Doctor Who
15x03 Horror of Fang Rock Part Three
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday 1 May 2024
Comics
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Volume IV: The Tempest by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill
One: Farewell to Forever
This collected edition of the fourth and final LXG miniseries was released in late 2019, and... I think that's when I bought it? I intended to read it quickly, and I've had it ready to go here, templated up behind-the-scenes, all that time — i.e. four-and-a-half years. Jesus. Well, finally, here I go! It took some getting back in to — struggling to remember who everyone was (got there in the end, I think) and what the dangling plot threads were (honestly? Still not really sure) — but it's still good stuff, with striking art from O'Neill and dense storytelling from Moore.
Although I'm listing this as if it's one chapter, the collected edition presents it issue by issue — i.e. the bonus back matter, which previous League series have collated and included at the end of the volume, is here scattered throughout, as in its original publication. I'm certain there are good story reasons for that, but it's not worth individually listing every bonus comic and fake letters page and so on. So, take it as read going forward that "One" (etc) isn't really "The Tempest: Part One", it's "The Tempest: Issue One" (if that distinction makes sense).
Volume IV: The Tempest by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill
One: Farewell to Forever
This collected edition of the fourth and final LXG miniseries was released in late 2019, and... I think that's when I bought it? I intended to read it quickly, and I've had it ready to go here, templated up behind-the-scenes, all that time — i.e. four-and-a-half years. Jesus. Well, finally, here I go! It took some getting back in to — struggling to remember who everyone was (got there in the end, I think) and what the dangling plot threads were (honestly? Still not really sure) — but it's still good stuff, with striking art from O'Neill and dense storytelling from Moore.
Although I'm listing this as if it's one chapter, the collected edition presents it issue by issue — i.e. the bonus back matter, which previous League series have collated and included at the end of the volume, is here scattered throughout, as in its original publication. I'm certain there are good story reasons for that, but it's not worth individually listing every bonus comic and fake letters page and so on. So, take it as read going forward that "One" (etc) isn't really "The Tempest: Part One", it's "The Tempest: Issue One" (if that distinction makes sense).
Games
Box One
An "escape room in a box"-type game, specifically designed to be attempted by a single player, created by actor/author/magician/etc Neil Patrick Harris (so he's an actual toymaker as well as playing one!)
I've wanted this for a while, finally bought it thanks to a discount code, and it arrived yesterday — which seemed like perfect timing to play it as a birthday treat. (Oh, yes, today's my birthday.) So far, it's lots of fun, with at least one fantastic twist. I had sort of intended to play through it in one sitting, but I started later than intended in the end, and when I reached a point where you're asked to wait 24 hours*, it seemed a good jumping-off point.
* apparently you don't actually have to wait 24 hours (I looked it up on a forum, being careful to avoid spoilers), but, like I said, it was late and so on. I'll continue (and finish?) tomorrow.
The Leaf Riders of Wrenwood
29 April – 1 May 2024
An "escape room in a box"-type game, specifically designed to be attempted by a single player, created by actor/author/magician/etc Neil Patrick Harris (so he's an actual toymaker as well as playing one!)
I've wanted this for a while, finally bought it thanks to a discount code, and it arrived yesterday — which seemed like perfect timing to play it as a birthday treat. (Oh, yes, today's my birthday.) So far, it's lots of fun, with at least one fantastic twist. I had sort of intended to play through it in one sitting, but I started later than intended in the end, and when I reached a point where you're asked to wait 24 hours*, it seemed a good jumping-off point.
* apparently you don't actually have to wait 24 hours (I looked it up on a forum, being careful to avoid spoilers), but, like I said, it was late and so on. I'll continue (and finish?) tomorrow.
The Leaf Riders of Wrenwood
29 April – 1 May 2024
Videos
Critical Role
2x15 Where the River Goes [1st half]
With this episode, I pass 10% of the way through Campaign 2, both in terms of episode count and running time (worth noting because, although most episodes are a similar length, they range from 3-hours to 7-hours across the campaign. Ok, there's actually only one of the latter, but there are half-a-dozen around the 5-hour mark). So far, I've watched almost 60 hours (not counting Talks Machina) and it's still just beginning!
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
2x15 Where the River Goes [1st half]
With this episode, I pass 10% of the way through Campaign 2, both in terms of episode count and running time (worth noting because, although most episodes are a similar length, they range from 3-hours to 7-hours across the campaign. Ok, there's actually only one of the latter, but there are half-a-dozen around the 5-hour mark). So far, I've watched almost 60 hours (not counting Talks Machina) and it's still just beginning!
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
Tuesday 30 April 2024
Films
Where Is the Friend's House? (1987)
[#32 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]
Blindspot 2024 #4
[#32 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]
Blindspot 2024 #4
Monday 29 April 2024
Sunday 28 April 2024
TV
Doctor Who
6x44 The War Games Episode Ten [season finale]
Endings a-go-go this episode: the end of Jamie and Zoe's time as companions; the end of Patrick Troughton's tenure as the Doctor; the end of the '60s; the end of the show's black-and-white era... And, unusually for this era of TV, it does actually feel like a season finale, with the Doctor and co captured by the Time Lords (in their first appearance) and forced to face their fate. It's also fantasic stuff; a great culmination to an all-round great serial.
Considering how many Who six-parters have pacing issues (heck, even plenty of four-parters don’t know what to do with episode three), it’s remarkable how well Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke keep this story flowing across ten instalments, with minimal pointless running around or repetition. I’d argue their only major misstep is completely writing Lady Jennifer out halfway through without any kind of resolution.
It helps that the cast are excellent across the board — to be expected of the regulars, of course (the 2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are surely one of the finest TARDIS teams); but there are multiple fantastic supporting performances. Put one of them in almost any other serial and it would probably be remembered as a standout, but here they’re all running side by side, which perhaps makes it easy to overlook just how fantastic they all are.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
6x44 The War Games Episode Ten [season finale]
Endings a-go-go this episode: the end of Jamie and Zoe's time as companions; the end of Patrick Troughton's tenure as the Doctor; the end of the '60s; the end of the show's black-and-white era... And, unusually for this era of TV, it does actually feel like a season finale, with the Doctor and co captured by the Time Lords (in their first appearance) and forced to face their fate. It's also fantasic stuff; a great culmination to an all-round great serial.
Considering how many Who six-parters have pacing issues (heck, even plenty of four-parters don’t know what to do with episode three), it’s remarkable how well Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke keep this story flowing across ten instalments, with minimal pointless running around or repetition. I’d argue their only major misstep is completely writing Lady Jennifer out halfway through without any kind of resolution.
It helps that the cast are excellent across the board — to be expected of the regulars, of course (the 2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are surely one of the finest TARDIS teams); but there are multiple fantastic supporting performances. Put one of them in almost any other serial and it would probably be remembered as a standout, but here they’re all running side by side, which perhaps makes it easy to overlook just how fantastic they all are.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100Films.co.uk
It's been a bit of a quiet month, but this week there was 1 new review published on 100Films.co.uk...
I.S.S. (2023)
Join me next Sunday for a look back at April.
I.S.S. (2023)
the film is set in the present day, with the I.S.S. currently crewed by three American and three Russian astronauts... down on Earth, war breaks out between the US and Russia, and each trio’s commander is instructed by their respective ground control to secure the station as a key asset. [It's] an enticing setup; indeed, it’s what sold me on watching the film as soon as I heard about it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any fresh ideas beyond that inciting incident.Read more here.
Join me next Sunday for a look back at April.
Saturday 27 April 2024
Films
12th Fail (2023)
[#30 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2024 #4
[#30 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2024 #4
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Four new additions this week, two of which I was certain wouldn't turn up 'til Monday. Oh, the fun of the post! (I had four titles released next Monday on preorder with HMV, all in the same order. Two arrived today, two haven't even dispatched yet.)
Of note, one of the four has so many alternate cuts of the film that "additional cuts" rises by almost as much as "films" this week. (It was more, then those two other titles turned up.)
Number of titles in collection: 3,276 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,005 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,271 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 346 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,950 [up 5]
Number of films: 4,037 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 379 [up 4]
Number of TV episodes: 9,691 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,129 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Four new additions this week, two of which I was certain wouldn't turn up 'til Monday. Oh, the fun of the post! (I had four titles released next Monday on preorder with HMV, all in the same order. Two arrived today, two haven't even dispatched yet.)
Of note, one of the four has so many alternate cuts of the film that "additional cuts" rises by almost as much as "films" this week. (It was more, then those two other titles turned up.)
Number of titles in collection: 3,276 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,005 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,271 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 346 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,950 [up 5]
Number of films: 4,037 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 379 [up 4]
Number of TV episodes: 9,691 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,129 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday 26 April 2024
Films
The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
aka Satan's Skin (apparently the director's preferred title, and thus the title used onscreen on the Blu-ray I watched)
aka Satan's Skin (apparently the director's preferred title, and thus the title used onscreen on the Blu-ray I watched)
Thursday 25 April 2024
Videos
Critical Role
2x13 Lost & Found
This episode took a little while to really warm up (especially coming after how astonishing the last one was), but it eventually led to some great stuff — including some dialogue/acting so good they used the audio in the teaser trailer for the animated series, so, y'know, iconic stuff.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
2x13 Lost & Found
This episode took a little while to really warm up (especially coming after how astonishing the last one was), but it eventually led to some great stuff — including some dialogue/acting so good they used the audio in the teaser trailer for the animated series, so, y'know, iconic stuff.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
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