1ST FULL TRAILER: 2017's GHOST IN THE SHELL!

With Marvel Studios' hugely successful DOCTOR STRANGE comic adaptation now in the rear-view mirror, it feels like there's some room for Paramount to unveil the trailer for their highly-anticipated GHOST IN THE SHELL live-action movie.

Starring Scarlett Johansson, plus Juliette Binoche and Takeshi Kitano, GHOST IN THE SHELL already has a built-in cult following from the acclaimed manga comics and numerous animated movies. Indeed, it is hoped to be a huge break-out movie, following as it does, in the wake of two notable Johansson indie sci-fi films ( LUCY, and UNDER THE SKIN ) plus her ongoing and very popular appearances as Black Widow in MARVEL'S AVENGERS franchise juggernaut.

That it is the first major comic-book movie in the current era that is not from either Marvel or DC, can only heighten the anticipation, while at the same time capitalising on the seemingly-endless contemporary demand for adapted comic properties.

Ghost In The Shell opens on March 31st, 2017.

TRAILER

FALL / WINTER 2016!

Hang in there folks, we will be back!

'FUTURE-ROCKER GAL' by Axel Ki, June 2016 remix

NEW SCANDROID ALBUM IMMINENT!

The greatest 80s Synth-Rock band that never existed is about to release its debut album!

One of the many brainchildren of production mastermind Klayton ( who is also Circle of Dust, Argyle Park and of course, the legendary Celldweller ), Scandroid are the spiritual gene-splice of New Romantic pop stars Duran Duran and William Gibson's Neuromancer.

The album features 15 tracks of ridiculously catchy cyber-rock, ideal for those late nights when you've got Near Dark, Bladerunner or Akira on subtitles and you want a more rockin' soundtrack to go with the visuals.




''The debut, self-titled Scandroid album features 15 tracks, ranging from the driving instrumental energy of "Destination Unknown," to melodic vocal tracks like "Awakening With You," "Aphelion," and "Neo-Tokyo," rounded out with the cinematic epics "2517" & "Singularity." As a child of the 80's, Klayton has also included a cover of the classic Tears For Fears song "Shout," that he has been patiently waiting to cover since he first heard the song on U.S. radio in 1985. The digital album concludes with a bonus remix from synthwave artist Waveshaper. The 72 minute album depicts themes of a cyberpunk future where humans and sentient robots struggle to find a connection in their dystopian world.''

The album is out on November 11th, with an early-bird release the day before, via the label website ( see below ).

'THE ULTIMATE IN RETRO-TECH'

Yes, for Eighties completists, you can also experience the album via the extremely convenient cassette format!

Available as a strictly limited edition.

This and many other collectables are available at FIXTSTORE.

PRETTY HATE MACHINE: 25 TODAY!

NINE INCH NAILS classic debut album was released on this day, 25 years ago. 

At the time something of an indie sleeper hit, composer / musician Trent Reznor's album grew in momentum over a period of months and years, eventually achieving Gold status ( 500,000 copies in the US ) in 1992.

By that time, it's aggression, angst and introversion was perfectly synched with the grunge wave that took over 90's rock culture, simultaneously making industrial music palatable to the mainstream, with acts following in NIN's wake such as Stabbing Westward, Filter and Orgy.

Pretty Hate Machine was certified Triple Platinum in the US ( 3,000,000 copies sold ) in 2003. 

After being out of print for several years due to legal wrangles with original label TVT, Pretty Hate Machine was re-released in remastered form in 2010.

SEE ALSO:

Pretty Hate Machine - Official NIN page

Pretty Hate Machine - Wikipedia page

NIN PHM 2010:

LATE SUMMER TUNES

While we chase up interviews and compile the next edition, check out these great vids and tunes that we've been listening to lately.

DEADPOOL'S TIM MILLER DIRECTS THE DC UNIVERSE!

Relax, these amazing short clips ( see below ) were made several years ago by Blur Studios for DC/Warners, but have now recently become part of cinematic history because they put Tim Miller in the director's chair for this year's Deadpool movie. 

Below: The Flash, by Blur Studios. Dir: Tim Miller

Executives working with X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn had seen these clips, and wisely decided Miller should direct his own movie. Having no track record with mega-budget films, he was handed the Deadpool gig by Fox because of the film's smaller budget, and therefore scaled-down expectations. 

Deadpool was cinematic lightning-in-a-bottle: With loyal fan support, a sustained and rather genius marketing campaign, plus a sympathetic release date ( there had been no superhero movies for six months prior to its opening ), it was in the right place at the right time. Add to that, the surge of goodwill towards actor Ryan Reynolds' efforts in getting his pet project made, and it was almost inevitable that Deadpool went on the become a mega-hit, and the biggest-grossing X-Men related movie to date.

So let's kick back and enjoy these clips...and ponder how the DC Cinematic Universe will shape up. Particularly notable is Wonder Woman ( in the first clip ). We are effectively given a tantalising glimpse of what her own movie may look like, now that the dust has settled on her electrifying debut in the recent Zack Snyder-directed Batman vs Superman.

Enjoy!

Below: DC Universe Online, 2011

Below: Arkham Origins, 2013

'VICTORIA' MOVIE - THE OPENING SCENE, Directed by Sebastian Schipper

WARNING: Contains strong strobe lighting.

A festival favourite over the last few months, the film is notorious for its central conceit: It's a heist thriller filmed in only one take. That's right, a two-hour-plus film, with no edits. 

Surprisingly, it lost out on a Best Foreign Language Oscar nomination due to the large amount of English dialogue, which seems somewhat unfair. If the director, writers, cast and crew are German ( with the exception of lead actress, Spain's Laia Costa )...then it's a German film, surely? Enjoy this very atmospheric opening scene. Note: The original has been taken down so we've had to use a fan post instead.

FANTASTIC PROOF-OF-CONCEPT CLIP: 'RISE'

From up-and-coming film-maker David Karlak, and currently under development at Warners, this fantastic clip looks like a superb addition to the hot trend for 'sentient machine' movies that we flagged up last year with Ex_Machina, Chappie and Automata. Science Fiction always has a knack of cleverly assimilating contemporary fears and paranoias into the realm of fantastic fables...is there something in the air, we wonder? Clip features Star Trek's Anton Yelchin, and Man in the High Castle's Rufus Sewell.

Can't wait to see the full movie! 

David Karlak on Twitter

David Karlak Website

'POINTERS': CRUSHING NEW EDM / METALCORE TRACK FROM THE ALGORITHM!

Want that floppy disk? Get it here.