Skip to main content

BBC Radio 4 Extra always runs some great radio plays; this week alone you can hear Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Systers and a series of short Sci-Fi stories turned into audio books on Brian Aldus Presents. If you hit their Schedule for this week you can hit Monday and start from the beginning, as they let you listen to shows for the next six days after they air. Coming up on Saturday there is a program called Alexander Armstrong’s Radio Heroes, which will include classic episodes of radio dramas like Journey Into Space and Judge Dredd for your enjoyment. I spend an average of 7 hours a week listening to programs on this service, it always has some fun and interesting science fiction and fantasy.

If you are a digital artist or are just looking for some tutorials, check out Layer Paint, a new site full of resources to help out. This site really did just launch, so they are just beginning to compile their gallery and get their tutorials going. I found a free brush set there that was perfect for a project I am working on as an example, and while the brush set format is for Photoshop, all my other graphics packages like Gimp or Paint Shop Pro use them as well. This is a 2D resource site put together by the great folks at 3D Total to expand their online artistic footprint. The terms of service include an entry to prohibit the use of add blockers on their sites, but even when you give them an exception you generally only find a single ad per page down at the bottom. Since it is always for a 2D or 3D graphic software package or plugin I have been drooling over anyways, I am not offended even though my wallet is at risk. If you are into building your own images, stop by and check out this new resource from the UK.

All the choices are a bit off-beat this week, but that works for me. Warm Bodies is the most interesting looking Zombie Comedy since Shawn of the Dead from my perspective. While I don’t recognize most of the cast, I am always ready to watch any film which includes John Malkovich on the roster.

On the other hand, The Ganzfeld Experiment includes a lot of cast members I recognize, many of whom seem to be the children of favorite actors. The title itself means the whole field experiment, and is a process used in the study of parapsychology practitioners. I am still looking for confirmation this one is being released this week.

Invasion Ireland takes place in a future where Mars has invaded Ireland, and one disgruntled Martian has taken a Northern Dublin family hostage.

Getting my vote for strangest movie with the best cast this week is Seven Psychopaths, which I completely enjoyed. All Superheroes Must Die is about four Superheroes stripped of their powers and trapped by their arch-nemesis in a situation where they must fight to avoid total destruction for their entire town. The western animation Hotel Transylvania is out this week as well for those in need of silly fun.

We finally get the US release of Misfits: Season Two, the show about the strangest group of Superheroes ever remanded to public service. Let’s see how many social workers sent to rehabilitate them they manage to kill off this season, while trying ever so hard to stay out of trouble. This is one of the best done shows out of the UK on virtually every front, and the soundtrack includes some of the best tunes I never heard here. I strongly recommend this show to everyone old enough to not get offended, but mentally young enough to not get bent out of shape.

In new Anime releases, Baka and Test: Season Two is coming out. It has a nice silly premise; class standings and personal differences are resolved using battle avatars who’s strength is determined by the students academic standing. Our protagonist Yoshii is a warm-hearted goofball with a solid string of F’s in all his classes, who wants to advance his station. He has nowhere to go but up, and he can’t even spell surrender, which makes for an amusing series.

Viz rolls out Naruto Shippuden: Box Set 13, bringing us up to episode 166 by the end of it. For those in need of a silly time, Shin Chan: Season Three may be the way to go.

Arakawa Under the Bridge Season 1 is the story of a man who falls into the river, to be saved by cutely insane Nino, who lives there. To repay her kindness he sets out to help her, meeting many of her friends in the process, some of whom are not human. This is a bit of a re-release, having been previously come out in a limited premium edition. Likewise, Fate/Stay Night: Collection 1 has seen the light of day before, but this time it is coming out as a Blue Ray Disc.

I am happy to report that the franchise begun with Chaos;Head, and continued through Steins;Gate and Robotics;Notes, has another series added to its universe: Occultic;Nine. I have enjoyed everything they have done so far, hopefully they will keep up the quality work on the new offering. Steins;Gate was one of the twistiest time travel stories I have seen in a while, and word is Robotics;Notes is getting a stage play treatment soon.