Neil Gaiman's American Gods being adapted for TV by Starz

I may have mentioned it before, but I bloody love Neil Gaiman! I’ve been a fan of his work for a long while, so naturally I was rather excited when it was announced that Gaiman’s multi-award winning novel American Gods is being adapted into a television series by Starz.

The series showrunners are Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal) and Michael Green (The River, Heroes), who will both be writing the pilot episode and are said to be creating a series that honours the book. In the official statement, Bryan Fuller said: "Neil Gaiman has created the holiest of holy toy boxes with American Gods and filled it with all manner of magical things, born of new gods and old. Michael Green and I are thrilled to crack this toy box wide open and unleash the fantastical titans of heaven and earth and Neil's vividly prolific imagination."

"When you create something like American Gods, which attracts fans and obsessives and people who tattoo quotes from it on themselves or each other, and who all, tattooed or not, just care about it deeply, it's really important to pick your team carefully: you don't want to let the fans down, or the people who care and have been casting it online since the dawn of recorded history,” Gaiman commented. “What I love most about the team who I trust to take it out to the world, is that they are the same kind of fanatics that American Gods has attracted since the start. I haven't actually checked Bryan Fuller or Michael Green for quote tattoos, but I would not be surprised if they have them."

The series will follow ex-con Shadow Moon in the modern-day United States as a war is brewing between the old gods (the gods and beings of ancient cultures and mythology) and the new gods (who reflect modern society’s obsession with media, celebrity, technology, economy etc.). I have very high hopes for this series!

And with the BBC currently developing a mini-series adaptation of Anansi Boys, as well as talk of a potential Sandman film (directed and possibly starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the future is looking bright, and made out of screens both big and small, for Neil Gaiman fans.

Winter London Film and Comic Con: An Interview with Garrett Wang

This interview can also be found on Media Gateway.

Garrett Wang is probably best known for his role in Star Trek Voyager as Harry Kim, having also reprised the character for the independent film Star Trek: Renegades which has just recently gone into production, as well as playing Commander Garan in the independent miniseries Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. Wang has been a science fiction fan from childhood, in particular Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, and although he saw all the Star Trek films that came out in the cinema, he never really got into The Next Generation series prior to his work on Voyager (largely due to him only ever seeing the same episode whenever he attempted to watch it!).

It was fantastic to meet Garrett Wang at Winter London Film and Comic Con, and an absolute pleasure to chat with him about Star Trek and his work on Voyager.

Hello sir!

Hello! How are you?

I’m very well, and how are you?

Very good, thank you.

How’s your weekend been?

It’s been good, yeah.

Obviously you’re well known for playing Harry Kim on Star Trek Voyager. How was it working on that series?

It was like a dream come true for me, being a sci-fi fan. If you look at the sci-fi shows out there, very few members of the casts of any sci-fi show were sci-fi fans to begin with - I mean, they’re actors, not sci-fi fans! I find myself in the minority, that small club of people who were sci-fi fans before they got on their shows! So it was great to work on Voyager.

Had you been a fan of previous Star Trek series, like the original series and Next Generation, that had come beforehand?

I was a fan of the movies. I never really got into the original series because, for me my first sci-fi ever was 1977 Star Wars, and 1977 Star Wars visual effects is a thousand times better than 1966 Star Trek visual effects right? It was kind of hokey, kind of cheesy. Next Gen came on when I was in college, and the episode that came on was Code of Honor. That episode is agreed upon by all writers of Star Trek to be the worst episode ever. So that episode comes on and I’m thinking, “this is horrible,” so I turn the TV off. Six months later, I turn it on again to watch Star Trek The Next Generation, and it’s a repeat of Code of Honor. I turn the TV off. A year and a half later, I try to watch Next Gen, and again it is Code of Honor. Three times in a row I tried to watch Next Gen, and it was the same shitty episode! So I said, “you know what, this is a sign from God. God is trying to tell me something. Do not watch The Next Generation.”

Which is a good thing, because if I became a Next Generation fan, it would have adversely affected my audition for Voyager. I would’ve been so nervous that I think I wouldn’t have gotten the role. So I think it worked out fine. But since I’ve been on the show, I’ve gone back to see Next Gen, Deep Space, and I am a fan of those shows now. But I didn’t get into it beforehand because Code of Honor kept playing over and over again!

It’s like the Universe really didn’t want you to enjoy Next Gen!

Nope, the Universe certainly did not!

So how did you feel about the character of Harry Kim?

I think they should have let him do a little bit more than he did. I felt like any time the other actors got to go down and do like cool things, like the episode where we went to Earth and they got to wear normal Earth clothes, Kim was left on the ship. The episode where the Hirogen take over the ship and use it as a training tool for all their hunters, everyone gets to do a holodeck simulation where they’re wearing World War Two clothing, Neelix got to be a Klingon, Ensign Kim is wearing his regular Starfleet uniform maintaining all the sensor arrays, you know. I really wish I had a chance to be included in some of these episodes where they got to wear other clothes other than the Starfleet uniform.

And he was never promoted above the rank of Ensign!

No! It’s ridiculous.

He’s such an integral member of the crew! Why not?!

I have no clue. If you’re talking about who deserves to be promoted more than anyone else, it’s Kim! All the crap he went through, all the things he did… It’s Kim! Not Paris. Not Tuvok. Kim! It was quite annoying, not being promoted.

Seven years!

Seven years!

I think Starfleet ensigns are promoted in that time even if they’re not exemplary officers!

Kim should’ve just walked in and phasered everybody. “Take that! Take that! I’ve gone postal! AHA!” Kim should’ve gone mad in the last episode and just shot everybody, that would’ve been the way to go!

Haha! Psychotic Kim, would’ve been brilliant!
Speaking of which, is there anything you wished you could have done with the character?

Yes, shoot everybody on the ship! Psychotic Kim.

I wish they would’ve taken advantage of more comedy, more humour out of the human characters. They shouldn’t leave it up to just the Doctor to be funny, which is what it ended up being. They didn’t really let the human characters engage in comedic moments. And if there were comedic moments, they were horrible! I remember at the end of one episode, Paris looks at Tuvok and says “Tuvok, you’re a real freakasaurus,” and I thought, wow, that’s really not funny at all!

There was certainly room for more humour from the human characters.
Are there any particular moments that were your most - and least, for that matter - favourite moments throughout the series?

Least and most favourite moments…

Least Favourite Moment: Filming the shoot when I got bronchitis...

Bloody hell, that must’ve been horrible.

Yeah, that was not good.

And favourite moment would be being told by the producers that I would be the integral character in the 100th episode, Timeless, which was supposed to be, in their estimations, the best stand-alone episode of all Voyager episodes. So I felt somewhat valued that they chose me to be the main character for that episode.

Would you say Timeless was your favourite episode then?

It is. It is. In my estimation, it is probably one of the best, if not the best episode of Voyager.

Fantastic. And what other projects have you been working on recently? Anything in the works at the moment?

I’m working on a film called Unbelievable, it’s an independent film, sort of a comedy mixed with sci-fi, so… It’ll either totally flop, or it’ll be a cult classic for the rest of time, so we’ll see what happens!

Can you share anything about the film (non-disclosure agreements permitting!)?

There’s a problem with the Lunar Base, and astronauts have to go up there to fix it. There is a marionette puppet of Captain Kirk in it… It’s an interesting film.

Well I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for it! Thank you for your time, sir. It’s been a pleasure!

Thank you sir, and you.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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Garrett Wang's current projects, Star Trek: Renegades and Unbelievable are currently in production. You can find out more about Renegades here, and check out the Unbelievable Facebook page here.

Winter London Film & Comic Con: An Interview with Nicole de Boer

This interview can also be found on Media Gateway.

Nicole de Boer is probably best known for her roles as Ezri Dax on Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Sarah Bracknell Bannerman in The Dead Zone, and Joan Leaven in the cult film Cube. I was fortunate enough to be able to quickly interview de Boer whilst at Winter London Film and Comic Con, and it was an absolute pleasure to meet and chat with her.

Hello, Nicole de Boer! How’s it going?

Good, thank you.

How’ve you been enjoying this weekend?

It’s been great! It’s a really nice one. I always love coming to London actually.

Ah right, do you come to London often?

Yeah, over the years I have, for things like this.

Well, glad to hear you’re having a great weekend. Now obviously you’re known in Star Trek circles for playing Ezri Dax on Deep Space Nine. Had you been a fan of the show before you took on the role?

I hadn’t really watched Deep Space Nine, but I did watch The Next Generation pretty faithfully - I loved that show - so I was pretty excited to get the part. Getting to work with Worf and O’Brien…

And how did you feel about taking on the role of Dax? Did you consider how to approach the part to make her still recognisably Dax, yet also your own take on the character?

Well it all happened pretty quickly, and they gave me some episodes to watch since I hadn’t seen much of the show, but they did say “you’re a whole new person; you’re Ezri Dax, and Jadzia will be one of many, like all the rest of them. Part of you, but we don’t want you to act like Jadzia, we want you to act like Ezri.” And on top of it, Ezri wasn’t trained to be Joined, so really you see mostly her personality. But I did notice that Terry [Farrell] walked with her hands clasped behind her back, so I decided I would do that as well, just to see Jadzia coming through a little bit. But other than that, I really had to go with what the producers wanted me to make it.

How did you feel about the character of Ezri as a whole?

I loved it. I loved that she had these challenges to deal with; it gives me something to work with as an actor, and I also did love that she had different personalities going on inside of her that we got to explore in certain episodes, like Joran the murder inside of her… That stuff was fun too.

Had DS9 gone on to film any further series, what would you have liked to see happen with Ezri?

I think it’d be really fun to come back now and see Ezri years later, more mature and definitely with a handle on the whole symbiont situation, and much more confident. And I would be a captain, of course!

Oh naturally!

That’d be great.

Although Ezri took a while to adapt, obviously not being trained to be Joined, it must have been fun as an actor to bring a new approach to the existing relationships between characters. A mix of being familiar with everyone, but only just meeting as well.

It was, yeah! It definitely was. The nice thing for me coming onto the show - as the show was already established - was that everyone else was supposed to know my character, but yet not know her, so the writers had me slowly meet everyone and I had scenes with everyone, so that helped me - as Nicole - get welcomed into the group as well. I had a nice, little lovely scene with almost everybody on the show introducing Ezri, which helped me a lot.

I particularly liked the relationship she has with Sisko, and with Quark, that was always fun. That was actually what I auditioned with, a scene between Ezri and Quark.

Ah fantastic. Did you have to audition opposite Armin Shimmerman, or was it just a cold read?

No, I didn’t actually. Just with a reader and the producers.

Out of your time on the show, what would you say was a real highlight for you?

Just the whole. I’ve worked a lot, but nothing of that magnitude. I’ve worked a lot on American shows, filming in Canada, but nothing like working on the Paramount lot, and the sets were absolutely incredible on that show. Mostly just to be in the same atmosphere as those actors; wonderful veteran character actors that I got to work with. It was a real learning experience for me, and I was very proud of it.

What was your favourite thing about DS9? Any favourite episodes to work on?

I enjoyed all of it. It was fun, but it was also a more serious set. We didn’t really joke around like on The Next Generation, it just wasn’t like that on our show, so when we did get an opportunity to have fun, that was nice, like the Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang episode where we’re all at Vic’s club; I just adore James Darren. That was really fun for me, just because it did get a little serious and tense and hard work, so that was a nice break just to have a good time.

I imagine it must’ve been a very serious production to work on, as out of all the Star Trek series DS9 had some of the darker storylines, which often spanned over many episodes. Which is something it did particularly well, also balancing that with the humour that we associate with the Trek franchise.

And there were so many lovely relationships, too. The father-son relationship with Sisko and Jake. I really liked Kira and Odo’s relationship, really beautiful. There was just so much interwoven depth, and that it was a series and not a string of stand-alone episodes, which made it different. It wasn’t really big at that time. Since then, that’s what all show’s have become; it used to be that producers would shy away from doing serials because they wanted viewers to be able to pop in and out at any time and not have to worry about the storyline and if they knew where they were, but now that’s what everybody does now, like with Abrams’s Lost and all that. You have to tell the whole story. But not a lot of people were doing that when Deep Space Nine was doing it, and that’s something I really liked about it.

And what other projects have you worked on recently? Any productions currently in the pipeline?

Well obviously I did The Dead Zone, it’s been six years since then, and Stargate Atlantis. Lately, I’ve done more like TV movies, like Lifetime TV movies, and then some bad SciFi movies which are totally to pay the bills!

Worst experience on one of those?!

Well, I try to make light of everything, but… They’re never bad, because I love the crews and we have fun. It’s just bad when they actually air. That’s the part that’s bad. I had fun enough while doing it, it was challenging to make some of these works not horrible, that’s a challenge.

But I was back on Haven again recently, which I think is a really good show, and I reprise my character on that.

I haven’t actually started watching Haven yet. I do keep meaning to get around to it!

It’s a good one.

How’s your experience been working on it?

Well I was in their very first episode, because that’s Shawn Piller - Michael Piller’s son (Michael Piller worked on Star Trek as one of the producers and writers, and then went on to do The Dead Zone with his son). Michael sadly passed away, and Shawn continued on with that company and with The Dead Zone, and after The Dead Zone ended, he started Haven. So they asked me to be on the first episode of Haven, which was really great, really fun, lovely people. And then three years later, they ask me back, so I was just back on it again this year, which was great. And I’m not dead, so who knows, I might be back again!

Fantastic, I guess we'll see! Well, thank you for your time, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Thank you, and you.

London Film and Comic Con: An Interview with Nana Visitor

Probably best known for portraying Major Kira Nerys in Deep Space Nine, Jean Ritter in Wildfire and Elizabeth Renfro in Dark Angel, Nana Visitor has played a wide range of roles in her career. I absolutely loved her portrayal of the outwardly strong and resilient, yet inwardly vulnerable and insecure, former freedom fighter Kira Nerys on DS9, and was greatly looking forward to meeting her at LFCC.

Unfortunately, I apparently left my brain somewhere else during the interview, and completely forgot what I was saying mid-sentence. I had to resort to apologising profusely, whilst I desperately fumbled around in my mind looking for where the rest of the interview had gone! I've transcribed the interview with my brainlessness edited out.

Regardless of my absent-mindedness, it was an absolute pleasure chatting with Nana Visitor. She’s a truly lovely lady.

Hello, Nana Visitor! How are you?

I’m good, how are you?

I’m good! Now, you’re well known for portraying Kira Nerys on Deep Space Nine. This year now marks DS9's 20th anniversary; what was it like working on the show?

DS9 was such a huge pleasure. The best part was I knew – at the time – that it was a special show. I knew that I might not be able to get this kind of writing/direction/producing again, so I relished it. And I'm glad I did, because I'm so proud of it. The new fans of the show that come through – and you see them at these things, people who've just discovered the show – and it proves that it has longevity.

Out of all the Star Trek series, it was arguably the darkest and grittiest. Quite often that darkness focussed around Kira, her family, and the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. How was it for you, performing these stories that often got really dark and intense?

You know, it was hard to wash the grit off at the end of the night. It was a dark part. These days, she would probably be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, I would say, and be treated – that probably would have been a great storyline if during those days we knew the treatment for it.

So yeah, it lived with me. I remember having Kira dreams. At night I would have dreams of being chased by Cardassians and things like that. So yeah, it stayed with me.

Having Marc Alaimo in full Cardassian make-up chasing you down corridors...

Yeah! Nightmare!

How did you feel about Kira's character development? Going from the stand-off-ish Bajoran liaison to becoming essentially the commander of the station.

I thought it was appropriate. I thought it made relationship sense, it made evolutionary sense for her as a sentient being. She would gradually come to trust and know and respect these people.

Could you relate to Kira's character? Was there much of yourself in your portrayal of her?

Absolutely. The striving, the dealing with having flaws and having the humility to see them and admit to them, and do something about them or not... It was wonderful in that way.

How did it feel to play such a strong, resilient and independent character?

I wasn't really aware, I just knew how I thought she should be, and I did get some push-back from people saying that it wasn't Star Trek, it wasn't right and I was just being bitchy. But I decided long ago that my allegiance is with my character and people's perceptions are people's perceptions; there's nothing I can do about it. So I stayed pretty true to what I thought she was.

In terms of character development, how did you feel about her relationship with Odo?

At first, no, I didn't want it. I thought it was so wonderful that there was a real, deep friendship between male and female, and it was such a cliché on every TV show that you get two people together; it always ends up romantic as if friendships can't exist. But in the end, I thought it was a wonderful story and it was a sweet love. People seemed to really respond to it.

I felt very much the same way about it. At first I wasn't sure it was the best course for the characters, but as the story continued it seemed more and more like a natural development. Well, as natural developments come when it's between a Bajoran and a Changeling!

Anyway, thank you very much for your time. It's been an absolute pleasure talking with you.

And you too.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

---

Unfortunately, my brainlessness chewed up quite a bit of time, and I would've loved to chat with Nana Visitor for much longer had most of what I wanted to talk with her about not been wiped clean from my memory! Nevertheless, it was an absolute pleasure to meet her: she's a genuinely lovely person (and very understanding of brain-dead interviewers!).

Visit www.nanavision.com for the latest news about Nana Visitor and her work.

London Film and Comic Con: An Interview with René Auberjonois

I’ve been a fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for many years; it’s my favourite series set in the Star Trek universe, and ranks in the top five of my all-time favourite SciFi shows. Out of all of the series’ characters, I found myself most drawn to Odo, portrayed by the brilliant René Auberjonois.

Auberjonois has played a wide array of characters in his long and distinguished career, such as Father Mulcahy in MASH, Frasier Crane’s pink-satin-dressing-gown-clad mentor Professor Tewksbury in Frasier, and of course DS9’s security officer Odo, to name but a few.

When I heard that Mister Auberjonois would be attending LFCC, I knew I couldn’t miss the opportunity to talk with him. Although things had to be cut short due to a queue forming behind me, it was absolutely fantastic to chat with him: he is genuinely a most excellent gentleman.

Hello, Mister Auberjonois! A pleasure to meet you, sir. How are you?

Hello! I’m well, and you?

I’m well, thank you.
First of all, I just wanted to say how much I loved your portrayal of Odo on Deep Space Nine. As this year marks the 20th anniversary of the series, could you please describe a little about what it was like working on DS9?

Well, it was a gift. It came at a wonderful time in my life, and it was a great character to portray, and a lot of wonderful people to work with; not only the other actors, but the crew and the directors, the writers... It was getting to be part of an ensemble for seven years, which is a really rare opportunity in this very unstable business. It was great.

What would you say was your favourite thing about Deep Space Nine?

Well... The ongoing story, the complexity of the stories and the characters, and I liked the fact that compared to the other versions of Star Trek, I think Deep Space Nine is the most gritty and dark and perhaps neurotic. That appealed to me, because it's more complex.

And no matter how alien any of the characters were, there was always this sense of... Well, humanity is probably not the right word to use, but it's the only word we have! Every character had this sense of humanity about them, and Odo in particular started to develop a burgeoning sense of humanity that grew as the series went on.
How was it portraying Odo's character? Were there any aspects of yourself in the role?

Well, I think any actor who creates a character, there are aspects of his own personality that come through into the character. Not the complete picture of who I am, of course...

I'm not suggesting you are a shape-shifter!

Obviously I'm not a shape-shifter! There's a lot of Odo's sense of integrity I like to believe is part of the way I've learned to live in the world, and his sort of covered sense of humour is something that I feel I brought to the character. I'm a character actor, that means I play – and have throughout my life – many different characters, and Odo in his flexibility to be able to shape-shift, and the fact that he was masked in a way, seemed to me like a kind of symbol of what I do as an actor.

And as a character, he grew a lot throughout the series. Especially when he discovered his own people, he became a new person.
How did you feel about his overall character development as the series progressed?

It was always an adventure to get the scripts each week, to see how the story would evolve, and I would say that in the end his returning to his people – to the soup – was inevitable. He had been sent out by a planet, a community of creatures, that were very fearful and paranoid about what was out there. In the end he has to serve as the healing force, and return to where he had come from.

Well, as it appears there's a queue gradually growing longer and longer behind me, this'll have to be the final question. How did you feel about Odo's relationship with Kira? Was it a direction you could see the character going in?

Well, it was a surprise to both Nana and I. It was not anything we had anticipated, and it really wasn't anything that the writers had anticipated. It seemed to evolve out of their friendship, and it was a very interesting aspect which – to a certain part of the audience – was very important, and they responded to it with great passion. So, in the end, although I think both Nana and I thought “where did that come from?”, I think we were both very satisfied with that development.

Thank you for your time, it was an absolute pleasure, sir. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Thank you, and you too. Take care.

---

I wish I could have spoken with René Auberjonois for longer, about his current work and his support for Doctors Without Borders, but unfortunately I had to move on due to the queue forming behind me. It was absolutely brilliant meeting him: he's a truly fantastic gentleman.

Visit www.renefiles.com for the latest news and updates about René Auberjonois’s and his work.

London Film and Comic Con 2013: An Overview

This past weekend, the annual London Film and Comic Con took over Earls Court Two, bringing a host of celebrity guests, comic book artists and purveyors of unique merchandise to the venue. This year's event boasted a wide array of guests, with stars from the likes of Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Star Wars and Star Trek. As this year marks the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (my favourite of the Trek series), LFCC 2013 celebrated the occasion with a great selection of the stars from the show; needless to say, I was looking forward to meeting the cast of one of my all time favourite SciFi series!

Once more armed with my dictaphone, a notepad and a sonic screwdriver that doubles as a pen, I set course for Earls Court Two.

Earls Court Two is somewhat of a place of nostalgia for me. I first came to this venue two years ago for my first ever London Film and Comic Con (actually, that's a lie – I really first came to Earls Court to audition for the role of Tom Riddle in Harry Potter many, many moons ago, and was less than successful, but that's another story!). LFCC 2011 was my very first convention, and also the first event I covered as a member of the press, having only started writing for Step2TV a month beforehand. There hasn't been another Showmasters' event held at Earls Court Two until now, so it was strangely nostalgic to be back there again this year... They say you always remember your first, and I still vividly recall my first interview: it was with Mark Sheppard (Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Doctor Who). We had a long discussion about his character on Battlestar, Romo Lampkin, followed by a slightly shorter conversation about his favourite cheese (manchego).

It was also at LFCC 2011 that I first met friend, colleague and co-conspirator Josh Harris, where we talked at length about Doctor Who whilst stood next to the DeLorean waiting to interview Christopher Lloyd (there's a time travel joke in that somewhere...). Befittingly, for LFCC 2013 Josh and I rallied at Clapham Junction and made our way there first thing Friday morning to set up the stand for Subversive Comics – for whom Josh works – and for me to pick up my press pass for the weekend.

Friday night marked the beginning of the event, opening with a preview evening where a handful of the guests were providing autograph signings and photo opportunities. The venue wasn't overwhelmingly busy, but considering that this was just a two hour preview there was still a considerable amount of people – a large amount of whom had already come in costume! I spent my evening taking a look around the various stalls that had been set up, chatting with some of the visitors and exhibitors, and attempting to plan out the weekend ahead.

Day Two, Saturday. It was ridiculously, unnecessarily hot. I know a lot of people enjoy the heat of the sun, but whenever this time of year comes around I turn into an angry summer goth. In hindsight, it was probably an unwise decision to wear black jeans with a black t-shirt and black jacket... It was impressive to see the amount of cosplayers who remained dedicated to their costumes and their roles in this weather – I can't imagine it's particularly comfortable being a PVC-clad Catwoman or full-armoured Iron Man in heats exceeding 28°C!

I attempted to grab a couple of interviews with a number of the guests for the afternoon. I had my eyes set primarily on the cast of Deep Space Nine and Stargate (Amanda Tapping and Jason Momoa; unfortunately, Michael Shanks and Claudia Black had to cancel their appearance).

The first guest I was able to interview was René Auberjonois. Amongst the many, many roles in his long and distinguished career, Auberjonois is probably best known for his portrayal of my favourite character in Deep Space Nine, Odo, and Father John Mulcahy in MASH (and, if you dress him in a pink satin dressing gown, you may remember him as Professor Tewksbury from an episode of Frasier). I was fortunate enough to grab ten minutes with Mister Auberjonois, in which we discussed his time working on DS9 and how he felt about Odo's character. Unfortunately things had to be cut short as a queue had started to form behind me, but it was an absolute pleasure talking with Auberjonois for the time I had. He's a genuinely excellent man.

In addition to meeting the fans and signing autographs throughout the weekend, Auberjonois was also collecting donations for Doctors Without Borders, a secular humanitarian-aid, non-governmental organization whose volunteers provide urgent medical care to victims of war and disaster regardless of race, religion, or politics.

My second interviewee was Nana Visitor, Kira Nerys on DS9, and chatting with her proved to be one of my most memorable interviews to date! We started to talk about her experiences working on DS9 (including the resultant nightmares of being chased by Cardassians), and things were running smoothly... Until I forgot what I was saying mid-sentence. My brain literally ground to a halt. All I could do was profusely apologise for my apparent lack of brain cells, and prolifically perspire in the sudden uncomfortable heat I was experiencing. Thankfully, Visitor relating her tales of also occasionally forgetting what she's saying (arguably in a worse situation, performing on Broadway and completely freezing up) gave my absent mind some space to breathe and cobble together some vague semblance of the interview I had initially planned out. It may not have been my finest hour, but it's certainly an interview I'll remember for quite some time! Visitor is a truly lovely lady, and an absolute pleasure to chat with.

Sunday being Sunday, things were a bit more relaxed – and nothing was more relaxed than London Underground's service that morning! I arrived a bit later than I had the day before, and set about attempting to arrange the interviews for the day. Among those who I planned to chat with were Avery Brooks (Captain Sisko, DS9), Amanda Tapping (Sam Carter, Stargate SG1 and Dr Helen Magnus, Sanctuary) and Jason Momoa (Ronon Dex, Stargate Atlantis, Khal Drogo, Game of Thrones), however I had been informed that their agents were incredibly restrictive about interviews. Again it was advised to try again towards the end of the day when hopefully the extensive queues would start to grow shorter. As such, I decided to return to having a look around the convention, occasionally returning to the guest area to try my luck with the queues.

I stopped by the Sea Shepherd stall to see some friends I'd met at previous conventions and at Sea Shepherd demonstrations and protests, and I was fortunate enough to meet one of Sea Shepherd's esteemed Captains, Peter Hammarstedt. I have the utmost admiration and respect for the work that the Sea Shepherd crew do to protect our oceans' wildlife, and I honestly can't stress enough how important everything they fight for is.

On the note of good causes, Amanda Tapping was also promoting the charity she started up with writer/producer Damien Kindler and Jill Brodie, Sanctuary for Kids. I was unable to formally interview Tapping over the weekend, but I was able to introduce myself and tell her how much I admired the work she was doing with S4K. Sanctuary for Kids is a charitable organisation dedicated to helping children in crisis across the world, raising money and working with small charities such as the Watari program in East Vancouver, Nepal Orphans Home, Asha Nepal, Next Generation Nepal and SOPUDEP in Haiti.

After speaking about the work she does with S4K, Tapping noticed my Sea Shepherd badge. Of course, her Stargate co-star Richard Dean Anderson is a very prominent supporter of Sea Shepherd and a member of their Board of Advisors, having worked with Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson for many years. So we also discussed Sea Shepherd's work, how she herself had also met Captain Watson, and the Captain's present situation following his unjust arrest in Germany last year under false allegations. Despite not being able to interview her properly, it was fantastic finally meeting Amanda Tapping, and even more so to discuss the causes we both feel passionately about.

Around mid-afternoon came the event I'd been looking forward to for most of the weekend: the Q&A with the cast of Deep Space Nine. The guests for this interstellar line-up for the Q&A were Avery Brooks, Alexander Siddig, René Auberjonois, Andrew Robinson, Armin Shimmerman, Nana Visitor, Salome Jens, Aron Eisenberg and Max Grodenchik. Among the things discussed were how the cast first got into acting (Auberjonois said it was because he “didn't know any better,” Shimmerman simply answered “girls”), and if they had to choose a different character to portray, who would they be (Auberjonois: “I would have been Morn.” Shimmerman: “I wish you had been.”). The mystery of what happened to Captain Sisko's baseball at the end of the series may also have been partially solved, as the subtle clues – and Brooks's suspicions – all seem to point towards Nana Visitor...

All in all, LFCC 2013 was a brilliant and memorable event. I met and spoke with a number of fantastic people, and had an overall highly enjoyable weekend. Interviews and transcripts of Q&As will be up soon, and will be linked to below.

For more pictures from LFCC 2013, please visit my website at www.bronjames.co.uk

London Film and Comic Con returns with a new winter event in October this year. 
Visit www.collectormania.com for more details on London Film and Comic Con Winter and for more of Showmasters' upcoming events.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

In his first adult novel in over eight years, famed fantasy author Neil Gaiman takes us to the landscape of his childhood for a journey of memory, magic and survival in a world just beyond the veil of reality... To the Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Anyone who knows me knows of my love for Gaiman and his work. From Stardust and Neverwhere to his episodes of Doctor Who, I've thoroughly enjoyed the strange, fantastical – and yet seemingly real and tangible – worlds that Gaiman conjures up. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a perfect example of this: a world that's simultaneously completely fictitious and yet entirely and believably real. This is, in part, due to the fact that Gaiman draws on elements of his childhood for the setting and impetus of this dark and fantastical tale, and his usual engaging narrative style immediately sucks you in.

Told through the memories of our narrator, a forty-something man recalling a time in his life through the eyes of his seven-year-old self, the narrative is as much about childhood and growing up as it is about a world of fantasy and monsters. The book tells the story of the protagonist encountering beings from other worlds, things that exist just outside of our reality (and may very well be more real than what we call reality), but more than that, it tells a story about the powerlessness of childhood, as we attempt to make our way in a world we barely understand. This is probably the biggest thing that separates this book from children's fiction. In Gaiman's more child-friendly works, such as Coraline, he tells children that they can be powerful, that they can triumph over darkness and overcome seemingly impossible odds. But in The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the protagonist is burdened by the role he unwilling has to play in this story, and is powerless against the extra-dimensional entities he's faced with, let alone against his own parents!

In many ways, that's the scariest part of this book: not the entities and not the struggle against the darkness, but the overwhelming sense of futility and hopelessness felt by the narrator. It takes you back to those times in childhood when the world was far bigger and scarier than you could even begin to imagine; a world inhabited by giant grown-ups who were invariably right; a world in which you very rarely were able to have any real form of influence or control (a large reason why I buried my head in books in my formative years, and have yet to truly emerge into the “real” world...). It's a powerful way to convey a story, especially one where sometimes the monsters feel more like a metaphor for the unknowably daunting challenges of the real world we begin to discover as we grow up. To feel the vulnerability of childhood from an adult perspective is a sombre and humbling experience, and is something that Gaiman accomplishes brilliantly in this book. The Ocean at the End of the Lane may be a book for adults, but is very much written for the children these adults used to be.

Not only has the book been ranked Number 1 Bestseller
by the New York Times, and signed by the man himself,
it has also earned the highly-coveted position on my
Coffee Table of Excellence™!

The story which frames the allegory of childhood is also a fantastically realised world of magic, wonder and darkness. We're introduced to the magically mysterious yet earthly and everyday Hempstock family who live on the farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them, Lettie Hempstock, claims that her duck pond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang. These characters are so matter-of-fact about things that would otherwise seem abnormal that you don't even question it, you just allow yourself to be carried away into their weird and wonderful world; a world that's always one step beyond logic.

There are also, of course, dark, monstrous things from beyond our narrator’s reality, things that should never have been summoned to this world, that are brought forth when the lodger commits suicide in the family car (an event based on a true story from when Gaiman himself was seven - whether the entities that are summoned and the events which then unfold are also true remains unknown!). I shan’t go into more detail about the narrative that ensues, because this is a story best left unspoiled and delightfully surprising, but what I will say is that it is incredibly engaging. I devoured the first ten chapters as soon as I got the book on the night of the 17th of June (to be honest, I can’t even remember getting home; one minute I was in the theatre, then I was seven-years-old and encountered the thing that called itself Ursula Monkton, and the next I was back home!), and persuaded myself to read only one chapter a night to prolong the experience.

From what started life as a short story for his wife, Amanda Palmer, The Ocean at the End of the Lane has become a genuinely brilliant novel. Through this story, Gaiman conjures up those oft-forgotten worlds of magic and adventure, capturing the essence and innocence of being a child again, but also leading us to that bittersweet taste of childhood’s end. It is a wonderful and poignant tale, and worth every tug at the heart-strings.

It's an adult fairy tale, a modern day myth, and a bloody good read!

You can read a transcript of Neil Gaiman’s Q&A at the Royal Society of Literature on the 17th of June, talking about the inception of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, here.

It's Going to be a Sad Christmas... Matt Smith to Leave the TARDIS at the End of the Year

This article can also be found on Media Gateway.

The BBC has announced that Matt Smith will be hanging up his bow-tie and leaving Doctor Who during the 2013 Christmas Special, in which the Doctor will regenerate into Smith’s as-yet-unnamed successor. The news comes after months of rumour and speculation surrounding Smith’s tenure in the TARDIS. In a statement about his departure, Smith said:

"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show.

"I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. Many of them have become good friends and I'm incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the last four years.

"Having Steven Moffat as show runner write such varied, funny, mind bending and brilliant scripts has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges of my career. It's been a privilege and a treat to work with Steven - he's a good friend and will continue to shape a brilliant world for the Doctor.

“The fans of Doctor Who around the world are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show (and speculate more about the future of the show) in a way that I've never seen before.

"Your dedication is truly remarkable. Thank you so very much for supporting my incarnation of the Time Lord, number 11, who I might add is not done yet - I'm back for the 50th anniversary and the Christmas special.

"It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the Tardis for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."

I am sure I am not alone when I say I that Matt Smith’s portrayal of the Doctor will be greatly missed. Following on from David Tennant’s much-loved iteration of the character, Smith rose to the role brilliantly with an equally beloved portrayal of the eponymous Time Lord. Throughout his four years working on the show, Smith has displayed a phenomenal range of emotion and talent, providing consistently superb performances throughout the series. He has been a constant joy to watch, and is the very embodiment of the Doctor.

It will be a sad Christmas to see Smith’s departure, but he’ll be going out on a high note. I hope he'll be given the send off he deserves.

Thank you, Matt, for four fantastic years of time travelling shenanigans; it’s been absolutely brilliant. I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavours.

An Interview with Charlotte Campbell

This article can also be found on Media Gateway.

Charlotte Campbell's PledgeMusic campaign for her debut album, Blue Eyed Soul, has been going from strength to strength since its inception. With just under two weeks to go until release, and almost 600% of her initial target raised, I reckon it's safe to say that she's doing pretty well for herself!

She very kindly agreed to an interview with me about her album, her inspirations and working as an independent artist in the music industry.

You’ve been singing for as long as you can remember; what's your earliest musical memory?

My earliest musical memory is watching my dad play the piano and learning Twinkle Twinkle Little Star because my dad put stickers on the right notes! Also singing on long journeys to Wales with my Grandparents; show tunes were a particular favourite!

Having started composing your own material from the age of 15, what things have helped to inspire your music over the years?

I think teenage crushes and love and heartbreak were my first inspirations, and I really just wanted to get all my feelings of anxiety and injustice out in the open. But as I got older I realised that that doesn't necessarily make for interesting song-writing, and started to really analyse why we connect with certain lyrics and how to create something heartfelt but also universal.

What is it about music that has made it such a driving force for you?

My family have always been very musical so it's been an important part of my life since I was young, and as I grew up I saw how much emotion can be expressed through music and writing so it has kept me strong in hard times, and always gives me something to work towards and achieve. It's also basically the only thing I've ever been good at...I wasn't good at sport and my drawing skills are something to be desired, and I was not very intelligent at school, but was good at singing and so I worked hard at it.

You’ve been recording the majority of your music from home; what has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced producing your material independently? (I’ve spelt that indepentendly no less than three times now. I think I need sleep, or spelling lessons. One or the other.)

Yes I have! To be honest it has been a lot of fun for the most part! The biggest challenge is choosing which direction to go with in terms of production! There are just so many options...Do I want it to be a country barn dance type track...or perhaps this is a heavy rock ballad I'm going for...? But in the end I just want it to sound like me, which is where my independence has been a blessing because the album sounds just like me, because I made it all! Saying that, I've had a plethora of help from my band (Ideawake) who have done all the drums, electrics guitars, bass, strings and mixing and I know it's been a struggle for them putting up with me! Everything is just a little bit/not quite enough spangly/stompy/squinty, or other words that I make up to describe something indescribable...They have been real troopers through this whole thing and I owe them a lot!

You’ve been following this dream your whole life. How does it feel now that dream has become reality, and your debut album, Blue Eyed Soul, is soon to be released?

I'm obviously VERY excited, (and a little nervous!). But it's strange because the dreams I had were never like this, because you never think that this kind of thing is possible. My dream was to sort of get a big record deal and make an album, but with technology and the music industry the way it is, making an album yourself is really the way to go!! So I'm quite proud of myself for growing up, seeing the state of the music industry and forming a plan of making my dream come true without the middle man. I think it's the general view that you can't make an album until you get signed to a major label, but I implore all musicians to just go and get on with it! You don't have to wait around your whole life to make a dream come true!

What has been your key inspiration throughout the production of Blue Eyed Soul?
Are there any stories behind the songs on the album?

My band are my biggest inspiration to get on with the album...Mat, Mark and Chris convinced me that I was capable of doing this myself and that they would be behind it all the way. I don't think I'd have got on and done it without them! I'm currently studying song-writing and write around 3 songs a week as assignments... Most of them have gone straight in the bin, but the briefs they set out have brought out a whole other side to me that I've really explored on Blue Eyed Soul. My favourite song on the album is about following your dreams, but I wrote it when I was really feeling constricted about my music and whether it's a viable career choice; the song kind of asks how far can we really chase our dreams, because you can aim for the sun but it'll burn you when you reach it. That's a favourite of mine because I think the lyrics express how I felt about releasing the album. And yes, it's definitely worth it.

Have any other artists had an influence on your music?

Throughout the whole album mixing I keep saying to the boys "Can we just make it sound like Colbie Caillat please?" - so mostly her. But I love my band because they bring a lot of different sounds to the table and a lot of genres have been suggested - making every song sound unique.

If you had to pick your top three songs from the album, what would they be and why?

Feathers and Wax is one I mentioned earlier. But I think I'll let everyone make their own judgements!

You received an incredibly positive response on PledgeMusic, with 100% of your target raised in just 4 hours, and it’s continued to grow exponentially (two weeks until release and almost 600% of the initial target).
What was your first reaction when you hit the 100% mark?
And how does it feel to have this much support backing your project?

I was honestly nearly crying at 100%! I was running around the room and making strange noises, and also reassessing my 'target' and sitting down making a new plan for expensive microphones! I think the best thing about reaching 100% so quickly was that people actually wanted to buy my album, and that was what got me so emotional!

What has been the most popular incentive among pledgers?

People have been really keen on the Old EP 'Stay' as well as the Blue Eyed Soul hard copy. I think because I have never made 'Stay' available as a hard copy before, people wanted a copy and I was chuffed that people still wanted the old songs!

Looking back on your career, what have been the highlights for you?
What hopes do you have for the years to come?

I will never forget opening my letter from the BRIT school and also seeing my name on the list for a set at Glastonbury. They were movie moments for me! But I have high hopes for more festivals and more albums!

---

Charlotte's Blue Eyed Soul campaign comes to an end on the 13th of April. To support the release of her debut album and get your hands on some additional incentives, check out her PledgeMusic page here.
You can also find out more about Charlotte on her website, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

David Tennant and Billie Piper Confirmed for Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary

This article can also be found on Media Gateway.

It's been the topic of speculation for quite some time, but at last the rumours have been revealed to be true. The BBC has confirmed that David Tennant and Billie Piper, the Doctor's tenth incarnation and his companion Rose Tyler, will be appearing in the special 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who, commemorating the show's half-a-century long history.

Tennant and Piper will be reprising their roles as the Tenth Doctor and Rose alongside the current Doctor and new companion Clara Oswald, Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman. The anniversary special, which begins filming next week, will also star the legendary John Hurt.

The one-off episode is set to see a host of Doctor Who stars past and present (maybe future, who knows) and is expected to air on the 23rd November. The episode will also be filmed in 3D for the first time in Doctor Who history, which is a bonus for anyone who enjoys wearing ridiculous glasses when watching telly...

As part of the anniversary events, the BBC will also be broadcasting An Adventure in Space and Time - a one-off drama looking at how this iconic show came to be.

It's all rather exciting, isn't it?!

It can't be... It's a temporal pair-o-Docs!
Matt Smith and David Tennant at read-throughs for the 50th.

Meanwhile, the first episode of the Doctor's adventures in 2013, The Bells of Saint John, will be screened tonight at 6.15pm on BBC One. Don't trust the WiFi...

Charlotte Campbell's Blue Eyed Soul PledgeMusic Campain

This article can also be found on Media Gateway.

Charlotte Campbell, the sensational Southbank Songstress and YouTube warbler, is currently working on her debut album, Blue Eyed Soul. The independent singer has set up a PledgeMusic crowd-funding campaign to help finance the production of the album, and has included a range of incentives in exchange for pledges. Starting at just £6, pledges range from a digital download of Blue Eyed Soul, her original EP Stay and the EP for rock band Ideawake, through to house shows and songwriting/jam sessions.

Charlotte's campaign impressively garnered 100% of the original goal within the first 24 hours after the campaign was launched. The new goal is to reach 100 pledges, and with 32 days still to go there's plenty of time to contribute and help finance the production of her debut album.
Additionally, 5% of any pledges made after the 100% marker will go to the Herts Inclusive Theatre, an award winning charity working with disabled and non-disabled children, young people and adults.

Check out and pledge to Charlotte's PledgeMusic campaign here.
You can also check out some of her other music on her YouTube channel here, and read my previous article about Charlotte's music here.

A Tribute to Heath Ledger

Five years ago today, the film industry sadly lost one of its finest and most promising actors to an accidental overdose of prescription medications. At the far-too-young age of 28, Australian actor Heath Ledger passed away, leaving a legacy of extraordinary performances behind him. But what makes his absence in the industry so tragic is not so much what he had done, but what more he could have gone on to do.

Ledger’s career gives us a glimpse of a naturally talented actor, whose phenomenal performances (especially those later in his career) stand as some of the greatest performances in modern cinema. Ledger’s memory will be forever remembered, going down in cinematic history with the likes of James Dean.

In tribute to one of the most consummate and transcendent actors of our time, here are my top five performances by the late, great Heath Ledger.

5) A Knight’s Tale (2001)
This was the first example of Ledger’s work that I ever saw. Ledger plays the role of William Thatcher (under the pseudonym of Ulrich von Lichtenstein) in a traditional tale of rags-to-riches as he falsifies his past - claiming to be of noble birth, hence the pseudonym - to become a knight. It’s very loosely based on Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale from The Canterbury Tales, and despite it’s deviation from Chaucer’s work it is an enjoyable film nonetheless.

Whilst this may not be Ledger’s most multi-faceted or emotively diverse role, it is nonetheless a superb performance. Considering he was only just 22 at the time, the way in which he perfectly captured the role and carried off the part of charismatic leading-man is nothing short of phenomenal.


4) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantasy film plucked straight from the ever-fascinating mind of Terry Gilliam, in which a theatre troupe (lead by the impossibly ancient Doctor Parnassus, who’s made a bet with the devil-incarnate, Tom Waits) takes their audience members through a mirror into their imaginations.

Production of Doctor Parnassus was disrupted by the untimely passing of Ledger halfway through filming, and for a while it seemed as if the film would have to be aborted. However, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law were eventually cast to take on Ledger’s role in certain scenes - each embodying the character as he’s transformed in different magical realms, whilst the footage shot with Ledger remained in the film as the character’s real-world appearance. The film was ultimately dedicated in memory of Heath Ledger.

Although Ledger’s presence in the film is sadly limited to the segments set in the real world, his performance is nonetheless captivating and emotive. In many ways, his role in this film is as a metaphor for his career; a truly remarkable and tantalising glimpse of what more he could have done had he been with us longer.


3) The Four Feathers (2002)
In The Four Feathers, Ledger plays the role of Harry Faversham, a young British officer during the British Army’s Nile Expedition of 1885. Newly engaged to Ethne (Kate Hudson), Harry learns that his regiment is being deployed to the Sudan, and decides to resign his commission. Having been branded a coward and disowned by his father, Harry learns that his former regiment has come under attack from Mahdi rebels, and makes the perilous journey to the Sudan alone.

In my opinion, this film is up there as one of Ledger’s most emotive performances of his career. His ability to capture and project emotion on a genuine level is truly transcendent; the raw, tangible emotions drawing you in, becoming completely immersed in the narrative and Ledger’s spectacular realisation of his character. It is rare to find such great examples of genuine emotion in film, to the extent it feels as if the actor is baring their soul, but Ledger was one such performer.


2) The Dark Knight (2008)
It may sound like a cliche, but Ledger is completely unrecognisable in the role as the Joker. Arguably one of the most philosophically complex characters of modern cinema, the Joker is the embodiment of calculated anarchy and unhinged nihilism, dedicated to tearing down humanity’s facade of civilised society.

One could reel off a stream of synonyms for ‘brilliant’ or ‘sublime’ to describe his performance, but none would do him justice. The role is so perfectly realised, with his expertly-delivered demented dialogue and constant visual ticks, it is clear that Ledger committed every molecule of his being into portraying this psychopathic clown. Ledger’s Joker is truly the definitive agent of chaos.


1) Brokeback Mountain (2005)
As a man constantly in torment, fighting an internal war between his emotions and society’s expectations, Ledger’s performance as Ennis Del Mar is nothing short of sublime. Emotionally closed off and isolated from the world, Ennis is wrought by his inner conflict with his sexual identity, pushing away anyone who comes to care about him and only capable of expressing himself through explosions of violence.

Whilst this role is nowhere near as exuberant as the Joker, Brokeback Mountain contains Ledger’s greatest performance. His emotively acute portrayal of this tortured soul is truly tangible, and is simultaneously a joy and thoroughly heart-breaking to watch. This, in my opinion, is Ledger’s finest performance.


When Heath Ledger passed, the world lost a magnificent actor and an amazing and inspirational soul.

Rest in peace, good sir, you are greatly missed.

Doctor Who: The Snowmen - Synopsis and Trailer

Christmas means one thing - or rather, one thing in my Universe - and that's the Doctor Who Christmas special. Admittedly, there's all that stuff about family and friendship and peace and goodwill to all men etc., but it's mostly about Doctor Who.

This year's Christmas special, The Snowmen, is a chilling tale about  monstrous snowmen with razor-sharp teeth, and not to be confused with The Snowman, the heart-warming story of Aled Jones and his snowy companion.
Here's the BBC's official summary...

Christmas Eve 1892 and the falling snow is the stuff of fairy-tales. When the fairy-tale becomes a nightmare and a chilling menace threatens Earth, an unorthodox young governess, Clara, calls on the Doctor for help. But the Doctor is in mourning, reclusive and determined not to engage in the problems of the universe.

As old friends return, will the Doctor really abandon humankind or will he fight to save the world – and Christmas – from the icy clutches of this mysterious menace.

The Snowmen sees the introduction of Jenna-Louise Coleman as the Doctor's latest companion, Clara, and will also guest star Richard E. Grant and the voice of Sir Ian McKellen. The episode will also feature some new aesthetics, with a new title sequence, a new outfit for the Doctor and a sleek new TARDIS interior which harkens back to the style of the classic Doctor Who series (presumably as an homage as Doctor Who the year of its 50th anniversary).

The Snowmen is billed for the slightly earlier time of 5.15pm on Christmas Day, and the trailer can be found immediately below this sentence.

Star Trek Into Darkness - Latest News and Theatrical Trailer

"Is there anything you would not do for your family?"

If you were thinking that I have been slightly fixated with the upcoming Star Trek film, then you'd be bloody right! The past couple of weeks have been rife with updates and teasers for the much-anticipated film, with the initial teaser trailer, new promotional pictures, character reveals and now, the release of the official theatrical trailer.

Two of the film's characters have been revealed; the first, played by Alice Eve, is Dr Carol Marcus. Carol Marcus was the molecular biologist who featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and was the brains behind Project Genesis, as well as the mother to Captain Kirk's son, David Marcus. As Star Trek Into Darkness is set in an alternate timeline, and with the Enterprise crew at an earlier point in their lives than in the events of Wrath of Khan, it's safe to assume that Eve will be portraying Dr Marcus at the time she and Kirk first meet.

The second character to be named, and is the one that has been sending fans rabid with speculation for almost a year, is the villain of the piece, played by Benedict Cumberbatch; John Harrison, a "one-man terrorist, who does despicable things for a noble cause." Cumberbatch hopes that his character will elicit sympathies, despite being a one-man weapon of mass destruction and psychological warfare. "He is very ruthless … He is not a clearly good or evil character," said Cumberbatch. "He is a villain but the actions he takes have intent and reason. He is a complicated character not to be judged by white-or-black, or good-or-evil. But this is the appeal of JJ's works and [why] I felt challenged as an actor."
JJ Abrams added: "The character is a villain and scary, but I was looking for an actor with humanity who audiences can sympathies with."

So far, so tantalising!

And lastly, the latest theatrical trailer for the film has now been released, featuring new shots and a decidedly more sombre opening (although things get kicked into high gear about half-way through!). The new, 2 minute trailer can be seen below, and a special 9 minute preview of the film will be shown at IMAX screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

All I can say is, 17th May 2013 can't come soon enough!

First Trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness Released

"You think your world is safe... It is an illusion, a comforting lie told to protect you."

These are the somewhat Nietzschean opening words of Benedict Cumberbatch's dark voice-over for the latest release from the Paramount vaults. After a year of absolute secrecy, the first glimpse of JJ Abram's Star Trek sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, is finally here (which can be seen below).

This minute-long teaser trailer is a web-only release, with previews of the first nine minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness to be shown at certain IMAX screenings of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey next week. A longer theatrical trailer is also expected to be released around the same time.

Cumberbatch is very much at the forefront of this trailer, darkly intoning an ominous monologue over shots of a peaceful Federation city, which soon gives way to some decidedly more explosive sequences.
Star Trek Into Darkness certainly looks set to be an action-packed spectacle!

"Enjoy these final moments of peace. For I have returned to have my vengeance. So, shall we begin?"

Star Trek Into Darkness - Synopsis and Poster Revealed

This article can also be found on Step2TV and Media Gateway.

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Chris Pine will reprise the starring role as Captain Kirk, with Zachary Quinto and Simon Pegg returning as Spock and Scotty. Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch will also be starring in the film as the as-yet unnamed villain, although there's speculation he may be playing Gary Mitchell - a human who developed advanced psionic abilities and became a threat to the Enterprise in Star Trek: Where No Man Has Gone Before. Whatever the role, I have absolutely no doubt that Cumberbatch will provide an utterly superb and sublime villain for this much anticipated film.

The poster, which was released today, depicts a man - presumably Cumberbatch - standing amidst a mass of debris overlooking what looks like 23rd Century London.

Star Trek Into Darkness is scheduled for release in cinemas worldwide on May 17, 2013 - and I can't bloody wait!

Charlotte Campbell: The Southbank Songstress

This article can also be found on Step2TV and Media Gateway.

I first heard the lyrical voice of Charlotte Campbell a month or so ago; I was crossing Golden Jubilee Bridge in my usual insular bubble when her melodic voice caught my ear and drew me in. For a good ten minutes I stood and enjoyed her music. She is a truly unique and incredibly talented singer/song-writer.

Probably best described as having a quirky, folk-pop style, Charlotte’s music has her own unique stamp on it. From original songs written by herself to covers of works from other artists, she performs every song with her own personal interpretation. It’s clear that performing is close to her heart, every song is sung from the soul and her passion and her personality shine through in both her live performances and videos on YouTube.

Words really can't do Charlotte justice (I should know, I've spent half an hour trying to conjure the right adjectives to describe her and her music!), so here's a video of her performing Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks on the Southbank.

Charlotte has been composing her own material since she was 15, but has been singing for as long as she can remember. "I first started singing on long journeys and I was constantly being surrounded by music and singing as its a big part of our family life," she says, but it was when she wrote her first song at 15 that she really wanted to be a musician, “I felt like I was really saying something and people were listening. I wanted to keep doing that.”

Charlotte is also a graduate of the prestigious BRIT School (known for it’s notable alumni, such as Adele, Amy Winehouse and Kate Nash) and hopes to follow in the footsteps of the school’s former students. Her time at the school has lead to some fantastic opportunities too, having performed at Glastonbury Festival 2008 and Camden Roundhouse to name but two. She was also featured on Howard Goodall’s Class Acts show on BBC Radio 2 as one of the latest talents from the BRIT School.
More recently, Charlotte competed in the Mayor of London Presents Gigs competition, in which hundreds of young singers and musicians took part. Charlotte made it into the grand final, winning a scholarship at the Institute of Contemporary Music; certainly a well deserved award. Charlotte Campbell is definitely a name to keep an eye out for in the near future!

Charlotte can often be found performing on the Southbank, where she tends to draw quite a large crowd and a lot of new supporters - it’s absolutely well worth going to watch her perform live on the Southbank if you get the chance. She also uploads song covers to her YouTube channel every Saturday, which you can subscribe to here, and you can purchase her EP from her Bandcamp page here.

Check out her website at www.charlottecampbell.co.uk, and Like her on Facebook to subscribe to her latest updates.

Star Trek London: An Interview with Chase Masterson

This interview can also be found on Step2TV.

Whilst at Star Trek London, I had the great pleasure to meet and chat with Chase Masterson - known in the Star Trek Universe for her role as Leeta, the Bajoran Dabo girl, in Deep Space Nine.

Alongside her career as an actress, Masterson is a talented jazz singer - a number of her CDs can be found on her website - and a dedicated philanthropist, having been actively involved in numerous charities worldwide, including Caring for Babies With AIDS and Doctors Without Borders. She has also been mentoring children for over four years at Homeboy Industries, helping kids move away from gang culture.

She is currently working on a Big Finish audio series, Vienna, which is a spin-off from her character in the upcoming Doctor Who audio adventure The Shadow Heart, starring Sylvester McCoy. She is also working on a film adaptation of Karel Capek’s classic science fiction play, RUR.

Masterson is a genuinely lovely person, and it was an absolute pleasure to chat with her.

BJ: Hello, Chase Masterson! How’s it going?

CM: Very well, thank you, it’s been an amazing weekend.

BJ: It's an amazing event! What's the fan reception been like this weekend?

CM: It’s just a huge blessing to have this kind of support, and I want everybody to know how much we appreciate it.

BJ: And how was last night? I hear you performed at the 25th Anniversary for The Next Generation.

CM: It was a fun party! I sang for a really nice sized crowd, and it seemed very, very well received. I sang selections from my new CD, Jazz Cocktail, which is available through my website, and I feel very very very good about the whole thing!

BJ: Fantastic! Who would you say was most inspirational for your jazz career?

CM: There are several women jazz artists who I really respect. Julie London, Sarah Vaughan... Marilyn Monroe was a really great singer. Of course Ella Fitzgerald. Quite a few great female artists back in the day. That’s the music I love, golden era music of the 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s.

BJ: It was a fantastic era for music.

CM: Yeah, sure was.

BJ: So yes, we’re here for the largest Star Trek convention to take place in the UK for over a decade, and it’s certainly drawn quite a crowd!
You’re known in the Trek Universe for playing Leeta in Deep Space Nine; how did you feel about your character’s development throughout the series?

CM: I really liked Leeta, I wish there was more grittiness in her storyline, but I loved what I got to do, and I think that it was a really great love story that she and Rom had. It was a pleasure to be a part of all of this.

BJ: In your opinion, what drew Leeta most to Rom? Was it the ears?!

CM: Haha, no not the ears! Rom was the guy who was pretty on the inside, and not on the outside but that didn’t matter. I think that’s something that the writers and producers wanted to make a statement with, and it’s an important statement; it’s what’s on the inside that counts. There wasn’t as much of an interesting relationship with Leeta and Bashir; it was more of a Barbie and Ken kind of thing. Boring. Leeta and Rom were more Lucy and Ricky, there was just more drama, more comedy and fun!

BJ: Yeah, there was a fantastic, comedic dynamic to the Leeta/Rom relationship. Now the show has had an undeniable impact on it’s fanbase, and on the world, and it means a lot to many people (as is evident by the Starfleet officers who are starting to queue up behind me!).
What does the Star Trek Universe mean to you?

CM: Well, the whole basic tenet of Star Trek; the infinite diversity in infinite combinations, the prime directive, everything that Star Trek has meant for the last 45 years is quite beautiful. I love that this audience appreciates that and sees it and loves the show for all the right reasons. It’s not a show that they love for sex or violence or anything gratuitous like that; there are really good messages here.

BJ: It makes my cold, misanthropic heart almost hopeful for the future of humanity!

CM: Yeah, almost! We’ll see...

BJ: We just need to get the world governments on board with this...

CM: You know, I think things are starting to happen in a way that is better than ever before in history. The Internet is making people feel more connected, and that will lead hopefully to more peace.

BJ: Absolutely, already through the use of cyberspace and social networking, people can be brought together, rally support and aid charitable causes greater than ever before.
I understand you do a lot of good work for charity, like with Homeboy Industries.

CM: Thank you! I’ve been mentoring kids at Homeboy Industries for about four and a half years, and it’s one of my favourite things in the whole world. They’re an amazing group that helps kids come out of gangs, and these are Los Angeles gangs that are bad, dangerous things to be a part of, and these kids get sucked in when they are very young and they are now turning their lives around. It’s really quite wonderful to be a part of that.

That’s at homeboy-industries.org.

BJ: It sounds like a truly fantastic cause.

CM: It really is.

BJ: And finally, I hear you’re also doing a Doctor Who audio series?

CM: Yes! I’m doing Doctor Who Big Finish, you can check that out at BigFinish.com. I did an episode opposite Tom Baker in the Doctor Who audio adventures, and did an episode opposite Sylvester McCoy. Then they spun off my character that I played opposite Sylvester McCoy - her name is Vienna - into her own series. It’s going into production next week, the series is called Vienna, and it’s going to be a huge amount of fun!

BJ: Can you share any details about Vienna, or is it completely bound by non-disclosure agreements?!

CM: Vienna is an incorrigible and charming assassin. She is a bounty hunter; she does what she does for a living - she’s rather dry and actually pretty fun about it. The whole thing is full of great english comedy, it’s got some good messages to it, and I just adore this project! I hope everyone tunes in.

BJ: Fantastic, I’m looking forward to it!

CM: I’m also doing a new project called RUR. It’s a beautiful piece of science fiction literature that we’re turning into a film. The original RUR is a classic play from the early 1900s, and it has been used as the basis for Metropolis, I Robot, Blade Runner, and a lot of other seminal, classic science fiction. It’s actually the first time we ever heard the word ‘robot’.

We’re doing the fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo.com/RUR, so check that out if you’d like!

BJ: Ah brilliant! The name rings a bell - think the original was written by a Czech playwright... Can’t think of his bloody name*! But yeah, certainly sounds like a fascinating project, I’ll be sure to check it out!
Thank you for your time, great meeting you. It’s been an absolute pleasure.

CM: Thank you! Great to meet you too.

Vienna is scheduled for release in February 2013, with Masterson’s character making her first appearance in the upcoming Big Finish instalment of Doctor Who: The Shadow Heart in November this year.
You can check out the RUR IndieGoGo page here, and Homeboy Industries here.


*It was a good 40 minutes later, whilst on the underground half-way home, that it hit me; Rossum’s Universal Robots by Karel Capek! My fellow passengers weren’t particularly excited about my revelation...