STACK Aug #154

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JodieWhittaker - the 13th Doctor

embraced that change – eighty per cent approval on social media, not that I check these things obsessively. And yet so many people want to pretend there’s a problem – there isn’t. “ Doctor Who fans are more excited about the idea of a brilliant actress playing the part than the fact she’s a woman,” he continued. “It’s been incredibly progressive and enlightened and that’s what’s really happened. I wish every single journalist who’s writing the alternative would shut the hell up!”

casting as the first Doctor. “His

recreation of William

With no sign of JodieWhittaker’s 13th Doctor, the Hall H event was both an emotional farewell and a celebration of Peter Capaldi’s time as the Doctor. Doctor Who

Hartnell is

absolutely extraordinary,” said Moffat. “You could put

it in black and white and fool people. He just captures what the first Doctor was really like; not the crotchety old man of legend, but a much twinklier, funnier, more engaging man than that.” There was a lot of love for Capaldi in the hall, who described his time on the show as remarkable and amazing and expressed his gratitude to the fans. “Time ran away with me, and I only got here so quickly. It’s really been fabulous to work with such talent and meet you beloved around the world. It’s remarkable to find yourself at the centre of that, so thank you for all of your affections.” The (female) elephant in the room was finally addressed, with Moffat vociferously setting the record straight concerning the media reports of a fan backlash over the casting of a female Doctor. “There has been no backlash at all. The story at the moment is that the notionally conservative fandom of Doctor Who has completely and utterly people and realise the show is so popular and

T he panel opened with the trailer for the 2017 Christmas Special, which will be Capaldi’s final story. Twice Upon a Time unites the 12 th Doctor with the original, played by David Bradley. Also returning is Pearl Mackie’s Bill Potts, with Mark Gatiss playing a World War I soldier called The Captain. “It’s the 12th Doctor refusing to regenerate because he wants to stay Scottish, and through the snow appears the first Doctor, who’s also refusing to regenerate, and 12 says to

number one, ‘you have to or all of this stuff won’t happen’,” offered Steven Moffat. Bradley, who played William Hartnell in the 50 th Anniversary drama An Adventure in Space and Time , is a masterstroke of It’s the 12th Doctor refusing to regenerate because he wants to stay Scottish...

DoctorWho Christmas Special

Image credit BBC

Capaldi also endorsed Whittaker as a great choice. “I think Jodie is going to be amazing. I spoke to her the other day and she’s full of excitement and passion about the show. She really loves the show and she’s a brilliant actress, so it’s thrilling that it’s in the hands of somebody who cares for it so deeply.” Doctor Who returns on Boxing Day. Season 10: Part 2 is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Alien: Covenant experience

I nteractive attractions on the show floor designed to immerse fans in their favourite screen universes are hugely popular, with lines snaking around the exhibit hall like a human centipede. As a huge Alien fan, I simply had to submit myself to Colonist Certification Testing at the Alien: Covenant Experience, housed in an ominous looking shipping container emblazoned with the Weyland Yutani logo. In the San Diego Convention Centre, will anybody hear me scream? Once inside this somewhat confined space I am greeted by a blonde Adonis – who turns out to be a synthetic named Adam – and instructed to watch a large wall screen while my vital signs are monitored. The room is plunged into darkness and a strobing montage of the goriest and most nightmarish

scenes from Alien: Covenant hits me like an angry facehugger – aliens erupt from backs, chests and mouths in a welter of blood and slime, and projectile jaws snap! I am then ushered into an adjacent room where alarm bells suddenly sound, along with the announcement that there is a Xenomorph on the loose. Through a small window in the Medical Bay door behind me, a woman is screaming for help before being yanked away by the unseen alien. Blood splatters the glass and the experience ends. Unlike that unlucky crewmember, I survived. The experience served to remind me just how much I love the Alien franchise, and how horrific Alien: Covenant actually is. Now I can’t wait to revisit it on Blu-ray on August 16.

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AUGUST 2017

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25/7/17 9:23 am