A new silent movie animation has been released on YouTube by creator Harry Chaskin and it is a sweet film about an aging movie monster who relives his glory days. The short is similar in theme to another short I recommended a while back, Titano; both look at what it is to be an old actor in the new modern era of film-making and both have plenty of emotion. Check it out, it's well worth the free price of admission and is a great way to spend 5 minutes.
House of Illustration Exhibition : Comix Creatrix 100 Women Making Comics
There was controversy recently when the top French comic award panel for Grand Prix d'Angouleme created a 30 strong list of nominees, all male. Now without being accused of being a Social Justice Warrior this seems very unusual, in a recent article I wrote how the top selling New York Times comic artist was a female, Raina Telgemeier. This fact seems to be forgotten in the public realm with many assuming it is the big names like Alan Moore, Mark Millar, Scott Snyder or Brian K. Vaughan. There are many females out there contributing greatly to comics and there always have been; Rumiko Takahashi, Posy Simmonds, Marjane Satrapi and Tove Jansson to name a few. To miss out so many talented comic creators and artists seems egregious to say the least. However, the House of Illustration is hosting an exciting exhibition looking at the role of women in the creation of comics as a medium. The exhibition will run from 5th Feb to 15th May and I will be heading down to give it a look. I'd recommend that you do too as I went for the Quentin Blake and Ladybird Books exhibitions and loved them. Every-time I've visited I've had a great time and I'm sure this time will be no different.
The Evolution of Robots in Movies and on TV
Robots are awesome, since they first appeared in mainstream movies like Metropolis and The Day The Earth Stood Still they have evolved over time. This video by Sploid looks at the evolution and even though it may have some noticeable omissions it is a fascinating look at the the mechanoid marvels.
Carl Sagan Idea for a Contact Video Game
Astronomer Carl Sagan, beloved and renown for bringing space to the masses, came up with an idea for a video game in 1983. The manuscript, which was recently released by Library of Congress in Washington, outlines his idea for a game in which the player explores the galaxy by flying through a virtual representation of it. Elite, the space exploration game by David Braben and Ian Bell was released the next year but it is sad to think that he never got the chance to see his dream come to fruition with games like No Man's Sky and Elite: Dangerous. It is a fascinating read and an interesting insight into a man who wanted to encourage a love for space and exploration.
Jean Michel Jarre Back With Electronica Vol. 1
The new album from electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre recently dropped and after an 8 year gap since this album has been eagerly awaited. The album, Electronica Vol 1, is a collaborative piece of work with various luminaries in the electronic music medium working with Jarre to create an album which is a celebration of electronic music in all its forms. The album features artists such as Vincent Clark (of Erasure fame), Armin Van Buurin, John Carpenter, Moby and Tangerine Dream; all amazing electronic music artists in their own right.
It's been a while but it has definitely been worth the wait!
Reading some of the reviews on Amazon a lot of Jarre fans have been down on the album saying that it doesn't have the 'Jarre sound' and that he's 'sold out', however they should understand the as a collaborative album; Jarre is working with different people and so his influence is there but not as prevalent as in his solo work. I like the album, especially the track with Little Boots 'If', 'Automatic parts 1 and 2' with Vincent Clark and 'Close Your Eyes' with Air. There are a couple of tracks that don't sit with me, like the ones with Pete Townshend and Laurie Anderson but maybe these are growers.
Overall, its no Oxygene (but then what is) however it's also no Teo and Tea and we can thank the Lord for that! Would I recommend it? Yes! Now I'm excited to see who he works with for the follow-up album, fingers crossed for Burial, Mike Oldfield, Vangelis and Aphex Twin.
Streets of Rage Soundtrack on Vinyl
Over Christmas I was lucky enough to receive the Streets of Rage soundtrack on vinyl from my wife. None more hipster maybe but the idea of playing a remastered album from a 1991 Sega video game on an outdated piece of analogue music technology in a time of pervading digital media appeals to me.
The classic soundtrack is by Yuzo Koshiro and at the time was totally different to anything heard in video games, it was a time of trance and dance, when The Orb, The Prodigy and Orbital were getting into the charts. This soundtrack stood out among its contemporaries as it was not the usual bleeps and bloops of video games at the time... It spoke to many youths at the time, it was zeitgiesty and hearing the vinyl now it still feels special.
I've heard the music hundreds of times before, playing the game for months on end but I've never heard it like this. Now I'm no vinyl snob and I don't know which format of audio sounds better but I will say that on vinyl it does sounds different, but in a good way.
I would definitely recommend getting this album and hope DataDiscs continue to release more video game music soundtracks, Sonic 3 and Thunderforce 3 and 4 would be nice but beggars can't be choosers!
Peanutise Me
With the Charlie Brown Movie doing the rounds at the cinema now is the perfect opportunity to turn yourself into a character that fits into the world. This is a picture of my wife and I think it looks a lot like her!
Christmas Morning With Sega 1991- 1998
Ah Christmas, the time of year which every child dreams about. Santa is busy doing his rounds and if you've been good you'll get a whole load of swag. Share Tyler Esposito's enthusiasm as he opens his presents on Christmas morn from 1991 to 1998.
Twin Peaks Now in Production
Showtime has just released the production trailer for Twin Peaks and oh my is it awesome. Watching it for the first time my heart was beating furiously and then when they unveiled the iconic sign I got goosebumps all over. I CANNOT WAIT for this formative series.... just a couple of years to go!
The critically-acclaimed, ground breaking television phenomenon TWIN PEAKS returns as a limited series to SHOWTIME in 2017. Currently in production, TWIN PEAKS is written and produced by series creators and executive producers David Lynch and Mark Frost and is directed entirely by David Lynch. While the full mystery awaits, fans can expect many familiar faces, including Golden Globe® winner and Emmy® Award nominee Kyle MacLachlan, who reprises his role as FBI Agent Dale Cooper.
Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential broadcast series of all time, TWIN PEAKS followed the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town who were stunned after their homecoming queen Laura Palmer was shockingly murdered. The town's sheriff welcomed the help of FBI agent Dale Cooper, who came to town to investigate the case. As Cooper conducted his search for Laura's killer, the town's secrets were gradually exposed. The mystery that ensued set off an eerie chain of events that plunged the inhabitants of Twin Peaks into a darker examination of their very existence. Twenty-five years later, the story continues...
Gustavo Viselner, Pixel Artist Extraordinaire
Gustavo Viselner is a pixel artist who is working through the films of the latter half of the 20th century and turning them into pixel arr, reminiscent in style to the point and click adventure games of the 90's. Among the many films he has created pieces of work from are The Princess Bride, Forrest Gump, Star Wars and Aliens. I would definitely recommend that you check out his awesome work.
70s, 80s and 90s Computer Hacking Supercut
Back in the old days computers were the Deus Ex Machina, able to solve and cause many of the worlds problems. YouTuber elsafrickey has created a supercut of some of Hollywood's best hacking scenes and it is great. In her own words:
The experimental film 'copy complete' focuses the cinematic presentations of the computer in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Sequences with computers are accompanied by split screens together into a collage as a journey back to the origin of the digital era.
Rocky IV vs Punchout
Rocky and Punchout are both iconic media set in the world of boxing. Both were classics in the 80's and so a mash-up of both is a no-brainer now that you think about it. RetroSFX.com has created a cool mash-up so I'd recommend that you check it out!
66 (Old) Movie Dance Scenes Mashup
There have been a lot of impressive supercuts put up on Vimeo and YouTube lately and I love looking through them, the idea of getting something already created and editing it and altering it to create something new just appeals to me. Well here is another one and this one is a real doozy! Nerd Fest UK has created a mashup of 66 old movie scenes set to the track Uptown Fun and the result is wonderful. In their own words:
My inspiration came from What's the Mashup? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmnSm...) but I didn't manage 100! The idea was to do the same for movies from the Golden Age – meaning no title later than 1953 (although there is one at the end.) Oh, and none of these clips was sped up or slowed down.
So, sit back and enjoy this wonderful slice of nostalgia and maybe discover a new film to purchase and support the cause of film preservation!
Metroid: The Sky Calls
I am a huge Metroid fan, falling in love with the series on the Gameboy with Metroid 2 (I never playedthe original Metroid on the NES until years later) and playing every iteration since. Well, director Sam Balcomb and Rainfall Films have teamed up to present a live action short film set in the Metroid universe with Jessica Chobot (of Nerdist fame).
In their own words:
The classic Nintendo franchise, Metroid, envisioned through the lens of 60s-70s science fiction cinema such as 2001, Alien, and Solaris: this was the concept for Rainfall’s most recent production. Instead of using a modern approach, a style was developed more in tune with the themes that inspired the first Metroid game in 1986: isolation, exploration, and the wonders of deep space.
I watched the short film and loved it, the mood and the music were spot on. There were a couple of elements of Other M in there but not too much, thank god. For any fans of the classic Nintendo series check out the awesome video below!
Noelle Stevenson and Kate Leth Signing in Orbital Comics, London
Orbital Comics is hosting a couple of great signings with creator Kate Leth (Power Up, Bravest Warriors, Patsy Walker Hellcat) and Noelle Stevenson (Nimona, Lumberjanes).
On Wednesday, November 11 from 6pm, Kate Leth will be signing for her fans, then afterwards from 7:30pm she will be recording a live episode of the podcast Orbital in Conversation.
Then on Thursday, November 12 from 5.30pm, Noelle Stevenson will be signing and greeting fans, then from 7:30pm she will be hosting a Directors Commentary nights looking at Lumberjanes Volume 2. I've been fortunate enough to attend these commentary nights with Mike Carey (Lucifer, The Unwritten) and Mark Buckingham (Fables, Miracleman) and they offer a real insight into the process of making comics. If you get a chance to go I would highly recommend it!
Talented Guy Plays Violin to Mario Game
I love the violin, when it is played well it is sublime but boy when it is played badly.... yeeeesh! I went to violin classes for a term several years ago but wasn't good enough to stay on the course (my working hours changed) but for those who can play I am envious. Take this guy in the video below, to quote the yoof of today, he mas 'mad skillz'.
Flyer Fever
Dan Hower, an avid arcade flyer collector, has created a website with over 3000 hi-rez images of flyers and lots of details including the date of the flyer, the publisher and obviously the title. Looking through the page it is amazing to see the evolution of the art styles and the use of colour and imagery. If you are a looking for something cool and unusual then you could do a lot worse than this wonderful site!
Mark Millar Signs My Swag
Mark Millar is the writer of such amazing works like Kick-Ass and Wanted, both of which were turned into pretty solid Hollywood films. Millar has a skewed take on the traditional superhero tropes and stories and it is this original take that I and many other comic fans find so interesting.
When I heard he was doing a signing at Gosh Comics in London I knew I had to get some of his comics signed and meet the great writer. The queue was really long, about 50 people long when I got there half an hour early to beat the rush.
However it was worth the wait and I had a chance to chat with him. I have been told that the next script for Chosen (American Jesus in some territories) has been written so after 10 years we will finally see what happened to anti-Christ Jodie Christianson.
Gameboy Cartridge Keyring
I love going to video game shops and one of the certainties is that you will find shed-loads of old Fifa, Madden and NFL games and also you will find butt-loads of Mary-Kate and Ashley games. Well, I always wondered what the shops would do with these as no-one really plays these games, as there are new iterations or their moment has gone, so all they do is take up room. Well I went to a retro gaming shop called Critical Mass in Exeter and they came up with a novel idea, break open the cartridge and use the circuit board as a keyring! Well, people will probably use it more than some of the old games and it's useful... unlike old Gameboy Advance Barbie games! I think it makes a nice stocking filler for that geek in your life.
Wonderland Dizzy
I'm a huge fan of the Oliver Twins, creators of the classic gaming character Dizzy. I got to meet my childhood gaming heroes last year at the Cambridge Museum of Gaming History and they were wonderful enough to sign my retro Dizzy swag. Well last week they were going back to the Museum to make an announcement, unfortunately prior engagements means that I was unable to go but what followed blew my mind- there is a new old Dizzy game! I'll let the Twins explain themselves the story of their re-discovery in the video below:
Wonderland Dizzy is an old game which was planned for the NES but was never released. The game is available free to play through the link below. For old skool fans like me this is amazing news, especially after the Kickstarter for a new Dizzy game failed to meet its targets. Well, onwards and upwards with classic Dizzy!