Friday, April 8, 2011

[New post] Doctor Who and The Foe From the Future

Doctor Who and The Foe From the Future

After a long period of ignorance on the line of audio adventures, I have become deeply embedded in the Big Finish Productions of Doctor Who. The line has centered on four of the classic Doctors, the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker), the Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and the Eight Doctor (Paul McGann). Actor Tom Baker had avoided renewing his association with the role that had made him a household name until last year when he recorded Hornet's Nest and Demon Quest for the BBC.

More recently, Big Finish has announced that Baker has agreed to star in two series of audio adventures. There have been few details of what to expect until today when the title of the first release was revealed as 'The Foe From the Future,' an abandoned script from 1977 written by Robert Banks Stewart.

Stewart had already delivered two knock-out scripts for Terror of the Zygons and The Seeds of Doom, both atmospheric and exciting dramas heavily influenced by story folklore and Nigel Kneale's Quatermass serials. Commissioned by Robert Holmes to provide the series finale, The Foe From the Future was planned to tie to the Doctor to the legend of Jack the Ripper. When Banks proved unavailable, Holmes took elements from the idea and adapted them into Talons of Weng Chiang.

(News via TardisNewsroom)

Doctor Who - Tom Baker

January 2012 sees the release of Doctor Who: The Lost Stories – The Fourth Doctor Box Set, and we're able to reveal details of one of the two stories in the five-disc package.

The six-part The Foe From the Future by Robert Banks Stewart has been adapted for audio by John Dorney, and will be recorded as a full cast drama with Tom Baker as the Doctor and Louise Jameson as Leela. The serial was planned for TV broadcast in 1977, and development was well underway when Stewart was offered a job with ITV. Regretfully he was forced to abandon work on the story, which was ultimately replaced byThe Talons of Weng-Chiang.

"The Foe from the Future was one of those Doctor Who storylines that somehow got away," says Robert Banks Stewart. "It's great news that Big Finish are going to recapture the yarn with an audio production."

John Dorney's adaptation authentically re-creates the tone of the era, as the Doctor and Leela arrive in the present day Earth of 1977, where ghostly figures are appearing…

The Fourth Doctor Box Set is available to pre-order, either individually or as a bundle with the two Fourth Doctor Adventures series.

(more details on Robert Banks Stewart's story from '77 can be found at A Brief History of Time Travel)

Available for purchase:

Doctor Who: Hornets' Nest - The Complete Series

Doctor Who: Demon Quest: Five Exclusive Audio Adventures

Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang

Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom

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[New post] Batman: Brave and the Bold: Bat-Mite Presents Batman's Strangest Cases

Batman: Brave and the Bold: Bat-Mite Presents Batman's Strangest Cases

The final season of Batman: The Brave and the Bold is apparently pulling out all stops. Bat-Mite Presents Batman's Strangest Cases offered up three different versions of the Caped Crusader that, to the long-term fan, are more than familiar.

The episode begins with the classic Mad Magazine version, based directly on an actual strip from the glory days of the much-loved mag. Bat-Boy and Ruben pokes fun at nearly every facet of the Bat-mythos from the dark knight detective's endless array of gadgets to his goofy villains. With no other point of reference that this was going to be an out of the ordinary episode, I wondered if someone had slipped something into my tea when I wasn't looking!
Mad Magazine
watch?v=WnQONUjdUCg
After Bat-Mite arrives and sets the stage, it becomes clear that we are in for something unique. Batman's biggest fan from the fifth dimension offers up wildly different versions of the much-loved hero, each one more absurd than the last.

The second part is based on the Bat-Manga, recently collected in a volume wrapped in a lovely Chip Kidd-designed cover. The style and logic are very reminiscent of Speed Racer and Gigantor... only zanier.
Bat-Manga
watch?v=pM-GbM0b0V4
The final and perhaps most startling portion of the episode is based on the character's frequent appearances on the Scooby Doo series back in the 1970's. I recall as a kid I was obsessed with Batman, an avid viewer of the Adam West series and owner of various products from Halloween costumes to bubble guns and action figures. Whenever I glimpsed my hero on Scooby Doo I would be instantly excited until I realized that Batman was apparently struck by a condition preventing him from moving aside from sequences when he would raise a hand or dash across the screen.

The Brave and the Bold segment captured every flawed detail from the 'off' voice to the aforementioned bad animation and even included an homage to the Super Friends host segments. The limitation on violence in Scooby Doo is even addressed and overcome, thanks to Bat-Mite's magical abilities!
Batman and Scooby Doo
watch?v=TvQYfM-M2fU

I've said it before and will say it again... if you are not watching this series you are missing out!

Other available products:

Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan

Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Season One, Part One

Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Season One, Part Two

Batman Masterpiece Edition: The Caped Crusader's Golden Age

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[New post] Doctor Who Big Finish- Storm Warning

Doctor Who Big Finish- Storm Warning

Storm Warning


"You're a very persuasive fellow- I'd have you on staff... if you weren't being shot."

Story 16 Written by Alan Barnes
Released January 2001

The first Big Finish production featuring Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor, Storm Warning is the initial step in constructing an ambitious legacy. As is well-known, McGann's Doctor was only featured in the pilot TV Movie co-production in 1996. There are many opinions on this film and its success or failure, but what nearly everyone agrees upon is the inspired casting of Paul McGann as the Doctor. The most handsome and romantically inclined version of the character to date, much of the planned direction of the new Doctor was left on the cutting room floor as the pilot failed to attract a strong enough following in the US (scheduled against the final episode of the popular sitcom Rosanne, this was hardly a surprise). The Eighth Doctor had already received copious material in two mediums, the original novels published by BBC Books and the long-running comic strip in Doctor Who Magazine. But neither of these adaptations of the Doctor used the actor Paul McGann who had lent so much personality to the program.

Storm Warning is greatly assisted by Alan Barnes' script and its understanding of Doctor No. 8. As the writer of the Eighth Doctor's adventures in Doctor Who Magazine over five years, he had taken what was initially a shell of a character into a fully fleshed-out incarnation of the Time Lord's latest persona.

Storm Warning finds the Doctor apparently in the same place we left him in the final scene of the TV Movie, puttering about the TARDIS. He is shaken from his reverie as his craft is caught in the wake of another time ship's explosion in the Vortex. To add to the frenzy of activity, a swarm of flying predators called vortisaurs arrives, forcing the Doctor to land. He soon finds himself on the doomed airship R-101 and in typical Doctor Who fashion, all is not what it seems.

The adventure introduces a new companion, the brave and sassy Charley Pollard who is out in the world looking for danger and excitement only to collide head first with the Doctor. India Fisher makes for a sparkling addition to the long list of companions and matches the Eight Doctor's enthusiasm for action and his romantic sensitivity as well. Another welcome cast member is Blake's 7 alum Gareth Thomas as the blustering Lord Tamworth who proves to be far more complicated than the two-dimensional caricature he appears to be at first.

Art by Lee Sullivan

Discovered on the maiden voyage of the R-101, the Doctor is hardly welcome. Thinking quickly, he conjures up a hastily constructed cover story of being a German spy and even attempts a broad accent. This apparently does the trick as nearly everyone buys the story, especially since a mere stow away would have been shot while a political spy would demand more complicated treatment.

The Doctor is mostly concerned with tracking down and taming the rogue vortisor that followed him from the Time Vortex while maintaining the web of time and not getting involved in an historical disaster, but there are far more interesting things afoot aboard the airship, chiefly the mystery surrounding a special passenger restricted to his (?) quarters. Uncovering the identity of the passenger reveals that the Lord Tamworth's presence isn't just to provide a loud British presence to the journey, but to represent to the Crown on a special mission.

I won't dwell too much on the 'meat' of the story to save the surprises for anyone who has not listened to this one, but it has so many more levels and provides opportunities for the entire cast to stretch and grow in the four installments (I still can't figure out why these stories are separated with opening and closing music as I am listening to it at home rather than experiencing it as a transmitted piece, but never mind. I suppose it helps to carry the 'mystique' of the program and as this is generally regarded as 'series 27' following the McCoy era, it is perfectly sensible.

As I have said before, I had refrained from dipping into the Big Finish audio adventures for some time simply because I thought it a poor substitute for the 'real thing.' However, the more that I listen to these productions, the more I am impressed that the Big Finish team have a deeper understanding of the Doctor Who mythos than I at first imagined. All of the magic and intelligence of classic Doctor Who is present in these tales so if you are a fan of the old stuff, dig in!

Doctor Who – Storm Warning can be purchased at local retailers and online from Big Finish.

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Latest articles from Retro To Go

Latest articles from Retro To Go


1960s-style Mika swivel chair at DFS

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:52 PM PDT

Mika

Not a company we feature often, but we've just stumbled across this eye-catching Mika swivel chair at DFS, which is packed with 1960s charm.

It's a 'Bond villain' chair for sure, a big chunky affair in leather and not just in 'chalk white' - there are 29 shades to choose from. Also love the hugh buttoned back and metallic swivel base, perfect for sitting and stroking our villainous cat.

It's half price right now, selling online for £598.

Find out more at the DFS website

Midcentury-inspired Linea Grace armchair at House of Fraser

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:39 PM PDT

Grace

Yes, it's another retro-inspired gem from the current House of Fraser range, specifically the Linea Grace armchair.

This time, we're in the world of the single seat, this being a mini wing chair if you like, with a flared back and slightly angled arms, as well as a buttoned back, stained and angled conical legs, plus a wood subtract frame and traditional webbed seat platform. All of that is finished in what is described as an 'aubergine' fabric.

Like most of the furniture at House of Fraser, this midcentury gem is discounted right now, down from £399 to a current price of £299.

Find out more at the House of Fraser website

eBay watch: 1980s clock and flip calendar

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:24 PM PDT

Perspex

It doesn't seem to have a brand attached to it, but this 1980s clock and flip calendar is both appealing and very useful.

The clock face is apparently made of black plastic, doing hours, minutes and seconds, as well as offering an alarm function. The flip calendar is…well, a flip calendar, as you would expect, sat alongside the clock and clad in that perspex casing.

The alarm clock is apparently in good condition and in full working order, with 'a few faint age related marks and scratches' on the Perspex casing. It also runs on a single AA battery. Right now, the price is at 99p.

Find out more at the eBay website

Fila Tie Break 2 Track Jacket

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 08:46 AM PDT

Tie1

A 1980s classic and back in limited numbers - the Fila Tie Break 2 Track Jacket.

Beloved of both Borg and McEnroe back in the day (not to mention on the terraces), the tennis-based track top comes with those contrasty panels, the Fila 'F' logo, stripes detail for collar and cuffs plus a logo zip pull.

Get one while you can, £65 is the price. See the other colour option over the page.

Find out more at the End Clothing website

Tie2

Furniture & Interiors of the 1960s by Anne Bony

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 08:20 AM PDT

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Furniture & Interiors of the 1960s by Anne Bony is another great book to have on your Formica coffee table.

The book looks at that most radical of decades, where designers experimented with plastics, and inflatable furniture was mixed with Victorian influences. Featuring 300 key designs, by the likes of Eames and Harry Bertoia, the book offers a great insight into the bold designs of the period, as well as some great photographs to feast your eyes upon.

Buy it online from Amazon for £28.

Cappellini & Walt Disney Ribbon Stool

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 08:10 AM PDT

58004251oc_12_f 
The Ribbon Stool is one of Cappellini's best-known products, but that doesn't mean it is above being tampered with.

As part of the collaboration between Cappellini and the Walt Disney Company, the stool has been given a limited edition twist. It has been updated with the iconic Walt Disney Signature Mouse as a backrest. It is available in two sizes, a high stool in yellow (limited to 199 pieces) or a low version in red (an edition of 399).

The high stool costs £701 and the low stool £469 from Yoox.

Ok, so how about a Retro To Go Weekender event? Read on...

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 06:54 AM PDT

Royston

I have mentioned this previously, as well as more recently across the social networks. But I think it is time to start looking at a Retro To Go Weekender. Interested? Read on…

The idea of a weekender came last summer, we were at a quiet seaside place with a vintage feel (Llandudno, for the record), thinking how great it would be to organise something with a retro/vintage twist either in a city or at an interesting seaside location. So we've been doing some thinking.

So far, we've thought it would work if it was small, interesting and very people-focused. Essentially, it would be about filling your weekend with interesting pastimes and meeting interesting people.

One idea was (for example) an initial Manchester event, which would involve a Saturday daytime meet-up (tea and cakes, music, possibly some shopping), followed  by a retro-themed club night at a decent venue. Sunday could be a walk / tour - or a screening of a cult movie, depending on interest. Then off home and back to your 9 to 5. A seaside jaunt would obviously involve more ice cream, deck chairs and fish 'n' chips, possibly a vintage bus too.

You get the idea. But before we start planning, we want your input, your ideas and an idea if you would be interested. Nothing has been planned yet, that would be down to how many were genuinely interested.

So let us know, either via the Facebook page, the Twitter page, comments under this article or simply, by dropping us an email with your thoughts. It's not going to be a profit-making adventure, nor is it about doing something in competition with other events. It's about doing something interesting and fun over a various weekends.

Uniqlo x Cath Kidston charity project floral printed t-shirts

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 05:44 AM PDT

Kidston

Not just for your home, you can wear Cath Kidston on your back and without much of an outlay with these Uniqlo x Cath Kidston charity project floral printed t-shirts.

Now available as a third collection, (although some of collection one and two are available), the t-shirts are a mix of round and v-beck designs, all with trademark Kidston patterns, finished off with a 'bleached antique look'.

Proceeds go to charities in both Japan and Africa, with the t-shirts available for £12.99 each or as a two for £19.99 deal. Ideal for the sunny weather.

Find out more at the Uniqlo website

V&A Feldman 1950s textile design oven glove

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 04:03 AM PDT

Feldman
More 1950s designs taken from the V&A's extensive archive and applied to new products, in this case an oven glove based on a 1950s Feldman textile.

The pattern was designed by J. Feldman and then produced by David Whitehead Ltd in 1954, originally as a roller printed rayon. The design screams the early '50s with its atomic influenced pattern, an example of the type of textile pattern that came out of the Festival of Britain and are proving to be so popular again in 2011. 

The V&A have used it on a number of cotton kitchen accessories, also including an oven mit and a tea towel. This oven glove costs £10. 

See them online

Deco-style Zeta lamp by Pied a Terre

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 03:55 AM PDT

Zeta lamp
We've featured quite a few space age lighting designs this week. For lighting that looks to another era and another style, take a look at this Zeta lamp by Pied a Terre

It's a unusual table lamp that apparently draws inspiration from the Art Deco era and it's certainly a glamorous object, full of angles and reflective surfaces that are typical of that style. However, I can't help feeling that their take on Deco has been filtered through '70s design too. The mixture of chrome and smoked acrylic rods used in the lamp reminds me of another glamorous style - seventies disco.

Whatever your take on the lamp, it costs £120.

Buy it from House of Fraser

Hippy halter-neck dress from French Connection

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 01:32 AM PDT

   71GM5 With the recent warm weather it seems every next person is already dressed for summer with sunglasses and bare legs. Embrace the sun with this cotton hippy halter-neck dress from French Connection.

The colours are bold but the gingham pattern is flattering and is the perfect partner for a floppy sun hat and tan sandles in the park or on the beach.

The halter-neck part is a self-tie bow and the dress is fully lined with a fixed band at the waist and zip on the back. Get yours for £92 from French Connection

Glass cake stand by Laura Ashley

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 01:18 AM PDT

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Forget expensive afternoon tea at a hotel or restaurant, and step back to the 1950s and throw your own with this elegant cream glass cake stand by Laura Ashley.

It's so delicate you'll need to behave in a very dainty manner around it and it's craving some square cucumber sandwiches and minature-sized cakes and pastries. You won't have escaped the Royal Wedding fever being pushed from every direction, so why not embrace it and throw your own cake party with this regal cake stand.

It's everything you need to complete your tea party needs and only £28 from Laura Ashley online.

Atari's Greatest Hits app - 100 classic arcade games for the iPhone and iPad

Posted: 07 Apr 2011 12:55 AM PDT

Atari

Vintage gamers rejoice - your spare time is about to be sucked up with arrive of Atari's Greatest Hits for Apple's iPhone and iPad.

Not just one or two games - there are 100 available as part of this release. The app is free to download, but you only get the framework and an introductory game of Pong for that. If you want the rest of the games, you'll have to buy in-app, four packs costing 59p or all 100 cabinet / Atari 2600 games for £8.99. For that, you get the original artwork for each game, plus an authentic cabinet to play in.

Some of the games are Bluetooth-compatible too, so you can play with your mates wirelessly (as long as they've picked up the app too). See over the page for the full list of available games, with the app and games available now from the Apple app store.

Find out more at the iTunes website

Full list of games:

Asteroid Pack
1. Asteroid
2. Asteroid Deluxe
3. Asteroids 2600
4. Canyon Bomber – Bluetooth Multiplayer

Battlezone Pack
1. Battlezone
2. Red Baron
3. Air-Sea Battle – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Submarine Commander

Centipede Pack
1. Centipede
2. Millipede
3. Centipede 2600
4. Millipede 2600

Black Widow Pack
1. Black Widow
2. Space Duel – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Desert Falcon
4. Space War

Crystal Castles Pack
1. Crystal Castles
2. Crystal Castls 2600
3. Surround – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Maze Craze

Gravitar Pack
1. Gravitar
2. Gravitar 2600
3. Radar Lock
4. Demons to Diamonds – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER

Star Raiders Pack
1. Star Raiders
2. Liberator
3. Star Ship – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Human Cannonball

Missile Command Pack
1. Missile Command
2. Missile Command 2600
3. Fun with Numbers
4. Flag Capture - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER

Lunar Lader Pack
1. Lunar Lander
2. Sky diver - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Video Pinball
4. Code Breaker

Super Breakout Pack
1. Super Breakout
2. Breakout - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Off – the - Wall
4. Circus Atari - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER

Tempest Pack
1. Tempest – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Tempest 2600 – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Outlaw
4. Atari Video Cube

Majar Havoc Pack
1. Major Havoc
2. Secret Quest
3. Sentinel
4. Yars Revenge – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER

Warlords Pack
1. Warlords - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Warlords 2600
3. Combat - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Combat 2 - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER

Adventure Pack
1. Adventure
2. Haunted House
3. Return to Haunted House
4. Save Mary

Tic-Tac-Toe Pack
1. 3d Tic-Tac-Toe
2. A game of concentration
3. Backgammon
4. Brain Games

Fatal Run Pack
1. Fatal Run
2. Dodge 'Em
3. Night Driver
4. Street Racer – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER

Quadrun Pack
1. Quadrun
2. Slot Racers – BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Stellar Track
4. Math Gran Prix

Casino Pack
1. Casino - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Slot Machine
3. Video Checkers
4. Video Chess

Sword Quest Pack
1. Swordquest Earthworld
2. Swordquest Fireworld
3. Swordquest Waterworld
4. Sprintmaster

Championship Soccer Pack
1. Championship Soccer - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Golf
3. Double Dunk
4. Basketball

Football Pack
1. Football - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Home Run
3. Miniature Golf
4. Bowling

Real Sports Basketball Pack
1. Realsports Basketball - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Realsports Boxing - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Realsports Tennis - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Realsports Baseball - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER

Real Sports Football Pack
1. Realsports Football - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
2. Realsports Soccer - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
3. Realsports Vollyball - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER
4. Video Olympics - BLUETOOTH MULTIPLAYER

Battlezone Pack
1. Battlezone 2600
2. Super Breakout 2600
3. Super Baseball
4. Super Football

Hangman Pack
1. Hangman
2. Black Jack
3. Steeplechase

Don't Be So Quick to Overlook the Maserati Grecale Folgore

If the GranTurismo Folgore is a guide, this Grecale Folgore could be surprisingly competitive. The EV GT was one of the year's best surp...