Doctor Who
3x33 The Final Test [2nd watch]
aka The Celestial Toymaker Part 4. Thank goodness this was only a four-parter — it feels drawn-out as it is.
Well, apparently the scripts for this serial were compromised by being in production at a time of changeover in the team running the show, which perhaps explains why there are nice ideas here that unfortunately don’t land very well. Parts of the episode feel like they were written on the spot, going round over the same points to little end. Shame.
Equally, it’s no wonder several writers have tried to have a second crack at the Toymaker down the years — there’s unexplored potential there, even if it were to just involve rehashing this storyline but executing it better.
Thursday, 30 June 2022
Films
My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)
[#43 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2022]
Plus the video extras on Arrow's Blu-ray, which include the original theatrical trailer and a 22-minute critical analysis.
[#43 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2022]
Plus the video extras on Arrow's Blu-ray, which include the original theatrical trailer and a 22-minute critical analysis.
Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 5 Rise of the Pirate God
Here we go, the final instalment. Gets off to a nicely spooky start, although the actual gamplay all feels fairly straightforward — there may be a few rooms to explore, but there's not a great deal to do in each of them, so it all feels (dare I say it) a little easy. Still, it kept me engrossed for an hour and a quarter, so I'm not really complaining.
Chapter 5 Rise of the Pirate God
Here we go, the final instalment. Gets off to a nicely spooky start, although the actual gamplay all feels fairly straightforward — there may be a few rooms to explore, but there's not a great deal to do in each of them, so it all feels (dare I say it) a little easy. Still, it kept me engrossed for an hour and a quarter, so I'm not really complaining.
Tuesday, 28 June 2022
TV
Doctor Who
3x32 The Dancing Floor
aka The Celestial Toymaker Part 3. The Toymaker feels like a really good idea (I guess that’s why there have been so many attempts to bring him back), but the middle episodes of this story suggest it’s harder than you’d think to find something interesting to do with the concept. Or maybe the games just needed someone with more imagination. I mean, half this episode is taken up by Steven and Dodo needing to find a key, which they do by… looking around a kitchen until they find it. Hardly the stuff thrilling adventures are made of, is it?
3x32 The Dancing Floor
aka The Celestial Toymaker Part 3. The Toymaker feels like a really good idea (I guess that’s why there have been so many attempts to bring him back), but the middle episodes of this story suggest it’s harder than you’d think to find something interesting to do with the concept. Or maybe the games just needed someone with more imagination. I mean, half this episode is taken up by Steven and Dodo needing to find a key, which they do by… looking around a kitchen until they find it. Hardly the stuff thrilling adventures are made of, is it?
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 4 The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
25 minutes and that's this chapter wrapped up, with a helluvan ending. Just one final part to go...
Oh, and in case you missed the news, here's the just-released full trailer for Return to Monkey Island. It looks awesome — I can't wait!
Chapter 4 The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
25 minutes and that's this chapter wrapped up, with a helluvan ending. Just one final part to go...
Oh, and in case you missed the news, here's the just-released full trailer for Return to Monkey Island. It looks awesome — I can't wait!
Monday, 27 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 4 The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
Another hour-and-a-quarter played and not quite at the end of this chapter, though I presume I'm almost there.
Chapter 4 The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
Another hour-and-a-quarter played and not quite at the end of this chapter, though I presume I'm almost there.
Sunday, 26 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 4 The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
Another 50 minutes or so played, not that I can get an accurate time on this chapter now. It was, once again, a little too reliant on a couple of lengthy cut scenes in the middle to advance the plot. I read somewhere that, because this game was released as a series of downloadable chapters, each one had file size limits and so some decisions were made to keep sizes down. I wonder if the cut scenes were one of them — perhaps, without such limits, they would have been able to make those sections playable. It's not the end of the world, just unfortunate.
Chapter 4 The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
Another 50 minutes or so played, not that I can get an accurate time on this chapter now. It was, once again, a little too reliant on a couple of lengthy cut scenes in the middle to advance the plot. I read somewhere that, because this game was released as a series of downloadable chapters, each one had file size limits and so some decisions were made to keep sizes down. I wonder if the cut scenes were one of them — perhaps, without such limits, they would have been able to make those sections playable. It's not the end of the world, just unfortunate.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
4 new reviews were published to 100Films.co.uk this week...
Frances Ha (2012)
2022 | Weeks 18–20
More next Sunday.
Frances Ha (2012)
Being a ditzy twentysomething in New York, hanging out with friends and going to parties, having a job as a dancer and earning just enough to get by, and nothing quite going to plan but it all kinda being ok anyway — all in black & white? I see why some people love this film. It’s a kind of obvious fantasy life for certain Artsy people. Of course, there’s not much drama in that (not that that would stop some filmmakers), and so Frances’s messy life begins to get messier. It may stop being a fantasy, but it’s certainly relatable to any of us who’ve failed at the things we’d dreamed of doing.Read more here.
2022 | Weeks 18–20
Featuring...Read more here.
- The Monolith Monsters (1957)
- Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
- Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 25 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 4 The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
Onward! Forgot to set a timer going or note when I started, so not sure how long I played for today. Somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour, roughly. Again, this is shaping up to a fun episode with some different kinds of gameplay. I'm appreciating the variety.
Chapter 4 The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
Onward! Forgot to set a timer going or note when I started, so not sure how long I played for today. Somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour, roughly. Again, this is shaping up to a fun episode with some different kinds of gameplay. I'm appreciating the variety.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
A new season of classic Doctor Who joins the collection this week, the first this year (at one point it looked like they were going to be releasing four of these sets per year; then it quickly slipped to three; now, it seems like getting to two will be a stretch. The pandemic's not an excuse anymore!) Anyway, as that upgrades several old DVDs, it means this month's counts nearly dropped (gasp!)
...but, of course, I can't help ordering other stuff — four more new releases, in fact; two of them multi-film box sets; plus a trio of titles on offer, too — so it's actually a rare month where every category changes, most going up. Hurrah! Poor old DVD, though; the only one that continues to sink. It's surely just a matter of time before it dips back below 1,000 titles, a number it had surpassed before I even started this series almost 13 years ago.
Number of titles in collection: 2,867 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,051 [down 4]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,816 [up 8]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 178 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,138 [up 26]
Number of films: 3,432 [up 15]
Number of additional cuts: 268 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes: 9,310 [up 5]
Number of short films: 993 [up 25]
And if that wasn't enough, this week it's time for a monthly running time update, too.
Total running time of collection (approx.):
511 days, 20 hours, and 53 minutes.
(Up 4 days, 17 hours, and 15 minutes from last month.)
Well now, that's a pretty big jump! Most months the increase is less than two days, and that's the biggest single month since my post-Christmas January 2nd count (which factored in multiple box sets, as the end of the year is always rife with them).
See you next week, faithful reader — when, as things stand, I'll have nothing to add! We'll see how that pans out...
A new season of classic Doctor Who joins the collection this week, the first this year (at one point it looked like they were going to be releasing four of these sets per year; then it quickly slipped to three; now, it seems like getting to two will be a stretch. The pandemic's not an excuse anymore!) Anyway, as that upgrades several old DVDs, it means this month's counts nearly dropped (gasp!)
...but, of course, I can't help ordering other stuff — four more new releases, in fact; two of them multi-film box sets; plus a trio of titles on offer, too — so it's actually a rare month where every category changes, most going up. Hurrah! Poor old DVD, though; the only one that continues to sink. It's surely just a matter of time before it dips back below 1,000 titles, a number it had surpassed before I even started this series almost 13 years ago.
Number of titles in collection: 2,867 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,051 [down 4]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,816 [up 8]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 178 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,138 [up 26]
Number of films: 3,432 [up 15]
Number of additional cuts: 268 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes: 9,310 [up 5]
Number of short films: 993 [up 25]
And if that wasn't enough, this week it's time for a monthly running time update, too.
Total running time of collection (approx.):
511 days, 20 hours, and 53 minutes.
(Up 4 days, 17 hours, and 15 minutes from last month.)
Well now, that's a pretty big jump! Most months the increase is less than two days, and that's the biggest single month since my post-Christmas January 2nd count (which factored in multiple box sets, as the end of the year is always rife with them).
See you next week, faithful reader — when, as things stand, I'll have nothing to add! We'll see how that pans out...
Friday, 24 June 2022
TV
Doctor Who
3x31 The Hall of Dolls
aka The Celestial Toymaker Part 2. Not as good as the first — it feels like it's killing time, with the game Dodo and Steven have to play being not that interesting or challenging.
Taskmaster
2x04 Welcome to Rico Face
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
3x31 The Hall of Dolls
aka The Celestial Toymaker Part 2. Not as good as the first — it feels like it's killing time, with the game Dodo and Steven have to play being not that interesting or challenging.
Taskmaster
2x04 Welcome to Rico Face
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Thursday, 23 June 2022
TV
Doctor Who
3x30 The Celestial Toyroom
aka The Celestial Toymaker Part 1. With all the rumours about the Toymaker’s forthcoming return, I thought it was about time I watched his debut (and, so far, only televisual) appearance. Of course, I can’t properly watch it because it’s 75% missing, so the Loose Cannon recon will have to suffice.
3x30 The Celestial Toyroom
aka The Celestial Toymaker Part 1. With all the rumours about the Toymaker’s forthcoming return, I thought it was about time I watched his debut (and, so far, only televisual) appearance. Of course, I can’t properly watch it because it’s 75% missing, so the Loose Cannon recon will have to suffice.
DVD Extras
Michael Grade in Conversation
The other interview I was referring to yesterday. It’s thorough enough that you feel there’s nothing left to be said, but it also doesn’t feel like there’s anything significantly new here. Interviewer Matthew Sweet does his best to draw out the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but it becomes clear that Grade didn’t care enough about Doctor Who to remember all the nitty-gritty details. So that’s that, then.
The other interview I was referring to yesterday. It’s thorough enough that you feel there’s nothing left to be said, but it also doesn’t feel like there’s anything significantly new here. Interviewer Matthew Sweet does his best to draw out the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but it becomes clear that Grade didn’t care enough about Doctor Who to remember all the nitty-gritty details. So that’s that, then.
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
DVD Extras
Colin Baker in Conversation
I've been picking up every one of the Doctor Who: The Collection Blu-ray releases as they come out, but I've not actually watched very much content on them. Indeed, I think the John Nathan-Turner doc may be literally the only thing I've watched from any of the 11 sets released so far. Shame on me — I really must do a lot to change that.
Well, here's one thing, at least. Though, like the JNT doc, I'm only watching it so quickly because I've seen it praised repeatedly on social media. In fact, there are three "In Conversation" features on the season 22 set, and I've seen two of them praised repeatedly; but as they're each essentially feature-length, I've only watched one for now. The other soon.
I've been picking up every one of the Doctor Who: The Collection Blu-ray releases as they come out, but I've not actually watched very much content on them. Indeed, I think the John Nathan-Turner doc may be literally the only thing I've watched from any of the 11 sets released so far. Shame on me — I really must do a lot to change that.
Well, here's one thing, at least. Though, like the JNT doc, I'm only watching it so quickly because I've seen it praised repeatedly on social media. In fact, there are three "In Conversation" features on the season 22 set, and I've seen two of them praised repeatedly; but as they're each essentially feature-length, I've only watched one for now. The other soon.
Films
Lupin the Third: Is Lupin Still Burning? (2018)
A one-off special to mark 50 years of Lupin III. I'm counting it as a short film; others would say it's an episode of TV. It's what anime fans call an OVA — Original Video Animation — which means it went straight to DVD, basically. I say that makes it a short, even though it was released alongside a TV series. (Does it really matter, though?)
As a short, I'll review it on 100 Films eventually. For now, I posted some thoughts on Letterboxd.
A one-off special to mark 50 years of Lupin III. I'm counting it as a short film; others would say it's an episode of TV. It's what anime fans call an OVA — Original Video Animation — which means it went straight to DVD, basically. I say that makes it a short, even though it was released alongside a TV series. (Does it really matter, though?)
As a short, I'll review it on 100 Films eventually. For now, I posted some thoughts on Letterboxd.
Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Audio Drama / Podcasts
Doctor Who: Redacted
1x10 Salvation [season finale]
Overall, I enjoyed that about as much as I've enjoyed the Chibnall era as a whole. Yeah. I've seen people on Twitter hoping for a second series; I hope it gets left behind in the current era, where it clearly belongs.
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
1x10 Salvation [season finale]
Overall, I enjoyed that about as much as I've enjoyed the Chibnall era as a whole. Yeah. I've seen people on Twitter hoping for a second series; I hope it gets left behind in the current era, where it clearly belongs.
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
Monday, 20 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Turned out to be about 45 minutes left, for a total time of 2 hours 55 minutes — slightly longer than the first two chapters took me, but not insanely so. Again, some entertainingly different-feeling sorts of puzzles here, which makes up for those slightly unwieldy cutscenes. Still got two-fifths of the game to go and already I feel like I'll be disappointed when it's over...
Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Turned out to be about 45 minutes left, for a total time of 2 hours 55 minutes — slightly longer than the first two chapters took me, but not insanely so. Again, some entertainingly different-feeling sorts of puzzles here, which makes up for those slightly unwieldy cutscenes. Still got two-fifths of the game to go and already I feel like I'll be disappointed when it's over...
Sunday, 19 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Felt like there were a lot of cutscenes at some points this chapter. Why not make them interactive conversations instead? Obviously the player's options would be narrow because it's about getting on with the plot, but they could throw in a couple of variations or asides. Plus, at least it would feel like a game rather than spending five minutes just watching, performing one simple task, then spending another five minutes watching.
Those iffy bits aside, the game remains decent fun. Some different types of puzzles I'd not seen before, which was a welcome change, and a nice use of fan-favourite character Murray. Just over 2 hours of time spent playing the chapter so far, which, based on the other two, probably means 30 to 45 minutes to go.
Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Felt like there were a lot of cutscenes at some points this chapter. Why not make them interactive conversations instead? Obviously the player's options would be narrow because it's about getting on with the plot, but they could throw in a couple of variations or asides. Plus, at least it would feel like a game rather than spending five minutes just watching, performing one simple task, then spending another five minutes watching.
Those iffy bits aside, the game remains decent fun. Some different types of puzzles I'd not seen before, which was a welcome change, and a nice use of fan-favourite character Murray. Just over 2 hours of time spent playing the chapter so far, which, based on the other two, probably means 30 to 45 minutes to go.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
5 new reviews were published to 100Films.co.uk this week...
Encanto (2021)
High and Low (1963)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
2022 | Weeks 16–17
More next Sunday.
Encanto (2021)
It doesn’t look like your typical Disney Princess movie, but it’s not functionally different to them. The Madrigal family’s powers mean they effectively rule over their small town, albeit in a benevolent way, which makes Mirabel a de facto Princess; and she has the usual Disney Princess hangups about feeling under-appreciated and needing to find her self-worth. But hey, at least she doesn’t also need to find a husband!Read more here.
High and Low (1963)
Akira Kurosawa has a good many classic films to his name, but, according to users of both IMDb and Letterboxd, this is the second best of them all — and, on the latter’s list. the 12th greatest film ever made, to boot... It’s certainly a fine piece of work — although, on first watch, I’d say I’ve seen several better examples of the genre and several better films by Kurosawa. But that isn’t truly a criticism of the film, rather of its high placing on the lists mentionedRead more here.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
The MCU publicity claim that any given film is “not just a superhero movie, it’s a [1970s conspiracy thriller / John Hughes comedy / whatever]” has, rightly, become a bit of a laughing stock. But I think Shang-Chi might be the first time it’s actually true. Yeah, it’s undeniably set in the MCU and, as such, plays by some of those rules... but the bulk of the movie itself is not really a superhero film as we normally think of them. Rather, it’s a martial arts fantasy-actioner.Read more here.
2022 | Weeks 16–17
Featuring two very different coming-of-age movies...Read more here.
- CODA (2021)
- Cruella (2021)
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 18 June 2022
Films
The Ghost Writer (2010)
Normally I go with UK titles for films, and this was originally released here as The Ghost, but nowadays it's on Netflix (where I watched it) as The Ghost Writer, so...
Normally I go with UK titles for films, and this was originally released here as The Ghost, but nowadays it's on Netflix (where I watched it) as The Ghost Writer, so...
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I would call this week a quieter one, but that's only in the context of recent times. It still boasts six new additions, with ten films, an additional cut, and 24 episodes of TV between them.
Among them, I finally picked up the first Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K set. It contains just four of his films, versus the 16-film BD set I also own them in. No replacement in my collection there, then! Indeed, it'll be some time before I can lose the BD set — if ever. Y'see, this volume is almost two years old, and they've only recently released a second with five more films. That leaves seven to go, two of which are actually with different rights holders, so who knows if they'll all ever see the light of day on 4K? Maybe they will, but I'll certainly be keeping the BD set for the forseeable future.
One BD set I won't be keeping for too much longer is the Peter Cushing Dalek films. The 4K edition of Dr. Who and the Daleks turned up this morning, and when the matching set for Daleks' Invasion Earth turns up (in a month's time) then I'll remove the old BD from these stats.
Number of titles in collection: 2,863 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,808 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 177 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,112 [up 19]
Number of films: 3,417 [up 10]
Number of additional cuts: 265 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,305 [up 24]
Number of short films: 968 [up 6]
See you next week, faithful reader.
I would call this week a quieter one, but that's only in the context of recent times. It still boasts six new additions, with ten films, an additional cut, and 24 episodes of TV between them.
Among them, I finally picked up the first Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K set. It contains just four of his films, versus the 16-film BD set I also own them in. No replacement in my collection there, then! Indeed, it'll be some time before I can lose the BD set — if ever. Y'see, this volume is almost two years old, and they've only recently released a second with five more films. That leaves seven to go, two of which are actually with different rights holders, so who knows if they'll all ever see the light of day on 4K? Maybe they will, but I'll certainly be keeping the BD set for the forseeable future.
One BD set I won't be keeping for too much longer is the Peter Cushing Dalek films. The 4K edition of Dr. Who and the Daleks turned up this morning, and when the matching set for Daleks' Invasion Earth turns up (in a month's time) then I'll remove the old BD from these stats.
Number of titles in collection: 2,863 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,808 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 177 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,112 [up 19]
Number of films: 3,417 [up 10]
Number of additional cuts: 265 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,305 [up 24]
Number of short films: 968 [up 6]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 17 June 2022
Audio Drama / Podcasts
Doctor Who: Redacted
1x08 Ghosts
Did they have to recast several characters from the TV show because the original actorsread the script wouldn't appear, I wonder?
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
1x08 Ghosts
Did they have to recast several characters from the TV show because the original actors
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 2 The Siege of Spinner Cay
So, having said there could be half-an-hour left, it was a little over fifteen minutes, including credits. Well, you never know! That means Chapter 2 took me about two-and-three-quarter hours, the same as Chapter 1, for a total so far of just over 5½ hours gametime.
As for the game itself, one thing I could do without (having now had it in both chapters so far): running around jungles trying to remember which pathway leads where. It's okay as a one-off, but it's not that much fun to repeat; it feels like a cheat to make the game feel bigger (more locations!) or longer (artificially extending it as you randomly try different paths hoping to end up where you're looking for).
Chapter 2 The Siege of Spinner Cay
So, having said there could be half-an-hour left, it was a little over fifteen minutes, including credits. Well, you never know! That means Chapter 2 took me about two-and-three-quarter hours, the same as Chapter 1, for a total so far of just over 5½ hours gametime.
As for the game itself, one thing I could do without (having now had it in both chapters so far): running around jungles trying to remember which pathway leads where. It's okay as a one-off, but it's not that much fun to repeat; it feels like a cheat to make the game feel bigger (more locations!) or longer (artificially extending it as you randomly try different paths hoping to end up where you're looking for).
Thursday, 16 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 2 The Siege of Spinner Cay
Uncharted waters — a Monkey Island game I've never played! I don't know if it's just in my head, because I know how the game was released, but Tales feels like a Monkey Island 'TV series' vs the 'movies' that were the first four games. It's not a scale or graphics thing either, because, if anything, this is the slickest and most cinematic MI has ever looked. I guess it's partly the way the story is paced (there's clearly an overarching narrative, but also it seems as if each episode is a self-contained chunk), and also textural things, like episode 1 ending with "to be continued" and episode 2 beginning with a kind of recap, plus opening credits playing over the early scenes — much more like TV than a movie. None of which really matters, it's just a feeling.
And, for the sake of keeping track, I've played this chapter for two-and-a-half hours so far. I think I'm near the end of it now, but there are surprisingly long cutscenes and whatnot sometimes — that "near the end" might translate to another half-hour yet, hence why I stopped for the evening.
Chapter 2 The Siege of Spinner Cay
Uncharted waters — a Monkey Island game I've never played! I don't know if it's just in my head, because I know how the game was released, but Tales feels like a Monkey Island 'TV series' vs the 'movies' that were the first four games. It's not a scale or graphics thing either, because, if anything, this is the slickest and most cinematic MI has ever looked. I guess it's partly the way the story is paced (there's clearly an overarching narrative, but also it seems as if each episode is a self-contained chunk), and also textural things, like episode 1 ending with "to be continued" and episode 2 beginning with a kind of recap, plus opening credits playing over the early scenes — much more like TV than a movie. None of which really matters, it's just a feeling.
And, for the sake of keeping track, I've played this chapter for two-and-a-half hours so far. I think I'm near the end of it now, but there are surprisingly long cutscenes and whatnot sometimes — that "near the end" might translate to another half-hour yet, hence why I stopped for the evening.
Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Oops — I kinda accidentally finished Chapter 1 already. I say "accidentally" because I had in mind that it took me about four hours the first time, being as thorough as I could be with dialogue trees and exploration and what have you, and I was aiming to be similarly thorough this time. So as I passed about two-and-a-half hours of playtime, I thought I must still be a ways from the end... but nope, somehow this time I did it in under three hours (about two-and-three-quarters, to be a little more precise).
Not sure how I managed that. Maybe I wasn't as thorough as I thought (I hope not!); maybe last time I spent longer stuck on puzzles (I didn't remember any of them this time to solve them quicker, but last time I hadn't played an adventure game for years, whereas this time I've come off the back of completing Monkey Islands 1-4 in the space of just 7 weeks).
Whatever the reason, it's done now — and so, next time, I enter uncharted waters: a Monkey Island game I've never played before! Exciting times.
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Oops — I kinda accidentally finished Chapter 1 already. I say "accidentally" because I had in mind that it took me about four hours the first time, being as thorough as I could be with dialogue trees and exploration and what have you, and I was aiming to be similarly thorough this time. So as I passed about two-and-a-half hours of playtime, I thought I must still be a ways from the end... but nope, somehow this time I did it in under three hours (about two-and-three-quarters, to be a little more precise).
Not sure how I managed that. Maybe I wasn't as thorough as I thought (I hope not!); maybe last time I spent longer stuck on puzzles (I didn't remember any of them this time to solve them quicker, but last time I hadn't played an adventure game for years, whereas this time I've come off the back of completing Monkey Islands 1-4 in the space of just 7 weeks).
Whatever the reason, it's done now — and so, next time, I enter uncharted waters: a Monkey Island game I've never played before! Exciting times.
Tuesday, 14 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Up to about an hour-and-a-quarter of playtime now. (I’m going to have to keep track of that here, because the game doesn’t do it; and it auto-saves, so no save-game names to write it in; and I’m curious how long it takes me to complete this, to compare it to the other games.)
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Up to about an hour-and-a-quarter of playtime now. (I’m going to have to keep track of that here, because the game doesn’t do it; and it auto-saves, so no save-game names to write it in; and I’m curious how long it takes me to complete this, to compare it to the other games.)
Monday, 13 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Alright, here we go: Monkey Island 5. Released monthly at the end of 2009, I finally played this first chapter in August 2010... and then never got round to the rest. 12 years later, I'm gonna finish it this time! Though today I only played for about 20 minutes; enough to get through the opening cutscenes and tutorial. The latter was particularly necessary, as the control method is different again to any previous Monkey game. It feels more intuitive than Escape's, though. Weirdly, I don't remember it at all... but then, I only used it for 4 hours on one afternoon/evening 12 years ago, so maybe it's not "weird" at all.
Also noticeably better than Escape were the graphics. It's still not the slickest 3D game ever made — it's not designed to be, and wouldn't have been 13 years ago either — but it still looks pretty nice today, whereas Escape looks horrendously dated. It's also remarkable how cinematic it feels. Even interactive dialogue trees feel like they launches into a mini-cutscene with every option selected, using a variety of camera angles and whatnot, rather than the static "gameplay" perspective of... well, every other adventure game I've ever played. It's rather nice.
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Alright, here we go: Monkey Island 5. Released monthly at the end of 2009, I finally played this first chapter in August 2010... and then never got round to the rest. 12 years later, I'm gonna finish it this time! Though today I only played for about 20 minutes; enough to get through the opening cutscenes and tutorial. The latter was particularly necessary, as the control method is different again to any previous Monkey game. It feels more intuitive than Escape's, though. Weirdly, I don't remember it at all... but then, I only used it for 4 hours on one afternoon/evening 12 years ago, so maybe it's not "weird" at all.
Also noticeably better than Escape were the graphics. It's still not the slickest 3D game ever made — it's not designed to be, and wouldn't have been 13 years ago either — but it still looks pretty nice today, whereas Escape looks horrendously dated. It's also remarkable how cinematic it feels. Even interactive dialogue trees feel like they launches into a mini-cutscene with every option selected, using a variety of camera angles and whatnot, rather than the static "gameplay" perspective of... well, every other adventure game I've ever played. It's rather nice.
Sunday, 12 June 2022
this week on 100Films.co.uk
Just 1 new post on 100Films.co.uk this week...
The 100 Films Guide to Top Gun
More next Sunday.
The 100 Films Guide to Top Gun
Does it hold up? Well, that depends what you want from a movie. It certainly comes with a more-than-healthy does of ’80s cheese and rampant-but-unacknowledged homoeroticism. For some, that makes it either unwatchable or two hours of laughing at the film. But if you’re onboard with its particular style, it’s still good funRead more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 11 June 2022
Films
Top Gun 3D (1986)
[3rd or so watch]
[#36 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2022]
I remember loving this as a kid — though, as is so often the case with movies from my childhood, I don't actually know how many times I saw it. We weren't great rewatchers in my household, so I don't imagine I've seen it more than two, maybe three, times, max. Whatever the number, this is the first time I've seen it for about 25–30 years. I've been meaning to get round to revisiting it for years too: I've owned it since DVD, then bought the 3D Blu-ray five years ago too. Obviously, the sequel has finally provoked my rewatch. I think it holds up as good fun, so long as you're on board with its cheesy '80s-ness.
[3rd or so watch]
[#36 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2022]
I remember loving this as a kid — though, as is so often the case with movies from my childhood, I don't actually know how many times I saw it. We weren't great rewatchers in my household, so I don't imagine I've seen it more than two, maybe three, times, max. Whatever the number, this is the first time I've seen it for about 25–30 years. I've been meaning to get round to revisiting it for years too: I've owned it since DVD, then bought the 3D Blu-ray five years ago too. Obviously, the sequel has finally provoked my rewatch. I think it holds up as good fun, so long as you're on board with its cheesy '80s-ness.
Audio Drama / Podcasts
Doctor Who: Redacted
1x06 Recruits
1x07 Requiem
I do wonder how much the main character in this is an author stand-in, because she's frequently annoying and selfish, but the drama seems to think she's always in the right, and is doing that thing of making her "special", with abilities and insights and whatnot that no one else has. Anyway, Recruits might be the best instalment so far, but that's not saying a whole deal. Only three more to go. I hope the explanation of what's going on, whenever it finally comes, is worth it.
[Listen to Recruits and Requiem (again) on BBC Sounds.]
1x06 Recruits
1x07 Requiem
I do wonder how much the main character in this is an author stand-in, because she's frequently annoying and selfish, but the drama seems to think she's always in the right, and is doing that thing of making her "special", with abilities and insights and whatnot that no one else has. Anyway, Recruits might be the best instalment so far, but that's not saying a whole deal. Only three more to go. I hope the explanation of what's going on, whenever it finally comes, is worth it.
[Listen to Recruits and Requiem (again) on BBC Sounds.]
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
And I'm done. Just over 10½ hours in the end, which is longer than expected. I blame the controls. I did also try to be exhaustive with the dialogue trees — that's part of the point after all, right? And I got stuck for a bit on a part that's notoriously buggy, but I managed to make it work eventually.
So, four down, just one to go... or five, depending how you count it...
And I'm done. Just over 10½ hours in the end, which is longer than expected. I blame the controls. I did also try to be exhaustive with the dialogue trees — that's part of the point after all, right? And I got stuck for a bit on a part that's notoriously buggy, but I managed to make it work eventually.
So, four down, just one to go... or five, depending how you count it...
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Seven new titles this week, and pretty straightforward too — only one's an upgrade, and only one has anything more than "1 film" to add to the below stats (it's an additional cut).
Number of titles in collection: 2,857 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,802 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 174 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,092 [up 7]
Number of films: 3,407 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 264 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,281 [no change]
Number of short films: 962 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Seven new titles this week, and pretty straightforward too — only one's an upgrade, and only one has anything more than "1 film" to add to the below stats (it's an additional cut).
Number of titles in collection: 2,857 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,802 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 174 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,092 [up 7]
Number of films: 3,407 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 264 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,281 [no change]
Number of short films: 962 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 10 June 2022
TV
Mystery Science Theater 3000
13x04 Munchie
This episode premiered a couple of weeks back, but I wasn't free to watch it live (as I had the first three). Catching up now, before episode five's premiere tonight... which does mean I don't really feel like watching that later. Oh well. I'm glad they're keeping the full live premiere events available to stream afterwards, because I enjoy the post-screening Q&As (I still need to go back and watch episode two's, which had a 'double premiere' a la episode one).
13x04 Munchie
This episode premiered a couple of weeks back, but I wasn't free to watch it live (as I had the first three). Catching up now, before episode five's premiere tonight... which does mean I don't really feel like watching that later. Oh well. I'm glad they're keeping the full live premiere events available to stream afterwards, because I enjoy the post-screening Q&As (I still need to go back and watch episode two's, which had a 'double premiere' a la episode one).
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
Despite what I said yesterday, after a couple more hours play I do feel like (a) I'm a significantly far through the game, and (b) getting close to the finale. (I guess my comment yesterday was more how I felt at a point during yesterday's playtime, rather than by the end of it.) Also, I'm now hours past how long it took me to complete any of the first three, and yet I maintain that Escape simply doesn't feel significanlty longer/bigger than them.
Despite what I said yesterday, after a couple more hours play I do feel like (a) I'm a significantly far through the game, and (b) getting close to the finale. (I guess my comment yesterday was more how I felt at a point during yesterday's playtime, rather than by the end of it.) Also, I'm now hours past how long it took me to complete any of the first three, and yet I maintain that Escape simply doesn't feel significanlty longer/bigger than them.
Thursday, 9 June 2022
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
Another few hours today. I'm already pushing towards how long each of the previous games lasted in total, but I feel like it's only just underway. Well, "only just" might be a bit harsh, but it doesn't even feel halfway through, let alone "almost done". I'm sure it's a longer game overall, but I'm also certain my perception of shortness is partly due to the awkward controls making things take longer.
The Room Two
Hadn't forgotten that I was logging this too, I just hadn't played it for a bit.
Another few hours today. I'm already pushing towards how long each of the previous games lasted in total, but I feel like it's only just underway. Well, "only just" might be a bit harsh, but it doesn't even feel halfway through, let alone "almost done". I'm sure it's a longer game overall, but I'm also certain my perception of shortness is partly due to the awkward controls making things take longer.
The Room Two
Hadn't forgotten that I was logging this too, I just hadn't played it for a bit.
Wednesday, 8 June 2022
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
I don't disagree with the consensus view that this is the worst game of the series, but "worst" is a relative term. Put it this way: this evening, I intended to play this for a little bit before having the time to watch some TV, maybe even a film. Two-and-a-half hours later, I had to make myself stop playing because it was getting late.
I don't disagree with the consensus view that this is the worst game of the series, but "worst" is a relative term. Put it this way: this evening, I intended to play this for a little bit before having the time to watch some TV, maybe even a film. Two-and-a-half hours later, I had to make myself stop playing because it was getting late.
Tuesday, 7 June 2022
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
On to the fourth Monkey Island game; the last one I played in full, back when it came out, 22 years ago. 22 years! Jesus. Also, as I mentioned when I started Curse, I can't remember for sure if this is the second or third time I'm playing it — I feel like I did re-play it sometime, but I can't remember when. So, no re-play count for now.
First impressions? The then-current 3D graphics have aged much more poorly than the pixel art and cartoon styles of the first three games. It's not just the low pixel counts and basic textures — the pre-rendered backgrounds feel much more sparse than the detail-packed drawn ones; and it changes camera angle far too often, which can be confusing. That's compounded by the keyboard-based controls (presumably designed to be controller-friendly for console ports), which are clunky. If you choose character-based navigation, it can be oddly confusing about which direction Guybrush will go in; but if it's camera based, that changes every time it switches angle, leading to you sometimes accidentally running in and out of a location repeatedly. Shame they didn't also include mouse support for PCs — it would be much nicer with good ol' point-and-click. Hopefully I'll get used to it as the game goes on...
On to the fourth Monkey Island game; the last one I played in full, back when it came out, 22 years ago. 22 years! Jesus. Also, as I mentioned when I started Curse, I can't remember for sure if this is the second or third time I'm playing it — I feel like I did re-play it sometime, but I can't remember when. So, no re-play count for now.
First impressions? The then-current 3D graphics have aged much more poorly than the pixel art and cartoon styles of the first three games. It's not just the low pixel counts and basic textures — the pre-rendered backgrounds feel much more sparse than the detail-packed drawn ones; and it changes camera angle far too often, which can be confusing. That's compounded by the keyboard-based controls (presumably designed to be controller-friendly for console ports), which are clunky. If you choose character-based navigation, it can be oddly confusing about which direction Guybrush will go in; but if it's camera based, that changes every time it switches angle, leading to you sometimes accidentally running in and out of a location repeatedly. Shame they didn't also include mouse support for PCs — it would be much nicer with good ol' point-and-click. Hopefully I'll get used to it as the game goes on...
Monday, 6 June 2022
TV
Around the World with Willy Fog
1x01 The Wager
Is this classic / cult animated adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days a worthy substitute for the other series I just enjoyed? Um...
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
Not Going Out
12x04 Front Window
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x01 The Wager
Is this classic / cult animated adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days a worthy substitute for the other series I just enjoyed? Um...
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
Not Going Out
12x04 Front Window
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 5 June 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
Not sure how exactly they intend to bring this back for a second series (there's a hint at the end, but will they really go there?), but I'm glad they are — it's been a lot of fun.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x139 Week 24: Thursday
5x140 Week 24: Friday [season finale]
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
Not sure how exactly they intend to bring this back for a second series (there's a hint at the end, but will they really go there?), but I'm glad they are — it's been a lot of fun.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x139 Week 24: Thursday
5x140 Week 24: Friday [season finale]
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100Films.co.uk
A new month means new monthly columns at 100Films.co.uk this week. First, the review of May...
Then, all the (many, many) films I failed to watch last month...
No new film reviews this week. Hopefully there'll be more next Sunday.
Then, all the (many, many) films I failed to watch last month...
No new film reviews this week. Hopefully there'll be more next Sunday.
Saturday, 4 June 2022
TVt
Around the World in 80 Days
1x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
4x11 The Experimental Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x137 Week 24: Tuesday
5x138 Week 24: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
4x11 The Experimental Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x137 Week 24: Tuesday
5x138 Week 24: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Another week, another large pile of new additons — ten in total this week, including three upgrades (though in one case I'm keeping the previous version (at least for now) due to a single unique special feature (it's a commentary track, so at least it's a chunky extra)). So, the actual titles increase doesn't quite reach double figures; which is for the best really, because clearly I'm buying too much stuff recently!
Anyway, more new additions to come next week.
Number of titles in collection: 2,851 [up 8]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,796 [up 9]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 172 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,085 [up 16]
Number of films: 3,401 [up 7]
Number of additional cuts: 263 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,281 [up 13]
Number of short films: 962 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Another week, another large pile of new additons — ten in total this week, including three upgrades (though in one case I'm keeping the previous version (at least for now) due to a single unique special feature (it's a commentary track, so at least it's a chunky extra)). So, the actual titles increase doesn't quite reach double figures; which is for the best really, because clearly I'm buying too much stuff recently!
Anyway, more new additions to come next week.
Number of titles in collection: 2,851 [up 8]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,796 [up 9]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 172 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,085 [up 16]
Number of films: 3,401 [up 7]
Number of additional cuts: 263 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,281 [up 13]
Number of short films: 962 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 3 June 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x136 Week 24: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x136 Week 24: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Thursday, 2 June 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Not Going Out
12x03 Friend
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x134 Week 23: Thursday
5x135 Week 23: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Ten Percent
1x03 Episode 3
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Not Going Out
12x03 Friend
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x134 Week 23: Thursday
5x135 Week 23: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Ten Percent
1x03 Episode 3
Fiction
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
This spooky short story came up on Twitter today, and someone shared a link to read it online, so I did. In short, it's about creepy wallpaper, and the reason it came up on Twitter is because someone has made wallpaper inspired by it — apparently without realising that, y'know, that's creepy.
This spooky short story came up on Twitter today, and someone shared a link to read it online, so I did. In short, it's about creepy wallpaper, and the reason it came up on Twitter is because someone has made wallpaper inspired by it — apparently without realising that, y'know, that's creepy.
Wednesday, 1 June 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x132 Week 23: Tuesday
5x133 Week 23: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x132 Week 23: Tuesday
5x133 Week 23: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
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