If 2012's Oscar-nominated movie posters told the truth
by Ali (from The Shiznit)
Hilarity.
Revisiting Alan Moore's Official Watchmen Prequel
by Timothy Callahan (from Comic Book Resources)
Amongst all the fuss around Before Watchmen, someone linked to this article from September 2008 looking back at the official Watchmen role-playing game, which was created with the help of Moore and Dave Gibbons while they were creating the very series on which it's based. Sounds fascinating, and a shame it's long out of print. Surely someone must have rights to re-print it?
Sunday, 5 February 2012
this week on 100 Films
Just one new review was posted to 100 Films in a Year this week...
2000 AD (2000)
We're now in February, as you may have noticed, so here's the monthly update for January.
And, as I linked to it on twitter, why not have a look at that on the new-look work-in-progress version of 100 Films. Feel free to have a look around there and let me know if you have any thoughts. Naturally the 2000 AD review is there too, as well as several others.
Yes, I know it's missing everything from before 2012 (for now). Aren't those chunky banner images -- different on every page -- awesome, though?
More next Sunday.
2000 AD (2000)
The centrepiece fist/foot fight takes place on the 32nd storey of a building. They really filmed it up there too. I learnt that from the DVD special features. It’s a shame, because you definitely get more of a feel for how dangerous and on the edge — literally — the fight was in some of the B-roll footage and interviews than you do from the movie itself: it’s covered almost entirely through low-angle shots, meaning it could just as well have been recreated on a ground-level mock-up as the actual rooftop.
We're now in February, as you may have noticed, so here's the monthly update for January.
And, as I linked to it on twitter, why not have a look at that on the new-look work-in-progress version of 100 Films. Feel free to have a look around there and let me know if you have any thoughts. Naturally the 2000 AD review is there too, as well as several others.
Yes, I know it's missing everything from before 2012 (for now). Aren't those chunky banner images -- different on every page -- awesome, though?
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Comics
Batman and Robin #4 & #5 by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason
Well, I never: Batman and Robin has moved (as I recently thought it might) from being a middling-to-weak Bat book that I was aiming to drop at the end of the story (gotta finish a story) to my second-favourite current Batman book (Batman is fairly unassailable as one of my favourites fullstop right now).
After the newbie-bothering past-looking setup of the first two issues, it's built into a new and engrossing story. It's not faultless -- Tomasi allows some scenes to toddle on too long, with Gleason's art not always intricate enough to justify some of the needless splash pages -- but, overall, it's an entertaining read.
And Alfred rescuing the titular duo with a remote-controlled Batplane? Win.
Batman: The Dark Knight #5 by David Finch & Paul Jenkins
That was... actually not as bad as it has been. Still fundamentally flawed, mind: it's far, far too short, shamelessly padded with splash pages, double-page splashes, and whole pages given over to a series of large panels conveying something that would have worked just as well in a single regular panel. So all this issue has is a Scarecrow-Batman fight followed by a Batman-Superman fight, albeit with a slight twist... but that's still all it is. And while much of Finch's art is good, I still hate his rendering of human faces.
This book was still on my ditch pile, hoping to reduce my comics spend, but just as that day begins to approach (#9 ends this story) they've gone and announced a new writer will take over after the current story: Gregg Hurwitz, who's just penned the highly-praised Penguin: Pain and Prejudice miniseries (which I now intend to catch up on). So I guess I'll keep it on a bit longer. Well played, DC.
Well, I never: Batman and Robin has moved (as I recently thought it might) from being a middling-to-weak Bat book that I was aiming to drop at the end of the story (gotta finish a story) to my second-favourite current Batman book (Batman is fairly unassailable as one of my favourites fullstop right now).
After the newbie-bothering past-looking setup of the first two issues, it's built into a new and engrossing story. It's not faultless -- Tomasi allows some scenes to toddle on too long, with Gleason's art not always intricate enough to justify some of the needless splash pages -- but, overall, it's an entertaining read.
And Alfred rescuing the titular duo with a remote-controlled Batplane? Win.
Batman: The Dark Knight #5 by David Finch & Paul Jenkins
That was... actually not as bad as it has been. Still fundamentally flawed, mind: it's far, far too short, shamelessly padded with splash pages, double-page splashes, and whole pages given over to a series of large panels conveying something that would have worked just as well in a single regular panel. So all this issue has is a Scarecrow-Batman fight followed by a Batman-Superman fight, albeit with a slight twist... but that's still all it is. And while much of Finch's art is good, I still hate his rendering of human faces.
This book was still on my ditch pile, hoping to reduce my comics spend, but just as that day begins to approach (#9 ends this story) they've gone and announced a new writer will take over after the current story: Gregg Hurwitz, who's just penned the highly-praised Penguin: Pain and Prejudice miniseries (which I now intend to catch up on). So I guess I'll keep it on a bit longer. Well played, DC.
Friday, 3 February 2012
TV
The Graham Norton Show
10x12 (20/1/12 edition)
This feels so much shorter when it has a good array of guests on, and this was such an episode. The Madonna one, conversely, felt rather long.
Law & Order: UK
6x04 Trial
Ironically, a rare episode to not feature a proper trial. But it's named that for a different reason, so it is.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Pointless
5x52 (25/1/12 edition)
Room 101: Extra Storage
12x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
10x12 (20/1/12 edition)
This feels so much shorter when it has a good array of guests on, and this was such an episode. The Madonna one, conversely, felt rather long.
Law & Order: UK
6x04 Trial
Ironically, a rare episode to not feature a proper trial. But it's named that for a different reason, so it is.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Pointless
5x52 (25/1/12 edition)
Room 101: Extra Storage
12x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Comics
Resurrection Man
#4 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Dagnino
#5 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Blanco
I don't think this has quite lived up to the promise of its first issue so far, but (a #2 slump aside) it's pretty good. #5 is certainly different: mostly a big long flashback to when the hero was a bit of a bastard (too long, actually -- it could've been trimmed to far fewer pages), with lots of bits tying in to the current story, and then a rather fine cliffhanger to boot. Looking forward to the next one.
Uncanny X-Men #5 by Kieron Gillen & Greg Land
I was considering giving up on this after the last issue, but, though this is equally dependent on past events from other books, I actually quite enjoyed it and found it intriguing. So it's back to "wait and see".
#4 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Dagnino
#5 by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning & Fernando Blanco
I don't think this has quite lived up to the promise of its first issue so far, but (a #2 slump aside) it's pretty good. #5 is certainly different: mostly a big long flashback to when the hero was a bit of a bastard (too long, actually -- it could've been trimmed to far fewer pages), with lots of bits tying in to the current story, and then a rather fine cliffhanger to boot. Looking forward to the next one.
Uncanny X-Men #5 by Kieron Gillen & Greg Land
I was considering giving up on this after the last issue, but, though this is equally dependent on past events from other books, I actually quite enjoyed it and found it intriguing. So it's back to "wait and see".
Articles
Right-wingers are less intelligent than left wingers, says study
by Rob Waugh (from Mail Online)
by Rob Waugh (from Mail Online)
Right-wingers tend to be less intelligent than left-wingers, and people with low childhood intelligence tend to grow up to have racist and anti-gay views... Conservative politics work almost as a 'gateway' into prejudice against others...Well, obviously.
people with low intelligence gravitate towards right-wing views because they make them feel safe.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week, those retailers didn't get their act together. Shame on you, TheHut and ChoicesUK. Goodness knows when -- if ever -- the stuff I'm expecting from them will turn up. But some stuff from some others did, so while I don't make it to 300 Blu-rays (I'd've been bang on if those sites had managed the expected), I'm close... so close...
Number of titles in collection: 1,446 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,148 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 298 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 3,589 [up 3]
Number of films in collection: 1,537 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,414 [up 3]
See you next week, faithful reader.
This week, those retailers didn't get their act together. Shame on you, TheHut and ChoicesUK. Goodness knows when -- if ever -- the stuff I'm expecting from them will turn up. But some stuff from some others did, so while I don't make it to 300 Blu-rays (I'd've been bang on if those sites had managed the expected), I'm close... so close...
Number of titles in collection: 1,446 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,148 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 298 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 3,589 [up 3]
Number of films in collection: 1,537 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,414 [up 3]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 2 February 2012
TV
Help! My Supply Teacher is Magic
1x03 Episode 3
A magic show for kids... but just because some of the tricks are do-at-home simple, it doesn't mean there isn't some great magic in here too. Even if the constant replays are a bit repetitive. (I didn't mean to watch episode three first -- blame the oddities of Virgin Media catch-up.)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x51 (24/1/12 edition)
Top Gear
18x01 (29/1/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x03 Episode 3
A magic show for kids... but just because some of the tricks are do-at-home simple, it doesn't mean there isn't some great magic in here too. Even if the constant replays are a bit repetitive. (I didn't mean to watch episode three first -- blame the oddities of Virgin Media catch-up.)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Pointless
5x51 (24/1/12 edition)
Top Gear
18x01 (29/1/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
DVD Extras
Interviews with Andrew Lin and Gordon Chan on 2000 AD
Relatively lengthy and interesting chats with the villain and director (respectively) of 2000 AD. The director repeats some of what he had to say in the commentary, but it seems to me that's fairly inevitable.
Relatively lengthy and interesting chats with the villain and director (respectively) of 2000 AD. The director repeats some of what he had to say in the commentary, but it seems to me that's fairly inevitable.
Comics
Action Comics #4 by Grant Morrison & Rags Morales
Solid story from Morrison and Morales' art is generally very good, apart from the part of the story where he causes much confusion (in me, anyway) by drawing two characters to look identical. All the more 'impressive' considering one's white and one's black.
Nice use of the backup strip this issue: titled Hearts of Steel, written by Sholly Fisch and excitingly drawn by Brad Walker, with beautiful colouring by Jay David Ramos, it expands on a part of the main story there wasn't room to tell in the primary strip itself.
Also, shame I hadn't got to this issue before my nearly-three-month break in reading -- the story now takes a break until #7, so that's another couple of months gap for me.
Solid story from Morrison and Morales' art is generally very good, apart from the part of the story where he causes much confusion (in me, anyway) by drawing two characters to look identical. All the more 'impressive' considering one's white and one's black.
Nice use of the backup strip this issue: titled Hearts of Steel, written by Sholly Fisch and excitingly drawn by Brad Walker, with beautiful colouring by Jay David Ramos, it expands on a part of the main story there wasn't room to tell in the primary strip itself.
Also, shame I hadn't got to this issue before my nearly-three-month break in reading -- the story now takes a break until #7, so that's another couple of months gap for me.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Articles
DC Entertainment Officially Announces Before Watchmen
by David Hyde (from The Source at DC Comics)
A series of prequel series to Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons' seminal '80s comic. There's been a lot of reporting on this today and I haven't had a chance to read most of it, so maybe I'll share more links tomorrow.
by David Hyde (from The Source at DC Comics)
A series of prequel series to Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons' seminal '80s comic. There's been a lot of reporting on this today and I haven't had a chance to read most of it, so maybe I'll share more links tomorrow.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
TV
Law & Order: UK
6x03 Haunted
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Onion News Network
1x07 The Real Obama
Pointless
5x48 (19/1/12 edition)
5x49 (20/1/12 edition)
6x03 Haunted
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Onion News Network
1x07 The Real Obama
Pointless
5x48 (19/1/12 edition)
5x49 (20/1/12 edition)
DVD Extras
Audio commentary by Bey Logan and Gordon Chan on 2000 AD
Second half.
The Making of 2000 AD
The making of the above, which was rather lightweight and promotional, but hey-ho.
Second half.
The Making of 2000 AD
The making of the above, which was rather lightweight and promotional, but hey-ho.
Comics
Detective Comics
#4 by Tony S. Daniel
#5 by Tony S. Daniel & Szymon Kudranski
#4 seems decent enough… until you realise that's supposed to be the end of the story, at which point it doesn't so much leave the odd thread hanging for the future as not resolve anything, which just highlights the bits that don't quite make sense.
And as for #5… Two half-length stories don't help matters. The main one (by dint of it featuring Batman and sort-of continuing the on-going thread, written & drawn (as usual) by Daniel) is a mix of catch-up and set-up rather than a full tale, has dubious satire/criticism of the Occupy movement (and if it wasn't meant to be critical of it then it fails by being critical), leaden dialogue, and a reveal that's thoroughly useless because a) that villain's on the cover, and b) last issue Batman said he'd be going after him… not that he is going after him -- he's after some small-time gangster types, and the Penguin gets brought into it through an entirely different route. Nice art, particularly Penguin's new casino, but damn if the story it tells isn't weak.
The nominal back-up strip, Russian Roulette (written by Daniel with art by Kudranski), is well-drawn -- in an appropriately grubby kind of way -- but seems like even more of a scene-setting prequel than the main story, and doesn't necessarily make a whole lot of sense. What does Eli add to Catwoman's plan, other than mucking things up and needing her to save him?
Quite a tumble for the former second-best Bat book, all told. If Batman and Robin has continued to pull its socks up in issues 4&5 (which I haven't read yet) then it'll move up a notch in my affections.
#4 by Tony S. Daniel
#5 by Tony S. Daniel & Szymon Kudranski
#4 seems decent enough… until you realise that's supposed to be the end of the story, at which point it doesn't so much leave the odd thread hanging for the future as not resolve anything, which just highlights the bits that don't quite make sense.
And as for #5… Two half-length stories don't help matters. The main one (by dint of it featuring Batman and sort-of continuing the on-going thread, written & drawn (as usual) by Daniel) is a mix of catch-up and set-up rather than a full tale, has dubious satire/criticism of the Occupy movement (and if it wasn't meant to be critical of it then it fails by being critical), leaden dialogue, and a reveal that's thoroughly useless because a) that villain's on the cover, and b) last issue Batman said he'd be going after him… not that he is going after him -- he's after some small-time gangster types, and the Penguin gets brought into it through an entirely different route. Nice art, particularly Penguin's new casino, but damn if the story it tells isn't weak.
The nominal back-up strip, Russian Roulette (written by Daniel with art by Kudranski), is well-drawn -- in an appropriately grubby kind of way -- but seems like even more of a scene-setting prequel than the main story, and doesn't necessarily make a whole lot of sense. What does Eli add to Catwoman's plan, other than mucking things up and needing her to save him?
Quite a tumble for the former second-best Bat book, all told. If Batman and Robin has continued to pull its socks up in issues 4&5 (which I haven't read yet) then it'll move up a notch in my affections.
Monday, 30 January 2012
TV
Pointless
5x46 (17/1/12 edition)
5x47 (18/1/12 edition)
Went away, got two weeks behind. The Pointless catch-up starts here!
5x46 (17/1/12 edition)
5x47 (18/1/12 edition)
Went away, got two weeks behind. The Pointless catch-up starts here!
DVD Extras
Breaking the Rules: Making Animation History
The Stage is Set
Now We Ride
A pair of really interesting making-of featurettes from the Rango Blu-ray, taking almost 50 minutes total to detail the unusual process behind the making of the movie.
The Stage is Set
Now We Ride
A pair of really interesting making-of featurettes from the Rango Blu-ray, taking almost 50 minutes total to detail the unusual process behind the making of the movie.
Comics
All Star Western #4 by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti & Moritat
Well back on form this issue, kicking off a new story proper. It's funny how some of these 20-page comics feel brief, lightweight and not worth their cover price, while others pack so much in I'm counting the pages to check it's not a bumper-length edition. All Star Western slots into the latter more often than most, which is probably thanks to Gray & Palmiotti doing nothing but one-and-dones on their pre-New 52 Hex series.
Also this issue, the first part of a new back-up strip, The Barbary Ghost, with art by Phil Winslade. It's got more potential than the last one, though the on-the-nose dialogue script could have done with some work.
Aquaman #3 & #4 by Geoff Johns & Ivan Reis
Part three somewhat exemplifies what I was just talking about, ending when I still thought it had a bit to go. Good stuff though; hopefully the time it spent on backstory is setting up stuff for the future. The concluding part, however, was incident-packed and left the four-parter as a well-structured whole. Aquaman may not be many people's favourite superhero, but he's surely gaining lots of fans here.
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