Ex Machina: Can Alex Garland Make The Best Sci-Fi Film Of 2015?

Alex Garland makes his directorial debut with the tautly constructed A.I. thriller Ex Machina.

Dredd Sequel: Official Comic Book and Campaign for a Movie Follow Up!

Judge Dredd Magazine Prog 340 will feature a story that’s set directly after Dredd 3D. The story which is being billed as a sequel to the hugely entertaining movie (which starred Karl Urban as a pitch perfect Judge Dredd) will match with film’s visual design, continuity and characters.

What’s happening with that movie sequel we talked about though? Well, over on Facebook there has been a petition started to get one off of the ground. The petition is being supported by Judge Dredd licensees, 2000AD, and Rebellion who all fully back the project. An email was sent out to all 80,000 supporters of the project this week calling for a day of action next Wednesday. In order to show that there is a demand for more Dredd, the campaign is asking that you either buy a copy of the DVD or Blu-ray, if you already own one buy it for a friend, or watch the movie through an on demand service such as Netflix, which it is currently in the top 10 on!

The email that was sent to supporters contained the following information:

[box_light] Thank you – you’re one of more than 80,000 people have now signed the petition calling for a sequel to DREDD! The response to the petition has been just incredible and the endorsement of the owners of Judge Dredd, 2000 AD and Rebellion, has seen the numbers surpass everyone’s expectations.

But we still need your help!

On 18th September, we’re encouraging everyone to take part in a massive DREDD SEQUEL DAY OF ACTION – we’ve already made the money men who could get behind a sequel sit up and take notice by consistently keeping the DVD and Blu-Ray in the charts on Amazon and now on Netflix.

We’re asking everyone who’s signed the petition to come together next Wednesday and drive DREDD back up the charts – if everyone who’s signed the petition bought an extra DVD or Blu-Ray (either for themselves or as a present for a friend) or rented/bought it on iTunes and Netflix it will send the loudest signal yet that WE WANT MORE DREDD!

So spread the word that on Wednesday 18th September, you’re going to bring DREDD back into the public eye! Plus, it’s the day that the new comic book sequel comes out, with lots of media attention planned for this and the campaign.

Thanks to Rebellion for helping put this newsletter together – we’re also really pleased to reveal that the official T-shirt for the campaign is now available, so you can wear your support with pride!

So, you ready?

DON’T FORGET – if you unsubscribe from the petition your name will no longer appear in the list of those calling for a sequel!

Stay subscribed and you’ll get occasional updates about how the campaign is doing as well as any major news about a potential sequel – we promise we won’t spam you or pass your details on to any other company.

And don’t forget to encourage all your friends and family to sign up to at Dredd Sequel Campaign

Available to buy NOW – this is the only OFFICIAL ‘Make a DREDD sequel’ campaign T-shirt!

Available in multiple sizes, wear it and let everyone know you support the campaign!  [/box_light]

We’re huge fans of Dredd here at G-Bomb. It captured the essence of the character and had a basic, but effective storyline that really embedded us in the world Dredd inhabits. The changes made to the costume and designs were all solid, overall it was loyal the source material without being a carbon copy. Afterall, how the Hell can a man be so dexterous and athletic with a bloody eagle strapped to his shoulder?

Screen writer Alex Garland has spoken before at how he would like to expand and widen his take on Judge Dredd and Mega City One. Also, the thought of having Judge Death in a movie to me is exciting as Batman taking on Superman.

To sign up to the petition head over to the 200oAD site, and don’t forget to follow the campaign on Facebook too. Next Wednesday I will be watching Dredd on Netflix to show my support, make sure you do the same! I may even get a t-shirt.

Karl Urban Talks Possible ‘Dredd’ Sequel

Despite losing about $10 million at the box office, Dredd was one hell of a movie, and one of our favorites from last year. As awesome a flick as it was, because of the business side it’s been assumed that we would not get to see it bloom into a franchise, which is a shame. However star of the movie, Karl Urban seems to think that’s not written in stone:

Alex Garland’s ‘Ex Machina’ Sounds Fascinating, Looks Sexy

I’ve long had a love/hate relationship with robots. On one hand I love them, I want them around to serve and accomplish the menial tasks around me that I don’t want to physically perform. They’re helpful in that way, and at their best they’re probably the most beneficial thing to humanity there could be. On the other hand, they tend to always run into that whole creator vs created, synthetic/organic problem as is so often encountered and philosophized about in Science Fiction.

It gets weirder when you start thinking about them as actual things with wants and needs of their own, and thus comes the REAL dilemma with robots. Basically, it’s never a good idea to make them sexy. The second you make a sexy, human-like F***-Bot capable of doing things a human never could or would, you’re enabling the darkest aspects of man, and more or less encouraging the death of all humanity. What man wouldn’t rather spend all of his life with his immortal, eternally beautiful sex-bot in a holodeck of his dreams, having basically every possible desire fulfilled at his whim?

I know I would.

Ahem, so that’s why I think robots shouldn’t be sexy, but moreso it’s why the recent announcement of Ex Machina has me intrigued.

[box_light]“A billionaire programmer who handpicks a young employee to spend a week at his remote estate and participate in a test involving his latest invention: an artificially intelligent female robot.”[/box_light]

via [Bloody-Disgusting]

A sexy robot?

So maybe now you see where I was getting at, and not being just a weirdly delusional pervert. I mean, I am a weirdly delusional pervert, but f*** you for judging me. Sorry. Anyhow, the movie itself is an interesting concept made even more interesting by the fact that it’s written and going to be directed by Alex Garland, who you may know from his previous work on 28 Days Later and recently Dredd. The guy’s also behind one of my favorite SF films of all time, Sunshine; a movie so underrated and under appreciated I recommend you go out and watch it right now without knowing anything else about it.

This being Garland’s first time directing I’m pretty stoked to see how he’ll handle his own material for the first time. If his scripts for everything else he’s been a part of are any indication, it’ll be pretty damned amazing. The film itself is gonna be shot either this summer or fall, and is budgeted for about $15 million dollars, and has no relation to the Brian K. Vaughn comic or the anime series of the same name. Now you know everything everyone else does about the movie so far. Except for sex bots. Sex bots are such an interesting thing.

Then again I could be projecting this entire sex bot thing and it’s all actually just about a thriller about the meaning of what it is to be human and have consciousness. But just look at that picture and tell me you wouldn’t at least TRY to f*** that thing! I guarantee you leave any man in a room with a warm hole long enough and he’ll try to f*** it. Whether or not the movie is a spine tingling thriller or 90 minutes of a pathetic man trying to not violate an animatronic sex bot  is still technically up in the air, but when there’s an update rest assured we’ll let you know.