In other news, Fox have announced their cast for the Fantastic Four reboot, and my previous speculation was miles out (and so it should be). The Hollywood Reporter broke the news a few days ago, but I've been busy.

This is a link.

The least surprising news, in that rumours were surfacing some time ago regarding his involvement, is Michael Jordan as the Human Torch. Naturally, this has caused a huge backlash - well, about half a dozen upset internetters - because Jordan is black. So what? I love colour-blind casting. It can't work for every role, of course, but there is absolutely nothing in the story which precludes the Human Torch being a man of colour. For his part, Jordan has handled the naysayers well, saying that while they might not want a black Torch, "They'll see it anyway." I think it's a great step forward, casting someone for their talent and suitability for a role regardless of their colour.

Back in my previous article, I mentioned how disappointing it was that Fox initially cast Jessica Alba, a Hispanic actress, as Sue Storm, but then made her up with blonde hair and blue contacts. So close. The new Invisible Girl will be played by Kate Mara. I'm not familiar with her work, but she's been lauded for her roles in House of Cards and American Horror Story, two series I am under orders to watch.

Miles Teller is another new one on me, but a quick scout round reveals that he is clearly an actor to watch. It's a good sign, I feel, that fox are more interested in getting up-coming talent than big-name stars. He's got a rather boyish, but intelligent look to him, and I can see him as a young Reed Richards.

The surprising one is Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm/The Thing. He's still best known as Billy Elliott, but he's come a long way since his admittedly fine performance back then. He's quite an intense young actor, and could bring something very interesting to the role. Not who I'd have thought of for the Thing at all, but an interesting choice.

Apparently, Teller is not yet secured, due to his busy schedule and being in such high demand, and with Fox fast-tracking the development of the movie for release next summer, this may necessitate a re-cast. Still, it's an interesting cast, not what anyone would have predicted for the film. Along with the choice of Chronicle's Josh Trank as director, this indicates an interesting, more contemporary direction for the reboot. There has been some discussion regarding the ages of the cast, but they're not especially young. They're all in their late twenties, except for Mara, who is soon to turn thirty-one. Of course, young actors often play even younger characters, so we might see a late teens/early twenties version of the Four. Given that many of the Marvel movies have taken hints from the Ultimate universe storylines, I wouldn't be surprised at Fox going in this direction and having younger versions of the characters as in Ultimate Fantastic Four.

There's still a lot we don't know, of course. Is there to be a Doctor Doom casting announcement coming up, or will Fox pick a new villain for their third FF movie? What is the relationship between Mara's and Jordan's characters going to be, since it's not feasible that they could be playing full-blooded siblings? How will the Thing be realised on screen? How will they receive their powers - in a spaceship bathed in cosmic rays, in a UFF inspired teleporter accident, or in something else entirely? There could be some interesting developments in this movie.

The Infinite Artist

I'm jumping on the bandwagon a little here, seeing as a lot of people have been blogging about a particular piece of artwork, but I've been following Paul Hanley on DeviantArt for a while now, so it's not before time. Paul draws highly detailed, intricate scenes for his favourite pop culture characters and his own creations, and it'll come as no surprise to anyone that it is his Doctor Who art that has caught my eye. He's also one of Obverse Books' preferred artists, having previously provided the cover art for Iris: Abroad and Lady Stardust. He's now created the truly wonderful cover for the upcoming Iris Wildthyme of Mars. This is, of course, especially exciting for me, since this is the cover to the book that will contain my first professional fiction commission. 

Isn't it gorgeous? Paul often creates crowded vistas which act as geeky Where's Wally? style puzzles (or Where's Waldo if you're a Yank). So, as well as Iris (in her Barbarella incarnation) and Panda, he's provided all manner of Martians to try to identify. This should not be taken to mean that any of these creatures will be appearing in the stories, however. There are many more Marses than are depicted on here.

What's really been hitting the blogosphere is this. Paul has drawn numerous Doctors in the past, not only depicting an ever-increasing rolecall of the 'proper' Doctors, but having fun with apocryphal, unofficial, and fan-requested Doctors. Now, he's gone the whole hog, and produced something that I'd love to do, if my drawing skills were up to the task: 'The Infinite Doctor.'

Isn't that something? I particularly like how less well-known versions of the character are up front, with the often overlooked eighth Doctor (in his Night of the Doctor garb) sharing the limelight with the first Doctor, the Richard E. Grant animated Doctor, the War Doctor, and two of the Doctors from the wonderful Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death. The latest addition to the roster, Peter Capaldi, gets pride of place, but there are all manner of extra incarnations on there, from the faces seen in the battle in The Brain of Morbius to Big Finish's 'Unbound' Doctors. There are even some that I could not identify, which, given my level of Who geekery, isn't to be sniffed at.

Two inclusions really leap out at me from this:

The 'Egon' Doctor, from the proposed Nelvana cartoon, as mentioned in my Harold Ramis piece last night. I considered including him in the 'Past, Potentials and Parallels' piece from my 'Other Doctors' series, but it was getting a little busy. It's quite heartwarming to see this version of the Doctor appear just as Egon was taken from us.

The second Doctor from the left, the rather cool, asiatic looking one with white hair and a black hat and cloak. This is a new one on me; although I was familiar with the Japanese Daleks novelisation, I hadn't seen all the illustrations before (you can view them all here). That's what's wonderful about Doctor Who, there's always more to discover. Add to the handful here who I didn't recognise a few more stage Doctors that I've just read about in Who-ology, and my Doctor catalogue is growing by the day.

There are some others I would have included here, had I the talent to do so. I'd have included some parallel versions of Doctors with distinctive looks, a couple of well-regarded fan Doctors, maybe some more spoof Doctors. But the wonderful thing about this image, in its conception and title, is that there need be no end to all the versions of the Doctor. The Doctors hang off the page, hinting at many, many more we can't see. If you can think of a Doctor, but can't spot him, don't worry. He's there somewhere, a few too many steps to the left.

For those who may need some more assistance in identifying the Doctors portrayed (or just like lists, like me) Paul has helpfully included a version with a key here. To view the above images at full size, just click on them to be taken to the original page, and to view his entire DeviantArt gallery, click here. To learn more about some of the mysterious faces pictured, try my 'Other Doctors' articles, which are already hopelessly out-of-date and lacking certain incarnations (John Guilor as the first Doctor in The Day of the Doctor? David McGrouther as the sixth Doctor on ice? Declain Brennan from 'Doctor Who Meets Einstein?')

Infinite Doctors in Infinite Combinations...

'E Gone

My favourite people keep dying. I guess that's what happens when you're a fan of older properties. This one knocked me for six, though. I wasn't aware that Harold Ramis was ill, but he'd been suffering from an immunodeficiency disease for several years, and with that, it's just a matter of time.

Naturally, like so many people, I'll remember Ramis best as Dr. Egon Spengler. Ghostbusters is one of my favourite films, has been for many years, and will remain so till the day I die. As a child, I lived and breathed Ghostbusters, and Egon was always my favourite. My favourite isn't coolest or funniest character, but the smartest. Egon was the genius behind the Ghostbusters, and so it's appropriate that Ramis played him, for his was the mind behind Ghostbusters. Of course, Dan Aykroyd co-wrote it with him, and naturally, he played Egon's partner in genius, Ray Stantz. They went on to write the underappreciated Ghostbusters II, and Ramis's final writing credit was, to the best of my knowledge, the Ghostbusters video game. He and Aykroyd said that the game should be viewed, for the time being at least, as Ghostbusters 3, and it looks like that's how it will have to remain. I can't see Ghostbusters without Egon.

Of course, there were more strings to Ramis's bow than Ghostbusters. Many regard Groundhog Day as his finest film, and it's certainly his cleverest. Like Ghostbusters, it's one of his many collaborations with Bill Murray, always the centre of the show, while Ramis wrote, produced, directed, and cameoed. It's very probably his best work, but there's so much more. This man directed the National Lampoon's Vacation, co-writing several sequel productions. There's Caddyshack, Analyse This and Analyse That, Stripes - Ramis was behind some of the finest American comedies of a twenty year stretch, from 1979-99. The less said about Bedazzled, the better really, but never mind.

There's even some evidence that Ramis might - might - have been in the running to play the Doctor. In 1991, the Canadian animation studio Nelvana pitched for the rights to produce a Doctor Who cartoon series. Rumours abound that the Doctor was to be voiced by Ramis, or failing that, Maurice LaMarche, who did a Harold Ramis impersonation as Egon in The Real Ghostbusters cartoon. The concept art that has survived suggests that the Doctor would have been Egon in a Doctorish costume. Ramis as the Doctor - even if the show had been terrible, it would have been worth it for that.

Still, for all his accomplishments, so many more behind the camera than in front of it, Harold Ramis will, for so many of us, always be Egon.

On the birthday, and other exhausting things

So, it was my birthday on Sunday. I am now thirty years old. Or, to put it another way, I am in my 31st year, which makes me sound even older. I am cream-crackered. I worked on Saturday morning (the shop had been jazzed up with decorations by the girls the night before, and they left me a cake). That was until about three, then I went straight off to Brighton for a late lunch/early dinner with friends. Following the extremely tasty, but extremely harried bite of Japanese (there's no shilly-shallying in Pom Poko, you sit down, eat, and get out the way), it was straight to the pub. The Mesmerist is a fine, eccentric sort of establishment that I been frequented, on and off, for a few years now, but several people I know have independently discovered it recently. So it was to there, with the cosy booths, retro music and in-house barber, for several hours, before going on a wild goose chase for a Doctor Who themed party night that I'm not sure actually ever existed (maybe it fell into a crack in time), and eventually ending up in R Bar, having very deep conversations with frighteningly young people. I am pleased to say I wasn't sick, in spite of the unwise mixing of drinks, although certain other parties were less fortunate.

Sunday, the day itself, was initially intended to be a quiet one with family, but later on, I was tempted into attending the Brighton Twisted Market, or, at least, its associated afterparty. In the event though, I wasn't up to it, which is a shame, because it sounded like an... educational sort of night. I'd started out feeling surprisingly well, but as the day went on, I felt worse and worse. A progressive sort of hangover. This did take some of the joy out of the spectacular feast my Dad cooked up, but it was all good enough that I overcame my biliousness and ate a great deal of wonderful food. I think two nights on the trot is too much for my old body. I also have several bruises down my right-hand side, which I cannot account for.

I have done exceptionally well for presents this year. They fall, broadly, into two camps. Half of them would suggest that I am a sophisticated, mature man, who enjoys fine clothing and accessorises well. As well as some particularly smart new clothes, a new tie pin and cravat pin, and a fobwatch, I got a suit voucher - which is to say, my sister drew a spectacular voucher for me, and everyone put some money in, which I am obliged to spend on nice clothes. The other half of my gifts wold suggest I haven't matured at all since I was about seven. You can expect in-depth analyses of such TV classics as Eerie, Indiana and Teabag in good time. The books and toys probably say more about my personality than the clothes do, especially as half of them were right off my wishlist. Plus, they led to the most amusing encounter of Saturday evening, when entering the second bar.

"Excuse me, sir, may I see what's in your bag?"

"It's a Dan Dare spaceship book!"

"... you can go in."

Plus, I got the a Hammer Horror box set, two Sherlock Holmes films, a colouring book, a fascinating looking graphic novel by Yoshitake Amano, Scott and Wright's Who-ology book... I'm not going to be bored.

But I really just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came along on Saturday night, for everyone who made the effort and spent the money on far too many presents for me, and for everyone who wished me a happy birthday, with special shout-outs to my sister Becca for organising my suit voucher, my parents for making me feel very loved and spoilt, to Rosie for not being too angry at me for being too old to do two nights in a row, for Naomi and Jaimie for the work birthday surprise, for Sekai and Iris for coming all the way down from London for me, for Louise for my sexy William Riker birthday card... and much more. It's all been rather wonderful.

CAPTAIN'S BLOG: TNG 2-3

2.3) Elementary, Dear Data
or
Watson the Holodeck Today?


The Mission: Rendezvous with the USS Victory.


Planets visited: None.


The Great Detective: Turns out that Data is a huge fan of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle and the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He's got the entire canon in his database (but does he have the apocryphal stuff? Has he read The Seven Per Cent Solution? Would he recognise Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr. and that bloke off Torchwood?) Dr. Pulaski challenges him that all he can do is parrot the solutions from the original texts, or rearrange the elements in the Doyle style. Data and Geordi set out to prove that he can solve an original crime.


The Napoleon of Crime: Unfortunately, when Geordi asks the computer to create a villain capable of outwitting Data – not Sherlock Holmes – it increases the intelligence and self-awareness of Professor Moriarty, inadvertently creating a sentient holographic character. Initially, Moriarty is purely villainous, but moves beyond that, into a being who, quite reasonably, simply wants to be able to continue his existence.


Lady Bones: Pulaski's really not coming off very well here. Her constant belittling of Data, treating him as just a machine, bating him for being less than human, it's just – ugh. I guess it's kind of like the Spock/Bones interplay, but that was kind of racist – speciesist? - itself, and this comes across much worse. Still, Moriarty has respect for her, which is a questionable compliment.


Geordi Shore: Spends his spare time building a model of the HMS Victory, the USS Victory's namesake. (The Victory was Nelson's flagship, sailing between 1765 and 1812, and is now preserved as a museum ship in Portsmouth. Yes, I've been on it, every schoolboy in southern England has.) This whole calamity is Geordi's fault for misspeaking, but in fairness, whomever programmed the computer should really take some of the blame here.


The Picard Manoeuvre: Initially perceives Moriarty as a threat, unsurprisingly, seeing as he's taken over his ship. However, once he meets the man, he deals with him on a level basis and agree that he has a right to life, and commits to finding a way to allow him to exist outside the holodeck.


Future Treknology: So, let's get this straight: the computer is capable of accidentally spontaneously creating a sentient programme when misinterpreting an order. That's something of a design flaw, isn't it? In fact, if creating a mind is so easy, why did Soong spend years working on Data and his brethren?

Moriarty's steampunk controls for the Enterprise, all big brass levers, are gorgeous. The whole ship should look like that.


Space Bilge: The episode starts with a log entry that states that there's nothing to do but sit around and wait for the Victory to arrive. Well, that's a promising lead-in to an exciting adventure, isn't it?

Props to Picard for swearing to look for a way to help Moriarty, but rather than saving him in a file, why not just leave that holodeck running the programme? Surely they can put up with a queue for holodeck two? Or is Picard to scared of the guy to leave him running?


Future Fashion: Everyone dresses up to the nines for their trip to 19^th century London. Data, Geordi and Pulaski look great, but Picard and Worf steal it. Seriously, Worf looks amazing in a suit. It's a shame Beverly isn't here – she'd knock 'em dead in a Victorian dress.


Trek Stars: Daniel Davis is the star of this episode, bringing charm and dignity to the role of Moriarty. He'll be back as the mastermind in the eason five episode, 'Ship in a Bottle.'



The Verdict: Not quite the classic it's made out to be, but great fun with a strong, central dilemma. Moriarty convinces as both a genuine threat to the Enterprise and an interesting character in his own right. The moment when he realises he has control over his environment, just by saying 'Arch,' is wonderful.