There Was Something Strange In Manchester's Bowlers Exhibition Centre... And It Looked Pretty Good!

On the first weekend of December, with my wife, Sian, and two friends, Anthony and Ben, I attended the For the Love of Sci-Fi Comic Con at the Bowler’s Exhibition Centre in Manchester. It’s been a pretty busy year for me, with my wedding in February, followed by a three-month trip (aka “greedy honeymoon”) around the world, but it might surprise you to learn that my weekend in Manchester is quite easily one of the most memorable of the year. I have to be careful when saying such things, though, but if you’re reading this, Sian, just remember - we got married on a Friday!

For the Love of Sci-Fi Preview: There's Something Strange in Manchester...

Here's a small collection of pictures from the For the Love of Sci-Fi Comic Con I recently attended in Manchester with Sian and my two equally-geeky friends, Anthony and Ben. I'll be writing up a full blog post, so check this space again tomorrow to find out more about who we met and what else we got up to!

Justice League - DC's Most Unwanted Criminal

The DCEU hasn't all been doom and gloom. I’ll defend Man of Steel as much as Superman would defend Earth. Wonder Woman was also a welcome delight, and to quote myself, was certainly the hero the franchise didn’t deserve. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad (call me two-faced but I didn't hate the latter so much at the time), however, remain the real villains of the series, and whose incoherent and laughable plots played out like riddles or jokes. But now, Justice League commits more crimes than you’d see in Downtown Gotham on a Saturday night. I may not be the greatest detective in the world, but these atrocities are more obvious than a psychopath in clown make-up. 

Paddington 2 Review

Ever since Michael Bond’s first book, A Bear Called Paddington, published in 1958, the Peruvian bear has appeared in over one hundred and fifty books and a number of his own television programmes, from stop motion animation to two-dimensional. He even has his own shop in Paddington Station, as well as his own statue on Platform One. Now, he’s already into his second film on the silver-screen. But thankfully, it’s not in vain.

Jigsaw

Like this franchise mindlessly does away with its characters, I’ll do away with the plot or any discussion around the horror genre. So let’s cut to the case. Following a seven-year hiatus, Jigsaw has returned. While the trailer begs you to ask “how”, given that the most sadistic, self-righteous and delusional killer to have disgraced the silver screen was blatantly killed (and there’s nothing that spells blatant death like this franchise) in an earlier sequel, the question on everyone’s minds is an exasperated “why”.

A Bad Moms Christmas

When the comedy-Christmas movie isn’t a series of outlandish and non-relatable events (you all know who you are) usually fuelled by booze or bad writing or both, it can be a wonderful and heart-warming thing. It’s a bit like eggnog; you have to get the mixture just right, or it will leave a bad taste in your mouth from the offset. That, or it will just be bland and forgetful. Classics like the Home Alone movies (remind yourself that there are only two…) and Love Actually remain a lot to live up to, but that said, each to their own. After all, there are those who love Christmas Pudding, and there are those who do not. In fact, the same can be said about Christmas itself.

In the Shadow

For the past few weeks you've had to endure film review upon film review, without any posts on travel, writing or fiction! But as is the case with these colder months, venturing any further than the local cinema is unlikely. That said, I will be posting about my trip to Cheddar Gorge in the summer as well as a recent trip to Dublin and Galway in Ireland. 

Murder on the Orient Express

Based on the classic Agatha Christie novel of the same name, and following along the tracks of numerous televised adaptations, Murder on the Orient Express (2017) sees Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, arrive in the form of an impressive-moustache-wielding Kenneth Brannagh, who also directs. After boarding the legendary train for a break from his work, Poirot meets a colourful assortment of characters (equally-colourful is the train-hoggingly-enormous cast that plays them). But when an avalanche stops the train its tracks, the passengers wake to find that one among them has been murdered in their cabin. With “probably the greatest detective in the world” on board, so begins an investigation.

Geostorm

In the near future, the earth’s weather has reached such catastrophic levels that the leaders of the world create a hi-tech, multi-satellite-strong orbital network to control the weather and prevent disaster. Three years on, random catastrophes from subzero tidal waves in Dubai to lethal post-sundown solar rays in China begin to occur. Chief Architect Jake Lawson (Butler – who else?), the original designer behind the system known as “Dutchboy”, is summoned back to the International Space Station to find out what or who is sabotaging the system, and prevent a “Geostorm” – a global meteorological event that will wipe out mankind.

Thor: Ragnarok

After defeating Surtur, a giant god-like creature hellbent on destroying Thor’s homeworld, Asgard, the God of Thunder tracks down his father, King Odin (Sir Anthony Hopkins), with the help of the portal-wielding Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberpatch). But when Odin suddenly dies, his secret firstborn daughter, Hela (Cate Blanchett), appears to assume power of the throne. Once she destroys Thor’s hammer, Mjolinir, she swiftly seizes Asgard. In trying to fight Hela, Thor and his brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the God of Mischief, wind up on the distant garbage planet of Sakaar, where they meet allies old and new, including The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

Happy Death Day

When Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) wakes in a stranger’s dorm, she hastily departs and sets off about her day like she would any other, save for her walk of shame across the bustling campus. That, and when she arrives at her sorority house, her roommate presents her with a birthday cupcake. But Tree doesn’t care much for carbs, or even kind gestures for that matter. When night falls, she’s stalked by someone who’s dressed as the college’s creepy baby-faced mascot. Before she’s able to get away, she’s stabbed to death. Not a moment later, she wakes in the same stranger’s dorm, recognising everything thereafter from the busy campus to the cupcake. And when night falls, the same maniac shows up and kills her all over again.

The Ritual Review

Following the death of their friend Robert in a violent burglary, a group of friends continue with their plans to go for a lads’ weekend hiking through the Swedish Mountains to honour his memory. Among them, Luke (an as usual-convincing Rafe Spall) shoulders the guilt of Robert's death and is paranoid that the others blame him. But when they suffer an injury, they exchange their mountainous trek for an apparently shorter one through the shadowy forests in the valley, where group dynamics become the least of their worries. A malevolent presence soon makes itself known, and one-by-one, as is the case in this neck of the woods within the bleak horror-verse, the friends are hunted and mutilated.

Blade Runner 2049 Review

Set 30 years after the original, Ryan Gosling’s Officer Kay – a blade runner - unearths a secret that, if exposed, will change the world and put replicants ahead of humans as the dominant species, so his only hope is to locate ex-blade runner Office Deckard (Harrison Ford) before it’s too late.

My All-Time Favourite Spine-Tinglers (Part 2)...

The unofficial “Halloween weekend” might be almost over, but the scariest night of the year is still yet to come. So as promised, here’s the list that completes my top ten scariest horror films of all time. After reading, you might want to stay well away from caves, forests, trick or treaters in general, and probably your own house. Might just be best to stay under the covers and not move until Wednesday then…

My All-Time Favourite Spine-Tinglers (Part I)...

What are your favourite scary movies? Maybe it’s those ones about deranged, masked serial killers, or maybe it’s those about the less-visible terrors, like the featureless shapes that lurk in the dark, or the ones you hear but never see. In short, the answer is that different things scare different people. 

The Mountain Between Us

Two strangers meet at an airport when they learn that their mutual flight has been cancelled. With Alex (Winslet) due to marry the next day, and Ben (Elba), a neurosurgeon, due to operate at the same time, they decide to hire out a private plane to get them home in time. But when the pilot experiences a stroke mid-flight, their plane crashes into the mountains, killing the pilot and leaving both Alex and Ben injured and alone on the snowy peaks, with nothing but each other – and the pilot’s nameless dog - to survive the elements.  

The Lego Ninjago Movie

The Lego franchise has exploded in recent years much like an angry kid putting his foot through the Ghostbusters Fire Station after finding that a single brick is missing. The evidence is everywhere, from countless video games including the hugely-popular Lego Dimensions to the very reason behind this review.

Grabbing The Terror Dog By The Horns

If you’ve made it this far through my blog, it’s quite obvious I’m a huge geek. Even more obvious is the fact that I’m a lifelong Ghostbusters fan – especially after my recent post where I shared with you the blurb for my very own fanfiction novel. But what does Ghostbusters have to do with my love for writing? It was some time in the very early nineties, I think – I must have been six or seven – when my mum bought me a tie-in novel for the first movie. I loved it, and it was this that led me into reading, but also into writing fanfiction as a hobby.

Flash Reviews: Kingsman - The Golden Circle, American Assassin & Flatliners

Here are my latest flash film reviews which you may have also heard on Swindon 105.5 last week, having been asked to become their weekly film critic! Don’t worry if you missed it as I’ll keep you updated with upcoming slots through the Curious Rookie Facebook page, and will even share with you the audio files when and where possible – but only if you’re curious…

mother!

Jenifer Lawrence plays the loving wife to Javier Bardem’s older poet who’s suffering from writer’s block. While Lawrence works hard at turning their very remote home into an idyllic setting, or a “paradise” if you will, a mysterious stranger (Ed Harris) turns up at their door, followed closely by his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), both of whom Bardem’s seemingly-oblivious character welcomes with open arms - despite his wife’s understandable protests. But as more guests inexplicably begin to swarm Lawrence’s home, the film descends into brutal and unforgiving chaos that is as arresting as it is repellent. 

Why Snowdonia Is Our Very Own British Columbia

After greedily spending three months travelling the world this year on our honeymoon, where we explored the real Middle-Earth that is the mighty New Zealand, the beautifully-rugged islands of Hawai’i, and the rich mountainous landscape of the Canadian Rockies, naturally there was an element of worry that, upon returning to the UK, all of that epic scenery would render our home country’s great outdoors underwhelming, even if Snowdonia has always been one of our favourite places in the country. Honest!

IT Review

These days even the word “remake” is enough to make one’s eyes roll, especially when it comes to horror. But the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel IT comes 27 long years after the original TV miniseries that starred Tim Curry as the iconic Pennywise (and to those familiar with the clown's lore, the fact that it’s been 27 years might just be enough to put the willies up you). And Andy Muschietti’s IT isn’t necessarily just a remake of the terrifying terrestrial telling, either – it’s the first cinematic representation of King's monster novel.

That Strange Falling Sensation

The cold winds tore through her soft, golden hair as she drifted beneath the night sky; gliding elegantly, like a bird, while she admired the billions of stars on the dark purple canvas. Hundreds of feet below, the brilliance of space was reflected in the ocean. Another dark mass equal in mystery and wonder, she thought. The power was exhilarating, coursing through her veins like electricity. She had never felt so alive before, yet the countdown that was her heartbeat had already ended.

"Ghostbusters Academy" Teaser

I've been promising you an update on my Ghostbusters project for some time now, so here it is - the official blurb to my very own fanfiction concept! It's a story that has so far been two years in the making. It's not complete yet, but you can expect it to emerge from the shadows in the coming months. 

Where To Find Fantastic Beasts? Lacock In Wiltshire, Apparently…

It’s been quite some time since I last blogged on a filming location. The last that comes to mind is New York, but up until today I suppose I’ve somewhat underestimated Wiltshire. After originally planning to visit London for the day where we were going to undertake a 9 ¾ km walk from Paddington Station to, well, Platform 9 ¾ in King’s Cross Station and back, as part of the "Medal Mad" challenges, with Sian not feeling too well we instead decided to follow the curious rumours of fantastic beasts out in the country, with the aid of our very own Marauder’s Map – aka the "SatNav.”

Fantasy Land

Here's another short story from a much earlier assignment. I also submitted this one to Take A Break: Fiction Feast, a monthly magazine that includes a collection of short stories from various writers.

Flash Movie Reviews: The Hitman's Bodyguard, The Emoji Movie And Annabelle: Creation

The Hitman's Bodyguard

When “triple-A” bodyguard Michael Bryce is assigned with escorting Darius Kincade – the most dangerous criminal alive – to a hearing in the Hague that will see the con testify against mass murderer Vladislav Dukhovich, chaos ensues. Reynolds and Jackson do what they do best and play themselves, while Salma Hayek is on top form as Darius' psychotic, potty-mouthed lover. Still, there’s plenty of chuckle-worthy violence and action to keep you happy until next year’s Deadpool sequel. But with a distinct lack of much-needed bromance, just don’t expect Nick Fury to show up alongside the merc with a mouth. 

The Dinosaur Thief

I promised you more fiction, so here is "The Dinosaur Thief", a very short story I submitted for an earlier assignment. It's one I'm more proud of than most of the flash fiction I've produced. Perhaps that's because it involved some of the most rigorous editing I can remember so that I could meet the word count set within the assignment, without losing the essence of the story. But while it's a concept I was keen to develop into a larger story, sometimes all you need is a snapshot of that story, and that's exactly what flash fiction is all about.

Whole New Worlds

Since I started blogging back in March, I’ve talked about my adventures around the world as well as the many film locations I visited, and I’ve probably spent just as much time talking about films with my reviews. But recently I promised I’d start blogging more about my writing projects. After all, that’s what Curious Rookie is all about. Talking about everything that inspires me from adventures to films seems almost pointless if I’m not talking about the very thing they inspire.

To Be Human Again

In my last post I promised that I'd start sharing with you my writing projects. But today I thought I would literally share one of them with you - as a way of saying thanks for following and reading my blog over the past few months. Like Beast, I'm coming out of the shadows... 

Reach For The Sky: How Disney Inspires Me To Aim Higher With My Writing

It’s no mystery to you that I love writing. The fact that I blog speaks for itself. And in my post on Disney LA some months back now, I did touch briefly on how its magic helps bolster my creativity, too. But why does it inspire me so much, and how? And how can it help do the same for you - assuming of course you love writing, too. I’ve come to realise that I’ve not spent an awful lot of time talking to you about my writing and my projects in this blog, but now it’s time for a change. It’s time I shared my learnings with you, and also gave a little insight as to what inspires me.

Never Grow Up: Why Disneyland Is Better For Adults Than It Is For Kids

It wasn’t so long ago that I last talked about my love for Disney, having visited Disneyland LA during my three-month trip, and all. But after suffering from the post-trip blues (sniff) – which we’re still very much suffering from - Sian and I typically decided to visit our favourite place in the world, Disneyland Paris, along with our friend, Ben. 

Flash Reviews: Baby Driver, Cars 3, Dunkirk And 47 Metres Down

Baby Driver

Baby is a getaway driver who relies on his collection of retro tracks to do his job – or at least in style. But when his latest task goes horribly wrong, he must figure out a way of hitting the road with his waitress love-interest and starting anew before his violent teammates figure out what he’s up to. With plenty of groove, solid storytelling and charm in its engine, Baby Driver is the most stylistic and soulful wheel-based flick since 2011’s Drive, and with an opening chase so wonderfully-choreographed, you’ll realise it’s not all about being fast and furious.

The House Definitely Doesn't Win...

The comedy movie. It's a tough nut to crack. Hell, it's probably easier to scare the audience than it is to make them laugh, and even that is no easy feat. And of course there have been countless comedies that have failed miserably in this way. But never - at least not that I can recall - have I ever seen one that is as groundbreakingly-unfunny as Will Ferrell's latest.

War For The Planet Of The Apes Review: All Of Cinematic History Has Led To This Moment

“The best and most groundbreaking film since Jurassic Park”

There can’t be a human being alive who isn’t familiar with Planet of the Apes, whether it’s the classic 1968 original starring the late Charlton Heston and the late Roddy McDowall, along with its four sequels and 70’s TV spin-off, or Tim Burton’s hugely-panned 2001 remake starring Mark Wahlberg and Helena Bonham Carter, or now Rupert Wyatt/ Matt Reeves’ groundbreaking trilogy. Add to all of that the animated series, the video games, the graphic novels and all the old-school cosplay that has populated comic conventions the world over since the dawn of ape, and you have a franchise that rivals the likes of Star Wars and Star Trek, but one which speaks to the audience on a deeper level with its commentary on our society as well as our treatment of primates not so deep within its subtext.

It Comes At Night Review

Paul (Joel Edgerton), his wife Sarah and their teenage son Travis, live in a cabin in the woods during a seemingly post-apocalypse, the unseen outside world having apparently been ravaged by a deadly virus. Their survival depends on a set of airtight rules, which is made clear from the offset when they are forced to shoot dead and then burn Sarah's father having discovered he is infected. But when stranger Will tries to break in one night, Paul is forced to make some new rules.

The Mummy 2017 Review

When Universal Pictures very prematurely announced that The Mummy would be the first in their cinematic universe named, ahem, Dark Universe, my eyes – like many others’ – rolled. I’ve nothing against shared cinematic universes. Hell, I’m all for it. Look at the incredible job the MCU has done, with the DCEU being taught lessons by Wonder Woman and her lasso, and even this year’s Kong: Skull Island breathing some much-needed fire into Warner Bros. and Legendary's new monster franchise. But those guys? The Wolfman, Swamp Thing, Frankenstein, Dracula et al? Really? But if the filmmakers really think it’s going to work – and they surely do given such an early promise of a shared universe, and it’s got Tom Cruise - I’ll make the effort to go watch this new reiteration of The Mummy even if it does seem overly action-focused and starring a very out of place Tom Cruise, and see what it is they've done. And that’s just what I did.

Spider-Man: Homecoming Swings Into Action This Week: And Here's The Review...

Spider-Man, Spider-Man... Where do we start? In 2002 with Toby Maguire? Or 2012 with Andrew Garfield, just five years after Maguire webbed up the suit? Or last year with Captain America: Civil War, just two years after Garfield was, like Maguire, forced to do the same? In just fifteen years we've seen - including the latest movie - six Spider-Man movies (or seven if you include Civil War) which include three separate incarnations. To call them all sinister, though, would be an insy winsy lie. 

Snatched Review

When down-on-her-luck and newly dumped Emily Middleton (Schumer) realises her life is going nowhere, she turns to the only true friend in her life; her much less-spontaneous and retired mother, Linda (Hawn). After much persuasion, Linda accompanies her daughter to a resort in Ecuador, South America, but before long things go even souther when they’re both kidnapped by a violent gang who demand a ransom from their annoying and agoraphobic brother/ son Jeffrey (Ike Barinholtz). Luckily they escape, but through much less luck they wind up lost in the jungle with the merciless gang hot on their tail.

Iceland

After New York, we headed to Reykjavik, Iceland. Intended only as a short stay and as a way of breaking up the otherwise longer haul back to Earth (otherwise known as the “UK”), Reykjavik turned out to be more of a snapshot into the country than anything else.

Kualoa Ranch: Revisited

Given the fact that my last post on this awesome place was so very heavily Jurassic Park-focused, I promised that I’d return to the popular, 4000-acre, family-owned ranch that has served dozens upon dozens of movies since the 1950s. In fact, even its Hall of Fame – a modest two walls’ worth of framed pictures – tells only a tiny fraction of the movies it’s hosted over the last sixty-plus years. Sadly this post doesn’t involve an actual revisit, but it does involve a little bit more on the movies that have been filmed there as well as some interesting facts.

A Whole New Dimension Of Ghostbusters

The infamous wax museum Madame Tussauds turned out to be quite a stressful and gruelling experience in the end. And no, it had nothing to do with our walk-through of all the famous wax models from Johnny Depp to Kim Kardashian, Anne Hathaway to Scarlett Johansson or Barrack Obama to Donald Trump (who we avoided like we would spores, moulds and fungus), but more so to do with the action we were thrust into in the second half of the tour: a Ghostbusters walk-through tour and a revolutionary virtual reality experience. Okay, stressful and gruelling might be a bit of a lie but saving the world – or the day – is no easy feat!

I Love This Town

Does the title of this post sound familiar? They're the words echoed by one of my favourite Ghostbusters – I have four in total – from the 1984 classic when the guys are covered in marshmallow after giving the giant sticky sailor what for on top of the apartment building now dubbed “Spook Central.” And seeing as you all by now know I’m a huge fan of the franchise, and having just been to the Big Apple itself, it won’t surprise you to know that said-trip involved Ghostbusters quite a fair bit, as well as the welcome onslaught of the smell of burnt marshmallow (not so much being covered in it) and even that once-creepy building as mentioned where refrigerators and kitchen counters just aren’t to be trusted.

The Curious Rockies

Vancouver

After a few days in the hugely undesirable city of Seattle, Vancouver came as a breath of fresh air. Sure it’s a city like most others, but the real difference is it’s in Canada. There might only be a marginal difference in terms of friendliness between Americans and Canadians, with the latter being the friendlier, but such a small detail makes all the difference.

LA And Seattle

There are very few good things to say about the central Hollywood Boulevard area, if any at all. I didn’t even really want to come back to LA this time around. But if you’ve seen my last post on the awesome theme parks here then you’ll know why we did. Our 2014 visit to LA was quite eye-opening at the time, but that’s not to suggest we had a bad experience when not in the parks, and nor did we this time. It just wasn’t a great one.

A Curious Wookie At Disneyland And Universal Studios

If you know us personally (that’s me and Sian), then you’ll have no doubt attended our wedding earlier this year. That means you know we’re a right pair of Disney buffs - and film buffs too. So naturally, during our visit to LA we visited both Disneyland and Universal Studios.

Wonder Woman Review

The past year hasn't seen much luck for the DCEU. That's not to say last year's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad were financial catastrophes, but critical ones they were, with their biggest downfalls being their focus on future movies rather than themselves (in a bid of course to catch up with the superior MCU), and with narratives made painfully-incoherent through some generally bad writing and post-editing. And though we've familiarised ourselves with the Wonder Woman and Justice League trailers over the past six or so months, it seemed that all hope was already lost; that the franchise would never do any better than Man of Steel and was doomsday'd to fail. 

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Review

For a film franchise based on a long-time popular Disneyland attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean really know how to flog a dead horse (that’s actually not a bad subtitle), with its fifth instalment Dead Men Tell No Tales having now arrived at cinema shores worldwide.

Get Out Review

When it comes to the horror genre it’s more than fair to say that originality is dead, at least more so in concept than execution. Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out might be no exception, but it does in part offer a semi-interesting approach to the age-old get out of that house alive formula while providing an acceptable level of comedy that doesn’t compromise the scares.

Calling Out To All Ghostbusters Fans: Upcoming Film Needs Your Contribution!

It's probably no mystery to you that I’m a pretty big Ghostbusters fan. You might have seen a selfie of me with the StayPuft that was breaking out of the concourse in Waterloo Station ahead of last year’s reboot (which surprisingly didn’t cause any mass hysteria amongst commuters), as well as one of me in the London Film and Comic Con the year before with Dana Barrett herself (okay, there is no Dana – only Sigourney Weaver). This was followed by some in Torquay shortly after at the Optimus Comic Con, where I had the pleasure of meeting many more stars from the original films: Mark Bryan Wilson (Slimer and the Librarian Ghost), Robin Shelby (Ghostbusters II’s Slimer and now the reboot’s Mrs Slimer), Billy Bryan (the StayPuft Marshmallow Man) and Ghostbuster himself Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore).