New Obsessions, Film Previews, Geek News, Spoilers + More

Ok, I've recently become obsessed with 'Penny Dreadful' or as Katy playfully refers to it as 'Penny Pornful.' The series started out a little slow for me, but has come along quite nicely. It also gave me a new found love for Eva Green and Timothy Dalton. Green has done some incredible work on this series.. I've always known that she was a good actress, but she has really taken it to the next level. Green's character is complicated, multi-faceted, intense, and tormented. Even though the show itself is a little tongue in cheek, the tragedy that some of the characters endure is profound. It has all of the markings of a great show for me: historical fiction, psychological horror, lush set design, and marvelous actors. The show has a soulfulness that most supernatural shows lack. This 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' knockoff is better than I thought it would be, which is always a pleasant surprise. It does 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' better than 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.' All round top marks from me.

INSIDE 'GAME OF THRONES' SEASON 4 + SPOILERS

Production Design Featurette - Season 4

Watch a behind the scenes look at 'Game of Thrones' with Production Designer Deborah Riley. Riley created (COUNT THEM) 104 new sets for 'Game of Thrones' Season 4. This doesn't include all of the old standby sets. The featurette is only about 2-1/2 minutes long, but well worth the watch. The set designs and visual landscapes are unlike anything else on television right now. It should come as no surprise that each episode of 'Game of Thrones' cost somewhere around $6 million to make.

'Maleficent' Trailer Looks "Meh"

The 'Sleeping Beauty' Disney cartoon was one of my favorites as a child, so I was (am) really looking forward to the live action version called 'Maleficent.' After the success of the 'Wicked' franchise, 'Maleficent' is told from villain's point of view. Angelina Jolie plays the title role and her makeup and costuming looks absolutely fantastic. I wrote a blog post about it in 2012. I still have high hopes for this movie, but the trailer leaves much to be desired. It is just a teaser trailer, so I'm sure there is more to look forward to. The 'Snow White and the Huntsman' trailer looked awesome and the movie turned out to be 'meh.' So I'll take a bad trailer over a bad movie any day of the week.

Plot: "Maleficent explores the untold story of Disney's most iconic villain from the 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent (Jolie) cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king's newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora (Fanning) is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever." Via Disney.

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Peter Capaldi's First Day as the Doctor

Season 8 of 'Doctor Who' is coming to us in Autumn 2014. The date is rumored to be sometime in September. Going by past dates, I would guess the first week in September. New doctor Peter Capaldi is quoted as saying that he's a bit nervous. No worries Peter, first day jitters are completely normal. You're only taking over one of the most popular franchises in the world!

"New job, first day, slightly nervous. Just like the Doctor, I'm emerging from the Tardis into a whole other world." --Peter Capaldi

New 'Robocop' Remake

It looks like the 'Robocop' reboot is in full swing. Sigh. The original 80's 'Robocop' was a gooey, bloody masterpiece, so I'm not sure why we need a remake, but ok. Children of the 80s--just deal with it. If you haven't yet accepted that your favorite childhood movies (that you probably shouldn't have been watching at age 10) will be churned out again sans the tasty bits, then you live under a rock.

Which Show Will Survive?

I watch way too much tv.

The Fox Network Thunderdome-- Two shows walk in. Only one walks out

In the good ole' days, most shows got at least one year to get off the ground before they got canned. Those days are long gone. Nowadays, a pilot is lucky to get aired. Even if it does see sunlight, it's likely to only breathe for four to five episodes before receiving a pink slip. So as much as I hope that shows like 'Almost Human' and 'Sleepy Hollow' will survive long enough for me to determine if they're any good, I won't bet on it. One big strike against both shows is that they are premiering on the Fox Network, which seems to have a hate/hate relationship with the science fiction/fantasy genres.

'Gravity' With Sandra Bullock And George Clooney

Must see trailer with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Both are astronauts. Clooney is the veteran, Bullock is the newbie. Things go terribly wrong on a routine spacewalk. I hope this is not another 'Open Water,' a film about a pair of doomed deep sea divers. According to the synopsis they have to go deeper into space to find a way home. I'm curious as to what they find. I'm not sure how astronauts survive without a space shuttle. Alfonso Cuaron, director of 'Children of Men' directs. 'Gravity' "falls" on October 4th.

New Trailer for 'Ender's Game.'

Scifi and fantasy are so easily interchanged these days that it's easy to forget that they are two different things. True scifi films without elements of fantasy are a rarity. 'Ender's Game' is that movie. For those not familiar with 'Ender's Game,' read the sypnosis before you watch the trailer.

New Film From The Director of 'Old Boy.'

'Stoker' is the new psychological horror film by Park Chan-wook (director of 'Old Boy') written by Wentworth Miller. Yeah that guy from 'Prison Break.' Stoker is Chan-wook's first English speaking film and appears to be a well crafted thriller. Chan-wook is no stranger to the genre. So far, the reviews have been pretty good . Check out the trailer.

Another Monstrosity From Bryan Singer

CGI giant in 'Jack the Giant Slayer.'

Oh Bryan Singer destroyer of both the 'X-Men' and the 'Superman' franchise is back in the director's chair. Check out 'Jack the Giant Slayer,' starring Ewan McGregor, Bill Nighy, Stanley Tucci, and cutie patootie Nicholas Hoult (Beast from 'X-Men: First Class' and 'A Single Man.'). This really looks like over the top cgi of epic proportions. I may have to remove this from my "view" list. Nicholas Hoult would have been so much better cast as Peeta in 'The Hunger Games.' Josh Hutcherson is not the Peeta I envisioned in the books.

Weekend Movie Picks

'Cloud Atlas'

Who will be going to see 'Cloud Atlas' this weekend? The visuals are breathtaking, but the reviews are mixed. I've read reviews saying that 'Cloud Atlas' is bold and colossal. I've also read reviews saying it's unimaginative and absurd. I'm going to give this film and the Wachowskis the benefit of the doubt. But woe to the Wachowskis if they disappoint me again. I really hated the 'Matrix' sequels. I hope they get this one right. 'Cloud Atlas' is now showing everywhere. Here's the latest review at Beyond Hollywood.

Craig, Daniel Craig

If you like Bond as much as I do, then you'll want to check this out. You can watch 15 minutes of behind the scenes footage of 'Skyfall,' the latest Bond film starring Daniel Craig.

I've been a Bond fan since I was too young to watch it, so I will go see 'Skyfall' regardless of the reviews. However, the latest iteration of the Bond franchise has been generating major buzz. The new film is directed by Sam Mendes, director of 'American Beauty' and 'Road to Perdition.' As always the film includes an all-star cast: Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Ben Whishaw.

Radar Fail

Ok how did I miss this one? This trailer has been out for a while now. Where was I? I could have made fun of this trailer months ago.

The trailer for '7500' looks really stupid. Somewhere on Flight '7500' an unwanted monstrous passenger lurks on the plane. Seriously? 'Snakes on a Plane' was one thing. That was a campy spoof, but a serious creature feature on a plane? I'm not saying that horror films in tight quarters can't work. Take the film 'Devil' for example, which was set in the confines of an elevator. That filmed worked and it worked well. Likewise, both 'The X-Files' and 'Supernatural' had episodes of supernatural creatures on a plane. But something in '7500' isn't clicking.

Penny Dredd-ful

Is anyone going to see 'Dredd' this weekend? Scifi darling Karl Urban stars in the lead role. Urban is perhaps best known as Bones in the recent 'Star Trek' reboot and as Eomer in 'The Lord of the Rings' franchise. However, most scifi/fantasy knew him long before that as Caesar (and occasionally Cupid) in 'Xena: Warrior Princess.' Urban has also had supporting roles in several high profile films like 'The Bourne Supremacy' and 'Red.' Likewise he starred in some real stinkers too, like 'Doom,' Pathfinder,' and 'Ghost Ship.' Yes, 'Ghost Ship.' Don't laugh.

Back in Black

Alice is back for more resident evil in 'Resident Evil: Retribution.' The fifth, but hopefully NOT the final film in the long-suffering franchise, debuts today nationwide. I haven't seen it yet, so I'm posting Charlie Anders' review on i09, which I'm sure is pretty accurate.

But WHATEVER I'll see it anyway! Their my eyes and I'll watch a bad movie if I want! Don't bother scrolling down to my last post because 'Resident Evil' is the exception. Also, who doesn't want to see zombies riding motorcycles. Just go with it!

Shining Prequel?

Jack Torrance on Fan Pop

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Warner Brothers is planning a prequel to Stanley Kubrick's classic film, 'The Shining,' starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. The prequel will likely be based on Kubrick's film, rather than Stephen King's novel, and will chronicle the strange happenings at the Overlook Hotel prior to the Torrance family's arrival. 

The Wachowskis Are Back.

Tom Hanks and Halle Berry star. Image Credit: Jay Maidment

According to Entertainment Weekly, the Wachowskis are bringing 'Cloud Atlas' to the big screen. 'Cloud Atlas' is David Mitchell's brainy scifi novel about six intersecting storylines set over 1,000 years. The material is amazing so hopefully the Wachowskis won't mess it up.

Walking Dead Season 3 Sneak Peek

The Walking Dead's highly anticipated third season will be returning this October. In the meantime, Entertainment Weekly gives us a first look at what's to come in Season 3. It appears that our fearless heroes have finaly made it the 'relative' safety of the prison. Fans of the comic will recall the prison as the primary location for much of the comic book series and fan favorite storylines.

Angelina Jolie As Maleficent

Haven't had your fairy tale fix yet? Then you're in luck. Check out Angelina Jolie as Maleficent in the new live-action 'sleeping beauty' tale told from the perspective of the evil queen. Sleeping Beauty takes a back seat to the queen and the film is appropriately titled 'Maleficent.' Elle Fanning costars as Aurora/Sleeping Beauty. 

'Maleficent' is now filming in London and will be coming to a theater near you in March 2014. If only 'Snow White and the Huntsman' took a page out of this book? 

Happy Trails - New Horror Trailers

Sinister

There are several new horror flicks coming to a theater near you. The scariest (in my opinion) is the haunted house flick 'Sinister' starring Ethan Hawke. Hawke stars as Ellison, a family man who finds old videos of the home's prior residents. What distinguishes 'Sinister' from other haunted house films, is that the house itself isn't haunted. The haunting is specific to certain object(s), namely the found footage. Thankfully this is not a found footage film like 'Paranormal Activity.' Check out the trailer. It looks truly frightening. October 5, 2012