Saturday 9 June 2012

Collectormania 2012: An Overview

This article can also be found on Step2TV.

For people across the nation, last weekend marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, but for me and many others it also marked the 18th annual Collectormania. Held at Milton Keynes stadium, the event saw hordes of collectors, fans and convention-goers flock for the opportunity to meet some big names in the film and TV industry. Armed with a dictaphone, press pass and sonic screwdriver, I too made my pilgrimage to Milton Keynes to try and catch a few words with some of the celebrity guests.

Still somewhat of a convention newbie, having attended my first two events only last year, I naively thought I knew what I was in for; I did not. The main thing about Collectormania is that entry is completely free for everyone and as such it gets a lot more passing trade. The stadium was absolutely packed when I arrived on the Saturday at 11am, comprised of hard-core fans and inquisitive casual visitors alike. It was the proverbial sardines in a can situation, with Daleks patrolling the halls seemingly as a kind of crowd control, but probably also part of some insidious plan to exterminate Tom Baker/Peter Davison/Colin Baker/Sylvester McCoy/Paul McGann (delete as applicable).

Along with friend and colleague Josh Harris and a handful of his mates (Michael, Leon and James), we formed a ragtag press party and ventured into the bizarre world of the convention. First port of call (simply because it was the closest) was the bar, which was shockingly lacking in single malt scotch, and from there we began our circuit of the stadium. We made several attempts to try and get an interview with Brian Blessed, so that he may regale us with tales of his adventures in that glorious voice of his, but alas his queue was so long it may as well have been measured in miles. We kept trying throughout the day, but the queue never really diminished. This was the case with a good many of the guests (particularly the likes of Jason Mamoa, Karen Gillan and Tom Baker) with both they and their agents wanting to try and make time for each visitor.

As is often the case with these events, we decided that attempting to chat to people would be best left until towards the end of the day when there was less of a swarm – provided the guests didn't go for an early dinner. In the mean time, we made our way to the conference room, where a number of talks were being held throughout the course of the day. As luck would have it, we were in time for the session with Karen Gillan. The first ten minutes or so comprised of Gillan answering questions, only to be continuously interrupted by an announcement informing the owner of a blue fiat that their car was about to be towed, but after a while the Doctor Who star was eventually able to get more than five words out before the announcement blared out yet again. Whether the owner of the offending vehicle ever moved it is a complete mystery...

When asked about her favourite moment working on Doctor Who, Gillan said, “it may well have been my final moment as this character, which you haven’t seen yet so that’s not interesting yet... But of what you have seen, it’s either being in the Pandorica and getting to say ‘ok kid, this is where it gets complicated’, that just felt really cool! Also, in the Eleventh Hour, running around Matt, all those scenes were quite fun.” As the next series of Doctor Who will sadly be Gillan’s last, she also spoke briefly about her dream jobs outside of Who and, if they were still in production, she would have loved to have been a part of Star Trek: Voyager or Star Trek: The Next Generation – especially if it meant she could wear a prosthetic horn. Evidently a woman after my own heart, although personally I'm more partial to Vulcan ears!

Gillan's talk was immediately followed by a Q&A with John Barrowman. Fantastically funny and frank, Barrowman was engagingly informal and personable, making it feel more like a casual chat than a Q&A. Unfortunately, Barrowman was unable to comment about a second series of Torchwood: Miracle Day, nor did he wish to talk about his upcoming projects for fear of jinxing things, but he was more than willing to share skincare tips (incidentally, his men’s skincare range HIM is available through QVC) and his coping mechanism to overcome his fear of flying. “The pilots who are flying the plane want to get home safely, so... For me, it’s a control thing. I’m a control freak. My biggest worry before getting on a plane is ‘what has that pilot been up doing all night?’ … Is he going to be really angry and want to crash the plane?!”

Afterwards was scheduled to be a Q&A with the five actors at the event who had played the role of the Doctor during the classic series of Doctor Who. However, the door opened and only Tom Baker walked in, so we listened to his majestic voice for a few minutes. Suddenly, the door at the back swung open, and in walked Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann. “Are you related to Colin Baker?!” boomed Colin Baker, as a way of announcing their entrance, with McCoy explaining how they'd been stood outside waiting to be shown in, unaware that Baker had started without them.

And thus ensued the most surreal 45 minutes of my life, as the five Doctors crossed their own timelines and risked causing a reality-rendering paradox to take the stage. It very quickly turned from them answering questions to a discussion amongst themselves about the show, the BBC, life, the Universe, and everything. From anecdotes of Tom Baker's days as an altar boy and Sylvester McCoy asking why his incarnation wore a jumper covered with question marks, to Peter Davison's celery stick, and how all five of the actors have also worked on the Big Finish audio productions of Doctor Who; it was a very extensive chat indeed!

Inevitably, the infamous Tom Baker stole the stage with his overwhelming presence and delightful madness! One of the main things that strikes you about these guys is that in person they are incredibly similar to their portrayal of the Doctor, which is an absolute pleasure to watch – especially when the five collide like there's been some bizarre temporal anomaly.

After the talks concluded, we hit the main convention again to try our luck for a couple of one-to-ones with the guests; and we were in luck! Josh talked at length with Finn Jones about Game of Thrones, whilst I stood by boggling intelligibly – unfortunately being a Freeview-er I haven’t seen the show, and have yet to read the books – and Josh concluded the interview with one of his patented hugs, lifting Jones to the Josh-like height of seven foot.

We then decided to try and catch a few words with the five Doctors – I had bumped into Paul McGann by the urinals in the men's toilets beforehand, but felt it was probably the wrong place to try and spark up conversation... I at least waited until he'd done his flies up before I introduced myself! We elected to take a more conventional approach for the others, and made our way to the booth with Sylvester McCoy and Peter Davison.

“Oh no, not you again,” said Sylvester McCoy jovially as I approached. Having spoken with him briefly about his role in The Hobbit at London Film and Comic Con last year, he hadn't been particularly forthcoming due to the secretive nature surrounding the production, so I hoped that as we were nearer the release date he may be able to reveal more. Unfortunately, he could not. “I can't even tell you the colour of my costume,” McCoy jested. As he's featuring in the film as Radagast the Brown, I think I can hazard a guess...

This was followed by a brief chat with Peter Davison, who spoke about his familial relationship with David Tennant, and how even before Tennant started seeing his daughter (Georgia Moffett) Davison's grandson ranked David Tennant as his favourite Doctor. “Well ok, who's your second favourite Doctor?” Davison had asked his grandson pryingly. After a moment of consideration, his grandson replied, “Tom Baker.” Apparently Davison’s rank on his grandson’s Doctor-o-meter fluctuates depending on whether he’s been particularly generous with pocket money that week or not!

We also managed to catch a few words with Christina Chong, attending her first large-scale convention and finding it quite an eye-opening experience! Chong featured as Lorna Bucket in the mid-series finale of the last series of Doctor Who, A Good Man Goes To War. Whilst Chong’s character was primarily used as the catalyst that in an inadvertent manner reveals the identity of River Song, there were numerous allusions to the fact that Lorna had met the Doctor a while ago in the Gamma Forests, but it was yet to happen in his personal timeline. I thought that this background, and her implication on the episode’s narrative, made Lorna Bucket more than the usual supporting character with the potential for future (past, present, really depends on your outlook!) adventures. Alas, Chong said that she has yet to be invited back to do more work on Who, so it seems unlikely we’ll be seeing more of Lorna any time soon. Mister Moffat, if you’re reading this, please consider expanding the story of Lorna Bucket; there’s a tale to be told about the Gamma Forests, and Christina Chong would make a fantastic companion! She may have died at the end of A Good Man Goes To War, but with a time machine, death is seldom an issue and very rarely permanent.

I’m not really sure what to say now; I think I’ve already rambled on for far too long, so I’ll leave it at this. It was a complete pleasure to have the opportunity to chat with some truly iconic actors from equally iconic series and films. My only regrets are that we were unable to talk with Brian Blessed about his adventures, and that I didn’t ask Christina Chong out for a drink...

Friday 1 June 2012

Prometheus Has Landed

This review can also be found on Step2TV.

To say that Ridley Scott's latest movie, sci-fi epic Prometheus, had been the recipient of much hype over the past couple of months would be an understatement! Prometheus was set to see the famed director of Alien return to the Universe that had forged a classic piece of sci-fi horror, shedding some new light on the original film and endeavouring to tackle some bloody hefty existential questions... But after all the hype and anticipation, did it live up to expectations?

In short; yes. Impeccably.

Visually stunning, captivatingly written and sublimely scored, Prometheus is nothing short of a cinematic spectacular!

I'm not usually a 3D cinema goer (I don't really find that 3D adds anything of importance to a film at all), but when I went to see Prometheus at the Empire in Leicester Square I had very little choice; I had to don the ridiculous glasses. Did it look brilliant? Absolutely. Did the extra dimension add anything to the film? Not so much. Did I let out a slightly pathetic whimper when something flew out of the screen at me? Maybe...

Set in the year 2091, Prometheus tells the story of the eponymous exploration vessel on it's remarkably ambitious quest; to discover the origins of mankind, and to learn more about humanity's extra-terrestrial creators – dubbed “the Engineers”. Following a star-map depicted in a number of ancient pictograms from around the globe – discovered by doctors Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) in 2089 – the Weyland Corporation's starship Prometheus embarks on it's voyage of existential discovery, by special order of the company's aged CEO Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce).

Piloted by Captain Janek (Idris Elba), commanded by Weyland Corporations' head-strong representative, Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), and maintained by David (Michael Fassbender), a deceptive android with a Lawrence of Arabia obsession, the Prometheus was inevitably going to be the stage for some good old fashioned human conflict and drama. But following the discoveries made on the distant moon of LV-223, there's something all the more sinister to worry about than an authoritarian businesswoman and a robot with a penchant for impersonating Peter O'Toole...

Wonderfully written by Jon Spaihts (The Darkest Hour) and Damon Lindelof (Lost), the premise for Prometheus is very reminiscent of the ancient alien/exogenesis theories, most notably in Erich von Däniken's book Chariot of the Gods. It puts forth the idea that perhaps life on Earth was created by an advanced race of beings from another world, whom humanity then mistook as supernatural gods. In Prometheus, these beings were the Engineers – first only briefly glimpsed as an ancient corpse in Alien as an omen of things to come – who seeded their own DNA to create mankind millenia ago, with subtle hints which point to them also potentially being the basis for Sumerian culture. It's an idea that could have felt gimmicky, but in the hands of Spaihts, Lindelof and Scott it's the spring board for a captivating and chilling narrative; the crew of the Prometheus set out hoping to discover Utopia and learn their place in the Universe, but what they find is a dark and twisted nightmare.

Bringing this interstellar horror to life is the fantastically stellar cast. Although the entire cast provide truly outstanding performances from beginning to end, the absolute run-away stars of the film have to be Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. As the tenacious survivalist, Rapace's character, Elizabeth Shaw, has to endure far more than anyone should have to, but against the odds she survives and continues to fight until the bitter end. Rapace is thoroughly gripping throughout; from her initial joy of discovery and exploration, to her pain and anguish as the expedition takes an unexpected turn, even down to her continued faith and determination to survive after all she's been through – every emotion is truly palpable. She is easily one of the best things about this film, and although Elizabeth Shaw is worlds apart from Ellen Ripley, Rapace's fantastic portrayal of a strong female character is one who can certainly stand shoulder to shoulder with Sigourney Weaver's original sci-fi heroine!

Although his emotional range is certainly not as varied as Rapace's, Michael Fassbender's role as the ethically-ambiguous android, David, is an eerie and calculated performance. It's a role that could easily rival that of fellow synthetic, Ash (Ian Holm), in Alien. In a similar vein to Ash, David is under strict covert orders and is programmed to carry out his mission whatever the cost, even if it means the loss of the crew. It's the cold detachment with which Fassbender delivers even the most sinister of lines that makes the character all the more creepy. He’s certainly earned his place in the synthetic hall of fame alongside Ash and Bishop (Lance Henrikson)!

And every other actor who has not thus far been mentioned may as well have “Victim” tattooed firmly on their foreheads, as one by one they meet their maker – and not in the way the expedition had originally planned! Rafe Spall and Sean Harris play Milburn and Fifield, who provide the proverbial red shirts for the film, as they decide to wander off on their own on an alien planet. Rookie mistake... Kind of sounds like a twisted and unfunny joke; “A biologist and a geologist walk into an alien ship. One has his face burnt off by acid, and the other chokes to death on a mutant snake.” And from there on out, the rest of the crew's days are numbered.

My only gripe is that Idris Elba and Charlize Theron's characters felt somewhat underused, and really could have used a bit more exposition (I mean, what film couldn't be improved with more Charlize Theron?!). Janek and Vickers have an interesting character dynamic which I felt could have been played on to greater effect. That being said, though, it could have made the film feel too packed, as Prometheus already has a lot of content to deliver – and yet there are still questions that need to be answered!

It is these many questions that create the film's intrigue... Who are the Engineers, and why did they create us? Why, after leaving invitations all over the Earth to come and find them, did they then plan to destroy us? Are they themselves also the product of another race? Is the Xenomorph the Engineers’ most prized creation, or a being that they revere, propagating it’s genetic code throughout the Universe? There’s a lot to speculate about, and although some say this makes the film feel unfinished, I believe this adds a layer of mystery and intrigue that couldn’t be achieved if all the answers were there. It sucks you into that Universe whilst the film takes you on the journey, as the audience find themselves in a similar place to the characters (albeit with markedly less danger), seeking answers. And with the final act left open to potentially pave the way for a sequel, I certainly hope that we’ll see more from this fascinating Universe in the near future.

If there is indeed to be a sequel to Prometheus, we can expect to see it deviate further away from Alien and more out into the Universe of new possibilities opened up in this film. In many ways, Prometheus is more of a spin-off than a prequel to Alien; it's got the same core DNA and is set in the same Universe, but it's certainly a film that can stand on it's own giant, bipedal legs. Whilst Alien was all about survival in a confined space with some fantastically tense moments, Prometheus focusses more on exploration and discovery – albeit exploration and discovery that goes terribly awry. However, this exploration does shed some interesting insight to the original film (including the unnerving truth behind the origin of the Xenomorphs), tying the mythology of the two quite nicely. It's safe to say that after the revelations of Prometheus, you won't see Alien in the same light again!

With an utterly outstanding cast, compelling narrative, sublime cinematography, fantastic visual effects and a superb soundtrack, Prometheus is an utterly phenomenal film. I left Leicester Square in a state of dumb-founded awe, and I don't believe any combinations of words I could throw together would truly do the film justice. It's another sci-fi great from the man behind Alien and Blade Runner, and certainly stands the chance of becoming another classic of it's genre. I hope that a Prometheus sequel is of a high priority for Sir Ridley Scott!

A definite must see.