Happy Thanksgiving!

May your bellies be full with no indigestion and may your hearts be full with the love of others near and far. 

ELYSIUM visual effects supervisor, Peter Muyzer, will be participating in a Google Hangout on Wednesday 12/4 from 10 AM PST – 11AM PST, during which he will discuss the making of the film from a visual effects perspective.

ELYSIUM visual effects supervisor, Peter Muyzer, will be participating in a Google Hangout on Wednesday 12/4 from 10 AM PST – 11AM PST, during which he will discuss the making of the film from a visual effects perspective.  The hangout will be streamed live from the Autodesk University 2013 conference in Las Vegas, “moderated” by Autodesk’s Maurice Patel.  Note: Autodesk is the software program used to create some of the visual effects in the film.  

The hangout can be found here on 12/4 at 10AM PST:http://area.autodesk.com/CAVE2013

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because of what it means. It is not about exchanging gifts, dressing up in a costume and giving out candy, etc. It is about being thankful for what you have and sharing that with those you love close and far. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Sincerely,

Mark 

Mob City TNT Original Limited Series Premiere Review

Based on the acclaimed book L.A. Noir: The Struggle For The Soul Of America's Most Seductive City by John Buntin and developed for television as a limited dramatic noir series by Frank Darabont, who wrote and directed the pilot that takes the historical context of the book to create a fictional morality play against the historical figures in the series. Following a brief prohibition era prologue, Mob City takes place in 1947 when L.A. was a rapidly expanding boomtown with an ongoing battle between the mob and corrupt police force where more cops are on the take than not and collectively they are all fighting the for the soul of the city.

With close attention to historical detail, a jazz filled soundtrack and lots of snappy dialogue that features Darabont's acting alumni that includes Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey DeMunn and Alexa Davalos and also stars Milo Ventimiglia, Neal McDonough, Robert Knepper Ed Burns and a special guest appearance by Simon Pegg, Mob City is slick and cool crime drama action with beautiful ladies and good screen chemistry between cast members chewing up the scenery in what might be the best stylized cops and robbers epic since Michael Mann's Crime Story back in the mid 1980s and that series was set at a time after this show. All journalists have been asked kindly not to reveal too many story details and avoid spoilers so I am going to cut it off here.

Mob City will debut with two back to back episodes on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 beginning at 9pm (ET/PT)/8pm (CT) and will continue with two more two hour blocks on December 11 and 18 on TNT.

(C) Copyright 2013 By Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

Conan O'Brian plays GTA - Very Funny!

If this link does not work then just cut and paste it into your browser. It had me laughing so much that my stomach hurt afterwards. Go team COCO!

http://m.youtube.com/results?q=conan%20o'brien%20clueless%20gamer&sm=1

The Dawn of the Auto-Humanoid

"A new slave class was being created. One that would always obey and could easily be replaced."

I must admit that I am of two minds about the future. On one side I believe we live in an extraordinary time and think there is a bright future ahead for all to participate in. Yet I also see a world filled with fearful people and fear is what usually causes more problems and not the fact that dangers exist or may not, but regardless it is how we face our choices that will determine whether or not a future can be bright or dark. It is not that as a writer I want to persuade you to my point of view so much as a writer I want you to enjoy a story of course, but whether you agree with me or not I just want people to think for themselves. I have a responsibility to tell a good story and drama is conflict. Your responsibility and indeed all of our responsibilities in life simply involves whether or not one decides if they are going to be proactive or reactive and know hopefully when the right time it is to do so. There are few absolutes in life if any. That leaves room for a lot of possibilities. What will yours be?

Happy Thanksgiving. ;)

Mark Rivera

Author/Writer

November, 2013

The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy HD Ultraviolet Review

I have never read any of Cassandra Clare's bestselling book series that began presumably with The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones although there is a prequel series entitled The Infernal Devices available too. Ever since the combined box office successes of the Harry Potter films, Lord Of The Rings and others, Hollywood has been developing novels of all genres and targeted at audiences of all ages searching for that next Twilight Saga or next Hunger Games, both of which feature female lead protagonists. So it is no surprise that the feature film adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones, which features a young teenage female protagonist and a dark fantasy world hidden within the streets of New York City would be adopted for the big screen. In a nutshell the film follows Clary Fray (Lily Collins), who begins to see strange supernatural beings that no one else can. Then after witnessing a demon slaying in a club she returns home to find her mother missing and another demon waiting for her. Fortunately she is saved by one of the demon slayers she saw the night before and then goes on a quest where she discovers that she too is destined to become a protector of humanity and slayer of demons otherwise known as a Shadow Hunter. Her quest involves locating a sacred cup that once held the blood of an Angel that created the order a thousand years earlier for aside from being a descendant of a Shadow Hunter, the only way new members can be initiated is to locate the cup so they can drink from it. 

The cast includes Lena Headley, Jamie Campbell Bower and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The film is entertaining though it has a generic quality to it that will call to mind other movies and TV shows that have come before it, regardless of the genre and some of the monsters look like CGI variations of creatures from the Resident Evil and Silent Hill films, which were also produced by Sony Pictures. There are signs of a rich mythology, but most of it feels like a variation on embroidery done better elsewhere. If you want to just take it at face value as a fun dark fantasy romp aimed at pre-teenage girls and not too finicky comic book readers, The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones is very watchable.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment delivers a solid Blu-ray Disc and DVD combo pack complete with a redeemable code for a limited time on an insert within the two-disc BD case for an Ultraviolet HD digital copy that can be downloaded and or streamed on to a variety of mobile devices. The picture quality on the Blu-ray seems spot on with a flawless 1080p/24fps presentation for both the feature film, which is presented in widescreen (2.40:1) aspect ratio with English DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround Sound too. All of the bonus features on the disc are also presented in full HD resolution. An English Descriptive Audio Track and English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired are encoded as options along with standard English And Spanish Language Subtitles.

A standard definition copy of the film on DVD is also included with an anamorphic widescreen presentation and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and similar features encoded too.  The interactive menus on both discs are well rendered and easy to navigate. Both the Blu-ray Disc and DVD include six deleted scenes that can be viewed individually or via a Play All option (4:44) and a music video (3:44). Featurettes on how the cast and filmmakers brought characters to life and the fighting choreography for the action sequences are also included. However if you watch the Blu-ray Disc version then you will also have access to additional featurettes covering how elements from the book were developed for the screen, including the Shadow World and more intense discussion of the characters. All of these featurettes on the Blu-ray Disc can be watched individually or collectively (29:05). The best Blu-ray exclusive is the interactive character lineage tracker, which features narration for the various factions, species and affiliations in the film along with character specific on screen notes and short companion photo galleries. Previews that include a Blu-ray Disc spot and trailers for One Direction: This Is Us, After Earth, Austenland, Battle Of The Year and Insidious Chapter 2 wrap up the bonus materials on the Blu-ray Disc.

The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy HD Ultraviolet will debut at retailers on and offline on Tuesday, December 3, 2013 courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

(C) Copyright 2013 By Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

Bill Cosby ...Far From Finished Blu-ray Disc Review

I was an intern at The Cosby Show during the summer of 1990. The show had already moved from shooting at the NBC studios in Midwood, Brooklyn and now was being taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens. Besides being home to The Cosby Show, during that summer, Paul Mazursky was directing Woody Allen and Bette Midler in Scenes From The Mall on the stage next door so to speak. Lifetime Television was headquartered there and a sort of pre-cursor to Ally McBeal entitled The Days And Nights Of Molly Dodd was being shot on a stage on a different floor at the studio, which was also home to Sports Radio WFAN. 

This was a time when film and television production was booming in New York City with filmmaker's like Spike Lee, Francis Coppola and Martin Scorsese all actively producing major feature films in the five boroughs. Robert DeNiro had opened the TriBeCa Film Center in lower Manhattan, which served as production office space as well as the occasional production set using a rented space to shoot within and the headquarters for Miramax Films too. I can also note that George Lucas rented a brownstone off Park Avenue as a New York Headquarters for Lucasfilm Commercial Productions and back then Comedy Central was still a collaboration between VIACOM and Warner Brothers and many TV shows like Short Attention Span Theater co-hosted by a young John Stewart, Sports Monster and Night After Night With Allan Havey were taped at what was HBO Downtown Productions on 23rd Street in Chelsea near the School of Visual Arts. I know all of this because after my internship at The Cosby Show, I interned at Lucasfilm, TriBeCa Film Center and Comedy Central while still an undergraduate studying film at Brooklyn College. 

So the opportunity to review the Blu-ray Disc of the first televised live standup recording with Bill Cosby since his Bill Cosby Himself filming in 1983 feels like a long distance coming full circle for me personally. I will always be grateful to Mr. Cosby for the opportunity to learn, earn college credit and get a modest stipend while witnessing the production of what was still the number one comedy sitcom on American television and is deservedly a part of television history. I can go on and on about what I recall about the show and what it was was like to see the set in person and a lot more, but the thing I want to mention before going on with this review of Comedy Central's Bill Cosby ...Far From Finished is that Mr. Cosby made sure that all of the interns who worked a semester or more on the show not only learned as fly on the wall observers at script readings, rehearsals and taking turns in the control room watching a professional network sitcom recorded live before a studio audience and later visit Editel, where the show was edited. None of these things would have been possible were it not for Mr. Cosby's commitment to the education of young people and his personal attention to making sure interns learned and not just sat in a green room and perform gopher tasks.

So while I am getting ahead of myself here I have to state that I was particularly moved by the featurette among the extra value materials on the Blu-ray and DVD editions where students at CSUN working under the guidance of a documentarian who followed the production of Ghost Dad more than twenty years earlier, were recording behind the scenes material for the home video release and meeting Mr. Cosby personally for the first time. All I can state is I felt exactly where each student was coming from as they each commented on camera about their experience as well as state based on the footage they shot, which included Mr. Cosby's arrival at the theater in a nice, but modest minivan, that Mr. Cosby has not changed because he always had a driver with a minivan when I interned on The Cosby Show back then too. He treated us with respect and encouragement and taught us by example to respect ourselves as aspiring professionals hoping to find our own niche in the industry. Thank you Mr. Cosby.

Mr. Cosby has not lost a touch of his wit and observation on the human condition in particularly as it relates to getting married, being a husband and of course, having children. In a way this is not very different from his concert film in 1983 except that now we have it from the perspective of a man who has been working in comedy nonstop for fifty one years and is now in his mid seventies. There are moments of pure brilliance and never does he utter a single word that remotely sounds like a four letter word. I want to state that this is a comedy concert that can be enjoyed by all members of the family, but the truth is there are points where I felt I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I had a better personal frame of reference since I am still a single man today, but even if I were married with children I think the older one is who watches this video, the more they will get out of it. I have to lend this to my parents now that I have seen it. The other effect that comes across from watching Bill Cosby ...Far From Finished is that it is hard not to watch Mr. Cosby and not be reminded of all of the comedic impressions done of him since Eddie Murphy did his own impression in the hilarious concert film Raw back in the late1980s. Still it is hard not to be in awe of Mr. Cosby, especially when he is interviewed by Comedian, Filmmaker and the Director of this concert program for Comedy Central, Robert Townsend. The 48 minute interview with Mr. Cosby recorded after the taping of the show is one of the most candid interviews I have ever seen the man give as he discuses how he came into comedy from learning to be a storyteller. His advice to young comedians is "Don't be afraid of the smiles." He talks about his first appearance on The Tonight Show after only working in comedy for seven months, dealing with the jealousy of others and his strong regards and respect for the comedians who were his contemporaries and roll models like Jerry Lewis, George Carlin, Dick Gregory, Jonathan Winters and Lenny Bruce. For me I found this interview to be more engaging because it was my experience working as an intern on The Cosby Show that made me want to become a storyteller myself and where I consciously became aware that what I wanted to do was write and I have been doing so ever since. Once again, "Thank you Mr. Cosby."

Other extra value features besides the featurette on the students (5:02) and the interview he gives to Robert Townsend (48:45) is footage from the music recording session that is used when Mr. Cosby enters and exits on in the show (2;24) and fan reactions before and after the show (2:51).

The concert itself along with all of the extra value features on Blu-ray Disc are presented in full 16 by 9 widescreen 1080p HD with a choice of English Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Stereo for the concert itself as well as English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired accessible throughout not only the concert, but all of the bonus materials too. The concert is also available on standard definition DVD with English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Sound listening options. 

Bill Cosby ...Far From Finished will debut on both Blu-ray Disc and DVD, but sold separately, on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 courtesy of Comedy Central and Paramount Home Entertainment.

(C) Copyright 2013 By Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

Keep Up The Good Work, But Don't Lose Sight.

I updated to Kit Kat last night and I love it. At this point I think the only thing iOS has over Android is it is still a bit more intuitive. It is still the easiest to use for the techno-phobic, but the leaps Android has made in the last two years alone are something the code writers at Google and the Developers who assist with testing the product should be proud of. You all made Android the world's leading mobile operating system and Google, do not let success blind you from the reason why people are converting to Android. You found a niche others overlooked and created the fabulous Nexus 7 at a price people could afford. Right now what is hurting Apple is that it has forgotten again what made people like it and still prices things unrealistically high for a product that has less value over time than a car. They call a car that is twenty years old a classic. They'll call a tablet that is twenty years old a paperweight.

Keep up the good work, but don 't let greed blind you. Keep it at $200 dollars. No one can argue against value.

(C) Copyright 2013 By Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

From My Novel The Final Arbiter.

"There was no hope for the hopeless and so they were being altered to relieve the burden they supposedly placed upon society by the ultimate merging of cold intellect and malevolent thought. A self aware bureaucracy turned insane because one could sense it as a hive blindly acting out of a perception of selflessness rather than selfishness. The worst evil is blind and ignorant of it's true nature. That is what makes denial truly dangerous."

From The Final Arbiter 

By Mark Rivera.

(C) Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

SYFY KICKS OFF JANUARY 2014 WITH SEVEN NEW AND RETURNING ORIGINAL SERIES INCLUDING…

SYFY KICKS OFF JANUARY 2014 WITH SEVEN NEW AND RETURNING ORIGINAL SERIES INCLUDING…

 

HELIX FROM RONALD D. MOORE (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA)

 

FIRST WEEKLY LIVE SERIES BROADCAST OPPOSITE WORLDS, A “PAST vs. FUTURE” COMPETITION REALITY PROGRAM

 

SUPERNATURAL DRAMABITTEN JOINS ALL-NEW SEASONS OF BEING HUMAN AND LOST GIRL MONDAYS 8-11PM

 

SEASON SIX OF REALITY HITFACE OFF PLUS NEW EPISODES OF GHOST HUNTERS

 

NEW YORK – November 22, 2013 – Syfywill kick off 2014 with seven new and returning original series in January including Helix from Executive Producer Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) – a two episode premiere with limited commercial interruptions airing on Friday, January 10 at 10/9c – and Opposite Worlds, the competition reality event – the channel’s first weekly live series broadcast – debuting on Tuesday, January 21 at 10/9c.

 

The new supernatural drama Bitten will join Being Human and Lost Girl on Mondays beginning January 13 (Lost Girlat 8/7c, Being Human at 9/8c and Bitten at 10/9c).

 

Rounding out the new year’s blockbuster line-up are the Season 6 premiere of hit competition reality series Face Off(Tuesday, January 14 at 9/8c) plus gripping new episodes of Ghost Hunters(Wednesday, January 22 at 9/8c).

 

As always, Syfy will ring in 2014 with its annual New Year’s Twilight Zonemarathon beginning December 31 and concluding on New Year’s Day.

 

 

SYFY’S JANUARY 2014 PREMIERE SCHEDULE (All Times ET/PT)

 

SERIES PREMIERES

 

HELIX (TWO EPISODE  PREMIERE)                     FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 AT 10PM

Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to the high-tech research facility, Arctic BioSystems, to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that may hold the key to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation.  However, the lethal threat is just the tip of the iceberg, and as the virus evolves, the chilling truth begins to unravel.

 

Billy Campbell (Killing Lincoln, The Killing) stars as Dr. Alan Farragut, leader of the Centers for Disease Control outbreak field team called upon to investigate and control a potential outbreak. Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, 47 Ronin) also stars as Dr. Hiroshi Hatake, director of Arctic BioSystems and its mysterious viral research program.

 

Helix also stars Kyra Zagorsky (Supernatural) as Dr. Julia Walker; Mark Ghanimé (Emily Owens, M.D.) as Major Sergio Balleseros; Jordan Hayes (House at the End of the Street) as Dr. Sarah Jordan; Meegwun Fairbrother as Daniel Aerov; Catherine Lemieux (White House Down) as Dr. Doreen Boyle, and Neil Napier (Riddick) as Dr. Peter Farragut.

 

Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica,Outlander), Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) who is also showrunner, and Lynda Obst (Contact, Sleepless in Seattle) are Executive Producers. The 13-episode series is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Kaji Productions and Lynda Obst Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. Prolific director and producer Jeffrey Reiner (Friday NightLights) directed the premiere episode, which was written by creator and co-executive producer, Cameron Porsandeh.

 

OPPOSITE WORLDS                                              TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 AT 10PM

An all-new reality series pitting contestants in a past vs. future competition - featuring a live social experiment - Opposite Worldswill run for 12 episodes over six weeks (two episodes per week), with the second weekly episode featuring a live element (a first for a Syfy reality series).

 

In Opposite Worlds, 14 people from all walks of life face off in opposing teams that live in a house separated into two distinctly different worlds: one past and one future, each with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Adding to the drama is a glass wall dividing the house into the two environments, allowing the teams to watch, envy and dread each other's every move.  Every week, as cast members compete in a series of fast-paced challenges, viewers will be asked to participate in real time on social media and affect the outcome of each player's fate.

 

Opposite Worlds will be Executive Produced by JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson, Brant Pinvidic and Adam Kaloustian for Eyeworks USA. The series is based on the hit Chilean format, Mundos Opuestos, originally broadcast on Canal 13 and distributed by Banijay International.

 

BITTEN                                                                       MONDAY, JANUARY 13 AT 10PM

Based on the New York Times best-sellingWomen of the Otherworld novels by Kelley Armstrong, the 13-episode Bitten is an emotionally charged supernatural thriller starring Laura Vandervoort (Smallville, Ted) as Elena Michaels, the lone female werewolf in existence.

 

Desperate to escape both a world she never wanted to be part of and the man who turned her into a werewolf, Elena (Vandervoort) has abandoned her Pack and taken refuge in a new city. There, she works as a photographer and hides her werewolf existence from her new boyfriend. When bodies start turning up in her Pack’s backyard, Elena finds herself back at Stonehaven, the werewolves’ ancestral domain. Torn between two worlds and two loves, she quickly realizes that – when push comes to shove – she’ll stop at nothing to defend her Pack.

 

Bitten also stars Greg Bryk (A History of Violence) as werewolf Pack “Alpha” Jeremy Danvers, Greyston Holt (Alcatraz) as Elena’s werewolf ex-boyfriend Clayton Danvers, and Paul Greene (The Client List) as Elena’s current beau, Philip McAdams.

 

Bitten is produced by No Equal Entertainment, Hoodwink Entertainment, and eOne in association with Space and Bell Media, with the participation of Rogers Cable Network Fund and Cogeco Program Development Fund and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Executive producers include J.B. Sugar for No Equal Entertainment, Patrick Banister and John Barbisan for Hoodwink Entertainment and Tecca Crosby, John Morayniss, and Margaret O’Brien for eOne. Daegan Fryklind and Grant Rosenberg are Executive Producers and co-showrunners. 

 

SERIES RETURNS

 

LOST GIRL  (SEASON 4 PREMIERE)                    MONDAY, JANUARY 13 AT 8PM

This season on Lost Girl, fate casts a wide shadow over the Fae world. With Bo’s (Anna Silk) return, the lines between Dark and Light Fae are blurred, causing her embark on a journey of discovery. Bo and company will ultimately realize that, regardless of the challenges and enemies they face, they’re stronger when they confront them together. George Takei (Star Trek) and Ali Liebert (Bomb Girls) are among the new season’s guest stars.

 

Lost Girl also stars Ksenia Solo as Kenzi, Bo's human sidekick and street-smart confidante; Kris Holden-Ried as Dyson, the shape shifting homicide detective and noble warrior of the Light Fae; Zoie Palmer as Lauren, the brilliant human doctor who competes with Dyson for Bo’s affection; Rick Howland as Trick, Bo’s grandfather and the ancient and mysterious Blood King, and K.C. Collins as Hale, Dyson’s partner and a Light Fae siren born of noble blood.Paul Amos returns as the ever devious Dark Fae Mesmer, Vex, and Emmanuelle Vaugier reprises her role as the evil Dark Fae leader, The Morrigan.

 

Lost Girl was developed by Prodigy Pictures, in association with Shaw Media and Showcase. Executive Producers are Jay Firestone and Emily Andras. Vanessa Piazza and Wendy Grean are producers.Lost Girl is produced with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian cable industry, and with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit Program.

 

BEING HUMAN  (SEASON 4 PREMIERE)             MONDAY, JANUARY 13 AT 9PM

Season 4 of Being Human picks up four months from last season’s shocking finale and, for Aidan, Sally, Josh and Nora, the past is about to come back to haunt them!

 

Aidan (Sam Witwer) and Nora (Kristen Hager) struggle to save Josh (Sam Huntington), who is trapped in his wolf form. At the same time, an unbelievable visitor collides with Aidan, forcing him to make impossible choices between the people he loves the most. Meanwhile, Sally (Meaghan Rath), having been dragged down into her death spot by Witch Donna (guest star Amy Aquino), finds herself trapped and at the mercy of her foe, but Sally’s newly imbued magical powers could change everything.

 

Executive Producers are Michael Prupas, Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood), who is also writer and showrunner, Stefan Pleszczynski, and Rob Pursey & Toby Whithouse. Irene Litinsky is series producer.

 

FACE OFF  (SEASON 6 PREMIERE)                     TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 AT 9PM

The critically-acclaimed hit reality competition series Face Off returns for a sixth season by introducing 14 new makeup artists in what will be Face Off’sboldest season yet. In the new season, the contestants will face extreme challenges that will inspire them to create the most magnificent characters and creatures inFace Off history.

 

Face Off is a competition/elimination series exploring the world of special-effects make-up artists and the unlimited imagination that allows them to create amazing works of living art. As a member of the multi-generational family dynasty whose name is synonymous with the make-up effects field, actress McKenzie Westmore brings expertise to her role as host of the series. Some of SFX world’s most celebrated figures judge the competition – multiple Academy-Award winner Ve Neill (The Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean), industry veteran Glenn Hetrick (CSI: New York, Heroes, Legion), and creature designer Neville Page (Avatar,Prometheus). World-renowned Hollywood makeup artist Michael Westmore (Star Trek) serves as the contestant mentor.

 

Face Off is a production of Mission Control Media with Dwight D. Smith, Michael Agbabian and Derek Atherton serving as Executive Producers.

 

GHOST HUNTERS  (ALL-NEW EPISODES)         WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 AT 9PM

Ghost Hunters, Syfy’s longest-running unscripted series, returns with brand new investigations this winter. For its first episode back, TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society), led by Jason Hawes, heads to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania as the town commemorates the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War’s Battle of Gettysburg. There, the team collects impressive paranormal evidence at a variety of locations.

 

Other famed sites getting the Ghost Hunters treatment this season include Buffalo and Erie County’s Naval & Military Park, Historic Jordan Springs in Winchester, Virginia and Belle Grove Plantation in King George, Virginia. Ghost Hunters is produced for Syfy by Craig Piligian's Pilgrim Studios (The Ultimate Fighter, Fast N' Loud, Wicked Tuna).Piligian and Mike Nichols are Executive Producers, along with Tom Thayer and Alan David.

 

THE ideal Whovian guide to fifty years of Doctor Who with top 10 lists, family trees, charts, and details about all the characters

THE WHO’S WHO OF DOCTOR WHO:  

A WHOVIAN GUIDE TO FRIENDS, FOES, VILLIANS, MONSTERS, AND COMPANIONS TO THE GOOD DOCTOR

By Cameron K. McEwan Illustrations by AndrewSkilleter 

The Who's Who of Doctor Who is the must-have handbook exploring the dynamic cast of characters in Doctor Who over the past half century. With a heavy focus on the past three doctors, including Matt Smith, author Cameron K. McEwan explores  thetumultuous relationships between characters, their loyalties, and of course, how they collide with each doctor.

Discover details about the intimate relationships between the characters, their loyalties, their betrayals, and of course how they collide with the good Doctor through time.  Chapters such as "Unseen Enemies," "Celebrity Cameos," "Unnamed Aliens," "Double Acts," "Teams," and "Frenemies" represent just a sampling of all that is included.   McEwan is the author of the popular blogBlogtor Who and this new book includes his popular "Top 10" lists citing the best and worst moments all focusing on popular characters over the years. Also included is a Doctor Who Family Tree as well as charts citing monster success rate and other notable character events through the years.

THE WHO’S WHO OF DOCTOR WHO  has over 300 entries from companions to friends to aliens and villians, and loaded with photos from fifty years of Doctor Who.  In addition, the book features illustrations by Andrew Skilleter, the preeminent Doctor Who artist, for over twenty years creating book and video covers and more.  The whole Whovian universe is here—the Weeping Angles, River Song, the Master, and of course, the dreaded DALEKS.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cameron K. McEwan is the man behindBlogtor Who, a fan site dedicated to Doctor Who. Started in 2007,Blogtor Who is now one of the most popular Doctor Who blogs in the world;  McEwan regularly makes appearances at Doctor Who conventions, hosting panels and interviews.  He also writes for Den of Geek, Cult Box, and The Huffington Post as well as being part of the team that created the Doctor Who documentary Who’s Changing.

http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk

ABOUT THE ILLUTRATOR: Andrew Skilleter is an English illustrator best known for his professional association with Doctor Who between 1979 and 1995.  He has illustrated hundreds of covers across numerous genres including media including books, DVDs, calendars and magazines.  He also wrote and illustrated Blacklight: The Doctor Who Art of Andew Skilleter

http://andrewskilleter.com

 

THE WHO’S WHO OF DOCTOR WHO:

A WHOVIAN GUIDE TO FRIENDS, FOES, VILLIANS, MONSTERS, AND COMPANIONS TO THE GOOD DOCTOR

By Cameron K. McEwan

Illustrations by Andrew Skilleter

Published January 2, 2013

ISBN: 9781937994709

$27.99 US, $30.99 CAN

METALLICA THROUGH THE NEVER TO BE RELEASED ON DVD, BLU-RAY, 3D BLU-RAY, DIGITALLY, AND VIA VIDEO ON DEMAND ON JANUARY 28TH

METALLICA THROUGH THE NEVER TO BE RELEASED ON DVD, BLU-RAY, 3D BLU-RAY, DIGITALLY, AND VIA VIDEO ON DEMAND ON JANUARY 28TH

 

VARIOUS FORMATS TO FEATURE NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE FROM THE MAKING OF THE BAND'S GROUNDBREAKING 3D FEATURE FILM

 

EXCLUSIVE FAN CLUB LIMITED-EDITION DELUXE PACKAGE TO CONTAIN PART OF METALLICA'S CONCERT STAGE SEEN IN THE FILM AND AUTOGRAPHED LITHOGRAPH SIGNED BY ALL FOUR BAND MEMBERS

 

"One of the most unexpectedly enjoyable cinematic experiences of the year...there's a strong chance they've never looked or sounded better"

Indie Wire

 

"The Most Immersive Concert Film Ever"

The Village Voice

 

"Metallica gets the grand 3D opera they deserve"

Entertainment Weekly

 

"A full throttle expression of Rock & Roll anarchy"

Rolling Stone

 

"The apocalypse never sounded so good."

IGN

 

SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 21, 2013 - Metallica today announced that their groundbreaking 3D feature film, Metallica Through The Never, directed by award-winning filmmaker Nimród Antal, will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, digitally, and V.O.D. (Video On Demand) on January 28, 2014 through Blackened Recordings. Formats will include a standard 2-disc package on DVD, Blu-ray, or 3D Blu-ray, as well as special expanded versions. The DVDs and Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray will include extensive behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film, including an 80+ minute "Making Of 'Metallica Through The Never'" documentary, various interviews with the cast and crew and never before seen Metallica content.  Metallica fans will also be able to purchase a limited-edition deluxe package containing a piece of the actual stage used in the film, a lithograph print autographed by all four band members and more.  Full details of the package are below.  The digital format will include the feature film, as well as the "Making Of 'Metallica Through The Never'" documentary. For more information on each DVD format, see below or visit www.metallica.com. The film will also be available for rental and download via V.O.D. on January 28 in the U.S., and at a later date (tbd) in Canada. 

 

International territories will release the film on DVD/VOD and digital platforms day and date with the US or very shortly thereafter. Please go to metallica.com for information regarding specific countries and release dates.    

 

Picturehouse released Metallica Through the Never in North America on September 27, 2013. The film stars Metallica, one of the most popular, influential rock bands in history. In the music-driven, 3D motion picture event, filmmaker Nimród Antal immerses audiences in a bracing, raw and visceral cinematic experience with spectacular live performance footage of Metallica's most iconic songs -- created exclusively for film -- combined with a bold, narrative story featuring imagery drawn from the band's trailblazing iconography. Dane DeHaan portrays Trip, a young roadie sent on an urgent mission, during the Metallica's roaring live set in front of a sold-out arena. The film features dazzling pyrotechnics, the most elaborate live-performance stage ever built, state-of-the-art 3D photography captured on up to 24 cameras simultaneously and pioneering and innovative sound mixing utilizing a celebrated and award-winning audio team from both the film and music worlds. Metallica Through The Never was the first feature film to be released exclusively by IMAX in all of its theaters in North America.

  

I. Standard DVD (2 Discs)

 

DISC 1

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie

2.         Theatrical Trailer

3.         Master Of Puppets Music Video

4.         EPK - Cast & Crew Interviews

5.         Interviews With The Sound & Music Team

 

DISC 2

1.         Making Of "Metallica Through The Never" Documentary

2.         Mill Valley Film Festival Q&A With Metallica, Director Nimród Antal & Dane DeHaan

3.         Orion Festival 2013 Film Tent Highlights with Lars Ulrich

    *Also included in package: Digital Download of the film

  

II. Blu-ray (2 Discs)

 

DISC 1

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie

 

DISC 2

1.         Making Of "Metallica Through The Never" Documentary

2.         Theatrical Trailer

3.         Master Of Puppets Music Video

4.         EPK - Cast & Crew Interviews

5.         Interviews With The Sound & Music Team

6.         Mill Valley Film Festival Q&A With Metallica, Director Nimród Antal & Dane Dehaan

7.         Orion Festival 2013 Film Tent Highlights with Lars Ulrich

    *Also included in package: Digital Download of the film

  

III. 3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray (2 Discs)

*NOTE: The 3D DVD cover will include 3D lenticular artwork that is actually a reusable STICKER, giving fans a 3D souvenir

 

On 3D Blu-ray Disc:

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie in 3D

 

On 2D Blu-ray Disc:

1.         Making Of "Metallica Through The Never" Documentary 

2.         Theatrical Trailer 

3.         Master Of Puppets Music Video

4.         EPK - Cast & Crew Interviews

5.         Interviews With The Sound & Music Team 

6.         Mill Valley Film Festival Q&A With Metallica, Director Nimród Antal & Dane DeHaan

7.         Orion Festival 2013 Film Tent Highlights with Lars Ulrich

    *Also included in package: Digital Download of the film

  

IV: LIMITED Deluxe Blu-ray Set (3 Discs) - QTY TBD - 1 Run will be produced

*NOTE: The 3D DVD cover will include 3D lenticular artwork that is actually a reusable STICKER, giving fans a 3D souvenir

 

DISC 1 - On 3D Blu-ray Disc:

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie in 3D

 

DISC 2 - On 2D Blu-ray Disc

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie

 

DISC 3 - On 2D Blu-ray Disc

1.         Making Of "Metallica Through The Never" Documentary

2.         Theatrical Trailer

3.         Master Of Puppets Music Video

4.         EPK - Cast & Crew Interviews

5.         Interviews With The Sound & Music Team

6.         Mill Valley Film Festival Q&A With Metallica, Director Nimród Antal & Dane DeHaan

7.         Orion Festival 2013 Film Tent Highlights with Lars Ulrich

8.         Limited Edition "Metallica Through The Never" Bandana

9.         Limited Edition "Metallica Through The Never" litho movie poster 

    *Also included in package: Digital Download of the film

  

V: LIMITED EDITION METCLUB-ONLY RELEASE: Blu-ray Set (3 Discs) - only 1,000 will be produced

*NOTE: The 3D DVD cover will include 3D lenticular artwork that is actually a reusable STICKER, giving fans a 3D souvenir 

 

DISC 1 - On 3D Blu-ray Disc:

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie in 3D

 

DISC 2 - On 2D Blu-ray Disc

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie

 

DISC 3 - On 2D Blu-ray Disc

1.         Making Of "Metallica Through The Never" Documentary

2.         Theatrical Trailer

3.         Master Of Puppets Music Video

4.         EPK - Cast & Crew Interviews

5.         Interviews With The Sound & Music Team

6.         Mill Valley Film Festival Q&A With Metallica, Director Nimród Antal & Dane DeHaan

7.         Orion Festival 2013 Film Tent Highlights with Lars Ulrich

    *Also included in package: Digital Download of the film

 

PLUS

1.         Limited Edition "Metallica Through The Never" Bandana

2.         Limited Edition "Metallica Through The Never" lithograph movie poster AUTOGRAPHED BY               ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF METALLICA!

3.         A piece of the Stage used in the making of "Metallica Through The Never".  Fans will receive             an actual piece of "Doris" (The Statue of Lady Justice") from the stage with a letter of                       authenticity.  This will not be sold anywhere else now or ever again

 

 

DIGITAL FORMATS:

 

Purchase:

HD & SD Versions - 

Includes:

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie (in 2D)

2.         Making Of "Metallica Through The Never" Documentary

 

Rental (film only):

HD & SD Versions - 

1.         "Metallica Through The Never" Movie (in 2D)

 

Metallica Through the Never - Official Theatrical Trailer [HD]

 

http://www.metallica.com/

http://www.throughthenevermovie.com/

 

Maniac Cop 2 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Limited Edition Audio CD Review

Maniac Cop 2 has been praised as the best of the two sequels to William Lustig's original Maniac Cop. Directed by Lustig and written and produced by Larry Cohen, the film's pedigree of talent in the genre film directing and writing department does not stop there. Among the cast are Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, Michael Lerner, Bruce Campbell and Clarence William III.

Blue Underground is releasing the second and third films in the series in stellar Blu-ray Disc releases, which I made a point to review before Halloween despite the November release date for the films. You can read my review of both discs in the October, 2013 updates archived on this site.

Now to accompany what is now the complete Maniac Cop trilogy on Blu-ray Disc sold separately at retailers on and offline and distributed by Blue Underground is the limited edition Maniac Cop 2 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Audio CD courtesy of the fine artists at Blue Underground as well. 

How limited is this CD? Only 1000 copies have been produced and each is numbered and when they are gone, they are gone. So for super fans of William Lustig films as well as this collaboration with Larry Cohen, who is an immensely talented writer and director in his own right and for fans of the film and the trilogy as a whole, this is a must add to your collection.

The soundtrack was composed and conducted by Jay Chattaway and the CD even features the notorious Maniac Cop rap single performed by Yeshua (Josh) Barnes and Brian "B.Dub" Woods and was also created with the assistance of Pete Levin and Wayne Lammers. The soundtrack is quite full on audio CD stereo capturing the orchestral mixing in cues that sound almost like Gregorian Chant with the post-modern gothic music that sets the mood whether you are relaxing to the tunes or playing them while working on something creative. There are a total of 15 tracks on the CD, which comes packaged in a standard CD jewel case and includes a full color insert with track listings, credits and colorful photos from the film. The soundtrack CD was executive produced by William Lustig and Gregory Chick.

Maniac Cop 2 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Audio CD has a street date of December 3, 2013 on Amazon.com though the soundtrack will also be released as an MP3 digital download on November 19, 2013 at Amazon.com as well.

If you are a fan of these films from Blue Underground on Blu-ray Disc and even DVD then get the limited edition audio CD. At only 1000 copies to be printed, I can 't emphasize enough that this is a must addition for anyone's collection.

Maniac Cop 2 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Audio CD will debut in limited edition to only 1000 copies on December 3, 2013 at retailers on and offline courtesy of Blue Underground.

(C) Copyright 2013 By Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

Terminator Vault Book Review

It cannot be understated just how huge and important the first two Terminator films are. They are both among my top ten list most influential science fiction/sci-fi films of the last 45 years and are examples of how Writer and Director James Cameron can take a sci-fi saga and in one sequel not only surpass or at the very least equal the original, but can satisfactorily conclude a story in two films instead of stretching something longer than it should be with a trilogy or more. He proved this not only with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, but also with Aliens. Sadly Hollywood seems to be bent on spoiling these explosive films by creating unnecessary sequels by committees. I wish they just left both the Alien and Terminator franchises alone after Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day respectively.

As he had with Alien Vault, Author Ian Nathan covers The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day with unprecedented detail in his recently releases book, Terminator Vault: The Complete Story Behind The Making Of The Terminator And Terminator 2: Judgment Day published by Voyager Press. Books like Terminator Vault are examples why there will always be physical tactile copies of works in print because no degree of technology can capture the feeling of holding a book of substance in one's hand. Like his book Alien Vault before it, Terminator Vault features replica inserts within little pockets found throughout the book where relevant of concept artwork by Cameron, effects storyboards, a diagram of the T-1000 by the late Stan Winston plus there are new interviews with James Cameron, Producer Gale Anne Hurd and even a foreword by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the man who became arguably the biggest action hero of all time as a result of these two films and one has to note that he is the villain in the first film!

The book also includes reproductions of the original Sarah Connor photograph taken at the end of the first film, a T2 Crew pass, various handwritten notes and letters. It also delivers a taxonomy of all the various Terminator models featured not only in the first two films, but also the third and fourth movies, the Universal theme park 3D film experience and the FOX television series.  Cameron's sophisticated backstory to Skynet, including it's origins and motives, are surprisingly prophetic of not only for where the films went, but how technology has evolved since the first film was produced. Even the psychological reasons for Skynet creating Time Travel technology and it's apparent intended use of John Connor as a sort of messianic warrior that delivers humanity from the future war against the machines predates what is learned about Neo's origins in The Matrix Trilogy and particularly his encounter with The Architect in The Matrix Reloaded.

This outstanding hardcover book comes packaged within a hard cardboard slipcase like the Alien Vault before it too.  The book carries a suggested retail price of $40 dollars, but one should be able to find it on sale at retailers on and offline so make sure you shop around. Released to be available in time for the thirtieth anniversary of The Terminator, Voyager Press' Terminator Vault: The Complete Story Behind The Making Of The Terminator And Terminator 2: Judgment Day by Ian Nathan is a must own book for any Terminator fan as well as fans of sci-fi films, behind-the-scenes movie books and collectors alike. I hope Mr. Nathan's next book will focus on Aliens. One can hope, right? ;)

(C) Copyright 2013 By Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

A Very Brief Excerpt From My Novel The Final Arbiter

It wasn't what they wanted to see. Even for those involved in the terrible activities, but they saw it nevertheless.

(C) By Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

Rest In Peace Syd Field.

Rest In Peace Sydney Field. If you ever took a screenwriting class or aspired to write for the big screen then odds are you read his signature books. They are as iconic to film writers as The Elements of Style, Grammar, and Editing. Thank you.

A Reader Tweeted Me About My Book While I Was Away.

A reader tweeted me,

@Final_Arbiter_ like the idea of a Department Of Wellbeing - it can't be far off

I replied,

Thank you. It's not...

Alternate Breaking Bad Ending On YouTube.

http://youtu.be/GtYNX3JWzjc

A brief excerpt from my book The Final Arbiter.

"The scientific picture of the world is inadequate for the simple reason that science deals with only certain aspects of experience in certain contexts. All of this is quite clearly understood by the more philosophically minded men of science, but most others tend to accept the world picture as implicit in the theories of science as a complete and exhaustive account of reality."

From The Final Arbiter 

By Mark Rivera.

(C) By Mark Rivera

All Rights Reserved.