Halloween Sweets

My boys have come back from Trick-or-Treating and we now have more sweets than a sweet shop. When the e-numbers wear off, they'll be able to sleep. Bless Camilla, as I'm off to play football in the rain.

Star Wars Episode 7

Wow, George has sold his baby for 2.5 billion. Star Wars was a game changer of the Sci-Fi genre. So we have Disney at the helm and 3 new films to be made in the coming years. I guess with a Franchise that big, it was only time before someone wanted more.

Halloween is almost here !!! Read my book for Free

With Halloween within striking distance... I thought it would be good to do a promo. My book 'Europe has Fallen' is free on Amazon for the world for the next 3 days Oct 30th - Nov 1st 2012!!! Please enjoy and leave a comment. (You don't just need a kindle) You can download it to your phone or PC as well.

About the book:

In 1879 Europe will change forever. Something is rising in the east and it will consume everything in its path. Captain Charles Hayward could be our last hope.

A small fort in the Carpathian Mountains comes under a savage attack from a super-pack of wolves. It ends as quickly as it began, leaving many unanswered questions. The inhabitants of the fort use this window to escape, but find farms abandoned, villages empty and a strange silence. This changes at the Uzhok pass where they encounter something very different. Captain Hayward will now play his part in the cat and mouse retreat and where Europe will fight for her very survival.

He must help lead this band of civilians and Royal Engineers on an epic journey through a disintegrating Europe. Where every dark forest looks on menacingly, every sound treated with caution. They must follow the path home, but with something close to his heart nearby, choices will have to be made.

Winter is Coming

With the first quick snow flurry here, it got me thinking about 'Game of Thrones'. I hope this winter does not bring the 'White Walkers' in. Really looking forward to season 3.

Life of Pi

I read the book many years ago and loved it. Some books transfer to films very well, but some don't. This is a very different story and I looking forward to seeing how they've adapted it. Trailer : Life of Pi

Androids

After watching Prometheus I was very impressed with Michael Fassbender’s role as ‘David’ the Android. I then went on to think of other good actor performances as an Androids.

 Film Aliens / Bishop: Lance Henriksen

 Blade Runner / Roy Batty: Rutger Hauer

There are more of course….but they have to come later.. ice cream time

Jane Levy / Evil Dead

A good lesson below on what happens if you do not eat your greens. Although, the truth is this young actress is staring in the forthcoming Evil Dead remake. Loved the original and I'm hoping the remake comes close.

 

 

top picture from Starpluse / bottom MTV movie blog

Music: Jake Bugg

I really like the sound of this young lad: Jake Bugg. He's already touring with Noel Gallagher on his US & European Tours. To me he sounds a little like a young Bob Dylan.... long way to go yet of course.

Hobbit lego

For those with children who love Lego & The Hobbit, check out this picture: My boys will want it for Christmas, but I think we’ll go for the video game instead. That way daddy can make sure it works properly.

Sometimes things get broken.

Whilst trying to create a Zombie attack; my two boys covered themselves in fake blood and waited under the dining room table. Curtains had been drawn and they asked me to light some candles and record the attack. I was ordered to start the camera rolling and they then attacked me. Having recently bought fake plastic arms, they pretended to eat my arms.

It was actually good fun. Although the fake blood which my oldest son promised would wash out, turned out to be something you should not get on clothes. My favourite green jacket was used as a prop and it got covered. A few other items in the house got damaged in the pursuit. So the moral is, do this outside with clothes you can use to decorate. I showed the wife the three video shoots and she thought it was too dark and we were not allowed to air them.... oh well .... You live and learn.

 

Somewhere in Europe has fallen.....

Chapter 9

Captain Hayward was woken by gunshots. Quickly, he grabbed his Adams revolver and looked out of the window. He could see movement outside and horses rushing down the street. Loud shouts followed, and more gunshots.

He grabbed his tunic and dressed hurriedly. His eyes were slightly blurry and his head was still fuzzy with sleep. On the stairway he could hear banging at the door, and without wasting any more time he rushed downstairs. Half-expecting a flesh-eater to burst through, he raised the revolver directly in the line with the door.

“Sir, are you in there? We have a big problem.”

On hearing Sergeant Butcher’s voice Captain Hayward uncocked his revolver and holstered it, then rapidly undid the bolts securing the door. A concerned-looking Sergeant Butcher greeted him.

“Captain, we have been overrun by deserters and civilians.”

The fresh air that wafted in was tainted with the smell of gunpowder.

They both took off down the street carrying their rifles, Sergeant Butcher leading the way. As they came to a corner they found most of their group kneeling down with their hands over their heads. Von Bloch was being led to a wagon with Major Richmond.

Captain Hayward did a rough sweep of the group and reckoned they had nearly everyone.

“What shall we do?” Sergeant Butcher asked in a concerned manner.

The captain scratched his head. “I don’t understand how this happened so quickly.”

Both men stood still for a moment. It was then that several rifles appeared behind them. They were Austrian, but soldiers not Engineers.

They were asked in German to join the others. Sergeant Butcher looked to the captain for a signal that they should make a fight. He received a look which indicated no. The Austrians then asked them in broken English to move on and join the rest of the group.

They were led to the other officers. Captain Hayward spoke to Von Bloch and Major Richmond, and asked what had happened. He was informed of the betrayal: one of the young Austrian soldiers on guard had been convinced that this Alpine Jaeger Corps unit were returning from a battle and, therefore, that there was no need to wake the others.

He had allowed them to come through and settle their horses and wagons. The civilians followed behind and soon the whole village was surrounded. Von Bloch understood it was a case of betrayal. The young engineer had no need to worry and why would he, with a fellow Austrian army unit? He should have reported it to his non-commissioned officer but it was too late now.

Whilst most of them slept, this marauding force took over the village. They rounded everyone up and took all the weapons. Luckily no one was killed; there were just some minor injuries.

An officer came forward and introduced himself as Captain Sternberg. He was with the Alpine Jaeger Corps. Von Bloch could not withhold his anger and instantly demanded an explanation for the outrage. He declared that Captain Sternberg would face a court marshal for his treason. His German was strong and direct; he wanted answers. In his mind, Austrians turning on Austrians was unthinkable.

 “You must forgive me, General, but times have changed. We need your wagons and weapons.”

The general looked shocked. He had not fully taken on board that this was an Austrian regiment holding them prisoner.

“We are Austrian Engineers returning from the Carpathian Mountains. Do you know what’s coming after us?”

Sternberg paused.

“I fully understand what’s coming and that’s why we must have your wagons and supplies. I would offer for you to join us, but unfortunately we are nearly four hundred strong and there is no room for more.”

Von Bloch walked closer to the Alpine commander.

“We have women and children and wounded men. Would you leave them to die here in this village?”

“Time is of the essence. I will grant you wagons for the families and wounded. We will also leave you some rifles, with the ammunition on the other side of the village. I have no more time.”

The commander turned to go, but felt his tunic being grabbed.

“Why?”

“General, death is coming and it will stop at nothing to consume us all. Austria is a proud country, but we must look after ourselves now.”

Von Bloch shouted out an order for the Alpine soldiers to stand down. His rasping German voice indeed had men lowering their rifles. Some looked uncomfortable with this situation. For a moment it seemed control would switch over to the general.

Bang.

The general fell forward, clutching his stomach. Captain Sternberg stood very still, his revolver out, pointing it at the general.

He then barked out orders and the soldiers and civilians started to take what they wanted. Major Richmond crouched down on one knee next to the old general. He called for an orderly to come and help and a staff doctor.

The major gave Captain Sternberg a fierce look, but it was greeted with impassivity.

“If anyone else stands in our way we will kill them.”

As they went about their business, scouts arrived at speed. They weren’t Engineer scouts, but Alpine Jaeger scouts.

News spread amongst the soldiers and civilians that the long-limbs were closing in on the village. Panic set in and Captain Hayward pleaded with Sternberg to let them go. He refused and said they would be allowed to go once their own convoy was on the road.

Thirty tense minutes followed. With the last wagon rolling out, Corporal Heinz helped organise the Austrians Engineers and civilians and Sergeant Butcher got British Engineers ready. They had twenty rifles and several ammunition boxes with them. Sternberg had kept his promise and allowed four wagons for the wounded and women and children.

General Von Bloch managed to speak to Corporal Heinz and Major Richmond. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could go on. He then demanded to be left in a house to give everyone time. He could shoot from a window and hold the beasts back for as long as he could.

“Damn those creatures, turning Austrian against Austrian.” Von Bloch groaned.

 Blood was oozing out of his stomach, which he held with both hands.

“I’m an old soldier. Is there a better way to die?”

They reluctantly agreed to his wish. Some wounded soldiers wanted to be left with him. He commanded a lot of respect amongst the men. He refused to allow any able-bodied man to stay, stating that the others needed them more.

The goodbyes were swift. The general was left with five men and six rifles. They picked a house close to the road to station them in.

The mood was sombre as they left; the general had been a guiding light for them. He got two soldiers to hold him up. They then wrapped an Austrian flag to a pole outside the house.

The dawn sun started to creep across the village, highlighting the buildings’ wooden panels and tiled roofs. It looked, for the most part, a ghost town now – empty houses and broken lives.

The wagons set off at speed. They still had a map and a few supplies and would need to find food and water along the route. Tokay was still the next destination.

For those on foot it would be a long walk, several days at most. Captain Hayward walked at the back with Sergeant Butcher. Corporal Heinz led from the front with the one remaining horse that was not being used to pull the wagons.

The captain looked back at General Von Bloch and the five wounded soldiers. They were all Austrians. He felt emotion flow through his body and knew this was the last time he would see the general and the men again.

The general saluted him. He stood still and returned the salute. They then moved into the house and awaited the onslaught.

The soldiers on foot picked up the pace so they were jogging, but not quite running. The dark blue English helmets and red tunics came alive in the morning sun. Their blue trousers and black boots, however, were not as smart as usual and even their white straps and packs were starting to show the wear and tear of this journey across Austria.

Captain Hayward was proud. He was proud that they were coming together to fight against this aggressor and were not resorting to the tactics used by the raiding party the night before. He prayed they never would.

Major Richmond, who had spoken to some of the Austrians, said one of them believed he knew a shortcut to Tokay. It could save them days, and there was a supply town on the way.

The old general looked at his wounded men in the house as they tried their best to fortify their position. He stopped for a moment, thanking God for having such brave soldiers serving under him.

He then said that if any man wanted to leave he would think nothing of it. Knowing he would die from his wounds, he accepted his fate, but he did not want any other man to follow suit on some folly that it was the right thing to do. He didn’t know what was happening in the rest of Austria.

Each man shook their head when asked if they wanted to leave.

Groaning sounds crept along the road. The general had asked to be placed in the attic with a rifle and a pouch full of bullets. They followed his command. Four men were to be stationed downstairs in the living room and kitchen.

The house they chose was not huge, but it was sturdy. Two more Austrians were positioned upstairs. All the men had injuries, some worse than others, but they had in common a will to fight for their country.

The groans and snapping sounds grew closer and closer. The breeze picked up outside and the leaves shook in the wind. There was also a stale smell in the air. It smelt like death.

“Pick your targets! Today they will find out what it is like to invade Austria. No more running.”

The general winced as he bellowed out his orders. The effect on his men was galvanising. Each of them pushed their rifle slowly out of the window they had chosen. The house fell silent. They waited.

The long-limbs started to appear in the village, some sniffing at the houses. Their legs and arms could now be fully appreciated in the dawn sunlight. Their human-like heads, with giant teeth and dark eyes. They found a door open close to the Austrian house. One reared up on its hind legs and coughed – a deep, grizzly cough. Two more long-limbed beasts appeared behind it. They then followed the lead creature into the building, inadvertently closing the door behind them.

The road now had around ten to fifteen more long-limbs ambling along it. As the soldiers’ eyes followed the creatures, another house door smashed open. The long-limbed creatures came out; they were no longer looking around. Their eyes were transfixed on one house.

General Von Bloch knew it was now time. He let the rifle sit into his shoulder and eased his face closer to the breech. His eyes rolled down the sights; he could see the lead creature coming forward.

Blood trickled out of the general’s mouth. He turned his head and spat it out. Gritting his teeth, his mind raced with thoughts of his family, his grown-up children and his life in Vienna.

He whispered to himself: may God have mercy on our souls.

Slowly, he squeezed the trigger and the roar of the rifle crackled through the air. Birds flew up and animals scattered. The bullet was a killer. The creature was hit straight between the eyes, sending blood spurting from its skull and causing it to fall forward on its very next step.

With that shot, the stampede started. The long-limbs coming along the road broke into a sprint towards the house. The remaining soldiers started to open fire on the two creatures directly in front of the house, killing one instantly and the wounding the other.

 The shots pounded out of the windows and echoed around the village. Several more long-limbs fell under heavy fire. In the distance, the flesh-eaters started to pick up speed, sensing there was fresh meat close by.

Three long-limbs had managed to go unnoticed around the back of the house and were making a beeline for the back windows. One saw an opportunity to stick its head through a glass pane. That was the last thing it ever did as a bayonet pieced its flesh. The soldier wasted no time in twisting it hard but he could not reposition himself in time as the other two came smashing through the back door and the now broken window.

They made quick work of attacking the wounded soldier, their giant claws and teeth ripping into his arms and legs. He let out a yell before being torn apart. The other two soldiers shut the kitchen door and made their way upstairs.

As the first soldier reached the top of the stairs he heard a gurgling sound coming from behind him: his comrade was missing his head. Standing directly behind him was a long-limb. The Austrian soldier raised his rifle and squeezed the trigger: nothing happened. He hadn’t loaded his rifle.

Seconds later he was food for the ever-increasing numbers downstairs. It was a quick death as they tucked into his body.

The two remaining soldiers shouted up to the attic that the house had fallen. They killed the next two long-limbs that dared to come up the stairs. The general was feeling giddy and weak from the amount of blood he had lost. The attic hatch was shut, but the blood from his wound seeped through the ceiling of the room below.

The two soldiers put up a gallant fight, but the numbers slowly overpowered them. They tried to shoot each other as an act of mercy but the creatures were already tearing at their wounded bodies.

The general watched as the flesh-eaters arrived and the long-limbs fought them over the food. The flesh-eaters were almost in a state of frenzy waiting to eat. Suddenly, three dark priests rode up, separating the fighting creatures.

This was the moment General Von Bloch had been waiting for. He took aim and let off a round, shooting one of the riders through the throat. Underneath him the long-limbs were licking the ceiling and starting to look for a way up to the attic.

The priest slumped forward and rolled off his horse, his foot remaining in the stirrup as he fell awkwardly, and making a snapping sound as he fell. He wriggled for a short moment before breathing a deep sigh.

The other two priests looked up at the attic. Their eyes were full of rage.

“Bring me that soldier alive!” screamed the monarch priest.

One of them then pushed past several long-limbs that lowered their heads as he passed. The creatures on the second floor of the house had started to claw at the ceiling from which chunks of plaster were dropping off. The old general knew his time was coming to an end. His life was seeping out of him through the wound in his stomach. For a brief moment he thought about ending it with the bayonet, but then accepted he could not do that.

The other priest made two long-limbs smash open the attic hatch. He directed one to stand on its hind legs and raise its head into the space. The loud gunshot was what he expected, and the creature fell back to the floor. Wasting no time, he hauled himself up through the attic hatch with his sword drawn and unholstered revolver at the ready.

The sight he met with was of the old general lying on his side, his rifle no longer in his hands and his eyes half open. The priest grabbed his arms and dragged him to the hatch entrance instructing a long-limb to take him to the monarch priest.

The general was unceremoniously dragged by the legs down the stairs and out into the street. His eyes were closed and his breathing laboured. The monarch priest got down from his horse as the general was laid in front of him.

He wore a dark tunic and trousers beneath the robe. He knelt down alongside the general, took off his cap and rested it on the ground next to him.

“The priest you shot was my friend.”

His German was fluent. The long-limbed creatures came in closer, the flesh-eaters edging in behind them.

“You put up a good fight. We could have done with a general like you. You probably want to know why. Well, let me tell you.”

With that, he pressed his lips next to the general’s ear and whispered their intentions.

The general’s eyes opened. He did not have the strength to talk, even though he tried. With that, the monarch raised his hand, commanding, “Let the flesh-eaters finish him.” The long-limbs begrudgingly moved aside as the flesh-eaters rushed in eagerly. They wasted no time in tucking into the existing stomach wound and then tearing at any flesh was available.

Their teeth ripped and bit into everything. With sharp nails, and even sharper canines nothing got in their way. Bones were crunched and fought over as more and more poured onto the general. His dying eyes stayed focus on the monarch priest; no screams, no calls for mercy. The coldness of the eyes made the priests move on.

Feeding flesh eaters was the last the priests heard as they rode off.

“I want that convoy. We must find them.”
“Should we request that the commander of the drones send reinforcements to capture this convoy?” questioned the junior priest.

“No, that would mean admitting defeat, something we shall never do. Get the long-limbs to pick up the scent. Where are the bears? We may need them.”

The subordinate priest turned and called out to the long-limbs. Some were in the house, feeding on the dead soldiers; others were starting to fight with the flesh-eaters for the remains of the general.

“I believe I know where they’re going. Send a drone and ask for the riders of the North to meet us.”

The Letter

I just love this version of 'The Letter'. Joe Cocker in the 1970's, its just sooooo cool. The whole concert is something special.

Zombie gathering

Unfortunately Zombie gathering falls short. here

25 Greatest Unscripted Scenes in Films

I found this on youtube: 25 GreatestUnscripted Scenes in Films . I was surprised to see so many classic scenes in there. The Midnight Cowboy scene is so natural, that it turns out to be a taxi that did not know they were filming... great stuff!!

Skyfall

With Skyfall only a few weeks away 26th Oct, Adele's Bond song knocks on the door !!! I think its really good. Listen here.

Composers

Howard Shore. John Williams & Han's Zimmer who would you have to compose the music to your film? They are all great composers, but I would probably lean towards Howard Shore as the LOTR and the Hobbit films show off his talent for capturing Epic Fantasy tales.

Lads night part 2

Lad’s night with 'The Grey' went very well. Pizza and beer always goes well with a movie. The film was enjoyable,  very hard impact at the beginning. A huge tip if you're camped outside in Alaska and there are wolves surrounding the local area, do not wee far from the fire!!! You have been warned. Coming in soon is the Flight film, looks very good with Denzel, the theme on planes going down is not appreciated by my wife. She hates flying.

Next Tuesday lads evening film is Prometheus; my friend is going to raise the food stakes. Boom. Yeah we know how to live it up. :0)

 

Dream Cast

If I could assemble these Actors together for a film (My film :) then this would be my dream team.

Captain Charles Hayward                  Michael Fassbender

 

Major Harry Richmond                      Dominic West

 

Sergeant Butcher                                Liam Neeson

 

Rebecca Hayward (CH Wife)            Emily Blunt

 

General Von Bloch                             Bruno Ganz

 

Corporal Heinz                                   Alexander Skarsgard

 

Heidi                                                   Melanie Laurent

 

Private John Brown                            Jamie Bell

 

Captain Kiesl                                      Christoph Waltz

 

High Priestess                                     Mila Kunis

 

Alex Chamberlin (The sniper)           James Mcavoy

 

Extra's: You, me and thousands more :0)

Ryder Cup

Not a massive fan of golf, but what a comeback by Europe. I use to caddy for extra money at Wentworth when I was a teenager. The golfers were never happy when asking me what club to use, and seeing me take a wild guess at which one would be the best. Read more on yesterday's

Ryder Cup.