Category Archives: Reality Check

Episodes of Sci-Fi London’s podcast “Reality Check” produced by Strip! and former I’m ready for my close-up presenter Alex Fitch.

Reality Check: Building a better High Rise

Reality Check: Building a better High Rise

Following a screening of High Rise as part of the symposium J.G. Ballard in the Seventies, Alex Fitch talks to three members of the production team behind Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s High Rise. Dan Martin discusses arranging the special effects for the movie and creating realistic gore for Wheatley’s films, Mark Tildesley talks about dressing the set cost effectively and how this compared to working with Michael Winterbottom on Code 46, and Odile Dicks-Mireaux discusses making science-fictional clothes for the cast, including a James Bond style suit for Tom Hiddleston.

Alex Fitch talks to Dan Martin, Odile Dicks-Mireaux and Mark Tildesley on stage at the British Library after a screening of High Rise

Alex Fitch talks to Dan Martin, Odile Dicks-Mireaux and Mark Tildesley on stage at the British Library after a screening of High Rise

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

Links: Info about the British Library event where this podcast was recorded
High-Rise tumblr page
Electric Sheep podcast about High-Rise and the 1971 production of Crash

Electric Sheep Magazine podcast: Frankenstein revived, Superman Lives

Electric Sheep Magazine podcast: Frankenstein revived, Superman Lives

In the February episode of the Electric Sheep Film Show, Electric Sheep Magazine editor assistant editor Alex Fitch talks to Jasper Sharp, artistic director of the Asia House Film Festival, which runs from 22 February, to actor Tony Todd about Bernard Rose’s new adaptation of Frankenstein, and to the director (Jon Schnepp) and producers (Holly Payne, Robert Pierce) of the documentary The Death of Superman Lives. With classic tracks by The Clique, Klark Kentt and The Crystals.
The Electric Sheep Film Show continues on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 8pm, repeated the following day at 9am.

frankenstein_superman

Blu-Ray cover for Frankenstein (2015) / Asia House Film Festival flyer / Jon Schnepp interviewed by Alex Fitch at BFI Southbank / The Death of Superman Lives poster



Originally broadcast as a ‘Clear Spot’, 17th February 2015 on Resonance 104.4 FM; The Electric Sheep Film Show continues on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 8pm, repeated the following day at 9am, on Resonance FM.

Visit www.archive.org, for more info and formats you can stream / download.

Links: Contribute to the Resonance FM fundraiser / ebay auction
The Death of Superman Lives website
Buy Frankenstein (2015)from amazon.co.uk
More info about the Asia House Film Festival and The Creeping Garden

Reality Check: Save Our Skins, Superbob!

Reality Check: Save Our Skins, Superbob!

Alex Fitch talks to the casts and crews of two British Comedy / Science-Fiction films, in Q and As on stage at the SCI-FI-LONDON Film Festival. At Stratford PictureHouse, the director of SOS: Save our Skins, produced by Baby Cow, discusses finding humour in an alien apocalypse, and at the Ritzy Cinema, the creator of SuperBob and members of the cast, including Catherine Tate talk about creating a South London Superhero.

Poster and still from SOS: Save Our Skins / Superbob poster,  Catherine Tate, Brett Goldstein, Natalia Tena and director John Drever at the Ritzy Q and A with Alex Fitch (photo by Chris Harvey)

Poster and still from SOS: Save Our Skins / Superbob poster, Catherine Tate, Brett Goldstein, Natalia Tena and director John Drever at the Ritzy Q and A with Alex Fitch (photo by Chris Harvey)

Links: Grain Media page on Superbob
Buy Superbob from amazon.co.uk
SOS Save Our Skins tumblr
BITE TV channel on youtube

Reality Check: Darth Vader and the Girls from Goldfinger

Reality Check: Darth Vader and the Girls from Goldfinger

In Q and As recorded at SCI-FI-LONDON and the London Film Museum, Alex Fitch talks to Dave Prowse, Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet about appearing in (Saving) Star Wars and Goldfinger respectively.
Shirley and Tania discuss being cast as Bond Girls: the Masterson sisters in the third 007 film, and Dave talks about turning down the role of Chewbacca for a more sinister position in George Lucas’ classic movies.

Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet (photo by Mark Mawston) / Dave Prowse and friend (photo by Getty Images)

Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet (photo by Mark Mawston) / Dave Prowse and friend (photo by Getty Images)

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

Links: Watch Saving Star Wars on watchscifi.com
Official Dave Prowse website
Listen to Alex’s interview with Honor Blackman about appearing in Goldfinger, The Avengers and Doctor Who

Reality Check: The Ersatz Doctors part 2

Reality Check: The Ersatz Doctors part 2

Alex Fitch continues his exploration of the actors who have been hired to play incarnations of Doctor Who after the original actors have passed on.
Alex talks to John Guilor about providing a new voice for William Hartnell’s First Doctor in reconstructed ‘missing’ scenes for BBC DVDs; and to Tim Treloar about continuing the adventures of the Third Doctor in Big Finish audio plays, now that Jon Pertwee is no longer with us.
(Originally broadcast 21st December 2015 as part of a Clear Spot on Resonance FM, recorded at ‘The Day of the Doctors 2’ convention, with thanks to Big Finish Productions)

Cover of The Third Doctor Adventures / Syvlester McCoy and Tim Treloar / Cover of Doctor Omega / Behind the scenes and cover of Doctor Who: Planet of Giants

Cover of The Third Doctor Adventures / Syvlester McCoy and Tim Treloar / Cover of Doctor Omega / Behind the scenes and cover of Doctor Who: Planet of Giants

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: More info about ‘Tenth Planet’ Doctor Who events
Article about the recording of The Third Doctor Adventures at bigfinish.com
Behind the scenes video of recording The Planet of Giants
Buy The Third Doctor Adventures: Volume 1, Doctor Who: Planet of Giants and Doctor Omega And The Fantastic Adventure To Mars from amazon.co.uk
Info about Tim Treloar’s Doctor Who CDs at bigfinish.com
Listen to Alex’s interviews with Jon Culshaw and David Troughton about playing alternate versions of Doctor Who

Reality Check: The Ersatz Doctors part 1

Reality Check: The Ersatz Doctors part 1

Alex Fitch looks at the actors who have been hired to play incarnations of Doctor Who after the original actors have passed on or retired. While the programme has a built in fiction for the constant recasting of the lead role, fans have had a desire to still see and hear new adventures for the 1960s and 70s versions of Doctor Who, and these have begun to be made and licenced by the BBC for broadcast on digital radio, television and download.
Alex talks to impressionist Jon Culshaw about playing Tom Baker – otherwise known as the Fourth Doctor – in Dead Ringers, and audiobooks such as The Ark in Space; to actor David Troughton about channeling his father Patrick as an ersatz Second Doctor on BBC Radio 4extra
(Originally broadcast 21st December 2015 as part of a Clear Spot on Resonance FM, with thanks to BBC Audio)

David Troughton / Jon Culshaw / Covers of The Hexford Invasion and the Ark in Space

David Troughton / Jon Culshaw / Covers of The Hexford Invasion and the Ark in Space

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other episodes you can download, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Article about the recording of The Ark in Space at ladbrokeradio.com
Review of Doctor Who: Serpent Crest at cultbox.com
Listen to Alex’s interviews with Doctor Who actors Sylvester McCoy, Michael Jayston and Sophie Aldred
Order Death to the Daleks, The Ark in Space, The Hexford Invasion and The Curse of Peladon on CD from bbcshop.com

Book List: Time Lord Spin-offs

Book List: Time Lord Spin-offs

In a show looking at new Doctor Who novels, short story anthologies and ebooks since the programme returned to television in 2005, Alex Fitch talks to novelist Alastair Reynolds about his book The Harvest of Time, and to writers / editors Jay Eales and Selina Lock about Faction Paradox, Iris Wildtyme, Senor 105 and other Gallifreyan themed titles published by Obverse and Manleigh Books in an interview recorded at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. (Partially broadcast as a Clear Spot, 05/06/15 on Resonance FM)

Covers of Doctor Who spin-off books

Covers of Doctor Who spin-off books

For more info about this podcast and a variety of other formats you can download / stream, please visit the home of this episode at www.archive.org

Links: Page on Alastair Reynolds site about writing Doctor Who: The Harvest of Time
Info about Faction Paradox and Iris Wildthyme books featuring Jay Eales at obversebooks.co.uk
Info about the Timelord Mexican Wrestler Se?or 105 published by Manleigh Books including Selina Lock’s ‘Green Eyed and Grim’
Jay and Selina’s Factor Fiction Press
Buy The Harvest of Time from Amazon
Listen to Andrew Hickey’s interview with Lawrence Miles about Faction Paradox
Listen to Alex Fitch’s previous interviews with Selina Lock and Clear Spot about Doctor Who novels and interview with Iris Wildthyme creator Paul Magrs

Reality Check: Space Odysseys

Reality Check: Space Odysseys

Celebrating Sci-Fi programming at the BFI and Brighton’s Cine-City festival, Alex Fitch talks to writer / actor Graham Duff (Nebulous)about the Cine-City performance of ‘They – A sequence of unease’ adapted from a surrealist novel by author Kay Dick. Alex also chats to broadcaster and author Matthew Sweet about the new BFI print of 2001 – A Space Odyssey, with an extract from his recent Q and A about the film, featuring Keir Dullea, broadcast 2nd December 2014 on BBC Radio 3. (With thanks to BBC Arts)

Cover of They by Kay Dick / Foredown Tower, Portslade / Still from 2001 / Keir Dullea at the BFI

Cover of They by Kay Dick / Foredown Tower, Portslade / Still from 2001 / Keir Dullea at the BFI

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

Links: BBC Arts and Free Thinking websites
Info about the BFI Fear and Wonder season
Info about the They performance at Cine-City
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Matthew Sweet
Graham Duff’s website and Doctor Who audio play

More download formats: archive.org/details/RealityCheckSpaceOdysseys

Reality Check: Vampire Academy comic Breaks

Reality Check: Vampire Academy comic Breaks

Continuing a Q and A recorded at Gosh! Comics, as part of SCI-FI-LONDON 14, Alex Fitch talks to cartoonist Emma Vieceli about illustrating the comic book adaptations of the first three Vampire Academy books by Richelle Mead. Emma also discusses her new webcomic Breaks and forthcoming work on the Alex Rider graphic novel range.

Cover of Dragon Age / interior art from Vampire Academy and Breaks, illustrated by Emma Vieceli

Cover of Dragon Age / interior art from Vampire Academy and Breaks, illustrated by Emma Vieceli

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
Links: Penguin website on Vampire Academy graphic novels
Breaks webcomic
Emma Vieceli’s website
Listen to Alex’s previous interviews with Emma Vieceli: in 2009 and the first half of the Gosh! / SCI-FI-LONDON Q and A Continue reading

Panel Borders: Freud, Shakespeare and Marx

Panel Borders: Freud, Shakespeare and Marx

Continuing a month of shows looking at the work of female cartoonists, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of artists whose graphic novels have covered the work of masters of theatre, philosophy and psychoanalysis. In a Q and A recorded at Gosh! Comics as part of the SCI-FI-LONDON film festival, Emma Vieceli discusses her work on SelfMadeHero’s Manga Shakespeare line, drawing adaptations of a post-apocalyptic Hamlet, and 19th Century Much ado about nothing. Also, in an interview (translated by Alex Spiro) recorded at ELCAF French cartoonist Anne Simon discusses her graphic novel biographies of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud, published in English by Nobrow. Originally broadcast 23rd June 2014 on Resonance 104.4 FM

Much ado about nothing and Hamlet, drawn by Emma Vieceli / Freud and Marx by Anne Simon

Much ado about nothing and Hamlet, drawn by Emma Vieceli / Freud and Marx by Anne Simon

For more info and a variety of different formats you can stream or download, please visit the home of this podcast at www.archive.org

Links: Emma Vieceli’s website and new webcomic Breaks
Manga Shakespeare website
Nobrow and Grand Papier pages on Anne Simon
Listen to Alex’s previous interview with Emma Vieceli and Dickon Harris’ interview with Alex Spiro about Nobrow Continue reading