National Television Awards 2008
Thankfully, the shock announcement of David Tennant's exit from Doctor Who overshadowed the rest of the ceremony, including the special achievement award going to... Simon Cowell. Simon Cowell?! Don't get me started.
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Music
12 minutes of Quantum of Solace (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by David Arnold
For a film that's meant to be relentlessly action-packed, this seemed quite a quiet score. Of course, that impression is seriously unbalanced by my listening to only 30-second samples from each track, thereby weighting a 40-second quiet piece on the same level as an 8-minute action cue (with a sample taken from (probably) the one quiet bit). Still, it all sounded suitably Bondian, with some nice foreign influences for the worldwide locations. Arnold even manages to work in some bits from the main theme, which I wasn't expecting this time round as he wasn't involved in its composition (unlike Casino Royale's). I look forward to hearing the score in full -- for the first time on the film (two days!), and then by itself later on.
For a film that's meant to be relentlessly action-packed, this seemed quite a quiet score. Of course, that impression is seriously unbalanced by my listening to only 30-second samples from each track, thereby weighting a 40-second quiet piece on the same level as an 8-minute action cue (with a sample taken from (probably) the one quiet bit). Still, it all sounded suitably Bondian, with some nice foreign influences for the worldwide locations. Arnold even manages to work in some bits from the main theme, which I wasn't expecting this time round as he wasn't involved in its composition (unlike Casino Royale's). I look forward to hearing the score in full -- for the first time on the film (two days!), and then by itself later on.
Articles
Two huge pieces of news today, one of which has had its own posts (two of them!), the other... well, it's right below this... Oh, and a piece about Superman, which is great news (it makes me excited about a Superman project, which is impressive in and of itself) but is totally overshadowed by everything else. Oh well.
David Tennant quits as Doctor Who
and
David Tennant on Doctor Who exit by Lizo Mzimba
(from BBC News)
The main story on BBC News' entertainment page -- even topping the Brand/Ross story which, ironically, is the #1 story on the main news page. It's already confirmed that RTD will be writing his final story, based on these comments from the giant himself: "the Tenth Doctor still has five spectacular hours left! After which, I might drop an anvil on his head. Or maybe a piano. A radioactive piano. But we're planning the most enormous and spectacular ending, so keep watching." The video interview on the first story is transcribed in the second, but the video version contains a few extra comments.
Exclusive: Mark Millar Talks Superman by Dan Goodswen
(from Empire Online)
"Mark has been working... on a pitch for what he is calling the Magnum Opus of Superman stories. His idea is for an 8-hour saga, split into 3 films to be released a year apart, in a Lord of the Rings fashion... “It’s gonna be like Michael Corleone in the Godfather films, the entire story from beginning to end, you see where he starts, how he becomes who he becomes, and where that takes him... I want to start on Krypton, a thousand years ago, and end with Superman alone on Planet Earth, the last being left on the planet, as the yellow sun turns red and starts to supernova, and he loses his powers.""
Don't forget (as if you could) my thoughts on the Brand/Ross thing, to be found today at this location and this one.
David Tennant quits as Doctor Who
and
David Tennant on Doctor Who exit by Lizo Mzimba
(from BBC News)
The main story on BBC News' entertainment page -- even topping the Brand/Ross story which, ironically, is the #1 story on the main news page. It's already confirmed that RTD will be writing his final story, based on these comments from the giant himself: "the Tenth Doctor still has five spectacular hours left! After which, I might drop an anvil on his head. Or maybe a piano. A radioactive piano. But we're planning the most enormous and spectacular ending, so keep watching." The video interview on the first story is transcribed in the second, but the video version contains a few extra comments.
Exclusive: Mark Millar Talks Superman by Dan Goodswen
(from Empire Online)
"Mark has been working... on a pitch for what he is calling the Magnum Opus of Superman stories. His idea is for an 8-hour saga, split into 3 films to be released a year apart, in a Lord of the Rings fashion... “It’s gonna be like Michael Corleone in the Godfather films, the entire story from beginning to end, you see where he starts, how he becomes who he becomes, and where that takes him... I want to start on Krypton, a thousand years ago, and end with Superman alone on Planet Earth, the last being left on the planet, as the yellow sun turns red and starts to supernova, and he loses his powers.""
Don't forget (as if you could) my thoughts on the Brand/Ross thing, to be found today at this location and this one.
Technology
Tell Your iPhone to Stop Opening iPhoto! by Michael Krol
(from michaelkrol.com)
"How do I stop iPhoto opening every time I connect my iPhone?" I asked Google, and it found this. Handy!
I don't know if any fellow iPhone and Mac users read this blog, but I found iPhoto's opening bloody irritating, and now the problem is quickly and simply solved. Much yaying round these parts.
(I'm going to be nitpicky now -- you don't tell you iPhone to stop opening iPhoto, you tell another application, so technically the title's wrong. Tsk.)
(from michaelkrol.com)
"How do I stop iPhoto opening every time I connect my iPhone?" I asked Google, and it found this. Handy!
I don't know if any fellow iPhone and Mac users read this blog, but I found iPhoto's opening bloody irritating, and now the problem is quickly and simply solved. Much yaying round these parts.
(I'm going to be nitpicky now -- you don't tell you iPhone to stop opening iPhoto, you tell another application, so technically the title's wrong. Tsk.)
"Brand quits BBC over prank calls"
Brand quits BBC over prank calls
(from BBC News)
While I don't doubt his apology in the slightest, I do wonder if this resignation is a strategic move for the BBC. Brand has plenty of other avenues -- a Channel 4 show, standup, a movie career -- and was at the centre of the scandal, while Ross is 'Mr BBC', and I'm sure neither he nor BBC bosses want to have to fire him. Brand accepting responsibility and resigning also looks better than a weeks/months-long investigation/battle resulting in them having to kick him out. With one of them gone of their own volition, and -- importantly -- Sachs accepting their apology and not wishing to take matters further, this hopefully means Ross can be restored to the BBC, and sooner rather than later.
Another point:
4.2 million people watched Jonathan Ross' show last week. More will have watched it via the Saturday repeat, iPlayer, and plain old recording it. 3 million people regularly listen to his radio show.
0.01 million people's complaints have led to him being suspended.
I have no doubt some of those ratings would drop off in the wake of this massive overreaction, but I think many would be surprised how small the drop would be -- no doubt indicating the silent majority who realise how overblown this has become.
So, where do you think the public interest lies?
(from BBC News)
While I don't doubt his apology in the slightest, I do wonder if this resignation is a strategic move for the BBC. Brand has plenty of other avenues -- a Channel 4 show, standup, a movie career -- and was at the centre of the scandal, while Ross is 'Mr BBC', and I'm sure neither he nor BBC bosses want to have to fire him. Brand accepting responsibility and resigning also looks better than a weeks/months-long investigation/battle resulting in them having to kick him out. With one of them gone of their own volition, and -- importantly -- Sachs accepting their apology and not wishing to take matters further, this hopefully means Ross can be restored to the BBC, and sooner rather than later.
Another point:
4.2 million people watched Jonathan Ross' show last week. More will have watched it via the Saturday repeat, iPlayer, and plain old recording it. 3 million people regularly listen to his radio show.
0.01 million people's complaints have led to him being suspended.
I have no doubt some of those ratings would drop off in the wake of this massive overreaction, but I think many would be surprised how small the drop would be -- no doubt indicating the silent majority who realise how overblown this has become.
So, where do you think the public interest lies?
'It's been blown out of proportion'
Brand and Ross suspended by BBC
and
'It's been blown out of proportion'
(from BBC News)
"It's been blown out of proportion" sums it up for me. I think it's telling that young people can realise this, while older viewers go on complaining.
Get some perspective people.
Also, be sure to read this:
Open and shut case? by Rod McKenzie
(from BBC News: The Editors blog)
and
'It's been blown out of proportion'
(from BBC News)
"It's been blown out of proportion" sums it up for me. I think it's telling that young people can realise this, while older viewers go on complaining.
Get some perspective people.
Also, be sure to read this:
Open and shut case? by Rod McKenzie
(from BBC News: The Editors blog)
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