Tomb Raider: Movies (2001-18)

Tomb Raider: Movies (2001-18)

Dirs. Simon West (I) / Jan de Bont (II) / Roar Uthaug (III)

01. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) is a typical summer actioner, but unlike some other video game adaptations it at least makes an effort to reference its origins: the Manor, exotic locations, impossible jumps that require crucial timing, puzzle solving, and dual-wielding gun-play are all reminiscent of the games that inspired it.

Unfortunately, it also carries over some of its parent genre's failings, including a feeling that the person directing the non-playable bits hasn't got much of a clue about how to construct and pace a successful action scene. That's particularly true for the opening, but, thankfully, things gradually get better as the movie goes on.

The story is a globe-trotting adventure born from the pursuits and hobbies of the super-rich (on both sides of the equation). It's basic stuff.

De Niro and De Palma: The Early Films (2018)

De Niro and De Palma: The Early Films (2018)

Dir. Brian De Palma (obviously).

When I plan to cover a sizable portion of a director's filmography, like I do with Brian De Palma, I prefer to start with the earliest one that I own and move forward chronologically. The pictured box set contains three such works. Each one also stars actor Robert De Niro.

01. Greetings (1968) is a satirical 'comedy' about three men trying to avoid getting drafted into the Vietnam War and is De Niro's first screen credit on a full-length feature film.

As a fan of the director's more dramatic works, from Sisters (1972) onwards, it was interesting to experience his developing working method and spot references to things that would evolve into career defining traits, but the film itself was a struggle for me to sit through.

The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network (2018)

The Ghost in the Shell:

Global Neural Network (2018)

Authors: Max Gladstone / Alex de Campi / Genevieve Valentine / Brenden Fletcher | Illustrators: David López / Giannis Milonogiannis / Brent Schoonover / LRNZ | Page Count: 160

"There was something odd. Like an echo.
I need to go deeper."

Kodansha really do like to big-up their derivative Ghost in the Shell tie-in books. Previously they claimed to have delivered a 'definitive history' of the franchise (in the README). Now it's a 'historic collaboration' with series creator Shirow Masamune.

However, there's nothing in the book to suggest that Shirow had any input beyond granting permission for his characters and their world to be used.

It would be wrong of me to assume that was the case for sure, but given the publisher's actions to date I feel they'd be shouting it from rooftops if he'd truly been involved in any kind of meaningful hands on manner. If I ever find out the truth, I'll return and edit it in here.

What I know for sure is that the book includes four stories by four different authors and four different artists. In the order presented:

Ghost in the Shell: SAC: Complete 1st and 2nd GIG (2018)

GitS: SAC: Complete 1st + 2nd GIG (2018)

Dirs. Various | Seasons: 2 | 52 episodes, approx 25 mins each [Make sure and stick around for the short Tachikomatic Days entries after the credits roll on each one!]

An 8-disc collection that contains all 52 episodes of the Stand Alone Complex TV series - that's 26 episodes apiece for each of the two seasons.

The year is 2030. Public Security Section 9 is a counter-terrorist branch funded by the Japanese government, a team of ass-kicking professionals that get the job done no matter what.

The world is overly dependent on cybernetic bodies; the web has become the medium of choice for terrorists and as a result there exists a large potential for cyber-crime and hacks.

Section 9 specialise in that area. Led by Major Motoko Kusanagi the team deal with corporate terrorism, kidnapping, human trafficking, Ghost hacks (a technique in which a subject's memories are replaced with false ones) and a host of other internal and external threats. They're the people that keep the rest of us safe, often without us even knowing they exist.

Planet of the Apes: Visionaries (2018)

Planet of the Apes: Visionaries (2018)

Author: Dana Gould (based on a screenplay by Rod Serling) | Illustrator: Chad Lewis | Page Count: 138

"It's a machine. The whole damn thing's a machine. Sophisticated and very ingenious... But always with the possibility of error."

A comic book based on Rod Serling's screenplay of the first Planet of the Apes movie, itself based on author Pierre Boulle's original La Planète des Singes (1963) novel, aka Monkey Planet. Serling's story was modified before being filmed, in part because it was a little too extravagant for the production team's budget, but much of what made it onscreen is present in the text, albeit occurring in a setting that's far removed from the pre-industrial one featured in the famous movie.

The main protagonist is US astronaut John Thomas, whose exploits take a similar path to that of Taylor in the movie, but his personality is very different.

What's most interesting about the book is the ape society, which is somewhat analogous to that of NY, circa 1950-60s. There are still social divisions between the three different ape types, but the hierarchy is less pronounced, so they work together a lot more closely than they did onscreen.

The Scorpion King Movies (2002-18)

The Scorpion King Movies (2002-18)

Dirs. Chuck Russell / Russell Mulcahy / Roel Reiné / Mike Elliott / Don Michael Paul

01. The Scorpion King (2002): The Rock's first real acting job is a prequel story to his piss-poor cameo in The Mummy Returns (2001).

The role of Mathayus is perfect for him, playing to his strengths and his abilities. He gets to do most of what he did in the WWE: throw people about, look manly, charm an audience with ease, and deliver the trademark raised eyebrow that makes him look simultaneously smug and endearing.

Kelly Hu saves the costume department some cash by being half-naked most of the time.

The irritating comic relief sidekick role, played by Grant Heslov, isn't as bad as it could've been, but the character can be easily ignored the majority of the time. Ultimately, it's a good 'bad' movie.

Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast: Volume 1 (2018)

Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast: Volume 1 (2018)

Authors: Llexi Leon (story) / Ian Edginton (script) | Artist: Kevin J West | Page Count: 128

'Eddie is an embodiment of free will, a chaotic spirit, the unseen catalyst during crucial turning points in history. The spark that lights the flame.'

LotB's story is based on a 'free to play' mobile phone game that I've not played. The structure of the first collected volume feels very much like a series of game levels stitched together, with little care put into smoothing over the level changes. It also lacks a decent introduction, as if we're missing a crucial cut-scene.

In the story, Eddie is freed from bondage by a floating lady in a flowing dress, the Clairvoyant, a self-proclaimed 'sightless seer in the realm of the senses'. It seems that sometime before that, however, Eddie's soul was ripped from his body by The Beast, looking like he did on Iron Maiden's classic Number of the Beast (1982) album.

The mascot's stolen soul somehow became a glowing red crystalline substance that was shattered into shards and distributed to a group of nefarious individuals. Eddie's quest, therefore, is to retrieve his lost soul by defeating the holders of the fragments.

Stargate Origins: Catherine (2018)

Stargate Origins: Catherine (2018)

Dir. Mercedes Bryce Morgan

If you've watched the Stargate (1994) movie, you'll maybe remember the little girl at the story's beginning that gets given an ancient gold amulet by her father, or the elderly woman that likewise gives a gift to archaeologist Daniel Jackson before he sets out on his journey.

In both cases it was Catherine Langford, played by Kelly Vint and Viveca Lindfors, respectively. Stargate Origins: Catherine has that same character, but is set ten years after the little girl receives her gift in the movie's timeline.

Her father, Professor Paul Langford (Erik Holland in the movie, now played by Connor Trinneer), is still trying to figure out what the circular device he found at Giza was used for. SGO's Catherine (Ellie Gall) is helping out.

Lords of Chaos (2018)

Lords of Chaos (2018)

Dir. Jonas Åkerlund

As a long-time fan of early Norwegian Black Metal, I didn't know what to expect from LoC. Would it be parody, satire, mockery, or bullshit sensationalism? Wikipedia describes it as a 'horror-thriller film', which was worrying.

The answer, as I see it, is that the film is none of those things entirely, but it does lose its way as the narrative goes on. Before that, however, for about an hour of its runtime it's a pleasingly straightforward presentation with a comfortable amount of black humour and a half-decent (but mostly surface deep) depiction of the lifestyle that informed the music, and vice-versa.

It's based on the book Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground (1998) by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind. I've not read the text, but am familiar with how the stories were reported across Europe, firstly by having been a reader of the UK music presses at the time of the happenings — which might seem like too peripherally a connection, but is itself something that the film alludes to, in one of its most daft scenes — and later through personal research on the internet.

Godzilla: Reiwa Era Films (2016—)

29. Shin Godzilla (2016)

Dirs. Hideaki Anno + Shinji Higuchi

NOTE: numbering continues sequentially from the Millennium Era. For simplicity I've used English titles, but it's always the Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

Another hard reset of the franchise, with a new creature design and new origin story behind it.

The majority of the film involves politicians, bureaucrats, military leaders, etc, talking about how to deal with the irradiated daikaijū threat.

It utilises fast cuts to give the impression that things being discussed hurriedly is some kind of compensation for things being uninteresting - but it's really not. The first hour in particular is dense with such dry, ponderous dialogue.

Godzilla, referred to as male more than once in the English subs, is mostly CGI, mo-capped so that it moves kind of like a man in a suit. It gets points for good intentions, but ultimately it's just another CGI creature with zero personality. If I wanted that I'd watch the American films.

Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream (2018)

Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream (2018)

Author: Yoshikazu Takeuchi | Translator: Nathan A. Collins | Page Count: 196

'The screen glowed in monochrome static, the snow-like pattern punctuated by pulsing flashes in the signal, each flash accompanied by an abrasive noise like a cicada's call.'

The blurb on the back cover describes it as a 'sequel' to Yoshikazu Takeuchi's Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis (2018), but it isn't that at all. And unlike CM, it's not a novel, but rather three separate short stories, similarly set in the pop-idol world.

I didn't enjoy the previous novel, but I'd foolishly bought Awaken from a Dream before reading the other, so I read it too, but with much lower expectations than I had for CM. I won't go into detail about each one because it would require giving the collection more time than I feel it warrants.

Takeuchi's basic template for a story is as follows:

Upstart Crow (2016–)

Upstart Crow (2016–)

18 episodes, approx 29 mins each + 3 Christmas Specials, approx 49 mins each.

In the simplest terms, if you like Shakespeare and enjoyed the format of the Blackadder TV series, then Upstart Crow is probably for you.

Written by comedian Ben Elton, it portrays the bard as a playwright struggling for inspiration and unappreciated by his family and friends.

David Mitchell is wonderful in the title role, as is Liza Tarbuck as his wife Anne Hathaway, the only one of his group that truly understands him.

To get the most from the series you'll need some pretty sizeable knowledge of Shakespeare's written works and of events in his personal life, including that of his contemporaries (e.g. Kit Marlowe and Robert Greene) and be aware of the various theories regarding authorship.

That's an unusually high level of prerequisite for a sitcom to ask of its audience, but if you have it, then you're going to have a lot more fun.

The Incredible Hulk: Original Movie Collection (2018)

The Incredible Hulk:
Original Movie Collection (2018)

Dirs. Nicholas Corea / Bill Bixby | 3 Films, approx 272 mins (total)

The 2018 date given above refers to the three-disc DVD box-set released by Fabulous Films in that year, but the three films themselves are from much earlier (1988-90). They're set after The Incredible Hulk TV series (1977-82) that starred Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as scientist David Banner and his alter-ego, respectively.

The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988)

Dir. Nicholas Corea

It's been two years since David Banner burst his shirt and trousers in a green rage. He's in a stable relationship and working on a gamma transponder that could potentially rid him of his alter ego forever, but a face from his past upsets the apple cart, and pesky reporter Jack McGee (Jack Colvin) is back on Banner's trail again.

The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine (2018)

The Prisoner: The Uncertainty Machine (2018)

Author: Peter Milligan | Illustrator: Colin Lorimer | Pages: 112

'I like to put at least two personas between me and my pursuers.'

Despite what the cover art of the individual issues might perfidiously imply, particularly the many variants, Patrick McGoohan isn't the protagonist of Titan Comics' continuation of The Prisoner (1967–68) TV series. He gets referenced more than once, in a way that feels wholly forced, but the story is about an entirely new character in a contemporary setting, albeit one that's also given the number 6 moniker - although, I don't recall him ever actually wearing the badge.

His true name is Breen, an operative for a division named 'Unit' within the British Intelligence (MI5). The majority of the first issue takes place outside of the stylised Village and provides a significant amount of backstory for Breen, compared to the earlier Number 6, who remained something of an enigma the whole time.

Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis (2018)

Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis (2018)

Author: Yoshikazu Takeuchi | Translator: Nathan A. Collins | Page Count: 216

'I'm coming to meet you. I promise I'll come to you soon. I'll come to you, and I'll save you.'

Kirigoe Mima is a Japanese pop-idol. Three years in the business makes her a veteran, but her popularity, and therefore her career, is at something of an impasse. With so many hopeful idols (i.e. potential rivals) on the way up, Mima explores new avenues.

Her manager believes that moving away from her innocent image is the answer. He suggests that Mima explore paths that are more daring and seductive.

But not all members of the dedicated fan base that the pop-idol phenomenon attracts are accepting of their idols' life choices. For a small number of them, sometimes 'dedication' can cross a line and become 'obsession'. One fan in particular believes Mima ought to stay the same forever. He makes it his duty to ensure that she does just that; and if she refuses his selfless help, then it follows that it's his duty to punish her for her wicked betrayal, too.

Scream! and Misty - Halloween Special (2018)

Scream! and Misty - Halloween Special (2018)

Authors: Guy Adams / Rich McAuliffe / Alec Worley / Kek-W / Lizzie Boyle / Smuzz / Jordi Badia Romero | Artists: Frazer Itving / John Stokes / Steve Mannion / DaNi / Simon Coleby / Yishan Li / Smuzz / Jordi Badia Romero | Page Count: 52

"And thus sow the air with angels, subtle spirits bound to whisper spite in the ears of drowsing lords, waking men from apathy."

The Scream! and Misty pairing returns for a second Hallowe'en outing, once more resurrecting some old comic strips from their grave. There's seven stories included, but not all are from yesteryear.

It opens with The Thirteenth Floor, one of Scream!'s most popular strips. It continues the story of Max and Sam Bowers' partnership. The pairing theme continues with the strip's artists: John Stokes provides the B+W sections, while Frazer Irving takes over with full colour for the scenes set upon the titular floor itself.

There's not a lot of input from Max (not counting his creations), and the short page count doesn't help with characterisation of the other characters.

It feels like half a story, which is a criticism that can be applied to the majority of the book.

Voices of a Distant Star (2018)

Voices of a Distant Star (2018)

Author: Makoto Shinkai | Adaptation + Illustration: Mizu Sahara | English Translation: Melissa Tanaka | Page Count: 230

'Bit by bit I'm losing sight of the edges of the world... Sometimes, I forget where I am.'

A belated English language version of the manga adaptation of Makoto Shinkai's breakthrough anime, first published in Japan in 2005. This version of the story is slightly different to the original short film.

The story is simple but deeply affecting. Mikako Nagamine and Noboru Terao are classmates who are in love but half-afraid to admit it to themselves or each other. When interstellar war separates them, their only means of communication is via long-distance text message on a mobile phone network.

But the further away the war takes Mikako, the longer it takes for her messages to reach Noboru.

If the anime was recreated as is, the manga would probably be quite a thin volume, so, in order to ensure that isn't the case, new content has been added, including a small number of subplots.

The Complete Future Shocks: Volume 01 (2018)

The Complete Future Shocks: Vol 01 (2018)

Authors + Illustrators: Various - see end of post for full list | Page Count: 320

'The 'Shocks' are the sudden twist endings that up-end the narrative, that can unnerve even as they excite and astonish.'

The first volume, in what I suspect will be a fairly long-running series, collects all of Tharg's Future Shocks from the weekly 2000 AD magazine.

Some of the stories included have been reprinted previously, in various collections over the years, but for many of the others it's the first time they've received such an honour. Crucially, the works are presented in the same order in which they appeared in the weekly magazine. Volume 01, therefore, opens with the very first self-contained Shock from August 1977, and goes all the way up to July 1981.

Tremors: Films (1990— )

Tremors: Films (1990 - 2018)