Monday 31 October 2011

TV

Death in Paradise
1x01 Episode 1
That was really rather good. Nice Agatha Christie vibe, which I don't think you get too often these days. Also, genuinely surprising ending that I didn't see coming in the slightest. Well done, don't see that often/ever.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
25x04 Episode 4
Loved the fill-in-the-blank YouTube comment round! More please.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Pointless
3x26 (19/10/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

X-Men (2000)
[5th or so watch]

This was the first film I ever saw twice in the cinema -- I've loved X-Men ever since the early '90s animated series captured my imagination, and this was everything I'd wanted from a long-hoped-for movie version. I don't think it'd be too wrong to credit its success with kicking off the huge popularity of superhero movies that we're still very much living through.

Over a decade on from its original release, I still think the first movie is brilliant, though First Class may've supplanted it as my favourite of the series now. I never loved X2 quite as much as everyone else, so I'm very interested to see what I think tomorrow -- it's been a good few years (five or six) since I watched any of the first trilogy, so re-evaluation is a real possibility.

Comics

Nightwing #2 by Kyle Higgins & Eddy Barrows
The plot thickens... which is always good for a second issue! Glad I followed the reviews to pick this series up, it's a good solid superhero book.

Articles

Jack The Ripper in the 23rd century: 21-plus unexpectedly scary episodes of not-so-scary TV shows by Erik Adams, Meredith Blake, Marah Eakin, Zack Handlen, Will Harris, Noel Murray, Phil Nugent, Sean O'Neal, Carrie Raisler, Tasha Robinson, John Semley, David Sims & Todd VanDerWerff
(from A.V. Club)
That is, to clarify, scary episodes of series that aren't usually scary. Not sure I've even heard of most of them, but interesting nonetheless. Plus, Doctor Who's Blink is in there. (Presumably it's quite a long list because all those writers wanted their say...)

Mark Millar: I want my films to do for Scotland what Lord Of The Rings did for New Zealand by Matt Bendoris
(from The Scottish Sun)
Key point: comic book writer Mark Millar is launching his own production company, aiming to adapt some more of his own comics, largely set in Scotland. Many more details at the link -- it's a surprisingly long and involved article considering it's from The Sun.