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Fear The Walking Dead S01E03 "The Dog" REVIEW

September 14, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

Fear The Walking Dead S01E03 “The Dog” REVIEW

Airing in the UK on AMC
Writer: Jack LoGiudice
Director: Adam Davidson

Essential Plot Points:

The rioters start setting fires so Travis, Liza, Chris and the Salazars have to flee.
Mrs Salazar is badly injured when a water cannon knocks scaffolding onto her leg. The nearest hospital is overrun so Travis takes her to Madison’s house.
Back at Casa Clark, Madison, Alicia and Nick pass the time waiting trying very hard not to think about what’s happening.
The power goes out, city wide.
A neighbour’s dog, covered in blood, appears at the back door. Alicia and co let it in and it immediately starts barking, warning them a zombie is heading for the front door.
Madison and her kids go next door to retrieve the shotgun Nick once tried to steal. Because Nick is the best son ever.
They watch the zombie attack and kill the dog. And then Travis arrives home.
Rushing to save him, they forget the shells and discover Madison’s neighbour is now a zombie. Given how close they were, Madison is crushed (metaphorically, not under scaffolding).
Travis frantically tries to reason with the zombie. Daniel shoots it in the face. Twice.
Travis is far less okay with this, and most of what Daniel’s doing, than basically everyone else in the house.
They pass an uneasy night waiting to leave at sun up.
Madison and Travis debate whether or not to kill their neighbour. To Daniel’s disgust, Travis talks Madison down and they leave.
On the way out of the city, Madison sees her neighbour’s husband return home. She rushes back but he’s saved by soldiers who swarm the neighbourhood.
The day is saved. Hurrah?

Review:

There’s a moment really early on in the episode which may be immensely significant. Chris, who you’ll be pleased to know is still utterly unbearable, is looking out of the Salazar’s window at the riot. A man in a hoodie stops and turns to face him. He’s clearly not human, moves with purpose instead of shambling and doesn’t growl like most zombies. It’s a weird moment, and it may just be an unusually dressed zombie but he just feels…significant. Here he is:

Whether this is a massive clue to the cause of the outbreak, or just an undead hoodie enthusiast remains to be seen. Isn’t he spooky though?

Anyway, mysterious hooded gentleman aside this episode neatly combines everything the show does very well with everything it does very badly. There’s some typically great direction from Adam Davidson, Jack LoGiudice’s script is packed full of pitch-black humour and there are some really great performances.

So let’s talk about Davidson first. He’s approaching the series in a way that feels almost documentarian and it’s really paying off. The riot and subsequent hospital battle could have felt cheap. But, under Davidson’s direction they feels like what they are; an encroaching new reality, the world changing one block at a time with the characters as a very reluctant point of view for the audience. Davidson’s direction has been so good for these three episodes I’m honestly a little nervous both about and for the other directors. They have a lot to live up to.

Then there’s this.

The moment the city blacks out is chilling and a really smart way of unifying the two halves of the story. The collapse is accelerating and there’s a huge sense of urgency as the characters rush to try and reunite.

That urgency, and a huge amount of fatalism, is what makes the script work. LoGiudice brings the best out of what’s been, to date, a pretty ghastly cast of characters. Madison in particular continues to improve and the emotional arc she has here is one that fans of everyone’s favourite horrifically traumatised Southern cop will find very familiar. Madison’s hardening, even as Travis is starting to lose his edge, and it’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic shifts. Madison is the one who wants Chris to learn how to use guns; Madison is the one who tries to euthanise her neighbour; and Madison is the one who risks everything to try and save her neighbour’s husband. She’s not making uniformly good choices but she is making consistent and interesting ones. Plus the scene where she asks Liza to kill her if she turns is a masterclass in minimalist writing with maximum impact. It’s a moment of kinship, establishing dominance and a cry for help all at once. Brilliantly done.

Elsewhere in the cast, Cliff Curtis continues to be one of the best character actors on the planet. The show’s most surreal moment comes when he wheels his bin down to the curb and sees another neighbour do the same. This moment of suburban acknowledgement becomes an uneasy faceoff, made all the more interesting by the fact we know Travis’s bin has a zombie in it. That collision of the mundane and horrific is where the show’s at its best and there’s a lot of it here. In fact, even the moments that could be viewed as stupid are at least put in context. Travis, Madison and Liza’s families are very bad at this because they’ve never had to survive a zombie apocalypse before and for now, that’s letting the show go for some effective scares. That being said:

I doubt I’d wander through this particular garden in a hurry.

Unfortunately, the episode’s pacing destroys a lot of this good will. Most of the above happens in the first half hour and there’s a 10 minute dead spot that follows it where the characters literally sit around and wait for the next bit of the plot. It’s a really odd choice, and sets up a false sense of expectation. The first half is so good you’re waiting for it to escalate and instead you get Chris being taught how to use a shotgun and Nick being a horrible human being.

Again.

Even the, admittedly game-changing, ending feels weird and forced. The show’s changed gear seismically this episode but it’s done so like a tank instead of a sports car. Hopefully the second half of the season will transition more smoothly.

The Good:

An actual white rioter! On screen! Possibly more than one but this guy’s photogenic.

An actual white zombie!

Ruben Blades. The script’s giving him a really fine line to walk but he’s doing a great job. The scenes he has with Travis in particular are great.
Cliff Curtis. Like Blades, one of the best character actors of his generation. Like Blades, being given difficult material. Like Blades, nailing it.

fear_the_walking_dead_s01e03_the_dog_not_okay_face — Travis’s “I’m not okay with this!” face

Kim Dickens. Aside from the weirdly-paced, and oddly emotionless, ending of this episode, Dickens is rapidly becoming the show’s MVP. She’s got the strongest, most Rick-like character arc so far and she commands the screen just as much as Blades and Curtis.
The LA blackout. A simple, incredibly chilling shot.

The Bad:

The 10-minute rest break the episode takes for no particular reason. This is a six episode season and it’s managed, so far, to do a great job of keeping pacy without seeming forced. This, good character moments aside, was the first sequence that felt aggressively dull.
Nick and Chris. It’s not actually Frank Dillane or Lorenzo James Henrie’s respective faults, they’re just playing deeply unlikable characters. There’s hope for Nick but Chris is becoming a whining, shrill liability. Worse still, his likely character arc is looking dangerously predictable and, worse, dull.
The Salazar family. Not because they’re bad people, they’re not. But the references to what they’ve been through in the past seem to hint strongly at connections to the drug cartels or organised crime. We desperately hope that isn’t the case. If it is, combined with the show’s hilariously ill-advised black zombies, then it’s starting to look less like an oversight and more like lazy, deliberate stereotyping.
“The cavalry’s here. Things are gonna get better.” Travis Manuwa, Graduate of the Albert Square School of Optimism in the Face of Horrific Imminent Death.

And The Random:

Shot of the week has to be this. Madison debating if she can “save” her neighbour, Travis talking her down and the hand between them. Another perfect metaphor for the show and another great shot from Davidson. He’ll be missed.

Think I’m an enormous fanboy over the direction of this and the last two episodes? Here’s Vox talking about why it’s so smart and the show’s similarities to Battlestar Galactica: http://www.vox.com/2015/9/14/9321977/fear-the-walking-dead-episode-3-recap.
There’s a long, lingering shot of a plane presumably on its way to landing at LAX. As the shot seems somewhat pointless otherwise we can’t help wondering if it’s supposed to the plane on which the forthcoming, one-off, online “Zombies On A Plane” story will be set (see here if you don’t know what we’re on about).

Review by: Alasdair Stuart

• Read our other Fear The Walking Dead reviews

Danielle Rianna Carter: Cosplay interview

September 14, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Cosplay Cosplay Interviews

“There have been characters where I’ve liked the design,” explains Danielle Rianna Carter on the characters she decides to cosplay. “I’ve gone to research them and realised once I knew them, I didn’t really want to do it as much as I thought. Having that kind of connection with them… that for me is what makes me want to cosplay someone.”

Danielle’s interest in anime began from a young age when watching Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. Upon seeing that friends overseas with similar interests were going to conventions, she searched online for UK conventions, which led Danielle to find out about MCM. She then decided to cosplay when attending her first MCM convention back in October 2009.

Being fans of Sailor Moon, we initially talked a bit about Naoko Takeuchi’s magical girl series (“You have to love Sailor Moon,” said Danielle. “She’s just classic”). We discussed making her first cosplay, reactions from people at conventions and cake. Being an illustrator and animator too, we also touched on the possibility of being at the Comic Village at MCM in the future.

How did your interest in cosplay start?

When I was about 14 or so, I first got into online communities and I had a lot of friends overseas who were going to cons. I didn’t realise that cons were a thing in the UK. I kinda Googled it and came across MCM. I was blown away with the fact that we have them over here and I could go to this event and do this. When I realised I could go to a con and join in with it, I immediately decided that I had to do it.

You felt that you had to go to a convention, or you had to cosplay?

Both (laughs)! When I turned up I was just blown away with how big it was. I hadn’t realised that there was this kind of community in the UK. I was just amazed that there were all these people there that had [the same things] in common. It felt a bit like, ‘Okay, this is where our people are. This is where I was supposed to be hanging out.’ I was just really happy, because none of my friends at school were into it. So it was nice to know that there were people there that I could bond with. And it was fun. I went with my parents as well and they loved it, so that was good. I haven’t missed an MCM London since.

What was your first cosplay at the convention?

My first cosplay was absolutely awful. It was Ami Kawashima from Toradora. I found a little group on the MCM forums and they needed someone to be Ami. Not the best cosplay I’ve ever done, but it was so much fun.

IMG-8527 (by Papercube) — Power Girl cosplay commissioned by Paper Cranes.

With Power Girl, you said that when you saw the costume, you “felt a lot of distaste,” but you then decided to research the design of the costume and upon reading Amanda Conner’s Power Girl Vol 2, you fell in love with the character and wanted to cosplay her. What in particular stood out that made you suddenly change your mind?

The bit that made me change my mind was that I saw a panel from the comic. It was Power Girl using her laser vision to shave her legs, which I thought was absolutely hilarious. It felt very realistic, like, ‘Okay, this character, she’s very real and easy to identify with.’ She makes a lot of jokes, she struggles to get in her costume sometimes, there were all these little details that I hadn’t really come across in comic book characters before. She is funny and just a very inspiring character. If she was a person, then I would be her friend. I would like to be like her.

Tinker Bell was the first costume you made from scratch. You described it as a “dream costume that did happen” and that you wanted to cosplay her the day you started cosplaying. What is it about this cosplay/character that drew you in?

I’ve loved Disney since I was very young, and I love Tinker Bell. I have all this merchandise in my room. She’s very cute, very fun and has a big personality. People have called me Tinker Bell quite a lot; one of my nicknames in my family is Tink. Also because she’s quite short I get a lot of comments along that line as well. I like that she’s completely ridiculous, flies into rages, and tries to kill Wendy.

I wanted to do the costume as well because her costume isn’t particularly complicated, but it has the potential to be quite detailed if that’s what you want to go for. When I was getting into cosplay I thought, ‘Oh it’s a simple dress, I can do a simple dress.’ Even though it took me a long time to get around to doing her, the actual construction of it wasn’t particularly difficult. It took just over a month.

You took part in the Cosplay Masquerade at MCM London in October 2014 with your Tinker Bell costume and also Roxy Richter at MCM Birmingham the following month. Could we see you taking part in masquerades again in the future?

I really enjoyed being in the masquerades, but I don’t think I would do it again alone. I would love to do it in groups because I think it can be really fun; you can do something special with it. On my own I felt it was just a little too nerve-racking. If I were going to be in the masquerade again on my own, it would have to be a costume that can stand up on its own, something a bit more impressive. I’d definitely love to do it again in a group, do more group skits, so that’s something I’m looking forward to one day.

At MCM London Comic Con in May 2015 you cosplayed as Miss Piggy. You had a huge reaction to this cosplay, yet it was a somewhat uncomfortable experience for you. What did you have to endure with this cosplay?

The prosthetic nose, which was made by Steve Bosworth of Hobby F/X was amazing. He was incredible with that and I highly recommend him. The prosthetic was moulded to fit my face exactly; we did a face-to-cast for it, which meant that it blocked my nose, so I really struggled to breathe through my nose all day. I couldn’t really eat or drink anything, because it stopped me breathing. Also, I had heels which were slightly uncomfortable. My false lashes weren’t particularly comfortable either. I had to wear gloves all day [so I couldn’t] use my phone.

The prosthetic nose was the main issue. I had to eat in small bites. I had to tear bits off a sandwich and eat them quickly so I wouldn’t have to stop breathing. I went through as much of the day as I could without having anything to eat. My friends were like, ‘No, you have to eat something now.’ I had to drink through a straw; that was the only way I could drink anything without choking, spluttering and dying on the con floor (laughs). I owe my life to two gentlemen outside Subway who helped me get a straw, because I couldn’t get through the crowds to get one. I don’t know what I would have done without them.

It was a bit hot, a bit uncomfortable, I had to touch my make-up a lot, but it was definitely worth it. The reactions to it were just amazing. Even though it was difficult, it was just so much fun. I don’t regret doing it. I was having so much fun focusing on what I was doing in the day that I wasn’t really noticing the fact that I couldn’t breathe! When I’ve been Tinker Bell and Princess Aurora, I’ve had really lovely reactions from small children, which is a different level of… niceness. But it wasn’t quite as big as Miss Piggy.

Given what you went through, would you cosplay Miss Piggy again?

I would like to… but for me, I cosplayed her because I was staying at a hotel, so at any point, if I needed to leave and get it off, I could go back to the hotel and sort myself out. For a lot of cons, because I’m just outside of London, I commute in. I couldn’t wear her on a train. I couldn’t really put the prosthetic nose on or take it off in a bathroom. So, I would love to wear her again, but it would have to be organised well in advance.

As well as having people ask for pictures, you’ve mentioned that one of your highlights at MCM was when you were cosplayng Princess Aurora and you made one young girl’s day. What happened?

I was at the front of Excel, the glass entrance and I was sitting with my brother, having a drink, having a rest. I was about to go and get changed actually. My brother tapped me on the shoulder and pointed at a little girl and her mum, they were staring at me through the window. I’m not sure if they were actually at the convention or just walking by. I asked my brother, ‘Should I go over? Should I not? I don’t know what to do!’ He urged me to. So I went over and the girl became very shy, she was hiding behind her mum. I talked to her for a bit, asked her how her day was going, what she was doing. Her mum asked me for a picture. The little girl was just so happy and couldn’t really believe what was happening. To get that kind of reaction, to know that that’s a memory for her that she’s going to really love, it’s just absolutely amazing. That kind of feeling is part of the reason why I cosplay. I love it! When you can go home and think, ‘I made someone else happy,’ that’s fantastic!

Does that feeling spur you on when it comes to future cosplays and conventions?

Sometimes it does. Most of the reasons why I choose a cosplay is because I think I can do that character justice. Some characters like Tinker Bell and Miss Piggy, I think I can do them well enough that it’s going to make people happy, it’s going to be something good in their day. That does make me more motivated; it’s part of the motivation.

I recall a list of cosplay groups you would love to do. If you had unlimited funds who would be at the top of your list to cosplay?

Oh… (pauses for thought). I’ve always wanted to do a Magic Knight Rayearth cosplay group and I would love to do one with full sets of armour, or really lavish CLAMP costumes. It’s a series I’ve loved for such a long time, the characters mean quite a lot to me. There are various different versions of Disney princesses I’d love to do as well. But I think Magic Knight Rayearth would be top of the list. The costumes are just gorgeously designed. They have so much detail and so many different designs to choose from. It’s one of those things where it would involve a lot of time, organisation and money to do. If I didn’t do it to my highest standard then I wouldn’t be happy with it.

Is it true that at one event you were giving out cakes to anyone that took photos of you in cosplay?

Yes, that was when I did Alice in Wonderland. I made little fairy cakes. They had ‘Eat Me’ on them and little cards. That was for a convention in July, the heat was outrageous and some of them melted. I love to do that kind of thing. I wish I could do that more often, but it does involve planning and it kind of has to fit with the character. Like with Tinker Bell, I would love to give out little bags of fairy dust. I wanted to do it with Alice because if I came across any children it would give them something extra; I wanted to make them feel like they had really met the character. I would love to do it again.

I see that you’re also an illustrator. Do you see yourself with a table at the Comic Village at an MCM event in the future?

I would love to do that. I’ve talked about it with a friend from university who frequently has a table at MCM. It just hasn’t happened yet because I normally focus on cosplay. I would like to get started at maybe a smaller convention, like MCM Birmingham, so I can give it a test and see how well it works before launching myself into the busyness that is MCM London. It seems like a lot of fun.

What are your future cosplay plans?

One of them is Super Sonico, which is something casual and fun to do. I’m hoping to be in a Love Live! group with some of my friends, but that’s currently in the works. And I’m planning on doing Sakura from Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE at some point as well.

Thank you to Danielle for taking the time out for the interview. You can follow her on her Facebook page (Danielle Rianna Cosplay).

Thank you to Papercube for arrangement and photos. You can check out his work on his Facebook page.

Guardians Of The Gallery: Star Wars Stamps, Game Of Thrones Pinball & More

September 12, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment News

Some of the best, funniest and weirdest pics & vids that’ve been doing the rounds on the ’net this week

••• Terry Gilliam reacts as only Terry Gilliam would when Variety.com accidentally posted his obituary this week.

••• Internet japesters have been having fun ever since it was announced that Sesame Street was moving to HBO, not, it would seem, a natural home. This vid is worth watching just for The Count/True Blood mash-up.

••• The Royal Mail is issuing a set of special stamps next month to commemorate the upcoming release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

••• Arrow/Torchwood/Doctor Who star John Barrowman turned up to his DragonCon in TARDIS dress.

You don’t know how hard it was to find this frickin’ dress in my size! @Team_Barrowman #DragonCon pic.twitter.com/KQAOoiznMr

— On Wednesdays… (@OnWnet) September 6, 2015

••• This $28,000 Star Wars watch looks amazing but also like you’ll need some pretty decent biceps just to lift your arm to see the time. [via ComicBook.com]

••• Go on admit it, you want your local pub to order this Game Of Thrones pinball in. More pics of it at ComicBook.com.

••• For their weekly art challenge Comic Book Resources asked people to submit artwork in honour of the recently departed Wes Craven that combined his films with comic character. There are lots of great entries here, but this is our favourite by far. The artist is Brendan Tobin.

••• 20-year-old engineering student Ben Carpenter transformed his standing wheelchair into a an awesome Mad Max: Fury Road war rig for Tampa Bay Comic Con in August. Simply genius. [via ComicBookResources]

••• We want Disney to greenlight this series…

Bet You Never Spotted This Buffyverse Easter Egg In Avengers: Age Of Ultron

September 11, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment News

Joss Whedon reveals in his dependably witty commentary on the Blu-ray release of Avengers: Age Of Ultron (out to buy in the UK from 14 September) that he managed to sneak a Buffyverse Easter egg into the Marvel film so clever, so ingenious and so subtle that if you ever meet any one who reckons that they spotted it at the cinema, then point at them in a crowd and shout, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” very loudly.

Remember Angel, the spin-off from Buffy The Vampire Slayer in which her bloodsucking ex -boyfriend decamped to Los Angelese to set up a supernatural detective agency? Remember the legal firm that began as Team Angel’s nemesis but which they ended up reluctantly running by the final season? Remember what it was called? Wolfram & Hart.

Well, in Thor’s weird trippy dream vision sequence, there’s a brief glimpse of three shoadowy figure in some archways. They’re wearing masks. And guess what the masks represent?

• Avengers: Age Of Ultron In The Style Of Power Rangers: Zeo
• Watch The Avengers: Age Of Ultron Blooper Reel
• Two Featurettes From Avengers: Age Of Ultron Blu-ray

The Strain S2E03 “Fort Defiance” REVIEW

September 9, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

The Strain S2E03 “Fort Defiance” REVIEW

Airing in the UK on Watch, Wednesdays, 10pm

Writer: Regina Corrado
Director: Guy Ferland

Essential Plot Points:

Eph and Nora get their vampire plague to work.
Vaun, Gus and the gang try but fail to kidnap Palmer; Vaun and his strigoi team are killed but Gus escape.
Councilwoman Feraldo declares Staten Island a vampire-free zone. The Mayor asks her to replicate her success in the rest of New York (but he wants some of the glory)
Setrakian reveals to Nora that he uses the worms to create a serum that slows his ageing.
Ducth spots a missing persons poster for her ex girlfriend, Nikki, and starts a search for her.
Some guy who you may vaguely remember from last season, Palmer’s former assistant, Reggie Fitzwilliam, travels to Staten Island to reunite with his brother, Curtis.

Review:

If extreme, imaginative ickiness is your main reason for watching The Strain then you certainly won’t be disappointed by “Fort Defiance”. The kill count is pretty high too. In the first few scenes we have hordes of strigoi attacking some cops; Setrakian beheading a strigoi then using a teaspoon to scoop its wormy bodily fluids into a jar ; and Gus ripping out a strigoi’s tongue through its own neck. Later on a crack team of strigoi fall foul of some ultraviolet disco lights (honestly, it’s like death by Kylie Minogue concert light show) and Eph living to regret bursting a plagued strigoi’s zit. It’s all wonderfully gross. And wonderfully gross is this show’s USP.

the_strain_s2e03_Fort_defiance_splat — Splat!

Sadly the plotting is as meandering as the previous episode. Things happen but the overall plot doesn’t seem to progress that much. Indeed the biggest development has happened off screen between episodes: Feraldo has secured Staten Island. That seemed remarkably easy. Feraldo’s belligerent speech and the unveiling of her tasteful new vampire sculpture makes up for that, though.

A new subplot with Dutch going in search of her ex-girlfriend may have some point, but it doesn’t reveal itself here, leaving her quest an irritating distraction from the main events. It’s hard to care about a relationship we’ve barely been privvy to (and what little we did see involved the ex in question running for her life and abandoning Dutch – let her go!)

Vaun’s team’s plan to kidnap Palmer sounds promising, and is mildly exciting while it looks like it’s running smoothly. However, it turns out to be one of the most ill-thought-through plans in TV history as Palmer and co simply retire to a safe room and turn on the deadly disco lights. Ultimately it all seems rather pointless and just a way of killing off Vaun so that fan-fave character from the books, Quinlan, can now be introduced.

Reintroducing Palmer’s former bodyguard Reggie is an unexpected move and as similarly mystifying as the Nikki plot so far. Presumably his story will go somewhere but all we know from this episode is… he’s visiting his brother. Thrilling. However he did serve as a good device to show off Feraldo’s new regime in all its near-Fascist and unapologetically racist action. The “customs” scenes were effectively chilling.

Zach was as annoying as ever. You kinda hope his mum does actually turn him into a vampire soon. Though he’ll still look sulky, no doubt.

Keeping things enjoyable once again is Palmer whose utter contempt at being babysat by Bolivar makes for great viewing, especially when they start hurling abuse at each other. Setrakian’s disturbing little sideshow this episode is another highlight; as a man driven to revolting methods to make sure he can carry out his mission, David Bradley gives a thoroughly convincing, powerful and surprisingly sympathetic performance.

Overall, “Fort Defiance” plays to the show’s strengths to deliver a crowd-pleaser but the season overall so far still feels disappointingly directionless.

The Good:

Lots of great, inventive, really icky gore.
Feraldo is awesome and loathsome in equal measure
Eph’s chat with the Master via his test subject is chillingly effective (whether the Master is listening or not)
Palmer’s vitriol towards Bolivar.
Fet’s poster:

The Bad:

Vaun’s plan to kidnap Palmer is laughably poor and full of holes; no wonder it backfires.
The crowd at Feraldo’s “unveiling” goes from revulsion and shock to wholeheartedly backing her with the speed only a TV script could conjure up.
Zach’s expression at this moment; he looks like he’s embarrassed by his dad’s dancing at a wedding.

The Random

Is Bolivar’s odd “face paint” look in the precredits teaser just an unfortunate side effect of the lighting, or is it supposed to be an ironic gag, in that his “rock star” make-up makes him look more vampiric than being actually being vampiric?

Honestly, after all that stuff with Setrakian ingesting worms to stay young, the sight of him eating spaghetti was more stomach-chaurning than most of the proper gore in the episode.

“Is this foreplay for you two?” “Vasily does love a good explosion.” Fnarr.
Just for the record, Setrakian reveals that he is 94 years old.
Feraldo namechecks her nephew, a copper. He’ll be dead soon then.
Anybody else reminded of a famous scene in Lost Boys at this point?

• Read our previous reviews of The Strain

Animatronic Interactive Star Wars Action Figures From Thinkway Toys Now Available

September 9, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment News

With the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens less than 100 days away, Thinkway Toys has unveiled its brand new animatronic interactive action figures, with Darth Vader, Stormtrooper and AT-AT toys now available.

The Darth Vader animatronic figure is based on digital data from Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi. Wave the interactive lightsaber for real-time interaction with light and stereo sound effects. Pressing his chest panel button activates Battle or Training Mode. If you raise his left arm the Dark Lord will come alive with voice and animated actions, persuading you to join him over to the Dark Side. The figure stands at 17” and is available now, retailing for £99.99.

The Stormtrooper animatronic figure is based on digital data from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and includes voice, light and sound effects. The figure is voice activated, so upon hearing you the Stormtrooper will engage in Battle Mode. If you raise your voice he will react differently. Raising his right arm will also result in him firing his Blaster. The Stormtrooper is 16” in height and available now, retailing for £89.99.

The AT-AT comes with an infrared remote control that allows you to send instant or pre-programmed commands, with over 1,000 action combinations available. The AT-AT can walk in all directions: forward, backward, left and right. The head also turns and lights up as it moves. The AT-AT is 10.5” tall and available now, retailing for £89.99.

Thinkway Toys action figures of Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, C-3PO R2-D2 and the Millennium Falcon from The Force Awakens will be available from 1 October. Will you be purchasing any of these Star Wars action figures?

Source: Thinkway Toys

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Demons Of The Hellmouth BOOK REVIEW

September 8, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

Author: Rupert Giles (though we suspect that he may have had some help from Nancy Holder)
Publisher: Titan Books
Published: OUT NOW

So, 12 years after the show finished, how can publishers still find new ideas for books about Buffy The Vampire Slayer? More to the point how can Nancy Holder find anything new to say about Buffy The Vampire Slayer? She’s not only written an entire library of Buffy and Angel fiction, she’s also authored and co-authored numerous Buffyverse non-fiction books too, including a couple of Watcher’s Guides, and The Making Of A Slayer.

The answer is: you don’t actually say anything new. You just say it in a new way.

The conceit behind Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Demons Of The Hellmouth is that it’s Rupert Giles’s collected observations on all the supernatural beings the Scooby Gang encountered in Sunnydale: a demon and vampire bestiary, as it were. The really fun part is that it’s copiously annotated with margin notes and doodles by Buffy, Willow, Xander and Faith. At one point, Faith even sticky tapes in an entire confessional about how she felt after killing a human by mistake.

It’s all great fun, if you get all the references. You really do need a degree in Buffyology to get the most out the book but then… who other than a Buffy nut would want to but it in the first place?

Holder captures the characters perfectly, as you’d expect from somebody associated with the franchise for so long, and even adds some poignant reflection amongst all the snark. For example, the original entry on Drusilla is full of sneaking admiration from the (then) Watcher, but he later updates it after Drusilla has killed Kendra.

Mostly, though, the emphasis is on fun, a lot of it provided by Xander, of course (“Running away? Also a time-honoured battle technique”). Occasionally the annotations feel a little forced, inserted purely because that’s this book’s “thing” but mostly they’re good value

The main problem with a book published this far after the event, though, is the visual material. There’s an obvious reliance on over-familiar publicity shots (which don’t even really work within the context of the book – would Drusilla really pose for a portrait?). To balance this the book uses some gimmicky design to make it look like a scrapbook and there are loads of new sketches throughout.

This is, undeniably, a milking exercise. But, hey, if the milk still makes good shakes, why not? Come Christmas it’ll make a gratefully received stocking filler for any potential Slayer.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Demons Of The Hellmouth is available now from Titan Books.

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Fear The Walking Dead S01E02 “So Close, Yet So Far” REVIEW

September 7, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

Fear The Walking Dead S1E02 “So Close, Yet So Far” REVIEW

Airing in the UK on AMC
Writer: Marco Ramirez
Director: Adam Davidson

Essential Plot Points:

Fleeing the scene of their first zombie kill, Nick and his parents decide to leave the city while they still can.
…They pick up Alicia, and leave her boyfriend Matt, who’s been bitten, behind.
They then decide to split up. Because that always goes well.
Travis goes to his ex-wife Liza’s place to get their son Christopher…
…who’s been caught up in a protest against the apparent execution of a homeless man.
Meanwhile, Madison returns to her High School to steal drugs to help Nick detox.
…The protest turns violent, forcing Travis, Liza and Chris to take refuge in a barber shop run by Daniel Salazar (The always excellent Ruben Blades).
….While at the school, Madison and Tobias fight off their first zombie – the principal.

Review:

The good news is that anyone worried Fear the Walking Dead would be running on the spot for its first season need stop worrying. This episode picks up seconds from the end of the previous one, with Travis, Madison and the staggeringly annoying Nick speeding away from their first zombicide. They decide, in the space of about two minutes, to gather the family and leave the city. It’s an immensely refreshing scene because there’s no false drama, no denial; just two people realizing things have gone very bad, will only get worse and deciding to get their loved ones clear while they still can.

The slightly less good news is that means they split up. It’s clearly a plot mechanic and if you’re surprised that they’re trapped apart at the end of the episode then check your pulse. That being said, the reasoning behind it makes sense. Even the endlessly fractious, argumentative nature of the central family plays into this as Liza and Chris both argue with Travis who, being Travis, is very bad at communicating what he actually wants them to do. Make no mistake, Chris is, if anything, even more of a whiny brat this episode than he was last time but there’s at least some context for it.

In fact, this episode the two family’s weakest links both improve. Nick is beginning to transition from being over the top to just being vile. He seizes as Alicia tries to return to Matt, forcing her to stay and save his life. The exchange after that and the tired venom with which Alicia says “I hate you!” is one of the darkest moments in the episode. Possibly the only thing that tops it is the childish glee with which Nick “tells” on his sister to Madison, even as he’s ingesting the Oxycontin she stole for him. There’s still a way to go, but Nick is on course to become a memorable monster for all the right reasons.

So the good news is the show’s underway, fixing its problems and the characters show a refreshing lack of stupidity. Fear feels like the parent show does these days, in fact; bleak, tightly-plotted and character focused.

The bad news it’s also inherited The T-Dog problem. The Walking Dead has a justifiably terrible reputation for killing black male leads. So bad, in fact that they managed to off two last season and much like Supernatural’s well-documented problems with female characters, it’s an issue that doesn’t look to be going away anytime soon.

That brings us to this episode which sees the show leave one black male character to die and bludgeons the other one to death. The first one just about feels understandable; Madison and Travis have seen what’s coming and they know anyone who’s bitten is in trouble so while leaving Matt behind is cold, it’s also understandable. Plus, the fact Matt has also figured this out and tells Alicia to leave is a nice moment of both agency and heroism that the show could have spent more time on.

The second though, where Madison kills the newly zombified Principal feels flat out gratuitous. It’s especially clumsy given the fact Chris’s entire plot this episode is essentially at a Black Lives Matter rally. Ramirez’s script tries to have its zombie cake and bludgeon it to death too, attempting to comment on the racial tensions in the city while at the same time playing to them for a cheap scare. It lessens the episode, feels clumsy and forced and is the worst possible creative choice the spin-off could make. Producer Dave Erickson’s comment to Business Insider (“…it’s clearly become an issue and it’s something we are mindful of. But ultimately it’s trying to tell the story the best way we can and cast the best people we can”) is all well and good but two episodes in, Fear The Walking Dead is already in deep waters. With luck they’ll be more mindful in future episodes.

“So Close, Yet So Far” does a lot of things right. It’s menacing, pushes the plot along and does a great job of making the central family people you care about. But for a spinoff show to be leaning on the laziest, most egregious element of its core show by episode two is a very bad sign. The show has a lot of work to do in very little space. Here’s hoping it’s up to the challenge.

The Good:

The sound mixing is amazing. Whether a scene is deathly quiet or filled with sirens or screams, there’s constant threat and tension.
Director Davidson cleverly hints at the world that’s coming in a lot of shots. The empty road we first see Alicia on and the quiet destruction in Matt’s house are both chillingly well done.
Likewise, the shots of the LAPD seeming a little too ready are very nicely done and will hopefully pay off in later episodes.
This really is escalating quickly. Two episodes in we’ve got characters looting and committing murder to survive. Rick and co were slackers.
Tobias. Lincoln A. Castellanos plays the wise-beyond-his-years geek as pragmatic and likeable. His delivery on ‘This doesn’t end,” in particular is chilling.
Also Tobias’s, “I am NOT OKAY with this!” face is epic.

The Bad:

Setting a good chunk of the episode at a protest against police brutality is a good idea. Killing the only two black male characters in the same episode plays as tone deaf at best and outright offensive at worst.

And the Random:

This shot is brilliant; the tiny little bloodstain on the front of the truck representing the gradually spreading chaos that’s overtaking the characters.
Ruben Blades! Not only a superb musician but an actor whose geek cred is rock solid. As well as being one of the best parts of Predator 2, he also appeared in The X Files episode “El Mundo Gira”.
The song playing over the finale of the worst ninth birthday party ever is “Wait for Me” by Moby from the album of the same name.

Review by: Alasdair Stuart

• Read our other Fear The Walking Dead reviews

Fear The Walking Dead S01E02 "So Close, Yet So Far" REVIEW

September 7, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

Fear The Walking Dead S1E02 “So Close, Yet So Far” REVIEW

Airing in the UK on AMC
Writer: Marco Ramirez
Director: Adam Davidson

Essential Plot Points:

Fleeing the scene of their first zombie kill, Nick and his parents decide to leave the city while they still can.
…They pick up Alicia, and leave her boyfriend Matt, who’s been bitten, behind.
They then decide to split up. Because that always goes well.
Travis goes to his ex-wife Liza’s place to get their son Christopher…
…who’s been caught up in a protest against the apparent execution of a homeless man.
Meanwhile, Madison returns to her High School to steal drugs to help Nick detox.
…The protest turns violent, forcing Travis, Liza and Chris to take refuge in a barber shop run by Daniel Salazar (The always excellent Ruben Blades).
….While at the school, Madison and Tobias fight off their first zombie – the principal.

Review:

The Good:

The sound mixing is amazing. Whether a scene is deathly quiet or filled with sirens or screams, there’s constant threat and tension.
Director Davidson cleverly hints at the world that’s coming in a lot of shots. The empty road we first see Alicia on and the quiet destruction in Matt’s house are both chillingly well done.
Likewise, the shots of the LAPD seeming a little too ready are very nicely done and will hopefully pay off in later episodes.
This really is escalating quickly. Two episodes in we’ve got characters looting and committing murder to survive. Rick and co were slackers.
Tobias. Lincoln A. Castellanos plays the wise-beyond-his-years geek as pragmatic and likeable. His delivery on ‘This doesn’t end,” in particular is chilling.
Also Tobias’s, “I am NOT OKAY with this!” face is epic.

The Bad:

Setting a good chunk of the episode at a protest against police brutality is a good idea. Killing the only two black male characters in the same episode plays as tone deaf at best and outright offensive at worst.

And the Random:

This shot is brilliant; the tiny little bloodstain on the front of the truck representing the gradually spreading chaos that’s overtaking the characters.
Ruben Blades! Not only a superb musician but an actor whose geek cred is rock solid. As well as being one of the best parts of Predator 2, he also appeared in The X Files episode “El Mundo Gira”.
The song playing over the finale of the worst ninth birthday party ever is “Wait for Me” by Moby from the album of the same name.

Review by: Alasdair Stuart

• Read our other Fear The Walking Dead reviews

TOPP DOGG “Shut The Door” In London On Their European Tour

September 7, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

With TOPP DOGG‘s London concert upon us MCM Buzz sent out a small team to report on the event, get some photos and even hold an exclusive interview with the 12 members P-goon, Kidoh, Gohn, Sangdo, B-joo, Hansol, Xero, Yano, Nakta, Jenissi, A-tom and Hojoon.

Arriving at The Troxy, there was already a large queue outside, predominantly teenage girls going crazy with excitement: singing, dancing and having a general good time. We were called into the venue early to prepare for our interview, and while we waited we scoped out the venue itself. We were surprised that the event was completely seated as the The Troxy is a medium-sized venue: this is definitely an event more akin to those you see for K-pop groups in Japan or for the smaller fan meetings in Korea. There was a lower floor, upper floor and upper tier but despite the seats, the fans stood throughout, singing and dancing to the music.

Interview completed, we waited for the show to begin, watching fans running to their chairs and talking to complete strangers who obviously shared the same interests. There was a nice sense of community and we can guarantee that some new friendships were made that night. As soon as the lights dimmed the hall was filled with high-pitched screams whilst a video began to play showing the handsome TOPP DOGG members touring other countries. As soon as the video finished the band members appeared on the stage to even louder screams and began to perform their first set of songs: “Open The Door” and “Follow Me“. At this point the crowd were beside themselves singing along and showing pure dedication to the group of men up on the stage.

There was a nice moment when the members introduced themselves individually and filled the hall with laughter and screams once again; their witty jokes and cuteness winning over the crowd. They decided to calm the hyperactive crowd by performing some of their chilled music – “Keep Smiling” and “Cigarette” – which had the desired effect and left fans calm and doe-eyed. This was followed by another video break where the boys were playing a game to choose teams for another game that would happen later on during the concert.

It was then time for the specialist sub-groups to show off a little bit. The rappers Jenissi, A-tom, Kidoh and Yano performed “Pretty Mo’F#cka” to the crowd’s delight, whereas the dancers of the group performed their own little piece and were joined with the rest of the members when they began to dance to Mark Ronson Ft Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk“. Something fans were happy to see was when the members performed their own rendition of Ellie Goulding‘s “Love Me Like You Do” which the group had teased fans with as a music video before their tour.

Having whipped the crowd into a frenzy, it was time for some games with some lucky members of the audience. Before the concert began, specialised wrist bands were given out, each with its own unique number. After calling out random numbers TOPP DOGG participated in a “Chinese Whispers”-style game but it came with a twist: instead of whispering they had to use their bodies and dance out their subject. The event caused lots of laughter and was really amusing and funny to watch. The lucky chosen fans and winners of the game were given some merchandise (bandana and signed poster) and were allowed to get a group picture with TOPP DOGG.

After the members leave the stage to change outfits and have a very well-earned rest, another video began to play and the crowd finally found out what that earlier game to decide groups was about. The teams had to enter a haunted house to retreieve an item from the heart of the building; this alone caused mass laughter once again.

When TOPP DOGG return to the stage once again they perform two more songs, one of which was “Top Dog“, a firm favourite of MCM Buzz’s. At this point the members line up and explain to the audience what they like about being in London and performing for their fans; some of their words were really heartfelt, and some were funny. It really did feel that they had a blast coming to London and performing for their UK fans. The last song before they leave the stage was “Arario” of which fans sang along to.

The sea of fans begin to chant “Encore” into the darkness of the hall, and on cue the members come out to perform two last encore songs. When they finished their songs they said their last goodbyes and genuinely look like they don’t want to leave the stage. Both fans and group members look exhausted but completely full of adrenaline and admiration, but everyone knows the show must end at some point. The lights go down, the members leave the stage, and the lights came back on to an empty space.The fans, though, were more reluctant to leave.

Attending the show was a little daunting for the team as a few of them had never been to a K-pop concert before, nor had they heard too much about TOPP DOGG beforehand. Although they had heard their music and seen their music videos they didn’t really know much more about the group than that. TOPP DOGG, though, won them over completely and left a great lasting impact on them.

MCM Buzz would like to thank TOPP DOGG and Stardom Entertainment for their invitation to attend the concert and to interview the members. We look forward to what TOPP DOGG have up their sleeves for the near future and to reporting on their growth as a must-follow K-pop group. Be sure to check out our TOPP DOGG In London photo album on the MCM Buzz Facebook page for more photos from the concert and from our exclusive interview with the members which you can read here!

Photographer: Sarah Tsang
Writers: Kay Ibrahim & Kpopkimi