Chris Marker, the French film-maker whose short film La Jetée (The Jetty) inspired several leading science fiction authors and film-makers, has died at the age of 91.

His 1962 dystopian short inspired authors such as William Gibson and J.G. Ballard. Terry Gilliam‘s 1995 film 12 Monkeys was also directly inspired by La Jetée.

You can read tributes to the film-maker HERE and HERE

Tributes have been paid to Doctor Who actress, Mary Tamm, who has died of cancer at the age of 62. Tamm starred as the first Romana alongside Tom Baker for six stories during season 16 from 1978 to 1979. When she left the series the role of companion Romana was continued by Lalla Ward.

Read the full BBC report HERE

Photo shows Mary Tamm and Tom Baker in “The Stones of Blood” (c) BBC

Yahoo! has launched globally Playtone and Reliance Entertainment’s animated series Electric City, created by and starring Tom Hanks. Set in a futuristic society, Electric City is a new 90- minute action-packed sci-fi adventure series spanning 20 episodes. Yahoo! will bring Hanks’ vision and storytelling to a global audience. The series is available online on desktop, tablets and mobile at http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/electric-city/

“The much anticipated Electric City is here – we at Yahoo! could not be more thrilled to be the digital partner for this unparalleled, groundbreaking series,” said Erin McPherson VP & Head of Video at Yahoo!. “Partnering with Playtone, Reliance Entertainment and one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Tom Hanks, is an important milestone for Yahoo! in paving the way to becoming the global destination for premium online content from the best storytellers in entertainment.”

Electric City features a multi-talented cast that includes the voices of Tom Hanks, Jeanne Tripplehorn (Big Love, Grey Gardens), Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men), Ginnifer Goodwin (Walk the Line, A Single Man, He’s Just Not That Into You), Jason Antoon, Chris Parnell, Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Georg Stanford Brown among many others. The series, produced in partnership with Playtone and Reliance Entertainment, was created by Tom Hanks and executive produced by Gary Goetzman and Amitabh Jhunjhunwala, Vice Chairman Reliance Entertainment Group.

What is Electric City?

‘The world as we know it has ended and out of the rubble, the Electric City stands as a symbol of peace and security.  Yet under the veneer of order lies a world full of secrets and violence.  Secret police, back-alley dealings, daring chases, and murder all find a home in the Electric City. Through the lens of a functioning, yet dystopian metropolis, Electric City touches upon relevant global issues and themes including energy consumption, freedom of information, crime and punishment and more.  The story unfolds gradually, layering mystery upon mystery, inviting viewers to interact with the content and each other.  Metaphors and symbols are woven throughout, creating a perfect environment for puzzle-solving and community interaction.  Like good science fiction, Electric City raises provocative questions about our own way of life and value systems.  Short-form connecting storylines combined with vivid animation and a compelling score will keep audiences watching, while metaphors and a range of subject lines will keep them guessing—and reflecting.’

“Every now and then, storytelling and technology unite in a fun and surprising way,” said Playtone Partner Gary Goetzman. “Electric City brings viewers into a totally unique world through a truly immersive online experience whether they’re at home on their computers or mobile on their tablets and smartphones.”

American Horror Story has picked up 17 nominations for the 64th annual Emmy Awards. It has been nominated in the following categories:

• Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Connie Britton as Vivien Harmon)
• Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Frances Conroy as Moira)
• Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a movie (Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon)
• Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (Denis O’Hare as Larry Harvey)
• Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie (“Open House” [Part 7])
• Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie (Part 1)
• Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
• Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
• Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie
• Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie
• Main Title Design
• Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
• Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special
• Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (“Piggy, Piggy”)
• Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie (“Piggy, Piggy”)
• Stunt Coordination

Other genre TV series picking up nominations include Grimm (1 nomination), Game of Thrones (12 nominations) and The Walking Dead (3 nominations).

The Awards will be presented on Sunday 23 September 2012 during a ceremony in the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

For a full list of all nominees go HERE

The new Doctor Who Experience interactive exhibition has opened in Cardiff today. The exhibition, situated in Cardiff Bay next to the TV studios where the series is filmed, is expected to attract up to 250,000 visitors a year.

A special feature of the exhibition is the chance for fans to star in their very own interactive Doctor Who adventure. It also boasts: “The world’s most extensive collection of original Doctor Who props and artefacts (which) includes the entire collection of Doctors’ iconic costumes from 1963 to the present day; the David Tennant TARDIS set and the Doctor’s arch foes through the ages. Specially created sets, images and interactive experiences allow you to discover first-hand what happens behind the scenes of the iconic television series, how the special effects are created and even how to walk like a Doctor Who monster.”

Read the BBC’s report of the opening HERE

To find out more about the Doctor Who Experience, and to book tickets, go HERE

Hollywood film producer Richard D. Zanuck has died at his California home aged 77, it has been reported.

A prolific award-winning producer, his genre films include Jaws, Cocoon, Deep Impact, Planet of the Apes, and more recently with Tim Burton as director, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows.

Read the full BBC report HERE

Actor Richard Lynch has died at his home in California at the age of 76. He was a regular horror movie “villain”, appearing in films including Scarecrow (1973), Bad Dreams (1988) and Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake of Halloween. His last role was in Zombie’s upcoming film, The Lords of Salem, due to be released later this year.

Lynch also appeared in numerous TV SF series such as Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Read the BBC report HERE

It has been reported by the BBC that actress Caroline John, best known for playing the Third Doctor’s companion Liz Shaw alongside Jon Pertwee in Doctor Who, has died at the age of 71. In the series, her character was  considered by many to be the first “strong” female companion to the Doctor.

Read the full BBC report HERE

Entertainment industry publication Variety, and other film industry websites, report that R.B. Russell’s novella Bloody Baudelaire is currently being filmed in Portland, Maine, US by 3:1 Cinema and Fischer Productions. Directed by Francisco Orvañanos, it has the working title Backgammon, and stars Noah Silver (The Borgias), Brittany Allen (Emmy award-winner for All My Children) Alex Beh (CSI: Miami), Olivia Crocicchia (Rescue Me) and Christian Alexander (The Lying Game). The screenplay is by R.B. Russell, Todd Niemi and Francisco Orvañanos.

Bloody Baudelaire was first published by Ex Occidente in 2009, and has recently been included in the reprint collection Ghosts (Swan River Press, 2012). Both are currently out of print. Ray Russell’s agent, Artellus Ltd, is currently looking for a mainstream press to reprint the novella.