The Lord of the Rings - The Mind's Eye Radio Adaptation (1979)
When discussing the various audio dramatizations of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, people often think of the BBC Radio adaptation by default. However it should be noted that it was not the first. An earlier version was made and broadcast in 1979 on US National Public Radio and was subsequently released as an audiobook. It was produced by The Mind's Eye, a company who were responsible for numerous adaptations of classic literature for radio at the time. The script written by Bernard Mayes is a somewhat abridged version of the book. The eleven hour running time focuses significantly on the dialogue, with much of the back history, lore and expositionary narration removed.
Bringing Godzilla Down to Size (2008)
I recently stumbled across the documentary Bringing Godzilla Down To Size, which was originally included on Classic Media’s DVD release of the genre classics War Of The Gargantuas and Rodan. This in-depth and surprisingly engaging film explores the history of the Japanese Godzilla franchise and focuses on the special effects and technical aspects that dominated these productions. Technicians and actors are interviewed, providing a wealth of insight into the complexities of the films. This documentary also demonstrates the very unique nature of the Japanese film industry and its obsessive attention to detail.
The Signalman & The Waiting Room – Middle Ground Theatre Company
The Signalman and The Waiting Room are two supernatural tales dramatically brought to life by the Middle Ground Theatre Company. Featuring an ensemble cast and minimalist set design, these character driven performances are extremely entertaining and make for suitable ghoulish entertainment at this time of year. I had the pleasure of seeing a performance tonight at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford, as the company currently tours the UK.
Activision Blizzard Buys King Digital Entertainment
I found out about Activision Blizzard’s acquisition of King Digital Entertainment via the BBC Business website. From my perspective the notion of a leading US games developer that has a foothold in all major markets, buying in to the mobile sector hardly comes as a surprise. The price is perhaps the main talking point and does raise the question of the potential over valuing tech based companies. $5.9 Billion is after all a tidy sum of money. However what this deal does prove is the financial importance of the mobile gaming market.
New Star Trek Series Premieres January 2017
The announcement that CBS has commissioned a new series of Star Trek is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing in the sense that I have genuine affection for this franchise and therefore I welcome the prospect of a new incarnation of the show returning to TV. However I also consider this situation an absolute curse because well now have to endure at least eighteen months of idle speculation and an ongoing dissection of the entire production of a show before it is even released.
Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th
Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th is an incredibly in-depth documentary that explores the making of one of the landmark horror franchises of the twentieth century. The film analyses the series from its low budget 1980s origin at a New Jersey summer camp to the blockbuster release of its 2009 “reboot.” It combines hundreds of rare and never-before-seen photographs and film clips, as well as outtakes, archival documents, conceptual art and behind-the-scenes footage. There is also a wealth of interviews with more than one hundred and fifty cast and crew members, spanning all twelve films and the television series.
Have MMOs Made Me Antisocial?
I started playing my first MMO in late 2008. Until then it was the one genre that I had never tried. I initially considered buying World of Warcraft but when I found out there was a virtual version of Middle-Earth I chose to purchase The Lord of the Rings Online instead. Right from the outset I was hooked. My working pattern and domestic arrangements afforded me plenty of time to invest into this game and I did so willingly.
Star Trek Online: New Dawn
Tuesday saw the release of the eleventh season of Star Trek Online. New Dawn includes not only the latest feature episode Sunrise but also the new admiralty system, a revamp of the Cardassian story arc along with a Badlands battlezone for level sixty players and above. There is also a new Terran Empire rep faction and associated rewards. Now it probably hasn’t escaped anyone’s notice that Cryptic are providing more of the same. However it’s a tried and tested formula so I guess they cannot be blamed for adopting a policy of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
Heart of Thorns
In recent years I have made it my policy not to participate in beta testing of major new MMOs, nor to immerse myself in their marketing leading up to release. I don’t want to risk getting burnt out or build up too many unrealistic or erroneous expectations. Overall I want there to be an element of surprise when I finally around to playing a new product. Naturally I applied this philosophy to the Guild Wars 2 expansion Heart of Thorns and have made it my business to ignore a lot of the press, live streams and hype over the last quarter. So when I finally logged in today I didn’t really know what to expect. On mature reflection this was a mistake.
Out With the Old
I’ve been blogging and podcasting for over half a decade and as a result I’ve left a trail of material scattered across the internet. Maintaining multiple sites and hosting old content costs both money and time. Although the world is treating me relatively well at present, I am not a man of limitless resources. Therefore I have decided that it is time to close some of these sites and archives.
SPECTRE (2015)
Sam Mendes brought a degree of depth to Skyfall which we've not seen in a Bond movie for a long time. SPECTRE continues in the same vein as its predecessor with an involving plot, fully rounded characters and some finely honed set pieces. I like this approach to Bond and feel that a more cerebral interpretation of the character is not only beneficial for the franchise but to the genre itself. If SPECTRE does turn out to be Daniel Craig’s swansong as James Bond then it will be a fitting epitaph.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Humour
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is not a game that strikes you as being light hearted at first glance. The plot is dour and brooding, set in a world of human (and non-human) misery and suffering. In many respects this is one of the game’s greatest assets because it’s all so worryingly plausible. The rich and powerful pursue their own goals, heedless of the cost to the rest the kingdom. Those at the very lowest strata of society live a precarious existence. Despite its fantasy setting the world of the Witcher is not that different from our own.
The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
The Eagle Has Landed was veteran director John Sturges' final movie, whose body of work includes such classics as Bad Day at Black Rock, The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape. Based on the bestselling book by Jack Higgins and adapted by Tom Mankiewicz, the film is a curious beast. It’s an in-depth character driven drama you would expect from such a veteran director, with the succinct and violent action scenes that were prevalent during the seventies. Although the phrase “they don’t make them like that anymore” is somewhat of a cliché, it is quite apt in the case of The Eagle Has Landed. Many of the crew as well as the producers hailed from the golden age of Hollywood.
Gaming Communities
Fans are far more than just customers. Sadly not all of the gaming industry understands or more importantly appreciates this distinction. Consider this analogy; I am a customer of Vodafone. I use their services for a monthly fee and that is the extent of my relationship with them. I do not write about my experiences using their products, nor do I create guides regarding their use. Neither do I arrange social events around their services. Fans conversely do all these things for the games that they love. Furthermore they do not do these things solely for their own benefit. There is a lot of ultraism in fandom. It often contributes towards a vibrant community which is a great marketing and promotional asset for any games developer. Being free, it also has the best price.
Marooned (1969)
Depending on your point of view, Marooned directed by John Sturges was considered either “a taut and interesting film…” or “Tedious and Sad…” upon its release. That still remains the case today. It’s curious that despite the space race being such a big story at the time it seldom translated into good drama on the big screen. Like Robert Altman’s Countdown from the preious year, Marooned suffers from a rather clinical approach to the subject matter and a somewhat pedestrian pace. Perhaps the focus on real space travel and science fact was the problem. Robert Parrish’s Journey to the Far Side of the Sun which was released at the same time is far more dramatically engaging with its more overt science fiction narrative.
The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius
Many people consider history (or at least books about it) to be a dry and a somewhat dull experience. If you are such a person then I cordially invite you to think again. Suetonius’ book “The Twelve Caesars” is a catalogue of degeneracy, perversions and general behaviour that would upset the vicar. It is both gripping and informative, proving that with regard to human nature, no matter how things change, they remain the same.
The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)
Roger Moore has often been accused of being an actor of limited range, although in all fairness, this may be down to typecasting. This cinematic curiosity from 1970 proves otherwise and is considered by some to be his best performance. Made immediately after The Saint TV series, it afforded its star an opportunity to tackle a character who is rather puritanical, potentially impotent and in every way the complete opposite of Simon Templar and James Bond.
Classic Game Themes: Pirates of the Flying Fortress
Over the past few years I have been regularly writing about Classic Movie Themes and posting specific music cues that I particularly enjoy. Often the term “classic” is not necessarily applicable and it may be more appropriate to simply label them personal favourites. However “classic” is a better fit for headlines and search engines, so I shall continue to use that title. I’ve subsequently decided to post music from the games soundtracks that I feel are of note. The gaming industry has a multitude of talented composers and musicians who enhance games and bring virtual worlds to life with their ambient music and scores.
Orca (1977)
Orca (Aka: Orca: The Killer Whale) is a damn odd 1977 creature feature directed by Michael Anderson and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, that was designed to cash-in on the success of Jaws. Where Steven Spielberg’s movie is a character driven, suspense movie, Orca is all over the shop; veering between such themes of environmentalism, horror and revenge. Furthermore the revenge in question is exacted by the titular whale against Richard Harris. It’s sort of a reverse Moby Dick situation. Ponder that for a moment. This is a movie about a whale getting even. Make no mistake, this is a cinematic mess, yet because of its European production credentials it is still morbidly fascination.
James Bond Novels
I recently started reading fiction again after spending half a year focused upon academic subjects and ploughing my way through numerous non-fiction books. I’ve always been a fan of the Bond franchise so decided it was time to familiarise myself with Ian Flemings’ the source material. The results so far have proven to be quite surprising and not at all as I expected. I managed to purchase the first seven novels in the series from a second hand book shop and have so far completed five of them. I also have audio book version available of the all of Fleming’s stories should I need to consume them in such a fashion.