Films

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
[2nd watch]

DVD Extras

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition
A beautiful tin containing four episodes of MST3K and some other goodies. It looks super-lovely. Unfortunately, it seems to be impossible to actually get the contents out of the tin... I'll let you know if I ever manage it.

Magazines

Empire #235
A really rubbish Review Of 2008 -- yes, everyone has a Top 10 Films list, but that's still the most exciting part and should not be relegated to an inconspicuous third of a page somewhere near the end. They used to do a nice Top 25, but this year it just looks like they couldn't be bothered.

SFX #178
Whoo, I read the new one! Very odd cover, incidentally, though it does have a Dollhouse preview.

Torchwood: The Official Magazine #12
A particularly weak issue, full of filler. It does have some info on season three however.

Christmas singles

Stop The X Factor from being Christmas number one! Buy one -- or all (I did) -- of these!

Do not buy from Amazon -- it doesn't count toward the chart.

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
iTunes | 7digital | tunetribe | HMV
Backed by Facebook and Radio 1, this one stands the best chance.

Let's Not Fight This Christmas by Chris Difford & the Decorations
(aka The One Show Single)
iTunes | 7digital
Camp and silly, this is -- believe it or not -- the best one.

It's Christmas Time by Status Quo
iTunes | 7digital
Almost as good. These two would fit seamlessly on all those Christmas compilations.

Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth by Bandaged
(aka Sir Terry Wogan & Aled Jones)
iTunes | 7digital
It's got Sir Terry Wogan on it -- that automatically makes it a contender for Best Ever.

Once Upon a Christmas Song by Peter Kay's Geraldine McQueen
iTunes | 7digital
Not as good as it could be, but hey, it might have a chance...

Joseph, Better You Than Me by the Killers featuring Elton John & Neil Tennant
iTunes

And I'll be posting this again tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after...

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory IX

IX. I stood before you...
by Andy Brown

This week, Poem of the Day is continuing to present Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. The first five parts were published daily last week. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment of this work, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

I stood before you, lost for word,
the bunch behind my star-lit back.

'Silence, that's what flowers are,' you said,
'or rather, a man's way of silencing.'

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.