Feature Category: Article

For every Finding Dory, there’s a Sausage Party. Animated films for adults have long been a subversive, quirky niche market, with some of them becoming bona fide blockbusters. Shows like The Simpsons and South Park are wildly successful, bringing their crude humour and occasional expletives to the big screen. Here’s a look at some of the most controversial and outrageous animated films to ever grace the big screen.

Team America: World Police

No one is better at consistently producing offensively outrageous cartoons than Trey Parker and Matt Stone. South Park still has moments of brilliance, and the South Park films hold up as hilarious to this day. There were two films made for the big screen, with “Team America: World Police” being a bit more controversial due to its post 9-11 release. It shows world leaders as laughably inept, criticising America’s foreign policies. Yet with nail-biting action sequences and on-the-nose satire, it’s still relevant now.

From children who grew into adults and children of today, we are all heartbroken by the passing of Mr. Gene Wilder.

Portraying the memorable character Willy Wonka, he was a man we felt we knew as a friend. A playful magician of sorts, full of whimsy he offered sage advice and taught life’s lessons to those that lacked guidance. We identified with Charlie Bucket; the underdog surrounded by bullies and spoiled children such as Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop, Mike TeeVee, and Violet Beauregarde, each who were reflections of their parents. Charlie and his family were poor. Fatherless, he supplemented the family income as a paperboy while going to school. Except for the love of his elderly family and mother who toiled in a laundry – washing and cleaning other people’s clothes, he had no positive role models with art imitating life for many of us. But, it was Charlie’s faith in himself that led him to discover the final Golden Ticket. A faith we all have within us that we call upon at times.

Willy Wonka became Charley’s surrogate father along with Charlie’s Grandpa Joe each teaching them life’s values. Once Charlie has found the coveted Golden Ticket, he is then approached by the sinister appearing Mr. Slugworth with a temptation to sell out, but he remains true and honest to himself which pays off.

The scene with Charlie and his mother at the laundry is quite emotional, with the young and heartbroken boy stating that he is different because he wants the Golden Ticket more than anyone else. It shows him at his darkest point before the dawn, which we can relate to as we have all been in that situation before. Just be glad you’re you.

Fred Astaire was originally approached to play Willy Wonka but turned it down. Gene Wilder was immediately cast by director Mel Stuart. In a letter from Wilder to Stuart, he describes his changes to the design of Willy Wonka’s costume in depth. Part of this world, part of another. A costume that strangely fits him. Something mysterious; unidentified. Mr. Wilder’s changes became what we see on the screen. He was an actor born to play this role.

Little surprises are around the corner, but nothing dangerous. Kids in a candy land. What would you do? Adding to the wonderment of the film was Arthur Ibbetson’s Technicolor vision that popped on the screen along with the memorable musical score and song and dance numbers that Diana Sowle, Jack Albertson, the Oompa Loompas and, of course, Gene Wilder brilliantly performed.

Willy Wonka , eccentric as he is, was also a humanitarian. He protected those who couldn’t protect themselves as in taking care of the Oompa Loompas from being devoured by the Snozzwangers and Vermicious Knids in Oompa Loompaland and employing them in his chocolate factory where they would be safe.

With all these combined, it’s no wonder that Willy Wonka is a timeless, magical classic every generation holds close to them in their hearts.

Mr. Wilder, you will be sorely missed. May you find your Golden Ticket waiting for you at the end of your journey. You gave us the gift of pure imagination that we will never lose. You will always be our hero.

Pokémon Go has already been downloaded 75 million times worldwide, and is undisputedly the highlight of this summer. Although Pokémon Go might, at first sight, appear to be just another game, it’s not! For those of you Charizards (a rare Pokémon) who haven’t heard of the virtual reality app, the aim is to catch Pokémon and hatch eggs. This is done by going outside to find the creatures, and by walking. We’ve essentially been tricked into exercising. But more than that, we are talking to one another, trying to help fellow Poké trainers to catch ‘em all! The exercise combined with socialising has made a huge impact on players: they’re happier and it shows.

Exercising makes you release endorphins, which are hormones triggering happiness. Many have noted that Pokémon Go is a much more effective for exercising than fitness tools like Fitbit etc. Perhaps because it’s just a lot more fun to exercise for the love of Pokémon, than for the love of imaginary abs. Moreover, a study shows that it takes three months on average for people to get bored of fitness apps. But Pokémon Go is not a fitness app!

Most people have the tools to get fit, but not the motivation, which is what Pokémon Go indirectly provides. The health benefits of Pokémon Go happen without the players realising it, and they get to see that small changes really can make a big difference. This can, in turn, entice the Poké trainers to walk to work, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. But it’s not only adults that should be getting healthier.

Summer is definitely the busiest time for couch potato kids to catch up on daytime television. Pokémon Go is a great tool to combat childhood obesity, which as Jamie Oliver and Michelle Obama emphasises, is an increasing problem today. With Pokémon Go, many kids are exercising without even knowing it, and they’re having a blast too.

All this walking has made many closed off gamers leave their houses and talk to people face-to-face. Clinical assistant professor Dr. Hoffman, argues that the game encourages two positive predictors of mental health: social interaction and activity. Playing a lot of video games isolates a person from others which can be linked to depression and anxiety. These mental illnesses make it challenging to gather the motivation to get outside. Pokémon Go has provoked these game fanatics to leave their Dungeons and Dragons, to exercise and socialise. For once, social media isn’t full of scandalous tweets or what your neighbour had for lunch, but stories of how Pokémon Go has improved general health and in turn, boosted happiness.

It has also lead to a lot of unexpected social interactions, as fellow players help each other catch Pokémon. US home care provider Nurse Next Door encouraged their senior patients to play the game for them to feel a greater sense of community and to exercise and socialise. One of their clients, 73-year-old Sue Sparin said: “It’s actually quite fun. I was talking to a fellow the other day with green hair and lots of piercings and I never would’ve talked to him before that.” This goes to show that it’s an ageless game, and that we could all use a little unprecedented socialisation.

Another positive thing to come out of the phenomenon is the booming success of the app Charity Miles. Created prior to Pokémon Go, they have noted a huge surge since the release. Founder Miles Gene Gurkoff said, “we got a big surge over the weekend, and we couldn’t really understand what was going on. And then we realized this must be people from Pokémon Go.” The app raises money for charity by tracking a user’s physical activity. They donate $25 cents for every mile you walk and $10 cents per mile you bike.

Pokémon Go players are feeling and looking great, but take note that Pokémon Go isn’t a substitute for professional treatment. Obesity, depression, or anxiety should be managed by health professionals. Nevertheless, Pokémon Go has shown to alleviate obstacles and boost morale. It’s accomplished a butterfly effect of positive things, so even if we’ve all been tricked into being happy, nobody’s complaining.

You’re visiting Manchester, perhaps to take in some of the city’s varied culture, perhaps because you’re a busy professional commuting to the office, or perhaps to attend the Starburst Film Festival, which runs from 26th to 28th August and will be bringing you a celebration of all things sci-fi, fantasy and horror.

Either way, you’re undoubtedly interested in learning about the city’s Pokémon community, so we’re here to prepare you for your visit. Armed with nothing but a fruit-themed smartphone, a portable charger for said phone, and our trusty Squirtle, we took a trip around the city and carried out what could inaccurately be described as ‘academic research’ into Manchester’s Poké-population.

Your trip will most likely begin at Manchester Piccadilly, the city’s main transport hub. Here we encountered three of the Pokémon types which are most common around Manchester – a Drowzee, a Zubat, and a Pidgey. At least, we think that’s a Pidgey.

One of the most popular public green spaces in Manchester, Piccadilly Gardens is a short stroll from the station and has been a big gathering point for Pokémon Go players, who’ve encountered rare monsters such as Kabuto and Venemoth there. We weren’t so lucky, but we did encounter this inquisitive Poliwag and this adorably happy Paras, which we picked up in the spirit of “Gotta catch ‘em all”. Just like visitors to the Starburst Film Festival will want to catch all the films, from genre classics such as Mad Max II, Galaxy Quest and Battletruck to new features such as Frankenstein Created Bikers and Mania, as well as a range of independent shorts.

We then encountered this Dragonair in the artsy Northern Quarter. We didn’t catch it, though, as it kept breaking free. Watch yourselves here – you can easily run out of Pokeballs, or out of change in the overpriced bars. The legendary Salutation pub, just by where the Starburst Film Festival is being held and where we’ll be hanging out in the evenings, is much more reasonably priced.

Next on our trip, we stopped by Starburst’s headquarters, where we found a Seel hanging out with our Stormtrooper, and where the team were busy preparing for the Starburst Film Festival – putting the hard work in to make sure the screenings of new episodes of Red Dwarf, Inside No. 9 and Thunderbirds 1965 run smoothly.

Because of all the canals running through the city, Manchester has a high population of water Pokemon, and players will find their inventories quickly filling up with Psyducks, Staryus and Shellders. This Dratini is enjoying hanging out in the iconic Canal St.

Manchester has been the home of many famous figures, including Anthony Burgess, Emmeline Pankhurst, and Morrissey, as well as the founder of modern computing, Alan Turing. Here’s a Magicarp flapping around on Turing’s lap. Another famous Mancunian is Red Dwarf creator Doug Naylor, who’s just one of many big names appearing at the Starburst Film Festival – also in attendance will be The League of Gentlemen’s Steve Pemberton, Doctor Who writer Toby Whithouse, and James Bond director John Glen.

This is Oxford Road, which runs through the centre of the city. Many Pokémon Go players have found it to be a hotspot for rare Pokémon. We found nothing. But…

After a little walk down Oxford Road, we turned off and found ourselves here – the students’ union building of Manchester Metropolitan University, which will be entirely taken over by the Starburst Film Festival this weekend (yes, this has been our destination all along – bet you didn’t see that coming!). As well as the screenings and talks we’ll be holding across the building’s three floors, there are bars, coffee shops, and dealer spaces throughout, and on-site accommodation just across the road.

It would be a really great selling point if we’d found a rare Pokemon at the union building, but, erm, here’s a Rattata.

Tickets for the Starburst Film Festival can be bought here. 

ISSUE 428 – OUT NOW!

This month, we boldly go where no magazine has gone before (*not a guarantee) and celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the most iconic of TV series – STAR TREK.

As well as a look back on the show itself, we take a spotlight to many other aspects of Gene Roddenberry’s vision, from Holodeck adventures, spin-off games, the powerful role of women in the show, and another one of our hugely popular wacky merchandise features.

Elsewhere, we preview the new TIM BURTON film MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN and the animated movie we’re all waiting for – SAUSAGE PARTY.

We chat to KEVIN CONROY, the voice of the animated BATMAN, and a trio of stars from TV’s GOTHAM – ROBIN LORD TAYLOR (PENGUIN), CORY MICHAEL SMITH (RIDDLER), and SEAN PERTWEE (ALFRED).

Independent filmmaker MARK MORRIS opens up about her work, and we revisit modern grindhouse classic HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN.

Plus all your favourite COLUMNS, NEWS, REVIEWS and much MORE from the worlds of SCI-FI, HORROR and FANTASY!

  
AVAILABLE IN PRINT(HERE) & DIGITAL (HERE)

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We’re usually championing older films, but we do occasionally try to steer viewers in the direction of some interesting recent offerings that they either may have missed or would otherwise have written off. So we’re going to highlight a couple of movies that were first seen last year at FrightFest, and then made their way onto the VOD market through the company’s streaming platform that they set up alongside Icon Entertainment.

All of these films are in subgenres that mean could be so easily disregarded or ignored (particularly since they are all fairly low budget), but when actually given the chance they are actually rather good.

The Unfolding (2016) opens with a quote from William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, ‘The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword, are portions of eternity, too great for the eye of man’. It’s a moody section of a poem that perfectly sets the tone for what’s to come.

Although it’s shot in a semi-‘found footage’ style, the movie doesn’t fall into too many of the usual traps. The Unfolding, instead, is a haunted house tale, which may provoke feelings of déjà vu from fans of the Paranormal Activity series at times, but is unique in that it’s mixed with the impending dread of the possible end of the world. Sure, there are hand-held and static time-coded cameras, but the addition of sound effects and a score certainly give it the feel of a ‘proper’ film. And it’s all the more engrossing for it.

Researcher Tam (Lachlan Neiboer) and his girlfriend Rose (Lisa Kerr) are spending time in a remote house in Dartmoor to interview the owner of a house that has been the focus of some strange goings-on. As they get to the house, they are met by the man, who’s packing his car. He explains that he has to leave, to get back to his family ‘due to all the stuff that’s kicking off’ in the outside world. He hands Tam the keys, and gives him free reign of the place, “I’m not staying another night in there…” he tells them. Is it really the thought of impending nuclear war that has spooked him or has the house more to do it with it that he is letting on? Well, despite Rose’s misgivings about spending time at the house without the owners present, Tam is insistent that they do in the hope of discovering some evidence of psychic activity.
They don’t have to wait long, as they wake in the morning to find the kitchen ransacked and the house’s entire collection of cutlery embedded in the wall as though something has had a violent temper tantrum.

Their relationship is strained when they experience some terrifying occurrences. A friend, Harvey (Nick Julian), arrives and is instantly accused of playing tricks on them. But he’s not behind the sinister and creepy goings on (despite later pulling a ‘jump scare’ prank). Harvey decides it’s time to bring in Professor Chessman (Robert Daws, somewhat of a TV regular from series such as The Royal and Poldark), who in turn sends for a medium, Muriel (Emmerdale star Kittie McGeever), into the house who senses the presence of someone called Lucasta. The academic mournfully recounts the story of the unfortunate woman who had lived there before; abused by her uncle and whose children had either died in childbirth or were murdered.
Attempting to move Lucasta into a peaceful spiritual realm, they unfortunately release something much more malevolent. As the Professor puts it, “What was evil then is still evil today”.

First time director Eugene McGing has been quite prophetic in setting the film in October 2016; not because of the supernatural elements – although they work remarkably well – but with the impending and occasionally subtle disintegration of the outside world. As the Professor says himself, “The house is acting as a psychic beacon – events happening in the outside, are amplified in the house”. In the real world, it’s already been a mournful year for many; just look at the high profile deaths and the recent political turmoil, not to mention the ongoing threat of terrorism. While our protagonists are fighting against unseen spirits in the house, outside, things are becoming apocalyptic. Making the film using the now-standard ‘found footage’ techniques allows for a sense of urgency and palpable terror. As mentioned, this isn’t presented as that sort of movie, though. It’s very much a ‘proper’ film and highly rewarding, being full of dread and truly ominous moments. The occasional references to ‘what’s going on out there’ keep the mood on a knife edge and tensions running high. Come the climax, all hell is literally breaking loose.

The already tired and overused ‘rom-zom’ subgenre gets a shot in the arm with Kyle Ranking’s Night of the Living Deb (2015). Yay. Yet another play on the classic title, this has got to suck, right? Well, actually, no. Although Shaun of the Dead did it years before, Deb succeeds with likable characters and some genuinely funny moments and sparkling dialogue that it’s forgivable.

Socially awkward Deb (Eagleheart’s Maria Thayer) hooks up with the best looking man in Maine, Portland, on the eve of American Independence Day, but upon waking the next day she overhears Ryan (Michael Cassidy) trying to arrange an escape plan. Bumbling her way through an embarrassing exit, things go downhill very quickly when they find out that a zombie apocalypse is happening all around them. The two polar opposite characters – Deb is a scatty TV news camera operator and Ryan a coconut milk-drinking free thinker hoping to get away from his family business of water production – they decide to team up in order to get to their loved ones. Despite her quick wit and bumbling demeanour, she quotes Longfellow and has is smart as a button when the shit hits the fan.

Even with the familiar tropes, Night of the Living Deb is a fun and surprisingly engaging spin on the old formula. Helped in no small part by Maria Thayer being a joy to watch, and the legendary Ray Wise (Twin Peaks) owns the screen as Ryan’s morally corrupt but family orientated father. If you think the subgenre reached its pinnacle and was finished after Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright had finished with it, Deb comes along and proves there’s still a little life in the corpse of the romantic zombie comedy yet. It may not be as outright gory as Shaun, but it does have its fair share of exploding heads and splatter shots. There are a few nods to undead films of the past, but they are much more organic than in fare such as Shaun and Dead Heads. The laughs come less from forced situations and more from inappropriately natural dialogue from Deb and Ryan. In short, it’s a joy that has been criminally overlooked.

In a complete change of tone and direction, Estranged is a terrifying family drama that demands viewing. The first feature of Adam Levins, it is the film M. Night Shymalan’s The Visit so desperately wanted to be and should have been.

January (Amy Manson) and her boyfriend Callum (Simon Quarterman) are involved in a terrible motorbike crash while traveling in Brazil, which results in the young woman temporarily unable to walk and suffering from acute amnesia. Callum takes her back to her family in a remote stately home in the middle of England to recuperate and hopefully gain some of her memory. Although she is received well and given care, she begins to be curious as to why she left in the first place. Had something terrible occurred to cause her to run away?
The mood is tetchy as soon as she arrives, and her father, Albert (the ever-imposing James Cosmo), isn’t helping the situation, particularly as he asks Callum to leave while attempting to teach him how to shoot. January’s brother and sister, Laurence (James Lance, who, not matter how many times we see him in other productions, will forever be bellboy Ben in I’m Alan Partridge…) and Kathrine (The Descent’s Nora-Jane Noone) add to the unease with a double act of creep and creepier, while mother Marilyn (Eileen Nicholas, Trainspotting) is a quiet nervous wreck, almost apologetically subservient to Albert. The house is rustic but sprawling, and only a butler, Thomas (Craig Conway) to keep things going. Clearly put-upon, he’s there through family heritage, too. No one seems to want to talk about why she ran away, and it gets worse when she wakes one morning to find Callum gone.

A patient and rewarding film, Estranged proves that you can tell a compelling and shocking story without going overboard on visual effects and jump scares. Sure, there’s some (bad) CGI gore later on, but this is a study in character, pace, and unknown terror. A little like the classic 1961 film The Innocents, January is haunted by a past she doesn’t know, or at least that the brain trauma has blocked out for her. When we (and, indeed, the unfortunate girl herself) discover the truth, it only gets worse. By revealing the ‘twist’ halfway through, we get to see characters truly revel in evil and engage in some genuinely horrific acts. It’s unfair to reveal more, but rest assured, it’s startlingly unpleasant and deeply upsetting. Just like horror films should be.

All of these movies, as mentioned, were released through the FrightFest Presents VOD strand, and will be among a season of films screened on Horror Channel this August to celebrate the annual festival of fear.

You can tune into Horror Channel on Sky 319, Virgin 149, Freeview 70, Freesat 138.

The Marvel Movies phenomenon has given us plenty of memorable film characters, but perhaps it’s Wolverine who’s proven to be the most enduring of the bunch.

And so it’s with a tremendous amount of excitement that we’ve seen rumours slowly starting to surface about a third Wolverine film that’s due to come to our cinema screens in March 2017.

Having already begun shooting, it’s going to be a bittersweet affair as unbelievably it’s expected to be Hugh Jackman’s last Wolverine film. The Australian actor has pretty much made the Wolverine role his own, and it’s going to be hard to imagine who else could don the iconic claws and sideburns combination. 

What we can say is that it’s undoubtedly going to be a heavy-hitting affair. And whilst the Wolverine 2 movie kept the scope relatively small by restricting the action to Japan and just focusing on a few core characters, it’s already been stated that Wolverine 3 will take place far in the future.

By moving the character into the future it poses interesting questions as to how this character will fit into the Marvel universe, particularly after the uncredited cameo in this year’s X-Men: Apocalypse movie.

What’s certain is that we’ll see plenty more of Wolverine in the gaming world as it’s become something of a tradition for many of our top gaming franchises to develop parallel lives in video games.

We’ve already seen a Wolverine game for PlayStation and Xbox, and seeing as there’s an X-Men slots game at Lucky Nugget alongside some of the Jurassic Park movie games, then surely it’s only a matter of time before we receive a Wolverine online slots too.

And making a move into the adult world of casino games might make sense, particularly as it’s already been widely reported that Wolverine 3 will be R-rated. This could see the franchise attempting to make a move to capitalise on the immense success of the Deadpool movie that definitely marked a move away from the kid-friendly entertainment of early Marvel releases towards more mature and darker themes.

The Wolverine 3 project has already got Narcos actor Boyd Holbrook onboard to play the principle villain. And with legendary Walk the Line filmmaker James Mangold directing the movie, it looks set to be a momentous send-off for Hugh Jackman as he dons the Wolverine outfit for the very last time.

If you’re a Game of Thrones (GoT) fan, then you’d be forgiven for feeling slightly downhearted at the moment given the uncertain status of the show. Despite the finale of Season 6 breaking TV records by attracting an estimated 8.9 million viewers, problems with filming have led to a delay in releasing Season 7.
“Game of Thrones With Epic Fireworks” (CC BY 2.0) by  EpicFireworks

As if that wasn’t enough of a blow, HBO has suggested that Season 8 will be the last and, while there is still the possibility of a spin-off, it does seem as though the end is nigh. Of course, with interest in the show still at an all-time high, there’s no reason HBO couldn’t be persuaded to change its mind.

Indeed, during the opening episode of Season 6, GoT generated a huge amount of buzz on Twitter. In fact, according to Spredfast, the term “Game of Thrones” was mentioned more than 829,000 in the 60 minutes it took for the episode to air. On top of this, Talkwalker’s stats showed that GoT garnered 14,800 mentions on Spotify which is hugely impressive given that the platform is primarily concerned with streaming music.

The bottom line is that GoT is more popular than ever and the wait for Season 7 looks like it’s going to be as long and arduous as a winter in Westeros. Fortunately, thanks to the show’s immense popularity, there are plenty of ways for fans to get a piece of GoT before it returns to our screens. So, to help ease the pain here’s a list of ways you can get your GoT fix:

A Spin with GoT

 

In line with the iGaming industry’s long tradition of working with major TV shows and movies, Game of Thrones is now one of the most popular online slots around. Players who want a more lucrative way to enjoy the show can now browse the 32Red gaming lobby to take a spin on the Game of Thrones slot and win as much as £10,000.

Unlike other slot games online at 32Red, Game of Thrones has 243 win lines spread across five reels. This dynamic makes the GoT slot highly engaging and helps it standout against 32Red’s 350+ slot games. Not only that, but thanks to the game’s popularity, it’s now available inside the operator’s mobile platform which means you can literally take a spin with GoT wherever you are and whenever you want.

In fact, this game looks even more impressive when compared to products like Instant Play Baccarat on Raging Bull Casino or Mr Smith’s Immersive Roulette with multiple camera angles. Fans of the TV show and original novel alike will be taken by the in-game movie clips, the astonishing number of levels and the way the rival houses can fight for a free spin bonus round.

A Bevy of Bloopers

Away from the world of gaming, YouTube is the perfect place to see the lighter side of GoT. Even though we love the myriad of murders, fights and everything else in between, it is sometimes nice to see the actors break character once in a while and fluff their lines.

A quick search on YouTube will reveal a ton of blooper clips from seasons past. One of the most popular videos is titled Game of Thrones All Season Bloopers (although this is only true for seasons 1 to 4) and features clips from the set and behind the scenes. Capturing the likes of Jon Snow stumbling, Tyrion Lannister and Khaleesi swearing, the 3:13-minute video has been viewed more than three million times and is well worth a watch.

Basically, if you’re looking for something to cheer you up before Season 7, GoT bloopers are the way forward.

A Touch of GoT Colour

“Colour Pencils-1” (CC BY 2.0) by  david.nikonvscanon  

Of course, you’re probably thinking that colouring books are for children and while you may be right to some extent, this one is a little different. Instead of bold borders and simple shapes, this book is highly detailed and by the time you’ve finished colouring in the likes of Daenerys and the Iron Throne you’ll have a veritable piece of artwork on your hands.

The book will be available to buy in the UK on November 1, 2016, but if its sales match the show’s viewing figures then you can expect it to become a global product in the near future.

GoT might be gone for now, but thanks to the show’s franchise there are plenty of ways to engage with your favourite characters while they’re away. In fact, whether or not Season 8 is to be the last and a spin-off doesn’t materialise, you can expect plenty more products in the future. Indeed, if virtual reality continues to evolve then who knows, maybe you could have your own GoT kingdom right inside your living room.

Marvel is to release yet another superhero film, but this one is a little different. The comic book superhero from 1963, Doctor Strange is out in cinemas this November. Stephen Strange is a superhero without bodybuilder muscles, a spandex suit, or supernatural powers. But he does have magic! He’s the first blockbuster protagonist practicing the dark arts.

So what does Doctor Strange do? He travels across dimensions protecting the earth from monsters and demons. The comic book has been in print for 50 years, during which Strong has revealed ten main powers. He can project energy and manipulate it, he can transform matter, animate inanimate objects, teleport, create illusions, control minds/possessions, astral projection, travel between dimensions and time, defence and attack spells and he practices dark magic.

Magic as a power is a new creative direction for Marvel. Usually, their characters are supernatural or use technology to enhance their skills. This makes Strange an intriguing character and adds a layer to the Marvel cosmos. He has a rich origin story, both in a literal and figurative way.

It’s clear that the company has not run out of ideas, and continues to be relevant. The continuous development of the superhero genre is what is going to keep it alive.  Recent films have averted stereotypical heroes. This is starting to reflect on the casting of recent roles. Stereotypical blockbuster actors have made room for their dramatic counterparts. It’s scandalous. This might be because the cinematic roles aren’t as two-dimensional as before. But there’s always a chance that Marvel is attracting dramatic actors and not the other way around.

Characters with interesting origin stories and intellect are becoming more frequent. Strange is definitely one of them. Cumberbatch is not what you would call a cliché Marvel actor. With his long tenure of serious roles makes his casting as Strange a bit, well, strange. Superhero films generally attract blockbuster actors as opposed to theatre enthusiasts.

Cumberbatch’s take on Sherlock for the BBC series in 2010 is one of his most distinguished roles. Although some might think Strange and Sherlock are similar, Cumberbatch disagrees. The actor has stated that he finds them to be different, in every way but in their intelligence. This, some might find surprising. The two are arrogant, and both protect society. But we’ll have to wait and see!

The supporting characters are also interesting. The Ancient One portrayed as an Asian male in the comic is played by Tilda Swinton, a white female. Critics have suggested that they at least should have maintained the same ethnicity, but this was an expected mass reaction.

Benedict Wong plays Strong’s sidekick, ironically called Wong. But he isn’t a traditional partner-in-(fighting)-crime. The actor told Den of Geek that “he’s much more of a drill sergeant.” It’s a nice change of pace to the cliché Robin-Batman duo. We also get the pleasure to see Chiwetel Ejifor as the villain, Baron Mordo. The Academy Award winner and 12 Years a Slave actor contributes to the diverse and drama infused cast. With a cast like that the odds are in favour of a box office hit.

It’s safe to say that the superhero genre is developing. Cumberbatch told Empire that Doctor Strange “is another moment during Marvel’s evolution”. The publishing company seems to be assuming their influence to diversifying casts and roles. To quote Uncle Ben, “with great power, comes great responsibility”. Let’s welcome a new wave of egalitarian films, and leave archaic stereotypes in the past, where they belong.

BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, a cult classic that rocked the world when it came out in 1970, continues to impress audiences to this day. Let’s take a fond look at this unique movie…

To the average movie going fan, the name Russ Meyer is synonymous with campy movies, big breasted women and of course, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. The cult movie director’s filmography reads like a greatest hits of seventies softcore exploitation movies, including cult favourites such as Vixen, Mudhoney, Mondo Topless, and Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Meyer dedicated his life to mercilessly skewering American values, so much so that his tombstone (he died in 2004) reads ‘King of The Nudies’ and ‘I Was Glad to Do It’.

The ‘70s musical melodrama Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is easily his best-known movie, and his only ‘mainstream’ movie, for a given value of mainstream. 20th Century Fox was looking to capitalise on what we now call the ‘counter-culture’ era, a time when the youth of America were told to tune in, turn on and drop out. This period inspired movies such as Easy Rider and The Trip, and though, by the 1970s, the whole thing was starting to collapse under the great weight of people looking to cash-in, Fox was still determined to exploit the genre for every cent. Fox had already commissioned and distributed Valley of The Dolls in 1967. Though it was a commercial success, the movie (which is based on Jacqueline Susann’s incredibly successful novel of the same name), was universally panned by critics. Valley of The Dolls tells the tale of three young women who head out into the big city to make something of their lives, only to become addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs (known as ‘dolls’ in the slang of the era). Valley of The Dolls also featured actress Sharon Tate in various stages of undress. The movie was re-released in 1969 following Tate’s tragic murder and was yet again very successful.

Fox’s fortunes were at an all-time low, and they were willing to do whatever needed to be done to stay afloat. The execs wanted a sequel to Valley of The Dolls, and Meyer had a reputation for creating movies that appealed to the demographic Fox wished to exploit. What they desired was something of a sequel, but with more blatant titillation and scandal. The original pitch was for more of the same, but slightly racier. What they got was a scathing parody of the state of American culture, written by world famous film critic Roger Ebert. Meyer was aware at the time that this might be his only chance of having a shot a big budget movie, and requested that Ebert produce something the critic would later say ‘should simultaneously be a satire, a serious melodrama, a rock musical, a comedy, a violent exploitation picture, a skin flick and a moralistic expose’. It’s certainly that. The movie was so detached from the original brief that Fox had to flyer most of the publicity material with a note saying ‘This is not a sequel – there has never been anything like it.’ They weren’t kidding.

The plot starts off along familiar lines; we have three young women; Kelly Mac Namara (Dolly Read), Casey Anderson (Cynthia Myers), and Petronella ‘Pet’ Danforth (Marcia McBroom). Fresh-faced and fairly naïve, the charismatic Kelly had formed a rock band with her friends (the band is called The Kelly Affair because it’s all about Kelly). The girls begin as all sweetness and light though this swiftly changes when the group heads to LA to find their fortune and to hook up with Kelly’s rich Aunt.

After an incredibly debauched party, which features music from quintessential hippy band Strawberry Alarm Clock (who pretty much play all their hits in this movie), the girls are exposed to the flamboyant and eccentric Ronnie ‘Z-Man’ Barzell (John Lazar), a Svengali-like manager who was allegedly inspired by Phil Spector. Although Meyer and Ebert admitted later that they had not met Spector when they made the movie. Z-Man takes over from Kelly’s boyfriend as their manager and renames the band The Carrie Nations. The name comes from historical figure Carrie Nation, the hatchet-faced anti-fun protestor who spearheaded alcohol prohibition in the 1900s. Subtle.

From that point on, things pretty much head on a downward spiral. Kelly’s boyfriend drifts away, finding himself in bed with the predatory porn star Ashley St. Ives (Edy Williams). His story then descends into a blend of both horror, drama, and camp comedy. Meanwhile, The Carrie Nations continue to take America by storm, despite being fuelled mostly by drink, drugs, and an awful lot of sleeping around.

It all ends in tears, of course, but in the most ridiculous of ways. The end (which we’ll avoid spoiling just in case you’ve not seen it), starts with characters wearing costumes from the ‘60s TV show version of Batman and ends with a brief spot of ultra-violence. The movie then attempts to deliver a moral message, despite the actual themes of the movie being nothing of the sort. It is a film about excess, fame and making very poor life choices. It’s also littered with drug taking and lots of nudity; as well as some hilarious dialogue.

Each ridiculous plot twist and turn is played straight-faced. The director knew that for the joke to work, it would have to be played straight by the actors, and this works brilliantly. Some of the acting is a little wooden, but we don’t come to a movie like this for the powerful performances.

One of the things that make Beyond The Valley of the Dolls so memorable is the soundtrack. Much of the score is composed by Stu Phillips, who is better known for his work on the original Battlestar Galactica TV series, as well as being one of the many creative minds behind The Monkees. The actresses in the movie were chosen for their acting and aesthetic talents, rather than their ability to sing, so all of their performances were lip-synced. Vocals were provided by Lynne Carey, who also appeared in cult TV shows such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Wild Wild West. Meyer would later confess to Ebert that he hoped that enough musical content would help the feature avoid the dread ‘X’ classification that would mark it out as an adult film. This plan failed completely, but it did make for an amazing soundtrack.

The legend goes that upon hearing that movie had received an X rating anyway; Meyer attempted to sneak back into the editing room to add more nudity; mostly centred on bare-chested ladies. The studio (which was short on cash at the time) actively blocked him from doing so, as they just wanted the film out in cinemas as swiftly as possible. Fox’s plan did work. For a movie made for just shy of a million dollars, the feature has grossed roughly $40 million over the years, though this includes DVD sales and the like. Despite this, Meyer would only get to make one more movie for Fox, the infamous clunker The Seven Minutes, which flopped because it simply wasn’t as exciting as his first effort for the studio. Undeterred, the breast-obsessed director would go on to produce further cult movies.

Though Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is the most popular of Meyer’s movies, it’s also probably the most atypical. For a start, the main characters are more stereotypically attractive, the actresses involved were mostly known for their modelling work at the time. The director had a famous penchant for powerful, almost Amazonian women, and many of his movies feature curvy ladies who shatter gender stereotypes in a way that’s kept film studies and sociology students busy for decades. Though very few would claim that Meyer’s movies were feminist in tone, much of his work was as thought-provoking as it was exploitative. Dolls doesn’t find this balance at all, being pretty much all about the exploitation from the word go.

It’s a highly quotable film and has gone on to influence many media types. The Sex Pistol’s Johnny Rotten even tried to re-unite Meyer with Ebert to make a punk rock movie, Who Killed Bambi? The feature was never finished, and allegedly, Rotten unimpressed Meyer by claiming that Dolls was incredibly true to life. Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street has frequently been compared Dolls simply because of the way it shows excess and corruption, and, of course, the Austin Powers series of movies ape several scenes from Meyer’s body of work, including Dolls. References to the feature are used as a badge of honour in many ‘alternative’ style video games, comics and indie movies.

The words ‘cult classic’ are over-used these days, but that’s exactly what Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is. A superior movie from an era when the cult aspect of filmmaking was still in its infancy. Watching the movie is a crazy hip ride and one you should go on at least once in your life.

Arrow Video release a features-packed Blu-ray edition of BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS in the UK on September 5th.