8 Out of 10 Cats
7x02 (11/9/08 edition)
Dexter
2x04 See-Through
Mock the Week
6x10 (11/9/08 edition)
If only some Americans could see our satire, as opposed to their own pathetically weak attempts at it, they might sensibly rethink who they were voting for. Though if they knew it was satire by Foreigners it would probably just encourage them.
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Fiction
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth by Grant Morrison & Dave McKean
Arkham Asylum is one of the most acclaimed Batman books ever written -- for one example, it came 4th on IGN's 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels -- and, as the blurb on the 15th anniversary edition proudly proclaims, is still "the most successful graphic novel of all time" (I took that to mean best-selling, but upon re-reading it's obviously completely vague). It's certainly unlike any other Batman book you will ever see; in fact, it's hard to believe something so unusual was ever released by a mainstream publisher; even more so that they allowed it to be about one of their most popular creations. It's very dark, very bleak, very dense, and, despite its wide-spread high acclaim, is surely an acquired taste.
The 15th anniversary edition (it seems like this was only recently released still, but Arkham will be 20 next year!) includes Morrison's complete original script, plus new annotations. It's hard to believe people got by a decade and a half without this, as his comments in the original script explain so much, and his new notes flesh out many bits further. I haven't read it through in full yet, but did refer to it on multiple occasions while reading the graphic novel, and will unquestionably be reading it properly at some point.
Double or Die by Charlie Higson
Chapter 16
Arkham Asylum is one of the most acclaimed Batman books ever written -- for one example, it came 4th on IGN's 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels -- and, as the blurb on the 15th anniversary edition proudly proclaims, is still "the most successful graphic novel of all time" (I took that to mean best-selling, but upon re-reading it's obviously completely vague). It's certainly unlike any other Batman book you will ever see; in fact, it's hard to believe something so unusual was ever released by a mainstream publisher; even more so that they allowed it to be about one of their most popular creations. It's very dark, very bleak, very dense, and, despite its wide-spread high acclaim, is surely an acquired taste.
The 15th anniversary edition (it seems like this was only recently released still, but Arkham will be 20 next year!) includes Morrison's complete original script, plus new annotations. It's hard to believe people got by a decade and a half without this, as his comments in the original script explain so much, and his new notes flesh out many bits further. I haven't read it through in full yet, but did refer to it on multiple occasions while reading the graphic novel, and will unquestionably be reading it properly at some point.
Double or Die by Charlie Higson
Chapter 16
Articles
The Dark Knight Set For Re-Release by Glen Ferris
(from Empire Online)
"Warner Bros. is... planning to re-release the comic-book epic in IMAX cinemas in January, the height of Academy Awards voting season. The move will fuel speculation that the studio hopes to win a posthumous gong for Heath Ledger, as well as attempting to grab all the other big prizes." Hey, if Titanic of all things can take ludicrous amounts of money and win all the Oscars, why can't The Dark Knight?
Paul McGann back as Dr Who by Jen Blackburn
(from The Sun)
I hope to God it's true, but I won't believe it til I see it confirmed somewhere official-like, considering the reliability of The Sun. That said, in the past they've got a surprising number of things right about Who... but they've also been known to print fan speculation from forums as facts and/or 'insider info', and this sounds exactly like that. But in case it isn't, the rumours go as follows: McGann "is expected to begin filming in October or November for one of four feature-length specials to be shown instead of a series in 2009. Flashback scenes will see him battered from the Time War and shorn of the long hair he had in the film. An insider said: “Fans loved Paul's Doctor and feel he was never given the proper chance to shine. Reference is often made to the Time War which wiped out the Time Lords and this will give them a taste of that.”... David Tennant will also appear." Fingers firmly crossed!
Tennant: I'll be movie Doctor by Sara Nathan
(from The Sun)
More from The Sun: "we can now reveal that the star has agreed to make a full fifth series [of Doctor Who] in 2010 if the big screen role can be tagged on to the deal." Considering the source, it's worth taking this with a pinch of salt. Actually, make that a handful. Actually, make that a bucket.
(An amusing postscript: The Sun's confusion over previous Who movies. "Two previous big-screen versions of Dr Who have been made, starring Peter Cushing in 1965 and Paul McGann in 1996." The facts, of course, are that there were two Cushing cinema releases (1965 & 1966) and the McGann effort was just a TV movie.)
Young Bond Loses His Innocence (non-spoiler version) by John Cox
(from The Young Bond Dossier)
Review of the fifth Young Bond novel, By Royal Command. Cox concludes the novel is "a picture perfect landing, touching down cleanly and evenly on every aspect of James Bond’s past and future life... a surprisingly profound and introspective chapter that takes a leap in quality and maturity from all that has come before." The rest of the review merits reading too, and if you want a spoiler-filled version can be read here.
(from Empire Online)
"Warner Bros. is... planning to re-release the comic-book epic in IMAX cinemas in January, the height of Academy Awards voting season. The move will fuel speculation that the studio hopes to win a posthumous gong for Heath Ledger, as well as attempting to grab all the other big prizes." Hey, if Titanic of all things can take ludicrous amounts of money and win all the Oscars, why can't The Dark Knight?
Paul McGann back as Dr Who by Jen Blackburn
(from The Sun)
I hope to God it's true, but I won't believe it til I see it confirmed somewhere official-like, considering the reliability of The Sun. That said, in the past they've got a surprising number of things right about Who... but they've also been known to print fan speculation from forums as facts and/or 'insider info', and this sounds exactly like that. But in case it isn't, the rumours go as follows: McGann "is expected to begin filming in October or November for one of four feature-length specials to be shown instead of a series in 2009. Flashback scenes will see him battered from the Time War and shorn of the long hair he had in the film. An insider said: “Fans loved Paul's Doctor and feel he was never given the proper chance to shine. Reference is often made to the Time War which wiped out the Time Lords and this will give them a taste of that.”... David Tennant will also appear." Fingers firmly crossed!
Tennant: I'll be movie Doctor by Sara Nathan
(from The Sun)
More from The Sun: "we can now reveal that the star has agreed to make a full fifth series [of Doctor Who] in 2010 if the big screen role can be tagged on to the deal." Considering the source, it's worth taking this with a pinch of salt. Actually, make that a handful. Actually, make that a bucket.
(An amusing postscript: The Sun's confusion over previous Who movies. "Two previous big-screen versions of Dr Who have been made, starring Peter Cushing in 1965 and Paul McGann in 1996." The facts, of course, are that there were two Cushing cinema releases (1965 & 1966) and the McGann effort was just a TV movie.)
Young Bond Loses His Innocence (non-spoiler version) by John Cox
(from The Young Bond Dossier)
Review of the fifth Young Bond novel, By Royal Command. Cox concludes the novel is "a picture perfect landing, touching down cleanly and evenly on every aspect of James Bond’s past and future life... a surprisingly profound and introspective chapter that takes a leap in quality and maturity from all that has come before." The rest of the review merits reading too, and if you want a spoiler-filled version can be read here.
Music
C-lebrity (song) by Queen + Paul Rodgers
Not their best work, if I'm honest, but it's a good concept and I wager it'll grow on me. Nonetheless, I still can't wait for the album. Though it's not been dispatched by HMV yet...
Not their best work, if I'm honest, but it's a good concept and I wager it'll grow on me. Nonetheless, I still can't wait for the album. Though it's not been dispatched by HMV yet...
Torchwood on the radio
As some/all readers will surely be aware, yesterday BBC Radio 4 broadcast an exclusive 45-minute full-cast Torchwood audio drama, tied in to all that fuss about "Big Bang Day" (y'know, the CERN thing).
Anyway, the drama -- which I've yet to listen to, typically -- will be released on CD next week (with a bonus feature thingy; Play.com are cheapest), but if you're snappy you can download an MP3 of it free and, importantly, legally, from Radio 4's website. Here's the Torchwood Big Bang Day page, here's a relatively similar page on the Torchwood official site, and here's the file itself.
Anyway, the drama -- which I've yet to listen to, typically -- will be released on CD next week (with a bonus feature thingy; Play.com are cheapest), but if you're snappy you can download an MP3 of it free and, importantly, legally, from Radio 4's website. Here's the Torchwood Big Bang Day page, here's a relatively similar page on the Torchwood official site, and here's the file itself.
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