Just a quick note to our regular readers that we’ve gone ahead and updated out Transformers 3 page, in the sidebar to the right (or on the logo above). We’ve scabbed some videos from Michael Bay’s official site showing some of the shooting in Chicago a while back, some gob-smackingly awesome practical effects and epic, oh so epic explosions done for real in the middle of a major US city. Only Michael Bay could have pulled this off. Check out those videos, and we’ve also updated the cast list a little. For those of you keeping score on TF3, there’s less than a year to go!!

Half way through 2010 already, and we thought it was time to let our regular readers know a little of what’s on the horizon here at the site.

Currently, we’re working on more reviews of the Aliens franchise, along with our intended look at the two original Predator films. We’re also tentatively hopeful that we’ll finally get our Matrix reviews done too, and considering we promised to get that done a few years back, it’s been a long time coming.

You can expect to see more Worst Films in our annual Worst Film Week event in late September, as well as this years annual “Worst Film Posters” update. This is one of our more popular articles, and we’ll be bringing you more shite from around the world then. Keep an eye out for that. Probably even a review or two of some true turkeys, including John Travolta’s gob-smackingly dreadful Battlefield Earth.

Christmas will no doubt sneak up on us all again this year, which is why we already have our line-up for the holiday season ready to go. This year, we’ll not be uploading a review on Christmas Day, instead putting up a couple of articles on the 24th, including a look at Jim Carrey’s turn as Scrooge in the Zemeckis CGI-fest A Christmas Carol.

Among other ideas flung about the office in the last few weeks, is the possibility of finishing reviews on the films from Pixar, a number of which we haven’t featured on the site yet. We’re also hoping to gain some more staff in the next 6 months, with another push to bring quality writing on board and broaden our outlook on all things film. Anybody reading this who is in any way interested, can contact us directly to nominate their intent.

We’ll be keeping you updated on all things Transformers 3, with our dedicated page set up to handle all news and articles on the next film from director Michael Bay. Not only that, but we’re also going strong on our commitment to follow the production of the two Hobbit movies coming to us thanks to Peter Jackson. We had word from Ian McKellan himself that the Hobbit flicks will start shooting by the end of 2010 at the latest. They ARE going to happen! At the time of writing this, though, there’s still no word on whether Mr Jackson himself will direct the films, or they’ll find somebody else. Stay tuned!!

As always, if you wish to remain up-to-date on all our articles and reviews, subscribe! We love having people subscribe to our site, so if you’re not among our many readers who’ve listed their info with us, do so so we can continue to provide you with the stuff you want! During May we snuck over the 700 post mark, and with around 300+ individual film reviews, we feel we can offer our readers a diverse and interesting blogging experience. Some of you have already noticed that we’ve tweaked some of our standard review stuff, such as listing any major awards films have won, as well as more relevant technical specifications. We’re trying to make our reviews as pertinent to each film as possible, and we hope this helps. We’ll also be linking to more external sites in the coming months, as we endeavour to bring you as many alternative views on a specific film as we can. We’re avoiding mainstream sites where possible, and aiming for more obscure, well researched blogging sites if possible. While you’re at it, you should really check out the action on our Friend websites, particularly with Bryce, Sherry and Co over at Movie Smackdown, while also stopping by The Bar None and saying hello to Al, the proprietor. They’d get a kick out of your visit, I’m sure!

Lastly, this September sees the HQ of fernbyfilms.com change, as Lisa and I are going to be moving to a new premises around that time. While this is happening, be aware that the website may not be updated as regularly with breaking news, but we hope to be back on track in early October should problems arise. There will be updates on this later in the year.

Thanks again to all our loyal readers for sticking by us, and we hope to continue bringing you interesting, controversial and entertaining stuff to read for a long time to come.

Regards

Rodney T – Editor in Chief & Director, Fernby Films.

Some of you eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed a new tab to the right of the page, entitled “The Hobbit”. You’ll be glad to know that henceforth, we’ll be following the progress of the Peter Jackson produced film project to bring us film versions of The Hobbit. Information on the film, the progress and problems, as well as up to date information, will not only be posted on the main page as it comes to hand, but we’ll update the page for a quick listing of every post we make on the subject. We’re dead keen to see the two Hobbit films, which are due to be released in 2012 and 2013, similar to the annual release schedule of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy back in 2001. In the coming weeks, we’ll also be trying to scour the internet to bring you the most up-to-date info on the project, including the rumoured delays due to the financial problems MGM are having that threaten to derail the project. In the meantime, enjoy our new page, and all the information it will bring you!!

Rodney T – Director, Fernby Films.

It’s only taken a few years, but now fernbyfilms.com has finally upgraded to BluRay High Definition. Recently came to own a new Panasonic 50′ HD Plasma, as well as a Panasonic BluRay player, and for those of you keen to see what the new set-up looks like, here’s a couple of images direct from the Fernby Films headquarters.The sound is sweet full master quality audio, and the new plasma looks an absolute treat!! Fernbyfilms.com goes High Definition!!!

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And so we begin again….

2009 was a great year for us here at fernbyfilms.com, and 2010 is shaping up as another doozy, especially with some of the films due to be released!!

So what’s coming up here at fernbyfilms.com, you ask?

This year, we’re planning something new for those of you into “classic” films. We can’t tell you what it is right now, but we’re working on some pretty controversial material that’ll come online in the next 12 months. It’s all to do with our boredom of the traditional “classics” like Ben Hur, Citizen Kane, and the rest….We kick things off later in January, so stay tuned for that!

Not only that, but re-rendered HD versions of the Fernby Films catalogue will soon be uploaded here at the site, courtesy of YouTube. We’re currently re-uploading various stuff which we had online previously, only in dodgy non-HD versions. So we’ve gone back to the archives, trawled through them, and have begun the process of re-uploading out stuff to YouTube, and we’ll link it all here in due course.

Also on the way, our look at the Jurassic Park trilogy, as well as our much awaited Matrix Anthology investigation, and we take a look at the Alien Quadrilogy towards the end of the year. Along the way we’ll update you with all the Oscar news, as well as keeping track of the major films we’re following, including Transformers 3 (which we have dedicated an entire page to, to bring all the goods together, click on the tag in the sidebar to the right!). We have upgraded to BluRay in 2010 as well, since we’ve recently acquired a HD plasma television and BluRay player over the holiday period.  Our Sony LCD projector has served us well, but now, six years later, it’s time to retire it to the shiny, non-HD meadow to which it so eagerly awaits. There’s plenty of other stuff to enjoy coming your way, but right now, we can’t give you all the details! Otherwise, there’d be no surprise!!

Anyway, we look forward to your continued readership for the next 365 days of 2010.

Rodney T – Director, Fernby Films.

Hi folks. Well, we’ve reached the end of another year already (hardly seems like it’s begun, but there you have it!) and the time has come to once again thrust upon you our thoughts on a couple of seasonal films to fill your stocking. This year, we take a look at the Ben Affleck starrer Surviving Christmas, which you may or may not, as well as the classic Muppet version of A Christmas Carol. We hope you enjoy both our reviews that’ll go online in a couple of days.

Now, aside from those two reviews coming online, we’ll be away from the desk here at fernbyfilms.com for the next week or so, as we’re off to the inlaws for the holiday season. That doesn’t mean we’ll be resting doing nothing, but we won’t be able to attend to your every need and whim while we’re away. Feel free to drop us a line or leave a comment, but be aware there’s nobody here to moderate or answer, so be patient with a reply. We’ll be back on deck in the new year!

Next year, we hope to kick-start our more regular schedule once again, going full tilt at some of the big release films coming up. We;re going to take a look at the Jurassic Park trilogy in early 2010, and I’m working on some reviews for the Matrix Anthology series later in the year as well. It takes a bit of time to get through it all, get my thoughts in order, and upload them, so please be patient and we’ll see what we can do. In the meantime, we’re also trying to re-upload our famous Fernby Films films to YouTube in HD, which we’re in the process of doing as you read this. It’s a slow, laborious process to remaster our stuff, but rest assured that by the middle of 2010, all our stuff will be online somewhere for you to view.

Aside from all that, we hope to continue our semi-regular reviews on films we get to watch, and we hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoy writing them.

So, from all of us here at fernbyfilms.com, have a safe and happy Christmas, and a wonderfully joyous New Year celebration. Bring on 2010!!!

Rodney T – Director, Fernby Films.

Howdy folks! Just wanted to mention quickly the father spiffy new site update that took place this past weekend, with many thanks to our trusty website master, Mick Kubler. The new title banner and various other miscellany will serve to spruce up the website a little, hopefully make it more slick and appealing as a professional place to check out film stuff!!! A big thanks to Mick, for all his work (as usual, none of it is my doing!) and for keeping us on the straight and narrow, ie, up and running.

We all know that the new Twilight movie is coming out here in Australia next week; New Moon, for those of you not quite up to speed. My lovely wife, Lisa, is off to see it with a friend and there’s every chance I’ll be relegated to babysitting duty for that, so I won’t be able to bring you my review of it: but I may ask Lisa to give me her thoughts and bring them to you in due course!!! Stay tuned for that one later next week.

Anyway, there’s not much else to report at the moment, so I’ll sign off and go back to whatever it was I was doing!

Rodney T – Director, Fernby Films.

Quick update for you all this evening, if you haven’t seen yet, our new poll for films based upon Dan Brown novels. I suggest you get voting: check out the poll at the bottom of the sidebar to the right. You have the power to decide… well, nothing, but it let’s you know how many people think the way you do….

A litle self-obsessive video-graphy today folks; I’m going to be a little selfish and post the video of my daughter, Mikayla, having a turgle and a giggle. It’s amusing and cute as heck, so enjoy!!!

Dear Reader,

Well, talk about a landmark for fernbyfilms.com! We finally reach our 500th post, a milestone that, when we first began a few years ago, we didn’t think we’d ever get to! Ever since we started, waaaay back in December 2007, we’ve tried to be a fair and balanced site on which you can read our opinions on all things film, TV, and entertainment. We’ve had a few dramas and hicccups along the way, we’ve gained and lost some valuable members of our team, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at all times.

At times like this, when a landmark comes along, people often like to take the time to reflect on where they’ve come from, what they’ve achieved, and how well they’re travelling. Obviously, since fernbyfilms.com is a relatively new website, this is a little redundant given that we really only started doing film stuff about a year ago full time. Before I continue, I’d like to send out a big thanks to all those who have contributed and commented here at the site over the last year or so. Particularly, The Secret Squirrel, whose rapidly growing brood of children prevents him/her from participating in our website as much these days; as well as Doug Shearer, who we sadly had to say goodbye to as he moved on with other projects.

Special mention, of course, to Mick Kubler (or, perhaps, the blame for this whole enterprise!) for getting this website up and running, and allowing me the freedom to explore my cinematic tendencies by explaining the intricacies of a self-maintained website. For all his comments and behind the scenes help, fernbyfilms.com owes him a great big hug! Or at the very least, a handshake. You can check out Mick’s owb website, for Grey Phoenix Productions, here.

In the last year I’ve been on a trip around Europe, witnessed the birth of my first child, and spent a lot of time writing reviews, articles and various posts. We’ve seen the passing of legends like Paul Newman, pop-culture icons like Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, and local heroes like Heath Ledger. We were one of the very first websites to actually review the most recent Wallace & Gromit short, A Matter of Loaf And Death, which was a cool scoop to have! We developed a relationship with American website moviesmackdown.com, run by Hollywood screenwriter/producer Bryce Zabel, and have been moonlighting several reviews in that direction as well, all of which are available to read here too. Thanks to Bryce for his support too! [It's as close to being in Hollywood as I can get!... Ed.!]

Mick Kubler and I developed and made our own short film project, Schoolyard Justice, which debuted late last year, which was a great little introduction to the high’s and lows of making a movie (albeit a very short one), and I am still currently in the development stage of the next major project from Fernby Films, Urban Golf.

The most important person to thank, of course, would be my wife, the gorgeous Lisa T, without whom this website would be nothing if not a simple “my thoughts” blog. She may not contribute to the site itself, but she allows me the time to do so, which I am most thankful for! Thanks bubby!

I guess the main thing we want to mention is our increased readership…. over the last year, our numbers have been steadily rising to quite a good level, and we hope all our loyal readers enjoy what they see here at the site. Mick always tells me that the more regularly we post, and the better the quality of those posts, then the more likely readers are to hang around and read your stuff. And I admit, that theory has been borne out with an increased viewing circle. So to all our readers, both regular and newcomer alike, thankyou for taking the time to check out our little website and stop by. We greatly appreciate it!

It’s been a busy time for us here at the site, and while we might have slowed down a little, we’re not stopping our quest to view and review the great, not-so-great, and truly absymal films that come out each year. We hope you’ll continue along on the ride with us.

Regards

Rodney Twelftree – Director, Fernby Films.

Hi all,

Just thought I’d chime in this evening with a late post, to let you know about the latest video I’ve made celebrating the first 2 months of my daughters life. Mikayla was born back in May, and has delighted us ever since with some amazing and gorgeous photos. I spent a couple of hours this evening cobbling together this short montage to Hook & Sling’s The Best Thing, and I hope you enjoy!!!

The newest member of the Fernby Films family arrived without incident on Tuesday, at the Flinders Private Hospital here in Adelaide. I now present to you some selected photos of my lovely daughter, taken during the moments after the delivery.

Cheers

Rodney T – Director, Fernby Films.

MIKAYLA JULIE TWELFTREE

Born 15:45, May 5th, 2009.

Weight 8lb 6oz (3800 grams approx)

Length – 51.5 cm

Head Circumference – 33.5 cm

Hair – Dark brown/black

Eyes – Blue

Well, in the spirit of Anzac Day and the sense of national pride getting about the place this weekend, we thought we’d open the polling up to you, gentle reader! At the bottom of our sidebar is a new poll, attempting to gauge public opinion of which classic Australian film is the greatest example of our national worth, our sense of self, our iconic brand? There’s a number of films to choose from, of, if you don’t think we’ve added enough, you can make your own suggestion!

So, what are you waiting for? Get to voting!!!

Bit of sad news today folks!

This week I am commencing work on my latest project, Urban Golf, or at least the scripting stage of it. Also, next month, my wife, the gorgeous Lisa T, is going to give birth to our first child! Life is going to be getting a little hectic.

Which means I am going to be quite busy over the next few months, if not longer. So, what does this mean for the site? Well, we’ll certainly be continuing to review films, and uploading them here, just not on such a regular basis. While the downturn of stuff coming online here at the site will hopefully not last too long, we aim to be back up and running at full tilt eventually.

I also have to let you all know that the Secret Squirrel will be taking a little break from writing for the site. After a busy few months, the Squirrel has decided that another child coming into their family as well is just a little too much to take on to keep writing for us as well! So we wish the Secret One good luck with impending parenthood (again) and we hope all goes well.

I will attempt to keep you updated with all our regular goings-on around the place, especially our major reviews of Star Trek and Transformers 2, which will be released later this year. Also, we’re jumping on the Avatar bandwagon, which is the next major film from director James Cameron. We’ll be bringing you any news about this potential mega-hit as we get closer to it’s December release into cinemas.

So, while we’re not disappearing completely, we’re certainly not going to be able to bring you our non-stop reviews each day as we have over the last year. If you want to stay in touch with us, please remember to register with the website, and we’ll email you an update each time we upload something to the site.

Both Mick Kubler and I are going to be working on Urban Golf, so check out his website as well for any updates that may keep you in the loop. Don’t forget that our DVD of Schoolyard Justice is now available to purchase, if you so desire you can pick up the DVD by dropping us a line at the official website: www.syjmovie.com.

Rodney T - Director, Fernby Films.

Howdy folks! Welcome to another week of reviews here at fernbyfilms.com. This week, we have a very special review for you: the 70th Anniversary DVD edition of Walt Disney’s Pinocchio was released a few weeks back, and we’ve had a chance to watch it, and on Thursday we’ll tell you what we thought of it. The film looks amazing on DVD, and as far as we can tell, is possibly one of the better restoration efforts by the studio. For those of you who haven’t seen it, do yourself a favour, get a copy, watch it, and see if you agree with our thoughts in a couple of days.

One of the better Star Trek films, the one with the whales (yes, that one!) is also uploaded this week, and finally, we’ll try getting to the Luc Besson classic, Léon: The Professional by Saturday. We’re going to be taking a few days off this week, and next Sunday we’ll have a major announcement to bring you, concerning the behind-the-scenes here at the site.

Stay tuned later today for another of the Secret Squirrels comments, which will come online about lunchtime, and keep an eye out for any late-breaking news and events that we deem fit to print here! If you don’t want to miss anything, I suggest registering yourself for our daily updates, and each time a new post is uploaded, you’ll receive an email telling you so. Get to it!

Special note to those of you living in Australia right now, daylight savings finished last night, so remember to check the time in your state, and reset your clock accordingly! We got an extra hour of sleep last night, I hope you made the most of it!

That’s all for me this week, so I’m off to sit back and watch a few more movies!!

Rodney T – Fernby Films.