Sunday 5 September 2010

TV

Dexter
4x09 Hungry Man
I managed to guess the revelation Deb had last episode, but I didn't see that final twist coming. (Apologies if this is vague -- trying to keep it spoiler free.

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Documentary
With highlights of the concert itself (yes, the one I watched yesterday), plus interviews with many of the acts about the significance/importance of Freddie, Queen, this concert and AIDS.
(Today was Freddie's birthday, incidentally, which I'd like to claim I knew before choosing to watch these but... I didn't.)

Would I Lie To You?
4x07 (3/9/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

The classic Doctor Who monster that terrified young John Barrowman by Carole E. Barrowman
(from io9)
Carole Barrowman talks about growing up as a fan of Doctor Who alongside her younger brother John — who became famous as the Doctor's sexiest companion, Captain Jack Harkness, in this excerpt from the anthology Chicks Dig Time Lords.
Do note, John didn't become famous as Captain Jack in this anthology. Just in case you read the sentence as it was written.

Renamed Dredd wants to lure you in with new title, dark story by Nathalie Caron
(from Blastr)
That's Judge Dredd to you and I. And that's not a good move. I know titles shouldn't really matter, but now it sounds like a crap horror with a 'cleverly' misspelt title. And it's needless -- are people really so stupid as to think "the old film was rubbish, so the new one must be, even though it has no relation besides the same character"? Really? And that's if they even remember a near-20-years-old flop.
All that aside, the rest of the news about this project does sound promising. Fingers crossed...

Ridley Scott Talks Alien Prequels by Adam Quigley
(from /Film)
More hints emerge about Scott's plans for the two new Alien prequels. Not sure if I think it sounds intriguing or franchise-ruining.
The full interview from which the quotes come is here, in which Scott talks about his whole career, the reception and forthcoming Director's Cut of Robin Hood, and generally sounds a bit too self-agrandising.

there is an "I" in "TEAM"

this week on 100 Films

3 new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...

Dragonslayer (1981)
a little scrappy, in a way — the narrative, the acting, the effects — and yet, for that, it’s a minor treat... as someone who in his childhood watched many examples of this kind of film on video from the small rental place in town, it fits nostalgically into that era. And there’s a lot to be said for nostalgia.

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007)
allegedly based on Susan Cooper’s five-volume fantasy series, The Dark is Rising, and specifically the second novel, The Dark is Rising, changes from book to screen abound... the lead character is changed to an ex-pat American, because, of course, Americans would never go to see a fantasy movie starring a British kid.

Terminator Salvation: Director's Cut (2009)
it turns out McG is a surprisingly good director — he certainly does better work than the cheap hack job Jonathan Mostow made of Terminator 3. I doubt everyone agrees on this point, but whatever else you may wish to say about McG, he knows how to put an action sequence together. Most of the time.

You may also have noticed we passed into September this week. Ah, the bliss of children finally back in school. But it also meant it was time for the August update -- also blissful, in its own way.

More next Sunday.