Geek Syndicate – Episode 153

Join Barry and Stacey (still keep the co-host chair warm for another outing) as they take another headlong dive into the world of geekdom.

News: Bad news for Spaced ‘Colin the dog’ fans, Star Wars coming to 3d and Blu-ray and the return of the DFC
Week that was: A Study in Scarlet, Star Trek: Nero, Doctor Who (spoliers for the last two episodes so be warned)

Direct Download: Episode 153

First Look at Kenneth Branagh’s Thor in Costume !

This first picture  of Chris Hemsworth as Thor in the upcoming film adaptaion comes courtesy of Superherohype who got it from Yahoo Movies. I have to say loving this first glimpse of the movie version of Thor so far and I can’t wait until we get some footage.

I’m expecting great things from this film I don’t why but I just think it’s going to be great.

GS Reporter: Nuge

Source: Superherohype

Advert Break – Ninja Assassin: Coming Soon To DVD and Blu-Ray

I never got the chance to check out this bloody Ninja vs Ninja film so I’ll be looking to give it a look see on Blu-Ray. I’ve heard mixed reviews about the film but I’m sucker for Ninjas so I was always going to watch this at some stage. In the meantime for those of you who don’t know what I’m on about here’s a trailer to take a look at.

GS Reporter: Nuge

BlazBlue – Preview



BLAZBLUE: THE GAME-CHANGING FIGHTER FOR ALL ABILITIES

Please find enclosed your review copy of hotly anticipated 2D fighter BlazBlue from publisher Zen United. Developer Arc System Works have ensured that BlazBlue breaks the traditional fighting game mould by opening up the genre to more casual players. Designed to draw in new players with its accessible fighting system, success in BlazBlue does not require complicated multiple button combinations. Experimentation with the three button system will produce quick results for those who might feel alienated by other more complicated fighting titles, while experienced brawlers can rest assured that all the depth they have come to expect from Arc System Works titles is there in abundance; facts reflected by an excellent reception thus far from gaming press:

“Casual players will discover a fighter which allows them to perform impressive combos without being overwhelmed.” – Eurogamer, score: 9/10

“BlazBlue is incredibly friendly to newcomers. It provides an attractive alternative to SF IV for even the most casual players.” – Official PlayStation Magazine, score: 9/10

“By taking care of the basic buttons you can enjoy BlazBlue immediately… for BlazBlue it’s primarily about delirious fun.” – Yahoo Games, score: 5/5

“A fighting system that’s easy on beginners. It’s also the most beautiful 2D fighter we’ve ever seen” – NOW Gamer, score 9.3/10

Unique to BlazBlue is the acclaimed RPG adventure story mode, containing over 100,000 lines of dialogue for players to get their teeth into. Betrayed soldier Ragna the Bloodedge, has mastered a fighting style blending magic and technology, known as Azure Grimoire, or BlazBlue.

I have a copy of the game sitting at home waiting for me to play and review on an upcoming episode of The Next Level. I have to admit it’s been a while since I played a 2d fighting game though I used to love them back in the day. I like the sound of dispensing with the tricky button\controller combos to pull off a special move (still have nightmares about Virtual Fighter 2) though I don’t how well that will go down with the die head 2d fighter fans.

Looking at the reviews so far I think this could be start of a beautiful gaming relationship.

Look out for a full review soon in the meantime check out the Full Press Release.

GS Reporter: Nuge

Geek Syndicate hailed ‘Best Podcast of the Month’ by SFX Magazine!

Ok we didn't get a physical award so here's one we made (well nicked) earlier!

So in the June edition of the hugely popular Science Fiction and Fantasy magazine SFX we had the honour of being giving the title of Best Podcast of the Month. To say we’re chuffed about this is an understatement as SFX is a magazine we’ve both read and enjoyed for years so to get this kind of endorsement of our little podcast is a great boost.

For those of you who didn’t get a chance to pick up the magazine here’s what SFX had to say.

With over 150 of the core weekly podcasts under their bat-like utility belts, the Geek Syndicate’s dynamic duo – David Montieth and Barry Nugent – are the wise warriors of the sci-fi podcast. In an age when new shows drift into the gutter faster than the latest X factor winner, they’re living proof that Darwin and Spencer were on to something with that “survival of the fittest” malarkey.The pair (who many of you might have seen on the convention circuit) have been broadcasting to the world for the past four and a half years, in their own words to “celebrate and comment on all aspects of geek life including comics, books, movies, TV, games and tech”. You’ll struggle to find a funnier, more insightful show on the web that’s so close to the pulse of geek culture. Ever the pros, they were recently podcasting from the SFX Weekender and have recently interviewed our illustrious overlord Dave B about the event. Clearly men of good taste.

Thanks to SFX for giving us such an ace write-up and stay tuned for a Q & A that SFX are doing with Dave and myself which will be going up on the SFX website soon.

GS Reporter: Nuge

Source: SFX

Fringe Season 2 Episode 18; White Tulip

After an unexplained delay Fringe returns to our screens. Skipping onto the telly with Peter Weller as a scientist who has Walter-like dilemmas. Spoilers might judder around this review.

First of all an intial peev -I may be wrong but it seemed like there was a lot of  the use of repeat footage. Don’t get me wrong I love Rashoman style peices (Magnum PI’s ‘I, Witness’ being a case in point,) but hate where you feel like your being subjected to a ‘Jackie Brown’ – a repeating of scenes  for little or no narrative reason. In this epsiode, given that Fringe viewers seem like a pretty intelligent lot I think there was  a bit of padding, the same effect could have been done with less repetition. However, I thought it could be a lot worse than it war and from the middle of piece it got a lot tighter.

And there are more positives – Peter Weller acts, Peter Weller acts well. See Peter act. Act Peter act. Ok – that perhaps is more than a little unfair but I would say this is the best Peter Weller performance I have seen. That may be a consequence of him being given a meaty, intelligent and emotionally taunt character in Peck to play with a decent script. He also has to juggle with a bit of body horror that was appreciated by this fan of the Naked Lunch (movie and book.) There is a nice one on one between him and Walter which is well played on both parts.  The level of empathy that I felt by the conclusion of his character’s journey is a testament to a great guest star turn.

All the regulars perform admirably – but we’re spoilt by that on a regualr basis.  After the guest spot – it’s Walters show his dilema as to whether divulge Peter’s origins to him as the arch theme which is underpinned by Peck’s journey. The closing episode payoff  is a marvellous feature in agenre where this type of episode would have all to often been used as a reset button.

Oh the other very clever portion of story is seeing the Fringe team uncovering the mystery via several different routes. Too often even conventional mystery shows rely on lazy concidences, ‘magic’ computer hacking and stupid opponents. Fringe shows it’s just not skilled at sci-fi but skilled at it’s detective element as well. A 4/5 epsiode and that’s only due to the rehashing denying it a 5.

There’s a nice  interview with Peter Weller on this episode here http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEkbzmong6T8nk

(FINALLY) The Jonah Hex Trailer!

Someone, please find Megan Fox an accent! There has been little news about the Jonah Hex film adaptation, which will be released as early as June. Now the trailer has popped up for all the world to fancy.

Jonah is played by Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men). The heartless villain Turnbull is played by John Malcovich, and Megan Fox (Transformers 1 and 2) plays Leila, Jonah’s hooker sidekick. There is also Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire) , who is Jonah Hex’ weaponsmith.

Josh Brolin is Jonah Hex and Megan Fox is horribly miscast. The action looks great and Jonah gets off some nice one-liners, but what’s with the super powers angle? Please, Jonah Hex fans, is this true to the character at all, even if it was for one issue?  Feel free to express your love/hate for this movie.

Candleman – Preview

Murder, mystery, and adventure aren’t your typical birthday presents . . . But for Theo, anything that breaks up his ordinary routine is the perfect gift. A mysterious “illness” and Theo’s guardians force him into a life indoors, where gloves must be worn and daily medical treatments are the norm. When Theo discovers a suspicious package on his birthday, one person from the past will unlock the secret behind Theo’s “illness” and change his life forever. Molded into an exhilarating steampunk adventure that gives birth to the next great fantasy hero, Theo Wickland, Candle Man: The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance is the first book in a trilogy by debut author Glenn Dakin.

One of the great things about doing this website and the podcast is finding out just how many cool things are out there waiting to be discovered. Even better than that is to be able to tell other people about them and spread the word.

A few days ago I mentioned on the site a panel that was being held at the Bristol International Comic Expo to help promote the follow-up to the awesome all ages graphic novel Rainbow Orchid. I noticed the panel was also going to promote something called Candle Man by Glenn Dakin which was described as a ‘British Batman’. The moment I put the article live I was on the web trying to find out more about this intriguing concept. The first shock I had was that it wasn’t a comic but a novel. I then read the synopsis and saw two words which instantly pushed it to the top of my reading list ‘Steampunk Adventure’.

The Candle Man website is good example of how to get people interested in your work. There are old newspaper clippings pimping the novel, graveyard image tours and reviews. If the book lives up to half of the promise of the website and the premise then it looks like I’m in for a fun ride.

Head over to the Candleman website and have a look for yourself. I was planning to attend the panel (2pm Sat 22nd May, Mercure Hotel at the Bristol Comic Expo) anyway for Rainbow Orchid but now I have another reason, it seems, not to miss it.

GS Reporter: Nuge

COMIC REVIEW: A Study in Scarlet

Original author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Adapted by: Ian Edginton
Illustrated by: I.N.J. Culbard

“There’s the scarlet thread of murder… and our duty to unravel it”

A body is found in a bloodstained room – without a scratch on it. A name has been partly written in blood on the wall. A woman’s wedding ring is found…

From a dingy London tenement to the plains of the American Wild West, Study provides the test case for Sherlock’s “science of deduction” – but the greatest enigma to his new friend Dr.Watson is Sherlock Holmes himself.

Although I have been a  Sherlock Holmes fan for many years I must admit to never having read A Study in Scarlet, which was first published in 1887 so  to be able to read a comic adaptation of a Holmes story without  knowing the details of the plot was a real treat.

I  read “The Hound of the Baskervilles by Edginton and Culbard last year which I loved. The problem for me had nothing to do with the adaptation but  that  I had either read ,listened to or watched this story countless times over. Although I loved both the art and the writing style, for me, there was no sense of mystery, no intrigue. I knew who the culprit was, I knew all the twists and turns from the small to the major. However from the first page of A Study in Scarlet from SelfMadeHero I was throw in at the deep end with no prior knowledge of the plot and it was a great feeling. It was like I was coming to Holmes for the first time and it seemed appropriate to be doing this with the tale which bought one of  fiction’s most well known and loved detective teams together for the first time.

Sherlock Holmes has always been one of my favourite characters and this latest graphic novel is a fantastic insight into the mind of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles’s most  famous sleuth.

To begin with the art was the same style employed on the Hound of the Baskervilles but at the same time it deftly reflects the fact that we are at the beginning of the careers of Watson and Holmes, which was a nice touch. I loved the use of heavy inking on the characters and minimalistic character design which gave all the players a very distinctive look. Holmes looks exactly as I expect him to look and Watson seems to be more in line with Doyle’s character rather than the bumbling buffoon some films would have us believe.

Edginton writing marries the art perfectly and effortlessly brings  this tale of deduction, revenge and murder to the comic world. The way in which the art will take over from the writing to show Holmes at work is brilliantly handles. Edginton knows that sometimes no words are needed to convey a particular scene when you have such fantastic art backing you up.

Having never read A Study in Scarlet I can’t speak as to whether this is a faithful adaptation or not of the original novel but the one thing I can say is this feels like a Sherlock Holmes story and a darned good on at that. As long as Edginton and Culbard  keep putting out this level of quality with their Holmes adaptations they can count on me to be reccomending them to anyone who will listen.

If you a comics fan looking to get into the world of Sherlock Holmes then I would definitely recommend “A Study in Scarlet’ by as a place to start.

GS Reviewer: Nuge

Source: SelfMadeHero

New Halo Reach – Birth of a Spartan TV advert

Here’s a new Halo Reach live action TV advert I’m guessing is aimed at promoting the Halo Reach Multiplayer beta as the actual game is not out until the autumn.

Waiting For The Trade – Ultimate Spider-Man: The New World According to Peter Parker

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: David Lafuente
Colourist: Justin Ponsor
Letterers: Cory Petit
Collects: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1-6

In my time as a comic reader I’ve asked many questions of the Universe (be it Marvel or DC) and reading this I find myself wondering:

• Why reboot your reboot universe?
• Why would Panini not call this Ultimate Comics Spider-Man like the US originals?
• Why does Spider-Man have a beachball instead of a head?

Yes, this collection from Panini UK collects the first six issues of the relaunched Spidey title from the Ultimate U. The events of Ultimatum (which I haven’t read but which are handily summarised within) have passed and the UU carries on…but it doesn’t. I’ve read volumes 1-20 of Ultimate Spidey and I was a big fan…but this isn’t that Spider-Man, it doesn’t just feel like the artist and the world have changed, with NY coming to terms with events of Ultimatum, but that all of the characters are portrayed in an utterly different fashion.

Whilst Peter had seen ups and downs in his life I remember him being more self-assured and having developed as a character a lot over the 100+ issues of the Bendis/Bagley run. This Peter feels fresh from the spider-bite, ok he doesn’t have the same level of secret identity angst but he’s just not “right”.

We shall put it politely. David Lafuente’s art is not to my taste. His balloon-headed Peter doesn’t make any sense to me at all, particularly in a book that feels like it’s crying out to be loved by teens (and in doing so is trying too hard and failing I would guess) where it feels like it belongs in Marvel Adventures line. He does vary the level of rendering in each panel so that in some scenes the figures are barely realised sketches, which adds an interesting touch. However I found myself really frustrated by how Spider-Man appeared to vary in height from 4’6″ to about 5’10″ and there’s one scene where he’s thrown through the windscreen of what is either a tiny car or he’s being drawn way too tall.

The plot is fairly pedestrian, nothing hugely to write home about and seems even more disappointing given who it is coming from…I don’t expect this from Bendis.

Swing and a miss.

Rating:
Reviewer: Dave Williams

Scrolls reviews – Entangled

Entangled by Graham Hancock (ISBN 9781846055546)

The theory of quantum entanglement refers to two or more objects in which the quantum states are linked even when they are physically separate.  It’s an idea crops up in science fiction in various forms from time to time. In Graham Hancock’s novel Entangled the link is between two young women living millennia apart but whose destinies are somehow intertwined.  Ria is a Stone Age hunter who joins forces with a group of Neanderthals (or Uglies as she calls them) when she begins to suspect that a mysterious threat is invading her world.  Leoni is a modern LA teenager investigating a near-death experience that she had due to a drugs overdose.  Gradually it becomes clear that the two girls’ experiences are interconnected.

Entangled is Hancock’s first attempt at fiction (he is better known for his ‘factual’ investigations into lost civilisations) and it is a confident debut, but also a bit of a mixed bag.  The story is action-packed, grim and gritty in places and with a number of really interesting ideas, but there are some elements which don’t quite gel.  In his introduction to the book Hancock explains that he has made his Stone Age characters speak with a “modern idiom” as nobody knows how they would have really spoken.  This is fair enough but it is tremendously jarring to have Ria swearing like a trouper and referring to her “badass brothers.”  Perhaps more disconcerting is the rather modern mindset which she sometimes displays.  It does little to create a sense of an ancient world so far removed from our own – compared, say, to Robert Holdstock’s utterly believable Mythago characters.  The author seems more interested in throwing his readers into a rip roaring adventure than building a convincing world.  To be fair in this he succeeds admirably as the story rockets along at a fair old pace.  You are never many pages away from a chase, fight or (in some cases quite grizzly) death scene.

The modern story strand brings together a mixture of science and mysticism as Leoni investigates her out-of-body experiences and discovers clues not only to her own past but the fate of the entire human race.  Leoni is initially an irritating, rich-bitch character but it soon becomes clear that her brattish behaviour stems from deep-seated childhood trauma.  As she is forced to confront threats of both a physical and spiritual nature she becomes a stronger and more interesting character.

Beneath the complicated trappings of time-jumping, spirit-journeying and parallel worlds is a basic story of good versus evil.  The villainous Sulpa is of the demon-in-human-form variety which will be familiar to any reader of fantasy or watcher of Buffy.  Whilst the bad-guys are broadly drawn the sense of menace from Sulpa and his followers is genuine and Hancock doesn’t stint at showing the full extent of their evil.  Several weighty themes are touched on (genocide, child abuse, revenge and even the nature and origins of the human race) but at heart Entangled is an adventure story.  It’s not likely to change anyone’s world but it will pass an entertaining few hours.

3 out of 5

GS Reviewer: Clover

Everything Comes Back to 2000AD – Episode 23

Rich takes a break as Flint and Stace go through progs 1677, 1678 and 1679. Nuff Said!’

Direct download: ECBT2000adep23.mp3

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Scrolls Chapter Four – Kick-arse Babes

This episode the team takes a look at the various ways women have been represented in fantasy, sci-fi and horror.

Touching on themes of independence, the power of sexuality, roles in fictional societies and how we identify with the characters, we skate a meandering path across the surface of this vast topic.

Books mentioned include… She, Monstrous Regement, Lord Of The Rings, The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Audition, Dead Until Dark, Carmilla, Revelation Space, Heaven’s Net Is Wide.

Amongst the chin-stroking and cod intellectual comments we learn a valuable lesson concerning the consumption of beer and ice-cream, fail utterly to mention Ursula LeGuin (doh!) or Angela Carter (double-doh!), and continue our tradition of mis-remembering key plot points.

Dion is calling from the moon, so please excuse his sound quality.

By the way, does anyone know where Mattie is?
He’s got big soft eyes, fluffy ears and a bald fat head. There’s £5 reward if returned unmolested.

Direct download: Chapter4.mp3

Subscribe now to get Scrolls and the other fantastic podcasts on the Geek Syndicate Network!

Press Release – AVATAR UK’S BIGGEST SELLING “DAY ONE” BLU-RAY DISC EVER!

So it seems that the fab little film by James Cameron made on a modest budget is still blowing records out of the water left, right and center. I’ve not seen this in 2D on the small screen but I’m eager to do so just to compare experiences.

Check out the press release for all the info!

UK’S BIGGEST SELLING “DAY ONE” BLU-RAY DISC EVER!

222,824 Blu-ray Units Sold

April 27, 2010 (London) – James Cameron’s stunning masterpiece AVATAR continues to smash records by delivering the biggest “day one” Blu-ray results of any film in the UK since the inception of the format — announced today by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE). A phenomenal 222,824 units were purchased by consumers on its first day of release, April 26.  Already the best-selling pre-order title,AVATAR sales beat the previous UK record held by The Dark Knight selling more Blu-ray Discs in its first 24 hours than The Dark Knight sold in its first week.

“The incredible day one sales figures illustrate the urgency that fans of all ages have to return to the world of Pandora and more significantly, experience Pandora in high-definition,” stated Steven Leighton, Senior Vice President, TCFHE Northern Europe and Asia. “The film’s masterful cinematography, art direction and visual effects lends itself to awe-inspiring clarity when viewed on Blu-ray – undeniably, the ultimate format for fans to enjoy AVATAR at home.”

Prior to the film’s release on Blu-ray Disc and DVD, AVATAR generated over £91million at the UK box-office and $2.6 billion worldwide — making it the highest grossing film of all time.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download.

GS Reporter: Nuge