Friday 19 December 2008

TV

Britain's Got the Pop Factor ...and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice
Part 1 The Final
Part 2 The Result
Finally got round to watching this, just as the follow-up episode was aired (watch that tomorrow probably). It was an absolutely hilarious, brilliant, spot-on spoof. Even better than I expected.

Lead Balloon
3x06 Mistake

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
22x12 A Moving Tribute [special]
I swear they've done this before with this title, but it's not listed as a repeat and it featured clips from the series just gone, so... Also, of bizarre and limited interest, it's billed as being "Episode 13" on iPlayer and all the electronic programme guides, but is actually the twelfth. Probably something to do with that Brand episode being skipped (for now) I should imagine.

Films

Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006)
[#88 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]

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 that'll be your last chance!

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory X

X. Song for the Siren
by Andy Brown

Today, Poem of the Day finishes its presentation of Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory, which has been published here on week days for the last two weeks. 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.

The rain is light. Light falls.
A handstroke of sun tans
the sky's western edge.

You sit in the meadow
by a solitary oak, your feet
dipped in a stream of fish

and frogs, your head among
a cloud of flies, crying;
tears that gleam like acorns.

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.