SFX #177

VERY FINE/NEAR MINT

FREE STUFF! The new year is almost upon us, so we've got a gift to keep you right during the new year - every copy of issue 177 comes with a free calendar showcasing some of sci-fi and fantasy's greatest villains, from Dracula to Davros! WATCHMEN For years they've said that Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's iconic graphic novel was unfilmable, but now a movie adap is just around the corner! We've gone on set and talked to everyone we could about the film, as well as talking to Gibbons himself about creating the novel's classic characters. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL The '50s sci-fi classic is getting a revamp, and we've been on set to ask director Scott Derrickson and screenwriter David Scarpa about the trials of updating such an iconic piece of SF cinema. INKHEART We've had Harry Potter. We've had His Dark Materials. We've had The Spiderwick Chronicles. Now another children's fantasy novel is about to get the star-studded big-screen treatment. We talk to the team behind the film adaptation of Inkheart. JOHN DYKSTRA He's one of the biggest names in movie special effects, and he's worked on everything from Silent Running to Star Wars. John Dykstra talks us through the many projects of his career. LIFE ON MARS USA Sam Tyler makes the jump from 1970s Manchester to 1970s New York, but does it still work? We talk to the showrunners on the US remake of Life on Mars about bringing the show across the pond. REWIND Remember the early '90s, when the big question on everybody's lips was "Who killed Laura Palmer?" We do, and this month we look back fondly at David Lynch's groundbreaking series Twin Peaks. ANATOMY OF A CLASSIC No-one's going to dispute that Superman: The Movie is a great film, but why is it such a classic? We discuss what it is about it that makes us believe a man can fly. TIME MACHINE The 4400? Heroes? Feh - the premise of a group of humans suddenly finding themselves with superhuman powers didn't just show up on our TV screens in the last few years! We look back 40 years into the past at ITV's adventure series The Champions. PROFILES Heroes' Adrian Pasdar tells all about the (literally) high-flying life of Nathan Petrelli, blogger and author Cory Doctorow talks science fiction as political activism, and we interview Galactica's Tahmoh Penikett (and not just so we can make the predictable "Hello, Helo" joke, either). BOOK CLUB Jon Courtenay Grimwood discusses Daniel Keyes' controversial tale of accelerated intelligence, Flowers for Algernon. WISHLIST Who and what did you want to see in ITV's return to The Village? We look through your suggestions for The Prisoner. SPOILER ZONE It's our biggest Spoiler Zone ever! The 2008 Fall season continues in earnest, and we've got reviews of the new seasons of Chuck, Heroes, Pushing Daisies and Life on Mars USA, as well as loads more besides! PLUS! BIG SHOT: We've finally gotten a decent look at the cast for JJ Abrams' Star Trek! FREEZE FRAME: We're mesmerised by the whimsical trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. We talk to Jamie Matheson, the writer behind the upcoming Brit indie comedy Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel. Mark Gatiss tells us all about his upcoming three-part Christmas ghost story Crooked House. Red Dwarf will be back in 2009! We talk to star Robert Llewellyn about being Back in the Red. Uwe Boll is making another videogame movie adaptation? Yep - we talk to the good doctor about adapting Far Cry for the screen. Clive Barker reveals that a Hellraiser remake is on the cards, and hints at his other projects still to come... We list the five things you really need to know about how things will change with Steven Moffat taking the reins on Doctor Who. RATED: Inkheart, City of Ember, Mutant Chronicles, Indy IV, The Mist, Doctor Who season four, Stephen King's new novel Just After Sunset, Gears of War 2 and Fable 2, amongst other things. All this and lots more...

Date Available: 12/17/2008