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Entertainment, Featured, In Music

iReview | KYLIE MINOGUE Step Back In Time – The Definitive Collection

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Delivering “Pop Precision” since 1987 it’s impossible to imagine a world without the musical contributions of the Pop Goddess of Love KYLIE MINOGUE back with a definitive Greatest Hits collection!

You just can’t get her out of your head. Since gate crashing her way into the popular vernacular with her cover of the 1962 classic “The Loco-Motion” (originally performed by Little Eva) Kylie Minogue profoundly made her claim on the dance music scene and commanded the charts, setting the tone for songs of the summer in 1987. The Melbourne born, soap opera actress established herself a triple threat, as a singer, songwriter and actress that would emerge as an iconic performer and international phenom.

Though her early works outside of “The Loco-Motion” and “I Should Be So Lucky” didn’t made the impact that her music label may have hoped, it was inevitable that Kylie Minogue would eventually set the trend of the Euro-Dance Pop sound, aligning herself with Matt Aitken, Mike Stock and Pete Waterman, Minogue would go on to garner success and international fame, comparatively achieving the status of another “gay icon” Madonna; the two have often been compared to one another and even shown much reverence and affection for one another.

It wasn’t until 2001 that Minogue finally cracked the glass ceiling and crossed the pond, synching her place as a stateside pop-star with her hit single “I Can’t Get You Out of My Head” from her eighth full-length studio album Fever. Since then, Kylie Minogue has enjoyed mainstream success that has teamed her up with Calvin Harris, Pharrell Williams and Stuart Price (who co-produced Madonna’s hit Confessions on a Dance Floor) and crossed genres of appeal.

Feeling really nostalgic? The album is also available in vinyl.

Definitive Collection

Minogue is no stranger to the “Greatest Hits” format. Over the course of her three decades in the music industry, she’s released several compilations but her latest Step Back in Time – The Definitive Collection is determined to illustrate just how significant an influence Minogue has made with her music. Each of the 42 singles, including the brand new “New York City” elaborates on the artist’s evolution as a performer and influencer of the myriad dimensions of the dance\pop music genre.

From her most distinct early hits, to career-defining confections like “Shocked” and “Confide in Me” before capitalizing on her newfound popularity, Minogue continued to express herself with a sound all on her own as experienced on the mainstays “Spinning Around” and “Love at First Sight”. Her more contemporary chart toppers including “Timebomb” and “Get Outta My Way” also sit comfortably amid the rock-infused “2 Hearts” and hip-hop/funk of “Red Blooded Woman”. The only obvious omissions are tracks from Minogue’s 2014 album Kiss Me Once.

The album was the only release crafted on her short-lived collaboration with Warner Music Group, a multi-million deal that didn’t live up to the expectations of the label. Minogue was released early from that deal and returned to form on her latest, 2018’s concept piece Golden which featured a contemporary country-inspired smoothness. “Dancing” and “Stop Me From Falling” are more than suitable companions for her latest and newest “New York City”. The valentine to her fans in the thriving metropolis perfectly completes this definitive collection.

The only new single is the dance hit homage to “New York City”.

Kylie Minogue | Step Back in Time – The Definitive Collection available in CD, Digital Download, and various Special Edition formats including Vinyl and Cassette on her website.

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Coming Soon, Entertainment, Featured, In Primetime, TOP STORIES

ICYMI | FX’s AMERICAN HORROR STORY: 1984 Gets Premiere Date

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Television’s most anticipated shows of the fall are clamoring for audience attention and FX’s hit gothic anthology American Horror Story: 1984 is slashing its way onto the primetime schedule!

The latest installment of super-producer Ryan Murphy’s hit gothic terror anthology American Horror Story: 1984 has been given a premiere date! The series will enter into its ninth season on FX on Wednesday, Sept 18 @ 10pm EST and will feature returning ensemble cast members including fan-favorite Emma Roberts. Last year’s end of days themed Apocalypse spotlighted the return of Roberts bitchy witch Madison Montgomery from Season 3’s  Coven and further connected the AHS mythology first introduced in 2011’s Horror House.

The theme selected for Season 9 of American Horror Story: 1984 is taking inspiration from the 80’s  slasher film phenomenon in the vein of such horror classics like the Friday the 13th franchise. Early promotional materials have introduced what appears to be a masked knife-wielding serial killer hunting his hapless prey, a nondescript female victim — and when she enters a dark, wood cabin, a large knife slashes through the door (Yikes)! Although very little else has been revealed of the new season AHS: 1984 or its cast, Olympian Gus Kenworthy is signed to play Roberts’ boyfriend.

Check out the Teaser Trailer here:

American Horror Story: 1984 premieres on FX Wednesday, Sept 18 @ 10pm EST. Stay tuned here and on The Fanzite for additional news and updates!

Collectible, Featured, Star Trek

UnBoxing | Star Trek Discovery USS EDISON from Eaglemoss

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Among the ships in the Starfleet armada that answered the USS Shenzhou’s distress message at the Battle of the Binary Stars the USS Edison was lost with all hands onboard after valiantly pushing against the Klingon forces.

Designed as a troop transporter intended to move soldiers and small range fighters into the thick of hostile confrontations, the USS Edison NCC-1683 was introduced at the beginning of Season One of STAR TREK DISCOVERY and was part of a series of background ships that would help illustrate the depth of the Federation’s initial confrontation with the Klingon Empire at infamous Battle of the Binary Stars. The ship’s designer John Eaves attacked this latest assignment in the same fashion as any of the hero ships he’d approached in the past.

 

Though a lot more compact in size by comparison to the larger USS Discovery the USS Edison NCC-1683 is a Hoover-class ship with an unusually diamond-shaped aft station that appeared crafted as a landing bay where small one-person fighters could be loaded and deployed in mass and into combat situations. The engineering hull was housed beneath the main saucer section of the ship and was uncharacteristically swept forward instead of a naturally aerodynamically back with the nacelles nestled on either side in a catamaran style.

When Eaves submitted the various design options for the fleet ships that inhabited the 23rd Century of STAR TREK DISCOVERY the similarities in the silhouette of certain ship designs encouraged the design team to make minor adjustments and modifications once Eaves initial pitches made the cut. The USS Edison quickly moved up the ranks and although it had relatively little screen time, the Hoover-class may eventually return in another iteration in an upcoming episode of the new series. Its triangular aft area has a design appeal that is evocative of the USS Reliant.

 

Ship In The Line

Delivering on its promise of quality collectible items Eaglemoss Collections release of the USS Edison NCC-1683 marks the sixteenth release in the line of models based off of designs appearing in STAR TREK DISCOVERY and is a larger offering than their standard models, excluding the “XL Editions” which are their latest more elite line of collectibles. The USS Edison remains interesting in that it continues to push the envelope of starship designs, but still has a way of remaining faithful to canon and fan’s expectations.

The model itself is beautifully detailed and captures the spirit of the starship, with amazing sculpted parts in both a high-end plastic and die-cast metal.

USS Edison NCC-1683 | Issue 15 | Star Trek Discovery The Official Starships Collections from Eaglemoss Collections | $54.95 available on the Eaglemoss Collections website or as part of the subscription service.

Collectible, Featured, Star Trek

UnBoxing | Star Trek V’GER Special Edition from Eaglemoss

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Counted among one of the strangest and largest starships in the line of vessels that the USS Enterprise has ever confronted, the alien V’Ger is finally recreated by Eaglemoss Collections as a Special Edition release.

A threat so enormous that Admiral James T. Kirk personally undertook the mission, captaining the USS Enterprise which was still in the midst of a refit, to intercept an alien presence on a collision course with Earth, V’Ger the alien spacecraft introduced in Star Trek: The Motion Picture made quite the cinematic impression on the wide screen. The starship was the first ship that faced off against Kirk and his crew when the Star Trek franchise was brought to film in 1979.

The model of V’Ger is expertly detailed to match its onscreen counterpart.

The vessel was making its way across the cosmos on a trajectory towards our solar system. Its final destination? Earth. Although the USS Enterprise met V’Ger head-on, the starship itself was so big that on screen audiences hardly got a good view of it; it wasn’t until the eventual release of the “Director’s Cut” of the film that V’Ger was fully realized. Eaglemoss Collections now features as part of its Star Trek The Official Starships Collection a “Special Edition” of the model — beautifully detailed and sculpted from plastic and die-cast metal parts.

V’Ger’s engine up close.
A close-up of the vessel’s maw that swallows up the Enterprise in the movie.
The model measures approximately 8.5 inches.
Close-up view.

Special Edition

Although Eaglemoss had announced earlier this year that it would be extended its line of models to a total of 160 individual pieces, the “Special Edition” releases which stand outside of the original line and the XL Edition ships may continue beyond the limits of the run. V’Ger comes in at just about 8.5 inches and includes a display stand to pose the model sturdily on your shelf. The package also includes a 16-page magazine that covers the design ideas and approaches behind the ship that would appear in the film.

V’Ger | Speical Edition | Star Trek The Official Starships Collections from Eaglemoss Collections | $44.99  available on the Eaglemoss Collections website or as part of the subscription service.

Entertainment, Featured, On Blu-ray

iReview | LOST IN SPACE The Complete First Season

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Available now on Blu-Ray and Digital HD, the Netflix Original Series is worth getting lost in. Danger seems to follow The Robinsons everywhere, even to the edges of the final frontier…

Get lost! When Netflix announced it was rebooting a science-fiction franchise to run counter to the subscription services award-winning series including House of Cards and documentaries like Making a Murderer few would have imagined that the network that was out to challenge the conventional successes of HBO’s Game of Thrones would have chosen to resurrect Lost In Space — the 1960s series loosely adapted from the book “Swiss Family Robinson” about a family that gets stranded on an alien planet in the farthest reaches of space.

Starring Holly Parker and Toby Stephens as Maureen and John Robinson, the matriarch and patriarch of The Robinson Family — along with their children, Judy, Penny and son Will, find themselves a million light-years away from home. As the story opens, The Robinsons find their shuttle, a Jupiter-class shuttle tossed into the atmosphere of an alien planet, amidst the plummeting debris of their space station which may be lost to them. In the first 24-hours since crashing into the snowy tundra on the surface, The Robinsons are immediately in survival mode.

Unlike the 1960s predecessor, which almost heavily relied on a bit of camp and simple practical effects to get its story across, Lost In Space The Complete First Season available now on Blu-Ray and Digital HD takes great measures to develop the family; all five of The Robinsons are fully fleshed and very realistic individuals — facing the unpredictability of their circumstances, they have little choice but to find a way to survive — and to do so they must stick together. And then there’s The Robot!

Skewing far from the conventions of the Original Series, or even the blockbuster bigness of the feature film that itself got lost, the First Season sets up an interesting bit of mythology, with characters that are full of duplicity and complication. There’s also a very healthy bit of science, as the more than capable Robinsons prove that they need to rely on more than CGI to get through their trials and tribulations. It’s fortunate that among them there’s an engineer, a military survivalist, a doctor, a practical thinker, and a Will Robinson – who knows how to speak Robot.

Lost In Space The Complete First Season is worthy for binging especially as the Second Season is fast approaching and will soon touchdown on Netflix “watchlists” everywhere.

Lost In Space The Complete First Season available on Blu-Ray and Digital HD | $24.99

Collectible, DC Comics, DC Entertainment, Featured

UnBoxing | Mezco BATMAN: Sovereign Knight

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The third in a series of designs from the high-end collectible action figure designers at Mezco examines the legacy of the Dark Knight, the Batman: Sovereign Knight is fully articulating the hero for the 21st century

With everyone knee-deep in celebrating the 80th Anniversary of The Batman, the iconic DC property continues to stagger the imagination and inspire limitless iterations of the Dark Knight as he continues to evolve year-after-year to take on the most nefarious forces of Gotham City’s criminal underbelly. Whether in story form or animation, live-action big screen blockbusters or primetime dramas, the Caped Crusader’s always at the ready.

The high-end toymakers at Mezco have always developed the most sought after collectibles on the market; the fully articulated action figure line is among the more expertly crafted, with highly detailed accessories and carefully crafted cloth uniforms that enhance the creative playability and solidify the bragging rights of an avid fan on the scene. The One:12 Collective line remains one of the most revered of the adult collector toy lines to watch, and stands out among the rest, especially due to the 6.5” manageability of the figures themselves.

In celebration of the fandom of the DC comics hero, Mezco released its latest figure in an evolving line commemorating the evolution of the Dark Knight. Batman: Sovereign Knight realizes a very contemporary 21st Century look and feels to Gotham City’s most battle-hardened defender. The action figure appears modeled after DC Comics legendary artist Jim Lee’s reinterpretation of The Batman for “The New 52” publishing wide reboot, which remixed the established pantheon of heroes with a very modern twist.

Battle Up

The perfectly crafted action figure is heavy articulated with over 30 points of articulation giving collectors the ultimate in posable playability. Mezco warns collectors that they should play carefully, especially given the cloth overlay costume which is crafted to fit over the proportionately sized body frame, but it could pull or wear out depending on how the figure is positioned. The Batman: Sovereign Knight is ready for battle, in sturdy all-terrain boots and gauntlets, with a suit to simulate a protective kevlar armor and an all-purpose utility belt with a clip for a grappling gun.

Expertly packaged in a window box for proper display the figure comes equipped with an array of weaponry including multiple batarangs, grappling gun with hooks, a sonic gun and even a kryptonite-knuckled glove for mixing it up against an unruly Man of Steel, if necessary. The packaged also includes 3 different expressions: a battled damaged cowl, Batman unmasked as Bruce Wayne and an alternate version of the cowl with shorter ears. Mezco also includes an emblemed display stand so that you can pose your Sovereign Knight properly.

As far as collectible figures go, Mezco has (again) hit out of the ballpark with this release, which matches anyone of their others in the line. What sets this particular one above is its attractiveness to Batman fans, especially those happily in the midst of the 80th Anniversary hoopla, will be over the moon at the care given to bringing this Batman to the masses. It’s an awesomely looking design and has enough gear in the box to keep any of the Bat’s notorious rogues at bay! Mezco’s promise to quality is also met in spades which helps to validate the ticket price of this item.

Out Of the Box

It’ll be impossible to resist taking this handsome figure out of the box, though Mezco does make it easy to keep all the accessories intact and in the same place. The grappling gun attaches to the back of the figure’s utility belt for display and playability, and the cape is sturdy enough that it hangs securely from beneath the hood, though it does not have an inserted wired frame in case you are attempting to make that a part of the display story. The cloth coverings that simulate the character outfits maintain their durability but try to keep them out of direct light.

If you are concerned or deterred by the Mezco One:12 Collective ticket price, rest assured it’s worth every penny and can be purchased some certain retailers at a competitive price. The heavily sought after figure line is historically known for selling out online, and the toy makers do not immediately begin manufacturing additional quantities unless they have a sufficient demand via a Wait List. With Batman mania sweeping the social conscious at the moment, this may be one of the best ways to pay homage to Batman. 80 years later, he’s still kicking major ass!

Batman: Sovereign Knight from Mezco One:12 Collective is available now. Visit their website to order yours.

Pop-Culture Redefined. Reimagined. Remixed.

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