Wednesday 15 October 2008

TV

Heroes
3x03 One of Us, One of Them

Films

Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
[3rd or so watch]
After the disappointment I felt upon rewatching Hot Shots!, I approached this sequel with no small degree of trepidation. Luckily, this one's a lot better, and while some of the jokes are now dated (there are at least a couple of cultural references very specific to the early '90s) the majority still stands up today. Sure, it's still mostly immature and silly, but within that it's frequently amusing -- the point of a spoof, after all. In fact, it was even better watching it now than whenever I last saw it (as much as 10 years ago, possibly, if not more), because there were a few jokes I can now get, such as the references to The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. Additionally, the film has been cut to shreds in the UK over time -- well, trimmed of some very funny bits, at least -- so watching it as I did from the US DVD, this is actually the first time I've seen all of it.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
[2nd watch]
It's been a good few years since I've seen this too. I was meant to watch it for my degree two or three years ago, but didn't bother. Now I need to watch it for my MA, so this time I'm bothering. Logic dictates it's at least four years since I last saw it therefore, and I'm somewhat glad I didn't watch it sooner -- the gap has allowed me to both forgot how brilliant it is, and grow up enough to enjoy it even more. Pure cinema, unremittingly excellent, and well deserving of all its high placings on Best Films Ever lists. An experience to be savoured.

Non-Fiction

Letters Between a Father and a Son (aka Between Father and Son: Family Letters) by V.S. Naipaul, edited by Gillon Aitken
Parts V - VII

shameless eBay self-promotion: update 3

You can read the full story behind these auctions in my previous three updates; here's just a list of what I'm currently selling. Anything in bold is being bid on, anything crossed out sold since this was posted; everything else also has a Buy It Now option.

DVDs
  • Casino Royale 2-disc Collector's Edition
  • Doctor Who Complete Davros Collection box set (new)
  • Ghost in the Shell
  • L.A. Confidential
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles with Richard Roxburgh, Ian Hart and Richard E. Grant
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
  • The West Wing Season 1 Part 1
  • The West Wing Season 1 Part 2

  • Books
  • Casino Royale (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • Diamonds Are Forever (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • Dr No (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • From Russia With Love (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • Goldfinger (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • Live and Let Die (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • Moonraker (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • Thunderball (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
  • You Only Live Twice (Penguin Modern Classics edition)

  • Toys
  • Doctor Who Micro-Universe: Captain Jack's Chula Ship (with exclusive Captain Jack mini-figure)

  • All these auctions end next weekend, with the exception of the two Holmes DVDs, which end on Monday.

    I've still got two things left to sell: a Doctor Who Empress of the Racnoss action figure, and a copy of the UK 2-disc release of Se7en, possibly my favourite film ever.