and back for one last round of fisticuffs - he now revives the mullet-haired super-soldier for a fourth movie outing.

For those too young to remember, Rambo’s first appearance was in First Blood (1982), and Stallone’s portrayal of a quiet-yet-emotionally-unstable soldier who returns back to an America that isn’t as welcoming as he remembers was memorable and successful enough to lead to sequels Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), and Rambo III (1988).

The trailer for this fourth film (simply called ‘Rambo) begins by introducing John Rambo and the mythology behind this ‘Legend of War’ whilst showing images of conflict and slaughter. A group of missionary workers arrive seeking Rambo’s help (who has sworn against his violent ways and now works as a river boatman in Thailand) in travelling into Burma, to give aid in an area engulfed in civil war. Rambo refuses to help them at first but then agrees to take them over the border; not long after they are captured and Rambo learns that they never returned back and are being held hostage by Burmese soldiers. So Rambo has no option but to go behind enemy lines and do what he does best: preach pseudo-spiritual philosophy whilst killing lots and lots of bad guys.

The film is a throwback to the gritty old days of bloody action movies, and although this older and chubbier Rambo is bordering on OAP status he still looks like he can do the business.

Hancock

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/hancock/

Hancock is a comedic superhero film starring Will Smith, and is about a washed-up alcoholic hero named ‘John Hancock’ who has gained negative publicity due to his disastrous brand of heroism. A PR consultant tries to help the hero rebuild his reputation, however things get complicated when the superhero ends up having an affair with the consultant’s wife.

The trailer starts with the tagline: ‘There are heroes, there are superheroes and then there’s Hancock’. We meet the down-and-out superhero as he awakes from a drunken haze on a bench and, after being chastised by a kid, flies off to the rescue, only to cause more harm than good. He’s not your typical costumed hero either, looking more like a homeless person than a caped crusader. Then there are the inevitable scenes of Hancock flying drunkenly, landing drunkenly, throwing cars and trying to be ‘more powerful than a locomotive’.

Romantic comedies of the superhero persuasion don’t seem to fare well or live up to their own hype in experience - eg. My Super Ex-Girlfriend - and yet we get treated to another one. Hancock does look a little more fun though, despite the obvious jokes and the whale-throwing.

The Dark Knight

Trailer: http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/videopage.html

Finally the fan-anticipated sequel to the dodgy-titled-but-rather-good Batman Begins. Having successfully rebooted the film franchise, Christopher Nolan returns with the second instalment of Batman’s on-going fight against crime. This time we get a re-interpretation of the clown prince himself, the crazed criminal mastermind known only as ‘The Joker’ - who was briefly alluded to at the end of the first film - this new breed of criminal is as a direct consequence of Bruce Wayne’s actions in creating the ‘Batman’ and becomes chief antagonist.

The trailer starts with the Joker (talking to Batman) as he discusses Batman’s effect upon the criminal element in Gotham. We glimpse Batman racing along on a motorcycle, sitting in an office contemplating, as well as landing onto the roof of a car in typical ‘Dark Knight’ fashion. A shot of the Joker standing on a deserted street and a massive explosion that leaves trademark ‘Joker’ playing cards hint at the chaotic carnage wreaked by this new type of criminal and the further devastation to come. The battle for Gotham begins as Batman faces off against the Joker.

The trailer has all the right elements, from the action, angst and drama to the realistic incarnation of the Joker (portrayed by Heath Ledger) which will no doubt be an attempt to banish memories of Jack Nicholson’s over-the-top version of the purple-clad villain.

Discuss this topic here.

It’s always hard to buy Christmas presents for friends, family, random coworkers etc. To give a helping hand we at FractalMatter are willing to share with you some ideas of what we want for Christmas.

Unfortunately the Joker’s socks aren’t available to purchase (yet – some of us are hoping eventually they will be), so we have had to dig deep and come up with other ideas of what we would like.

You can be sure that no toasters, power tools (some of us have all the ones that we wanted) or snow boards will be seen here.

Sabrina’s List

Comics: Only one I can think of is the latest Courtney Crumrin book (new Doctor Who comic isn’t out until later and not available in the UK).

Books: Every Terry Pratchett Discworld book that I do not already own! Thud, Monsterous Regiment, Feet of Clay, Fifth Elephant, Thief of Time, and also the latest Spooks Apprentice book.

DVDs: Supernatural Season 2 (region 1) is a must have, cute guys, the Impala and some random spookiness. I mentioned the car right?

Games: Tetris for our xbox 360, I have it on the DS but I really want to play it on the TV as well. (We already bought Assassins Creed & Bioshock which are highly recommended if you don’t already own them – some of us couldn’t wait!)

Other: I’ve ordered this myself but it is a Christmas present! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5061899 a Seeker Sock Horror hand made by Madam Horror, she had a table at the Thought Bubble Festival here in Leeds and I must own at least one of her creations (more likely a few if I’m allowed).

And due to the sheer amount of jewellery I now own I’ve asked for a proper jewellery box which sounds boring but you try untangling 4 necklaces, 2 rings and a few earrings from each other and see how you like it!

Lastly, possibly the girliest item I want is eyeshadow; not just any eyeshadow though, it has to be from Fyrinnae.com http://www.fyrinnae.com/index.php?cPath=29_69_67. Some seriously crazy colours, and even a few I could get away with at work. They’ve got one that changes colour depending on if its wet or dry which makes me wonder how it works when it rains….

Frank Davis

30 grand in American dollars. If this is too much I would like the following:

Comics: A signed Joss Whedon/or Alan Moore comic because they autograph pretty. The Power Girl/Huntress Legacy statue from DC direct because I like the Huntress a lot; and I’m not picky. A Howard Chaykin comic art page. Preferably from the 1980’s.

Music: The New Radiohead album, In Rainbows for my new Ipod.

Other: An Iphone because I want to take over the world, a bottle of Knob Creek or Makers Mark Whisky.

Finally: I need a good crab dinner. The state of Seafood in Chicago is troubling.

Mo’s List:

Comics: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill, Popgun Volume 1 from Image Comics (featuring the brilliant-looking ‘Deadeye’ by Leah Moore & John Reppion) and All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, in whatever part-graphic-novel-1-to-6-because-we-at-DC-like-to-do-this format.

Books: Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis, and anything new from Steve Aylett. Anything at all. Even a shopping list or post-it note.

DVDs: Blade Runner the Final (honest, we won’t bring out another version) Cut.

Games: You don’t mean chess, do you? No? Oh.

Other: A cool-looking coat….and that Peace On Earth thing, but I won’t be holding my breath.

James’s List:

Comics: Being outside of the US, I also would like The Black Dossier.

Books: Bill Bryson has a new book out about Shakespeare. Gimme.

DVDs: Doctor Who Season 3 box set. Just leave out the god awful Dalek episodes. I mean it. I’ll punch reindeer if they’re in there.

Games: Hmm, Super Mario Galaxy would be lovely.

Other: Peace on Earth. Actually, scratch that, if I don’t get a spanking new Creative Zen 16mb MP3 player, I’ll destroy the planet.

John’s List:

Comics: Charlie’s War (Books 1- 4) , LOEG the Black Dossier and Liberty Meadows books 3 & 4

DVDs: 300 and Rome 1 & 2 boxset

Toys: A Wii (if only they could be had in the UK)

Music: Just buy me iTunes vouchers, I’ll do the rest.

Other: Some Belgian chocolates, a good bottle of Rum and the winning ticket for the Christmas day lottery.

Russell’s list:

Comics: Like many of us here in the UK, I want LoEG: Black Dossier. Unlike most of my colleagues, I also want Essential Power Man & Iron Fist, those Frank Miller Daredevil hardcovers… oh, and nobody got me those John Romita JR pages I asked for in my review of World War Hulk issue 1, so I still want those.

Books: What? Proper books, without pictures? Do they still make those? OK, uhhh… the latest version of Lance Parkin’s A History, new Pratchett and Bryson as mentioned above… already got the new Charie Brooker so I’ll recommend that to the rest of you instead. Buy Dawn of the Dumb by Charlie Brooker. Buy Screen Burn by Charlie Brooker as well. In fact, buy that first.

DVDs: 300. IT Crowd seasons 1 & 2. Planet Terror region 1.

Toys & Games: Still after the original Marvel Legends Namor and the Thor from the Giant Man wave, but I finally got my MODOK so I’m reasonably happy. If it’s not too late I want the Doctor Who regeneration 2-pack with David Tennant in the leather jacket (looking like Richard Hammond).

Other: A year’s supply of Knob Creek would be very nice. Tickets/Transport/Hotel for the cons in Bristol, San Diego and Dublin. More hours in the day so I can write more. Money. Peace on Earth? Not while I’m around.

Ross’s List:

Comics: Absolute Sandman Volume 2 - the ultimate form of a truly visionary series. Walking Dead: Book 3, fabulous hardcover versions of the Zombitastic series

Books Guinness: The 250 Year Quest for the Perfect Pint - a history of the black stuff.

Music: God the list is endless. Knee Deep in the North Sea by The Portico Quartet (young London based Jazz quartet doing great things). Tropidelico - QSO (an apparent return to form for quantic after the slightly dissapointing recent outing). If you don’t have it then Mirrored by Battles is a fabulous Mathrock trip.

DVDs: The Vengeance Trilogy - oh so so dark. The Indiana Jones Trilogy - oh so so light.

Games: so many to choose from in this bumper year. Crysis, Call of Duty 4, Halo 3. If you have to pick one though, make it Mass Effect. Another masterpiece from the folks at Bioware.

Other: Shiny new Samsung 20″ widescreen TFT from the recent pebble range, has built in speakers and a million different connection inputs. Finally no more cable swapping between PC and XBox360. A decent £40+ bottle of Port. Expensive but worth every tiny British pound.

And there you have it, what the folks at FractalMatter want for Christmas. There is a few I seriously doubt they’ll get but who knows, maybe they’re on Santa’s good list, or at least someone they know has access to Amazon.com and will ship things to them.