Wednesday 6 November 2024

Hasbro’s Women Innovators of Play Challenge



Our friends at Hasbro have sent over exciting details of their second annual Hasbro Women Innovators of Play Challenge.

Hasbro is inviting women innovators to submit their own ideas for toys or games to Hasbro, where a panel of judges will select winners based on various factors such as innovation, mass marketability, fun factor, and more.

Selected winners will win a $10,000 cash prize, mentorship and trip to Hasbro World Headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for a “Day at Hasbro.”

The second annual Challenge is part of Hasbro’s larger Women Innovators of Play initiative. In fact, women account for 70% of toy purchases but only represent 29% of C-Suite roles in the industry.

It is Hasbro’s commitment to inspire and elevate more women’s involvement in the toy and game industry.

This year also saw the return of Hasbro’s Women Innovators of Play virtual event, which took place in October with a full lineup of speakers from Hasbro and other industry leaders and influencers.

It would be inspiring to see a female Star Wars fan win! Follow the link here for further details and to submit your idea.

Submissions close on 12th November. May the Force be with you.

Will you be submitting an idea to the Hasbro Women Innovators of Play Challenge? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 5 November 2024

Watch the first 5 minutes of Silo season two



Juliette lives. Entertainment Weekly (EW) exclusively shared a sneak peek at Silo season two on Apple TV+.



Read the official synopsis:

"Silo is the story of the last ten thousand people on earth, their mile-deep home protecting them from the toxic and deadly world outside. However, no one knows when or why the silo was built and those who try to find out face fatal consequences. Ferguson stars as Juliette, an engineer who seeks answers about a loved one’s murder and tumbles onto a mystery that goes far deeper than she could have ever imagined, leading her to discover that if the lies don’t kill you, the truth will."

In addition to Rebecca Ferguson, Silo season two stars new addition Steve Zahn, alongside returning stars Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, Alexandria Riley, Shane McRae, Remmie Milner, Clare Perkins, Billy Postlethwaite, Rick Gomez, Caitlin Zoz, Tanya Moodie and Iain Glen.

Silo season two premieres on 15th November on Apple TV+.

Are you watching Silo on Apple TV+? Are you looking forward to season two? Let me know in the comments below.

Saturday 2 November 2024

Skeleton Crew is an Amblin adventure



Lucasfilm dropped a new official trailer for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on Friday.



The Star Wars live-action spin-off series starring Jude Law, created by Spider-Man Homecoming director Jon Watts and writer Christopher Ford, who also serve as the showrunners, follows along as the kids get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy and have to find their way home, meeting unlikely allies and enemies along the way.

Drawing inspiration from the movies of Richard Donner and Steven Spielberg, this is The Goonies and Stranger Things in a galaxy far, far away...

“Amblin always stands out to me because there was a feeling that they took the kids seriously", said Watts.

"They didn't feel like kids’ movies when you watched them as a kid, and even now looking back, they feel like grown-up films that just happened to star kids.”

It captures Star Wars-themed childhood adventures with friends including my trusty Tomy Omnibot, nicknamed "Chumbley" (fellow Whovians will get the reference to Galaxy 4).

“It’s the story of kids who happen to live on what they think of as a boring planet — it seems like the suburbs and nothing ever happens,” says series co-creator Ford. “And one day they find an old spaceship and it blasts them off, out into the galaxy.” But finding their way back quickly becomes complicated. “They realize once they’re out there that no one’s ever heard of their home planet,” Ford says. “Unfortunately, along the way they attract the attention of a bunch of pirates and other space criminals.”

Individual episodic directors are Jon Watts, David Lowery, the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Lee Isaac Chung. The season was written by Christopher Ford and Jon Watts, with two episodes by Myung Joh Wesner. The series is executive produced by Christopher Ford, Jon Watts, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, and Colin Wilson, along with co-executive producers Chris Buongiorno, Karen Gilchrist, Carrie Beck and producers Susan McNamara and John Bartnicki.

Skeleton Crew starts streaming with a two-episode series premiere in the UK on 4th December on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on Disney+? What did you think of the trailer? Let me know in the comments below.

Friday 1 November 2024

Doctor Who and Ruby action figures



Just in time (pun intended) for the holiday season, Character Options and BBC Studios have announced the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) action figures based on their appearances in Doctor Who season one on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+.

Kathryn Ludlam, Character Options' brand manager, commented:

“Since their first appearance at London Toy Fair, we have been inundated with requests about the release of the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday figures. We are delighted to confirm that the figures will be available in two formats; an exclusive bundle pack from Character-Online and as individual packs with alternative decoration at mass retail, both launching later in the year."

These Gen 3 figures feature a higher specification decoration for extra detail and features include internal pivots on the neck and ankles, ball-jointed waist and shoulders as well as internal pins on the arms and legs.

It is surprising how little merchandise there is for season one given Disney's involvement! However, I can see this selling in the Disney Store and Disney Parks.

You can pre-order the Fifteenth Doctor (affiliate link) and Ruby Sunday (affiliate link) action figures.

Doctor Who will make its return later this year with a holiday special on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland.

Will you be adding the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday action figures to your collection? Which figures would you like to see released in the future? Let me know in the comments below.

Thursday 31 October 2024

Star Tracks: Deadly Blessing



This edition of Star Tracks is suitably spooky for Halloween with James Horner's score for Deadly Blessing.

Before director Wes Craven introduced the world to Freddy Krueger, a fedora-wearing predator stalking teenage dreams in A Nightmare on Elm Street, he directed low-budget horror movies: Deadly Blessing, The Hills Have Eyes and The Last House on the Left.

Nick Smith, our resident US-based horror aficionado, ditches modern-day technological trappings with the blessing of the fine folks at Intrada.

Guest post by Nick Smith

The Intrada record label can be relied on for three things: the quality of its recordings, with scrupulous attention paid to cleaning up older soundtracks; its range of curios, from Bernard Hermann noir classics to John Powell’s Solo: A Star Wars Story; and its devotion to James Horner.

Over 20 of the late maestro’s scores, including Cocoon, The Rocketeer and The Land Before Time, have been released.

At 27, Horner poured all his time and resources into composing, conducting and producing movie music. He had a handful of Roger Corman productions under his belt, including Battle Beyond the Stars. Since Corman’s budgets were notoriously small and his only other income was from Teaching Assistant work at UCLA, it was time for Horner to branch out.

Fortunately for his wallet and our ears, he connected with Peter Guber and Jon Peters, who would later bring us Batman; they needed a creepy score for a modest-budget horror flick called Deadly Blessing.

The movie, about demonic goings-on in a rural town of tech-shunning people, called Hittites, starred upcoming actress Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct) and was directed by the scrappy and creative Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Guber and Peters bet their spooky farm on Horner, Stone and Craven, all unknown on the Hollywood circuit – and even the recognizable face of Ernest Borgnine (The Black Hole) was hidden behind a bushy Amish-style beard.

The bet paid off. Craven and Horner took their tiny budget and made a memorable film. "It came off looking pretty good," Craven said a year after release, "as if it cost a lot of money."

The score sounds pretty good too, with a sense of impending doom (as in the second track, ‘Incubus’), contrasting with tootling pastoral flute tunes (‘Martha and Jim’). Tracks like ‘Unwelcome Visitor’ are precedents to Horner’s Aliens, with its clicking percussion and glissandi strings. ‘Trouble in the Convertible’ starts out like a Harry Manfredini Friday the 13th track before veering into Omen territory, with Ancient Latin lyrics and dark chorals.

Horner exceeds the sensationalism with his passion for medieval melodies and jarring, clanging trills that he marries so well in his orchestral music. Imagine a xenomorph bursting out of The Omen and you’ll get the idea behind the score.

Intrada’s version of the Deadly Blessing score has everything a completist could ask for, down to an 11-second ‘Snake Stinger’ which is over quicker than you can hiss. A labour of love produced, edited and mastered by Douglass Fake, this album offers enjoyable early access to Horner’s ‘80s horror scores, showing how essential music is when building up suspense and feelings of fear.

Special thanks to Roger Feigelson at Intrada for providing a copy for review.

Nick Smith's new audiobook, Undead on Arrival, is available from Amazon (affiliate link).

Wednesday 30 October 2024

Alien: Romulus spawns sequel



Alien: Romulus is a box office smash and a sequel is in the works for the reborn chest-bursting franchise.

"We're working on a sequel idea now," 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell said via THR. "We haven't quite closed our deal with [Romulus director] Fede [Álvarez], but we are going to, and he has an idea that we're working on."

"The two survivors, Rain and Andy, played by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, were real highlights of the film," Asbell said of Alien: Romulus' sibling duo. "And so I always think of it like, 'Wow, where do people want to see them go next?' We know there's going to be aliens. We know there's going to be great horror set pieces. But I fell in love with both of them, and I want to see what their story is."

Pre-order Alien: Romulus from Amazon (affiliate link).

Have you seen Alien: Romulus? Are you looking forward to a sequel? Let me know in the comments below.

Tuesday 29 October 2024

Hasbro MCM Comic Con and 1027 Reveals



Our friends at Hasbro have sent over details regarding announcements at MCM Comic Con and 1027.



As a Star Wars fan, the standout is Star Wars: The Black Series Savage Opress. The fan-favourite character was introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Star Wars: The Black Series Savage Opress

(HASBRO | Ages 4 years & up | Approx. Retail Price: $33.99 | Available: Summer 2025)

Star Wars: The Black Series includes 6-inch action figures, vehicles, and roleplay items from the 40-plus-year legacy of the Star Wars Galaxy, letting fans create galactic scenes with a faithfulness to Star Wars comic books, movies, and series. This Star Wars Hasbro action figure is detailed to look like Savage Opress from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. With exquisite features and decoration, The Black Series embodies the quality and realism that Star Wars devotees love. May the Force be with you! Available for pre-order on October 28 at 1PM EST on Hasbro Pulse for Premium members and all fans beginning at 2PM EST, including fan channel retailers.

In addition at MCM Comic Con in London, the Star Wars team unveiled new additions to the Star Wars: The Black Series line including Sebulba, Luminara Unduli and Shaak Ti. The Star Wars: The Vintage Collection line will add Aurra Sing, and Lieutenant Callahan. These will be available for pre-order on Wednesday, October 30 at 1PM EST on Hasbro Pulse and fan channel retailers.

Shop Star Wars at Amazon (affiliate link).

Which Hasbro reveal at MCM London Comic Con and 1027 is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

Friday 18 October 2024

Transformers x Star Wars: The Mandalorian



Our friends at Hasbro have sent over details regarding Transformers Collaborative Star Wars: The Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter announced at New York Comic Con (NYCC).

The iconic N-1 Starfighter from STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN is now a converting TRANSFORMERS toy! Inspired by the N-1 Starfighter from the STAR WARS galaxy, this 7.5-inch figure converts from character mode to N-1 Starfighter alt mode in 37 steps. Comes with 6 blast effects that can attach in both modes, 2 blasters, and a shield and cape that convert to a display stand for the figure in N-1 Starfighter mode.

TRANSFORMERS robots have always been — More Than Meets the Eye — but now, through the TRANSFORMERS Collaborative, fans can experience these larger-than-life characters as they team-up, mash-up, and meet up with other characters, teams, and people who share this same special quality. Available for pre-order on October 17 at 10AM ET exclusively at Walmart.com for $54.97. It will be released in spring 2025.

As a fan of both Transformers and Star Wars, I can't wait to add this to my collection. It's a Walmart exclusive and is available in limited quantities on Hasbro Pulse.

Shop Star Wars at Amazon (affiliate link).

Will you be adding Transformers Collaborative Star Wars: The Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter to your collection? What Transformers x Star Wars would you like to see? Let me know in the comments below.

Wednesday 16 October 2024

James Gunn teases Krypto in Superman



Director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) took to social media to share a first look at Krypto the Superdog in his upcoming Superman movie.

“Krypto was inspired by our dog Ozu, who we adopted shortly after I started writing Superman,” Gunn wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Ozu, who came from a hoarding situation in a backyard with 60 other dogs & never knew human beings, was problematic to say the least. He immediately came in & destroyed our home, our shoes, our furniture - he even ate my laptop. It took a long time before he would even let us touch him.”

Gunn then remembers thinking, "Gosh, how difficult would life be if Ozu had superpowers?

“And thus Krypto came into the script & changed the shape of the story as Ozu was changing my life,” he continues. “What better time to debut the not-so-good-good-boy Krypto than #AdoptAShelterDog month. Btw, Ozu today, is, fairly often, a very good boy.”

Gunn's Superman flies onto cinema screens next summer.

Are you looking forward to seeing Krypto in Superman? Let me know in the comments below.

Monday 14 October 2024

The truth is out there in Silo season two



Apple TV+ has released an official trailer for Silo season two.



Read the official synopsis:

"Silo is the story of the last ten thousand people on Earth, their mile-deep home protecting them from the toxic and deadly world outside. However, no one knows when or why the silo was built and any who try to find out face fatal consequences. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette, an engineer, who seeks answers about a loved one’s murder and tumbles onto a mystery that goes far deeper than she could have ever imagined, leading her to discover that if the lies don’t kill you, the truth will."

In addition to Ferguson, Silo season two stars new addition Steve Zahn, alongside returning stars Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, Alexandria Riley, Shane McRae, Remmie Milner, Clare Perkins, Billy Postlethwaite, Rick Gomez, Caitlin Zoz, Tanya Moodie and Iain Glen.

Whereas Foundation was a shiny macOS screensaver that failed to resonate with this sci-fi fan, Silo’s a prestige drama filled with conspiracy and clawing claustrophobia, themes I’ll never tire of since The X-Files’ heyday!

Featuring a stellar cast surviving day-to-day in a detailed lived-in universe reminiscent of 10 Cloverfield Lane and Fallout, I can’t wait to discover the mysterious dark secrets of a labyrinthine Silo.

Silo season two premieres on 15th November on Apple TV+.

Are you watching Silo on Apple TV+? Are you looking forward to season two? Let me know in the comments below.