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Star Wars Episode VII Cast Announced

The Official Star Wars Facebook page has just announced the full cast of the long awaited seventh episode of the Star Wars Saga, and holy Chewbacca crap is it exciting. “The Star Wars Team are thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.” (Star Wars Facebook Page) It seems that J.J. Abrams has followed through with his promise of relative ‘unknown’ actors such as ‘Girls’ star Adam Driver and Attack the Block’s John Boyega. But also brought in a veteran of ‘big scope’ cinema with Andy Serkis. I don’t know about you guys, but this announcement teamed with the set photos of AT-AT parts on location in Abu Dhabi a couple weeks ago has me extremely excited. With the screenplay written by Star Wars veteran Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams himself, as well as John Williams returning to compose the score, Star Wars: Episode VII is sure to be truly incredible sight to behold. Star Wars: Episode VII opens worldwide on December 18th 2015. (Original Here)

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Spain Train Disaster Leaves Country in Mourning (News Writing Exercise)

At least 78 people were killed after a train travelling from Madrid to Ferrel in Northern Spain derailed at high speed.

The train which was made up of thirteen carriages overturned at 8:41pm in Santiago De Compostela, Galicia leaving hundreds injured and over 78 people dead.

An official source has said that speeding could be the cause of what is one of Europe’s worst rail disasters in 25 years. “I heard an explosion and when I arrived one of the carriages was already over the road. One of the firemen said it might explode” an eyewitness said. The Spanish Government believes that the derailment was an accident. The Santiago De Compostela Festival has subsequently been cancelled due to the tragedy. (Happened 24th July 2013, Written 12th March 2014)

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Introducing Pogo: Disney Remixes and Nostalgic Blasts from the Past (For Nerdophiles February 2014)

Nick Bertke is an electronic music producer, remix artist and filmmaker from Perth, Western Australia. Now better known by his stage name Pogo, Nick composes completely new and heartwarmingly nostalgic compositions by sampling the sounds of various movies and television shows. Pogo became somewhat of an internet icon when his remix of Disney’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ simply named ‘Alice‘ became viral on YouTube in 2007. In the seven years that ‘Alice’ has been on YouTube the track has accumulated over 12 million views. “What I did with this film (Alice in Wonderland) quite literally changed my life” says Bertke in his ‘About Pogo’ video. Since ‘Alice’, Pogo has gone on to create an impressive catalogue of remixes from movies such as Pulp Fiction, Mary Poppins, the Wizard of Oz and a plethora of Disney and Pixar movies. If that wasn’t enough to wet your appetite, Pogo has also travelled around the world remixing the sights and sounds of places such as Johannesburg, Perth, and Bhutan in his ‘Remix the World’ project. In the last 24 hours Pogo released a new version of an old remix called ‘I Want…’, which samples the 1971 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. “I’ve remade the whole track from scratch to create a better sounding mix, and of course a video to go with it!” Pogo has been one of my favourite music producers since I stumbled across ‘Alice’ in 2007 when it had less than 50,000 views. His music has grown but lost none of it’s charm and childlike wonder. Do yourself a favour and get yourself addicted. http://www.pogomix.net

(Original Here)

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Official 'Mockingjay' Poster and Logo Released (For Nerdophiles January 2014)

With 302 days to go until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 hits theatres, Lionsgate have released the official poster and logo for the upcoming sensation. You might recognise the logo from the very end of Catching Fire, where the Mockingjay transforms from it’s previous poses into the blazing inferno you see here. You may also think you’ve seen this before. A talented young Tumblr user made a mock-up of this poster days after Catching Fire was released, and in true form Lionsgate have taken the fan-made poster into consideration. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is currently in post-production and will fly into theatres 21 November. (Original Here)

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James 'Uncle Phil' Avery Dies at 65 (For Nerdophiles, Janurary 2014)

He was known the world around for his portrayal of Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, but I’m sad to report that James Avery has died today at the age of 65. Avery appeared on 141 episodes of the hit 90′s series alongside Will Smith as his on-screen nephew, as well as starring in Grey’s Anatomy and Star Trek: Enterprise. His on-screen son, Alfonso Ribeiro tweeted: “He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly.” Avery’s publicist told sources that he died on Tuesday in Glendale, California, after complications from open-heart surgery. (Original Here)

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'The Time of the Doctor', Say Goodbye to the Raggedy Man (For Nerdophiles, December 2013)

Everything has been building up to this moment: The Doctor’s last hurrah. He’s out of regenerations and he’s destined to end up in Trenzalore – the planet that will play host to the Doctor’s final resting place. I’m going to preface this by saying that I am one of two Token Brits that write for Nerdophiles. Because of this, my affinity for Doctor Who runs deep within my terribly English veins. Doctor Who has played a part in my life for years, and Eleven (Matt Smith) has been arguably one of the very best Doctors that we’ve ever seen. The episode is a slow burner, with the Doctor juggling cooking a Christmas turkey with Clara to saving the population of a town called Christmas, as well as facing his own mortality and the potential that his home planet, Gallifrey is still out there. Time of the Doctor showcases Matt Smith’s range within the role. From crazy naked (yes ladies, naked) capers with Clara and her family, to facing the very real consequences of his residence within the town of Christmas and the war that is slowly marching towards his doorstep. He is aware of his limitations, and focuses on what he can do before his time is truly up and the war that rips Trenzalore apart takes it’s final victim. Of course in true Doctor Who tradition there are twists and turns along the way. Silence falls, but not how we thought it would. MOFFAT! Matt Smith’s final moments as the Doctor were truly beautiful (and utterly hysteria-inducing), rivaling that of Tennant’s “I don’t want to go”. The actual regeneration was short and sweet just as it needed to be to give newbie Peter Capaldi a nice 30 seconds of screen time. It’s too early to form an opinion of the Twelfth Doctor, but his time to shine is just around the corner. So for now… Goodbye Raggedy Man, you’ll be sorely missed. (Original Here)

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Confusing New Addition to 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay' Cast (For Nerdophiles, December 2013)

Over the past few months, fans of the Hunger Games series have been receiving casting information for the remaining characters who will debut in Mockingjay. However, today’s news has given us an entirely new character never seen in the book in the form of Prison Break’s Robert Knepper as Antonius. Who is he? Hunger Games blogger Crystal posted on Mockingjay.net: “If you’re scratching your head wondering who Antonius is, we are too! Give us your thoughts! He looks rather sinister, so maybe he’s part of the Capitol?” It has now been reported that Antonius is President Snow’s minister, and will probably play a similar role to Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Plutarch Heavensbee from Catching Fire – A gamemaker role heading up that war that unfolds in Mockingjay. Giving a POV from the Capitol’s point of view. It seems from this that director Francis Lawrence has decided to take a storytelling approach to the Mockingjay films. We’ll have to wait and see. (Original Here)

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Fresh Water Discovered On Mars (For Nerdophiles, December 12th)

NASA’s Curiosity Rover has been roaming around Mars for nearly two years now, and it’s been reported today that it’s just found some fresh water. Curiosity’s mission has been to assess whether or not Mars is or ever was habitable for microbial life, and the latest information from NASA confirms that – yes – it was. It seems from the lengthy reports that have been provided that the Red Planet used to be quite a lot more like our home planet than we thought. Curiosity found an ancient lake not too far from it’s landing site in Gale Crater not so long ago. After months of speculation and analysis, Curiosity has confirmed that there was once enough water to generate clay minerals… 4 billion years ago. “This is really similar to an Earth environment,” said John Grotzinger, the chief scientist of the Curiosity Rover mission. “If you have it sustained for a while, life can be there and do something and persist”. The $2.5 billion science laboratory still has another 200 or so days left on it’s mission, and we’re sure to hear more about Mars’ ancient history in the near future. For more information, visit Curiosity at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/ (Original Here)

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The Year of the Selfie

The Oxford Dictionary has named the word ‘Selfie’ as its word of the year, closely followed by ‘Twerk’ and ‘Binge-Watch’. It seems that 2013 has definitely been the year that pop culture took over the world, with everyone from all over the world harnessing the power of the camera phone to take snaps of themselves and share them on the internet. Even celebrities and world leaders and NASA’s Curiosity Rover have taken to their cameras to post pictures of their mugs for the world to see.

Apps like Instagram and Vine have boosted the power of the selfie with nearly 200 million users between them. Selfies have also been used as evidence in courtrooms around the world, convicting criminals like the teen who took a selfie with her accomplice donned in balaclavas before robbing a burger restaurant earlier this year. Of course the word ‘selfie’ has been thrown around for years, with it’s earliest mentions online in 2004. From there it has only gained momentum propelling it into the mainstream media and public consciousness. “Social media sites helped to popularise the term, with the hashtag #selfie appearing on the photo-sharing website Flickr as early as 2004, but usage wasn’t widespread until around 2012, when selfie was being used more commonly in mainstream media.” said Judy Pearsall, the editorial director of the Oxford Dictionary. It seems important to mention that this is a perfect example of the power us normal internet-wielding folk have. Everything we do online can influence the world around us. If you took a selfie this year (and why kid yourself? You totally did), or even shared Amanda Bynes’ train-wreck self portraits; you helped to influence Oxford Dictionary’s decision. So go you! Who knows what 2014 has in store for popular culture. But I for one cannot wait to see what’s next. (December 12th 2013)

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Millenium Falcon docks at Pinewood Studios

The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy has reportedly docked in London’s Pinewood Studios awaiting the cast and crew of Star Wars VII.

Disney have been playing their cards very close to their chest when it comes to Star Wars news, only giving us confirmation that tiny fan favourite R2-D2 would appear in the new trilogy. But it seems that the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs will be gracing our screens once more. Apparently Yahoo! is claiming that a full-scale Millennium Falcon has been built with a full interior ready for filming the next 3 Star Wars movies. “A full-scale 1:1 Millennium Falcon has been built as well as the interiors of the ship for filming. The Falcon is done – inside and out. The sets were built off-site, ready to move when Lucasfilm/Bad Robot were ready to move into Pinewood.” The return of the Falcon could also suggest its captain’s return, but whenever Harrison Ford has been asked about his reprisal of Han Solo for the next chapter in the Star Wars Saga, he’s been awfully coy about the idea. Star Wars: Episode VII will fly into theatres 18th December 2015 (December 10th, 2013)

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Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Book Review

It’s been six months since Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark survived the 74th annual Hunger Games, an accomplishment that was never meant to happen. Katniss’ defiance within the arena has sparked rumblings of rebellion against the Capitol within the Districts. President Snow doesn’t want Katniss to become – to quote the movie – “a symbol of hope for them”, so he must keep her contained. How will he do that, you ask? Put them back into the arena of course. Catching Fire is sequel to Suzanne Collins’ 2008 bestseller ‘The Hunger Games”, a dystopian novel discussing the nature of abject poverty and the fight for survival in a world where the odds aren’t in one’s favour. As well as the ruthlessness of a corrupt government, the ideas of rebellion, corruption and war. For Young Adult novels, the Hunger Games series delves into some pretty dark ideas but pulls them off breathtakingly. Collins never sugar coats or talks down to her audience, and that’s incredibly refreshing. Collins has really achieved something that not many writers can. She has produced a sequel that is bigger, better and digs deeper than its predecessor. There is wonderful character development that as a reader actually made me feel for these people, as well as the sense that the story is really taking us somewhere… bigger. You can tell right from page one that the stakes have been raised in Catching Fire, it feels at it’s very core much more mature. Katniss has provided the people of Panem exactly what they need to fight back, and the weight of what she is burdened with stays with her throughout the novel (and beyond). As a character she is much more aware in this book, she understands that she stands for something much bigger. She is a leader and with that comes hard choices that she must make. To put it as a cliché: she really goes on an emotional roller coaster that keeps gaining more and more momentum until the very last singular tear hits the page. It’s no wonder that this series has become so popular, and is now a multi-million dollar film franchise. Sure, it’s a story people have heard before but truly not like this. If you’ve seen the movies but not read the books, I implore you to. For a book series aimed at the Young Adult market, The Hunger Games series transcends the Twilight stigma. Read These Books.

(December 10th, 2013)

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The Rise of Nerd-Dom

It seems that nowadays the definition of the words ‘nerd’ and ‘geek’ have changed. These two four letter words that were once used to disarm and belittle the smart, obsessive and oftentimes socially awkward are now worn as badges of pride. I’m a nerd ladies and gentleman, and I’m proud of it. The Oxford dictionary defines the word ‘nerd’ as “a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious”. I think it’s about time that the definition was changed, don’t you? The term ‘nerd’ is now used as an identifier for a mass of people who enjoy anything from comic books to iPads. From the late Steve Jobs, an applauded visionary and pioneer of the modern age, to actors like Natalie Portman. We now live in a world where being a nerd is praised and applauded, which only encourages more and more people to admit to their own nerdy obsessions. We’ve even come to a point where geeks and nerds will happily make fun of themselves:

Over the past few years, ‘nerd culture’ has carved its way into modern popular culture, fashion and everyday small talk. Television shows like Doctor Who, Breaking Bad and Sherlock, as well as movies like Star Trek and the Avengers series has unlocked a door to a world of ‘nerd-dom’ that everyone can enjoy. A world that has now turned the tables, disarming the bullies that used to call the smart and awkward these now treasured identifiers of power. Oversized, thick-rimmed spectacles and ironic nerdy fashion trends have gone from a mean-spirited stereotype and emerged as the forefront of fashion. And get this – Comic-Con is no longer a dingy basement full of comic books and thirty-somethings who still live with Mother. It’s a hallowed hall where anyone from any walk of life can come and celebrate nerd culture at it’s very finest. A hallowed hall of everything whole-heartedly nerdy. Wether you were forced to watch Game of Thrones because of the hype and fell in love, or you’ve been reading the Amazing Spiderman comics since you were knee-high to a grasshopper. Nerd-dom has taken over the world as we know it. (December 11th 2013)