New Horror 'The Wake Wood' Is Being Filmed In Pettigo
News that Hammer Films had begun work on its first feature-length production in almost 30 years had horror fans around the world shrieking with delight. But few of these fans will have heard of, never mind visited, Pettigo where 'The Wake Wood' is being filmed until Saturday.
The picturesque village is one of only a handful of places which is bisected by the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but is mostly in County Donegal. Its recent connection with one of the biggest names in cult cinema, whose credits includes Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein and The Plague of the Zombies, is expected to make it a must-visit destination for scores of die hard fans.
The set of 'The Wake Wood' has been off-limits to the media, however, residents of Pettigo have managed to get up close and personal with some of the stars. And one man, who BBC News spoke to, told of how he had hired out a field to the production team for a very spooky scene.
"They have leased a piece of land off me for a graveyard scene," said David Lyttle, who drives the local school bus.
"They're going to dig a body out of the ground, and there's going to be a ghost or something."
Watch the video of the local residents views on the making of the film here.
Hubble telescope set to reawaken
The Hubble space telescope should resume science operations early on Saturday morning, say Nasa officials. Engineers have rebooted the computer which controls most science instruments aboard the orbiting observatory. Hubble has been "blind" for three weeks after the failure of a command unit forced the telescope into "safe mode". Attempts to activate a backup system stalled last week after an electrical fault, but assessments have revealed no permanent damage.
The reboot operation was resumed by switching on the "B side" of the data handling unit which deals with most of the spacecraft's scientific payload. "If it continues to run well, science operations will resume this weekend," said Art Whipple, of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre.
To read more click here.
Future of the Hulk: A showdown with Thor, an Avengers appearance and a solo sequel
HULK and Thor are set to take each other on in a superpowered showdown next year - and the trailer is now online.
Marvel and Lionsgate release the Hulk vs Thor direct-to-DVD/Blu-ray animated feature in January 2009. Released at the same time is the animated feature Hulk vs Wolverine.
The releases bring to life two of the most famous battles in Marvel's comic book history.
To read more go to The Geek Files.
Writers: Find Fun, Networking, & Magic at a Second Life Festival Just for You!
When's the last time you wandered through a fair-like exhibition full of writers and writing resources? For many of us, the answer's "a loooong time ago."
When's the last time you rode a magic carpet over that exhibition? If your answer is anything BUT "never," I know you've been to one of the year's best events in Second Life: The Autumn Writers Exhibition (AWE) in Second Life.
Read more about it here.
Goce gravity flight slips to 2009
Europe's gravity mission has been bumped to next year because of ongoing technical problems with its launcher. The arrow-shaped Goce satellite will map tiny variations in the pull of gravity experienced across the world. The information will give scientists a clearer insight into how the oceans move, and provide a universal reference to measure height anywhere on Earth.
But concerns about the reliability of its Russian rocket mean a lift-off is now unlikely before February. It is a frustrating delay for the Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (Goce). If, as expected, the Sun gets more active in the coming months and years, Goce may have to fly higher than was anticipated, limiting the resolution of its data.
To read the rest of the article go to BBC Online.
Smurfs celebrate their 50th birthday this week
They are celebrating with a feature-length movie and new television series in the making. But what makes the blue goblin-like creatures so popular?
It doesn't sound like the most promising of creative pitches - the adventures of a cartoon tribe of bright blue elves from Belgium who lived in mushroom houses in the Middle Ages. But that, in a nugget, is what the Smurfs are about. And half a century after they emerged, the Smurfs are still finding new fans.
Not that their patriarch, Grandpa Smurf, would be very impressed by these claims of longevity. After all, he is 500 years old.
The Smurfs have sold more than 10 million albums in the last three years alone; their television series is currently showing in 30 countries and they recently bagged a Hollywood movie deal, according to their makers. They have a fanatical following, with some fans shelling out thousands of pounds as they build their collections. They're also instantly recognisable to people of all ages, in most countries. So happy birthday to them all!
To read about whether the smurfs have sold out click here.
Fidget News
Check out the new fidget news, from pumpkins that have gone to far, new lands to conquer in Civilization Revolution to undead karaoke kissing to your own songs!
Go to Fidget by clicking here.
