An Audience with Michael Bublé
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Doctor Who
31x08 The Hungry Earth
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
House
6x22 Help Me [season finale]
Brilliant episode, what a great way to end the season. And, as usual, can't wait for the next.
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Articles
50 Beautiful Movie Posters by Alessandro Cattaneo
(from Smashing Magazine)
An interesting gallery of lovely posters, some obvious, some less so. And it's not at all as pretentious as you might expect.
(from Smashing Magazine)
An interesting gallery of lovely posters, some obvious, some less so. And it's not at all as pretentious as you might expect.
this week on 100 Films
3 new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
Righteous Kill (2008)
Waitress (2007)
More next Sunday.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
action sequences are frequent and fantastic throughout. The raid on the castle is tense, exciting and ultimately devastating — the troops left behind to certain slaughter is an incredibly dark moment in a PG-rated kids’ film.
Righteous Kill (2008)
it’s dull. Properly dull — not slow, not measured, not leisurely — just dull. Director Jon Avnet tries to spice things up occasionally with some swishy camerawork or editing, apparently forgetting he’s lensing a procedural thriller about a pair of 60-something cops and not Miami Vice 2.
Waitress (2007)
Some have criticised it for putting so much levity near such tragic topics; I can only assume they live in a different world to our’s, presumably one where either everything is punctuated by a laughter track or one where everything is underscored by Coldplay.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 22 May 2010
TV
Ashes to Ashes
3x08 Episode 8 [series finale]
And so that's that. Intriguing and not-unguessable, which is probably a good thing, especially as some of the questions/possibilities left dangling allow us to fill in some bits how we choose to.
But nonetheless, you can read some interesting/revealing post-finale interviews with the series' co-creator here.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
39x07 (20/5/10; extended repeat)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Over the Rainbow
Show 10
Show 10: Results
aka, The Final.
[Watch Show 10 and the results (again) on iPlayer.]
3x08 Episode 8 [series finale]
And so that's that. Intriguing and not-unguessable, which is probably a good thing, especially as some of the questions/possibilities left dangling allow us to fill in some bits how we choose to.
But nonetheless, you can read some interesting/revealing post-finale interviews with the series' co-creator here.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
39x07 (20/5/10; extended repeat)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Over the Rainbow
Show 10
Show 10: Results
aka, The Final.
[Watch Show 10 and the results (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
Tu£sday (2008)
[#51 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
An '80s-set crime movie starring Philip Glenister and John Simm? Appropriate, considering this weekend's big TV.
[#51 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
An '80s-set crime movie starring Philip Glenister and John Simm? Appropriate, considering this weekend's big TV.
Articles
Ashes Exclusive by Nick Setchfield (from SFX)
and
Ashes to Ashes: co-creator Matthew Graham says goodbye to Gene Hunt by Ian Wylie (from guardian.co.uk)
Two 'exclusive' interviews with Ashes to Ashes co-creator/finale writer Matthew Graham, published last night after the final episode. Still have some questions needing answers? He has them. (Though there's some repetition, each piece also has new info / a different spin.)
and
Ashes to Ashes: co-creator Matthew Graham says goodbye to Gene Hunt by Ian Wylie (from guardian.co.uk)
Two 'exclusive' interviews with Ashes to Ashes co-creator/finale writer Matthew Graham, published last night after the final episode. Still have some questions needing answers? He has them. (Though there's some repetition, each piece also has new info / a different spin.)
Friday, 21 May 2010
TV
Derren Brown Investigates
1x02 The Men with X-Ray Eyes
Verdict: fake. And actually quite exploitative. Nasty Russians.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
FlashForward
1x19 Course Correction
Spoke too soon...
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
1x02 The Men with X-Ray Eyes
Verdict: fake. And actually quite exploitative. Nasty Russians.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
FlashForward
1x19 Course Correction
Spoke too soon...
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Articles
How to Gain from Dragon by Brandon Gray
(from Box Office Mojo)
Why How to Train Your Dragon has been a surprise box office hit, and that rarest of things, a consistent one.
(from Box Office Mojo)
Why How to Train Your Dragon has been a surprise box office hit, and that rarest of things, a consistent one.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
All new-release Blu-rays this week, one replacing a DVD. Exciting.
Number of titles in collection: 1,173 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,086 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 87 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 2,844 [up 3]
Number of films in collection: 1,239 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,916 [no change]
Statistic of the week:
Titles I've upgraded to Blu-ray:
26
(29.9% of Blu-rays. 2.3% of DVDs upgraded.)
Specifically, these are things I used to own on DVD that I've now replaced with Blu-rays... which I guess is what the name says. Though it also includes three where, for various reasons, I've still kept the DVD.
I have no immediate intention to attempt an upgrade of my remaining 1,086 DVDs. In most cases it wouldn't even be possible, in others of minimal benefit, and it would of course cost a bloody fortune. Most of my BD purchases are new films or things I missed on DVD for whatever reason -- 70.1%, to be precise -- and this is how I intend to continue forward. But a few more titles may well warrant the upgrade in the future, particularly as prices continue to fall.
See you next week, faithful reader.
All new-release Blu-rays this week, one replacing a DVD. Exciting.
Number of titles in collection: 1,173 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,086 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 87 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 2,844 [up 3]
Number of films in collection: 1,239 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,916 [no change]
Statistic of the week:
Titles I've upgraded to Blu-ray:
26
(29.9% of Blu-rays. 2.3% of DVDs upgraded.)
Specifically, these are things I used to own on DVD that I've now replaced with Blu-rays... which I guess is what the name says. Though it also includes three where, for various reasons, I've still kept the DVD.
I have no immediate intention to attempt an upgrade of my remaining 1,086 DVDs. In most cases it wouldn't even be possible, in others of minimal benefit, and it would of course cost a bloody fortune. Most of my BD purchases are new films or things I missed on DVD for whatever reason -- 70.1%, to be precise -- and this is how I intend to continue forward. But a few more titles may well warrant the upgrade in the future, particularly as prices continue to fall.
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
TV
FlashForward
1x18 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
More flashback-driven twists! Intrigue-tastic.
I'm almost beginning to like FlashForward now, which is sod's law considering it's been cancelled. Alternatively, maybe it's because I know it's All Over in just four more episodes that I don't mind so much.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
The Graham Norton Show
7x06 (17/5/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Russell Howard's Good News
2x08 Best Bits (extended repeat) [season finale]
Mostly hilarious, though the extended repeat's stand-up was a single routine, one so bad I'd actually wiped it from my memory (but I had seen it before -- I eventually remembered).
Also included in the extended version were some new bits cut from the series, including a selection of particularly funny montages. I would've linked directly to them on iPlayer, but for no known reason the BBC still insist on not putting the extended show up. Bastards.
[Watch the whole episode (shorter version only) on iPlayer.]
1x18 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
More flashback-driven twists! Intrigue-tastic.
I'm almost beginning to like FlashForward now, which is sod's law considering it's been cancelled. Alternatively, maybe it's because I know it's All Over in just four more episodes that I don't mind so much.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
The Graham Norton Show
7x06 (17/5/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Russell Howard's Good News
2x08 Best Bits (extended repeat) [season finale]
Mostly hilarious, though the extended repeat's stand-up was a single routine, one so bad I'd actually wiped it from my memory (but I had seen it before -- I eventually remembered).
Also included in the extended version were some new bits cut from the series, including a selection of particularly funny montages. I would've linked directly to them on iPlayer, but for no known reason the BBC still insist on not putting the extended show up. Bastards.
[Watch the whole episode (shorter version only) on iPlayer.]
Films
Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
[#50 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Halfway through, and it's still May -- hurrah!
[#50 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Halfway through, and it's still May -- hurrah!
Articles
Death to the spoiler police by Mary Elizabeth Williams
(from Salon.com)
I dislike spoilers as much as the next discerning viewer, and I don't want to go round spoiling things for others -- well, except maybe fans of something like Twilight -- but this article has several good points about spoilers and the way we behave around them.
Be warned, it spoils Citizen Kane, The Sixth Sense, Les Diaboliquse, Soylent Green, The Empire Strike Back, and some US reality series.
New Social Networking Site Changing The Way Oh, Christ, Forget It
(from The Onion)
(from Salon.com)
I dislike spoilers as much as the next discerning viewer, and I don't want to go round spoiling things for others -- well, except maybe fans of something like Twilight -- but this article has several good points about spoilers and the way we behave around them.
Be warned, it spoils Citizen Kane, The Sixth Sense, Les Diaboliquse, Soylent Green, The Empire Strike Back, and some US reality series.
New Social Networking Site Changing The Way Oh, Christ, Forget It
(from The Onion)
While millions of young, tech-savvy professionals already use services like Facebook and Twitter to keep in constant touch with friends, a new social networking platform called Foursquare has recently taken the oh, fucking hell, can't some other desperate news outlet cover this crap instead?
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Articles
Matthew Graham interview: the Ashes To Ashes finale by Simon Brew
(from Den of Geek!)
A completely spoiler-free interview with Ashes to Ashes co-creator Matthew Graham about The Last Ever Episode, which is on this Friday. Interesting, exciting, etc.
(from Den of Geek!)
A completely spoiler-free interview with Ashes to Ashes co-creator Matthew Graham about The Last Ever Episode, which is on this Friday. Interesting, exciting, etc.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
TV
House
6x21 Baggage
With the return of Therapist Blokey and Crazy Rapping Inmate Blokey, this feels almost like a sequel to the season opener. Which is so long ago now it feels like it was last season to me. Talking of which, season finale next week.
Luther
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
6x21 Baggage
With the return of Therapist Blokey and Crazy Rapping Inmate Blokey, this feels almost like a sequel to the season opener. Which is so long ago now it feels like it was last season to me. Talking of which, season finale next week.
Luther
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Monday, 17 May 2010
TV
FlashForward
1x17 The Garden of Forking Paths
This episode was on a few weeks back, but it's quite funny to watch it having just heard about FlashForward's cancellation: it contains the first obvious hints at the producers' seven-year plan, with the revelation that "The End" (of the world, presumably) will occur in December 2016. Something we'll now definitely never see. But hey-ho, we don't have to sit through the 132(ish) episodes it would take to get there.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
You Have Been Watching
2x05 Best of the Bastards
(If the attentive among you are wondering where episode four got to, it was the election night special. You can watch it, by itself, on 4oD.)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
1x17 The Garden of Forking Paths
This episode was on a few weeks back, but it's quite funny to watch it having just heard about FlashForward's cancellation: it contains the first obvious hints at the producers' seven-year plan, with the revelation that "The End" (of the world, presumably) will occur in December 2016. Something we'll now definitely never see. But hey-ho, we don't have to sit through the 132(ish) episodes it would take to get there.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
You Have Been Watching
2x05 Best of the Bastards
(If the attentive among you are wondering where episode four got to, it was the election night special. You can watch it, by itself, on 4oD.)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Articles
Spoofing the big film blockbusters by Fiona Pryor
(from BBC News)
Heard of 'mockbusters'? Whether your answer's yes or no, this interview with their creators is worth a read.
Why New Zealand is a lifestyle superpower by Nick Bryant
(from From Our Own Correspondent at BBC News)
New Zealand always sounds so nice.
(from BBC News)
Heard of 'mockbusters'? Whether your answer's yes or no, this interview with their creators is worth a read.
Why New Zealand is a lifestyle superpower by Nick Bryant
(from From Our Own Correspondent at BBC News)
New Zealand always sounds so nice.
Sunday, 16 May 2010
TV
Over the Rainbow
Show 9: Results
This is the semi-final, incidentally. S'all over next week. Just in time for Eurovision.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Show 9: Results
This is the semi-final, incidentally. S'all over next week. Just in time for Eurovision.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
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