Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 157 i SciFi Now

All things come to an end. Sure, in this era of shared universes and endless spin-offs that statement can sometimes feel a little disingenuous, but it’s true. Even the biggest, most impactful stories have an ending but that doesn’t mean that it’s not hard to believe that after seven seasons, Game Of Thrones will finally be drawing to its conclusion. There’s never really been anything like Game Of Thrones. Peak TV has made these kinds of ‘event’ shows an increasingly rare proposition, but the impact that HBO’s adaptation of George RR Martin’s novels has had on pop culture is incalculable. How many fantasy stories have had the same kind of success, going beyond the mainstream to truly become a cross-cultural phenomenon? Maybe the best indicator of how massive and unusual…

The CW’s Arrow was the little show that could. It launched with very few hopes on its broad green shoulders and ended up launching an interconnected series of shows, the Arrowverse, which now includes The Flash, DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow and Supergirl, with a Batwoman series in the works (Black Lightning currently sits outside of the Arrowverse, despite sharing a broadcaster). Oliver Queen actor Stephen Amell broke the news that Arrow would be coming to end after a ten-episode long Season Eight, calling his time on the show the “greatest professional experience of my life”, with the showrunners adding that ending the show was a “hard decision”, but one that was in the best interests of the show. The other Arrowverse series will continue as normal, and it’s probably no…

ALADDIN The first non-teaser poster for Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin live-action remake has everything: Aladdin and the lamp, Genie looking charismatic as heck, Abu in his little hat and waistcoat, sparkly things, shiny things, twinkly things and more. Ritchie seems to be going all out (and he’ll have to if the film is to be as magical as Disney’s other remakes), and we can’t wait. The poster also looks suspiciously like the poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but that only makes us love it more. DARK PHOENIX Jean Grey shows two sides of herself in this electric poster for Dark Phoenix. We really hope they get it right this time. THE PRODIGY Less is often more when it comes to effective posters, and we love a bit of monochrome…

DID YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE GOING INTO SEASON EIGHT TO MAKE SURE IT LIVED UP TO EXPECTATIONS? I don’t think there was pressure as such because we knew we had a bloody cracking season. I read it and thought ‘oh my word, I don’t know how they’re going to do this.’ I think the pressure was felt more by the directors to do justice to how the production should look on screen. But as actors we were lucky because we had the best source material ever. The words are there for us, all we’ve got to do is make sure we say them properly. But we do say this every single year that it’s going to be more epic, but truly, I’m glad that there’s not going to be another…

More than 2,000 people work on every episode of Game Of Thrones. There are six sound stages at TITANIC STUDIOS IN BELFAST. It took 15 WEEKS to create the Dragonstone Audience Chamber. At its peak, up to 100 people work in the show’s costume department. There are close to 30 people in the show’s art department. It took 10 WEEKS to build Castle Black in Magheramorne. Approximately 90 SETS are built each season of Game Of Thones. The construction department works SEVEN DAYS A WEEK during filming. There are more than 800 individually-made tiles in the Dragonstone Audience Chamber.…

IRON MAN BEST FILM APPEARANCE: Iron Man 3 BEST FIGHT: Vs Captain America (Captain America: Civil War) BEST QUALITY: Intelligence BEST LINE: “Truth is… I am Iron Man.” THOR BEST FILM APPEARANCE: Thor: Ragnarok BEST FIGHT: Vs Thanos (Infinity War) BEST QUALITY: Self-belief BEST LINE: “He’s adopted.” CAPTAIN AMERICA BEST FILM APPEARANCE: Captain America: The Winter Soldier BEST QUALITY: Integrity BEST LINE: “I don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they’re from.” HULK BEST FILM APPEARANCE: Thor: Ragnarok BEST FIGHT SCENE: Vs Loki BEST LINE: “That’s my secret... I’m always angry.” BLACK WIDOW BEST FILM APPEARANCE: CA: TWS BEST FIGHT: As “Hawley” vs Pierce BEST QUALITY: Fearlessness BEST LINE: “I’m sorry. Did I step on your moment?” HAWKEYE BEST FILM APPEARANCE: Age Of Ultron BEST FIGHT: Avengers vs Ultron BEST…

HELLBOY (DAVID HARBOUR) AKA Anung un Rama. Conjured from hell by occult Nazi scientists, HB was raised by Professor Broom to fight the forces of darkness. He’s got a mean temper and a gruff demeanour but he’ll always show up to save the day. ALICE MONAGHAN (SASHA LANE) Kidnapped by fairies as a baby, Alice has retained a strong connection to their realm even after being rescued. They’re not trying to kidnap her anymore, though, so that’s a bonus, and it looks like she’s got some mean magical knuckle dusters. BEN DAIMIO (DANIEL DAE KIM) A Japanese-American former marine who briefly died while trying to rescue nuns from a jaguar cult, only to return as a were-jaguar. Now he works for the BPRD and transforms when subjected to intense stress.…

THE COMPANY OF WOLVES Neil Jordan’s fascination with dark fairy tales imbues much of his work and his adaptation of Angela Carter’s feminist take on Little Red Riding Hood is a great example of what you can achieve on a small budget with a talented cast and crew. Released in 1984, Carter penned the original screenplay based on her stories from The Bloody Chamber with the film bringing to life the sexual awakenings of a young woman. Angela Lansbury plays the granny imparting wisdom about the danger of men, Terence Stamp is the devil and Anton Furst’s production design is incredible. INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE Ten years later Jordan took on another adaptation with Anne Rice’s debut novel about the life of a 200-year-old vampire. Brad Pitt plays Louis de…

“I DON’T THINK I ever had anybody who wouldn’t read it,” laughs Robert D Krzykowski. “The title sparks people’s curiosity. Sometimes people would laugh, other times they’d get a really strange look and often people would give it a chance and they’d read it, and then they’d find out what it was. There would be a dividing line between the people that would say: ‘This is nuts, you can’t do this, it’s too serious or it’s too sentimental’ and then there’d be the other group that would say ‘I love this, I want to work on this, and I want to protect this, I want this to be exactly what this is’, and that’s what the team that came together did in the end. They all sought to protect it…

BUDD HOPKINS Hopkins was an American painter and sculptor, but it was his work into alien abduction phenomena and related UFO research that made him well known. He is often credited with popularising the idea of alien abductions through the publication of his book Intruders. RAYMOND DRAKE Walter Raymond Drake was a British author and disciple of Charles Fort. His nine books were all on the ancient astronaut theme, and he spent much of his life attempting to find evidence to support his written scenarios that space aliens had impacted human history. JAMES E MCDONALD American physicist McDonald is best known for his research regarding UFOs. As a professor in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Arizona and a senior physicist at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics, he…

STEP 1: Devise the story and write the script Pretty much the first step of every movie really. STEP 2: Do the initial designs This will help you and the cast get a feel for the characters. STEP 3: Record the actors You’ll do pick-ups with the actors as the film progresses, but this is a key early stage. “The animator is always following on from the vocal performance,” Butler says. STEP 4: Storyboard the heck out of it Laika produce an animatic, where they draw every shot of the movie and add the actors’ vocal performances over it. You can’t really leave any room for spontaneity in the shooting of the film, “because you’re shooting one frame at a time.” STEP…

Release Out now Director Jordan Peele Cast Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex Distributor Universal Certificate 15 It’s immensely gratifying to horrorfansthat Get Out’s Jordan Peele has stayed in the genre, but it’s important to note that his sophomore effort is arguably more ambitious than his knock-out debut. It’s a bloody crowd-pleaser with big shocks and big laughs, it’s a commentary on the state of the nation that takes great (frankly too great) pains to make sure it operates within the genre rules it sets for itself, and it really does swing for the fences. Us may lack the clockwork precision of its predecessor but it’s a damn good time. Lupita Nyong’o is tremendous as Adelaide Wilson, forced to face her fears when…

Release 19 April Director Neil Jordan Cast Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz, Maika Monroe Distributor Universal Certificate 15 Isabelle Huppert is having the time of her life playing a psycho stalker in Neil Jordan’s warped, fun and tense Hitchcock-inspired nightmare. Chloë Grace Moretz and Maika Monroe star alongside the French superstar as she traps her victims to in a twisted game. The triumvirate of the three actors make this a deliciously appealing and tongue-in-cheek affair as it turns Nineties thrillerslike Single White Female into a dark New York-set fairy tale. Moretz plays Frances, the lonely, kind prey that Greta is chasing and who she lures in with a bogus missing handbag scheme. Alone in a big city for the first time aside from her best friend (played by Monroe from…

Release 22 April Directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman Cast Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry Distributor Sony Pictures Releasing Certificate PG Format Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse has no trouble standing out against the numerous Spider-Man movies that have come before it. Visualised like it’s straight from a comic book, this is a gorgeous, detailed work of art that expertly mixes semi-realistic, painting-style imagery and flatter 2D animation. It’s so full of depth of colour that it emanates energy and life from every frame and its awesome soundtrack, featuring artists like Swae Lee and Post Malone, amplifies that. Its story is equally as fresh, focussing on Miles Morales, a charismatic afro-Latino teen who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and gains powers. Soon, he…

Release Out now Director Sebastian Gutierrez Cast Abbey Lee, Ciarán Hinds, Carla Gugino, Matthew Beard, Dylan Baker Distributor The Movie Partnership Certificate 15 Format VOD • Digital download The 17th-century fairy tale Bluebeard has been an inspiration to filmmakers since the inception of cinematic storytelling, from official adaptations in name to adaptations in spirit. In terms of recent genre movies, you can find traces of it in Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak,while Alex Garland’sEx Machinaowes a great deal to the story. The latter film springs to mind when watching Elizabeth Harvest, from writer-director Sebastian Gutierrez, which also filters the story through a sci-fi template, alongside an added injection of horror. The contemporary equivalent here of Bluebeard’s magic castle is the mansion of a billionaire research scientist. The Neon Demon and…

Release 22 April Directors Christopher Caldwell, Zeek Earl Cast Sophie Thatcher, Jay Duplass, Pedro Pascal, Andre Royo, Sheila Vand, Anwan Glover Distributor Signature Entertainment Certificate 15 Format You’ll only be a few minutes into Prospect before you find yourself thinking: why don’t we have more films like this? ‘Retro’ in genre often means synth-heavy slashers, neon-lit nightmares or spoofs of no-budget apocalypses, but every once in a while we get a loving tribute to the gloriously practical sci-fi movies of the late Seventies and Eighties. Possibly the biggest reason is the amount of time and care it takes to pull something like this off, and the attention to detail that writer-directors Christopher Caldwell and Zeek Earl have put in pays off in spades. The film begins as father and daughter…

Release 8 April Director Erik Blomberg Cast Mirjami Kuosmanen, Kalervo Nissilä, Arvo Lehesmaa Distributor Eureka Entertainment Certificate PG Format Chances are you’ve seen your fair share of shape-shifting monster movies, but there really isn’t anything like Finnish were-reindeer film The White Reindeer. In fact, it’s a strange blend of supernatural sub-genres, with a bit of witchcraft, a bit of dark fairy tale and a fair amount of domestic drama stirred in. It’s beautifully shot, as cinematographer-turned-director Erik Blomberg spins the tale of lonely newlywed Pirita (Mirjami Kuosmanen) whose husband is always away on livestock drives. When she decides to visit a shaman to make her irresistible, a terrible series of events takes place… Blomberg makes the most of the dazzling endless white the Lapland setting provides him and Kuosmanen gives…

Release Out now Creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij Cast Brit Marling, Jason Isaacs, Emory Cohen, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Patrick Gibson Distributor Netflix Certificate 15 Format There’s a moment in the first couple of episodes of Season Two of The OA where you’ll find yourself wondering if the show has gone mainstream. It even has a straight-forward mystery powering the plot: a private detective is hired to find a missing girl. But then along come the weirder curveballs, and you can breathe a sigh of relief; this is still very much The OA. Cast your mind back to 2016, when Season One ended with OA (Brit Marling) getting shot in a school shooting while attempting to jump to another dimension. Season Two opens with the confirmation that she succeeded, but being…

Consider Phlebas “Defy anyone to read this and not want more! Been reading sci fi ever since. #BookClub” @TheAtticAttack Beauty “I’d always loved reading & fantasy before that but this did strike a very big chord. #BookClub” @CfPercy Ender’s Game “The battlerooms, the giant game. It fascinated me. #BookClub” @ScifiandScary The Martian Chronicles “3rd grade. I read it once a year. I’d loved Mars since a film in assembly in 1st grade. #BookClub” @Istari1960 The Hobbit “I’d seen the cover in the school library for years and thought it was probably too adult for me. Then a friend told me to read it. #BookClub” @indianamulder…

“The Hunger by@ almakatsu very good so far. #BookClub” @bloodyflicks “The Cloven. Finishing the Vorrh trilogy. Very much enjoying it. #BookClub” @Tom_Wookiee “Adornments Of The Storm by Paul Meloy. Sequel to the brilliant The Night Clock and shaping up to be just as fantastic. #BookClub” @Rozza1210 “At long last I am reading The Haunting Of Hill House. Certainly of the time it was written but the chills are on the rise. #BookClub” @ParsonsFiction “Currently reading @say_shannon’s gorgeous new fantasy tome The Priory Of The Orange Tree. Just over a quarter of the way in and it’s already put my emotions through the wringer several times. #BookClub” @Cfpercy “Currently rereading James Herbert’s The Rats. Last read it 30 years ago, still just as chilling as I remembered. Not one to read…

Release 16 April Writer Christine Lynn Herman Publisher Titan Books Price £8.99 Nothing is quite what it seems in The Devouring Gray – and that includes the book itself. The town of Four Paths is full of secrets, as Violet Saunders discovers when her mother moves them back to her home town. The Saunderses are one of four founding families of the town, and Violet finds herself being welcomed by the kids of the other three. The generations of rivalry and shifting allegiances between the families would be enough to make settling in tricky for her, but there’s also the Gray, a kind of alternate dimension in the woods surrounding Four Paths which is home to a monster keen to get its teeth into the descendants of the people who…

The stakes are high in Arkady Martine’s debut A Memory Called Empire, as Mahit, a rookie ambassador to the capital of the Teixcalaanli Empire, discovers that not only was her predecessor was murdered, but that he may have been at the centre of a conspiracy that could bring the whole empire crashing down. Who can she trust? Can she survive long enough to find out? Do you remember how you first started thinking about this novel? I started writing A Memory Called Empire after I finished my PhD dissertation and the impulse to write not only a novel, but this novel came from that dissertation. My research was about the contacts between Byzantium and the ‘eastern frontier’, particularly Armenia, during the 11th Century and how those contacts were remembered, represented,…

One of the most oblique tributes to Dahl was by another giant of children’s fantasy, the Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki. In his 1992 film Porco Rosso, the hero is a fighter pilot – as Dahl was – who is cursed with the face of a pig. In a long flashback sequence, Porco remembers when he was in a terrible air battle, and flew into a strange white cloud. When he emerges, he has a mystical vision of the planes of all the pilots killed in action, rising up to join a great fleet in the sky. The scene is based on one of Dahl’s earliest short stories, ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ first published in 1945 (it’s included in the book Over To You and some other collections). Reportedly,…

1 MAX’S WHEELS The black-on-black V8 Interceptor is arguably the most famous car in screen history. A 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon (exclusive to the Australian market) was repainted and modified by Murray Smith and the production team, as Miller wanted an “evil-looking, Australian car” for his crazed anti-hero to drive. After filming ended, the car toured shopping malls and car shows around Victoria – as part of the film’s promotion – and was put up for sale. Strangely, nobody bought it, allowing Miller to wheel it out for Mad Max 2. 2 LOCATIONS With little budget to make sets, Miller opted to use degraded and old buildings, which would achieve the required effect (a world rotting in social decay). The result on screen is marvellous. For instance, the gothic-looking…

In 1993 Joan Didion wrote an essay titled ‘Trouble In Lakewood’ that explored not only the scandal of the ‘Spur Posse’ in detail but the opinions of those involved at the time and the history of the Californian suburb. It makes for depressing and troubling reading considering how little attitudes have changed. Take for example the Steubenville High-School rape case which made global headlines in 2012 after a true crime blogger gathered together all the social media evidence of the assault over the course of the evening and Anonymous hacked the football team’s website. The Rage: Carrie 2, made 20 years ago, is an example of how the horror genre aims to start conversations about subjects that society are often afraid to confront. It is loosely based on the ‘Spur…

COVEN 1. Where did Sarah Bailey live before she moved to Los Angeles? 2. Which of the four witches lives in a trailer park? 3. What is Sarah magically spinning when Bonnie notices that she has powers? 4. What is the title of the dangerous book Nancy uses to invoke Manon? 5. Who owns the occult shop often visited by the witches? IN THE DETAILS 6. How much money do Nancy and her mother receive after Nancy’s stepfather dies? 7. From whom did Sarah inherit her magical abilities? 8. What sport does Rochelle take part in at school? 9. What colour were Sarah’s eyes before she turns them brown? 10. What do Nancy, Bonnie and Rochelle chant while trying to make Sarah kill herself? PUT A SPELL ON YOU 11.…

“I WAS TERRIFIED,” admits Jordan Peele. “Who would want to jump into the most established, pristine shoes in all of the genre? For that reason, I stepped away from it. But then, several months later, I got another call. Soon enough, I realised that this was an opportunity to attempt to continue with Serling’s mission.” It’s easy to understand Peele’s apprehension. While the writer-director-producer has enjoyed enormous acclaim and success since the release of his feature debut Get Out and has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most exciting producers with his Monkeypaw Productions, this isn’t just another project. Now he’s taking one of the most influential, most iconic shows in genre history. He’s taking on… The Twilight Zone. Anyone who’s seen Get Out and Us will be able to spot…

“WE’RE ABLE TO EXPLORE THE BOOKS IN THEIR ENTIRETY”RUTH WILSON Ever since the BBC’s His Dark Materials adaptation was announced, excitement for the show has been growing. From the starry cast to that home-run of a teaser trailer, the omens are looking promising. And talking to Ruth Wilson, who plays the series’ villain Mrs Coulter, just gets our hopes up even higher. “With this series, we’re able to explore the books in their entirety, because we have eight hours per book to do so,” Wilson confirms, to the relief of anyone who despaired at how much of Philip Pullman’s source material was cut from The Golden Compass, the 2007 film adaptation of the first book in the trilogy about a young girl, Lyra, who runs away from her home in…

“When I was little, I was obsessed; I thought the monster was going to come in my room!” laughs Larry Fessenden. The indie horror auteur behind Habit, Wendigo and The Last Winter is chatting to us about his lifelong love for the 1931 Universal horror classic Frankenstein ahead of the world premiere of his new movie Depraved, which updates Mary Shelley’s story. In this film, a man called Adam is brought to life by scientist Henry in his Brooklyn loft lab. It’s a meditative and heart-breaking look at how we deal with trauma, loss and nature vs nurture, and Fessenden tells us he was determined to find his own take on the well-known tale. “I wanted to take the story that is so robust and has so many implications and…

There are two things that we know kill White Walkers – dragonglass, which is currently being mined at Dragonstone, and Valyrian steel, a rare and ancient material in Westeros. Only a handful of Valyrian steel swords exist in Game Of Thrones, so it’s a safe bet that the characters wielding the weapons will have a pretty crucial role to play in the coming season… LONGCLAW Jeor Mormont, former Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, passed the ancestral sword of House Mormont to Jon Snow, who has been swinging it ever since. WIDOW’S WAIL One of two swords to be made out of Ned Stark’s sword, Ice, this one was originally made for Joffrey (hence the somewhat morbid name) but is now being held by Jaime Lannister. OATHKEEPER The second sword…

JULY 2008 Hellboy II: The Golden Army is released. It makes $160 million worldwide from an $85 million budget. 2010 Peter Briggs is hired to write and potentially direct a Hellboy spin-off focusing on Prince Nuada titled Silverlance. JULY 2012 Guillermo del Toro confirms that he’s trying to make Hellboy 3. APRIL 2013 Mike Mignola said there are a lot of obstacles in the way and he doesn’t see Hellboy 3 happening. 2014 Mignola starts working on a new script with Andrew Cosby that originally started as a continuation of the del Toro films. JULY 2015 Guillermo del Toro says that Hellboy 3 is partly dependent on the success of Pacific Rim: Uprising and that money remains the main issue. 2015 Universal asks Briggs to rework his Silverlance script, with…

FANS OF THE CW’s irreverent undead comedy-drama iZombie were shocked last year when the network announced it was giving it the axe after the fifth season. But creators and showrunners Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero weren’t saddened by the news. Instead, they were relieved: relieved that they still had one season to go and had the opportunity to tie up any loose ends, and relieved that, for once, they got to finish a show off properly. For Thomas, never before had that happened. His cult noir mysteryshow Veronica Mars was cancelled after three seasons, The CW failed to renew 90210after five, and Starz comedyParty Down only made it to two. With iZombie, Thomas and Ruggiero had a year’s notice to make sure it goes out with a bang. “We’ve been…

Mr Mime 40HP Detective Pikachu power: He obviously holds a key clue to Harry Goodman’s disappearance – but what? Animated accuracy: Terrifying in 2D, terrifying in 3D. Adorableness: 40 Snubbull 70HP Detective Pikachu power: A gruff and loyal police dog to Detective Yoshida (voiced by Ken Watanabe). Animated accuracy: More dog-like than the 2D version. Adorableness: 60 Jigglypuff 60HP Detective Pikachu power: A bar crooner it seems… Animated accuracy: She looks more yellow than the classic pink, but that might just be the lighting in this scene. Adorableness: 100 Charizard 150HP Detective Pikachu power: The big bad in an underground Pokémon fighting ring. Animated accuracy: Even more bad-ass in 3D than he is in two dimensions. Adorableness: 20 Greninja 130HP Detective Pikachu power: These frog-like Pokémon seem to be the…

Led by Nicholas Hoult, Tolkien presents the trials and tribulations of JRR Tolkien’s life up to his first draft of The Hobbit, including his pre-teen orphaning, close fellowship in school, his burgeoning romance with his future wife, Edith (Lily Collins), and his experiences in World War I. It sees early concepts for Tolkien’s literary creations visualised as being shaped by his experiences; from Edith’s appearance influencing future Elven princesses to Tolkien hallucinating Balrog-like nightmare shapes during the Battle of the Somme. Making his English-language debut with Tolkien, Finnish director Dome Karukoski, who has previous biopic form with Tom Of Finland, tells us of his passion for bringing the author’s backstory to the screen… When did you first encounter any of Tolkien’s writing? I was 12 or 13 when I read…

Release 10 May Director Claire Denis Cast Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth, André Benjamin, Lars Eidinger Distributor Thunderbird Releasing Certificate 18 It’s hard to think of another recent space-bound science fiction film as assuredly mystifying as Claire Denis’ High Life, a work that marks two firsts for the legendary director – her first sci-fi and her first in English. She takes a fairly minimal approach to space – the craft is shaped like a box, the rudimentary space suits look like used work wear. That said, she is not averse to mixing in intimidating, spectacular images of the universe alongside those of bodily fluids. It’s sci-fi that’s as concerned with nature as it is the desolate vacuum of space, opening on close-ups of plant life, before slowly introducing us…

Release 11 April Director Robert D Krzykowski Cast Sam Elliott, Aidan Turner, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Larry Miller, Ron Livingston Distributor Sparky Pictures Certificate 15 Format The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot is a thing of beauty, and although some viewers expecting a knockabout creature feature will be wrong-footed it speaks volumes about the old-fashioned simplicity of its hero. Sam Elliott’s Calvin Barr is an honest fellow living a quiet life, haunted by the memories of what he did for America in World War II and what it cost him at home. Calvin (played by Aidan Turner as a young man) was sent to kill Adolf Hitler at the end of the war and completed his mission with deadly efficiency. But it meant leaving his sweetheart Maxine (Caitlin FitzGerald)…

Release 22 April Director Christian Rivers Cast Hera Hilmer, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Leila George, Stephen Lang, Patrick Malahide Distributor Universal Certificate 12 Format Mortal Engines: the franchise-starter that wasn’t. There really is too much going on here. Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh’s screenplay smartly consolidates the double main villain threat of Philip Reeve’s post-apocalyptic source novel into just one, but this is still a convoluted two hours; particularly in its final act where supporting players we’ve not gotten to know, beyond admiring their nice coats, make great sacrifices in one final Star Wars-ish stand. Yet there’s something about this film that’s charming in its unabashed dorkiness, even if it’s almost never down to the story beats. The ambitious production design is pure eye candy, as though…

Release Out now Director Steven Kostanski Cast Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, Sai Bennett, Linden Porco Distributor Lionsgate Certificate 18 Format You can’t keep a Leprechaun down. After 2014’s much-derided po-faced effort Leprechaun: Origins, this Syfy TV movie brings the cackling gold-hunter back to his goofy roots with a gory, silly horror comedy that’s surprisingly okay. When the daughter of one of the first film’s survivors returns to the scene of the crime to join the off-the-grid sorority house that’s under construction, she discovers that her mother wasn’t crazy after all and that the Leprechaun (a very spirited Linden Porco stepping into the hat and boots) was simply biding his time… The Void co-director Steven Kostanski and Ash Vs Evil Dead veteran Suzanne Keilly know what they’re going for and, despite…

Release 15 April Director Boots Riley Cast Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Steven Yeun, Jermaine Fowler, Armie Hammer Distributor Universal Certificate 15 Format Sorry To Bother You may ask for forgiveness in its title but it’s unapologetically unique as it blends elements of political satire, comedy and grotesque science fiction, forging a film that’s electric if a little uneven at times. It follows Cassius Green, a 20-something man who’s struggling to make ends meet. Desperate, he takes a telemarketing job where he’s forced to use his ‘white voice’. Despite his timidity, he finds himself excelling and becomes a ‘Power Caller’ only to discover sinister truths about the business. Boasting top performances from Stanfield and Thompson as moral compass Detroit, it features a killer electro-funk soundtrack and visuals that match its anarchic,…

Release 8 April Director James Wan Cast Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson Distributor Warner Bros Certificate 12 Format  Digital Download As with 2017’s Wonder Woman, it’s clear that Warner Bros was experimenting a little with Aquaman – veering away from the usual tricks that have become a bit tired over the years. The new approach is certainly different, and it might even be for the better… Serving as both an origin story and also a continuation of Arthur Curry’s adventures following his time with the Justice League, Aquaman fits a lot of both high-octane action and story crammed into its 137-minute running time. Some of it really doesn’t need to be there, and the film almost definitely could have benefitted from some brutal editing. However, the parts…

Release Out now Creators Tim Miller, David Finchern Cast Various Distributor Netflix Certificate 15 Format Netflix has scored big over the years with their adult animations, so it’s no surprise to see them dip their toes into scifianimation. Love, Death & Robots is an anthology series of short films, varying in length from six minutes to 17 minutes. The content of the short films skips across the sci-fi genre, and the quality varies just as wildly. Don’t get us wrong, the animation is beautiful, whether it’s photo-real motion-captured CG, traditional 2D animation, or something in between. Each film is rendered in exquisite detail – you won’t find any rush-jobs here. You will, however, find some films that feel like little more than extended videogame cut scenes, with embarrassing voice acting…

Release 16 April Writer David Quantick Publisher Titan Books Price £7.99 Unlikeable wannabe author Todd Milstead spends his days sponging off his wife, showing off to all of his friends and sneaking off with other women. When his wife finally leaves him, a now-penniless Todd decides to finally become the writer he has been picturing himself as. Lacking any real talent, Todd nonetheless finds that he has a novel in him. A novel that he remembers reading but that nobody else has ever heard of. A novel called All My Colors. Claiming the work as his own, success is almost immediate for Todd, but there is a high price to pay for this appropriation. David Quantick’s latest novel begins with a well-observed character study, slides into slow-burn creepiness and finally…

Release Out now Writer Cory Doctorow Publisher Head Of Zeus Price £18.99 In his follow-up to the superb Walkaway, Cory Doctorow presents four novellas exploring the ways in which technology can interfere or benefit with individuals’ lives and the consequences of the close relationship that present and near-future societies have with it. Through this, Doctorow taps into extremely relevant issues that are affecting our 21st Century Western societies. Immigration, police brutality, and radicalization, as the title would suggest, all feature in the novellas. Doctorow has a real knack for taking big ethical dilemmas and synthesising them into a story that is both recognisable and easily understood. There are many peppered throughout the four novellas, some more obvious in their commentary than others. The examination of brand-exclusive tech, commodification, and class-based…

Release Out now Writer CA Fletcher Publisher Orbit Price £14.99 The bond between man and dog has grown even stronger since a plague wiped out the vast majority of the human race’s ability to have children. Our narrator, a boy named Griz, isn’t sure if the deaths of most of the dogs were linked to the same virus or not, but canines are now a precious commodity. When a stranger makes off with one of his two pups, he sets out with its brother and races into the dangerous ruins of the world to get the dog back. Fletcher’s decision to show us this post-apocalypse solely through Griz’s eyes (or pen, since it’s a diary of sorts) frees him from the burden of too much exposition, allowing the reader to…

Books are dangerous. Books mess with your head. Books fill children’s minds with subversive, warped and – to use a word we suspect Roald Dahl would loathe – ‘concerning’ ideas. Don’t believe us? Consider Dahl’s The Witches, one of the most popular children’s books ever written. It’s sold umpteen million copies, and it’s now being developed as a new Hollywood film, with Robert Zemeckis directing and Anne Hathaway attached as the Grand High Witch, the most terrifying monster in the world (this will be the second film of The Witches; the first had a gloriously putrid Anjelica Huston). This is how Dahl introduced the witches in his original novel: ‘As far as children are concerned, a REAL WITCH is easily the most dangerous of all the living creatures on earth.…

To date, Dahl has been adapted in live-action and in various kinds of animation. The Dangermouse studio Cosgrove-Hall made a drawn version of The BFG in Britain, while Henry Selick and Wes Anderson used stop-motion for their respective takes on James And The Giant Peachand Fantastic Mr Fox. However, the live-action Dahl films are better-remembered, though “live-action” is relative. Both Burton’sCharlieand Spielberg’s BFGuse huge dollops of computer animation. Then in November 2018, Netflix announced it would go large on adapting Dahl’s books as cartoons. According to its announcement, it would “reimagine and extend” stories such as The BFG, Charlie and Matilda in cartoon form, as “original animated event series”. Most of Dahl’s children stories are included in the Netflix deal, though not James or Fantastic Mr Fox. Perhaps the existing…

16-20 SARAH BAILEY You’re an all powerful natural witch but your intentions are also pure, which is a rare combination. People get jealous, so watch your back. You won’t always have your friends around to do it for you. 11-15 NANCY DOWNS You’re ambitious, but your selfish tendencies often lead to your downfall. You may be a natural leader, but you can’t lead without any followers, and you would do well to remember that. Blessed be. 6-10 ROCHELLE ZIMMERMAN You stand up for yourself in the face of adversity but you don’t always go the best way about it. Bullying a bully doesn’t make you strong; it just makes two bullies. Fight hate with kindness. 0-5 BONNIE HARPER Your scars might be your greatest insecurity but they are also a…

1 DOOM PATROL STAYS TRUE TO THE COMICS “I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to read the Grant Morrison material,” Bomer tells us, referring to Morrison’s seminal Eighties run on Doom Patrol, “but it’s so abstract and absurdist and hallucinatory. It completely took me by surprise.” When he read the script he found that the show “really did have a very distinctive voice. My biggest concern was how were they going to be able to pull it off week to week? Because in terms of production design and effects, it was very ambitious – but they have managed to do an incredible job.” 2 SHARING THE ROLE WITH MATTHEW ZUK His character Larry spends most of his time covered head-to-toe in bandages, allowing the role to be shared…

Anyone wondering why Cersei and Tyrion have such great chemistry may be unsurprised to learn that Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage have worked together before. That’s how Headey came to be involved in Game Of Thrones: “I did a film with Pete Dinklage. I’ve done a few things with him. We were doing this film and he said: ‘I’m reading a script for this fucking mad drama and it’s brilliant. I think you should go out for my sister.’ Then he let me read a bit and I was like ‘This is fucking groovy, I’m up for it.’ Then I went to meet Dan and David who told me about Cersei until Season Five. That’s all they knew. They didn’t know beyond the ‘Walk of Shame’ where she would go.…

• “LANGUAGE!” — Steve Rogers, Avengers: Age Of Ultron • “STARK! I’M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO EXIT THE DOUGHNUT.” Nick Fury, Iron Man 2 • “PUNY GOD.” Hulk, Avengers Assemble • “LET’S FACE IT, THIS IS NOT THE WORST THING YOU’VE CAUGHT ME DOING.” Tony Stark, Iron Man • “I NEED A HORSE!” “WE DON’T HAVE HORSES. JUST DOGS… CATS… BIRDS…” “THEN GIVE ME ONE OF THOSE LARGE ENOUGH TO RIDE!” Thor and the pet store worker, Thor • “I’VE KNOCKED OUT ADOLF HITLER OVER 200 TIMES.” Steve Rogers, Captain America: The First Avenger • “THAT’S ALL YOU’VE GOT? A CHEAP TRICK AND A CHEESY ONE LINER?’ “SWEETHEART, THAT COULD BE THE NAME OF MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY.” Ellen Brandt and Tony Stark, Iron Man 3 • “THIS DRINK! I LIKE IT! ANOTHER!” Thor, Thor • “YOUR BROTHER’S…

THERE’S NOBODY QUITE LIKE HELLBOY. IN THE BEYOND-CROWDED LANDSCAPE OF SUPERHEROES, SUPERVILLAINS AND WHATEVER YOU’D CLASS DEADPOOL AS, THE BIG LUG WITH TWO HORNS AND A HEART OF GOLD STANDS ALONE. He’s a blue-collar fella who loves pancakes, cats and cigars and he’s also at the centre of at least one doomsday prophecy. Destined to destroy humanity but fighting to protect us from the forces of darkness, he’s an outsider, risking his life for the very people who revile him. Somewhat fittingly, despite having two big damn movies made about him, the character has also remained somewhat on the fringes of pop culture. Don’t get us wrong, there’s definitely a tremendous fanbase for Mike Mignola’s comics, not to mention the two glorious Guillermo del Toro films, but it’s always been…

KEY • Spin-off • Prequel The Conjuring The Conjuring (2013) (director) • Annabelle (2014) The Conjuring 2 (2016) (director) • Annabelle: Creation (2017) (producer) • The Nun (2018) (producer) • Annabelle 3 (2019) (producer) The Conjuring 3 (2020) (producer) • The Crooked Man (TBC) (producer) Insidious Insidious (2010) (director) Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) (director) • Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015) (producer) • Insidious: The Last Key (2018) (producer) Saw Saw (2004) (director) Saw II (2005) (executive producer) Saw III (2006) (executive producer) Saw IV (2007) (executive producer) Saw V (2008) (executive producer) Saw VI (2009) (executive producer) Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010) (executive producer) Jigsaw (2017) (executive producer) Unaffiliated/unknown The Curse Of La Llorona (2019) (producer) Lights Out (2016) (producer)…

Flash Gordon’s incredible soundtrack, a collaboration between Queen and composer Howard Blake, is one of the film’s most celebrated assets. That theme tune, appropriated by adverts and sampled by Vanguard for a 2003 hit single, is extraordinary on its own terms. As part of a score that melds lush, evocative electronica with propulsive rock anthems, it’s simply stellar. Lisa Downs scored interviews with both Queen guitarist and lyricist Brian May and Blake for Life After Flash. One of the more surprising revelations that emerged from these conversations was that De Laurentiis – as single-minded as ever – didn’t initially care much for their efforts. Eventually, though, he saw the light. “It was the first time that a band had underscored a film,” she explains. “Then you have that mix of…

‘GRUMPY OLD LIV’ (2.01) Liv becomes a weary and slightly racist old man while solving the murder of a grumpy geriatric. ‘ZOMBIE KNOWS BEST’ (3.02) Liv eats the brain of a dad and Major the brain of his teen daughter in a hilariously good episode. ‘ZOMBIE BRO’ (2.02) After eating the brain of a frat bro, Liv is suddenly really into pulling practical jokes and flatulence. ‘SPANKING THE ZOMBIE’ (3.05) Things get pretty saucy when Liv investigates the murder of a dominatrix and quickly dons the latex. ‘REAL DEAD HOUSEWIFE OF SEATTLE’ (2.03) Liv becomes a lady who lunches with a flair for the dramatic in this Real Housewives spoof. ‘TWENTY-SIDED, DIE’ (3.09) Liv becomes a D&D dungeon…

It may seem strange to classify a series based on real-life events as sci-fi, especially seeing as it was originally produced by The History Channel, but the story that inspired Syfy UK’s upcoming series Project Blue Book is blurring the lines between science fiction and reality. Irish actor Aidan Gillen (known among genre fans as Game Of Thrones’ Littlefinger) plays real-life American Dr J Allen Hynek, an astronomer, professor and ufologist who acted as a scientific advisor to the UFO studies undertaken by the US Air Force during the 20th century. Hynek’s collaborations with the Air Force lasted a few decades, and included work on Project Sign (1947-1949), Project Grudge (1949-1952) and Project Blue Book (1952-1969). As its title suggests, the series begins in the Fifties, with Hynek teaming up…

Release Out now Director Alice Rohrwacher Cast Adriano Tardiolo, Alba Rohrwacher, Sergi López, Nicoletta Braschi Distributor Modern Films Certificate 12A Underneath its sunbaked rural Italian setting, Alice Rohrwacher’s third film is deceptively busy. There’s the true story about illegal sharecropping from which the idea for the script originally sprang, there’s social realism, political and social commentary, magical realism, a bit of fantasy and there’s even some Catholic-tinged spiritualism stirred in for good measure. But at the centre of it all is the titular Lazzaro, a man whose unending goodness means that he’s exploited and put-upon by his neighbours but who never complains, who always keeps a smile on his face. His steadfast benignity acts as an anchor, a calming centre which keeps the story feeling oddly focused despite itself. This…

Release 29 April Director Lewis Teague Cast Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh-Kelly, Christopher Stone, Ed Lauter Distributor Eureka Entertainment Certificate 18 Format Poor Cujo. That loveable St Bernard loved children, he would never hurt a fly, all he wanted was to go chasing after a rabbit...and instead he ended up getting bitten by a rabies-infected bat and became the poster boy for terrifying dogs everywhere. You could argue that there’s no canine more notorious than the giant Stephen King creation, but does the film bearing his name hold up more than 30 years later? The moments you’ll remember most clearly from Cujo are still every bit as effective as they ever were. Thanks to some fantastic dog wrangling (unsurprisingly, there’s a lot of that covered in the bountiful extras),…

Release Out now Director Bill Condon Cast Tony Todd, Kelly Rowan, Veronica Cartwright, Bill Nunn Distributor 88 Films Certificate 18 Format With Bernard Rose’s original enjoying a long-overdue reappraisal, 88 Films has snapped up Bill Condon’s underappreciated Candyman sequel and it’s almost definitely better than you remember. The film abandons Cabrini Green for New Orleans, as high school teacher Annie (The OC’s Kelly Rowan) realises she has a family connection to the be-hooked urban legend. Condon and cinematographer Tobias Schliessler’s work benefits from the format upgrade as the film offers a lush atmosphere and striking set-pieces. Todd is ever-majestic and while Annie isn’t as fascinating as the original’s Helen, Veronica Cartwright is great fun as her boozy mum and Michael Culkin’s wonderfully smug professor makes a memorable return in the…

Release Out now Director John McPhail Cast Ella Hunt, Malcom Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux Distributor Vertigo Releasing Certificate 15 Format • Digital Download Zombie flick meets irreverent Brit comedy with a dash of Christmas cheer, musical pizzazz and soul in John McPhail’s Anna And The Apocalypse. When dreamer Anna (Ella Hunt) wakes up one bright winter morning and finds herself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, she and a group of her school peers take it upon themselves to attempt to find their families. The unique premise means the film already has a lot to live up to before it even begins, but it takes it in its stride. After a bit of a slow start, the film comes into its own when the action picks up and…

Release 8 April Director Diederik Van Rooijen Cast Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon, Kirby Johnson, Stana Katic, Nick Thune Distributor Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Certificate 15 Format It’s a real shame that this mortuary-bound chiller is so obviously upfront about its story. Both the title and an exorcism prologue immediately clue you into the fact that the mysterious corpse that shows up all scarred and burned is not just your average Jane Doe. As PTSD-suffering cop-turned-morgue guard Megan (Shay Mitchell) struggles to keep it all together and the bodies start piling up, we are never in any serious doubt as to whether she’s actually losing the plot or not. Dutch director Diederik Van Rooijen makes good use of his implausibly striking set, recalling the creepiness of Ole Bornedal’s Nightwatch, and the…

Release 8 April Director Simon Wincer Cast Barret Oliver, Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Kathryn Walker Distributor Fabulous Films Certificate PG Format One of the slightly less beloved entries in the Eighties kids’ SF adventure canon, Simon Wincer’s effort DARYL is a peculiar blend of tones that feels unique to that era. It begins with a scientist dying in the process of keeping the titular child out of the clutches of his captors before Daryl finds his way to a loving foster family, learning about rude words, parental love and the magic of baseball. But Daryl’s not just any boy: he’s an experimental AI and the military wants him back. The script never quite seems to be sure which age bracket it’s aimed at, but what really keeps DARYL from…

Release Out now Writer Arkady Martine Publisher Tor Price £16.99 Mahit Dzmare is in a tricky situation. As the new ambassador from Lsel station to the capital of the sprawling Teixcalaanli Empire, she’s stepping into an alien world of incredible power, privilege… and a vast conspiracy. You see, her predecessor was found dead (almost definitely murdered) and the closest thing to help she has comes from his Imago, a drive containing the user’s memories and personality mounted in her head. Which is great, except it’s 15 years out of date and that version of Yksander has no idea what he could have done to end up on a mortuary slab. She’ll have to uncover whatever trouble he got himself into by herself… But what starts as a murder mystery takes…

Release Out now Writer K K Pérez Publisher Tor Teen Price £14.39 Given just how much of modern life depends on keeping various electronic devices charged, having the ability to generate electricity at will might seem like a really handy superpower to have. But for Lucy, it’s actually more of a pain. Home-schooled for most of her life because of her severe epilepsy, science-loving Lucy has just about managed to settle into a normal high school: she has got herself an artsy best friend who’s on the prom committee, a sporty boyfriend to take her to prom, and she’s acing all of her classes. And then one day she accidentally stumbles across a hidden message on the back of a photograph in her dad’s office and everything in her life…

Release Out now Writer Patrick Edwards Publisher Titan Books Price £8.99 Three people find themselves caught up in a totalitarian world on the brink of revolution. A former soldier on a quest to track down his estranged son. A young woman is in an abusive marriage with an officer of the regime. And an academic who is researching something that might be the key to the world that had come before. Initially in Patrick Edwards’ novel, the structure can make the narrative seem fractured. The upfront nature of the world-building can also feel as if Edwards has thrown you in at the deep end. There are moments when you find yourself absorbed into the story of one character only to be flung into the narrative of another. However, as you…

Until the age of ten, I was not just a reluctant reader but a fearful one. Reading didn’t come naturally to me. When we started reading lessons in first grade, my homeroom teacher berated those of us who struggled and didn’t stop the other children in the class from teasing us, either. One day during recess, my classmates literally chased me out of the playground because I couldn’t read. I cried in the bathtub that night convinced I would never make it to second grade. My mother quickly hired a reading tutor for me and by the end of the school year I was reading as well as everyone else. But the shame and insecurity that reading provoked stayed with me. This being the Eighties, I was obsessed with the…

Dahl only had two adult novels published, and they’re mind-bogglingly different from each other. The first was Some Time Never: A Fable Of Supermen, which is totally obscure now; it was never reprinted after the Forties, at least in English. A despairing satirical fantasy, it was written when Dahl was obsessed with the dropping of the A-bomb on Japan, and thought nuclear war was imminent. The story involved meaner, more malevolent versions of the gremlins which Dahl had previously depicted as cute children’s characters. Now the gremlins rejoice as humanity wipes itself out, with ‘salvo upon salvo of huge thin missiles shaped like tall trees.’ “The birth of the atomic age affected Dahl, like so many millions of people, and Some Time Never appears to have been an outlet for…

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, George Miller’s breakout debut, Mad Max (1979), still packs a mighty punch. While Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior(1981),Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and the recent Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) are better known and more widely seen by fans, the movie kickstarting one of the most iconic franchises of all time should not be forgotten. A pioneering sci-fi actioner made well outside the confines of Hollywood, Mad Max and its sequels spawned a wave of imitators. A dystopian nightmare set in and around Melbourne, the Ozploitation masterpiece depicts a time and place bedevilled by demented biker gangs who have taken over the highways. A ragtag group of cops – known as the Main Force Patrol – engage them on the open road,…