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.