The Game to Movie Collection: Part Two

Adapting a video game to animation should be an easier process than adapting one to live action. The transition is smoothed by not having to realise the game's visual style in real world terms; it can be recreated exactly. But, like before, the fact that games are plotted so very differently to other mediums proves to be a hurdle. I've a lot of sympathy for writers that at least try their best. There are even a significant number of success stories, some of which you'll find linked below. Like Part One it's a lengthy list that'll increase in the future. Click the coloured text below to see the full collection:

The Babylon 5 Collection

It had more than its fair share of production problems over the five years it ran for, and there's some real tripe in Seasons One and Five, but if you stick with it for long enough then you'll feel the love that series creator and producer J. Michael Straczynski put into the Babylon 5 TV Series. When something that priceless is present, even failings can be accepted.
Unlike most long-running shows, the creator(s) didn't set the train in motion and then disappear, leaving it in 'capable hands'. JMS stayed for the duration, writing 92 of the 110 episodes that make up one amazing journey.

TV Series on Nut Box:
01. S1: Signs and Portents (1994)
02. S2: The Coming of Shadows (1995)
03. S3: Point of No Return (1996)
04. S4: No Surrender, No Retreat (1997)
05. S5: The Wheel of Fire (1998)
06. Crusade (1999)

TV Movies on In a Nutshell:
01. The Gathering (1993)
02. In the Beginning (1998)
03. Thirdspace (1998)
04. The River of Souls (1998)
05. A Call to Arms (1999)
06. The Legend of the Rangers: To Live and Die in Starlight (2002)
07. The Lost Tales (2007)

Books on Nut Ink:
01. To Dream in the City of Sorrows (1997)

The Game to Movie Collection: Part One

Forever on the lookout for an existing market to exploit (because originality is hard), and despite multiple past failures, the Hollywood predators often stray into the gaming world. I’d give them credit for repeatedly trying if it was for noble reasons, but mostly it isn't. They hope that an IP with an established fan base can be turned into a profitable venture with minimal effort.

It's a lengthy list (sorted alphabetically) that will no doubt increase in the future, so I've put it after the cut. Click it to see the full collection:

BladeBuilders Return of the Jedi Luke Skywalker Lightsaber (2017?)

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media.  

This is a pretty standard telescoping affair, but it does have a rudimentary motion sensor to modulate the sounds. It has power-up and power-down sounds, in addition to the requisite hum, swooshes and clashes. For the price, it works worked perfectly for my purposes, as I'm I was in the process of collecting a weapon for each of the Silent Hill protagonists. There's even a bit of orange on the hilt. Good enough.

For a description of the BladeBuilders gimmick, please see my review of the basic version of this saber, here.

The First Nut is the Deepest - Film Version

Statistically, your first of anything is often fondly remembered even when it isn't the best of everything. With that in mind, which film by a favourite director would you give to someone who had yet to see anything created by that director? Would you choose your personal favourite, or the one best representative of the director’s style? Would you throw your friend in at the deep end, or ease them in gently? That’s my challenge. I'm using my current Favourites List from In a Nutshell and picking one film from each auteur that I’d give to a newbie in the hope of winning them over:

-Akira Kurosawa: Yojimbo (1961)
-Alfred Hitchcock: Psycho (1960)
-Chris Marker: La Jetée (1962)
-Darren Aronofsky: Requiem for a Dream (2000)
-David Cronenberg: Videodrome (1983)
-David Lynch: Blue Velvet (1986)
-John Carpenter: The Thing (1982)
-Stanley Kubrick: Full Metal Jacket (1987)
-Takeshi Kitano: Hana-bi (1997)
-Tsui Hark: Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

The Dennis Potter Collection

Potter (1935-94) was one of the few dramatists that managed to work within the BBC system but at the same time work around it, creating stories that were both a personal reflection of his own worldview and thematically far-reaching. His methods may have been alienating to some folks, but discerning viewers could relate to the flaws in his fictionalised protagonists, most of whom were more real than the kind of 'real lives' presented in Auntie's regular output. The channel was lucky to have such a unique talent.

Television plays and Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Brimstone and Treacle (1976)
02. Blade on the Feather (1980)
03. Rain on the Roof (1980)
04. Cream in My Coffee (1980)
05. Brimstone and Treacle (1982)
06. Dreamchild (1985)
07. Track 29 (1988)
08. Midnight Movie (1994)

TV miniseries on Nut Box:
01. Blackeyes (1989)
02. Lipstick on Your Collar (1993)
03. Karaoke (1996)
04. Cold Lazarus (1996)

The Alan Moore Collection

Alan Moore is a writer, magician, amateur historian, and proprietor of a beard that some say once covered the fishy genitalia of the mighty Cthulhu. He rose to prominence working for 2000 AD, and afterwards climbed steadily toward the enviable position he holds now: an opinionated, difficult author who does what he likes and takes as long he likes to do it. More power to him.
Hollywood has tried to capitalise on his success, but to date every film that’s been based on or adapted from Moore’s work has more often than not upset fans of his books. The bottom line is they simply weren't meant to be films, so they either had to change much to succeed or lose something crucial during the transition from one medium to another.

Books on Nut Ink:
01. Alan Moore Books and Comics.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. From Hell (2001)
02. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
03. Constantine (2005)
04. V for Vendetta (2005)
05. The Mindscape of Alan Moore (2005)
06. Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut (2009)
07. Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Video Games on Nut Load:
03. Constantine (2005)

Music on Nut Suite:
01. Alan Moore audio.

The Wonder Woman Collection

We don’t currently have enough Wonder Woman material to warrant this post, but seeing as how Batman and Superman both got one it seems only fair that the lady from Themyscira gets one too, and all things being equal I'm allowed to draw attention to her lame disguise: a pair of glasses. She and Clark must've attended the same course on subterfuge. Both got an F.

Comics and annuals on Nut Ink:

01. Wonder Woman.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Wonder Woman (1974)
02. Wonder Woman (2009)
03. Wonder Woman (2017)

TV Series on Nut Box:
01. Justice League (2001-04)

The Superman Collection

Think of him however you want, as the man of steel or as the alien who wears underpants over his pants, but Superman is a force to be reckoned with in more ways than one. Initially, he seems overpowered, you know he’s always going to win with his super strength and game-changing ability to fly, but in the hands of a good writer the hero can be brought to his knees by emotion, which is something that even Kryptonian skin can’t protect against.

Comic books and annuals on Nut Ink:
01. Superman.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. He's so super that he has his own label. Includes both live action and DC animated movies. Click HERE.

TV Series on Nut Box:
01. Justice League (2001-04)

The Batman Collection

Batman's my favourite hero for the same reason he's many other people's favourite: he has no super powers, so he has no unfair advantage, unless you consider inherited wealth to be one. His filmic adventures over the years have been pretty varied. He's been comical, camp, serious, and more recently moody and broody. Personally, I think the best of the animated adventures trounce the best of the live action films. You may disagree. Luckily, there are enough variations on a theme to keep almost everyone happy.

Comic books and annuals on Nut Ink:
01. Batman.

Films on In a Nutshell (inc animated):
01. Batman.

TV Series on Nut Box:
01. Batman Beyond: Complete Series (1999-2001)
02. Justice League (2001-04)

Video Games on Nut Load:
01. Batman: Arkham City (2011)

The Halloween Collection

Links to all of the commercially available Halloween films can be found below. Never let it be said that we don't indulge people who like silent, stabby, unstoppable, inhuman, knife-wielding maniacs. (Shatner mask not supplied.) Links will take you to the relevant post:

Original Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Halloween (1978)
02. Halloween II (1981)
03. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
04. Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
05. Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
06. Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
07. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
08. Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

Reboot Films on In a Nutshell:
01. Halloween (2007)
02. Halloween II (2009)

Documentary on In a Nutshell:
01. Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest (2003)

The HAMMER Karnstein Trilogy

Most of Hammer's vampire films are part of one unified whole wherein Count Dracula is the progenitor of all vampiric evil. The plucky Van Helsing, or his descendant, is the Count's human nemesis, a scholar with some action hero skills and an unshakable resolve. But the Karnstein Trilogy was different. It had its own lore (e.g. the vampires aren't afraid of sunlight) that separated it from the bigger picture. It's a trilogy in the loosest sense and, depending on who you speak to, might even have four films.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. The Vampire Lovers (1970)
02. Lust for a Vampire (1971)
03. Twins of Evil (1971)
04. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)

Books on Nut Ink:
00. Twins of Evil was novelised by horror author Shaun Hutson in 2011. I own it but haven't read it yet. I wanted to mention it in case any of you who would like to know of its existence didn't already know. Now you do.