The troubled production of 2019's Hellboy
by Alex Gillinder | Apr 25, 2023 | Feature
In 2019, a long-awaited Hellboy reboot was released to an overwhelming sense of disappointment - what exactly went so wrong?...
Feature
Are we getting a tiny 3D resurgence, post-Avatar: The Way Of Water?
by Simon Brew | Apr 24, 2023 | Feature
With over a billion dollars of 3D screening tickets for Avatar: The Way Of Water sold, Hollywood has a fresh chance with 3D - but it's approaching it...
Old movies: The Vampire Bat - an hour of devilish mystery
by Sarah Cook | Apr 24, 2023 | Feature
In this week's old movies column, we take a look at another great Dwight Frye film - The Vampire Bat......
King’s Field | FromSoftware’s debut paved the way for Dark Souls and Elden Ring
by Damiano Gerli | Apr 24, 2023 | Feature, Gaming
Released in 1994, King’s Field established the style that would one day make FromSoftware a powerhouse with Dark Souls and Elden Ring.
Shadows of Doubt Early Access impressions | a must-play detective sim
by Ryan Lambie | Apr 24, 2023 | Feature, Gaming
Shadows of Doubt is a must-play detective sim, with some rough edges barely registering among its ingenious design ideas.
Audiences, critics, and whether Rotten Tomatoes actually helps
by Connor Lightbody | Apr 21, 2023 | Feature
As The Super Mario Bros Movie divides audiences and critics, a few words on looking past the Rotten Tomatoes score and forming a nuanced opinion on...
The 1970s films of Michael Caine: The Swarm
by John Upton | Apr 21, 2023 | Feature
We continue our look back at the 1970s filmography of Sir Michael Caine - this time it's 1978's The Swarm......
Why can't more studios add anti-phobia modes?
by Ryan Lambie | Apr 21, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
Horizon Forbidden West’s DLC caters to those with a fear of deep water. If Guerilla can do anti-phobia modes, can’t other studios do so too?
The ZX Spectrum | Celebrating Uncle Clive's greatest hit
by Ryan Lambie | Apr 21, 2023 | Feature, Gaming
We pay tribute to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum - a computer that created an entire ecosystem of programmers, publishers, hardware makers, and gamers.
Film Quiz Friday: Where No One Can Hear You Scream
by Mark Harrison | Apr 20, 2023 | Feature
Ahead of next week's Alien Day re-releases, this week’s film quiz is themed around the Alien movies, from Ridley Scott’s original to, er, Ridley Sco...
Game AI: The tricks designers use to make non-player characters seem real
by Devon Wiersma | Apr 20, 2023 | Feature, Gaming
In their raw state, game AI characters would be robotic and almost impossible to beat in combat. Here’s how designers make NPCs and enemies seem m...
Netflix, and the password problem
by Simon Brew | Apr 19, 2023 | Feature
Netflix is about to begin its crackdown on password sharing that it first announced in 2022 - and it's a pivotal moment for the streaming market....
Celebrating the forgotten Futurama films
by Ryan Gaur | Apr 19, 2023 | Feature
As Futurama is set to return to the small screen, we celebrate the sci-fi comedy show's forgotten feature length instalments....
Far Cry 5 at five: exploring its divisive ending
by Ryan Lambie | Apr 19, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
With inevitable spoilers, we explore Far Cry 5’s explosive ending - and how it jars with the action in the game itself…
Physical film media, 4K Blu-ray, and the potential of the 1TB disc
by John Moore | Apr 19, 2023 | Feature
John Moore wonders whether the movie world needs just one more physical format, and looks at a potential option - the 1TB disc. ...
Mental health & wellbeing matters: loneliness
by Simon Brew | Apr 19, 2023 | Feature
In our regular part of the site where we chat about the challenges of mental health, a word about loneliness, and one small request....
While nobody was looking, how Puss In Boots: The Last Wish cleaned up
by Simon Brew | Apr 18, 2023 | Feature
Outside of Avatar: The Way Of Water, arguably the hit of the winter season was Puss In Boots: The Last Wish - but it seemed not too many people...
Old movies: how Dwight Frye gave us cinema's finest Renfield
by Sarah Cook | Apr 18, 2023 | Feature
The new Renfield field isn't short of fun, but the definitive screen portrayal of the title character dates all the way back to 1930s cinema......
Final Fantasy XVI | Logical evolution, or follower of action RPG trends?
by Jon Bailes | Apr 17, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
Final Fantasy XVI is another forward-thinking evolution for the series, but Jon Bailes wonders whether it’s in danger of becoming a follower rather than an innovator.
The requel trend: where could it go next?
by TD Velasquez | Apr 17, 2023 | Feature
When Blumhouse obtained the rights to make Halloween (2018), it couldn't have envisioned that it would set off the resurgence of the requel - but...
Renfield interview: director Chris McKay on taking a different approach to Dracula
by Lauren Miles | Apr 14, 2023 | Feature
We sat down with Renfield director Chris McKay to chat about the hidden heroes behind the movie and paying homage to Dracula's past......
Film Quiz Friday: Always Bet On Jack
by Mark Harrison | Apr 14, 2023 | Feature
Like the Muppets before us, we’ve hijacked Jack Black for this week’s film quiz – 30 questions on his movies and some other movies too! Ja...
Master System: why Sega’s 8-bit console deserves more praise
by Ryan Lambie | Apr 14, 2023 | Feature, Gaming
The Sega Master System was far from a success in North America, but its wider success and impact on games history still shouldn’t be underestimated....
Resident Evil 4 Remake: Why Capcom snuck in microtransactions after release
by Vikki Blake | Apr 14, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
Resident Evil 4 Remake now has “time saver” microtransactions. But why do we need them if a game's progression is balanced in the first place?...
A Highland Song preview | Hands-on with inkle’s bewitching hike-’em-up
by Ryan Lambie | Apr 13, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Interviews, Previews
A Highland Song is the next game from Heaven’s Vault and Overboard developer inkle. Lead designer Joseph Humfrey talks us through a hands-on demo.
When Disney sued the Academy Awards
by Simon Brew | Apr 13, 2023 | Feature
The 1989 Oscars remains a turning point in the life of the Academy Awards - and it ended in legalities....
The history of the requel
by TD Velasquez | Apr 12, 2023 | Feature
We've recently seen requels to the Scream, Candyman, and Halloween franchises, but this belated-sequel-cum-remake approach has a longer history in Hol...
Immortality | Creators and stars discuss the game’s hidden secrets
by Alan Wen | Apr 12, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Interviews
Immortality is an FMV experience with some truly chilling hidden secrets. With spoilers, its actors and creators talk about what it all means…...
Street Fighter 6 preview: full of fighting spirit
by Alan Wen | Apr 11, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Previews
Street Fight 6 sees the series hit its apex, particularly in IRL tournaments. Veteran fighter Alan Wen has spent hours putting it through its paces for this in-depth preview.
Film Quiz Friday: Life In Cartoon Motion
by Mark Harrison | Apr 07, 2023 | Feature
Mario may have gone back to animation from live-action, but this week’s film quiz goes in the opposite direction. 30 more questions for you......
Stadia | Why its failure had a bigger impact on gamers than you think
by Vikki Blake | Apr 07, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
Stadia failed, but that doesn't mean cloud-based gaming is a bad idea. The tech could make all the difference to less wealthy gamers.
Resident Evil 4 Remake | Ashley Graham’s depiction has evolved, but not by much
by Jon Bailes | Apr 06, 2023 | Feature, Gaming, Opinions
Ashley Graham is more realistically drawn in the remake than in the original Resident Evil 4. But what if she were closer to a real-world president’s daughter - like Ivanka Trump…?
