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Barker is not a horror writer per se...he is an accomplished imaginist who creates very believable worlds of which I can only stand back and admire

Absolutely, I've always thought he'd probably be a bit disappointed at being pegged as just a horror guy. He's a fantasy writer first and foremost for me, but he's such an accomplished writer that when things turn dark its incredibly effective, so the horror elements tend to be what stick with a lot of readers.

Incidentally, I've never really thought of Stephen King as a horror writer either.

Couldn't find it in the all night garage or the co-op last night, and failed again to find it in 3 WH Smiths and a couple of random newsies this morning. Bah.

Am seeing from the comments a lot of people are finding Turf too wordy, I haven't read it yet but when my mate recommended it to me he did say "the first issue is really wordy but its much better after that" so maybe worth persevering.

For easy cash in the casino there are 3 sets of bonanza machines which will pay out 5 times in a row.

And the best part is as soon as they stop paying out you can smash 'em to bits and get more cash out anyway MWAH HA HA HA.

Finished the 2nd play, and it got a lot more fun again towards the end. Didn't save all the survivors, but got the A ending. Pretty good stuff, think I might be sold on the full game now (almost).

 

despite what Jim fucking Cameron has to say, Im all for movies going the trash route with 3D (as long as they arent the ONLY ones out there)

Loved Pirahna, pretty sure Im gonna love this

Apparently its been filmed using Cameron's 3D tech, which hopefully means it'll be really good 3D, and not just a 3D effect flung on during post-processing (I'm looking at you Clash of the Titans!)

I know, I really shouldn't get excited or remotely interested by these movies, but the Milla factor is strong for me and the trailer has actually got me looking forward to it.

There's something about Milla in the rain with dual shotguns while A Perfect Circle blasts in the background that just guarantees I'll queue up for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dc5iiT0f1s

This Clint thing seems to have totally passed me by, I had no idea it was happening. I'#m guessing this is what Tharg was referring to in the prog this week. Gonna try and pick it up on my walk home tonight, as the idea of another comic anthology is appealing (and a friend has been trying to get me to read Jonathan Ross' comic for a wee while now). Interested to see if its any cop (although from comments here I gather its a mixed bag).

I haven't seen all the Farthing Wood animations but I read most of the books as a kid years before they ever made it to the screen. I'd grab them from the school library. I used to love those stories!

As for other animal based stories Watership Down is one of my favourite novels. Even as an adult. (I say 'even as', the book might have originally been written for Children but I'd say it is a very adult story in it's own way too. It can work for everyone, just as most good stories can.)

Sorry for taking this further off-topic. I'm very much looking forward to the Alien prequels. I'm wondering if we'll learn more about that future society and the other alien races that are out there. Although we mostly only see humans in the Alien films (apart from the main monsters of course) there was some suggestion that there had been first contact with other alien races. In Aliens there is that saucy discussion between the marines suggesting a bit of, erm, interspecies fraternisation. (One says something along the lines: "Yours was male." The other replies "With .... it doesn't matter." ('...'indicates that I forget the name of the people he uses.)

I also wondered how it was that Mother could decode a message from an alien beacon too. Even with high-tech future translation devices you would need some kind of reference surely? I can understand how a gifted person might learn a language if they spent time with actual people seeing their body language along with the spoken words, but to even partially translate a language that has never been encountered at all purely from sound would be impossible. That leads me to think Mother's database has files on extraterrestrial languages that have been encountered before...

Ah, but you're assuming its never been encountered before. I sometimes like to think that Weyland Yutani have dealt with this before and knew fine well what they were getting Ripley and pals into. IF, and its a MASSIVE HUGE IF you want to take the AvP movies (spit) as canon then that's certainly the case. IF you wanted to do that. Don't.

'Dread' is, in my opinion, one of the greatest horror stories ever written.

Yup. I've only read it once, about 15 years ago now, and it has never left me. I can see it working well as a film if they can recreate the...um...dread.

Personally I think pinhead and co are Barkers weakest creations...the fact that it transfers well to screen has something to do with its popularity...a lot of his better work would never make such an easy transition to the big screen

The(original)Cenobites look good on screen and Hellraiser is still a great film, not least for the total eightiesness of the heroine and step mum! The Hellbound Heart is also a superb novella (ette?) and I would argue it is one of his best stories. It's the one I've lent to people as an introduction; longer than a short story, not as intimidating as some of his more door step proportioned novels.

I gave it to a Christian friend once after we'd had a 'discussion' about the dangerous occult overtones in Harry Potter and their turning of young minds to THA DEVILE! He didn't like it. That's a true story,folks!

What was that other story about the big people monster fight thing in Eastern Europe?Was it 'In the Hills, in the Cities?'

M.

Yeah, "In The Hills, The Cities", brilliant story. Really stuck with me, it had such a strange idea and such a strange melancholy tone and it just felt incredibly....different. It left me really spaced out, don't think I've read anything like it.

Speaking of Cabal's short length, I often forget The Hellbound Heart for the same reason. That book is fantastic, I remember reading it in a oner and being blown away. Apparently he's writing a new "Pinhead" book, which seems odd to me as I seem to remember Pinhead being a girl in the book so looks like it'll be set in the world of the movies instead of the novella. This thread has made me realise I need to read more Barker very soon!

Huge Barker fan (although there's some stuff I haven't got round to reading yet) so should be getting Dread soon. Haven't actually read the short story, but the last two Books Of Blood movies have been great, even though I thought both the stories would be unfilmable. Midnight Meat Train was so nasty it made my girlfriend cry uncontrollably (cheers Clive!) and I watched Book of Blood on my own in a dark flat and it put the shits right up me.

Book-wise The Great and Secret Show/Everville were probably my favourites, but I've yet to read something Barker that I haven't loved.

Oh my. For the first half of that trailer I really expected it to be a very different movie than the splatterfest it turns into. It looks like a Troma movie, remember them?!?? Must see.

Heard so many mixed reviews on this game, love rogue trooper and all the stories that came with him, though have been unsure whether to gett he game as unsure how true to the character it is!!!:( Help, am I safe? Will my awesome image remain shiny and beautiful or tarnish from playing this game?

I reckon its a really good Rogue game, I loved it. I'd probably get it on PS2 or Xbox if you can though, the wii version is essentially the same game but with wii-mote controls and all the frustrations that brings. You should give it a pop.

Have spotted a few mentions online that now the rights to The Punisher movies have reverted from Lionsgate back to Marvel, Marvel have stated they're gonna have their own stab at a movie.

Can't say I'm too keen on this, mainly because War Zone's bad box office means it'll most likely be another fresh boot of it, which is just going to confuse people. Again.

Incidentally I loved the Tom Jane movie and thought he did a great job, was gutted he stepped down from a sequel. Think I loved War Zone more though, its closer to what I'm after and Stevenson IS Frank Castle in that movie. Got Blu-ray recently and have watched a handful of movies so far, and War Zone is easily the best looking of the bunch, I love what they did with the lighting and sets in that film.

Its a slow night at work, hence the ramble...

Olivia Thirlby Cast in Judge Dredd

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=69518

Interesting, not someone I'm familiar with which is good I guess, even if she doesn't look like the Anderson in my mind (based on a google image search that is!). She's certainly easy on the eye though. Can't actually remember her in Juno at all mind you.

Hey guys, is this available for the xbox 360? I looked briefly on Live and couldn't find it.

Yeah its on Live, only in some regions though. If you've got a UK account you should be able to grab it, only 400 points so even with the criticisms I have of it I'd say its a decent enough purchase.