Richard Osman's House of Games
6x52 Week 11: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 1 May 2023
Films
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — Extended Edition (2003/2004)
[5th or so watch]
[#34 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
Perfect way to spend a Bank Holiday weekend: a Lord of the Rings film each day, all in 4K quality. As I said about Fellowship, the lack of grain only bothered me a few times, while several bits looked extra-spectacular thanks to the HDR colours.
[5th or so watch]
[#34 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
Perfect way to spend a Bank Holiday weekend: a Lord of the Rings film each day, all in 4K quality. As I said about Fellowship, the lack of grain only bothered me a few times, while several bits looked extra-spectacular thanks to the HDR colours.
Sunday, 30 April 2023
Films
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers — Extended Edition (2002/2003)
[5th or so watch]
[#33 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
I go back and forth on my feelings about Two Towers almost every time I watch it. No doubt it has phenomenal bits — some of my most favourite lines, shots, scenes, and characters from the entire trilogy are to be found here. But I’ve often found it to be, overall, a bit of a slog — a film that takes a long time to get going, and which frequently undermines its own flow by doing things like intercutting the phenomenal Helms Deep battle with the deathly-dull Entmoot. Even when I try to mentally prepare myself for that unevenly slow pace, it still sometimes grates. Well, for whatever reason, this is one of the times it didn’t. So that’s nice.
[5th or so watch]
[#33 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
I go back and forth on my feelings about Two Towers almost every time I watch it. No doubt it has phenomenal bits — some of my most favourite lines, shots, scenes, and characters from the entire trilogy are to be found here. But I’ve often found it to be, overall, a bit of a slog — a film that takes a long time to get going, and which frequently undermines its own flow by doing things like intercutting the phenomenal Helms Deep battle with the deathly-dull Entmoot. Even when I try to mentally prepare myself for that unevenly slow pace, it still sometimes grates. Well, for whatever reason, this is one of the times it didn’t. So that’s nice.
Saturday, 29 April 2023
Films
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring — Extended Edition (2001/2002)
[5th or so watch]
[#32 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
I haven't watched Lord of the Rings since before Covid? Huh — seems like it would've been the perfect thing for lockdown. Mind you, so would the Godfather trilogy, which I've been meaning to rewatch for about 20 years, and I haven't done that either, so...
Part of the reason for the delay was waiting for the 4K versions, then waiting for them to do the 4K release properly, which never happened, so then waiting for the 4K release to be on sale... Finally, I'm there. Worth it? On balance, yeah. The way it’s been scrubbed of grain was occasionally noticeable and disappointing, but overall it looked fab, especially the HDR grade.
[5th or so watch]
[#32 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2023]
I haven't watched Lord of the Rings since before Covid? Huh — seems like it would've been the perfect thing for lockdown. Mind you, so would the Godfather trilogy, which I've been meaning to rewatch for about 20 years, and I haven't done that either, so...
Part of the reason for the delay was waiting for the 4K versions, then waiting for them to do the 4K release properly, which never happened, so then waiting for the 4K release to be on sale... Finally, I'm there. Worth it? On balance, yeah. The way it’s been scrubbed of grain was occasionally noticeable and disappointing, but overall it looked fab, especially the HDR grade.
Friday, 28 April 2023
Music
Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra: Live at the Royal Albert Hall
[2nd watch]
Almost four years later, the promised rewatch — yes, from my Blu-ray copy this time. Still a great show; probably Minchin's best all-round one to date.
[2nd watch]
Almost four years later, the promised rewatch — yes, from my Blu-ray copy this time. Still a great show; probably Minchin's best all-round one to date.
Thursday, 27 April 2023
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
6x47 Week 10: Tuesday
6x48 Week 10: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
6x47 Week 10: Tuesday
6x48 Week 10: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Fiction
Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz
Chapter 19
I started reading this in February 2022 with the intention of finishing it well before Horowitz's third (and final) Bond novel came out in May 2022 — but here we are in bloomin' April 2023, basically a whole year later than I'd intended to finish. And now there's another Bond novel on the horizon (Charlie Higson's On His Majesty's Secret Service, out in nine days), which set me a new deadline (I want to read that as soon as I get it).
And it's not as if I have a mass of the novel left to go, just 54 pages (now 45). I despair of myself; I really need to devote more time to reading.
Chapter 19
I started reading this in February 2022 with the intention of finishing it well before Horowitz's third (and final) Bond novel came out in May 2022 — but here we are in bloomin' April 2023, basically a whole year later than I'd intended to finish. And now there's another Bond novel on the horizon (Charlie Higson's On His Majesty's Secret Service, out in nine days), which set me a new deadline (I want to read that as soon as I get it).
And it's not as if I have a mass of the novel left to go, just 54 pages (now 45). I despair of myself; I really need to devote more time to reading.
Monday, 24 April 2023
TV
Have I Got News for You
65x02 (21/4/2023 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended episode (again) on iPlayer.]
65x02 (21/4/2023 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended episode (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 23 April 2023
Saturday, 22 April 2023
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
After a quiet few weeks, hoo boy, did lots drop through my letterbox this week! It's a combination of long-held preorders and caving to a bunch of stuff in sales (including two Arrow titles, two 4K titles, and four Eureka Westerns).
And all of that just in time to be included in the latest monthly running time update, too.
Number of titles in collection: 3,058 [up 10]
Of which DVDs: 1,029 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,029 [up 10]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 249 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,542 [up 18]
Number of films: 3,752 [up 16]
Number of additional cuts: 311 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes: 9,589 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,045 [no change]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
537 days, 8 hours, and 58 minutes.
(Up 2 days and 9 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
After a quiet few weeks, hoo boy, did lots drop through my letterbox this week! It's a combination of long-held preorders and caving to a bunch of stuff in sales (including two Arrow titles, two 4K titles, and four Eureka Westerns).
And all of that just in time to be included in the latest monthly running time update, too.
Number of titles in collection: 3,058 [up 10]
Of which DVDs: 1,029 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,029 [up 10]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 249 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,542 [up 18]
Number of films: 3,752 [up 16]
Number of additional cuts: 311 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes: 9,589 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,045 [no change]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
537 days, 8 hours, and 58 minutes.
(Up 2 days and 9 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
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