Being born in the early eighties, I grew up with the Transformers: with the cartoon, yes, but even more so with the toys. The fuzziest memories of my childhood include unpacking new toys from those colourful cardboard packages with the Autobot or Decepticon logo printed on it along with a depiction of the prestigious Transformer that was about to be your new favourite toy.

Michael Bay’s film adaptation is just months away, and all along the months of production various fan groups have experienced moments of agony upon discovering some of the director’s deviations from the beloved original. But with the first pictures of the toyline leaking onto Seibertron.com, I have to admit that the toys and the packages look exactly how I remember my childhood Transformers. You can view images of the Ratchet toy in its package in our gallery: seen from the front and from the back.

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Posted in Commentary, Movies, Transformers •

When Nochnoi Dozor (Night Watch) was released in its native Russia in 2004, it broke all film gross records. Marketed as “Russia’s answer to The Lord of the Rings”, the film is nearer in style to The Matrix - but with vampires and a Wodka gulping anti-hero protagonist (read: a great movie to watch on DVD). The film reached US theaters in 2006, and now the new year will finally see the release of its sequel, Dnevnoi Dozor (Day Watch) in summer.

20th Century Fox has now provided the X-Realms with the first 6 film stills from the anticipated project. Day Watch revolves around the conflict and balance maintained between the forces of light and darkness — the result of a medieval truce between the opposing sides. Caught in the middle is Anton, the chosen one of sorts, who’s decision to join the forces of light or darkness will shape the outcome of the epic war.

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A first trailer for Mikael Håfström’s horror thriller 1408 has gone online on Yahoo!Movies. The film is based on the short story by Stephen King published in his collection Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales, and stars John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack and Tony Shalhoub.

1408 is about a renowned horror novelist (Cusack) who only believes what he can see with his own two eyes. After a string of bestsellers discrediting paranormal events in the most infamous haunted houses and graveyards around the world, he scoffs at the concept of an afterlife. His phantom-free run of long and lonely nights is about to change forever when he checks into suite 1408 of a notorious hotel for his latest project, “Ten Nights in Haunted Hotel Rooms.” Defying the warnings of the hotel manager (Jackson), the author is the first person in years to stay in the reputedly haunted room. Another bestseller may be iminent, but like all Stephen King heroes, novelist Mike Enslin must go from skeptic to true believer – and ultimately survive the night.

Click here to discuss 1408 on the X-Boards.

Posted in Movies •