Monday 18 March 2024

Sunday 17 March 2024

Films

The Inspector Wears Skirts (1988)
[#19 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2024]

this week on 100Films.co.uk

5 new reviews were published to 100Films.co.uk this week...


Archive 5, Vol.9
Featuring...
- Evil Under the Sun (1982)
- Sneakers (1992)
- Us (2019)
- Crooked House (2017)
- In the Mood for Love (2000)
Read more here.


More next Sunday.

Saturday 16 March 2024

TV

The Wheel
4x09 Episode 9
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

Audio Drama

Hell Cats 2
2x06 The Trap Tightens
[Listen to it (again) on Audible.]

Comics

2000 AD #23632364

Games

Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
About 45 minutes today.

The Leaf Riders of Wrenwood
5–11 March 2024
I've fallen so far behind on this that it became tricky to find the time to catch up fully, which just continued to exacerbate the problem. So I've finally bitten the bullet and played about half of what I had to catch up, with the intention of doing the rest tomorrow. And then, hopefully, sticking at it better!

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

As I mentioned previously, this is a fairly quiet month for the most part — until the next two weeks, anyway, when a glut of titles are on their way. I already have four in the post, plus six on preorder for the week after, and more I'd like to order but haven't yet. Money, money, money! We'll see how many of those turn up in time for next week's monthly running time update...

Number of titles in collection: 3,248 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,016 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,232 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 331 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 7,890 [up 1]
Number of films: 3,991 [up 1]
Number of additional cuts: 358 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,678 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,128 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

Friday 15 March 2024

TV

Comic Relief 2024
Funny for Money
More Funny for Money
A Whole Lotta Lenny

What's Comic Relief doing on this year?! Normally it's only odd-numbered years! When did that change? (I'm assuming this year, but last year was the first time I'd watched it in almost a decade, so I dunno.) Maybe it was just because long-time lead host Lenny Henry has decided to hang up his microphone, so this was a big celebration of his final year — a well-deserved one, too, even if the show itself was a bit weird at times (replaying a 13-year-old sketch in full in prime time in the middle of the show? What?!)

[Watch them (again) on iPlayer.]

Thursday 14 March 2024

TV

X-Men
1x03 Enter Magneto [2nd watch]
1x04 Deadly Reunions [2nd watch]
Returning as an adult to a show you loved as a kid is a risky proposition: what seemed entertaining when you were seven or eight might not work as well when you're well into your 30s. Heck, it's kind of silly to expect it to at all. But X-Men is actually pretty brilliant. The ongoing storylines are kinda unexpected for a kids' cartoon of this vintage; I believe X-Men was innovative in doing them. But even if you expect it, it's kind of surprising how thoroughly it goes into it. This isn't just a little bit of carryover, but full storylines unfurling over multiple episodes. Then there's all of the ethical conundrums and dilemmas, and character work that allows the heroes to be conflicted and fallible. Sure, it also still functions as colourful and action-focused entertainment for young'uns, but there's more depth and quality to it than was probably necessary — but that's also why it's such a classic.

Non-Fiction

The Art of Brevity by Grant Faulkner
Chapters 4–5

Games

Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
Another hour, this time encompassing an entire trip to the hospital.

Wednesday 13 March 2024

TV

Blackadder II
2x02 Head [2nd watch]
I didn’t remember this episode at all. Ok, it’s been a quarter of a century or so since I last watched this series, but the first was pretty memorable. And it’s not for lack of quality, because there are plenty of hilarious bits. I suppose it’s possible I didn’t actually start the series until a few episodes in, and saw Bells (or bits of it) later. Hard to remember exactly so many decades later. It only matters for my personal watch count, anyway.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

X-Men
1x01 Night of the Sentinels Part 1 [2nd watch]
1x02 Night of the Sentinels Part 2 [2nd watch]
I loved this series as a kid, when it originally aired. I remember waiting yonks for it to come to DVD and then, when it finally did in a complete box set, I bought it... and, of course, didn't watch it. I can't remember if I bought the set immediately on release or waited for a price cut, but it's been years either way (possibly over 13 — it came out in October 2011). So, I've been meaning to (re)watch this show for a very, very long time. Why now? The continuation series coming to Disney+, of course! I've left it (way) too late to get through the original series before the new one premieres, but hey ho, I'll get there in time.

Games

Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
About another hour, including the infamous goat puzzle.

Videos

Critical Role
2x03 The Midnight Chase [2nd half]
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Articles

ITV Oscars coverage secures viewers – and criticism
by Catherine Shoard (from the Guardian)

Whether or not you agree with the criticsm (I didn't dislike all of the panel, but there's a definite argument for having more informed proper film critics/journalists), the viewing stats are interesting: this year's Oscars saw a 1700% increase in average UK viewership, from 35,000 last year on Sky to 630,000 this year on ITV.

Videos

Critical Role
2x03 The Midnight Chase [1st half]
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]