Reality Check: Apocalypse Miao

What this episode covers

Reality Check: Apocalypse Miao In a pair of Q and As recorded at the London Science-Fiction and Fantastic Film Festival (SCI-FI-LONDON), Alex Fitch talks to the creators of two new low budget portrayals of the apocalypse on screen. Stars Alan Bagh and Thomas Favaloro, writer / director James Nguyen and producer Jeff Gross discuss the B movie spoof Birdemic II: The Resurrection and co-writer / star Vera Miao talks about her excellent mid-apocalyptic road movie Best Friends Forever. (Originally broadcast as an episode of I’m ready for my close-up on Resonance 104.4 FM, 3rd May 2013) Posters for Birdemic II and Best Friends Forever This year’s SCI-FI-LONDON festival takes place at various venues around London from 30th April – more info at www.sci-fi-london.com For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.sci-fi-london.com Websites: www.bestfriendsforeverfilm.com / www.birdemic.com 50 years of Doctor Who spin-offs, at SCI-FI-LONDON As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Doctor Who, SCI-FI-LONDON is proud to host an event looking at some of the under appreciated aspects of the franchise. 12.30pm: Novelists Paul Cornell (Scream of the Shalka), J.T. Colgan (Dark Horizons), Terrance Dicks (Players, Doctor Who and the Giant Robot) and Tommy Donbavand (Shroud of Sorrow) talk about continuing the Doctor’s trips in prose fiction and why they wanted to tell tales of the thousand-year-old time traveller… 1.15pm: Comic book writers Andrew Cartmel and Scott Gray, and artists Mark Buckingham and Adrian Salmon, discuss their serialised strip adventures of the TARDIS, printed in Doctor Who Magazine, the American Doctor Who comic and fanzines. The need for Doctor Who spin-offs became increasingly important since the end of the original series in 1989, with both novels and comics filling the gap when the show was off air, with many writers of the modern TV show being strip and book alumni. Print stories have also been used as the inspiration for TV episodes in the 21st century, such as the memorable David Tennant dramatisations of Cornell’s novel Human Nature and Doctor Who Magazine comic, The Lodger. 2pm: Followed by a screening of the 1965 film DR WHO AND THE DALEKS, starring Peter Cushing in the lead role. More info / book tickets at: http://www.sci-fi-london.com/festival/2013 Exhibitions at Orbital Comics Andrew Hickinbottom is a digital 3D illustrator who specialises in stylised pinups. His work has been showcased on the internet over 60 times, and has been featured in many international books and magazines, appearing on 4 covers. Some of his clients include EA, Tassimo, Seat, Intel and The international Olympic Committee. This exhibition of his personal works features a wide range of his appealing female character illustrations, with signed prints, an artbook and even a VERY limited edition figurine for sale. 17th April – 10th May Reappropriating Lichtenstein Artists Jason Atomic and Rian Hughes are curating an exhibtion at Orbital Comics, on the subject of Reappropriating Lichtenstein to coincide with the final weeks of the exhibtion at Tate Modern in May. Any practising comic book artists who would like to trace back one of Lichtenstein’s images to its original source, crediting the original artist in the process, and produce a new version themselves are invited to submit proposal for exhibition by April 6th. More info here: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/03/19/a-call-for-comic-artists-to-respond-to-roy-lichtenstein Orbital Comics, 8 Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JA Help launch The Black Cloud Support Charles Cutting’s new graphic short story compilation… If you think it’s the kind of thing you would be cool with posting about, liking and sharing on Facespace and Twitter, Charlie would be most grateful… Over the last year and a half Charles has produced three short stories i[...]