Friday 17th July, London Film and ComicCon YALC:
I’m delighted to be confirmed for a panel at the 2015 YA Lit Con, which is part of the London Film and Comic Con.
Here’s the blurb…
Friday 17th July, 4.30-5.15pm
What are the differences between writing for the page or the screen? Find out in this session bringing together co-creator of Robot Overlords Mark Stay with the team behind Gemini Force One, MG Harris and Jamie Anderson.
Mark Stay will be talking about his experiences of writing both film script and novelisation for Robot Overlords, and sharing some behind the scenes insights; whilst MG Harris and Jamie Anderson will discuss how they collaborated on their new series, originally devised and developed by Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson before his death.
This should be great fun. The Gemini Force project is hugely exciting (especially if you’re a Gerry Anderson fan!), and YALC will be hosting panels with the best names in YA lit, including Charlie Higson, Malorie Blackman and Patrick Ness, so you’re guaranteed to have a great day!
ROBOT OVERLORDS will be available to own in the UK on Digital HD from July 24th and on DVD & Blu-ray August 10th.
The Digital HD will be available across all platforms: Virgin Media, iTunes, Sky, Blinkbox, Talk Talk, Amazon, Xbox and Google.
The DVD and Blu-Ray are available to pre-order now from Amazon.
The Blu-Ray is also available as a beautiful limited edition Steelbook.
All editions feature the same cool extras:
Cast and creator interviews at the MCM London Comic Con (featuring Gillian Anderson, James Tarpey and Craig Johnson)
A Making of…
A VFX special…
The cast reading an extract from the book at Pinewood Studios…
Matt Zo – Robots Never Lie Official Video…
The Comic Con extra is especially brilliant as poor lovestruck James pursues Gillian for an interview throughout the con.
So pre-order your copy now! But don’t just take my word for it…
“A British sci-fi blockbuster, a must-see for all the family.”
— Henry Fitzherbert, Sunday Express
“Robot Overlords includes lots of things it’s impossible not to love, especially in the context of British cinema: hovering robot menaces, standing stones, a dour seaside location, a Spitfire in flight… while Gillian Anderson gives Paddington’s Sally Hawkins stiff competition for the title of Britain’s Best Mum.”
— Kim Newman, Sight & Sound Magazine
“These are the droids you’re looking for…Robot Overlords proves, like Monsters before it, what can be achieved when you’re short of cash but rich in imagination. It’s also brimming with charm, and has a game supporting cast.”
— Neil Smith, Total Film
“As with Jon Wright’s excellent last film,Grabbers, the pace never really lets up…Robot Overlords displays knowing intelligence, a sense of fun and a deep-rooted love for post-‘70s genre film. Unlike its titular villains, it’s sleek and it never malfunctions.”
— Owen Williams, Empire Magazine
“The SFX are nothing short of incredible… What’s really astounding about this movie – not that fact that the team had this vision, but they managed to deliver it on a tiny budget, and deliver it well.”
— Richmond Clements, Forbidden Planet
“Wright’s pleasingly pacy direction is infused with a palpable sense of fun and the film makes strong use of its various picturesque locations… Frankly, Michael Bay should watch this for tips and save himself a few quid on the nextTransformers movie.”
— Matthew Turner, WOW 24-7
“Director Jon Wright makes the most of his resources, imbuing the action with an oddly endearing sense of string-and-glue DIY youthfulness.”
— Mark Kermode, The Observer
“He may not have the Hollywood buzz of Christopher Nolan or the hyper-kinetic style of the similar-surnamed Edgar, but the director has a voice (and confidence of tone) that knows exactly who he is, whether he’s working with drunken aliens or giant robots.”
— Ivan Radford, i-Flicks
“A surprisingly slick and stylish British sci-fi… An entertaining action adventure with impressive special effects.”
— Maria Duarte, Morning Star
“Director Jon Wright – who co-wrote the script with Mark Stay – has come up with a brilliant concept that really works on a small budget… A rip-roaring adventure that harks back to the ‘80s. Perhaps they domake them like they used to.”
— Kate Lloyd, MyM Magazine
“Robot Overlords doesn’t outstay its welcome, it doesn’t rehash boring things seen in bigger blockbusters, it plays within a world with established rules and a history, it plays with characters who have clear goals and chemistry, and it has a lot of fun in the process… A really enjoyable slice of cinema.”
— Andrew Jones, HeyUGuys
“Doing away with the massive spectacle set pieces and never-ending explosions, Jon Wright instead shifts the focus to the human side of the story. It’s all about the characters. This is where Robot Overlordsreally shines… An action-packed romp through ’80s sci-fi classics, taking the over-the-top spectacle of Transformers and flipping it on its head.”
— Ryan Leston, Total Geeks
“Robot Overlords is a fun entry in an increasingly neglected genre: the family-friendly sci-fi movie… A charming throwback to the adventure films of the 70s and 80s.”
— Ryan Lambie, Den Of Geek
“A Children’s Film Foundation offering updated for the JJ Abrams era: we now get better VFX, lashings of lens flare and Roy Hudd as a kindly grandpa… More spirited and nonconformist than the Transformersmovies: the strategic deployment of a second world war Spitfire suggests this one may hold symbolic value for our newly confident industry.”
— Mike McCahill, The Guardian
“A joy to watch, fun as anything, genuinely funny, tense, brilliantly made and with such grand spectacle at times it is hard to believe it is a British film, a proper British film. Your next big family favourite film.”
— Andrew Jones, Box Office Buz
“Prepare to kneel before the Robot Overlords because this is one hell of a good film. Five stars.”
— Paul Metcalf, Pissed Off Geek
“Giant Robots and Gillian… What’s not to like?”
— James Mottram, Metro
UPDATE: Just to add that ROBOT OVERLORDS is now available on DVD, including from your digital overlords at Amazon.com. A big thank you to everyone who has bought it so far, and a big, metallic robot hug to the wonderful people who left us ratings and reviews. The good ones really help us!
And ROBOT OVERLORDS is available for VOD online streaming across all the major platforms, including Amazon Prime, Google Play and iTunes,
It’ll be awesome, but don’t just take my word for it…
“A British sci-fi blockbuster, a must-see for all the family.”
— Henry Fitzherbert, Sunday Express
“Robot Overlords includes lots of things it’s impossible not to love, especially in the context of British cinema: hovering robot menaces, standing stones, a dour seaside location, a Spitfire in flight… while Gillian Anderson gives Paddington’s Sally Hawkins stiff competition for the title of Britain’s Best Mum.”
— Kim Newman, Sight & Sound Magazine
“These are the droids you’re looking for…Robot Overlords proves, like Monsters before it, what can be achieved when you’re short of cash but rich in imagination. It’s also brimming with charm, and has a game supporting cast.”
— Neil Smith, Total Film
“As with Jon Wright’s excellent last film,Grabbers, the pace never really lets up…Robot Overlords displays knowing intelligence, a sense of fun and a deep-rooted love for post-‘70s genre film. Unlike its titular villains, it’s sleek and it never malfunctions.”
— Owen Williams, Empire Magazine
“The SFX are nothing short of incredible… What’s really astounding about this movie – not that fact that the team had this vision, but they managed to deliver it on a tiny budget, and deliver it well.”
— Richmond Clements, Forbidden Planet
“Wright’s pleasingly pacy direction is infused with a palpable sense of fun and the film makes strong use of its various picturesque locations… Frankly, Michael Bay should watch this for tips and save himself a few quid on the nextTransformers movie.”
— Matthew Turner, WOW 24-7
“Director Jon Wright makes the most of his resources, imbuing the action with an oddly endearing sense of string-and-glue DIY youthfulness.”
— Mark Kermode, The Observer
“He may not have the Hollywood buzz of Christopher Nolan or the hyper-kinetic style of the similar-surnamed Edgar, but the director has a voice (and confidence of tone) that knows exactly who he is, whether he’s working with drunken aliens or giant robots.”
— Ivan Radford, i-Flicks
“A surprisingly slick and stylish British sci-fi… An entertaining action adventure with impressive special effects.”
— Maria Duarte, Morning Star
“Director Jon Wright – who co-wrote the script with Mark Stay – has come up with a brilliant concept that really works on a small budget… A rip-roaring adventure that harks back to the ‘80s. Perhaps they domake them like they used to.”
— Kate Lloyd, MyM Magazine
“Robot Overlords doesn’t outstay its welcome, it doesn’t rehash boring things seen in bigger blockbusters, it plays within a world with established rules and a history, it plays with characters who have clear goals and chemistry, and it has a lot of fun in the process… A really enjoyable slice of cinema.”
— Andrew Jones, HeyUGuys
“Doing away with the massive spectacle set pieces and never-ending explosions, Jon Wright instead shifts the focus to the human side of the story. It’s all about the characters. This is where Robot Overlordsreally shines… An action-packed romp through ’80s sci-fi classics, taking the over-the-top spectacle of Transformers and flipping it on its head.”
— Ryan Leston, Total Geeks
“Robot Overlords is a fun entry in an increasingly neglected genre: the family-friendly sci-fi movie… A charming throwback to the adventure films of the 70s and 80s.”
— Ryan Lambie, Den Of Geek
“A Children’s Film Foundation offering updated for the JJ Abrams era: we now get better VFX, lashings of lens flare and Roy Hudd as a kindly grandpa… More spirited and nonconformist than the Transformersmovies: the strategic deployment of a second world war Spitfire suggests this one may hold symbolic value for our newly confident industry.”
— Mike McCahill, The Guardian
“A joy to watch, fun as anything, genuinely funny, tense, brilliantly made and with such grand spectacle at times it is hard to believe it is a British film, a proper British film. Your next big family favourite film.”
— Andrew Jones, Box Office Buz
“Prepare to kneel before the Robot Overlords because this is one hell of a good film. Five stars.”
— Paul Metcalf, Pissed Off Geek
“Giant Robots and Gillian… What’s not to like?”
— James Mottram, Metro
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of JAWS, a film that arguably launched the summer blockbuster phenomenon, sent the career of Steven Spielberg into overdrive, and had us all fleeing from the water.
It was such a shocking film that even the headteacher at our school was moved to make it the topic of assembly the morning after a TV screening. And I would join my friends in the playground recollections of the best gory bits.
It was one of a holy trinity of films I would watch on VHS when returning home from school (well, it was preferable to doing my homework), along with Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark (the latter shared a 240 min tape with two-thirds of The Spy Who Loved Me, a movie featuring a different kind of Jaws. The tape ran out just after the Lotus launched itself into the sea…).
At first I was thrilled by the shark and the bloody deaths and the explosive finale, but the more I watched it, the more I realised that I really liked these guys: the landlubber cop, the cocky oceanographer, the old sea dog. That, of course, is the real secret to the film’s success; these characters are so rich and layered for a monster movie. This is famously put down to the delays in filming caused either by the weather or the faulty shark. These setbacks gave Spielberg and the actors added time to develop their characters. There’s never been a better argument for rehearsal time, something often lacking in the hectic schedules of film making.
It all inspired this fledgling 11 year-old filmmaker who had ambitious plans to remake it: all I needed was a film camera, a few willing classmates as cast and crew, and a papier mâché shark… You can see the flaw in my scheme already, can’t you?
Thankfully, those plans came to nothing but a few enthusiastic storyboards, but sooner or later some idiot will try to remake it. In the meantime, today’s celebrations have reminded me of this excellent documentary by super fan Jamie Benning.
Enjoy, and farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies…
I took delivery of a master CD the ROBOT OVERLORDS audiobook today, and have been able to listen to a couple of previously unheard clips and I’m delighted to share them with you today!
The audiobook is read by Rupert Degas, one of the best readers in the business, and I’m absolutely thrilled with what he’s done. Rupert hasn’t seen the film, so his voices are based entirely on the characters’ descriptions in the novel (Mr Smythe sounds like Brian Clough!), and he’s made the story his own, giving fresh readings to lines familiar from the film.
It’s also been beautifully produced by audiobook veteran Peter Rinne, who has seamlessly woven in excerpts from Christian Henson’s movie score, and the film’s original sound effects. The audiobook also includes the short story THE MEDIATOR PROTOTYPE and my behind-the-scenes shoot diaries, and it’s available to order now from Audible UK and Audible.com and iTunes.
The first clip is from the prologue, THE DAY WE LOST THE WAR and features multiple vaporisations – enjoy!
And this clip is called BEWARE THE SENTRY and finds our heroes on the run from the clankers…
A shorter version of this first appeared in the Big Issue on 9th February 2015…
Robot Overlords shows us a near-future where Earth has been invaded and occupied by an overwhelming force of Robots from another world. Everyone has been confined to their homes, and while the Robots’ purpose here is a mystery, they’ve promised to leave after seven years.
So what books would I grab to keep me sane during the occupation…?
SAS Handbook by Jon ‘Lofty’ Wiseman (Harper Collins)
As used by Connor (played by Milo Parker in the film) to identify edible mushrooms, this is the only book I know of with a chapter on how to survive a nuclear explosion, an essential bit of info when your enemy has defeated every army on the planet (though, to be fair, they do make it clear that the odds aren’t great for surviving a nuclear holocaust). Also check out the Homefront chapter, with excellent advice on food storage, rationing, vitamins and filtering and sterilising water. Of course, for when times are really bad, there’s the obligatory bit on drinking urine.
Also available as an App, not that you’ll have any use for that once the robots destroy your phone.
Reader’s Digest DIY Manual (Readers Digest)
In Robot Overlords the Volunteer Corps are humans who have chosen to collaborate with the robots by delivering rations, making repairs etc. But these are exactly the kind of humourless sociopaths you find in every level of bureaucracy (best represented by Robin Smythe, Ben Kingsley’s character in the film), and so you don’t want to be relying on them to fix a leaky tap. I’ve had a copy of this for twenty years and it’s so clearly laid out that even an idiot like me can use it with only the occasional flood and mild electric shock.
Asterix and the Big Fight by Goscinny & Uderzo (Orion Children’s Books)
There are many works of literature to inspire a burgeoning resistance against the invaders, but I can think of none finer than the seventh instalment in the Gaulish saga in which our heroes stage an enormous punch-up to save their village. A bit of genuine light relief in all the trauma.
Cooking For Blokes by Dr. Duncan Anderson and Marian Walls (Sphere)
When the Volunteer Corps deliver your weekly ration of unleavened bread, unidentifiable grey meat, and misshapen vegetables, you’ll need more than a little imagination to keep things exciting and varied at the dinner table. My wife bought me a copy of this when we first started living together and it set me in good stead when all we could afford was unleavened bread, unidentifiable grey meat, and misshapen vegetables.
Great British Songbook (Wise Publications)
And finally, something to keep you going through those long winter nights of the occupation. As a busking level guitarist (ie: a bit rubbish) I can select any one of over 170 songs from Keep The Home Fires Burning and We’ll Meet Again all the way through to erm… Careless Whisper and I Believe In A Thing Called Love. And if you do drive your fellow housemates mad with your caterwauling, then it’s big enough for them to beat you to death with, and makes for good fire fuel.
Our chums at the BFI have released this cracking little behind-the-scenes vid for Robot Overlords. It features action, robots, our awesome cast, Jon, Piers and my big flappy hands…
… but don’t let that put you off. Tickets for the festival are on sale now and you can get them here. And the video is below, enjoy!
*Edit! I’ve learned that this vid might not play outside the UK! Gah! As soon as I have an international version I’ll pop it up. Sorry!
Tickets are now on sale to the general public for the 58th BFI London Film Festival!
ROBOT OVERLORDS – co-written by myself and Director Jon Wright – is part of the festival’s Family strand and there will be two showings:
Saturday 18th October at The Vue, Islington at 16.15
Sunday 19th October at The Vue, Leicester Square at 12.45
Tickets are on sale on 18th September from 10am and you can find out more about the festival at the official BFI site here and here’s our page with all the details.
Apart from a lucky few who came to our preview screenings, this will be the first time the general public gets to see the film on the big screen. Many people have worked incredibly hard to make this film look and sound mind-blowingly good, and these venues will really do it justice, and you get to see it with a festival crowd — there’s nothing quite like it.
As always, for news on the film do please follow @Robot_Overlords on Twitter — there’s some very cool news just over the horizon, so watch this space…
Until then why not while the time away by pre-ordering the book of the film?
I took my mum to the cinema to see PHILOMENA last night…
The last time we saw a film together was in 1978 when she took me to see STAR WARS for the second time. I remember chatting to an old lady on the bus on the way there and telling her how excited I was, and she tried to look sympathetic but told me she didn’t understand any of that spaceman stuff.
That wasn’t mum’s last ever visit to the flicks – not long after she saw ABBA: THE MOVIE and had a great time – but she stayed away after that. It was around this time that my dad, one of those people who has to have the latest gadget*, bought a VHS recorder. Why go to the movies when you can watch them at home? A man used to come door-to-door on our Hornsey estate with a typed, mimeographed list of films available to rent. Our first ever VHS rental was SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, and I would scan the list for more, intrigued to know what kind of movie LEMON POPSICLE could be (there were no illustrations whatsoever to give us any hints or clues). I begged dad to let us rent FLASH GORDON, only for him to point out that the film listed was actually FLESH GORDON and not entirely suitable for children (he, uh, saves the Earth from Emperor Wang’s incredible sex ray, according to the trailer)…
Things got better, of course. To the point where I have HD TV, a Blu-Ray player, 5.1 digital surround sound, Sky Movies, and Apple TV with Netflix streaming and a few hundred DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. If the robot occupation ever did become a reality, I’d be well set for the rest of my life.
But I still go to the movies. In fact, I reckon I’ve already seen more films in the cinema this year than any other. So why, when you take into consideration getting a babysitter, paying for parking and over ten quid for a ticket, do I still go to the cinema?
In short, the memories.
For example…
Seeing all the STAR WARS movies…
Going to the West End for the first time with dad to see THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN. I don’t remember much about the film, but remember the bright lights of the stores and restaurants in Chinatown making a big impression.
Going on a school trip to see SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS after we did it as a school play (I was Grumpy… typecast from the start).
Watching GHOST BUSTERS on a ferry to Ireland in a storm. The ship listing heavily from side to side added considerably to the feeling of horror and unease.
Watching THE GOONIES while on a soccer exchange in California. I was horribly homesick, but this had me hooting with laughter.
Swinging on lampposts and singing the Raiders’ theme after seeing INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE.
Bluffing my way into TOTAL RECALL with my best mate Tim (our first 18 movie – we were only 17… yes, shocking, I know).
Deciding to see GOODFELLAS with my A-level drama class after going to the West End to see a play, only to discover that it had closed the previous week (a great bit of planning on the part of our drama teacher). In the row in front of us were a pair of little old ladies who must have just come from the wrestling as they revelled in the film’s visceral violence while sucking on bonbons.
Bumping into Claire at a screening of ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES. We weren’t seeing each other at the time, but it’s since become “our film”… aww, stop puking at the back.
My first free preview of a movie was CASINO, hosted by Transworld, the publishers of the book. Free food and drink and a private cinema?! Nice. I could get used to this.
Taking Claire to see RESERVOIR DOGS and knowing that she was the girl for me.
Taking my young nephew to see the 1997 re-release of STAR WARS (he fell asleep).
Watching SKYFALL with the kids – their first cinema Bond movie – and seeing their little faces light up at the big screen mayhem.
And many more that I won’t bore you with now, but these are all about sharing an experience that you can’t get when sitting in your own living room. I always feel a tension when a film begins. Partly it’s “will that twat who was chatting all through the trailers continue to do so through the film?”, but it’s more to do with what kind of emotional rollercoaster is this story going to take me and my companions on today?
Going with mum last night was a shared experience. Having a drink and a chat before the film, I learned stuff about her that I never knew before. Watching the film we laughed and cried together, and I suppressed a giggle when she called the nuns “Bitches” just a little too loudly near the end.
And that’s why I go to the movies.
*An expensive habit that I’ve inherited from him big time.
Mark Stay Writes 