Monday 1 June 2009

TV

Ashes to Ashes
2x07 Episode Seven
Brilliant episode. A surprising twist, perfectly built across the whole series, and a great performance from Marshall Lancaster, the unsung gem of both Ashes and Life on Mars.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Graham Norton Show
5x12 (28/5/09 edition, uncut repeat) [season finale]
Goodbye for now, Graham. You will be missed.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Eastern Promises (2007)
[#32 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

DVD Extras

Superman II: Restoring the Vision
(from Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut)
How they recreated Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, almost 30 years after it was shot. It's truly amazing how much effort was required to do this.

Resurrecting Jor-El
(from Superman Returns)
Similarly, how they created a new Marlon Brando performance for Superman Returns, using footage shot for Superman and Superman II back in the late '70s.

Articles

Back To Earth DVD Cover Art
and
Documenting the Documentaries
and
Content Confirmed
(from reddwarf.co.uk)
Latest updates on the forthcoming Red Dwarf: Back to Earth DVD. Love that screen-faithful packaging. The addition of Making Of: Part Two is also great news as the first was a tad lacking.

Tony Scott Confirms Carl Rinsch is Directing New Alien Movie. And it’s a PREQUEL! by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub
(from Collider.com)
Both exciting and very... suspicious...

And don't miss the announcements of new Monkey Island games here.

Monkey Island is back!

I never thought I'd see the day, but it's been reported today that LucasArts' Monkey Island series of games is to return. Hooray! I've grown up playing those games and adored every last one, so this has me over the moon. I literally jumped for joy.

Anyway, here are some of the announcements & that..

Monkey Island is BACK, baby! by Emily
(from the Telltale Blog)
So, the new game -- or games, depending on your perspective -- is being developed by Telltale, who make various other game-series like Sam & Max and Wallace & Gromit (maybe the should've rebranded it Guybrush & Elaine? No?) Here's their announcement, with plentiful details.

Stuff and Things and Monkey Island by Ron Gilbert
(from Grumpy Gamer)
The games' original creator on the latest news. A long but fascinating read.

You may have noticed that, in addition to the new game, they've remade the original. Not sold on the new graphic style, though I'll definitely be getting my hands on it. The official site -- with art, videos, that kinda thing is...

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition Official Site
aka www.MonkeyIslandSpecialEdition.com. Nice name. Includes a great behind-the-scenes video.

And to round things off, the full official site for the new game...

Tales of Monkey Island Official Site
Ooh, I can't wait!

new review at 100 Films

La Antena (2007)
La Antena could sit comfortably alongside ‘real’ silent films to the extent that the uninitiated might reasonably be fooled into believing it was one. In some respects this is neither here nor there, though it will undoubtedly put some viewers off. For those with a more open mind or who are fans of silent movies, however, it’s a joy.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 19 new films in the review pipeline at 100 Films, plus two shorts. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.