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Thursday, October 3, 2013

Sign The Petition to Light the Empire State Building TARDIS Blue!

TARDIS Blue Doctor Who Empire State Building New York


Attention all Whovians! The intrepid fans over at NY SciFi & Fantasy have submitted paperwork to the Empire State Building to light it up in that all-too-familiar blue on November 23 in honor of Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary.

But they need your help to convince the good people who set up the lights to accept their plea. So please show your support by going to Change.org and adding your name to the petition!

The Doctor has been to New York many times in his travels through time and space, including one that ending in heartache just this past series. What's more, he helped save the ESB and New York from the Daleks in Daleks In Manhattan.

Doctor Who Empire State Building
Eyy c'mon, sign the petition? Whatta you some kinda mamaluke? All mamalukes must be EXTERMINATED!

Help the United States honor our favorite British sci-fi show on its incredible anniversary by signing the petition! For more info on the Empire State Building the schedule for each lighting click here. Allons-y!

-Joe

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Once Upon A Time Recap: The Heart of the Truest Believer

Once Upon A Time Season 3


Well, dearies, the long wait is over and Once Upon A Time Season 3 has jumped into the portal and has landed in our TV screens! Storybrooke has been left behind as the most dysfunctional Fairy Tale family sets sail for dangerous shores in order to rescue the one thing they all have in common: Henry.

The story picks up right where we left off. Charming, Snow, Emma, Hook, and Rumpelstiltskin are aboard the Jolly Roger and sailing towards a strange and mysterious island.

The Island
No, not that one.
But there is a distinct lack of "jolly" on the Roger for our heroes...and....villains....and....anti-hero....Almost from the start they begin bickering about the best way to rescue Henry. Emma even goes so far as to question the optimism and experience of her parents. But, not to worry, because Grandpa Rumpel has decided to take matters into his own hands. What's more, he's brought the proper attire.

The Heart of the Truest Believer
All magic may come with a price, but I got these half off at Men's Wearhouse.
Meanwhile, late Season 2 baddies Greg and Tamara arrive ashore, shoving Henry along as they make their way to the Home Office. But nothing seems to go according to plan, starting with their communicator's batteries turning to sand and ending with a confrontation in the jungle with a creepy group of natives who want to take the boy, who has been deemed special by their leader.

Mr. Friendly
Closer, but still no.
Things go south quickly for the duo on a mission to destroy magic. As it turns out, Neverland is the Home Office and the Pan himself has used the magically-slighted Greg and Tamara to abduct Henry and bring him to the island. The Lost Boys (who, if they had their own Facebook game app it would be called Creepville) demand that they hand over Henry, and when Greg refuses he meets his end at the hands of a dark, shadowy, evil spirit.

Smokey
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
Tamara is injured by what doctors call a "freaking arrow to the back", but Henry manages to escape. He is aided by a former Lost Boy who is eager to avoid the wrath of his former colleagues. They make off towards the Cave of Echoes, a place where Pan's soldiers cannot track them. Meanwhile, back on the boat, Hook and Emma bond over their shared connection to Neal/Baelfire, unaware that at that moment the Son of Stiltskin wakes up in the Land That Was. And the first face he sees is that of...

Once Upon A Time Mulan
Heyyyy.....Mulan's back everybody....greeaaaatt.....
Baelfire then recruits Mulan, Aurora, and Prince Philip in his quest to get back to Emma and the others. Meanwhile, the extended Charming family are all on the boat, lounging on the Lido deck sipping Mai Thais and playing shuffleboard.

Nah, I'm just kidding. They're getting attacked by mermaids.

As the storm rages around them, the ship is buffeted by both waves and fins as the sirens shriek and ram into the side of the Jolly Roger. Charming utilizes the firepower of the ships cannons and Regina uses the power of fire from her hands to ward off the sea-devils. It was like shooting fish in a barrel...except it was hurling magic fireballs at mythical creatures in an enchanted ocean. Luckily, they are able to capture one of the mermaids using a big ol' net.

Once Upon A Time
"Wait, is that ship of protesters from PETA or the ACLU?"
Back on the mainland, Rumpel stumbles upon a wounded Tamara, who reveals why Henry was brought to Neverland. Mr. Gold shows compassion in removing the arrow from her body, allowing her to spill the beans and ask for forgiveness. The answer, certainly and deliciously, is no. Tamara pays for her crimes against the family by having her heart crushed into dust.

While Tamara's heart is getting the ol' Rumpel Crumble, the crew aboard the Jolly Roger is getting a lesson in group dynamics as they decide what to do with the captured mermaid. As the mermaid writhed and wiggled (and boy did she do both!) the team could not decide if they should use her as leverage or if they should kill her on the spot. The mermaid (who, let's face it, is Ariel), tells them that they will wind up killing themselves...and boy was she right. Regina takes action and temporarily turns the mermaid to wood...and that's when the crew reaches the "storming" stage of group dynamics....literally. As Charming fights Hook and Regina and Snow have it out, the winds pick up, the rain howls, and the mother of all tidal waves descends upon the ship.

Meanwhile, Neal, Aurora, Philip and (sigh) Mulan arrive at Rumpelstiltskin's castle in the hopes of finding something that will lead him back to his family. They are greeted, however, by a squatter who just happens to be Robin Hood.

Robin Hood
"The rent in the Enchanted Forest is too damn high!"
As the Jolly Rogers and Rogerettes duke it out, Emma realizes that the mermaids words were coming true, that they were making to storm worse with their anger. She realizes that they need to be reunited, and fast, and so she dives into the watery depths.

The Heart of the Truest Believer
Man, water-skiing in Neverland is extreme
The plan goes a little awry as she is knocked unconscious by a piece of the ship, but it does work. The rest of the team stop fighting long enough to save her, and the storm abates.

Meanwhile, Henry and his newfound friend are still on the run from the Lost Boys but run out of space quickly as they reach a cliff. The boy has pixie dust, but he doesn't believe that it will work. And this is where, for the first time, Henry really comes into his own. Displaying the optimism and belief that helped his mother break the Curse, Henry uses the pixie dust to send him and his friend soaring through the air. I have to say, I'm not the biggest Henry fan (see most of my Season 2 posts), but he really stepped up and displayed not just childlike belief, but also leadership, courage, and optimism. I hope they continue to develop his character into this series' "Man of Faith".

Lost
Don Corleone would tell you not to play around with orange peels in your mouth.
Elsewhere on the island that Seuss forgot, the Dark One comes face to face with the Creepy One as the head Lost Boy offers Rumpel a deal. Stay out of Pan's way, let him have Henry, and his life will be spared. Well, Grandpa ain't havin' that and he promptly rejects the deal. As a parting gift, Blondie leaves behind a doll that presumably belonged to Baelfire. Rumpel is overcome with grief for the son that he believes is dead, and is left to weep in the woods. I really enjoyed this scene. Whoever this kid is playing the lead Lost Boy, he's doing a fantastic job in giving me the wiggins (yep, I've been watching too much Buffy). And watching Mr. Gold act as his old self while sticking up for his family and grieving for his son shows just how far the character has come. At least he is fighting for someone other than himself, but he's still got that Dark One flair

Once Upon A Time
Haters Gonna Hate.....then I turn them into a frog.
But Bae is very much alive. Using his father's old walking stick, Neal makes like Donatello and shows off some moves which removes a cloaking spell on a cabinet containing Rumpel's secret stash. Neal grabs an orb and, after focusing on Emma, finds her in what Aurora and Mulan believe to be their land. But Baelfire knows, much to his terror, that she is in Neverland.

As the Jolly Roger crew comes ashore, Emma takes full command of the group. Heroes, villains, pirates, and Saviors, all of them will need to work together to get Henry back. And nothing is going to stop them.

And nothing better, because as it turns out Henry's friend isn't really a friend at all. He IS the Pan.

Peter Pan
BANGRARA-ooooh crap!
I have to say, after a lull in Season 2 I was starting to think that maybe we had seen the end of the great stories that had made Season 1 such a smash hit. But the show has really upped the ante on this one. First, we are introduced to Neverland and Peter Pan in a way that is so far from what we know, we can only wait to see what happens next. We also are introduced to what I think Season 2 lacked, an over-arching theme. This season, it is "belief" that will permeate each episode...belief in magic, family, and oneself. I really can't wait to see just how this season unfolds and how, if ever, our favorite characters get back to where they belong.

We Have to Go Back
No! No! No!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Celebration Europe II: Day One: The Best Longest Day Ever



Celebration Europe II

Guten Abend und Möge die Macht mit dir sein, everyone! The Missing Linc is back from its summer vacation and I am dying to get to my recap of Celebration Europe II (and beyond)! Let me just say right off the bat that I had the experience of a lifetime and am so lucky to have spent it with an amazing group of people that traveled from all over the world simply for their love of Star Wars. So let's make me feel super nostalgic and dive into this amazing adventure!

"Blast, This Is Why I Hate Flying!"

That header might be a bit misleading. I had a great flight (via Lufthansa airlines) from New York to Frankfurt on my solo journey to Essen. I got through security just fine, I had an aisle seat with no one next to me, the food was pretty good, and the flight attendants were incredibly nice, even complimenting me on my passable German that I learned through the MindSnacks iPad app. What I soon learned to dread, however, was the arrival at the Frankfurt airport.

Frankfurt Airport
Hallo Frankfurt, Hallo Angst!
If only I had thought to take a video of the adventure I went on to reach my connecting flight Dusseldorf. As you can see, I disembarked (also, debarked, both are correct) the plane onto the tarmac and proceeded to hop on a tram. I asked a flight attendant if the tram went to Terminal A, where my flight was leaving from. She assured me that it did (we'll call her Frau Liarstein for this story) and off we went. The tram takes a very circuitous route around the tarmac...allll the way to Terminal B. As everyone and their mothers start to pile out, I ask the conductor if I should stay on to get to Terminal A. No, he says, I have to go through Terminal B. So, a little inconvenient, but I still have about 40 minutes til my flight. I think I can make it.

That is, until I hit security.

As I waited huffily in line, I noticed a British gentleman checking his boarding pass and his watch nervously. Turns out we had different flights, but they were leaving at the same time....and that time was very fast approaching. I made note of our concern to an American security agent who said, in quite possibly the most nasal and haughty voice known to mankind:

"Hyperventilating is a form of free speech, but it won't get you to your plane any faster."

It was then that the New Yorker in me started to rear its ugly head. I managed to calm myself down, reasoning that this doofus had the power to detain me permanently and it probably wouldn't be wise to deliver a haymaker to his head. And so, finally through security, and with around 30 minutes to go, I ran down the corridors of Terminal B, finding my way to a bank of elevators, which I took down. The doors opened and in front of me was another area with more signs to follow, which led me to literally the longest hallway on the face of the Earth.

Frankfurt
Meine Dammen und Herren......I present to you...Purgatory.
No sweat, I think. I'll just glide along the moving sidewalk and be at the end in no time. Welllll guess which moving sidewalk going in which direction was broken? You guessed it, mine. Truly the gods of the Frankfurt Airport were toying with this mortal traveler. And neither the cool lighting scheme nor the techno music pumping through the speakers made the dash through this never-ending corridor any more enjoyable. 

When I finally reached the end (had it been a minute, or a millennium?) I noticed that it too ended in a second bank of elevators. Noticing that the line for these elevators was growing steadily, I decided to take the stairs. The four...long....flights of stairs. Beginning to breathe in a way that can definitely be defined as "panting", I realized that I had finally reached Terminal A! Just a few steps down towards the end and I would be able to board my flight with 20 minutes left to spare before takeoff!

Of course, when I reached the end I could not locate Gate A2 anywhere...until I saw a small flight of steps with a sign indicating "Gates A2-A10" pointing down. Rolling my eyes I descended the short staircase and reached an underground level.......starting at A10. When I at long last reached A2 I noticed something odd....I wasn't boarding a plane, I was boarding a bus that was going to to the plane! With under 15 minutes left, I was starting to get a bit antsy. And so I hopped on the bus, specifically designated to go my flight, and waited.....and waited.....and waited. As one or two passengers at a time climbed aboard, and as the seconds ticked down until takeoff, I was starting to feel very Bruce Bannerish. Trying to find solace in my fellow panicked passengers I turned around, only to see a vague approximation of this:

"I say Franz, do you see the little American boy about to lose his shit?"
"Pay him no mind, Helga, his head will explode shortly."
Everyone else! Seven other people! Were calmly reading their newspapers while I was ready to take over the bus and do my own re-enactment of the movie Speed! But, finally, with just six minutes left, we pulled out from Gate A2 and made our windy way to the plane....but not before stopping for two minutes to let a plane land just a couple dozen yards next to us. The only saving grace was that I saw my bag being loaded onto the plane, so I knew it made it too. Hopped on the plane, found my seat (window this time, but still no one sitting next to me), and in two minutes we were off to Dusseldorf.

Dusseldorf Frankfurt
The urge to jump slowly receded the farther away we got from Frankfurt.

"This is Where the Fun Begins!"

At Dusseldorf, I calmly walked off the plane, grabbed my bags, and met up with my friend and airport taxi driver, Chris Dee. From there we drove the roughly half-hour turned hour-and-a-half (thanks to traffic) drive to Essen. But at that point I didn't care. I was with my friend, and I was finally officially on the way to Essen, and to Celebration! We arrived in Essen and instantly my traveler's spirit re-awakened. I was really here, in Essen, in Germany! And very soon I would be entering the halls of Messe Essen itself.

Star Wars Celebration Europe II

Star Wars Celebration Europe II

We arrived at the wonderful Hotel Maximillians, where I quickly freshened up and got ready to head over
Essen, Germany

Star Wars Celebration Europe II

Star Wars Celebration Europe II
It's a shame when a town has no charm or whimsy whatsoever </sarcasm>
At this point I should have been tired, and maybe I should have given myself an hour or so to take a nap and shower....but I was in Germany, and Celebration had already been going a couple of hours by the time I arrived. With every step towards Messe Essen, the convention center, my resolve grew stronger and my excitement began to rise. Following my friend Chris, who was drawing some stares from the locals in his Mandalorian armor, I gave myself fully to the Force, and to that ever-escalating feeling that I had come home...to Celebration.

Essen, Germany
To quote Nute Gunray: "BIC-toree!"
I went around the corner from the entrance, traded in my confirmation for a 3-day pass, and hurriedly went inside to see just what was in store for me. I was especially curious to see what was similar to and different from the past two Celebrations in Orlando. When I walked through the doors, through the lobby, and into the main hall, I knew that, for whatever might be different, this felt like Celebration.

Messe Essen
Packed room filled with fans? Check.
Messe Essen
Double check.
Messe Essen
Booths, vendors, and people selling stuff at high mark-ups? Check.
Darth Maul
Cool statues of famous characters? Checkaroo.
AT-AT
Large replicas of cool vehicles? A-check.
R2-D2
Giant, inflatable version of a droid, character, or ship? Oooh hells check!
Admittedly, I missed the giant inflatable Death Star hanging over the entrance to the Orlando convention center, but a giant inflatable R2-D2 certainly makes up for it! As I made my way through the Main Hall, I noticed that it opened up to an even bigger hall (where the AT-AT is) that contained the Artists Alley, Tattoo area, more booths and vendors, replica set pieces, and the area where you can get pictures with some of the celebs. Looking down on it from the small cafeteria area, it was truly stunning to see so many people (over 20,000 from the official estimates), from all over the world, here to celebrate the saga we all love.

Messe Essen
Look sir, Nerds!
And, one of the best thrills was being able to reunite with my Celebration family. If walking into the Main Hall didn't help me shed the hours of travel and the anxiety of making a connecting flight, then seeing the smiling, happy faces of my friends surely did the trick.

Messe Essen
At least I think they're smiling....
I said hello to Jazz and Anne, my Norwegian buddies, and Sarah, my mate from Down Under, and at last felt like I had really arrived. But, there was no time to waste! There was so much more to see! After a quick lunch (because, oh yeah, i had eaten in about six hours) we tried to make it to the screening of Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 3-D...although sadly we got to the Digital Stage just as it had filled up. I did, however, get to see more of the convention center, including its Biergarten!

Messe Essen
Because of course it would have a Biergarten.....
Star Wars Angry Birds
Not so Angry now, is he?
Lederhosen Trooper
Because of course he'd be interviewed by a German radio station...
"This is Only the Beginning!"

The beauty of Celebration is that there is always something going on. So we made our way to the Main Stage to see the first big panel of the convention, entitled: "Designing A Galaxy". It featured Doug Chiang and Ian McCaig who were the principal concept artists for the prequels, and who are already hard at work designing the heroes, villains, aliens, ships, and planets we'll see in the Sequel Trilogy.

Doug Chiang and Ian McCaig

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the warm-up acts were DJ Elliot and comedian Mark Daniel. The duo, who work at Disney Hollywood Studios, had worked previously at Celebrations V and VI, and were known for doling out some sick beats, funny videos, cool T-shirts, and lots of recurring gags and jokes (so much so that you could finish the before they did, and it made them all that much more hilarious). If they were good at CV and CVI, they were in their element at CEII. DJ Elliot's remixes were incredible (including, of course 99 Luftballoons) and Mark Daniel knew how to get the crowd going, including this little diddy he worked up to pay homage to both Star Wars and his home country of Trinidad and Tobago:


After everyone was feeling the island spirit, DJ Elliot and Mark turned the show over to Celebration Europe II's official host, Mr. Warwick Davis. Known to many as Wicket the Ewok, Willow, Professor Flitwick, and many others, Warwick was a brilliant host who combined wit, great questions, and his own fandom to make every panel on the main stage fun and interesting. You'll see more of some of his superb hosting in later posts, but here's his hilarious introduction:


Warwick also came with his own droid, R4-CE2 (....get it?), who was voiced by DJ Elliot. The two had some witty banter which became utterly predictable (and thus, more hilarious) as the convention wore on. To dismiss his upstart droid, Warwick would tell him to go talk to an air conditioner...which of course was unintentionally made even funnier by the fact that there wasn't an air conditioner in the entire nation of Germany. If there had actually been one there for R4 to talk to, I would have sold that droid to the Jawas in a heartbeat for a chance to converse with the AC myself.

Warwick Davis
Everyone say it with me now: "Anthony Daniels speaks Bocce...."
And then it was time to bring out the featured guests. Doug Chiang and Ian McCaig are chiefly responsible for the look and feel of the Star Wars universe as we know it now. Inheriting the mantle of McQuarrie, these talented artists (and their team) have been at the very forefront of creating some of the most iconic ships, planets, and characters of all time.

Jar Jar Binks
Of course we won't fault them for a few mistakes...
The interview was really insightful, with Doug and Ian sharing their inspirations, paths to success, and approaches to creating and designing. The pair could not have been more humble, recognizing the incredible role they have played in shaping a galaxy and a franchise. You began to understand the enormous responsibility they felt, and the obligation to create something brand new and yet utterly Star Wars.

Doug Chiang Ian McCaig

And then they did something really cool. The actually invited a fan on stage to draw with Ian. Under his tutelage, the young fan learned how to draw Darth Maul from the man who created Darth Maul's infamous look. He actually did a very good job, and was given Ian's copy of Maul.

Warwick Davis
And Warwick....ehhh not-a so much...
When the young fan had departed the stage, Warwick asked who would like to draw a droid with Doug. Well, here's where it gets interesting. Before I knew what was happening my hand was up, Mark Daniel called me out from the audience, and I quickly jaunted up the steps to the stage, shaking hands with three legends from both behind the scenes and on the screen. It took every last bit of my memory of acting in school to not be completely overwhelmed with the fact that here I was, on stage, at Celebration Europe II, in front of a few hundred people and sitting with icons of the saga.

Doug Chiang Ian McCaig
Pictured above: Me absolutely trying not to lose my shit.

Doug Chiang Ian McCaig
Answering a question from Warwick Davis
.......which I can't even believe I'm typing right now
Doug Chiang Ian McCaig
Doing a passable job copying Doug, with Ian looking on
Doug Chiang Ian McCaig
Learning from the Master
Doug moved fast, and I had to work hard to keep up with every circle and line he expertly applied to the canvas. I barely glanced at the audience, or at Warwick and Ian, and focused intensely on my own private (and yet extremely public) master class. As the battle droid we were drawing took shape, Ian leaned over to me and said "Hey, that's pretty good!" Now, I don't know if he was lying or not, but nothing says "giant boost of confidence" like the reassurance of the guy who drew something so freaky George Lucas had to say "Um, show me your second worst nightmare."

When we were finished, I held my sketch up to the audience (unfortunately no picture exists), Warwick had long since given up on his, and I watched as Doug signed his own copy for me. I quickly jotted down on my pad "Doug, Thanks for the lesson! - Joe Sorbera" and handed him my sketch, which he assured me would "Go on his wall" (Again, could not care one dewback's scale if he was lying or not). I shook hands with Doug, Ian, and Warwick as I exited the stage with my prize, got my picture taken by an employee of Lucasfilm, and floated to my seat still on the supreme high I was experiencing. 

Doug Chiang Ian McCaig
Yeah....I can go home right now and be fine...
My first panel, on my first day at CEII and already it was an experience of a lifetime. But it wasn't over yet...not by a long shot! Hell, Day One wasn't even close to over yet! So stay tuned for the next installment of my Celebration Europe II recap for an interview with C-3PO, an Evening with the Emperor, Return of the Jedi in the park, and a night out with some of the coolest people in the galaxy...

Bis Später!

Joe 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Auf Wiedersehen! The Missing Linc Is Heading to Celebration Europe II

Celebration Europe II CEII Messe Essen Germany

The Missing Linc is heading to Germany for the biggest Star Wars party this side of Coruscant!

Not sure if I'll be able to update as frequently as I'd like, but you can check the Missing Linc Facebook Page for more.

See you all soon. And "möge die Macht mit dir sein!"

- Joe

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Your Morning Linc: Pacific Rim, Lucas Awarded National Medal of Arts, Power Rangers 20th, EW Interviews Moffat, Saving Mr. Banks

Hoo boy, it's hot out there! If you're looking to beat the heat, I suggest heading to a nice cold theater and seeing  Pacific Rim. My friends and I went to the "old man opening night" screening at 8:00 last Thursday (yeah, they do that now) and I really enjoyed it. The monsters, known as kaiju, were particularly impressive and creative. All credit goes to visual effects supervisor John Knoll, a visionary of our time.

Yep, my childhood just squealed a little bit.

The human element of the story was a little cliche, but an overall good job done by the cast, including potential Twelfth Doctor Idris Elba and a manic Charlie Day as a scientist. Pacific Rim also had a very mech anime vibe (like the Gundam series or Voltron) which I enjoyed. At the end of the day, it was a movie about giant robots fighting monsters, and you can't ask for anything better than that.

And now, on to today's Lincs!

1. George Lucas Honored With National Medal For the Arts
For those of you keeping score at home. That's humans: 3 medals, Chewbacca: 0
On July 10, George Lucas was honored by President Barack Obama with the National Medal for the Arts. The citation for the award reads:
"George Lucas for his contributions to American cinema. By combining the art of storytelling with boundless imagination and cutting-edge techniques, Mr. Lucas has transported us to new worlds and created some of the most beloved and iconic films of all time."

I sincerely congratulate The Maker on this incredible honor and thank him for all the moments that Star Wars, and his other films, have transported me to places beyond my imagination. Thanks, George. And May the Force Be With You.

2. Morphenomenal! Power Rangers Celebrates 20th With Morphing Sequence

The show about teenagers with attitude (and a giant floating head) turns 20 this year. Saban is celebrating with a huge anniversary episode and has also recently released a cool video of all the red rangers (and Tommy's White Ranger) from each season morphing into one another.



How many can you name? Which is your favorite season of Power Rangers?

3. EW Interviews Moffat On Doctor Who's 50th And The Search For Twelve

Doctor Who Eleventh Doctor
Soon.
Entertainment Weekly recently sat down with the Moff himself to discuss all things Who. They dished on everything from the Matt Smith's departure, the search for the Twelfth Doctor, the 50th anniversary special, Tennant and Smith's Doctors, and whether or not Matt Smith will wear a wig on his last outing as the Time Lord. Here are a few snippets, but click the link above for the full article:

EW: So how goes the search for the next Doctor?
SM: Well, it’s always just terrifying...If you’re a Doctor Who fan, as I have been all my life, you’ve been doing fantasy casting for this part for as long as you can remember. But when you’re suddenly faced with the reality that you are going to sit there and you are going to make that decision it does feel absolutely chilling. There’s a very big range of people who could play it and different ways you could go with it. We must get this right. One false move and the show’s over.”

EW: Is Matt going to have to wear a wig when he films the Christmas special? He seems to have had a very severe haircut for his role in Ryan Gosling’s How to Catch a Monster.
SM: We’re sprinkling fertilizer on his head as we speak. I don’t know. If you care to take a look at “The Angels Take Manhattan” there are a couple of scenes that Karen Gillan came back to do in the graveyard after she’d had her radical haircut and she is wearing what seems like a strategically draped otter on her head. [Laughs]
However, we effect it, the Doctor will turn up in his trademark coif. We can’t have Matt’s last stand in the TARDIS without his proper look. So, thank you, Ryan Gosling…

EW: What was it like having Matt and David together?
SM: They really loved each other and had a huge laugh together. And of course they’ve been through this experience that only the two of them can talk about, really, in the modern world. They are the two people that have played that part at a time when the series is this big. They spent the entire time just sitting together talking animatedly.

EW: Could you talk about how their Doctors relate to each other? Traditionally, there’s been a bit of edge when Doctors have met each other onscreen?
SM: Well, when you’re talking to yourself, there’s no filter! You don’t spare yourself! They’re quite a fun pairing, I would say. There’s a bit of the normal joshing of each other but they’re both such enthusiastic Doctors. While they might be sort of competing slightly, they’re both standing there saying, “Oh god, it’s so cool, there’s two of me!” So, it’s very different. I think the other one that worked brilliantly was Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton. They were incredibly funny together. This is very different from that but it’s a sublime double act.

Doctor Who 50th

EW: Are you aware that David Bradley (who plays William Hartnell in the movie An Adventure in Space and Time) is now a thousand times more famous in America than he was a couple of months ago thanks to his pivotal role on the recent season of Game of Thrones?
SM: Oh, brilliant. That’s excellent. I love David. He’s such a clever actor. And we’ve had him in the proper show as well. He’s in “Dinosaurs On a Spaceship.”

Only a few more months to go before we get all the answers we're looking for! And that, of course, means the fall of the Eleventh. I really can't wait to see all of this amazing Who history unfold!

4. Saving Mr. Banks Will Be Supercalifra....Ahh You Know The Rest

Not many people think about the work and effort it took to create one of the most iconic Disney films of all time. Indeed, it wasn't easy for old Walt to convince Mary Poppins writer P.L. Travers to even give up the rights to her creation. Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of how Disney convinced Mrs. Travers to do just that, and what he learned about the mysterious nanny in the process.


Saving Mr. Banks is out December 20th, 2013 and stars Emma Thompson as Mrs. Travers, Tom Hanks as the Man Behind the Mouse himself, as well as other notable celebs such as Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and others.

Of course, I hope they finally explain how Mary Poppins got here from Gallifrey:

Marry Poppins Time Lord
How else do you think she learned about the cartoon world?
'Til Next Time!

- Joe