Meg - Finally Coming To A Cinema Near Us Soon?

As with Jurassic Park IV (thank Thor that itch is now scratched), I've waited a hell of a long time for news about Meg. 

Karen Carr CC

In 2006 I read Steve Alten's "Meg". It was a reasonably fun take on the idea that prehistoric marine animals (especially megalodons, giant sharks for the unaware) continue to survive deep within the Marinas Trench and on what happens if one finds its way to the surface. Even then there was talk of "Soon To Be A Major Movie". So I started looking forward to it. Well... it's been a long time in development hell (since 1997 in fact!!). In that time Alten has written several sequel novels. 

So it was with some scepticism that I first heard this year that production was now, finally, moving ahead with a release date set for 2018.

Starring Jason Statham and Jessica McNamee, it is being produced by Warner Bros. (it could be worse, it could be Sony!) and directed by Eli Roth (I actually like Cabin Fever and The Hostel so who knows how this'll turn out). 

It's time to start getting excited about ginormous sharks!! 

A Christmas Carol: 2010 Xmas Doctor Who Special

It just wouldn't be Christmas Day without a Doctor Who special! I imagine in a hundred years it'll be as much a part of the Christmas holiday as the Christmas tree and mince pies are today. Alright, a boy can dream can't he?

I was only saying to my better half today, whilst watching Scrooged, that A Christmas Carol must be the most adapted novel in all of history. So there was a big concern that Doctor Who's take on it might be dry, boring and old hat. Surely there's only so many ways to tell a story, after all. Yet I felt that this episode took the heart of the traditional Dickens story, and put a wonderful twist on it meaning it seemed fresh, and unpredictable.

I particularly liked the fact that as Kazran Sardick (this episode's Scrooge) was changed through the "Ghosts" process, there were unintended consequences blending the best of the old with the best timey-wimeyness one can expect from Doctor Who.

The acting was initially worrying but got stronger and stronger as the episode went on, the flying fish were an excellently alien but still charmingly kitsch addition and the flying shark was basically added just to please me. Surely a flying shark in a Christmas themed Doctor Who episode is as close to realising my ultimate dream as there can be?

The romantic/depressing subplot was played out with an unfamiliar subtlety. Whereas Russell T. Davies would have bashed us round the head with it, here it was allowed to just be and was all the more touching and upsetting for it.

And, as someone who hasn't particularly warmed to the Eleventh Doctor during the fifth/two hundredth and ninty first/twelth series of Doctor Who, I was mightily impressed by Matt Smith's performance and finally feel like I can accept him as our favourite Time Lord.

All in all an absolutely top notch episode of modern Doctor Who with the series 6/five million/-5 trailer looking totally epic!

Another Shark Movie... With A Controversial Budget

After yesterday's shark post, I've found another upcoming shark movie. This time it comes from Australia and looks absolutely awesome based on the trailer.



Part of this awesome factor might be because this 3D movie is receiving state funding. And that's proving controversial given the portrayal of sharks as killing machines when they are far more at risk from us than we are from them. Read more here.

Upcoming Features: Sharks

Thanks to Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus, we've got a lot of shark related movies coming up. As a fan of Jaws, and of sharks in general, this can only be a good thing. As long as they are better than Dinoshark anyway...

First up is the eagerly awaited Sharktopus and the B-movie lover in me got very excited after seeing this trailer:



Then next we have the less than inspiring Super Shark (it can fly... hmm...)



And finally, actually looking quite good, we have a Jaws tribute with a twist: Swamp Shark



I think Swamp Shark might just be my most eagerly awaited monster movie for the next few months... :)