Science Fiction & Fantasy Reviews

Featuring: Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Norman Bartold, Alan Oppenheimer, Majel Barrett.

Directed by: (and Written by) Michael Crichton   

Arrow Video

February 2026
 

Welcome to Delos, the futuristic resort where, for $1,000 a day, wealthy vacationers can live out their wildest fantasies in hyper-realistic theme parks. In the Old West zone, friends Peter (Richard Benjamin) and John (James Brolin) saddle up for adventure, unaware that their dream holiday is about to turn into a nightmare. When a malfunction sends the park’s android hosts off script, the Gunslinger (Yul Brynner, in his iconic black-clad role) begins a relentless pursuit, obliterating the line between simulation and survival. Slick, suspenseful, and eerily prescient, Westworld combines a gripping man-versus-machine chase with thought-provoking questions about technology, control, and the price of playing God. Packed with atmosphere and memorable performances, this cult classic remains a landmark in genre cinema – a high-tech nightmare that never loses its bite.
 

Westworld, from 1973, is one of my favourite films of all time. Over the years I have obtained it in several formats: DVD, basic Blu-ray, Steelbook Blu-Ray Collector's Boxset, and now 4K Collector's Set. I've got to say it looks and sounds stunning. This Science Fiction/Action/Horror/Thriller has a lot going for it. It was both written and directed by the visionary novelist Michael Crichton, who also created The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park - the latter of which is another tourist resort gone wrong. Richard Benjamin & James Brolin (of The Amityville Horror and Capricorn One) are excellent as the central protagonists - as are the unlikely sheriff, and ultimately doomed hero of Medieval World. However, the undisputed star here is Yul Brynner as the gunslinger. It's interesting to learn from the extra features tales of this magnificent actor: how it was a happy accident that Yul got the part. The budget didn't stretch to an actor of his calibre but he was between jobs and accepted a smaller fee. Brynner taught Richard Benjamin how to fire a gun without blinking, and he would turn up on set when he didn't have any scenes simply because he enjoyed being there.

This film is bristling with excitement. There is no padding; every scene drives along the plot, from initial uncertainty, through fun and enjoyment at the experience, into shock and outright horror. An enjoyable release turns to terror, a relentless pursuit and a desperate fight for survival. The breakdown of the android machines and their programming is accentuated by all the scientists in the tunnels beneath the resort becoming sealed in and dying from lack of air. This is a faultless early story of technology going wrong. Go and buy it now.

This impressive and well-overdue 4K Collector's Set incorporates a Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper, a Collectors’ perfect bound colour booklet featuring new writing on the film by David Michael Brown, Priscilla Page, Paul Anthony Nelson, and Abbey Bender, a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper, and Six postcard-sized artcards - all presented in a solid box with an outer slip-case.
 

Extras Include: Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer; Cowboy Dreams, a newly filmed conversation between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski; At Home on the Range, a brand new video interview with actor James Brolin; HollyWorld: Producing Westworld, a brand new video interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III; Sex, Death and Androids, a brand new appreciation of the film by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas; On Location with Westworld, an archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film from 1973; Beyond Westworld, the 48-minute pilot episode of the 1980 follow-up television series; Theatrical trailer; Image gallery.

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Original review written by Ty Power 2026)  

Featuring: Paul Verhoeven, Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ray Wise, Kurtwood Smith, Ronnie Cox, Miguel Ferrer. 

Directed by: Eastwood Allen and Christopher Griffiths  

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment

December 2023
 

Icon Films releases Robodoc – The Creation of Robocop, a 4-Part intensively in-depth documentary covering all aspects of the making of the Science Fiction hit Robocop from 1987, directed by Paul Verhoeven. This 2-disc Blu-ray Special Edition first aired on the Icon Film Channel. It is directed by Eastwood Allen and Christopher Griffiths (who both worked on Pennywise: The Story of IT) and produced by Michael Perez (Scream: The Inside Story; Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story), Gary Smart (Pennywise; Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares; Dark Ditties Presents), and Hank Starrs (Elstree 1976). It features brand new interviews with the BAFTA-nominated Verhoeven, and stars including Peter Weller (Murphy/Robocop), Nancy Allen (Officer Anne Lewis), Ray Wise (Leon C. Nash), Kurtwood Smith (Villain Clarence J. Boddicker), Ronny Cox (Dick Jones), and Miguel Ferrer (Bob Morton). There is plenty of on-scene, behind-the-camera footage, clips from the film itself, and the following Bonus featurettes: Meet the Makers; The Weapons of Robocop; Robo Cast Quotes; Art of the Steel; Call to Action; Gun Guns Guns; Part Gan Part Machine All Video Game; and Roboteam Assemble. The set includes an A4 Poster and 4 x Art Cards, and the running time for the four episodes and the bonus material comes to around 5 hours. That’s what you call attention to detail!
 

There is much to appreciate here for lovers of the Robocop films and science fiction in general. It has to be one of the most intensive and meticulous explorations of a single film and is becoming more commonplace with recent detailed looks at other genre matter, such as Living With Chucky/Brad Dourif, Pennywise/Tim Curry, and Freddy Krueger/Robert Englund. In this one each aspect is studied in turn, with the main emphasis on the essence of the tale: what it means to be human. The bottom line being they can’t take away your core essence: what it is to be you. Consequently, there is much discussion of the prolonged and sadistically violent torture and kill (or attempted kill) of Murphy.
 

The section I find most engaging is Rob Botin’s design of the Robocop armour – with several clay models having been created – and nice touches such as the leg incorporating Robo’s specially made gun. Botin, of course, was an amazing artiste of real physical effects (no cheap-looking CGI here), who worked on groundbreaking movies such as John Carpenter’s The Thing, Total Recall, The Howling, Piranha, and many others. It’s interesting to realise how many times Robocop came close to having the plug pulled, due to delays and a constantly rising budget. There was definitely a certain attention to realism portrayed as a dystopian future of violence and disorder. Kurtwood Smith had to be shoved against the precinct counter by Robocop, but he threw himself forward with such force that he cracked two ribs, refusing to reveal the fact until the scene was in the can. There are in-jokes, such as having all the names of the police officers based on serial killers, thereby depicting a grey area of human nature, and Verhoeven’s liking for lots of blood, in almost comic book depictions of violence, also comes across as an accepted one.
 

It seems strange watching a documentary which is more than two and a half times the length of the movie itself. Those individuals who only watch the films themselves, ignoring any commentaries or behind-the-scenes features will, of course, find this of no interest. However, film and TV extras wouldn’t be supplied if they were not demanded by the fans themselves. Whether these stand-alone documentary releases will stand the test of time and popularity remains to be seen, but this is certainly a fascinating insight into a classic sci-fi movie.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2024)  

Featuring: Kenji Sawada, Ken Ogata and Sonny Chiba 

Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku 

Eureka! Masters of Cinema

June 2023
 

Eureka Entertainment – as part of The Masters of Cinema Series – releases the UK Blu-ray debut of the 1981 film Samurai Reincarnation from a 2K restoration. This story of magic swordsmen, demon assassins, ninjas and forbidden love was helmed by Kinji Fukasaku, the acclaimed director of Battle Royale. The release incorporates uncompressed original mono audio, alternative English dubbed audio, and optional English subtitles. There is a brand-new audio commentary by Japanese cinema film critic Tom Mes, a brand-new interview with filmmaker Kenta Fukasaku, an original Japanese trailer and, in the Limited Edition first print run of 2000 copies, a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film and a slipcase with artwork by Takato Yamamato.
 

After a failed Christian rebellion resulting in a massacre, Amakusa Shiro is crucified, but he prays to Beelzebub in order to seek retribution. He returns with the power to resurrect the dead, and soon builds a team of undead warriors – one of which is the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. While a beautiful demon beguiles the young Shogun, the peasants are roused into an uprising, and the palace of power is put to flame, a lone samurai named Yagyu Jubei takes a stand against the demons. However, he does not suspect he will have to face his swordmaster father to the death.
 

The opening scene showing the aftermath of the battle carnage is almost certainly a stage set, but nevertheless impressive. The first few scenes following this are split into mini chapters and, consequently, come across as stilted and somewhat haphazard. The bottom line is they portray a similar narrative of offering a powerful person new life upon their death if they accept serving the devil. Thus, there are aspects of sword and sorcery, horror and a large serving of manipulation and slaughter. The final third of the film contains the most spectacle, with Jubei imploring an old man to forge a final powerful samurai sword, before watching the oldster almost comically die instantly afterwards. The sword duel on a shoreline looks spectacular, as does Jubei’s battle with his father amidst the fiercely burning palace of the shogun – although in reality their skin would have been melting from their bones!
 

There is plenty to enjoy here, although the movie does take a fair while to find its feet.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2023)  

Featuring: David McCallum, Melinda O. Fee & Craig Stevens

Directed by: Various

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

March 2023
 

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media release the 1975 TV series The Invisible Man as a 3-disc Blu-ray set containing all 13 episodes. The show starred the hugely popular David McCallum, best known for Colditz, The Great Escape, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (for which he received two Emmy Award nominations and more fan mail than Elvis!), Sapphire & Steel, and NCIS (in which he plays Dr Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard). The Invisible Man – inspired by the original classic HG Wells novel – was created by Harvey Bennett, and featured writers for The Incredible Hulk, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Hill Street Blues. It was a ratings hit in the UK and was dubbed into French, Persian, Italian and Finnish, but pulled due to poor ratings in the US – even though a sub-standard but cheaper version called Gemini Man was commissioned. All 13 episodes are presented here (including the Pilot).

Dr Daniel Westin is a leading scientist at a US think-tank called the Klae Corporation. He has perfected temporary invisibility with animals, but when funding to continue is threatened he is obliged to attempt the process on himself. It proves to be a success; however, the government wants the process for military application. To prevent this happening, Westin destroys the laboratory equipment, inadvertently becoming permanently invisible in the process. Managing to escape, he confides in a friend who creates him a realistic mask, eyes and hands. Ultimately, he agrees to apply his unique ability to helping a friend at the institute in circumstances of major fraud or espionage, and other major crime. He is aided in his endeavours by his wife, also a doctor.

Episode Listing: The Invisible Man (Pilot); The Klae Resource; The Fine Art of Diplomacy; Man of Influence; Eyes Only; Barnard Wants Out; Go Directly to Jail; Stop When Red Lights Flash; Pin Money; The Klae Dynasty; Sight Unseen; Power Play; An Attempt to Save Face.

Rather than simply being a gimmick, these episodes incorporate compelling stories; the early ones are particularly strong, even though they are a little more mainstream/family-friendly than the pilot. It’s a shame the series came to an end so early. The special effects were ground-breaking at the time and, accordingly, pushed-up the budget. 

There is something compelling about any acting performance by David McCallum; an indefinable quality which simply draws you in. The series is often overlooked as average, an undeserved dismissal of a quality show. Like many episodic serials, one view per week was the intention; contemporary binge watching takes something away from the format. This Blu-ray release is most welcome.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2023)  

Featuring: Lam Ching-ying, Yuen Biao, Wu Ma, Richard Ng, Yuen Wah

Directed by: Ricky Lau

Eureka Entertainment

May 2023
 

Eureka Entertainment releases Hopping Mad: The Mr Vampire Sequels – for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK. When Mr Vampire first showed at Hong Kong cinemas in 1985, viewers were wowed to the extent they demanded a horror/comedy/Kung-Fu hopping vampire sequel. Director Ricky Lau and producer Sammo Hung duly obliged by filming a string of follow-ups in the Jiangshi fighting style. Fully restored in 2K and presented as part of the Eureka Classics range, this set incorporates four films over two discs: Mr Vampire II (aka Vampire Family) from 1986; Mr Vampire III (1987); Mr Vampire IV (aka Uncle Vampire) from 1988; and Vampire vs Vampire (1989). The first three here were directed by Ricky Lau and the last by actor/director Lam Ching-ying. A plethora of Hong Kong stars – including Lam Ching-ying, Yuen Bia, Wu Ma, Richard Ng, and Yuen Wah – showcase their talents...

Extras on this set include a limited-edition slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling; a collector’s booklet with new writings by James Oliver; new audio commentaries on Mr Vampire II and Vampire vs Vampire by Asian film expert Frank Djeng; new audio commentaries on Mr Vampire III and Mr Vampire IV by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema; a new video piece on the history to date of the Jiangshi genre; original sleeve poster art; and trailers.

In Mr Vampire II, an archaeologist and his two foolhardy students uncover three ancient coffins which turn out to be vampires. The plan to sell-on the bodies goes disastrously awry when the students unwittingly bring them back to life. While the authorities – once convinced of the seriousness of the situation, and with the invaluable help of Lam Ching-ying’s character – track-down the adult vampires, the little monster has been taken-in and harboured by the young children of a local family. It takes more than a few minutes to encompass the sheer madness of this film. Much of the pace is hectic and the humour very much zany and slapstick. However, you have to accept and love the mad choreography which is spot-on in its timing.

In Mr Vampire III, Ming and his two ghosts combat vengeful spirits but inadvertently attract the attention of a powerful witch woman. When the woman and her bandits attack the locals with her magic, Taoist priest Uncle Nine’s experience of holy weapons against the evil is called upon. But even he ends up needing the help of Ming’s two ghosts. Lam Ching-ying’s priest Nine is the best and only sensible character in the film. He seems to hold the prevailing chaos together. The stunts and fight sequences are very well-handled and go by so quickly it’s impossible to grow bored or look too closely at the set-ups. The comedy is best represented in the fight sequences, so that it appears panic ensues. But everything is meticulously planned.

In Mr Vampire IV, a Taoist priest and a Buddhist monk are at constant loggerheads, always playing tricks on each other much to the chagrin of their two students who get on well. Nearby, soldiers are transporting a coffin in which lies a hopping vampire. Bad weather effects the charms on the coffin, and the vampire escapes to attack and infect several soldiers. The priest and the monk must work together to fight the outbreak of vampires. Half of this movie consists of the two masters playing dangerous pranks on each other, so that the viewer is thankful when a vampire shows up to give substance to the plot. With Lam Ching-ying absent from this outing, the film lacks that strong factor which normally ties it all together. There are some interesting ideas, however, including a very camp gay vampire.

In Vampire vs Vampire, a village’s water is tainted by bats. One-Eyebrow-Priest (the excellent Lam Ching-ying) traces the bats to an old, abandoned church, wherein a vampire is disturbed. Meanwhile, a lovestruck army captain finds a body with an emerald-mounted blade through its chest and removes it for the lady – thereby animating a Western-style vampire. There is so much going on in this instalment there is no time to relax and take stock. There are bats attacking nuns, a deadly tree spirit, a possessing ghost, the two powerful vampires, a hopping child vampire and much more. The stunts and fight sequences are stunning and have to be seen to be believed. Of course, the humour is ever-present but most emerges here through the ridiculousness of the situations.

I didn’t think I would enjoy this set, but I quickly grew into this crazy, chaotic world of the supernatural. Clearly, much went into the planning and choreography. Lam Ching-ying is an essential ingredient.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2023)  

Featuring: Willie Chi and Carman Lee

Directed by: Ringo Lam

Eureka Entertainment

May 2023
 

Eureka Entertainment releases the 1993 Cantonese gothic horror-infused martial arts film, Burning Paradise, directed by Ringo Lam. Presented as part of the Eureka Classics range, the movie debuts in the UK on Blu-ray with a 2K restoration. The first print-run of 2000 copies feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase and a Collector’s Booklet with new writing by James Oliver. Burning Paradise is Lam’s only venture into the Wuxia (or Martial Arts Heroes) genre but is considered to be one of his most noteworthy movies – arguably his best. It appears here for the first time since its release on VHS...
 

Fok Sai-yuk is travelling with his Buddhist master when they are forced to hide from the formidable army of the Manchu government, led by the sadistic Kung. Here they meet a young woman fleeing from a house of ill repute. When the master is seriously injured, before being heartlessly killed, Fok Sai-yuk fights fearlessly, but surrenders when the woman’s life is threatened. They are taken to a temple which serves more as a prison to countless Shaolin monks. Tortured and forced to fight against a brother monk, he is thrown into a pit of corpses and left for dead. But here he meets another master from his old temple, and they plan not only their own escape but the release of their fellow monks and – against almost insurmountable odds – the downfall of this corrupted temple.
 

This film has a lot going for it. The characters are well-rounded, the Kung Fu and swordplay is stunning, and there are wry humorous comments amid the horror. The sadistic horror sets the scenes (corpses heaped high in a pit or hanging outside the temple, and skeletal body parts sticking out of the ground as if the dead are rising from their graves), coming increasingly to the fore with decapitations and blades slicing cleanly through bodies during fight scenes – along with countless hidden death traps throughout the temple. The chief villain seems to be something more than human. A demon, perhaps. He adorns the walls with bloodthirsty, macabre paintings, and is seen to be killed, before pulling a lance from his body. This enjoyable film is very well shot, and set at a relentless pace, with no padding. Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.
 

Extras include a brand-new commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng; a new interview with actor Wong Kam Kong; an archival interview with Tsui Hark; Cantonese and English audio options; and newly translated English subtitles.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2023)  

Featuring: Sammo Hung, Wong Ha

Directed by: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung

Eureka Entertainment

June 2021

Courageous Cheung is a man well-known in his local village for his lack of fear. His friends and associates often make bets, setting him challenges. So, when he is tricked into spending the night in a haunted temple reported to be full of spirits, zombies and vampires, he is compelled to do so. But Cheung has been set-up to be killed. His job has been to transport around the respected Master, but the powerful old man has been secretly seeing Cheung’s wife. He wants Cheung out of the way and so has one of his men contact a powerful mystic who can summon the spirits. The mystic has a kinder and more honest brother, however, who is not influenced by the lure of money, and he seeks to protect the hapless hero. But is it enough...?

Eureka Entertainment, as part of their Eureka Classics range, releases for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK a 2K restoration. The first print run of 2000 copies features an O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling, a collector’s booklet featuring new content by James Oliver, and a reversible poster featuring the film’s original artwork. There is an interview with the star, a new audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), and downloadable content including a stills gallery. Also, there are four ways to enjoy the movie: Cantonese audio, with original mono presentation and English subtitles; Rare alternative Cantonese soundtrack; Optional English dubbed audio; and Optional English subtitles newly translated for this release.

The film is directed by and stars the multi-award winning Sammo Hung, of Project A, Lucky Stars, and Zu: Warriors From the Magic Mountain. It’s a frantic, action-packed extravaganza which mixes the genres of horror, comedy, Kung-Fu and action. The blending of martial arts, special effects and Chinese folklore inadvertently created a new sub-genre of Asian cinema that became known as Jiangshi – and this would spawn successes such as Mr Vampire. The majority of the comedy is breathless and zany (comparable to parts of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein), but there are also moments of genuine humour. It’s created mainly as a result of the sheer pace of the action. The Kung-Fu is closer to stunt coordination choreography than actual martial arts. It’s all about a certain amount of gymnastics and chases; avoiding being struck, in other words. It is highly-skilled and must have taken hours and hours of rehearsals to perfect. The fighting becomes more perfected during a late scene when Cheung is possessed by a fighting spirit to defend himself against the mystic’s denizen.

Rather than a serious study or biopic of a reluctant hero, Encounter of the Spooky Kind is mindless fun… but very enjoyable mindless fun. 

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2021)  

Featuring: Kim-Myung, Kim In-Kwon

Directed by: Jong-Ho Huh

Acorn Media International

October 2021

Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, releases the UK Blu-ray debut of Monstrum. In the setting of 16th Century South Korea, the spread of plague terrorises the villagers on Mount Inwangsan. They are in constant fear of this, and rampant rumours of a giant ferocious beast called Monstrum attacking soldiers and peasants. There are constant reports of bodies discovered torn limb from limb. Simultaneously, there is a power struggle going on between the king and his political opposition. Both sides blame each other for striking terror into the people and for staging the scenes to make it look like a beast is responsible. To stamp-out the rumours, King Jungjong sends for his most trusted retired general, Yoon-gyeom to hunt Monstrum. He is joined by a royal court officer Heo, his daughter Myeong, and right-hand man Seong-han. But is Monstrum real...?
 

Well, of course he is, otherwise this wouldn’t be a horror film. In actually, it spans several genres, and this is what grounds the plot and situations in reality – or as close to it as you can get with a never-before-seen monster running around. It’s an Historical saga, with Political struggles, swordplay Martial Arts, and a Horror Fantasy beast. The horror element is maintained by the outright brutality of Monstrum. It’s been said that this movie is like Bong Joon Ho’s Host set in the 1500s. That’s quite an astute assessment, because not only does the plot involve a mutated creature causing havoc in a community but, more importantly, a family pitting themselves against the oppression and learning that the authorities are as much of a problem as the source.

For anyone who has read and enjoyed old fantasy books and heroic fantasy, they will recognise the old, seasoned wizard, the untested apprentice or pawn, and the unknown family connection. Even George Lucas utilised this ageing technique in Star Wars: A New Hope, and it still works as well now as it always has done. Myung-Min Kim (Six Flying Dragons) is excellently calm and resourceful as General Yoon-gyeom. The others have connectivity too, so that they make quite a quartet. Director and co-writer Huh Jong-ho has mapped-out this backdrop like a seasoned professional. He keeps the audience waiting for the Monstrum reveal, so that even we begin to doubt its presence. And when it does show its face, it is crafted so that it doesn’t resemble any known animal. Even its movements are unpredictable. Furthermore, he even gives the creature a backstory, without slowing the pace of the plot. The effects are exemplary.
 

No detail seems to be forgotten here. Our heroes are not simply sent into the mountains by themselves; for the entirety of the film, they are entrenched in the thick of political manoeuvring, back-stabbing plots, the protection of the king, avoiding the plague, and the capture or removal of Monstrum. With everything that is going on, not once does the director lose sight of the essential characterisations of the main players. So, there is room for emotion, the bonding of family, and the occasional humorous act or comment. Everything is choreographed beautifully, particularly the fighting with blades, and the eerie nighttime hunting scenes. Many writers or directors have no idea how to end a story; it’s much more common than you may think. Here we have a spectacular action-packed finale, an epilogue with a twist, and a parting of the ways – as all teams must one day split.
 

In the Set-Up options you can listen to the film in its original South Korean dialogue with English subtitles, or select the English language dub (which is very good, and nothing like the cringeworthy martial arts dubs of the 1970s). I elected to go for the English dub and the English subtitles so I wouldn’t miss a word of the dialogue. I’ve enjoyed this film very much. The only thing I would change is a few seconds of dialogue near the end: something to the effect of “Uncle!” “Father!” “Daughter! “Uncle!” “Father!” But have no doubt, this is a professionally constructed movie which has something for everybody.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2021)  

Featuring: Danielle Chuchran, Richard McWilliams and Paul D. Hunt. 

Directed by: John Lyde 

Signature Entertainment

July 2013
 

An elven huntress has been left orphaned by an attack on her people by Orcs. What she doesn’t know is that it was in retaliation for an unprovoked raid on Orc peoples searching for food. Now she has become a dangerous bounty hunter, but when she kills an Orc shaman, his parting curse is to leave her with the mark of the Shadow. The Shadow is an evil cult uprising dedicated to the return of the gods, and in particular the ritualistic summoning of the demon god of death. Now it’s a matter of controlling her will as the darkness seeks to overcome her. An uneasy alliance forms between a holy soldier, an Orc seeking to regain control of his hoard, and the elf, as they attempt to capture the vessel required for the ceremony. If they fail it could mean the end of everything...

My expectations for this one were quite low. A sword and sorcery fantasy following in the wake of The Hobbit. However, right from the off I found myself compelled to watch with interest. The female elf very much looked the part, her pointed ears, blonde hair and startlingly blue eyes somehow enhancing both her beauty and danger. One of the hurdles at which to stumble might have been the sword fights and battle scenes, but I have to say that they are very professionally choreographed and the most convincing I have seen in some time. Likewise, the make-up is phenomenal for the Orcs and other creatures. The effects are low-key and kept to a minimum, and the movie is all the better for it –  although there are a few impressive surprises. Even the sky in the scenic establishing scenes, which glows yellow at one time of the day and pink at another, is done with just enough intensity to remind you this is an alien landscape and accepted boundaries don’t apply.

Okay, so it’s not The Lord of the Rings, but why does it have to be? I recently visited a plush cinema in central London to see Pacific Rim, because I am a huge fan of Del Toro’s work. It is the biggest load of tosh I have seen in quite some time. Yes, a fortune has obviously been spent on special effects, but the dialogue is cliched and the characters are Joe Soap nobodies. In short, it has no heart. Rise of a Shadow Warrior is different. The characters are diverse and well-defined. They have depth and quirks and mannerisms of their own. These are people you care about. The female elf is selfish, vengeful, but essentially good, which she proves when fighting the darkness within. The human cleric soldier is no-nonsense, and follows the wishes of his goddess without question, until he learns to feel for his purpose and the people around him. The Orc travelling with them has a dark sense of humour and, arguably, has the most likeable traits. Even the nasty cyberpunk dwarf with his invented projectile weapons is a fascinating and well-rounded extra.

The plot is pretty straightforward, but sometimes that simplifies matters enough to allow the players to come to the fore and shine. I found this film a breath of fresh air. The battle scenes are superb, the quest thrilling, the central trio of goodies utterly convincing. I found myself saddened it was all over. But where are the extras? I would have lapped them up.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2016)  

Featuring: Bernice Stegers, Philip Sayer, Simon Nash, Maryam d'Abo and Danny Brainin. 

Directed by: Harry Bromley Davenport 

Second Sight

July 2018

Sam Phillips is playing with his son outside the family cottage when night sets in abruptly and a blinding bright light appears, accompanied by high winds. Suddenly, Sam is gone. His wife Rachel assumes he walked out and left them. Three years later she has a live-in lover. Tony, the young boy is not interested in bonding with his ‘new father’ and sticks to his story that dad was taken by a bright light and that he will return. A strange and dangerous creature from another world arrives in the area and impregnates a woman living on her own with her dog. In a process which inevitably kills her, she gives birth to a full-size and fully-formed Sam. He returns to his old house where it is as if nothing has changed with his son. The boyfriend wants the newcomer gone, but Rachel grows to love him again as his memories return. What she doesn’t know is that Sam is now different, and has also passed-on surreal mental abilities to his son...

Xtro is a home-grown horror set in and around London. It just survived on the edge of the countless banned ‘Video Nasties’ of the 1980s, and deservedly so because it isn’t simply gore for gore’s sake. It’s a long time since I’ve seen this film; it gained a certain notoriety, like Inseminoid. In actuality it’s much better than I remember. Part of the reason has to do with the quality of the picture, which is quite staggeringly crisp and sharp. This is one of those examples similar to the Hammer Blu-ray releases that make you believe you are watching a new film with a period setting. This set has been assembled with real care, displaying a definite love for the project. This film certainly carries its own unique identity. The genres cross between science fiction, horror, 1970s to 1980s panache (wherein everyone’s a photographer, model or artistic painter), and Twin Peaks-style surrealism.

You may have to pay more than you would for a standard Blu-ray, but this box set incorporates a  veritable plethora of special features. Take a deep breath: Choice of Theatrical or Video Cover Artwork; a New Restoration with Optional Original and Alternative Endings; the UK Original Video version, and New 2018 Director’s Version; Xploring Xtro – a New 57 Minute Documentary with cast and crew; The World of Xtro – a New Featurette; Beyond Xtro – Looking Ahead to the New Reboot Xtro – The Big One with director Harry Bromley-Davenport; Xtro Xposed; Loving the Alien: Tribute to Philip Sayer featuring Exclusive Brian May Music Tribute; Original Soundtrack CD; and Soft Cover Book with informative text and stills… And breathe.

The best of these extras for me is The World of Xtro. Director Harry (the name of the ‘female’ snake in the film) Bromley-Davenport is generally self-deprecating. He calls this their ‘little movie’ and calls it ‘an awful mess’ or words to that effect. We hear from Xtro’s number one fan. While the director tells us they didn’t have the time or money to film linking scenes, here we are told the weirdness of the film benefits from their absence. The fan proves convincingly that scenes were carefully planned. The boy, Tony, has a toy black panther in a cage; the moment he causes the clown to make an appearance the panther is seen to be free of the cage – a  foreshadowing of what is to come. There are many examples like this if you pay close attention. What makes the craziness work is the entire story is grounded in the emotion of the family; all affected in different ways by events. The acting in this respect is very good by all concerned.

This film deserves more attention than it will probably get. One of the better shock-horror films of the 1980s. Give it a try. The amount of extras earns it an extra point.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2018)  

Featuring: Katherine Sigismund, Corey Eid and Riley Polanski.

Directed by: Matty Beckerman

Signature Entertainment

August 2014
 

A couple, along with their elder daughter and son, and younger autistic son, embark on a camping holiday at Brown Mountain in North Carolina. After camping at their first stop point, the kids see spherical lights in the night sky. The boy captures them on a camcorder which he always has with him. The next day, they drive to the next site, but the satellite navigation takes them down an endless winding road. They are almost out of fuel when they reach a tunnel, blocked with long-abandoned cars. The father and boys go looking for help, but are accosted by not-quite-seen creatures. The father is taken, and the boys are forced to run away to warn the others. Suddenly, they are on the run in the woods from beings which can only be aliens. A lone man living in the hills could mean their salvation or their end...

This is another one of those supposed fictional/true-life events; camcorder footage found by the government, and all that… Yawn! But I have to say, like some kind of guilty pleasure, that I actually enjoyed this film. It’s no classic, but it’s certainly the best running-round-with-a-camera one I’ve seen.

Firstly, there is a strong, valid reason for everything being filmed – it’s not a coincidence that sudden occurrences are caught: the younger boy is autistic; he films practically everything. It’s something he needs to do, a sort of self-help therapy. Secondly, unlike most of these cheaply-made a lot-about-nothings, there is not only a final frame reveal, but the  viewer is rewarded with a number of visual set-pieces. Depending on what you are used to seeing, they are potentially shocking moments, filmed very maturely and with a great deal of thought as to how to get the most out of what they have.

The aliens are well-realised, and wisely shown in quick cuts or in shadow/silhouette, etc. Less is definitely more here. There is very good use of lighting, too, to accentuate the fear factor. Sound is utilised too much and too cheaply in horror films these days, with slamming doors and echoing sounds in corridors, etc. – however, here it is used in conjunction with the lighting to phenomenal effect. The scene where our characters are hiding in the barn is actually a suitably anxious moment.

So, there’s plenty to enjoy here. It gives new life to this tired sub-genre. Oh, and watch past the end credits, as there is a short  additional scene worth seeing. 

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2014)  

Featuring: Stefan Ebel and Siri Nase.

Directed by: Daniel Raboldt

Reel 2 Reel Films

August 2021
 

In a dystopian future an on-going war is raging between mankind and the machines. Thomasz is a war deserter who has seen many of his compatriots wiped-out with little effort. Instead, he finds a remote abandoned house and sets up a forcefield around it, amidst nightmares of the past. When the barrier is compromised he fears it is by the machines; however, it is a young woman who wants to access the plans and electronics in the house. Initially untrusting of him, she renders Thomasz unconscious and bound, but Lilja is the survivor of a resistance group and drags him into her fight. To speak is to invite destruction, though it can also prove to be a useful diversion. Thomasz discovers a way in which he can make a difference in this war. But is it enough...?

This Reel 2 Reel Films DVD movie is the directorial debut of Daniel Raboldt. It employs elements of A Quiet Place, in that no one can speak without fear of death, as the machines appear to be attuned to the reception of speech and blast the area where it has been detected without hesitation. Of course, this aids a fledgling film, because there's next to no speech – and so no dialogue scripting and coaching, only movement direction. It is not really explained how the world came to this moment. There is a shot lasting mere moments which shows the recording of a news presentation featuring a newly created machine, so in this respect it borrows from Terminator and a little from Robocop and Transformers, too.

For some reason the film seems overly long; certainly the premise is a simple one and it takes its time showing us any meat on the bone, so to speak. There is a lot of wandering around with a gun, ducking under overhangs and behind trees, and walking great distances. The budget is plainly spent on the special effects of flying or walking machines of destruction – and very nice it looks –  but the acting and machines seem clumsily separate, like a child playing soldiers in the playground and imagining an enemy monster. The setting is good. It was filmed beyond the arctic circle in Finland, and this aids the climax. However, the machine war is described as a worldwide disaster, so the conclusion of the film must only solve a local problem. Nevertheless, it’s of light interest and far from being the worst director debut I’ve seen. No Extras.

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2021)  

Featuring: Albert Dekker, Thomas Coley, Janice Logan, Charles Halton and Victor Kilian.

Directed by: Ernest B. Schoedsack

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

August 2017

The scientist colloquially known as Doctor Cyclops is on the brink of a big discovery. However, one thing is getting in the way, and his eyesight is deteriorating rapidly. He invites three renowned experts in their field to aid in his work. They make the long journey by donkeys to his remote location. As soon as one of them identifies his mistake Cyclops loses interest in the three, summarily dismissing them. Indignant at their treatment they refuse to leave. Cyclops appears to mellow, offering to show them his experiments which are powered by mined uranium ore. But he traps them in a radiation chamber and reduces them to a fraction of their normal size. He attempts to use them as controlled experiments, but they escape vowing to expose him. When you’re tiny though where is there to run to? 

The back story to this movie is at least as interesting as the feature itself. Many people will not have heard the name Ernest Schoedsack, but when I remind them that he also directed the all-time classic King Kong (1933), it will instantly be elevated to somewhere near the status he deserves.

Doctor Cyclops is a 1950s B-Movie style production, except it is extremely well made and years ahead of its time in concept and execution. Bearing in mind this was 1940, not only is it in Technicolor (unlike many of the aforementioned 1950s films) but it was Oscar nominated for the excellent effects which Schoedsack made certain looked as realistic as possible. And talking of colour, it’s not only bright but vibrant to the point of creating more movement to the piece.

Cyclops was played by Albert Dekker. Much as in retrospect he seems to  be the ideal candidate for the part, he was blacklisted in Hollywood for some years as a result of criticising anti-communist speaker Senator McCarthy. Dekker was found dead in 1968 in a compromising and somewhat ritualistic setting.

It’s easy to dismiss Doctor Cyclops as just another giant and small people mash-up; however, we need to remember that this came years before The Incredible Shrinking Man, Land of the Giants, The Borrowers, and all those others we have come to accept. It’s an enjoyable little piece with only two scripted moments bringing wry smiles of ridicule. To be hustled into the radiation room (with even the man looking after the donkeys invited in) they are proved to be naïve beyond belief. Even the most ‘green’ would recognise the danger of being locked in. The other situation is the raising and lowering of the drill in the grounds. The disappearance of Cyclops to periodically make a minor adjustment is merely a writing plot device for our pint-size heroes to instigate their escape and fight back.

All in all, this movie – based on a short story by Henry Kuttner – is a well-crafted pleasure. I welcome its first release on DVD. 

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2017)  

Featuring: Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane and Jason Lee.

Directed by: Lawrence Kasdan

Warner Home Video

March 2003

Four boys, Henry, Beaver, Jonesy and Pete, save a mentally challenged boy from being taunted and beaten by older boys. Douglas Cavell, soon known as Duddits because of his hands raised exclamation of "I duddits" instead of "done it", now sees the boys as close friends. Duddits is discovered to be more than he seems when he imparts certain abilities on them, including telepathy and uncanny seeing skills, which help them find a missing girl. Years later, and now adults, the four are enjoying their annual reunion when a sick man staggers from out of the woods. Inside him gestates a worm-like parasitic creature, which leads to an early confrontation with a large alien to become known as Mr Gray. All the natural creatures inhabiting the mountainous areas flee and are quickly superseded by the army, led by Colonel Abraham Curtis. Curtis quarantines the region and incarcerates all those who carry the rust-like infection of the aliens. An attack on a crashed spacecraft triggers its self-destruction, but the menace is far from over. Curtis plans on sterilising the entire area, but the four friends have other ideas. When Jonesy is possessed by Mr Gray his subconscious retreats to the Memory Warehouse, the only part of his mind that the invader can't penetrate. Henry realises that Duddits' extraordinary abilities means he knew this would happen from the time they were boys, and that he was always the focus of their group. But Duddits is older now and is sick with leukaemia...

In previous reviews I have revealed that I am not a fan of Stephen King on the printed page. A wealth of original ideas are often tainted by the need to describe the floral wallpaper and regency furniture, information most readers simply don't want to know. Film adaptations are another matter, however. Although there have been some derisory attempts to convert King's fertile imagination to celluloid form, a handful of films based on his books have succeeded spectacularly: The Dead Zone, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile, to name but a handful. Whilst Dreamcatcher is not as emotionally compelling as these, it is gripping all the same. You get the impression that all the stops have been pulled out to produce the best film possible from the book. Acting, special effects and scenery combine in a not often seen synergy.

Question: How do you show alien parasitic creatures gestating inside human or animal hosts without seeming to emulate the science fiction classic Alien? Answer: you make the connection obvious by having the military nickname them "The Ripleys". Much as this description may make you think otherwise, appearance and motives are not even close to the Alien movies, and even Mr Gray turns out to be a shape-changing creature which uses the standard alien look, albeit on a much larger scale, for its own nefarious motives. The scene with the worm parasite in the toilet is both hilarious and chilling, and was said to have been used as a location in the book by King because he felt it was the only room left in a house which people don't want to see beyond in a movie.

The Dreamcatcher of the title is mainly a metaphor for the prophetic bonding of the four friends. As a child Duddits creates an image in the air of a Red Indian dreamcatcher (which is said to have had the ability to prevent bad dreams from taking form, or allowing evil spirits through) in the air. The four friends later create the real thing; four circles with another in the centre representing Duddits. It hangs in the cabin where they meet yearly. Donnie Wahlberg, as one of seven headlining names in the film, will no doubt receive plaudits for his portrayal of the adult Duddits, when clearly Andrew Robb as the young version is so much better. He is a little aloof, somewhat strange and yet very friendly, and all of this comes across extremely well.

The mass exodus of animals from the forest looks Jumanji-like, when this kind of CGI was in its infancy, but as we witness the movements from a distance the shortfalls are not so evident. There is so much to appreciate here. The spiral architecture of the Memory Warehouse, packed-out from floor to high ceiling with dusty boxes, and labelled with subject information, is impressive, as is the way we see Jonesy inside the room protected from Mr Gray, even though he is possessed by the creature.

The picture and sound quality on this widescreen version is superb. Extras include five alternate or extended scenes, an interview with writer Stephen King (in which he comes across friendly and enthusiastic), a behind the scenes feature, a visual effects feature, a film trailer and DVD ROM stuff. Coupled with the film running time of 134 minutes, all on one disc, this makes for an impressive and cost effective package.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Adria Arjona, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ana Ularu, Mido Hamada, Gerran Howell, Jordan Lough. 

Directed by: Tarsem Singh 

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

November 2020
 

Dorothy is a young woman who is finally reunited with her mother, only to find her dead. A huge twister is tearing-up Kansas City, and she finds herself caught up in it and transported to a strange land ruled by magic. She reluctantly teams-up with a warrior she names Lucas, who has lost his memory, and a German Shepherd police dog who was brought from Kansas in the storm. In order to return home, and for Lucas to regain his memory they travel to the City of Oz for council with the all-wise Wizard. However, when they are tortured on the way by a powerful witch, Dorothy manages to trick the witch into shooting herself, and from that moment on, she is a target. Not only does the Wizard want her, but so too do the sister witches. But there is unrest in Emerald City. A past disaster is prophesied to return, and a neighbouring kingdom has declared war on Oz. The wizard has outcast magic in favour of science, but he may need the help of magic to save his city from The Beast Forever. Furthermore, Dorothy could prove critical in his salvation. But can he be trusted... 

Emerald City first aired in 2017, but it’s conception was three years earlier. The pilot script was written by Matthew Arnold, and promptly commissioned for a ten-episode season. Although Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) was brought on as the showrunner, he quickly fell-out with the studio, causing the series to be cancelled. David Schulner was employed to replace Friedman, with Tarsem Singh directing all ten episodes. The series was cancelled after the first season. But was that decision justified? It is intriguing, and you don’t feel as if you’ve wasted your life watching it. However, it fails to reel you in and grip to the point that you can’t wait to see the next instalment. It’s partly down to the concept. It’s the correct decision to abandon the admittedly brilliant but very fluffy 1939 film version in favour of something closer to L. Frank Baum’s harder-edged children’s Oz books. If anything, this isn’t gritty enough. There are a few shocks. But you don’t sympathise enough with the lead characters.

Adria Arjona is kind of okay as Dorothy, but doesn’t have enough charisma to carry the show as the lead protagonist. Again, Vincent D’Onofrio is fine as The Wizard, although he’s not compelling enough to be the ambiguous hero/villain of the piece. The strong roles are Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Lucas the swordsman, who portrays confident or lost with equal aplomb; Gerran Howell as Jack the part-human part-clockwork boy, who you believe and feel for in every relevant scene; and Rebeka Rea as the little girl witch Sylvie. A wonderful performance considering her age. There are radically different versions of The Scarecrow, who is Lucas (partly because of his loss of memory, and a greater connection near the end of the season), The Tinman who is Jack (he has metal parts and occasionally requires oiling), and The Lion, played by Mido Hamada, a less than cowardly  soul. Quite the opposite, in fact. The whole has a kind of Gulliver’s Travels-like feel to it, rather than The Game of Thrones look it promises. However, I did enjoy the Victorian Cyberpunk aspect to parts of the show – particularly the repairs made to Jack, and the  multiple masks of the queen he befriends.

It’s not fantastic but it is well worth checking out. Fans of The Wizard of Oz will be intrigued as to how the concept has been updated for the new age. We also get to see a brief backstory for The Wizard. It would be interesting to know what was planned for Season Two. We do know that it involves more prominently The Beast Forever. The epilogue scene for this season is slightly corny; perhaps it was tagged onto the end when the show was cancelled. Extras include: Deleted Scenes, and Oz Reimagined: The Making of Emerald City.

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2021)  

Featuring: Emily Booth, Christopher Adamson and Norman Lovett.

Directed by: Jake West

Media Enterprises

April 2015
 

The female presenter (played by Emily Booth of the Horror Channel) of a tacky UFO investigation TV show is sent by her boss to an island off North Wales to investigate the reports of a young woman being attacked and impregnated by an alien lifeform. Along with her camera man and sound man, she takes along two talentless actors (a tall, effeminate man, frightened of his own skin, and a Barbie-like model who is the girlfriend of her boss) to re-enact what supposedly happened at an ancient stone circle. Here they meet an uber-geek, the founder of a UFO society, who is also at the stones looking for proof of a visitation. No one really believes the pregnant girl’s story until a UFO lands on the stones and they learn just how violent the occupants can be. The girl’s three scary brothers seem able enough, but this turns out to be a larger scale problem than they could ever envisage...

Now, how would I describe Evil Aliens? I suppose a dark comedy, science fiction, horror gore-fest would be most succinct. This is another example of a writer/director project, this time at the hands of Jake West. The film had a strange effect on me, although admittedly I wasn’t expecting too much in the first instance, because most fag packet writer/directors are doomed to failure and are forced to commit to one or the other. Not everyone can be John Carpenter or Guillermo del Toro. My first impression was that it was a little silly, rather than funny, and the dialogue somewhat ‘talky’ and annoying – even if it was realistic in the circumstances. However, once the real action got going I found myself increasingly warming to the characters and situations. Certain aspects of the film reminded me of Inbred, another dark comedy which grew on me, and another example of classic Britishness in style.

I was impressed by the way the characters became very natural, individual and distinct as the tension was cranked-up. Some of them are forced to adapt and change to survive, and the leaders who emerge are not always the ones you would expect. Having sympathy for the characters is not something you expect to do in this type of film. It is, after all, extremely gory, and could be seen to be in bad taste if not for the fact the plot and situations have their tongues very firmly in cheek throughout. However, the two best characters in evidence are the strangest and most violent of the island’s three brothers, and the Barbie-like model/actress who walks into the farmhouse in pink and high heels but later turns into a gun-toting action heroine. The two become a sort of unlikely partnership.

The make-up and prosthetics work is very good, and the visual effects on the whole well worth the year it took to realise them for the screen. There are a couple of areas where it doesn’t quite work: one being the flying debris from an explosion, the other being fire (which, to be fair, special effects have never been able to make look entirely real, no matter how much money is thrown at them). The action sequences are what make this movie work so well. There are a number of darkly comical sequences when I was caught between pulling a face and laughing out loud. Straight music is used to good effect in some of these. When the three brothers first arm themselves and go out into the night to confront some of the aliens, it is to the background sound of a Spaghetti Western. The best sequence though – and guaranteed to make anyone laugh with appreciation – is when the TV presenter’s camera man drives a combine harvester across a corn field scattering and shredding scores of aliens before him, to the tune of The Wurzels’ ‘I’ve Got a Brand New Combine Harvester!’

Just a word about Norman Lovett (comedian and TV’s original Holly in Red Dwarf); he is woefully underused here, having only one scene but one in which his talent and charisma shines through. There are some nice extras on the disc, which include: Interviews with cast and crew; Extended, Deleted, Extended and Unused Scenes; Bloopers & Outtakes; and A Guided Tour of Life Creations (the make-up, model and prosthetics company). This is a home-grown gem which, once through the clichéd first fifteen minutes, any fan of horror is sure to enjoy.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2015)  

Featuring: Sasha Roiz, Jenny Mollen and Dominic Bogart.

Directed by: Nir Paniry

Signature Entertainment

September 2013
 

 An engineering scientist called Thomas Jacobs invents a device which records and places you into your own memories. The purpose is to help people with psychological problems, and to separate real from false memories. He is approached by a backer representing the Justice Department, which wishes to invest. In return for making him and his family very wealthy, he is persuaded to adapt his device to place someone mentally into the memories of another person. The test subject is a dangerous criminal convicted of brutally killing his girlfriend. Thomas agrees to demonstrate the machine himself, and spends time watching the man’s memories from within. However, when the time comes to leave, Tom finds he is trapped inside the man’s head. For four years, he is obliged to repeatedly witness past events from the point of view of the convict. But then a slight malfunction in the system allows the convict to notice his presence. The desperate man is convinced he is innocent of the charge of murder, and so forces Tom to uncover the truth or stay imprisoned within his head forever...

This is another one of those films which surprises you with its originality and inventiveness. This is no big budget blockbuster, and works all the better for it. It is well crafted and tightly edited so that it hits the ground running and is constantly evolving and picking up pace. The plot is intriguing, but the background gives it just as much substance. I like the fact that, within the scene of a given memory there are points of detail which have been forgotten. These are filled-in by the programme, and Tom has to carefully trigger the clarity of these details. Whilst initially taking for granted what he is told about the situation, Tom becomes guardedly sympathetic to the convict’s plight as more information is uncovered and doubt overcomes him.

In retrospect, the storyline of Extraction allows for many of the memory scenes to be repeated with only minor alterations, without ever seeming like the movie is scrimping and saving on its costs. This consequence may have also reduced the filming schedule. Nevertheless, it’s well worth a look for those who enjoy technological science fiction or murder mystery thrillers, as it straddles both genres.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2013)  

Featuring: Willie Chi and Carman Lee

Directed by: Jamie Childs

BBV Video

December 2020
 

Lyra Silvertongue is a girl who leaves her home in the Oxford of her world in search of her father, Azrael, who is studying the  properties of something called Dust. As Season 2 begins, she discovers an abandoned city which exists separate to everything else. Here she meets Will Parry, a boy from our world, and learns that their destinies are inextricably linked. There are more immediate matters to attend to, however. Will is the new bearer of the Subtle Knife, which can cut through realities. Lyra agrees to help Will find his father but, unbeknown to her, Lyra is the subject of a prophecy to bring harmony and unite all worlds. But this places her in great danger, least not from her devious and scheming mother, who has connections with the Magisterium, an evil religious order. Then they discover that Dust is the same as Dark Matter in our world, and it has a conscience. In fact, a great many consciences. But who or what is the Authority...?

Every so often a quality drama comes along which is not only extremely well-made in every respect, but which unites the adult and child demographic. This is very much a family viewing experience, with neither age group being spoken down to. This story is based on Philip Pullman’s fantasy/intrigue trilogy spanning alternate worlds. It seems that each series follows the plot of each book in turn. So, the first series was Northern Lights, this second series is The Subtle Knife, and series 3 will be The Amber Spyglass. There is also The Book of Dust (a  prequel) to consider. Pullman’s story is very well realised here. The characters with demons (a sort of witch’s familiar animal; they are the same essence) have their companions speak and move realistically – unlike those hugely annoying talking animals in TV advertisements. Everyone has their own agenda, which is as it would be, and this adds a suspense and almost thriller aspect to the whole. It is also represented in a manner which keeps you coming back for more. This is not as easy as it sounds in a modern, inpatient society wherein everyone is so fickle.

The series stars Dafne Keen (Logan), Ruth Wilson (Luthor), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Andrew Scott (Sherlock), Ariyon Bakare (Good  Omens), Simone Kirby (Jimmy’s Hall), and James McAvoy. I have to say that the acting is uniformly very good, and the animal demons have just as much character – which must be very difficult to achieve. I found my favourite character to be the aeronaut Lee Scoresby, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is a single-minded adventurer, and through his clothing and actions adds a Steampunk and Western aspect. All of the demons are remarkably well-matched to their human counterparts. Scoresby has a large female hare.

This BBC Studios Season Two Boxset is very nicely put together, being in a solid slipcase the insert of which opens out horizontally to reveal a lovely picture representing the major characters, and three separately mounted discs incorporating three episodes each on discs one and two and episode seven and the extras on disc three. The set also includes four double-sided art cards. There is a very enjoyable and informative behind-the-scenes documentary covering the first series. Of particular interest in this are the excellent animal puppets and their operators who created realistic movements and a point of contact for the actors to work to, before the CGI was added. The Subtle Knife is listed right underneath on the special features, so I expected  another in-depth documentary. However, this lasted only a matter of minutes. There is an interview with Lyra’s Dafne Keen, and a feature on The Powerful Mrs Coulter.

If you somehow missed the series, or want to revisit these colourful characters, there’s no better way than to add this to your collection and wait with baited breath for series three.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2020)  

Featuring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and James Nesbitt.

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Warner Bros. Home

November 2020

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases the  outstanding New Line Cinema and Metro Goldwyn-Mayer movies The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – in a Trilogy Boxset. They are mastered in stunning 4K Ultra HD resolution with High Dynamic Range, which showcases a wider colour spectrum (brighter, deeper and more lifelike) for a much improved viewing experience. The remastering was overseen by original director Peter Jackson...

Peter  Jackson, of course, famously adapted J. R. R. Tolkien’s timeless The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books into the films The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. So ground-breaking and successful were they that the studios wanted Jackson to move directly on to The Hobbit – a prequel of sorts. However, he had worked tirelessly for five years on three films back-to-back and was desperate to do something else. It was reported that the studio executives threatened to give The Hobbit film to someone else, but he was determined to have a break. It was well that they waited for him, because Jackson essentially made three long but very fine movies based on only a single book – and a relatively short book, come to that. One of the writers for the film was Guillermo del Toro, a director I have a great deal of respect for (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, etc.). In the films, Bilbo Baggins is politely goaded by the wizard Gandalf into accompanying a band of warrior dwarves in an epic journey to take back their home in Erebor from the fearsome dragon, Smaug. They are obliged to tackle Orcs, Goblins, Mountain Giants, and a host of other hazards. The cast includes Ian McKellan, Martin Freeman,  James Nesbitt, Sylvester McCoy, Kate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, Benedict Cumberbatch, and many, many more.

I mention the word ‘stunning’ in the first paragraph, and I don’t use  it lightly. Many 4K releases fail to impress, as they are simply up-scaled or poorly mastered offerings. Some truly stand out. V For Vendetta, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and the John Carpenter films Escape From New York and The Fog are good examples of how they should be. Even Carpenter’s The Thing was released as a Blu-ray but with 4K remastering of the original negatives, and it’s so good that I spent much of the viewing time appreciating scenery I had not seen in detail before. I would certainly place The Hobbit Trilogy in this top class group of releases. There appears to be more depth to the experience, and the colours are vibrant without being cartoonish. Everything seems more real and gritty; which is certainly what is required in a fantasy – albeit a Dark Fantasy from a classic book. I possess the original DVD releases of these films, and noticed no difference at the time because you come to accept the new technology as standard. But the difference between the DVD and 4K viewing pleasure is tantamount to the distance between The Shire and Erebor.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is also available in the same format: both have the Theatrical Version and the Extended version of each film (6 discs in each set). These contain only the films, no extras. Both trilogies are also out in Steelbook format. It should be pointed out that in the Summer of 2021 a 4K UHD “Middle Earth”  Ultimate Collectors’ Edition featuring the Theatrical and Extended Versions of all six films, with new Bonus Content and Blu-ray versions of the films also included, is released. You might feel this is a bit of a con, but some people only want to see the films, and are not interested in the special features. Therefore, if you are a Peter  Jackson or Middle Earth keen enthusiast I would suggest waiting and saving your pennies for the Summer Ultimate set. My opinion is that these should have emerged at the same time. But as for this trilogy set, it’s practically faultless.  

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2020)  

Featuring: Scott Adkins, John Hannah, Lashana Lynch, Elliot James Langridge, Tommy Flanagan.

Directed by: Martin Owen

101 Films

January 2021

Teenager Sarah is a dedicated gamer; obsessed, her dad might call her. She suddenly finds herself inexplicably transported into a platform adventure, becoming a male crewmember on a spaceship commanded by the talented but self-important Captain Max Cloud. She discovers she cannot direct the character’s actions, so it proves timely when a gaming associate arrives at her empty house looking for her. After his initial shock has abated, he learns that he can communicate with Sarah through the console’s headset. Obliged to play the game of life or death to its conclusion, Sarah and her companions find that their ship has crashed and there is a gaping hole in its side. Furthermore they are continuously attacked by humanoid fighters sent by the evil manipulator, Revengor who, it seems has a history with Cloud...

The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud – to give it its full name – is a science fiction comedy. However, unlike the excellent Galaxy Quest, this film has a problem with its balance. It’s a nice idea to have a modern movie made about a retro 1980s/1990s computer game, and it’s equally bold to set it in that time period. Surely such a notion is doomed to failure? I believe the format may have worked a little better if the flick was set in contemporary times but still revolved around a retro game. There would have remained a clash of culture, even though the game is futuristic. Another problem is that most of the characters are dull, and made more forgettable by the misappropriated humour which misses its mark so many times that it leaves behind a residue of bad puns and pantomime set pieces.

Isabelle Allen is pretty good as Sarah, but wasted by spending half of the film as a disembodied voice. Scott Adkins plays Max Cloud as reckless and annoying. I realise that is how it’s written by director and co-writer Martin Owen, but he proves to be far too irritating and tiresome for the title character. Even the happenstance friend Cowboy (Franz Drameh) is a little slapstick in places. The injection of the lone gunman Brock Donnelly (Tommy Flanagan) only works to a certain extent to inadvertently bring Cloud down from his high horse. By far the best character is the main villain Revengor. John Hannah (perhaps best known for Four Weddings and a Funeral, and McCallum) plays the role like a dramatic thespian, and in doing so adds some much-needed quirkiness. It’s fitting that his sidekick, the warrior witch-like Shee (Lashana Lynch) is nastier than he is.

I wouldn’t like to suggest no one will like the movie. Perhaps I just require more substance, and don’t suffer fools gladly – whether they be fictional or real. It is certainly true that you will need to leave your IQ at the door. Just accept it for what it is, and it will pass an evening with a bowl of popcorn. 101 Films has released this on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital formats. There are no extra features, almost unheard of in this day and   age.

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2021)  

Featuring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt and Christopher Plummer. 

Directed by: Terry Gilliam 

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

December 2020
 

It’s the year 2035. Only one percent of the Earth’s population has survived following a catastrophic disaster. They live underground while the animals and insects claim the old cities. ‘Volunteers’ are picked to suit-up and risk the uninhabitable surface. One such person is ex-violent criminal Cole (Bruce Willis). After a successful excursion, he is put before scientists and chosen to be sent to the past. He thinks it is 1996 – the time that the Twelve Monkeys phenomenon first appeared – but he is really in 1990. His sometimes violent attempts to warn people of what is about to happen land him in a insane asylum. Only Dr Kathryn Railly (Madeline Stowe) listens to his ravings. She has the distinct feeling she has seen him before. Armed with only two clues, together they must solve the puzzle of the Twelve Monkeys before humanity is made completely extinct...

Receiving this Limited Edition DVD version of Twelve Monkeys for review throws me back to when I had the original video release of the film. That is an irony in itself considering the nature of the plot. My first impression back then was that the story was left open and the film consequently not properly finished. However, a satisfactory conclusion isn’t always the most important part of a movie’s structure. So, a number of years and thousands of viewed films later I find myself with a different opinion. I’m not keen on films which are tied-up in neat little packages and are obliged to explain themselves. The way I look at this now is Cause and Effect. Time will not be compromised; any attempt to change it will throw you into a time loop.

Twelve Monkeys was inspired by Chris Marker’s 1962 short film La Jetee. This film wears the cloak of a science fiction, but breaking it down to its bare bones it’s something like The Butterfly Effect mixed with Groundhog Day or Happy Death Day. Then, thrown into the stew is Environmentalists, Political Activists and Insanity. It’s certainly a good romp, but it’s not the revelation it is claimed to be by some – although I’ll admit it’s arguably more relevant than it ever has been since the initial cinematic release.

Bruce Willis and Madeline Stowe are good together as the two key characters. Both reportedly took a pay cut in order to work with Terry Gilliam, who saw this as a premise similar to his previous film, Brazil.  Willis was given acting cliches to avoid by Gilliam, including the steely-eyed stare. The revelation here is the performance by newcomer Brad Pitt. Terry Gilliam was uncertain whether Pitt could play the required crazy/eccentric part, and so sent him to a voice coach. Subsequently, he discovered he need only have taken away the man’s cigarettes! Between the end of filming and the release of the film Brad Pitt’s star was in the ascendancy, having appeared in Interview With a Vampire, Legends of the Fall, and Seven.

Extra features include: a Feature Length Documentary The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of Twelve Monkeys; and the Strictly Limited Edition contains a Twelve Monkeys Pandemic Mask.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2020)  

Featuring: Masaaki Sakai, Masako Natsume, Shiro Kishibe, Toshiyuki Nishida, Tonpei Hidari.

Directed by: Toshi Aoki, Jun Fukuda, Kazuo Ikehiro, Yusuke Watanabe, Daisuke Yamazaki.

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

October 2020
 

“In the worlds before Monkey, primal chaos reigned. Heaven sought order. But the phoenix can fly only when its feathers are grown. The four worlds formed again and yet again, as endless eons wheeled and passed. Time and the pure essences of heaven, the moisture of the earth, the powers of the sun and the moon worked upon a certain rock, old as creation. And it became magically fertile. That first egg was  named ‘thought’. Tathagata Buddha, the Father Buddha said, ‘With our thoughts we make the world.’ Elemental forces caused the egg to hatch. From it then came a stone monkey. The nature of Monkey was irrepressible…”

Confused? I’m not surprised. The pilot episode crams so much back story into the proceedings that it’s enough to turn anyone off before the series even begins. Try this synopsis instead: For his arrogance and troublesome nature, Monkey is given a lower position in heaven in order to teach him responsibility. However, when he eats the protected peaches of strength and immortality, and attempts to take over a position of power – even disrespecting the Buddha – he is expelled from heaven and trapped under a mountain for 500 years. The Buddha has written new scriptures and tasked a young priest, renamed Tripitaka, to journey to India to recover them. But the quest will be a dangerous one, so the priest is accompanied by the released Monkey who is controlled via a mentally-controlled headband which gives monkey pain when he becomes wayward. Also, along on the journey are two other expulsions from heaven, Pigsy (a humanoid pig monster creature of gluttony and lust) and Sandy (a humanoid sea monster and ex-cannibal).

By the end of the second episode the format is in place, the journey has begun, and Monkey has even fought and outwitted a thief demon. A water dragon makes the mistake of eating Tripitaka’s horse, and so is obliged to take the shape of a white horse and carry the priest for the entirety of the journey. It even talks to the others when it feels like doing so. All this sounds completely crazy, doesn’t it? But it’s great fun and in turns both ridiculous and extremely amusing. For anyone old enough to remember, the 1970s incorporated Kung-Fu mania in the form of Bruce Lee, the hugely popular series Kung-Fu (starring David Carradine), and even Kung Fu disco and pop songs! Monkey emerged in 1979, around the same time as the excellent The Water Margin. If the latter was the more serious and adult of the two, the former was aimed at a family audience and particularly kids - which is curious considering the backgrounds of Pigsy and Sandy. The whole thing is so quirky, the trio of guides/protectors bounce off of each other and are almost constantly in conflict with each other, even though they fight as a unit.

Fabulous Films have released a Blu-ray set of the complete series for the first time anywhere worldwide. There is also a complete DVD set (which is what I am reviewing). Monkey, a Japanese drama based on a Chinese tale from the 16th Century about a Buddhist priest from the 7th Century, was reworked for a British audience by scriptwriter David Weir, who had previously adapted The Water Margin. Monkey was screened on BBC2 in 1979 to much acclaim. They showed 39 of 52 episodes. David Collins who voiced the title character sadly passed away earlier this year. He has appeared in Doctor Who, Sapphire and Steel, and Gerry Anderson’s UFO.  Peter Woodthorpe who voiced Pigsy has also passed on. They have certainly left behind a legacy here. You may be interested to know that Miriam Margoyles voiced many of the female characters on the show, and Andrew Sachs voiced Tripitaka’s horse who is really a Water Dragon. The ‘lost’ 13 episodes were dubbed by Fabulous Films in 2004 using the original cast, and were narrated by Bert Kwouk (Cato in The Pink Panther films).

Although Restored, these episodes do not appear to have been remastered from the original negatives. In other words, they really should look brighter and crisper. But don’t let this spoil your enjoyment of a fondly remembered series. I didn’t notice any existing damage to the picture or sound, and it’s eminently viewable. It really is great to have some of these old shows returned to us from an age when we believed that if you missed it you’d missed it forever. Extras include a Documentary about the dubbing of the lost 13 episodes, and PDF Scans of original dubbing scripts.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2020)  

Featuring: Diane O'Bannon, Roger Corman, Bijan Aalam, Tim Boxell, Axelle Carolyn.

Directed by: Alexandre O. Philippe

Dogwoof

September 2019
 

Only days after if was released in selective cinemas, Dogwoof releases Memory: The Origins of Alien, on DVD and on Demand. Said to be the most comprehensive documentary on this ground-breaking film from 1979, it incorporates interviews, storyboards, artwork, and a history from original concept to realisation...

Although it could be argued this genre began in the 1950s with the plethora of fun science fiction monster b-movies, the modern era of SF horror undoubtedly began with Alien in 1979. Without the style, impact and, ultimately, the success of this enterprise there may not have been many other subsequent big budget Hollywood ventures. In fact, so enduring was the rude awakening that humanity isn’t the dominant species in the universe that it has remained with us for four decades. Many movies have tried to emulate Alien (among them Species and Splice), but even some of the sequels have fallen short in that respect.

As you would expect, the documentary explores many (although not all) of the film, concentrating mainly on style and the timeless chest-bursting scene. There are snippets of interviews with the late Dan O’Bannon, the scriptwriter, and new interviews with his widow. O’Bannon, of course, worked alongside the great John Carpenter on Dark Star (which he also acted in). When they fell-out, O’Bannon worked on his own concept called Memory (from where this documentary gets its title). At some stage in the process the name changed to Star Beast (a rather tacky title), before settling on Alien. The strength of the original 29-page script is evident in the fact the first section of the film remained unchanged.

For me, by far the most interesting and informative part of this documentary lies with the origins of the alien designs and environments. Of course, we all have H.R. Giger to thank for the artwork which had never revealed the like in popular culture. His phenomenal designs were described as menacing, uncomfortable, sexual and beautiful. It has been said that much of his artwork was influenced partly by the ancient Egyptian culture, but more fully by the tales and themes of classic horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. I adore Lovecraft; I have a leather bound complete collection of his work, which I have read at least three times, and some favourite stories more frequently. Lovecraft’s setting and slow-burn creeping menace (or, as Lovecraft himself would put it: The Crawling Chaos) is all over Alien – as well as Event Horizon, another favourite of mine. Giger even published a collection of his work under the title The Necronomicon – a forbidden and rare book invented by Lovecraft, incorporating all of the information about the Elder Gods (or Old Ones) – creatures that would be likely to send even the reader to the edge of madness.

Yes, Giger was influenced (is any idea completely original?) but this stuff - enhanced even further by Francis Bacon’s The Furies – had never been seen before. So, for the first time the public was offered a culture not even slightly humanoid. Life is the only film to even get close to emulating the impact of Alien. So powerful was Giger’s influence that when the film company banished him from the project, director Ridley Scott brought him back in.

Much as this is an interesting and compelling documentary, I do rather feel short-changed on extras (of which there are none); considering there is a Blu-ray set of the six (non Predator) Alien films, with extended cut versions of some, and other extras, for only £15.99. Although this is a 95 minute piece, when you consider John Carpenter’s The Thing had the full feature, plus an 80 minute documentary and a whole host of brilliant extras, I think this would sit more comfortably as a special feature – perhaps on a future 4K collection of the films.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2019)  

Featuring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare.

Directed by: Daniel Espinosa

Sony Pictures Home

September 2017
 

An international space station comprising a crew of two British, two Americans, a Dutch woman and a Japanese man collect a mineral sample from a satellite which has been to Mars. They find a single cell life-form which contains all the ingredients for growth and evolution. When it begins to react to stimulation the news is a relayed to an excited Earth. However, precautions are taken by placing the lab in quarantine and, when the life-form appears to die, an electric shock causes it to react with violence. Despite protocols it manages to escape the lab, where it grows and shows adaptability and natural predatory survival skills. Suddenly, it is not only the remaining crew-members who are in danger but the very existence of life on Earth...

This is very much Alien for the new generation, and boy does it work! When Ridley Scott’s first Alien film emerged to an unsuspecting public, aided immensely by H. R.  Giger’s design, nothing like it had been seen before. In a science fiction environment it offered an example of what could happen when man ventures out on to other planets. Life explores an even more potentially realistic scenario. What really brings it home is that this could happen right now. We have a space station, we have exploratory satellites taking photos and samples. Furthermore, an  edge-of-the-seat atmosphere is created very early by having a nondescript alien organism (dubbed Calvin). The greatest fear in life is fear of the unknown, and at no time do we learn what it is capable of, what it can survive, or how it might adapt and evolve in any situation. There are some serious scares, so rare in films these days.

A variation on the Wish Fulfillment saying is: Be careful what you  look for, you might just find it. In a sense, this gives credence to those dissenters of certain social networking who opine about opening a can of worms. This is pushing that scenario to the limit. After all, renowned science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once said that if we ever came across extraterrestrial life it would be so different that we wouldn’t even recognise it for what it was.

Directed by an enthusiastic Daniel Espinosa, Life is very much a joint  effort, with actors such as Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada and Ariyon Bakare working well and naturally together. It’s a nice touch to have the  Japanese astronaut’s wife having their baby on a video link so, in effect, he can be there. This creates an important link between the astronauts and the Earth, and an even more important one for the viewer to realise the situation is critical not just to the space station but the entire planet. The weightlessness is handled extremely well, so that rather than the slow weighted shoes of other films they zip around with some speed in this one, heightening the pace and sense of constant peril. This tightly-shot base under siege-type film is well worth a look.

Extras include: Astronaut Diaries (characters shooting video sequences for the public back home); Creating Life (The Art and Reality of Calvin); Life in Zero G (about filming the movement of the characters); and Claustrophobic Terror: Creating a Thriller in Space (documentary). 

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2017)  

Featuring: Christian Slater, Brendan Fehr, Amy Matysio, Michael Therriault.

Directed by: Roger Christian

Signature Entertainment

May 2013

Three men and a woman comprise the only crew on the ARK moon base. When the structure is hit by an unscheduled meteor shower, it causes a considerable amount of damage, as well as affecting the life support. However, they soon discover that is not the worst of their problems. The female crew member has ventured on to the moon surface to check the damage, and unwittingly brought a bacterial contagion into the complex. Spores on a rock fragment reproduce, and the woman undergoes a full pregnancy in a matter of hours. The creature spawned mutates and replicates a crew member. The woman and the copied crew member have seen it, but Colonel Brauchman and the doctor believe they are suffering hallucinations brought on by carbon monoxide poisoning, caused in the damage. The truth will have to be realised soon, because the creature is using the shafts to watch and study them and their weaknesses, and it’s intent on killing them all...

There aren’t nearly enough science fiction horror films any more, as all or most seem to be compared with Alien. Of course, Stranded does borrow heavily from that SF classic. There’s the claustrophobia, the use of ventilation shafts, the gestating alien and, most notably, the escape pod fiasco. There is also use of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario, along with the body horror of John Carpenter’s The Thing. Even Predator gets a little wave, as does Event Horizon (a vastly underrated film). In fact, it’s very difficult for the genre to be  original; it has taken on established acceptances and fears to deviate too much from that path.

I like Christian Slater as an actor - and we don’t get to see him as much as we should – but to be honest, he’s not given a great deal to work with here. So, we get an enjoyable enough film. Action I can do without, but character strength and plot tension are essential qualities which are just a little lacking here. I don’t want to come down on Stranded  too much, as it’s very obviously a low budget outing; it’s just that to make itself known it needs to incorporate something radically  different. I appreciate convincing hard science fiction, but only if it has something new to say.

Roger Christian directed Battlefield Earth. I don’t think that’s something to brag about. The novel is one of my favourite books of all time, and an international bestseller. The movie, however...  Well, let me simply say it takes awful to a new level. So Stranded is definitely a step in the right direction.  

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2013)  

Featuring: Jon Gries, Kyle Davis, Michael Black, Erin Cahill, Steve Barg and Taylor Bateman.

Directed by: Devin McGinn, Steve Berg.

Signature Entertainment

February 2014

A group of scientists and paranormal researchers arrive at the Skinwalker Ranch in Utah, to investigate a series of reported phenomena surrounding UFO sightings and cattle mutilations. This was the site where a young boy called Cody Miller went missing in 2010. His father saw him disappear in a bright flash of light, but other people in the region are divided over whether he was responsible. The father is as determined as ever to recover his boy, but the new arrivals at his ranch seem significantly more interested in the shocking and, frankly, frightening events which begin almost the moment they arrive. What appears to be the boy runs through the kitchen and vanishes again, large bright lights and smaller orbs are seen, dead bats crash into the roof, and a very large and ferocious animal attacks them. Then the group discovers that the organisation which funded this research was also at the ranch in the late sixties. A video tape is discovered, which reveals that a missing girl was found, but that she was something else when she returned. All bar one of the group are desperate to leave, but will whatever is there allow them to leave...?

I wanted to get this review out of the way first from the current batch, as I was fully expecting another Paranormal Activity-type movie where someone runs around with a camera for ninety minutes, doing nothing very interesting, and then the film ends suddenly, making you rue that hour and a half you’ll never get back. Although this one does end suddenly, there’s a very valid reason for it. As well as POV hand-held camerawork, there is also a certain amount of traditional  filming. I must say that this is the sort of movie where you expect very little and so are pleasantly surprised when you get so much more. I’m not a fan of films which tie-up everything in a neat little package, as if you might not understand what has been rammed down your throat from the start, but in this case it would have been nice to get even a little hint of what this was all about, in terms of the reason why the events were taking place and what significance the ranch has in the visitations.

So, you can see I’m rather torn on this one. The plot, although  apparently partly based on a true story, doesn’t really go anywhere. The characters are a little stereotypical, to the extent of being bland, all except for the boy’s father, who acts exactly the way you would expect him to, given the situation. The saving grace here is that shocking events come relatively thick and fast, and crank up the viewer interest (if not the tension) with increasingly bizarre happenings.

For all its faults, I found myself enjoying Skinwalkers, proved by the fact that the 86 minutes running time seemed to fly by. I  just can’t find myself forgiving the non-conclusive and sudden ending. The Blair Witch Project has a lot  to answer for. 

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2014)  

Featuring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. 

Directed by: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. 

Universal Pictures (UK)

March 2012
 

An American paleontologist is sent thousands of miles away to a remote Norwegian research base in the frozen wastes of the Antarctic. A major scientific discovery has been made in the ice. There is what appears to be a spacecraft, and nearby an alien creature embedded in the ice. The ice block is transported to the camp for study, but the unknown occupant of the UFO makes its escape as the temperature rises. The men and women of the base will soon come to realise that the newcomer is a deadly predator that can skillfully duplicate its prey, so that their living conditions become a boiling pot of ill-trust and paranoia. However, for the paleontologist there is the added realisation that the Thing can not be allowed to escape to populated areas...

For anyone who isn’t aware of its illustrious background, this tale began as a short story called Who Goes There? written by SF scribe W. John Campbell Jr. In the 1950s, Western filmmaker Howard Hawkes adapted it as The Thing From Another World.  John Carpenter was greatly inspired by the techniques utilised by  Hawkes. In 1982 Carpenter returned more closely to the source material, accentuating the claustrophobia, paranoia and base-under-siege format. He has described this as his best film - both in its latter day success, and the enjoyment in the making. So, what do you do when confronted with the situation of updating/remaking a cult classic? Answer: you make a sequel, or in this particular case a prequel.

This version of The Thing acts-out what took place at the  Norwegian base prior to those events we all know and love from Carpenter’s film. Essentially, it means that this film ends at the point Carpenter’s begins - with the helicopter pursuing the fleeing dog across the ice. The danger here is that continuity has to be right, and that’s exactly what director Matthijs Van Heijningen has striven for in an attempt to make these earlier plot lines canon to the fans. On the extra features virtually everyone spoken to talks about paying homage to Carpenter’s fantastic film. After watching the film I would say homage means copying almost every aspect of  it.

Consequentially, I found myself appreciating the technical prowess of the new film, whilst pretty much hating it. For instance, the monster effects are a combination of animatronics, prosthetics and CGI, and it’s evident even to the untrained eye that what works least well here is the CGI. The open-body tentacles look fake, whereas the body sculptures work quite well. The obvious problem is that the majority of creature reveal moments are drearily close to the originals featured in John Carpenter’s far superior movie. There’s that homage again. Also, I like the way this film uses natural fire rather than CGI fire, which even in multi-million pound blockbusters still doesn’t work.

In all other respects this is simply a by-the-numbers rehash. It lacks characterisation; everyone is faceless canon fodder. The feeling of dark oppression and paranoia which completely permeates the celluloid of Carpenter’s film is completely absent here. There’s no mood, and you just don’t care about the proceedings. In short, there’s nothing new about this film, apart from the idea of looking in people’s mouths, as the creature can not replicate non-organic  material - i.e. teeth fillings. For real tension, check out the scene in Carpenter’s film where they take blood samples to discover who has been replicated.

There are apparently two versions of this release. One with just the new 2011 film and extras (commentary, deleted scenes, The Thing Evolves, Fire & Ice)  -  and a 2-film version which includes Carpenter’s 1982 film and a horde of extras. Take my advice, buy the 1982 film; it’s superior in every way.

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2012)  

Featuring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley and Delphine Chanéac.

Directed by: Vincenzo Natali.

Optimum Home Entertainment

November 2010
 

Two  young scientists are attempting to isolate genes from a newly created hybrid creature for the purposes of combating certain diseases. However, unbeknown to the company, they have created another creature with human DNA present. The animal human hybrid becomes both smart and unpredictable. Initially, scared, they come to love the creature. But their unusual child continues to transmogrify, eventually metamorphosing into something very different and very dangerous...

I very much expected this film to be a third rate copy of Species (and I didn’t even like that film very much). However, I was immediately intrigued by the concept and how it was played out. There is a morbid fascination which draws you in and ultimately makes for compelling viewing.

One of the largest moral dilemmas we are ever likely to confront as human beings is present and foremost in this movie. The human ingredient in this hybrid makes the creature at once both an abomination and a sentient being with human rights. It’s a Frankenstein tale of sorts, but pushed to the very limits. Instead of an animated monster made from dead human body parts, what we have here is an evolving inter-species organism, which takes on some human characteristics whilst remaining a long way from being human. Just when the key players are growing attached to it, there is a further development which makes it even less human - merely humanoid. The survival of the creature could almost certainly seriously affect the ecological balance of the planet, but can they remove themselves emotionally enough to do what is necessary?

There are some nice extras included on the disc: an informative interview with director Vincenzo Natali, who also directed the excellent Cube; a 32-minute featurette (A Director’s Playground); a 33-minute Behind the Scenes documentary (including extraordinary visual effects and make-up); and a Trailer. This is one of those films which very naturally portrays what might well happen in the near future, and leaves you thinking at the conclusion of events. It is well worth a look.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2010)  

Featuring: Anna-Katherina Scwabroh and Martin Rapold.

Directed by: ‎Ivan Engler

Optimum Home Entertainment

July 2010
 

The year is 2267. The Earth is said to be largely uninhabitable, with the population crammed into orbiting space stations. Medical doctor Laura Portmann dreams of joining her sister on the paradise world of Rhea, which is continually teased to the populace. But the journey and transfer is hugely expensive, so she takes a job aboard the cargo ship Kassandra on an eight year trip to a space station orbiting Rhea. The crew undergo cryogenic hibernation with each of them being roused separately for an eight month shift. Laura has the final watch, and immediately begins to hear sounds coming from the hold. She also has the sense she is being observed. When she comes across the security chief, Samuel Decker, Laura initially assumes the mystery is solved. However, they are forced to wake the rest of the crew prematurely to search the immense cargo bays, and it is then that they uncover a conspiracy which shakes the human race to its very foundations...

This is a German film with English subtitles. I hadn't come across it before, although it was presented at the 2010 Sci-Fi London Film Festival. It has a slow and steady build-up with visuals to keep you interested, which is probably why it reminded me in format of those early scenes in Alien. I kept expecting some sort of monster to lumber out of hiding and pick off the crew in established fashion, one by one.

Cargo is very much a grounded science fiction with a human interest story - as all the best tales are. The problem is that it will only appeal to a select niche of viewers. There is next to no mainstream accessibility which, although personally is seen as no real hardship, will certainly hinder its path to commercial success. Furthermore, the excruciatingly slow pace caused even my interest to wane at times; and I have more patience than many for a believable and realistic low-key plot.

As mentioned, the visuals are very impressive without ever being over-bearing. The space station from which the cargo ship leaves is stunning, and seems like a somehow merged scene from Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Philip K. Dick's Blade Runner (or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - for purists). Cargo can't be faulted for its sets and down-played special effects, but what is really missing is the excitement, the tension, the suspense. You just don't care about anything that happens.

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2010)  

Featuring: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster.

Directed by: Christian Alvart

Icon Home Entertainment

February 2010
 

A military lieutenant wakes from cryogenic sleep aboard a spacecraft which appears to have lost all power. Aided by his superior officer, he starts the long journey to the bridge (by-passing sealed doors and crawling through ventilation shafts) to discover what has happened. Unfortunately, the effects of the sleep means he can't remember anything about the ship or its mission. When he finds the bodies of operatives belonging to a follow-up task force to his own, it becomes alarmingly obvious that something is awry. He doesn't know the half of it; a large contingent of violent mutant bipeds has overrun the ship. The reactor is on a critical countdown, and the cargo consists of the last vestiges of the human race. Hope of survival appears impossibly thin, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance. However, help comes from the most unexpected quarters...

The pull here as far as actor appeal goes is Dennis Quaid - the only big name in attendance. However, the vast majority of the action and plot centres on the 'soldier boy' lieutenant, as he makes his way initially to the bridge, but getting diverted to engineering when he learns that the reactor is going critical. The idea here seems to be to explore the evolution of a seemingly abandoned craft. The mutants themselves look great; they are cleverly depicted in quick movements and editing cut-aways, so that we have to wait until at least halfway through the film before we see them in their entirety. It's at this point that they strongly resemble the carnivorous attackers from John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars - particularly the warrior-like leader.

The lighting is kept very low, which comes as both a blessing and a curse; keeping dangers half-hidden to the detriment of actually seeing what is going on. The special effects are saved for the shot of the spacecraft at the beginning, and the ejection of the life pods to the surface at the end. I can appreciate the attempt to do something different with the sci-fi/horror genre, but ultimately it only amounts to a run around. 

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2010)  

Featuring: Isaac C. Singleton Jr, Clark Bartram and Damien Poitier.

Directed by: Sandy Collora

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment

September 2010

When their spacecraft crash lands on an inhospitable barren world, three surviving battle-hardened soldiers discover that the dangerous criminal they were transporting has escaped. Orders from the highest echelons dictate the quarry should be brought in alive at all costs. However, the troopers are not being told the whole truth; the so-called criminal is the last human, and he holds critical information. A game of cat and mouse ensues, but who will get the upper hand, and what is the crucial information which needs to be protected...?

I'm sad to say that my first statement has to be a reference to the film print carrying a 'Copy of Moviehouse Entertainment' warning across the screen. This is of course extremely annoying and detracts from what otherwise might be an entertaining experience. This treatment of the reviewer as a potential illegal pirate copier makes it difficult to be objective. Let's face it, we are giving their film publicity... And now with that justifiable rant over with, let's turn to the film itself.

The marketing blurb carries a quote from Totalfilm.com which compares Hunter Prey to classic Star Wars. Although it falls well short of reaching those simple but innovative heights, it does have its moments. It's one of those movies which somehow manages to be both tedious and compelling. The early scenes consist of three helmeted figures tracking a distant black-garbed escapee. Consequentially, there is an inordinate amount of sleep-inducing traipsing over sand hills and across rocks (the most fun you can have in a quarry when it's your day off from waiting for the kettle to boil). In fact, there is so much of this padding that the entire plot could comfortably be played out in a third of the running time.

There are pleasantly surprising moments of brilliance. The fact that the escaped criminal is a man would be a great reveal, if not for the film's tagline and cover pictures giving it away. However, the main strength of Hunter Prey is the dialogue, which is always grounded and realistic - particularly between one alien and the human. Without it I think the film would be unwatchable. Add to this the very impressive make-up and prosthetics, and the restraining hand with regard to effects, and what we are left with is a slightly above average film which could have been so much more.  

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2010)  

Featuring: Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner, Arthur Hill, Yul Brynner.

Directed by: Richard T. Heffron.

101 Films

2009

Two years after the disastrous events which took place at Westworld, when state-of-the-art humanoid robots broke their programming and began killing the guests, the Delos role-playing leisure resort is re-opening, claiming all-new ultra-safe technology and new zones - one of which is Futureworld. As expected, interest from suspicious holidaymakers is low, and so to boost popularity dignitaries and selected media people are invited along with the idea of them spreading the word of their experiences. Chuck Browning is the reporter who publicised the events at Westworld and therefore destroyed the reputation of Delos. Along with TV presenter Tracy Ballard, an old flame, he arrives at the resort where he is promised access-all-areas. Suspicious to the point of paranoia it doesn’t take him long to wander from the accepted routes. In the underground tunnels linking the zones Chuck meets a technician who takes him to a restricted area. Here they discover a terrifying secret which could make or break the new Delos...

After the simple but masterful creation that was Westworld, Futureworld tries to mix things up with kidnapping, killing and intrigue. During the first half of the film Peter Fonda’s character achieves nothing of any significance in what amounts to a tiresome run-around. Only when he meets the technician, and his faceless android friend, does the pace pick up a little. However, there’s far from enough to keep the general viewer interested. It only needs one essentially good idea, but the big secret here is a plot device which was being used in science fiction films in the forties and fifties.

It's nice to see the abandoned Westworld zone, which after all is cheaply and easily created using the backlot from any western feature. In my opinion it would have been a simple and logical notion to have the technician rebuilding the old gunslinger in his spare time and have it disrupt the Futureworld zone by killing the prominent guests. Instead of that, what do they use the remarkable and prestigious acting talents of the returning Yul Bryner for? Tracy's dream sequence wherein they dance and kiss. To say that he is woefully underused is the ultimate understatement; all I can say is I hope he got paid a lot of money.

Futureworld is pretty close to a pointless exercise. It never garnered much attention at the cinema and I can't see it gaining a retrospective DVD following (especially with no extras). The sensible option would be to package it with Westworld and allow it to hang on to its great predecessor's shirt tails. 

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2009)  

Featuring: Simon Callow, John Shrapnel, Lucy Cudden and Kal Weber. 

Directed by: Julian Doyle 

Universal Pictures (UK)

September 2008
 

In a Cambridge University laboratory a very unusual science experiment is underway. A virtual reality suit is linked to a super computer, but the project goes seriously awry when, unbeknown to his colleagues, occultist Victor Neumann uploads the works and black magic ceremonies of the notorious Aleister Crowley in binary form. After donning the suit, Classics lecturer Dr. Haddo turns from a self-conscious stutterer to a self-assured, even arrogant and conceited verbal and physical aggressor. Having shocked his students and outraged the faculty, Haddo sets out to repeat and progress Crowley's so-called 'sex magic' using depraved acts and hallucinogenic drugs - to the point where he actually believes himself to be a reincarnation of 'the  wickedest man in the world', the universally condemned Beast. But when Haddo displays more knowledge of Crowley than even a madman scholar would, his former colleagues are forced to find a way to reverse the process...

Chemical Wedding is co-scripted by Iron Maiden front man, Bruce Dickinson, based on his solo CD of the same name. Not only have I been a more than avid follower of Maiden since their self-titled debut album in 1980 (yes, I am that old, though I remain young at heart!), but I also know, as do many others, that Dickinson is multi-talented: he is a singer/songwriter at the top of his profession, a jumbo-class airline pilot, a novelist, a BBC radio DJ, and a former national-level fencing coach. With all this in mind, the question is can he add screenplay writer to his résumé. The answer is yes... sort of.

The  slightly non-linear, loop structure to this film will undoubtedly confuse many mainstream viewers, who might prefer your standard beginning, middle and end whiz bang Hollywood blockbuster. Personally, I can appreciate the attempt to achieve something a little different. This movie explores such topics as quantum physics, time theory, alternative universes, and of course the occult - so the closest connection it might have to another film is something like Donnie Darko or Primer.

Although I would describe Chemical Wedding as thought-provoking, it's far from being staid. The dark humour isn't prominent, as some media quotes seem to suggest, rather it is dropped in subtly in various places, particularly in some of the ceremonies and latter dialogue. In the same way that Westworld is a good film made a hundred times better by the excellent performance of Yul Brynner, the same can be said for Simon Callow here. The larger-than-life presence of the well-known thespian means that he dominates every scene in which he appears. Callow's acting is fabulous, especially considering some of the questionable actions and lines he has to contend with.

Okay, so this isn't a film that's going to be remembered in ten years time, but it is valiant attempt to do something out of the ordinary. Extras include a Making of... documentary; Deleted Scenes; a Trailer; and a Commentary by director Julian Doyle, co-writer Bruce Dickinson and producer Ben Timlett. And watch out for a couple of cameo appearances by the Bruce-meister himself.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2008)  

Featuring: Clovis Cornillac, Vimala Pons, Arben Bajraktaraj, Tony Amoni, Gabriella Wright. 

Directed by: Franck Vestiel.

Momentum Pictures

July 2008
 

A man wakes up in a cavern deep below the ground. Naked, he possesses no knowledge of his identity or location. The dead body next to him seems almost incidental to his concerns. Progressively climbing, he comes across different levels with evidence of technology. It is the remnants of a research facility. The mysterious organisation appears to be known as Eden Log. As his memory slowly returns, the man will learn he has an inextricable link with the place. The answer apparently lies on the surface, but he will need to avoid capture by people who want him stopped at all costs...

Although the mood lighting is very dark, and the plot pacing at times excruciatingly slow, Eden Log is nevertheless simultaneously curiously compelling. Much of the running time consists of Tolbiac crawling over or climbing rocks, and examining wire conduits, trunking, wire fencing and the occasional video sequence welcoming people to the complex.

It's not until halfway through that we learn the KC is the subject of an intensive search to prevent him reaching the surface and a secret to be protected. A researcher, wild roaming mutants, and a female who appears to know something about his identity and purpose are additional components in a film which asks more questions than it ever answers - right up to and including the conclusion.

The mutants themselves are intelligently filmed in quick, fleeting movements, and the sympathetic characterisation of the protagonist being obliged (not always successfully) to control his mutant urges creates a little tension where there is virtually none.

Comparisons have been made with the debut films of other notable genre directors. I can detect a little of Natali's Cube (a fantastic film that explains nothing), and a more notable influence from Lucas' THX 1138; however, to call this a 'thought-provoking and stylish sci-fi shocker' (as the press release does) is being just a touch too complimentary to a low budget feature which appears to imply (as do other similarly-structured examples, such as Primer) that you will only enjoy this if you are of a certain intelligence.

Having said that, mainstream viewers will find little to satisfy here. Eden Log is a good attempt at an original hard science fiction, but suffers somewhat in the entertainment stakes.

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2008)  

Featuring: Roy Thinnes, Ian Hendry, Patrick Wymark, Ed Bishop.

Directed by: ‎Robert Parrish 

Universal Pictures

September 2008

European space agency EUROSEC receives pictures from a probe revealing an identical-looking Earth-like planet on the exact opposite side of the sun. Failing in their attempt to raise an expedition, they bring in the Americans. However, the American representative refuses to put forward the huge finances. Only conclusive evidence that top secret data is being smuggled out to a foreign agency convinces them all that expediency is required - on the proviso that the Americans install their own qualified astronaut. When he and an astrophysicist crash on the surface of the planet, they wake up to find themselves back at EUROSEC, with officials demanding to know why they turned back. When his colleague dies of his injuries, the American astronaut is left alone to convince others of his sanity. Countless minor differences tell him he is not where he thinks he is... 

Anyone who attempts to explore the difficult subjects of time or parallel/mirrored universes is always going to inadvertently invite an endless flow of paradoxes and “what if?” scenarios. So what we have here is great material for a surreal discussion down the pub. For example, if everything is mirrored or reversed on the other planet then surely all of those people the astronaut thinks he knows would be talking backwards. The bigger question lies with the question of freedom of choice. With everybody in both their professional and private life occupying the exact same roles, it would seem to suggest the citizen’s lives are mapped out for them and each person and his/her doppelganger act in tandem.

All of that aside, from a modern casual audience viewpoint, many will find JTTFSOTS exceedingly slow. By this stage of his career Gerry Anderson was already a household name, with Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons under his belt - to name but a few. But he had always wanted to break into live action films, and this was his big opportunity.

Although things never really went Anderson’s way on that score, JTTFSOTS is of particular interest to me because it is here that the initial style and development began for his next big series, UFO. Personally, I believe UFO to have been the pinnacle of Anderson’s TV achievements. It was an outstanding series of which many teasers are evident in this film. Most notably many of the actors secure regular character roles in the series, including Ed Bishop, George Sewell as well as others - although the big name draw here is Herbert Lom. The futuristic cars, the costumes (including spacesuits), the architecture and the excellent model work (which even holds up to close scrutiny today) are also very similar. Just a word also for the music, composed and performed by Anderson stalwart Barry Gray; it’s as excellent as ever (don’t expect pop songs here).

The DVD has been available in America (under its stateside name of Doppelganger) for some time now, but this is its debut release in the UK. And very welcome it is too. Fans of Gerry Anderson will no doubt lap this up, but I would also recommend any curious newcomer to this film to pick-up the UFO box set. You won’t be disappointed.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2008)  

Featuring: David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone 

Directed by: Paul Bartel 

Universal Pictures UK

September 2006

In the totalitarian future setting of the year 2000, Mr President has given the people the national sport of the Transcontinental Road Race. The five main contenders are Calamity Jane Kelly - Queen of the Road - in The Bull ("My fans can wish me all the luck they like; if my luck with my lovers gets any better I'll miss the race entirely."); Swastika Sweetheart - Matilda The Hun ("Whoever named your car The Bull was only half right."); Nero The Hero - in The Lion; Machine Gun Joe ("Loved by thousands, hated by millions.); and the people's favourite, Frankenstein, who wears a half-mask to hide his horrific injuries. In this race hit and run isn't a crime, it's a national sport. There's 10 points for women, 40 points for teenagers, 70 points for toddlers under 12, and 100 points for the over 70s. But the race isn't the only concern for the drivers. Mrs Payne, leader of the Army of Resistance against Mr president's state rule, tries to scupper the race. As the drivers begin to fall, Frankenstein has to beware the extreme violence of Machine Gun Joe, the scheming of his own navigator, and the attempt to kill him - in order to achieve his own ultimate objective...

This is a film that can be appreciated on different levels, in a similar way to the camp 60s series of Batman. Although this is an 18 certificate, kids would appreciate the idea of racing drivers running over people for points (certainly they would see more violence on many computer games), but when you view this as an adult you realise the whole concept is very much tongue-in-cheek.

There's some terrific black humour which is as humorous now as it would have been then. More so, in fact, because it has a great sense of nostalgia attached. Euthanasia Day at the Geriatrics Hospital is a wonderfully sick idea, especially when Frankenstein steers around them and knocks down all the watching nurses instead.

There's more one-liners than you can steer a car at. Even Mr President gets in on the act when he announces that he suspects the treacherous French of the sabotage of the great race and national economy, and adds that the word sabotage was invented by the French.

At the time of this film's release, David Carradine (Frankenstein) was the star of the piece, being well-known already for playing Caine, the lead in the popular Kung Fu series; but only a year or so later Sylvester Stallone's (Machine Gun Joe) career skyrocketed with Rocky. For contractual reasons, Stallone's name couldn't be placed above Carradine's in subsequent marketing, so they have since received joint star billing for the film.

The budget for Death Race 2000 was around the $300,000 mark, which was pitifully low for the time. However, surprisingly, there are no real shortcomings translated to the screen. Shakespeare it's not, but it's quirky, it's fun, and it's unarguably one of the best products to come out of the Roger Corman stable. This is an adult, live-action Wacky Races. Enjoy it in the spirit it was meant.

Extras include an Interview with Producer Roger Corman, Trailers, Posters Gallery, and Biographies.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2006)  

Featuring: Tom Baker.

Directed by: Max Barber 

Liberation

2006

Tom Baker's Ultimate Sci Fi Quiz is just one of a hundred or so interactive test-your-knowledge DVDs (covering everything from Bullseye to Emmerdale) which have leapt, seemingly with a life of their own, on to the shopping shelves in time for Christmas. On face value this should be the ideal purchase for any visitor to (or reviewer for) Sci-fi-online, but does it match-up to expectations...?

The premise behind the concept is that you are the captain of the SS Hawking, a research vessel which has been sucked into a wormhole and thrown 20,000 light-years from Earth. Your ship carries invaluable information about black holes which is vital in the fight against the Martian Separatists. You attempt the journey home by answering questions (sounds like a particularly bad Blakes 7 plot to me). Kirk never had this trouble; he simply punched out the bad guys and seduced the green-skinned ladies with three breasts.

Anyway, the questions are grouped into twelve categories. You select a category and are given five questions, for which you are offered four options each. If you answer correctly your ship moves forward 1,000 light-years (1K), and if you get it wrong you remain in position. The goal is to get back to Earth before the questions run out. There are six rounds in a game, with five questions per category. So you need to answer twenty out of thirty. Just to confuse matters, periodically you are given a "Wormhole Detected" warning, and if you mess-up on the next question you are moved back 1K. The two player option differs in that you both play the same categories, but you can be thrown behind or in front of the other player depending on how you fair after the wormhole warning.

Tom Baker asks the questions, and it's obvious to me that he's only there as a name to capture potential sales. One moment you get caught up in his enthusiasm and another he seems acutely embarrassed. The first time I played this game I answered every question correctly. The queries are not very simple, but any long-time follower of science fiction is going to know most of these answers. Over the next few tries many of the same questions popped up, leaving me wondering just how many there really are. Some categories I wasn't so hot on, but I still had to purposefully answer incorrectly just to discover what would happen at the end (not much - just a little bit of sarcasm from Baker).

Clips and stills are used from many films, but certain movies and subjects seemed to arise more than most. The Land That Time Forgot, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Doctor Who are just three examples. All of this silly scenario is superfluous to requirements; it would have been much better to ask general SF questions and specialist subject ones, with perhaps the rewards for success being the unlocking of certain film and TV clips. The worst thing I found about this release is that at no point does it allow you to pause or fast forward, so if the telephone rings or someone knocks at the door you're stuffed.

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2006)

Featuring: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova and Lance Henriksen.

Directed by: Paul W. S. Anderson 

20th Century Fox

March 2005

Weyland Industries picks up a heat signature in an uninhabited sector of Antarctica at the location of an abandoned Whaling Station. A team of experts is assembled and dispatched to investigate. Weyland himself (Lance Henriksen) explains to them that an ancient temple, perhaps the earliest sign of civilised life on earth, has been detected far beneath the ice. A thermally cut pipe already leads down to the temple, technologically far in advance of man. But the experts aren't the only ones interested in the ancient construction. A spacecraft arrives and dispatches three hunter predators. The human presence in the temple activates a dormant alien queen, and quite suddenly the team is caught in the middle of an alien versus predator fight which has raged for thousands of years...

Alien Vs. Predator has been on the cards for some years now. The moment 20th Century Fox realised they had possession of two successful and eminently workable franchises it was only a matter of time and the right script before the two came together to wage on-screen war. Dark Horse ran a highly popular comics series which ultimately kept the concept in the public mind. This is primarily Paul Anderson's baby, which he nursed for some time before it finally came of age [in fact reviewgraveyard.com were the first to break the news that Anderson had secured the directors chair on this movie], apparently impressing the film company with the vitality of the script. He also directed the piece, and I must say, although certain parties have seen fit to criticise the finished product, I personally think he put out a very enjoyable film. It's necessary to make that clear now, because you could quite easily systematically pull AVP apart.

Firstly, it borrows from plenty of other film sources. Okay, so no idea is totally original, but if you ignore the many peripheral connections, here we are still left with major elements of Cube (the reconfiguring rooms), Tomb Raider (the interior settings and action sequences), and The Thing (exterior settings and notions). Secondly, if the predators were only interested in humans as cattle-like hosts for the ultimate prey, then it's pretty unlikely one of them would arm and team-up with one, even if she did save its life. If the temple is a trap for the human team, how are so many aliens activated when there is only a handful of humans to act as potential hosts, and why do only three predators arrive to sort out the mess?

Then there are the more simple mistakes. Why does the Alexa Woods character not freeze to death on the surface whilst fighting the alien queen? It seems to be forgotten that this is Antarctica and she is in a T-shirt! The exertion would only cause her to lose valuable body heat more quickly. Also, why isn't the predator craft detected by satellite? The predator multi-readout vision allows them to see an alien gestating in a host; so why did the other predators not see the one in their own colleague? And what is the explanation for the alien/predator crossbreed? Had the predators been playing with genetics, or the two species doing the squelchy together.

As a naturally inquisitive person all of these thoughts were running through my head. However, I also like to immerse myself in a film I'm watching, and I can tell you even bearing all of the above in mind, I didn't let it spoil my enjoyment. It even creates a back story scenario explaining the connections between the two races.

The first disc in this two-dvd presentation contains a normal and extended version of the film, a commentary by Lance Henriksen and Sanaa Lathan, a second commentary by Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. and John Bruno, and Inside Look (trailers for other Fox films, including Hide and Seek, Elektra, and Robots).

Disc two features: Pre-production (a long and interesting documentary), Production (another documentary), Post Production (Visual Effects Breakdown, and 11 deleted scenes with optional commentary), Licensing the Product (The comic book, and Monsters in Miniature by Todd McFarlane, an entertaining overview of the Spawn.Com company), and Marketing (HBO Special, teaser and trailer). So plenty for your hard-earned groats.

Whilst never even likely to aspire to the heights of Alien and Aliens, AVP is considerably better than the abysmal Alien 3 and more exciting than Alien Resurrection. Buy it. 

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2005)  

Featuring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max Von Sydow, Brian Blessed. 

Directed by: Mike Hodges 

Momentum Pictures

October 2005
 

For no other reason than to alleviate boredom, an unknown aggressor toys with the Earth prior to its planned destruction, by directing freak weather conditions and laughing uproariously like the egotistical megalomaniac he is. American football star Flash Gordon and Dale Arden are hit by the sudden conditions, causing their pilot to be lost, and obliging Flash to crash land the light aircraft... on the laboratory of ex-NASA scientist Dr Hans Zarkov. The seemingly mad Zarkov manages to get them on his rocket which he aims at an anomaly in space he believes is attacking the Earth. They are soon arrested and taken to a palace where different races are paying fealty to Ming the Merciless, Emperor of the Universe. When Ming heartlessly kills a man, Flash disrupts the proceedings and for his troubles is sentenced to death in a gas chamber. Not a good day for anyone ... even a square-jawed hero. Can he escape and rescue the doctor from his mind conditioning and Dale from her fate as a concubine? Stay tuned, same time, same DVD to find out!...

There are two ways the making of this film could have been approached. One was to play it serious and hard-hitting, to reinvent the old comics and serials from the 1930s, the other to pay tribute to the serial's regular slices of ham and drama. With the former idea the format would have had to be spot on to succeed, but thankfully they chose the latter.

This loud and colourful tongue-in-cheek version throws an open nod and wink in homage to the black and white days of Saturday morning kids cinema, with thrills, spills and kills. The balance is just right. The characters are all played purposefully over-the-top (particularly Brian Blessed's portrayal of Prince Vultan of the Hawkmen, which is like a cross between Santa Claus and the Jolly Green Giant), and Melody Anderson's Dale Arden flits between helpless girly and action heroine. Who can forget the immortal line, "Flash, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!" Believe it or not Max Von Sydow's Ming is the most intelligently understated acting, even though he's supposed to be the evil villain.

Watching this movie is like a game of Who's Who. Aside from the aforementioned, there's Timothy Dalton, Topol, and shorter appearances by Peter Wyngarde, Susan Danielle, Robbie Coltrane, Peter Duncan, and the excellent Richard O'Brien.

The accompanying soundtrack by rock giants Queen fits the mood of the piece exactly, being both quirky and dramatic. You can tell that they all fully entered into the spirit of the thing to achieve a piece which undoubtedly enhances the whole.

DVD extras include a trailer, a Mike Hodges interview, photo gallery, and an episode of the original Flash Gordon series, starring Buster Crabbe (which gives you an inkling of just how well this film has captured the mood).   I doubt very much that this is a film people will want to watch over and over, but it is great fun. All together now, "Flash! Ah, ah ..."

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2005)  

Featuring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley and Delphine Chanéac.

Directed by: David Twohy.

Universal Pictures

August 2004
 

Riddick, a dangerous convict, is being transported aboard a civilian spacecraft to a new location. The craft becomes damaged by space debris and is forced to crash land on a nearby planet. The captain and others are killed, leaving Fry and Johns in charge of a group of survivors. After a run-in with subterranean creatures, they feel safe in the knowledge that three suns will bring constant light. However, once every 22 days the suns align behind other astral bodies, creating sustained complete darkness. At first they hide away inside a construct left by the previous settlers, wiped-out by the creatures. But their sources of light cannot last forever. They need to make the journey to their wrecked craft and carry the heavy power units to an intact ship left behind by the vanished people. It seems like a suicide mission, especially when they have to rely on the multiple murderer, Riddick, who with unique implants is the only one who can see in the dark...

This film borrows from so many sources it's amazing it works at all, and is not subject to immediate derision. But work it does. You could say Pitch Black is a construct of so many ideas that the whole gives the impression it's something entirely new and original. The dangerous convict being transported comes from Con Air (a brilliant, purposeful over-the-top satire); the transported convict being relied upon for help is straight out of John Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13 (there's that name again); and the empty settlement and dark-loving, ferocious and lightening-quick creatures must have brought an ironic smile or grimace from James Cameron in regards to his Aliens masterpiece. Even the views from the planet surface reminds me of the computer-generated terrain created for the early Planetary Traveller DVD. But who cares; nothing is totally original in this day and age.

Pitch Black made quite an impact with science fiction fans upon its cinematic release. In retrospect, the film company has seized on Vin Diesel's Riddick as the winning element, hence the Dark Fury and The Chronicles of Riddick follow-ups. But it is not the man but the look and feel of the product that wins through. This success is down to a number of factors: the low-key mood; the over-bright, sun-washed look of the planet surface; and the manner in which the creatures are kept mainly to the darkness, so you see more movement than detail, are just a few examples. A couple of things don't work. Fry's crisis of conscience is a mite overacted, and the holy man's faith in God's protection being severely tested has been portrayed in so many films that it merely induces a groan from this reviewer now.

Comparing this Special Edition version with the original DVD release, I found there were not too many differences. The widescreen and 5.1 sound are the same, the two commentaries are the same, the Making of Pitch Black is the same, and the trailers too. What's new is an Introduction by the director, an early Scene from The Chronicles of Riddick film, a Trailer for the game Escape From Butcher Bay, the Making of the Dark Fury animated film, and The Johns Case Log (computer diaries tracking Riddick).

You would need to be a Pitch Black fanatic to buy the DVD again for what amounts to a handful of minor extras. If you're buying the film for the first time, however, I would strongly recommend this release.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2004)  

Featuring: Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Dennis Quaid, Charles Frank and Ed Harris.

Directed by: ‎Philip Kaufman

Warner Home Video

July 2003
 

Based on a book by Tom Wolfe, the history of aviation in America is portrayed from the later forties, with the first breaking of the sound barrier, through to the early space program. A group of elite pilots are selected to train for the Mercury project space race against the Russians, and put their lives on the line for the pride of America...

Four Academy Awards notwithstanding, whether you enjoy The Right Stuff or not depends very much on who you are, or at least where you are situated in the world. There is more than enough to appreciate if you look in the right places. The filming is undoubtedly top-notch stuff, and the presentation informs you that the piggy bank was raided for a suitable budget. But then you have the dialogue and overall feel of the thing.

In the entire history of film and TV, I don't think I've ever come across such gung-ho, self-obsessed, shameless backslapping, flag-waving, self-congratulatory Pepsi... I mean, patriotism. Oh, the puerile over-sentimentality. It felt so false. Everyone has the right to be patriotic, but this abuses the privilege. I watched it with one eye on the sick bucket, just in case. And, in the event the viewers might forget how they should be feeling whilst watching The Right Stuff, the Bill Conti music regularly crashes in over the top with its sickly, overemotional feel good score. It made the many John Williams contributions for Steven Spielberg sound harsh in comparison. If I hadn't been so worried about further increasing my nausea, I'd have stood up and saluted.

Why couldn't Philip Kaufman just get on with telling the story without all the twee singing of its own praises? A country or individual person is measured by his actions and achievements, not his opinions of them. Here we have a veritable plethora of screen stars: Fred Ward, fondly remembered for the low budget gem, Tremors; Lance Henriksen, the android Bishop in Aliens; Sam Shepard, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn - all of whom struggle not to drown in their own heroism and cheesy grins. Ed Harris, so good in James Cameron's The Abyss, plays John Glenn, the all-American blue-eyed ex-marine astronaut who can do no wrong. This he pulls off pretty well. In fact, for me the best scene of the movie is the one where his wife refuses an audience with the Vice President, and is supported wholeheartedly by Glenn via long-distance telephone.

Don't believe for one minute that I'm belittling the achievements of the real men involved in these historic events. My argument is that they were probably just doing the best they could in difficult circumstances. In this film the script has the space program and the media pour far too much syrup over the story.

For anyone with a stronger stomach than mine, this DVD package contains many extra features on a second disc, and must surely win a couple of points for its eye-catching design and attention to detail. You'll find included: a profile of the real John Glenn; commentaries by Philip Kaufman and other cast and crew; three documentaries; thirteen additional scenes; and an interactive timeline with NASA footage.

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Directed by: ‎the Wachowskis 

Warner Bros.

December 2004

It's what every fan of The Matrix movies want... more! More eye-opening revelations, more plugged-in discovery, more realms of bold possibility, as the trilogy that set a new standard in moviemaking now sets a new standard in DVD gift sets with The Ultimate Matrix Collection...

By now everyone's seen The Matrix, right? What do you mean "What's The Matrix?" So let's explore exactly what's on these discs.

This 10-DVD collection comes in two formats. The one I'm presently reviewing is a nicely-presented slip box incorporating five of the cardboard-type DVD cases and a detailed booklet describing by title the assembled features and breaking the films up into chapters.

In case you've been in another galaxy for the last century, the first film in the trilogy has Neo discovering that what he thinks is the real world is in fact a computer program created by machines which have humans wired-up like batteries to power their vast city.

The Matrix comes as an excellent 2-disc set. The first contains a new digital transfer of the film, a written intro by the writer/director Wachowski Brothers, and three new commentaries (one from philosophers Dr Cornel West and Ken Wilber, the other from critics Todd McCarthy of Variety, John Powers of Vogue and David Thomson, author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film). The second disc has a feature length documentary called The Matrix Revisited, 3-hours of audio music (made up of 41 tracks) called The Music Revisited, featurettes Behind The Matrix, and Take The Red Pill, Follow the White Rabbit (containing 17 featurettes originally linked in branching to the film, CD ROM material and Web Links).

The Matrix Reloaded is also a 2-disc set. After an innovative, intelligent and thought-provoking first film, this one tries to be too clever and simply ends up complicating the situation. However, there is a number of outstanding set pieces and these alone are worth seeing the film for.

The first disc contains The Matrix Reloaded film, with introductions and commentaries as per The Matrix. The second disc has Enter The Matrix (23 live action sequences shot for the video game, which tie-in with the overall structure of The Matrix trilogy) with Niobe and Ghost the main characters. There's also I'll Handle Them (Behind the scenes of The Great Hall sequence), The Exiles (explaining the backgrounds of the peripheral characters), Unplugged (the multiple Mr Smith fight), Teahouse Fight (where Neo is tested before seeing the Oracle), and Weblinks. The best section on this disc is Car Chase, wherein the Freeway Sequence is picked apart from concept to realisation. The motorcycle stunt woman is fearless, and the choreography and computer plotting is fascinating.

The Matrix Revolutions is the third of the trilogy, a generally action-packed but messy conclusion where the accepted exaggeration of the first two films went a little too far.

Again it's a 2-disc set for this one, with the movie and commentaries as per the first two films. Disc 2 is again packed with features. Crew explores set construction, artists, lighting and the 2nd film unit, Hel uncovers stunts, wire work, working extras, and explosive and physical effects. Siege describes making the machines a reality, computerising sequences, storyboarding the final scene of the Mifune character, constructing the IPU mechanical fighting machine, and the new actors for this film. Super Burly Brawl plots the shooting of the last fight scenes between Neo and Smith. New Blue World is about creating Zion, on-screen graphics, and constructing a fist fight in the real world. The Aftermath describes the music composition, shooting two films back to back and coding for cutting, sound effects, and rendering the visual effects.  The Animatrix contains nine short films (see my review of last year) totalling 89 minutes, and bonus material on a single disc. There are director commentaries on four of the films. Scrolls to Screen is a nice documentary on the culture and history of Anime. Creators is a text feature on the directors and segment producers. There is also a short featurette on each of the short films. This is a great disc with some extremely diverse stories in terms of style and content.

The final 3-disc section is called The Matrix Experience. The first disc is The Roots of The Matrix, an in-depth and surprisingly interesting documentary exploring the philosophies of the concepts covered in the trilogy. This disc also has another feature which investigates and theorises on the plausibility of the science behind the fiction.

Disc 2 contains some of the best material in this set. A long documentary called The Burly Man Chronicles (apparently a working title for some of the shoot) covers a countdown in approximate days of the training, set building, computer rendering, planning, acting, filming and a thousand and one other tasks carried out, all in the name of making a movie (or two, as this covers the back to back films). Every area is viewed or covered in some way, but never lingers long enough to make you lose interest. Furthermore, there's 21 White Rabbit branching link featurettes with the documentary. This, more than any other feature I can think of, will astound you with just how much is involved in presenting fictional celluloid for our viewing pleasure. It is extremely big business.

The Zion Archive, the final disc for this set, is the definite weak link here. Aside from semi-interesting concept artwork and storyboards, the majority of the rest comprises of TV spots and trailers for each film in the trilogy. The Rave Reel gives us music and computer imagery resembling a sophisticated Windows Media Player, and The Matrix Online shows and describes moments from the website game.

So, a lot to get your teeth into then. This set is a Matrix fanatic's dream. There's certainly a lot of attention to detail. However, I'm obliged I think to reduce my marks by a point from 9 simply because this is not a mainstream release. You would have to eat, drink and sleep - in fact, live and breathe - The Matrix to fork-out for more than 35 hours of bonus material. Nice idea though.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2004)  

Produced by Larry and Andy Wachowski

Warner Home Video

June 2003

Before viewing The Animatrix I had assumed it was an animated version of the original groundbreaking SF film. Thankfully, it avoids falling into that trap, instead opting to tell separate stories set in and around the world of The Matrix. To give credence and an added authenticity to the project, The Animatrix is produced by Larry and Andy Wachowski, creators and directors of the film trilogy. The first four of nine segments are also written by the successful partnership.

First up is Final Flight of the Osiris. This is entirely computer generated, and the superb quality and attention to detail is almost worth the money alone. Remember the "I know kung fu" training sequence from the first instalment? This begins with a sensual samurai sword fight, before we're thrust into a high-speed chase aboard the Osiris. The crew are forced to flee when they witness giant drilling machines attempting to bore through the surface to the human refuge. In an original twist, the mission is a disaster, and they are unable to issue a warning.

There is a dark and downbeat atmosphere to most of the stories here, which in this instance is as it should be; major turning points in life and the consequences of war seldom have a happy theme. And talking of war, The Second Renaissance Part I & II shows the events surrounding the war with the machines, created by man. After one robot kills and becomes a martyr, political 'do-gooders' decide that machines have rights too. The robots construct their own city, and their economy threatens that of the humans so severely that man launches an attack on the city, with devastating reprisals.

There are some serious images here, not seen in animation outside of Manga and Pink Floyd's The Wall. During riot scenes a woman's clothes are ripped off and she is violently clubbed, revealing a robot body beneath her outwardly human appearance. Robot bodies are bulldozed into a mass grave, a particularly poignant depiction after news stories in recent years from war-torn countries.

Whereas Renaissance is a mix of Japanese anime and CGI, Kid's Story is animated using a modern comic book style, with quick cuts and streaks successfully creating effective flowing movement. A new slant is put on an early scene in The Matrix. A high school boy is receiving answers to his questions via computer, but then the agents arrive for him. An escape is attempted via skateboard, and the boy is obliged to take a literal leap of faith.

In Program an ancient Japanese combat simulation proves to be a fight for survival when a friend appears to turn rogue. World Record is a strange one. A runner, attempting to beat his own best time, sustains a serious injury and briefly wakes up in the real world. The machines put him under again, but the athlete appears to suspect a new enlightenment.

Beyond is one of the best here. A girl loses her cat and traces it to a run-down and abandoned warehouse building, which the local kids insist is haunted. A broken lightbulb flashes on and off, it rains perpetually on one part of the building, and in one area the kids have fun in an antigravity field. The anomalies are a glitch in the Matrix program. An imposing truck arrives with a cleanup team.

A Detective Story is an anime version of film noir, with a private eye being tricked into tracking down a top hacker known as Trinity. If there is one example here which lets the side down slightly, it's Matriculated, wherein a group of humans attempt to capture and convert machines to their way of thinking. A good idea in principle; however, the virtual reality-like program utilised is just an excuse for some smart-arse kaleidoscopic computer animation running around, which lasts far too long.

Over all, The Animatrix is an original concept and an exceptional package. With extras including director commentaries, making-of documentaries on each segment, biographical profiles, a video game trailer, a documentary on anime, and DVD-ROM features, it's well worth anyone's interest. And the sound quality takes some beating.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)

Featuring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Directed by: ‎‎the Wachowskis

Warner Home Video

October 2003

In The Matrix Neo discovers that the world in which he lives is in fact an elaborate computer program. With the help of Morpheus and Trinity, he wakes up in the real world to find it effectively destroyed. The machines have won the war with mankind, but keep thousands alive as a necessary power source, human batteries. Neo and the others can be literally plugged into the Matrix and programmed with certain abilities, a la Joe 90, but the Matrix has a powerful defence mechanism; agents led by Mr Smith act as immune cells. Neo eventually learns he is "the One" of prophecy, the only human in a pocket of resistance who can combat the agents and take the first step towards fighting back against the program...

In this second instalment, the machines have located Zyon, the subterranean haven of the humans, and are drilling through from the surface. Neo, "the One", becomes more powerful as he discovers new abilities and undergoes prophetic visions. However, the agent Mr Smith has received an upgrade by the Matrix and is now much stronger and able to duplicate himself. Neo is directed by the Oracle to the Keymaker, who holds the secret to the source of the Matrix. Finally reaching the Architect, Neo learns that there has been previous versions of Zyon, each destroyed by the machines. It seems likely the same will happen again. Confronted with a Catch 22 situation of two choices, Neo decides upon another option...

I believe it is important to provide a synopsis of both films here, because The Matrix Reloaded assumes the viewer has already seen the fist instalment. Any newcomer to this three-part storyline will be completely lost by beginning here. The premise is complicated enough as it is. Ask four people what the plot of Reloaded is and the chances are you'll get four different answers. I did. This one leaves far more new questions than it does tie-up loose ends from the original film: Why didn't the sentinel machines simply follow the human ships into Zyon? Why don't the survivors in the real world simply awaken all the human batteries plugged into the Matrix? The cocoons were not well protected when Neo awoke from his in the first film. Are the twins programs written for the Matrix? Otherwise where did their unique abilities come from. All aware humans have extra abilities within the Matrix, but how did Neo come by his extraordinary gifts? Perhaps some of these questions will be answered in the last of the trilogy, but I doubt it.

The Matrix was an intelligent science fiction story with original ideas and new ways of realising them for the screen. It's almost as if the Wachowski brothers listened to the praise before dreaming-up a hyper-convoluted continuation which is just too complicated for even the most avid SF fans. So let's leave the plot behind, because this is an extremely entertaining arrangement of set pieces. The fight scenes are better than ever; the multiple Mr Smith example is itself longer than all of those featured in The Matrix. By far the biggest moment in the movie is the meticulously planned and brilliantly choreographed freeway chase, which incorporates several spectacular stunts, amazing effects and gripping martial arts. The extras documentary on this scene takes you from the script to the storyboards, a computer animation realisation, many discussions involving models, and practice runs on a mile and a half stretch of freeway literally built from scratch.

And taking of extra features, aside from the aforementioned freeway chase there is a shorter behind-the-scenes documentary, a featurette which looks at how the trilogy of films tie-in with The Animatrix and the computer game, a blatant advertisement for The Animatrix, the making of the game Enter the Matrix, the MTV movie awards, and design and advertising inspired by The Matrix. A fair amount, granted; but do they warrant a second disc? Maybe, maybe not. The Matrix DVD release set the trend for what was to come with a veritable plethora of features and linking themes, all on a single disc (at least initially). Reloaded carries a more standard format, when it could have once again reinvented the DVD format. Or am I expecting too much?

In many ways The Matrix is a better film than Reloaded, but the constant action scenes make this one more exciting to watch. So, my advice is to disengage your brain and enjoy the romp.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Vin Diesel (Voice). 

Directed by: Peter Chung  

Universal Pictures

August 2004

Riddick, Jack and holy man Imam are the sole survivors of the events which took place in Pitch Black. Now they find themselves intercepted by a mercenary ship. After a brief fight the three are captured and brought before the Lady Chillingsworth, a fanatic collector. She has hundreds of bodies in a state of suspended paralysis, all set in different positions like works of art. All of them are killers, and she wants Riddick as the main exhibit. However, she never sees the individuals in action, so cannot resist putting Riddick and the two others in an arena to fight a couple of tentacled aliens. Escaping after a surprise victory, the trio are hunted by everything the Lady Chillingsworth has in her force. One such fighter is her number two. Has Riddick met his match?...

The idea of Dark Fury is to cash in on... I mean, bridge the gap between Pitch Black and the new live action feature The Chronicles of Riddick, in terms of characterisation and continuity. This is achieved by means of a rather short animated film which mixes the techniques of computer imagery for spacecraft and backgrounds with the traditional hand-drawn style for the characters. It has the overall effect of a below average Japanese Manga.

David Twohy and the film company Universal have wasted no time here in jumping on The Matrix bandwagon by turning Pitch Black, or more precisely the character of Riddick, into a franchise. However, whilst The Animatrix was a first class collection of original shorts showcasing the various talents of writers and animators, Dark Fury merely comes across as a convenient excuse to advertise the new computer game and new movie, as well as whatever else they can think of to promote.

The story itself is a basic run-around, with nothing really being done with the potentially exciting concept of a collector of killers. Although the actors from Pitch Black provide the voices for the main players, nothing is pushed in the way of characterisation. Aside from Jack killing for the first time, the trio simply go through the (slow) motions. Don't get me wrong; the animation is very good, but the plot is derisory and the 30-something minutes length is an insult to potential film-fan purchasers. It leaves you wondering why they didn't make something better or nothing at all.

Extras include the Making of Dark Fury, Dark Fury Animatic (watch the film in rough images/storyboards/sketches etc.), Peter Chung - Into the Mind of the Animator, A View into the Light (brief talks about the new movie), Escape From Butcher Bay games trailer, and a trailer for the animated Van Helsing film. This may sound a lot, but aside from the animatic it all amounts to a handful of minutes. The truth is I feel cheated, and I'm certain many others will feel similarly.

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2004)  

Featuring: Christopher Bale, Taye Diggs, Emily Watson and Sean Bean.

Directed by: Kurt Wimmer

Momentum Pictures

October 2003

In a future society, where war has been avoided by the use of a feeling-repressant drug called Prozium, Neo ... I mean John Preston is a talented Grammaton Cleric (government agent) charged with the responsibility of seeking out illegal sense offenders and issuing immediate punishment. Death. After killing his own partner for reading poetry, he begins to question his own motives, Uncontrollable circumstances cause him to be late taking his dose of prozium, and once he begins to experience genuine feelings he finds there's no going back. But how can Preston survive among his own officers long enough to bring them and this totalitarian society down?...

In this modern age, there's no such thing as a totally original idea. Everything is at least partially based on a previous concept. Equilibrium is a film brought to us by the makers of Minority Report and Speed. The Minority Report connection is plain to see. There is a very Phillip K. Dick feel to this entire film, evident in the serious near-future society which is somehow twisted. This movie has also been compared much with The Matrix. The long coats, humourless faces, and excessive use of firearms and close contact fighting further confirm the fact. There is even an element of the early George Lucas book-turned-film, THX 1138, in which people are kept subdued by drugs, and physical sex and standard procreation is prohibited by law. However, there is another source that Equilibrium borrows from so heavily that I'm truly astonished no one appears to have noticed it before.

Master storyteller Ray Bradbury wrote a novel in the fifties called Fahrenheit 451 (which is the temperature at which paper burns). This was immortalised in a marvellous film in the seventies by Francais Trauffant. The plot was that books and literature of any kind is outlawed by government. People are told what to think and are obliged to watch a set minimum amount of hours TV every day (that's law now, isn't it?). Citizens report anyone suspected of having books, and the fire brigade arrives to summarily burn them. One such fireman keeps a book out of curiosity, only to get bitten by the literary bug. He finds himself in the same situation as John Preston, except his contact with the underground isn't so cut and dried. These people recite to each other individual classics by word of mouth, so they can be passed on and not lost forever to mankind.

Okay, so there's a lot of similarities here, but Equilibrium manages to spark its own slant of originality. There's much to appreciate in what first appears to be a blatant rip-off. Firstly, everybody wears dull colours and lives in a monochrome environment; this is a good way of displaying the general lack of emotional senses. Hidden rooms with concealed artefacts then suddenly seem blindingly bright with promise. The feelings, when displayed to us through John Preston, are subtle and so all the more potent. A sunrise, the touch of human skin, the petting of a puppy dog; all come across powerfully. For me, this film is more about the regaining of the human soul, than it ever is about the fighting. Of course, the fighting helps (there's even a shoot-em-up scene copied straight from The Matrix). It's very well choreographed, and there is even a training explanation why one skilled man can mow down hoards of machine-gun-wielding guards! I particularly liked the hand-to-hand fighting with guns at the conclusion.

It's almost ironic that this is no different to any other so-called ideal society, whose utopia must be maintained with an iron fist. The realism juxtaposes with the exaggerated fight scenes, producing a film well worth a viewing.

As far as the extras go, short seems to be the order of the day. Aside from a director's commentary and a director & producer commentary, there is only a short trailer and a series of very brief TV spots. If the behind-the-scenes feature had been at least 30 minutes duration I might have considered giving this release an extra point, but at only four minutes it hardly warrants that description at all. This is a "I did this film because it's ... er ...very good" series of quotes from the actors. It was hardly worth the effort, and a complete waste of film. My granny could have done better.

Sorry Momentum Pictures, but if you're going to add extras, do it like you mean it. Where are all the outakes, the cut or extended scenes, the biogs, the picture galleries, the in-depth interviews and demonstrations from the artistes behind the scenes? It's a good job the film is so good.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Johnny Yong Bosch, Jason David Frank, Catherine Sutherland & Amy Jo Johnson.

Directed by: ‎Bryan Spicer/Shuki Levy & David Winning

20th Century Fox

October 2002

Zordon, an interdimensional being arrives at the City of Angel Grove with his robotic helper, Alpha 5, to make a stand against the forces of darkness. When Ivan Ooze (yeah, really!) is accidentally released from an egg which has held him captive for six thousand years, the Power Rangers are sent to stop him, only to find they are lacking the necessary energy. Happily, there just happens to be enough on another planet...

You know when you get a movie which is so bad it's good? Well, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie isn't one of those; this is so bad it's worse! Power Rangers proved popular with kids a few years back, and was even the preferred toy at Christmas that first year. However, the minds and opinions of kids are at best fickle. Yesterday's newsis today's blues; what was hip is now hokum, etc.

From the start the Ranger kids are full of American clichés that are supposed to display their street cred. All it succeeds in doing is grating with the viewer, with excessive use of phrases like, "Right! Let's Go! Let's Do it!" and giving each other high-fives. I had to smile though when the villains legged-it during the first, prolonged metamorphoses into Power Rangers; it just about summed up the silliness of it all.

Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, is a considerable improvement on the first outing. Lerigot is a wizard that holds the key to interdimensional gateways. He is plagued by space pirate Divatox who wants to release a demon creature. Enter the Power Rangers and you almost wish for a nuclear strike to interrupt the viewing...

To be fair the Power Rangers are much more restrained this time, but why oh why must all the villains be so juvenile? You should never talk down to a young audience, because they're not as gullible and easy to please as it might seem. In these films the perpetrators of crime wear glittery armour and talk in high-pitch squeaky voices. There's no tension, only a never-ending series of set-pieces. Also, there's no valid reason why they want to rule the Earth, they just do. It's tantamount to the days of silent movie moustachioed villains twirling a cape and miming maniacal laughter.

The Power Rangers themselves look for all the world like a set of blackbelt colouring pencils. Hmm... Now there's a missed marketing opportunity. Power Rangers might well hold the attention of very small children now, but it was plainly a passing trend. I can understand the financial reasoning behind teaming-up these two releases; however, the metaphorical boat has well and truly sailed, leaving our unlikely heroes behind.

Verdict: 3 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Francois Chau, Paige Turco, David Warner & Ernie Reyes Jr.

Directed by: ‎Michael Pressman & Stuart Gillard 

20th Century Fox

October 2002

A company called TGI is disposing of a toxic chemical substance in a clean-up programme. The last canister is stolen by Turtles nemesis Shredder (sporting a rather fetching circular saw hat), who has miraculously survived their last encounter. He creates two creatures to take on the Turtles, using the same ooze that accidentally mutated our heroes. Chaos ensues as the Turtles, guided by their master Splinter, a mutant rat, take on the bad guys in a bid to explain their own origins...

Surprisingly Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze was a lot less painful to watch than the Power Rangers twin pack DVD also released by Fox this month. There's the same wisecracking, arse-kicking display, but at least the main characters are individuals and possess their own nuances. Nobody can stay serious for more than two minutes, and those that try ham it up terribly. I suppose any attempt to make a thought provoking plot is immediately shot down in flames when four plastic-coated bandanna wearing turtles leap into the scene. Even Yoda didn't get away with it in Attack of the Clones.

I have to give credit where it's due. The fight scenes are pretty well choreographed, but you can just hear the sound of true Ninjas from the ancient past turning in their graves. The one-liners, of which there are plenty, range wildly from the genuinely amusing to the outright cringe-worthy. It's just unfortunate that all but the tiniest percentage fall into the latter category. There's a monumental chasm between being funny and being silly; the Turtles, despite their martial arts, never manage to leap the gap.

The second disc in the collection sees Michaelangello, Donatello, Raphael and Leonardo return when friend April picks up a lamp standard from a junk shop only to discover it is a time link to the ancient past. April disappears, leaving a confused  apanese warrior in her place, so the Turtles must utilise the lamp to travel to the Japan of the 1600s in a bid to get her back. But an Englishman has aspirations regarding the amp, the only link to their own time...

The training/dancing scene to ZZ Top at the beginning of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III gave me high aspirations. This sequel borrows heavily from Shogun. The costumes are fantastic, the settings beautiful, the acting pretty good... and then there's the Turtles! If this film had been played straight or parodied the genre, it would have perhaps turned out one-hundred percent better. However, it does neither one nor the other, instead opting to scuttle about somewhere in-between. The Turtle speech is straight out of the Bill and Ted films, with "Awesome!" and "Dudes!" all over the place. Bill and Ted pulled it off, the Turtles don't.

Verdict: 3 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2002)  

Featuring: Ji-Tae Yoo, Jae-Eun Lee and Chan Yoon

Directed by Byung-cheon Min

Optimum Asia

August 2004

In a future society where cyborgs who look like real people can be owned, the city's police security force are on the trail of Cyon, a rogue cyborg who is very powerful and extremely dangerous. Meanwhile 'R', a reliable and respected member of the security force is giving his chief cause for concern. 'R' has fallen in love with the pleasure cyborg Ria (colloquially called Dolls by the media) and purchases her from a nightclub owner near the end of her three-year life expectancy. With the aid of a black market doctor/scientist he attempts to find a way to prolong her life. Unfortunately, this involves the use of a young woman from the streets, whose DNA structure is a near match, and he is caught between protecting a human life and saving his beloved. However, 'R' hasn't bargained for Cyon's own agenda involving the same woman...

This is a difficult one to read. It tries to be many things simultaneously, but fails to significantly be any one of them. Imagine a live-action Manga attempt at Blade Runner and you won't be too far away. There is the same mix of slums, street life and futuristic settings, with roving advertisements. There are many Manga-like fight sequences incorporating intermittent slow-motion reminiscent of The Matrix.

Natural City doesn't have the class of these influences, and it fails severely on an emotional level. Frankly, you just don't care about anyone in the movie. The most curious thing involves the dialogue; is it the fault of the screenplay or the translation to English subtitles that make the speech so unrealistic? Sometimes it feels like you're caught up in a pantomime rather than a film, with dialogue like "Duck", "Up above, now behind!" "Move!" and swear words which just appear funny because they don't appear to be in any context.

For those who might enjoy Natural City the extras are fairly good. There's a Making Of..., a Location Tour with the director, and three deleted scenes.

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2004)

Featuring: Starring: Michael J. Nelson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy and Jim Mallon.

Directed by: ‎‎Jim Mallon

Mediumrare Entertainment

May 2012

Stranded on a spaceship which looks suspiciously like a dog’s bone, Mike Nelson is the on going victim of mad scientist Doctor Clayton Forrester’s diabolical (you’re telling me!) scheme for world domination. He is obliged to watch the worst movies ever made, with only the company of two sarcastic robots called Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot. However, the scientist fails to recognise into his dastardly equations man’s indomitable sense of humour...

If somebody were to explain the premise of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) for the first time it would undoubtedly on the face of it seem like a brilliant idea. There is no plot as such; it is essentially showing an old B-movie and ridiculing it every step of the way with inane comments and ridiculous spontaneously invented dialogue. There’s not much else to say, aside from the fact only one of these endless ‘clever’ comments actually made me laugh. The majority of the remainder didn’t even bring a smile to my lips.

The film caught with its pants down  is This Island Earth, from the 1950s. I suppose with no logical direction it’s a prime candidate, but there are a lot worse films than this. Mystery Science Theater 3000, for instance. I’m led to believe that the TV series version of MST3K has proved to be quite a hit, but I’m afraid it just doesn’t work for me. Mock the Week manages a much funnier short version of the same thing whilst making it contemporary.

There’s no commentary in the extras, because that fundamentally makes up the movie itself. So we get a making-of... featurette, with most of the emphasis on the rod puppet robots, a trailer and a stills gallery.

Verdict: 3 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2012)  

Featuring: Naomi Watts, James Marshall and Michael Ironside. 

Directed by: Dick Maas  

Mosaic Entertainment

December 2003

After a group of pregnant women become trapped in an overheated elevator (that's lift to us Brits!), resulting in a couple of premature births, ex-marine and present day lift engineer  Mark Newman visits the 102 floor New York Millennium Building to check out the systems. Everything seems okay, but this is only the first of a string of dangerous occurrences. A building security guard is decapitated, a blind man walks through the doors into an empty shaft, the bottom falls out of a lift full of people, and there is a near miss with a little girl. It appears that the express elevators have a mind of their own. Accompanied by Jennifer Evans, a beautiful but nosy reporter who initially gets him into trouble, Newman investigates. They discover that the designer of the elevator computer system was expelled from the military after disastrous use of organic technology involving dolphins. His illicit work continues, but this time it's not dolphins he's using...

Down has a very much made-for-television feel to it. It's obviously fairly low budget, compared with most other modern cinema releases, and predictable in many areas. When regular film and TV bad guy Michael Ironside turns up as the villain of the piece, you instantly realise this was played as a safe bet. No casting against type here; Ironside is so established in this kind of role that the moment he makes his appearance you just know you should begin the booing and hissing, for no logical reason except that he's there.

Our hero fairs little better. He's a likeable enough chap, but too easy-going and weak for his supposed background. A tough ex-marine would surely push back when threatened. Here his military training is merely tacked on to explain how he can climb a lift cable and hang upside down to fire a rocket launcher. The reporter is the saving grace here: annoying, and yet good-looking and somewhat quirky.

However, the main plot strand makes little sense. Why would anyone want lifts to think for themselves? More importantly, after only a couple of major incidents, the building would have been closed to the public for a thorough investigation. In this age of political activists the police could not afford to take a chance of more people being killed, no matter how much revenue would potentially be lost. Keeping the entire building, complete with lifts with the hump, open is nonsensical, especially as the police and security all suspect terrorists.

A less than average film. On an even more ridiculous note, as the film ends Newman and Evans step straight into another building's lift. As they go down (!) the soundtrack kicks in with Aerosmith's Love In An Elevator. Yes, I groaned too.

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, & Hugh Marlowe.

Directed by: Robert Wise

20th Century Fox

March 2003

Klaatu arrives in America in his spacecraft (like you do!) to persuade the peoples of Earth to change their violent ways or risk annihilation. With atomic power capability utilised for bomb-making, the Earth is perceived as a threat to the peace and stability of other worlds. When the world leaders fail to agree on a venue, Klaatu melts into the populace to learn a little about everyday life and opinion. He approaches a renowned professor, who agrees to collect together the leading minds on the planet. Coupled with this, Klatu organises a worldwide demonstration of power. But has he reckoned on the primitive fears of mankind?...

This is arguably the best of only a handful of classic science fiction films to emerge in the fifties. Cold war paranoia spawned a veritable hoard of tales blaming the Russians in all but name - and their own atomic testing - for even the smallest petty ills. However, The Day the Earth Stood Still (from 1951) is the only example to expose this paranoia for the foolish and dangerous fright-mongering it truly is, and to leave the audience with a feeling of positive hope for the future. Even so, it takes threats on a massive scale to force the leaders of the world to consider change on a global scale. Who can blame poor Klaatu; if you were shot on your arrival and suffered worse before your exit, wouldn't you resort to threats to get your message across? Sometimes you have to talk to people in the only language they can understand.

The main strength of this picture is its simplicity of style, which lifts it well above period films of its ilk and ensures that it still stands up well today. It's a straightforward story intelligently realised.

Michael Rennie's portrayal of the visitor Klaatu is beautifully understated. He looks and fundamentally acts the same as other men, and yet he is subtly different. The odd comment here and there threatens to betray him, but he never seeks to hide his true feelings and the fact that the citizens of Earth are gearing towards their own destruction. Everybody is suspicious of their own shadow; when Klaatu first makes his appearance as Mr Carpenter at the boarding house, even the boy Bobby believes him to be a government agent searching for the alien.

Also wisely kept simple are the special effects which, particularly in this era, can make or break the project. The spacecraft as it approaches its landing point is shown as a disc of light, and the model shot of the touchdown is filmed in distance overhead perspective. The saucer set and its extending ramp are impressive, and GORT, the robot guardian, is mainly kept to longshots and extreme close-ups, rendering its presence large and oppressive.

The movie is full of defining moments, such as Klaatu completing complicated mathematical equations on a blackboard as a way of gaining the professor's attention. There is the poignant visit to a military graveyard, and the scene where the boy persuades Mr Carpenter (Klaatu) to take him to see the spacecraft. Not realising his companion is the ship's operator, Bobby asks about propulsion. A man in the crowd overhears Klaatu's "hypothetical" explanation and ridicules him, to the amusement of others close-by. The fact that nothing is actively played for laughs or is overtly ridiculous, means this film succeeds on all levels. It is undeniably a genre classic.

There's some nice dvd extras: Commentaries, Remastering Comparisons, Theatrical Trailer, and Movie Tone News of the time, reporting on the multi-nation Japanese peace alliance. This might very well have gained maximum points, but the sound quality could have been better, and the Region 1 version contains a making-of documentary, curiously absent from this release. But don't let these quibbles turn you off.

Invest in a copy now, or your world will be annihilated.

Verdict:9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Donald Pleasence, Martin Landau, Robert Culp, Barry Morse.

Created & Produced by Leslie Stevens

MGM

2005

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all you see and hear. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits...

I know more than a little about the original version of The Outer Limits. Believe it or not, I'm too young to remember its first airing in 1964, but it was sporadic at best. In 1980 BBC2 showed every episode. They were out of sequence, and moved from a regular early evening slot to a late night one for no explicable reason. But I didn't care. I couldn't get enough of them. I've loved this quality anthology series ever since, and it has for years sat in my all-time top five TV programmes.

Okay, so I appreciate the show. But why is it so good? Well, first and foremost the scripts are so strong; even those considered to be weaker knock spots off other shows of this format. Although The Outer Limits was devised by producer Leslie Stevens (he also wrote the pilot The Galaxy Being), the show's major success was undoubtedly down to Joseph Stephano, one of the best scriptwriters of his time. Not only did he write many of the best episodes, but also received co-credits for many others for his tightening of those scripts, making them compatible with the show.

The "Bear", which was what insiders called the monster of the week, was almost universally well-handled. Simple optical effects and good camerawork combined to make the creatures more threatening or otherworldly. One of the reasons why this series works so well is that everything is played straight. There is no underlying tongue-in-cheek "No, we're not convinced by the monster either!" attitude.

This first season DVD set incorporates 32 45-minute self-contained stories over eight discs (four titles on each disc). This differs slightly from the region 1 version which has been around for at least a couple of years now. That had four unlabeled two-sided discs, with only a microscopic A or B to distinguish each side. Don't expect any extras here (Isn't more than 27 hours of viewing enough, for goodness sake?!), and there is only the original mono sound. I surmise that to cleanup the picture would have significantly increased the cost of the set, but rest assured that only a couple contain minor scratches. On the whole, the picture is pretty much pristine.

If I were to list every good story it would take over this entire review, so here are just a few classic episodes. In The Zanti Misfits, a Zanti official contacts Earth saying that a penal ship will land and that they should not approach it. The area is cordoned-off, but a criminal and a runaway wife break through and end up stumbling across the craft. A Zanti creature emerges to warn them off and in the confusion the Zanti criminals make a bid for freedom. This is a well-written tale by Stephano, but the appearance of the Zanti turn it into a classic. The ant like creatures with humanoid features are creepy but make you smile at just how well they are realised.

In The Invisibles an undercover government investigator infiltrates a secret society where humans are hosts to parasitic creatures which are taking over positions of power. Again this is credited to Stephano, but shame on the producers for not crediting Robert Heinlein, because this is undoubtedly based on his novel The Puppet Masters.

In The Sixth Finger, a man volunteers to undergo a scientist's experiments in advancing man's evolution hundreds of years. He becomes much more intelligent, but to others his metamorphosis makes him so inhuman that he appears to them as a monster. Guest stars in this season include: Robert Culp (the ultimate jobbing actor), David McCallum, Martin Landau and a multitude of other faces many of whom you will recognise (Neil Hamilton, Commissioner Gordon in the camp sixties Batman series, is one of them).

In short, this is pretty near brilliant stuff. Go out and buy it. "We now return control of your television to you, until next time..."

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2005)  

Featuring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy & Others.

Created & Produced by Leslie Stevens

MGM

2005

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all you see and hear. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits...

Season two of this classic 1960s sci-fi/horror anthology series contains only around half the number of episodes of season one. The reason why we only get seventeen is because it was decided to abandon the show partway through due to reduced viewing figures. A tad short-sighted, methinks. You might say that Joseph Stephano was partly responsible for this. This superb scriptwriter and style-setter for the show had opted to leave the production at the end of season one, after being repeatedly refused permission to direct some episodes. Given today's attitudes that virtually any actor on a long-running series is given the opportunity to try their hand at directing, this is rather ironic.

The programme did suffer as a result of his missing influence. Although remaining of generally high standard, season two did wander from its original format. The music became more melodic, rather than eerie, and moral tales exploring every facet of the human condition were forgotten.

Having said that, season two does contain two classic episodes: Soldier (which was the root of James Cameron's idea for The Terminator) and Demon With a Glass Hand. Both were written by seasoned SF writer Harlan Ellison and both won the coveted Hugo Award. The former has two soldiers from the far future, bred only to hate and kill the enemy, being forced by an accident back to the past of the 1960s, where a psychologist attempts to teach one of them the concepts of love and family. In the latter, a future Earth is invaded by another race, only to discover the entire population has vanished. The answer lies with the last remaining man and his glass hand computer.

Another great episode is I, Robot, about a machine falsely placed on trial for murdering his creator. It explores whether an intelligent robot should have human rights, and is taken from an Isaac Asimov story, right down to the title. However, just like The Invisibles from season one, the original writer outrageously receives no credit. This idea has been used many times since, most notably on Star Trek: The Next Generation's The Measure of a Man, where the subject was the android officer Data. And talking of Trek, guest stars for this season included William Shatner, Robert Culp (again), and Leonard Nimoy.

While true that this set of episodes is not as strong as season one's, the divide is not as wide as you might expect. The quality remains true, so it is well worth picking yourself up a copy of this set. The retail price reflects the reduced content.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2005)  

Featuring: Adam West, Burt Ward, Burgess Meredith, Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Lee Meriwether.

Directed by Leslie H. Martinson

Fox Video

1995

"UNDER THIS GARB WE'RE PERFECTLY ORDINARY AMERICANS."

At last the sixties Batman film in its original widescreen format. There's so much to mention about this that it's difficult to know quite where to begin. Suffice to say Batman the Movie is a delight from start to finish.

The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), the Joker (Cesar Romero), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) join forces to form The United Underworld (sounds like a political organisation!). They kidnap Commodore Schmitlapp, an eccentric inventor, and use his creation to extract the water content from the bodies of the nine members of The United World Security Council, demanding one billion dollars from each relevant country for their return. Along the way they make several attempts to rid themselves of the presence of the Dynamic Duo.

The vehicles are all present: the Batmobile, the Batboat, the Batcycle and sidecar - all looking impressive except perhaps the Batcopter. Virtually everything utilised by Batman and Robin has a 'Bat' prefix to it, including mundane items. Batdrift angle, automatic Bathold, the clearly marked Batladder, and the Shark Repellent Batspray which he uses to persuade a rubber shark to release his leg, to name but a few.

The zany humour is the mainstay of the film; the plot is absolutely littered with verbal and visual gags, all the more amusing for being played straight - in a camp sort of way. Writer Lorenzo Semple, Jr. deserves much credit for the constant high level of self-deprecating jokes. The ridiculing of its own format was a large reason for the series' popularity, which remains with us even today.

Alfred driving the Batmobile in his butler suit with only a Robin type mask to disguise his identity; the Batcopter crash landing on foam rubber outside a wholesalers, after a near miss with one of the Riddler's polaris missiles; the porpoise which throws itself into the path of a torpedo to save the lives of Batman and Robin; the formation pacing in Commissioner Gordon's office.; the henchman eyeing Catwoman strangely when she starts making mewling noises; Batman destroying torpedoes with a radio receiver (teaching Jon Pertwee everything he knows about reversing the polarity); and the Admiralty selling a navy surplus pre-atomic submarine to a Mr P.N. Guin, who doesn't even leave a forwarding address. The in-jokes are countless.

Then there are the one-liners. "Let's go... but inconspicuously. Through the window." Confounded by the likes of nuns, ducklings, the Salvation Army, and courting couples, Batman utters the classic line, "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!"

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review by Ty Power. A shorter version of this review appeared in DreamWatch magazine 1995).

Featuring: Michael O'Hare, Tamlyn Tomita, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan, Andreas Katsulas, Johnny Sekka.

Directed by: Richard Compton

Warner Home Video

April 2002

The year is 2257. The setting: Babylon 5, last of the Babylon space stations. After the Earth - Minbari War ten years before, the Earth Alliance had commissioned the building of a neutral port of call for diplomats, refugees and travellers from a hundred worlds. It is now their last best hope for peace since Babylon 1-3 were sabotaged and destroyed, and Babylon 4 vanished without trace 24 hours after becoming operational.

Lyta Alexander arrives to take her place as resident telepath on Babylon 5. Commander Jeffrey Sinclair shows her to her quarters, cutting through the alien sector where the atmospheres and gravitational rotations are adjusted to suit the requirements of individual species. A human has arrived on the station with the throng of visitors. As he schemes behind closed doors, a mysterious limpet-like craft latches on to the hull and begins penetration.

The four main ambassadors operate as an advisory council to their races, like the old United Nations on Earth. Delenn represents the Minbari, comprised of three casts, religious, warrior and worker. Londo is the representative of Centauri Prime; the Centauri are grouped into houses, rather like ancient China, although Londo himself comes across as a gambler and womaniser, an individual nobody takes very seriously. G'Kar is from the Narn homeworld, a seemingly warlike race of humanoid reptilians.

The Vorlon Kosh, the last of the main four ambassadors, catches security off-guard by arriving two days early. No human has ever seen a Vorlon. When Kosh arrives a sudden power loss means Sinclair, chief of security Michael Garibaldi and first officer Laurel Takashima are locked behind a door leading to the docking bay. When it opens they find Kosh has been attacked. They get Kosh to medlab where they plan to open the encounter suit - in which the true being is encased - to assess the injuries. However, the Vorlons refuse permission for security reasons. Doctor Benjamin Kyle is ordered by Sinclair to carry out the tests anyway and he soon discovers that Kosh has been poisoned.

The doctor and Laurel persuade Lyta to perform an unauthorised telepathic scan on Kosh to find out what he saw, because if Kosh dies the Vorlons could retaliate and the consequences would be disastrous. When Lyta experiences a mental image of Sinclair slapping a poison patch on Kosh there is an immediate hearing. G'Kar acts as prosecution, suggesting Sinclair be tried in a court of law on the Vorlon homeworld.

Del Varner, the suspicious human visitor to the station, seems to be the obvious link until he is found murdered in his quarters, putting the frantic investigation back to square one. Having identified the poison, Doctor Kyle begins work on a counter-agent, with time seriously running out for Kosh.

Lyta tries to sabotage the progress of ambassador Kosh by attacking the doctor and altering medlab instruments, but Kyle manages to injure her and stabilise Kosh. It turns out that the aggressor wasn't really Lyta but an imposter. The limpet ship is a short-range vessel large enough to carry only one individual. That person is a shapeshifter, which is why Kosh saw Sinclair attack him. Sinclair and the others trace the energy output required to produce a holographic field, and Sinclair and Garibaldi (with flying recorder in tow) go hunting.

The Vorlon ships arrive demanding that Sinclair be handed over. Laurel patches into the recorder's images and broadcasts to the Vorlons. Kosh recovers, and Sinclair discovers G'Kar's Narn ship brought the changeling to the station, but has no definite proof. He bluffs G'kar into thinking he has swallowed an electronic locator device.

J. Michael Straczynski had carried many of the situations and ideas for Babylon 5 around in his head for five years before he got the chance to write the pilot. The Gathering was the selling point for the entire serial. It was offered around the TV stations and within minutes he would see eyes glaze over. Warner Brothers immediately understood the concept, however. For JMS it was a chance at last to realise his vision. "You just hope it's something close to how you conceptualise it. When I told Warner it was a five-year arc, they said 'You'll be lucky to get ten episodes, what makes you think you'll get five years?' I said, 'We're on a mission from God, all right? That's how I know.' They laughed."

When JMS became executive producer for The Gathering he made a couple of small changes to the finished product and let it go. He now admits that was a huge mistake, because just complaints were aimed at the lack of humour and characterisation, which were left on the cutting room floor. Obviously, he jumped at the chance when T&T offered him the opportunity to reconstruct and edit it for DVD, as part of the 5 TV movie boxset released on region 1. However, the film store which all the takes were in was damaged in an earthquake. Rats infiltrated through the fissures and ate some of the film, and there was additional stock which could not be used. Testament to the fact he learned a lot between the pilot and the first series about how the project should work was the evident complete change in look and feel on this producer's cut of The Gathering. Scenes have been rearranged, extended or edited, and the effects updated to reveal a finished product which naturally falls more in line now with the five seasons and other TV movies; whereas the original format looked a little stilted and felt too cold and clinical whilst still displaying all the makings of a stunningly original show.

Many of Babylon 5's story threads saw their origins first mentioned in The Gathering. There is the fact that Sinclair has a period of amnesia that he can't account for; the mysterious Grey Council, a group of the most influencial Minbari; the Earth-Minbari War, during which the latter astoundingly made the decision to surrender when they were at the point of winning (Delenn was originally to have been a male who becomes a female after metamorphosis, but the production suffered problems with the voice. And on the subject of voices, the studio asked for Patricia (Lyta) Tallman's voice to be looped because it was too harsh, and after the pilot aired they told JMS that she wasn't very convincing! So for this version of The gathering the original voice was used. The Psycorps, of which Lyta Alexander is a registered member, is to become a regular headache for Babylon 5 independent operations in the future.

On the subject of characterisation, Laurel Takashima was the person who was originally going to turn traitor, but actress Tamlyn Tomita didn't feel comfortable in the role so they went for someone stronger. Ed Wasser, who plays ops man Guerra under the orders of Takashima, would later return in a regular role as the Shadows' emissary, Morden. In this pilot G'kar is seen as the overall protagonist. The idea from the start was that JMS would offer a package which we are used to seeing as an audience, and then during the course of the series proceed to take everything we think we know and turn it on its head.

During the vision of the poisoning JMS admits that the patch was slapped on to a human hand which should not have been there. Similarly, why is there water leaking in when Sinclair and Garibaldi look over the damaged limpet (or spider) craft?! However, the pilot showed much promise for the five-year story arc to come. The sets and lighting are top-notch, and the computer-generated effects (innovative at the time) have been updated for the region 1 special edition. The amount of music by Christopher Franke has been doubled for this version. Straczynski could have left the final epilogue out of the re-gig, wherein Laurel announces that Babylon 5 is open for business, but that's a minor quibble.

The new version of The Gathering incorporates an entertaining and informative commentary by J.Michael Straczynski and Production Designer John Lacovelli (he reveals that whenever a member of cast or crew made a mistake the others would say, "There's a hole in you mind."), and an optional introduction to the story. Many changes took place (all for the better) between the recording of The Gathering and the beginning of Season 1, so it's rather ironic that the original format of the pilot was televised at the end of the first season in the US (Channel 4 flew the flag in the UK). Nevertheless, you have to admire the faith and confidence JMS had in Babylon 5; the original ideas, the determination to turn events and characters on their heads (it's all too easy to be protective of your characters), and the plain logic of revealing only the currently relevant snippets of information to the studio executives and particularly the actors, so as not to influence their decisions.

A solid start showing only a tantalising hint of the magic to come over the next five years.

Verdict: 6 out of 10 (8 out of 10 for the Producer's Cut)

(Review by Ty Power. A shorter version of this review originally appeared on my previous website 2005).  

Featuring: Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan, Andreas Katsulas. 

Created & Written by J Michael Straczynski  

Warner Home Video

May 2003

The Coming of Shadows.

Babylon 5 is a spacestation which replaces four abortive attempts to create a meeting place for the representatives of the five major races, as well as the non-aligned worlds. Although a major city in itself, housing defence systems, trade centres and recreation, its primary purpose is as an independent embassy for diplomatic negotiations between the Mimbari, the Narn, the Centauri, the Vorlons and the Humans, represented by the Earth Alliance. There's plenty of action and intrigue, and nobody is exactly the person they seem to be...

Every so often a TV show emerges which annihilates all the current competition in terms of subject matter, storylines and production values. In case you were wondering, I'm talking about Babylon 5. How refreshing it is to have such diverse characters, who are changed forever by events. This is not your standard story of the week science fiction, featuring injuries, near-death experiences and emotional conflict which is conveniently forgotten by the next episode. Every major decision has far-reaching consequences, and every choice repercussions that might affect people immediately or come back to haunt them when they (and you, as the viewer) least expect it. It reminds me somewhat of the political chess-moves of ancient China or Japan; honour and diplomacy is always in the forefront, with assassins or covert arrangements made in the background.

Season Two sees almost as many changes as there were between the feature-length pilot, The Gathering, and the start of season One. There is a major personnel change, with Commander Jeffrey Sinclair being replaced with the more dynamic Captain John Sheridan. Sinclair is mysteriously spirited away to the Mimbari homeworld, and pops up now and again in future stories. Ambassador Kosh goes from enigmatic soothsayer to anti-hero manipulator, as the others learn there is an ulterior motive for everything he does. From short-tempered aggressor, G'Kar becomes a poet, diplomat and religious ikon. Londo makes the transition from drunken reveller to the most dangerous individual around. Of course, none of this happens overnight, and creator J. Michael Straczynski kept his plot-strands bible close to his chest, giving the actors no inkling of what was to come, so it's compelling to witness the transmogrifications and the events that cause them.

This season there's significantly less stand-alone stories; Straczynski pens fifteen of the twenty-two episodes, and the five-year arc begins to take a firmer hold. The Coming of Shadows season teases us with the coming threat to all the races, but for the meantime centres primarily on the present conflict between the Narn and the Centauri. Particularly strong episodes include: In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum, wherein Sheridan pushes his luck to learn more information about his presumed-dead wife, and finds himself confronted with the original homeworld of the Shadows; The Long, Twilight Struggle, which follows a major battle between the Narn and the Centauri; and The Fall of Night, in which surprising connections are made between the Shadows and Kosh's race, the Vorlons.

This six-disc set benefits from digital widescreen transfers and is beautifully remastered in Dolby digital 5.1. Two episodes contain an optional commentary by the man himself, J. Michael Straczynski, The Geometry of Shadows has a joint commentary by Bruce Boxleitner (Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Lt. Com. Susan Ivanova) and Jerry Doyle (Security Chief Michael Garibaldi). There is also a Season Two introduction from Straczynski and various cast and crew. Other extras include two new documentaries: Building Babylon: Anatomy of an Episode, and Shadows and Dreams: Honors of Babylon ( in which the crew talk about the Hugo awards success). There is an Audio-visual Archive split into Personnel Files, Data Files, Tech Files, and an Historical Timeline.

Season Two is the final place that I would advise any new viewers to jump on board. From here on in it is essential to follow every episode. I would have given this excellent release a 10, but as anyone who has seen season four will testify, the best is yet to come!

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan, Andreas Katsulas.

Created & Written by J Michael Straczynski

Warner Home Video

August 2003

Point of No Return

The story so far... Babylon 5 is the last of the neutral outposts, a five-mile long space station designed as a meeting place for diplomats, traders and entrepreneurs, and considered to be the last best hope for peace. Permanently based here are the ambassadors of four prominent races: Delenn of the Minbari, an old race consisting of warrior and religious casts (who also fought a major war with Earth, before mysteriously surrendering when they had the upper hand); Londo of the Centauri, an imperial Romanlike people steeped in blood; G'Kar of the Narn, the reptilian looking race (actually marsupials) which has long lived under the pressure of war; and Kosh of the Vorlons, an ancient race, the identity of which is concealed within encounter suits.

G'Kar extends a hand of friendship, but Londo authorises an attack on a Narn outpost, causing a terrible war. Londo's mysterious allies in the offensive come via a human called Morden. Delenn undergoes a metamorphosis which prophecy dictates will bring the Minbari and human races closer together, and aid in the struggle against the greater threat. Kosh, after revealing his true form (appearing differently to each witness) to save Sheridan from an act of terrorism, becomes even more illusive and somewhat sinister. The greater threat to all races is discovered to be the Shadows, oldest of the First Ones, last seen in local space by other races more than a thousand years ago...

In season three the stakes are raised, there is plenty of upheaval, and nothing ever feels comfortable again. Every event produces major consequences which reverberate through the storylines so that you never discount the possibility of a central character being killed or changed in such a significant way that they effectively become somebody else. Every episode makes for compelling viewing.

Matters of Honor kicks us off in fine style. Londo, realising at last who his dangerous benefactors are, tries to sever his ties with them, an act which proves practically impossible. In the same story, we see the arrival of new regular, Marcus Cole, a representative of the Rangers, a highly-trained unit created by Sinclair, Babylon 5's original commander (during season one) from the Mimbari homeworld - their mission to collect intelligence on the Shadows. Sheridan sets up a regular secret war council with Delenn; and we see the White Star for the first time, a beautiful Mimbari warship incorporating organic Vorlon technology, which can generate its own jump points between star systems. Sheridan is given command of the ship by Delenn.

In Voices of Authority, Susan Ivanova tries to enlist the aid of another race of First Ones in the fight against the Shadows, but receives only a noncommittal reply. In Messages From Earth, Sheridan attempts to prevent the re-activation of a dormant Shadow vessel. Point of No Return sees Earth's current martial law extended to the Earthforce-run Babylon 5, but Sheridan finds a way to combat the Night Watch enforcers. The follow-up, Severed Dreams, has Earthforce destroyers arriving to demand Sheridan's surrender. But Sheridan decides to fight. Sheridan forms a romantic as well as strong political alliance with Delenn, in Sic Transit Vir. In Interludes and Examinations, Sheridan asks Kosh for help in securing a morale-boosting small victory against the Shadows.

So, plenty going on. Television just doesn't get any better than Babylon 5. They say that the best special effects are those which you don't notice. This is never more true than in Babylon 5. This is not so much science fiction, as war, mind games and political intrigue within a science fiction setting.

The characters, stories and situations are so strong and gripping that you quickly forget someone is wearing prosthetics and make-up, and that the wonderfully realised sets are not on a five-mile long station but a huge series of warehouse spaces. And talking of the sets, these have escalated from 12 main sets in the pilot episode, to over 300 by the end of season three.

The computer generated imagery used for the Babylon 5 exteriors, assorted spacecraft and battles, and the jumpgates, was pretty much in its infancy but still looks superb and brilliantly understated today. Just watch the fighter craft being released downwards from the launchbays, or witness a Shadow craft materialising into real space to understand what I mean.

Extras in this case consist of three new documentaries: Behind the Mask: Creating the aliens of Babylon 5; Building a better Narn; and Designing Tomorrow: The look of Babylon 5. There is also The Universe of Babylon 5, containing video data files, personnel files, and a Shadow dossier. Commentaries for two episodes come from series creator J. Michael Straczynski, and a further one from four regular cast members.

Talk of synergy and juxtapositions; this is a series where every component was right, creating a balance you seldom, if ever, see elsewhere. J. Michael Straczynski was a genius to have come up with such a concept and five-year story arc, but he must also be counted fortunate to have assembled such a strong team, both in front of and behind camera.

Buy this to see what you've been missing, and wait with baited breath for the faultless perfection that is season 4. I was going to hold off my maximum points until that coveted season, but this is very nearly as good.

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)  

Featuring: Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Jerry Doyle, Mira Furlan, Andreas Katsulas.

Created & Written by J Michael Straczynski

Warner Home Video

January 2004

No Surrender, No Retreat

A potted history... Babylon 5 is the last of the neutral outposts, a five-mile long space station designed as a meeting place for diplomats, traders and entrepreneurs, and considered to be the last best hope for peace. Permanently based here are the ambassadors of four prominent races: Delenn of the Minbari, an old race consisting of warrior and religious casts (who also fought a major war with Earth, before mysteriously surrendering when they had the upper hand); Londo of the Centauri, an imperial Roman-like people steeped in blood; G'Kar of the Narn, the reptilian looking race (actually marsupials) which has long lived under the pressure of war; and Kosh of the Vorlons, an ancient race, the identity of which is concealed within encounter suits.

G'Kar extends a hand of friendship, but Londo authorises an attack on a Narn outpost, causing a terrible war. Londo's mysterious allies in the offensive come via a human called Morden. Delenn undergoes a metamorphosis which prophecy dictates will bring the Minbari and human races closer together, and aid in the struggle against the greater threat. Kosh, after revealing his true form (appearing differently to each witness) to save Sheridan from an act of terrorism, becomes even more illusive and somewhat sinister. The greater threat to all races is discovered to be the Shadows, oldest of the First Ones, last seen in local space by other races more than a thousand years ago.

Londo, realising at last who his dangerous benefactors are, tries to sever his ties with them, an act which proves practically impossible. New regular Marcus Cole arrives, a representative of the Rangers, a highly-trained unit created by Sinclair, Babylon 5's original commander (during season one) from the Minbari homeworld - their mission to collect intelligence on the Shadows. Sheridan sets up a regular secret war council with Delenn; and we see the White Star for the first time, a beautiful Minbari warship incorporating organic Vorlon technology, which can generate its own jump points between star systems. Sheridan is given command of the ship by Delenn.

Commander Susan Ivanova enlists the aid of another race of First Ones in the fight against the Shadows, and Sheridan attempts to prevent the re-activation of a dormant Shadow vessel. Earth's current martial law is extended to the Earthforce-run Babylon 5, but Sheridan finds a way to combat the Night Watch enforcers, and declares their independence from Earth. Earthforce destroyers arrive to demand Sheridan's surrender, but the captain decides to fight, aided by Minbari allies. Sheridan forms a romantic as well as strong political alliance with Delenn. Sheridan asks Kosh for help in securing a morale-boosting small victory against the Shadows, but Kosh is killed by Shadow agents in retaliation.

The season three cliff-hanger sees Sheridan journey to Z'ha'dum, from which "no one returns", the home planet of the Shadows, when dubious intelligence reaches him that his wife might still be alive. Once there he walks into a trap. By remote signal he brings in a White Star containing nuclear devices, to crash into the planet's surface. The voice of the replacement Kosh in Sheridan's head urges him to jump into an abyss and certain death.

It was the year of fire...

• the year of destruction...
• the year we took back what was ours.
• It was the year of rebirth...
• the year of great sadness...
• the year of pain...
• and the year of joy.
• It was a new age.
• It was the end of history.
• It was the year everything changed.
• The year is 2261.
• The place: Babylon 5.

So here we go with season four, and it's difficult to know exactly where to start, there's so much to say. The passages above which briefly describe the story so far are important to newcomers to the series because it's necessary to paint a picture of the Babylon 5 universe before mentioning additional plot points... particularly when they're this good! The opening titles, which change each year, this time has every main character speaking a line of the narrative (see above). However, this is greatly thought out, with the line spoken reflecting that character's direction during the season.

From the very first episode you are dragged along, breathless, by the relentless pace of events. Sheridan is presumed dead, and Susan Ivanova fails to rally alliance members for a scout mission to Z'ha'dum. Security Chief Michael Garibaldi is missing, and G'kar decides to go in search of his friend, but falls into the hands of the Centauri. Londo discovers that Emperor Cartagia, who is as mad as a box of frogs, has made an arrangement with the Shadows, allowing them to base some ships on the homeworld. He must organise Cartagia's death in order to save his people from conquest. Sheridan finds himself confused and alone deep in the catacombs of Z'ha'dum, where he meets Lorien and learns that he is caught between life and death. Phew! And that's just the first two episodes.

Writer/creator J. Michael Straczynski was uncertain at the time whether his five-year story arc would receive backing for a fifth season, so much of what was planned for the last season was brought forward to this one. Consequentially, this season is a rollercoaster ride of anxiety-based events. With Sheridan's fleet caught between a Vorlon conflict with the Shadows, Garibaldi returning changed so that his loyalty and very sanity hang in the balance, the elevated threat of Bester and the Psi Corps, misinformation about the station being broadcast from Earth, and the final battles with the Shadows and Earthforce, by the end of this season either your head will have exploded or you will be sitting in silence thinking, "Bloody hell!"

In short, this is 22 episodes of pure genius. Every part is meticulously and lovingly crafted by J. Michael Straczynski, the writing so tight and the acting carrying such conviction that, whether a character laughs, cries or shouts in anger, you are taken in one-hundred per cent.

Again, excellently packaged, this set contains six discs and includes the following extras: Celestial Sounds, following the remarkable impact of Christopher Franke's music on the series; The Complete No Surrender, No Retreat DVD Suite (music accompanying a well-assembled montage of clips from the season); The Universe of Babylon 5, containing audio/visual Data Files and Personnel Files; a Gag Reel; and three commentaries (two by Straczynski, and one jointly by Bruce Boxleitner [Sheridan], Jerry Doyle [Garibaldi], Peter Jurasik [Londo] and Patricia Tallman [rogue telepath Lyta Alexander]).

A quite staggering piece of work, and the best television ever seen, bar none! Accept no substitutes.

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2004)  

Featuring: Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins, Peter Woodward.

Directed by J. Michael Straczynski

Warner Home Video

UK Release September 2007

Commander Lochley, who was the first officer which replaced Ivanova around eleven

years before in this timeline, is faced with a Babylon 5 worker who seems to be possessed by a demon - or maybe the Devil himself. A priest is caught in a dilemma of whether or not to perform an exorcism, as the incarcerated man debates theology with them. But Lochley

discovers the demon is tied to the Earth and, in an attempt to escape, is trying to trick the priest into performing an exorcism in space...

Technomage Galen appears to President Sheridan as he travels to Babylon 5 for the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Interstellar Alliance. He shows Sheridan the destruction of New York and says that in 30 years Prince Ventari of the Centauri Republic will destroy the Earth in his quest to return his race to their former glory. This can only be prevented by Sheridan killing Ventari.

Having decided the time was right for more Babylon 5, and to cater to a fanbase crying out for more, after the hugely lucrative DVD box set sales of seasons one to five, Warner approached writer, creator and visionary J. Michael Straczynski with the idea of perhaps making a feature film version. JMS reportedly told them he couldn't imagine a movie without G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) and Dr Stephen Franklin (Richard Biggs) - both of whom have died since the series ended - and instead proposed a number of short, straight to DVD stories concentrating separately on major characters from the series.

The first of The Lost Tales consists of two stories loosely connected to form the TV movie Voices in the Dark (a typically poetic JMS title). The Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) tale is lacklustre at best, and would barely have passed as a stand alone episode in the old first season. Aside from Lochley, who hasn't got the presence of Ivanova as first officer in the series, the priest is convincing, but the whole fails to carry as a story in its own right. The second tale is much better. Bruce Boxleitner slips easily back into his role of Sheridan like he's never been away, and Peter Woodward, briefly in Babylon 5 and a main character in the spin-off series Crusade, is engaging as the sometimes dangerous, sometimes humorous technomage Galen. Of course, this dramatic plot dilemma has been played-out several times previously, but it is well-handled here.

The potential continuity problem of the Babylon 5 station exploding at the conclusion of the five-year story arc is overcome here by rolling back time a few years, setting these tales before that momentous event. Credit should be given to returning music composer Christopher Franke, who creates effective fresh dramatic enhancement rather than relying on any of his major themes from the series. The visual effects are utilised to their best order within the obvious confines of the budget (exterior views of the station appearing somewhat darker and more sinister), but haven't the same impact as the groundbreaking CGI seen on the series. Having recently re-watched all of Season One, the old effects hold up remarkably well considering we are now more than ten years down the line. The dialogue, as you would expect from JMS, is one of this release's strong points, with lines like "I've never known hope when it wasn't on a diet," from Sheridan.

On the menus we are given the option of watching Voices in the Dark as a TV movie, or selecting one or the other of the two half-hour segments. Extras include: Fireside Chats (18 minutes of questions posed by fans which are answered by JMS); The Straczynski Diaries (21 minutes of production information and nonsense about glove puppets); Memorials (JMS and cast talk about Andreas Katsulas who played G'Kar, one of the best characters from the series, and Richard Biggs who played Dr Stephen Franklin). Some interesting snippets of information can be collected here, such as the fact JMS would watch his main actors off-set and then incorporate the witnessed traits into their characters. JMS also mentions what I remember as being one of the strongest scenes in the entire Babylon 5 series. Londo is trapped in a broken-down lift with G'Kar. G'Kar is happy to die because his sworn enemy will die too. Andreas Katsulas introduced the madness of laughter into the scene, which JMS okayed because it made the moment so powerful.

I could probably talk all day about Babylon 5; it was after all one of the greatest TV serials of all time. However, The Lost Tales is quite obviously a nostalgia trip for established fans, of which I'm certain there are plenty. This feels like Babylon 5 but is missing the interaction of its loved characters. It's rather like saying this is a good stew because there are potatoes - even though there's nothing to go with them. There should be more of these releases to come, whereas I would personally prefer one release with as many of the ensemble that can be collected together.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2007)  

Featuring: Bruce Boxleitner, Mira Furlan, Peter Jurasik, Richard Biggs, Andreas Katsulas, Jerry Doyle.

Directed by Mike Vejar

Warner Home Video

UK Release 2002

The year is 2278. Centauri Prime burns. In the palace an elderly Londo - now emperor - watches like Nero. Two children wander into a forbidden area of the palace, and Londo tells them a story: As a young man he is asked by Earth Alliance diplomats what he knows about the Minbari. The Earth military are arrogant after winning a war against the Dilgar. They propose to send ships to Minbar to see if they propose a theat. Londo recommends they send one ship, because even when the Centauri were at their height they would not cross the Minbari.

Lenonn is a Minbari who protests at the decision to disband the Rangers at a time when the prophecy says they are needed most. He meets with the Grey Council, invoking the name of Valen, who formed the Council of Warrior, Worker and Religious castes and led a great victory against the Shadows. Delenn is standing in for another in the Grey Council. She is allowed to speak by her master, Ducat, and suggests confirming part of the prophecy by travelling to Z'Ha'Dum to see if the Shadows have returned to their homeland. It is said that the Vorlons will come forward when it is time. No contact has been made publicly, but Kosh the Vorlon ambassador, and Ducat have been meeting privately. Delenn is initiated into the Grey Council.

Sheridan is assigned as First Officer on the Prometheus, the frontline Earth ship investigating Minbari space, but he declines the promotion, remaining loyal to his Commanding Officer and proclaiming the commander of the Prometheus to be a loose canon. The Prometheus goes in too close in an attempt to obtain information on a Minbari warship and is scanned in turn. In a traditional open-handed approach the Minbari move in with gun ports open. The captain of the Prometheus sees this as a prelude to an attack and so orders all guns to open fire. Ducat is killed and Delenn is distraught. When told that the Grey Council is divided on whether to strike back, she reacts with great anger and instructs the Council to kill all the humans. "No Mercy." So began the Minbari holy war against Earth.

Delenn regrets the slaughter and seeks to find an end to the madness of this war - a war which the humans can't hope to win. There can be no satisfaction in genocide, but the Warrior caste has embraced the situation. Delenn visits a reconstruction of Valen's old living quarters and is surprised to meet two Vorlons, one of whom gives his name as Kosh. A hologram message from Ducat is projected, asking for the Vorlons to be trusted. They are here to prepare for the coming war with the Shadows and to announce that the humans will be needed as allies. They are the Key.

The Earth military discovers that Doctor Franklin had previously treated sick Minbari people long before the war. A general demands he hand over DNA data gathered at the time, but Franklin refuses, invoking the medical code of practice which dictates he save lives. He will not give information that will lead to the creation of a bio-genetic plague that will kill-off an entire race. He is arrested.

The Lexington detects a short-range Minbari ship and dispatches a fighter to follow. It is a trap. Minbari warships arrive suddenly through jump gates, and many of the Earth cruisers with the Lexington are quickly destroyed. The Lexington itself is heavily damaged and the captain killed, leaving Sheridan in command. The Lexington is adrift. Sheridan sends a distress signal, knowing that a Minbari ship would arrive to finish them off. But Sheridan plays dead before releasing tactical warheads at the enemy. This constitutes the first major victory in the difficult war.

Delenn seeks a way to stop the war. She sets up a meeting to negotiate, and Sheridan is sent to a neutral planet with Franklin, and G'Kar (the Narn ambassador) as mediator. Londo orders a Centauri ship to destroy the Narn ship and attack their location on the planet surface. A Minbari is killed in the attack, after whispering something to Sheridan. The Minbari arrive quickly and take Sheridan, Franklin and G'Kar, but Sheridan shouts to a cowled Delenn he knows what is in Lenonn's secret place - and utters a Minbari word which means 'the future'.

Earth struggles for two years, making the Minbari fight for every inch of space, but eventually it stands on the edge of destruction. The final conflict becomes known as 'The Battle of the Line', a last defence of Earth to allow transport ships to flee the planet. Sinclair is leading an Earth fighter squadron on the Line. A multitude of jump gates open admitting Minbari attack cruisers, and all hell breaks loose. Sinclair's fighter is disabled, and he attempts to ram a Minbari ship. Delenn suggests that a human be brought on board her Minbari ship, on the pretence they should learn about Earth world defences. Sheridan is brought aboard and, when probing his mind, they discover he has a Minbari soul, the soul of Valen. Delenn tells the others this is a sign from Valen that the humans are important in the coming Shadow War, and that they should not be killed. A telepath will remove this memory from Sheridan's mind so he cannot tell anyone else. The order is given to surrender when they are on the eve of victory, and this decision confounds a hundred worlds. The war is over.

The Earth president orders the construction of the Babylon Project, a place where races can work out their differences peacefully. They can never afford to make another mistake like the one which began the Earth-Minbari war.

When TNT became the new production financers of Babylon 5  for Season 5, they wanted something to launch it, and suggested a prequel. Writer and Co-Executive Producer J. Michael Straczynski considered how he might tackle this in an original way, and eventually decided on the notion of shooting forward to the future to have an elderly and guilt-laden Londo (now Emperor of Centauri Prime) tell a back-story about the Earth Minbari War to two small children - which fits in with the continuity of the entire serial. We learn how Sheridan got his Minbari nickname of 'Starkiller' when we see him destroy their biggest ship, the Black Star, in a hopeless war. We discover what happened to give Sinclair the "hole" in his mind, and that the order to attack the humans was first given by Delenn, after her teacher and friend Ducat was killed in a misunderstanding with a curious (and somewhat arrogant) Earth ship. The Prometheus (which from legend brings fire) was the first Earth ship to fire on the Minbari. There is also Londo's confession that the war was partly his fault.

Babylon 5 - In The Beginning fills in all the storylines we have wondered about by employing the prose rule of "show, don't tell", without ever seeming like exposition. Long-time fans will know about these situations through the episodic format and will enjoy seeing them unfold on-screen, whilst for newcomers it serves as a good back-story without ever going over old ground. All of the main characters are well-employed (with only G'Kar not so prominent) and the acting in some parts is breath-taking, particularly Peter Jurasik as the aged Londo and Mira Furlan as Delenn. Considering (like Revenge of the Sith) much of what happens is expected, this TV movie works remarkably well. I urge you to re-experience it on the Region 1 Movie Boxset version - in Dolby Digital Widescreen.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review by Ty Power 2020. A shorter version of this review appeared on my original website in 2005)

Featuring: Andreas Katsulas, Dylan Neal, Alex Zahara, Myriam Sirois, Mackenzie Gray.

Directed by: Mike Vejar

Warner Home Video

October 2005

We are Rangers.
We walk in the dark places no others will enter.
We do not break away from combat.
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass.
We do not retreat whatever the reason.
We live for the one, we die for the one.

A Ranger ship is tailing a vessel from a new race which has been responsible for several raids, when it is in return attacked. With the captain dead and weapons down, the highest ranking officer, David Martell, stands down from the chase. Subsequently, he is accused of breaking the Rangers' most strict rule of never disengaging from a fight. He is on the brink of being dismissed, even though his crew realise he made the decision to save their lives and the ship, and stand with him. The Narn Ambassador G'Kar intervenes in the Mimbari Grey Council session (who originally formed the Rangers). He has been asked to find out more about the new race, and sees this as one possibility. Martell is reinstated but as the captain of an old ship which is considered haunted and bad luck. The Valen is a new Ranger ship transporting several diplomats to a colony world. Martell's first job in the old ship is to escort them, but the new enemy attacks and the Valen is lost after ejecting the diplomats in pods, which the little ship collects. Then a spy is discovered in their midst...

The Legend of the Rangers was intended to be the pilot episode of a spin-off series from the first-rate Babylon 5, originally planned prior to the 13-part Crusade spin-off. In fact, it even carries a typical Straczynski poetical title: To Live and Die in Starlight.

Whilst far from being the best charge from the impressive Babylon 5 canon, it is jam-packed with potential. There's intrigue from the start, not so much from the story but rather the situations - the actual environment the characters are placed in. The decor and technology is purposefully different to that from the five-year arc that was Babylon 5. References are made to events which have gone before, but it's to the writer's credit that no prior knowledge of the programme is necessary. Also, for the old fans there is the comfortable slippers effect to carry you over this transitional period, with the return of Christopher Franke to the music composition (missing for Crusade), and of course the presence of G'kar.

I realise it takes time to accept a new format and particularly new faces; however, in truth it's the actors that let the side down. Not the entire cast, but I would change the majority of the main players. I grew to like Gideon in Crusade; David Martell in Legend is another matter. He seems to be a stereotypical young captain of the 1960s Captain Kirk ilk, with little or no personality whatsoever. Of the nine new crew members of this old dilapidated ship - comprising 4 human, 3 Minbari, 1 Narn and 1 Drazi - I would retain only two. The others are faceless. Weapons and tactical expert Sarah Cantrell, from Mars colony, simply makes herself look foolish when she slides into a weapons station which shows her surrounded by space. Her body flips over and she hurls firepower by physically punching and kicking it out, the ship responding to her movements. On paper this is a sensible science fiction idea, but on film it's so cringeworthy that you actually feel embarrassed for her. When she quickens her movements, anger rising, you just want to laugh.

The two characters which stand out like a shining light are the Minbari Dulan and the Drazi Turk. Since the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars it's no new idea to have a small bucket-of-bolts ship as the central focus. The film Event Horizon gave us the notion of a haunted spacecraft, but that was the ship taking on its own dark sentience, whereas in this instance the previous crew is dead but still present. It's a nice touch to have Dulan being a sensitive and the only person able to see the individual crew members.

The potential for story plots based on this alone are endless. When the new crew introduce themselves to each other in the traditional Ranger manner of revealing their name and something about the inner psyche, the Drazi Turk hesitates before announcing enthusiastically, "Turk... Drazi... I carry very large things..." Turk doesn't pretend to be anything he's not. Slightly slow, but very strong and useful, he's obviously intended as the light relief. Unsurprisingly, G'kar is the best character here, with many of the best lines (the moment when he peeks into the cowl of a Council member is priceless), but he's not meant as a regular.

With only two decent portrayals it might make you think The Legend of the Rangers has nothing going for it. All I would say is look to The Gathering, the feature length Babylon 5 pilot. Between that and the first episode pretty much of the style and structure had changed quite drastically, and many from the main cast were replaced. When the Region 1 version of the Babylon 5 TV Movie Box Set was released with the full five films, it came with a super-improved cut of The Gathering, proving just what can be achieved with the nucleus of a good idea.

Enjoy, and imagine the possibilities.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2005)   

Featuring: Gary Cole, Tracey Scoggins and Daniel Dae Kim. 

Created & Written by J Michael Straczynski  

Warner Bros

December 2004

The year is 2267 A.D. The Shadow War is long over and the Psicorps has been officially disbanded. However, a new threat comes in the form of the Drakh Plague. After fending off a Drakh offensive of Earth, the human homeworld is obliged to quarantine itself. The Drakh have left behind a microbial, biogenetic plague which, after the estimated five years it will take to adjust to our biology, will kill everyone on the planet. Captain Matthew Gideon (Gary Cole) is given command of the Excalibur, the latest and fastest exploration ship Earth has, and a mission to do whatever is necessary to find a cure or combatant to the plague...

Other assembled key crew members include Lieutenant John Matheson (Daniel Dae Kim), Gideon's First Officer and the first telepath to be admitted in to Earthforce; Max Ellerson (Daniel Allen Brooks), a sometimes hot-headed and selfish but expert archaeologist and linguist; Dureena Nafeel (Carrie Dobro), an accomplished thief and locksmith; Dr. Sarah Chambers (Marjean Holden), the ship's medical doctor; and Galen (Peter Woodward), a powerful Technomage who uses science to simulate magic. Also credited among the regular cast is Captain Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins), the character from the latter part of Babylon 5, but with the series having it's plug pulled after only thirteen episodes it's a case of spot the Lochley. Answers on a postcard please. I suppose I should also mention that Dr. Stephen Franklin (Richard Biggs), the Babylon 5 medical officer, guest stars in episode thirteen. Unlucky for some; we'll blame him then, shall we?

Crusade  is a spin-off series from the situations created in Babylon 5. In fact, the Babylon 5 TV movie A Call to Arms sets the scene with the Drakh battle and the first action of the Excalibur.

The good thing is it's not necessary to have any knowledge of that TV movie, as this pretty much starts afresh. In theory, this show would have run a similar five-year arc as the Babylon 5 series, and it's sad that we never got to appreciate its full potential.

I know that J. Michael Straczynski is working on an original feature film set in the Babylon 5 universe, but perhaps he might take the Joss Whedon path on Firefly and attempt to rekindle the series with a movie. Let's hope so.

Crusade starts slow but soon gets moving. One of the most difficult arrangements to pull off convincingly is tackled in practically the first scene. The multiple fist-fight comes across as being more than a little contrived, and also in the first episode  John Matheson does little more than release a half-smile every now and then. He's a character that will gradually grow on you, although at times you'll want to shake him in to some sort of activity.

By the second episode the show is already well into its stride, supported by two main strengths. The first is the writing of J. Michael Straczynski, which is as tight and plot-driven as ever. As with Jeremiah, Straczynski's most recent TV serial, you can instantly tell which episodes he has written himself because the quality of output is so much better. Thankfully, of the thirteen parts collected together in this attractive package, all but three are written by the man himself.

The second strength is the character of Galen, brilliantly portrayed by Peter Woodward (son of Edward). Galen has some of the qualities of the first Kosh in Babylon 5, but is significantly more multifaceted. He makes infuriatingly vague comments, he comes and goes like the wind, gives the Impression of being all-powerful and all-knowing when he's clearly not and, best of all, his quirky enthusiasm for the smallest events hook you and reel you in. Galen turns a good show into a great show.

One of the best episodes, in my humble opinion, is The Long Road, in which Edward Woodward plays a Technomage trying to scare away strip minors from his adopted planet. There's plenty of twists and turns, and the victims are not beyond using ruthless means to get their way. It must have been quite strange for Peter Woodward to play against his father.

Extras include commentaries for two episodes, The Making of Crusade  documentary, and Forging Excalibur: describing the layout and capabilities of the starship.

This set is well worth a look, as long as you don't expect a conclusion to the Plague story; the nearest you'll get is a hint at a new experiment in the episode Each Night I Dream of Home. It didn't bother me. I just wished for more.

All hail Straczynski.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2004)  

Featuring: James Mason, Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl.

Directed by Henry Levin

Eureka Entertainment

September 2017

After receiving a piece of volcanic rock which harbours an inherent man-made object, Professor Lindenbrook and a young fellow academic (who is suitor to Lindenbrook’s daughter) travel to Iceland in the footsteps of a renowned missing explorer. Along with the widow of another murdered adventurer, a strong Icelandic farmer and his pet duck, they discover the entry point which they hope will take them to the centre of the Earth. There is a veritable wealth of wonders including a cavern of crystals, an entire ocean and prehistoric creatures. But there is also danger, not least from a greedy and jealous rival expedition...

Before I get to the film I’d just like to share my amusement at being justified so soon after my review of Kim Newman’s Video Dungeon book of B-Movie critiques. In said review I describe Newman’s collection of pieces as coming across rather dry and I would much rather watch him enthuse about his subject on camera. And here he is on the extras for this disc doing exactly that. Very entertaining it is too.

As for the film itself – all 129 minutes of it: you wouldn’t think it would work putting together an established actor such as James Mason with a crooner like Pat Boone. But work it does. Boone even gets his solo song piece when his character woos his love-interest on the piano prior to the journey.

Jules Verne stories are grand fantastical adventures on a wide landscape. They are more about what happens along the way than the achievement of completing them. Transferred to cinema that means the spectacle is the meat and gravy, as opposed to any outcome. So we have a number of set pieces. The number of scenes with monsters is reduced from the book to only a couple of moments wherein iguana-type lizards run around with fins strapped to their backs. The journey itself is a gentlemanly Victorian – almost Cyberpunk romp, with brass wind-up lamps and cumbersome breathing apparatus.

The comedy element is supposed to come with the presence of the duck, but thankfully it isn’t played for slapstick silliness. Ironically, the most horrific moment of the film comes with the off-screen demise of said duck. That dastardly villain quickly gets his comeuppance though.

This release brings a new 4K restoration, 5.1 sound, an isolated soundtrack, the aforementioned Kim Newman interview, a commentary by actress Diane Baker and film historians Steven C. Smith and Nick Redman, and a restoration featurette.

Journey to the Center (Centre to us Brits) of the Earth doesn’t create excitement to put you on the edge of your seat, but it remains an enjoyable experience

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2017)  

Featuring: Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Ian Marter.

Directed by Barry Letts

BBC Video

March 1995

"Roll up, roll up, roll up, and see these funny little creatures in their natural 'abitat. Watch 'em go through their funny little tricks. Poke 'em with a stick and watch 'em jump!"

I consider the Pertwee years to be the most innovative in Doctor Who's history. In the five seasons between 1970 and 1974 more risks were taken in attempts to raise the visual quality of the programme. Many failed - most apparent being some of the Blue Screen and monster effects - but without this passion for progression there would have been considerably less of an improvement in production values with seasons twelve to fourteen. However, it wasn't simply costumes and special effects. Tom Baker has been reported as saying that he loved the childish naïvety of his character; always believing the best in individuals until proved wrong. The third Doctor beat his subsequent incarnation to this attitude. A good example of this is an early scene in Carnival of Monsters, in which he attempts to communicate with some chickens as representatives of the local intelligent life forms, despite Jo's insistence that they are only poultry.

Once again we welcome another offering from the prolific pen of the late Robert Holmes. Not generally regarded as being one of his better scripts, it is nevertheless a competent tale of two intertwined plots. The Doctor and Jo Grant arrive on a ship bound for India in the 1920's, to discover that the same actions are being played through continuously. Eventually, they escape through a plate in the floor into an area of circuitry, and the Doctor realises they are inside a Miniscope - a mini live galactic zoo - which he had persuaded the Time lords to ban. Searching for an exit from the machine, they stumble into the territory of the Drashigs, the dragon-headed monsters of the piece which move like caterpillars, and are tracked back into the circuitry. The illicit scope is owned by Vorg and his assistant Shirna, who are planning to show the exhibits for profit, but instead get caught up in the schemes of Kalik and Orum, two of the grey-face locals who wish to overthrow the President by releasing the Drashigs from the scope.

What's unusual about this story is that the majority is told using only two major sets: that of the ship, and the Inter-Minor arrivals area. The internal circuitry set of the Miniscope is filmed from different angles to give the impression of immensity, and there is a short marshes scene which introduces the Drashigs.

The Drashig's fail to leave a lasting impression, unlike so many memorable monsters before them. They are let down by a few careless scenes. The group shot of them on the marshes can only be grouped together with that Skarasen in the Thames moment from the otherwise excellent Terror of the Zygons. The terrorising sea monster in Carnival fails to convince in the same way. Having said this, the close up scenes - one featuring a Drashig breaking through a metal plate into the circuitry, and another displaying the concertina-like body of one such individual - pass inspection better than the distance shots, that resemble exactly what they are: glove puppets.

The acting performances are all top notch. Jon Pertwee is as solid as ever, effortlessly commanding the centre of attention of every scene he is in. Katy Manning is bubbly, but wonderfully devoid of Elisabeth Sladen's occasional over-acting. Leslie Dwyer as the flamboyant showman Vorg, manages to convince despite being garbed like a Liquorice Allsort. Ian Marter portrays an early example of the nautical pomposity, to be later endorsed in his Harry Sullivan character.

"One" Kalik and "one" Orum, and other local dignitaries formally discuss every slight detail of each situation as it arises, sounding like the Prince Charles chorus. It is a pet hate of "one" to conduct "oneself" as "one." What's wrong with "I" or "My?" Perhaps Robert Holmes' intention was to highlight just how ridiculous it sounds. Or more likely it was supposed to explain that these are high-ranking officials or of noble birth. This leads me to two minor quibbles regarding the plot.

In such a politically correct society, is it likely that slaves would be utilised, regardless of their intellect? These slaves are seen as being mindless grunts without two brain cells to rub together, and "Ugg" and "Urgh" their way through the relevant scenes. Is it likely, then, that the powerful Eradicator would be left in their care? As there is such an evolutionary distance between the slaves and the dignitaries, I prefer to think of the unseen common populace as the midway point. The plot itself is good but, in places a little long-winded, making me think this story would have worked better as a three-parter, although the looping storyline on the ship makes for some inventive reactionary replies.

There are some great one-liners which are made all the more amusing for being played straight. When the TARDIS is picked up by a giant hand, Jo says, "Where's it gone?", to which the Doctor replies with conviction, "Up there." When Vorg is frantically working to repair the Miniscope, he asks Shirna, "Put your finger on there a minute." When sparks follow with a small shock, he finishes, "Good, that must be the live switch."

So in conclusion, as far as Robert Holmes contributions go, Carnival of Monsters is no Spearhead from Space or The Talons of Weng-Chiang, but it sure beats The Space Pirates hands down!

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for DreamWatch Magazine 1995)  

Featuring: Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Roger Delgado.

Directed by Paul Bernard

BBC Video

August 1995

I have mixed feelings about this story, and the down side is almost totally down to the length. Six parts is an obvious exaggerated format for Frontier in Space which, unlike Jon Pertwee's premiere season, fails to be enhanced by significant character progression. It would have been much better served - certainly made tighter - as a four-parter.

The model shots are at best below average, with the spacecraft of one docking sequence quivering like a jelly on a plate, before locking on. The third Doctor's two space walks - one to conduct necessary external repairs, the other to reach the control room without passing the Master - are rather nonsensical, especially as he attaches no secure lines to the ship which is in both cases in flight. The wires used to make it appear he is floating, along with the orange suit, cause the Doctor to resemble an ageing Captain Scarlet!

Almost everything else I have to say is complimentary. These minor quibbles should be overlooked in favour of what is a very strong and extraordinary story. Writer, Malcolm Hulke was a great visionary in regards to investigating many aspects of human nature, in certain trying situations. Here he had a future treaty between Earth and Draconia saboutaged by a third party. Cargo ships from both sides are being raided, and each is recognising the perpetrator as the other party. However, the raids are being conducted by the Ogrons - last seen serving the Daleks - using a sonic hypnotic device (hypno-sound) which stimulates the fear centres of the brain, causing the victim to see what he most fears. The Doctor's theory is justified when Jo Grant sees a Drashig from Carnival of Monsters.

Without the cameras venturing into the general populace, the viewer in convinced of the brink of disaster situation by tele-newscasts received in the female Earth President's office, reporting widespread rioting and calls for all out war. General Williams, her aid, initially hovers close to insubordination with constant pressure for retaliation. Similar scenes are witnessed in the Draconian nobles court. We are also reminded of a future political society with population problems with the broadcast: "As an inducement for couples willing to live in the first two totally enclosed dome cities ..., family allowance will be increased to two children ..."

The length is used to a couple of good purposes. It incorporates several locations to inhibit lazy eye syndrome: the cargo ship, Earth, the Luna Penal Colony, Draconia, the Master's ship and the Ogron homeworld (Planet Quarry, I should think). Then there is the uncovering of consistently devious plot twists. The tentative alliance is utilised as the main stay, with the perpetrators being peeled away to eventually reveal the source. First there are the Draconians, then the strong but primitive Ogrons, and then the Master himself. What can you say about the late Roger Delgado's portrayal except chilling! By his very presence in a scene he continues to make nape hairs bristle everywhere. Sadly, this was his final performance for the programme.

There are a couple of nice lighthearted moments. When discussing their situation with the Doctor in a detention cell, Jo states, "All we've got to do is find out what's going on, who's behind the Ogrons, where they've taken the TARDIS, go and get it back, and then we can all go home. I don't know what I've been worrying about!" When the Earth battle cruiser announces that it will lock on in five seconds, the Doctor examines his watch. At least, I sincerely hope that was meant as a joke!

Jon Pertwee himself would undoubtedly endorse this release. He often praised the manoeuvrability of the Draconian half-masks, which admittedly are rather effective. The concrete walkways of the Southbank play host to some short games of cowboys and Indians between Draconians, Ogrons and Earth guards.

I do feel the notion of Ogrons worshiping a seldom seen native creature on their home world a valid one which was only touched upon rather than exploited to its full potential. Unfortunately, its nature and purpose isn't elaborated upon. Why exactly do the Ogrons pay homage to a huge blob?

The Daleks' appearance at the conclusion of the final episode will undoubtedly please casual viewers, but for me they only succeed in demeaning the entire plot at its climax. The Master, easily commanding his scenes, finishes up playing second fiddle to the unconvincing malevolence of the Daleks. Although he underhandedly insults the "tin pots", he concludes by pleading for Earth to rule over. The Daleks' introduction serves better as a simple link to the following story, Planet of the Daleks.

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for DreamWatch Magazine 1995)