1001 Things You Should Know
1x11 (26/11/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Graham Norton Show
12x05 (23/11/12 edition)
Having missed a couple (since this one, exactly a month ago), trying to get back on track -- I still have most of series 11 to watch, so don't want 12 going the same way.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
44x06 (23/11/12 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]
QI
10x10 Jungles (XL edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Friday, 30 November 2012
Articles
Bond Designer Danny Kleinman On His Skyfall Title Sequence (And How To Craft A Great 007 Opener)
by Jan Yamato (from Movieline)
I loved Skyfall's title sequence, so I also liked this short piece in which Kleinman discusses some of the thinking behind it.
Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: 49 Ways The BBC Could Celebrate
by Dave Golder (from SFX)
On one hand, this article is quite jokey. On the other, an awful lot of these are actual very good ideas. The more of them that actually happen the better.
by Jan Yamato (from Movieline)
I loved Skyfall's title sequence, so I also liked this short piece in which Kleinman discusses some of the thinking behind it.
Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: 49 Ways The BBC Could Celebrate
by Dave Golder (from SFX)
On one hand, this article is quite jokey. On the other, an awful lot of these are actual very good ideas. The more of them that actually happen the better.
Thursday, 29 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x10 (23/11/12 edition)
Missed one. Seems the only thing I missed were the questions as no one won. That said, questions are the only reason I watch, so...
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Arrow
1x04 An Innocent Man
Hunted
1x08 Snow Maiden [season finale]
I knew it wasn't going to wrap everything up, because the Radio Times said so, but even still it was disappointing. I mean, what the hell was that "One Month Later"? How did she survive being shot in the chest and falling so far into a river? Are we meant to believe that's her baby? And so on and so forth. I didn't care about there being a second series before, but now I want some proper bloody answers please.
1x10 (23/11/12 edition)
Missed one. Seems the only thing I missed were the questions as no one won. That said, questions are the only reason I watch, so...
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Arrow
1x04 An Innocent Man
Hunted
1x08 Snow Maiden [season finale]
I knew it wasn't going to wrap everything up, because the Radio Times said so, but even still it was disappointing. I mean, what the hell was that "One Month Later"? How did she survive being shot in the chest and falling so far into a river? Are we meant to believe that's her baby? And so on and so forth. I didn't care about there being a second series before, but now I want some proper bloody answers please.
Articles
The Dark Knight Rises Epilogue – Nightwing, Huntress, Robin and more
(from Live for Films)
Short fan-made comics about what might happen to several major characters in the wake of The Dark Knight Rises. They'd make a pretty awesome fourth film... one that we'll never see, but still.
(from Live for Films)
Short fan-made comics about what might happen to several major characters in the wake of The Dark Knight Rises. They'd make a pretty awesome fourth film... one that we'll never see, but still.
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x08 (21/11/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Person of Interest
1x17 Baby Blue
Proms 2012
Prom 59 The Broadway Sound
Very belatedly watching this year's John Wilson Prom
1x08 (21/11/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Person of Interest
1x17 Baby Blue
Proms 2012
Prom 59 The Broadway Sound
Very belatedly watching this year's John Wilson Prom
Articles
Skyfall sinks Titanic to become second highest grossing UK box office film
by Author (from RadioTimes)
It seems like such a short time ago that Mamma Mia sat quite clearly atop this list -- that was a big story at the time, which I don't recall happening when Avatar, Toy Story 3, Harry Potter 8 or Titanic's re-release all overtook it.
Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, Skyfall is now a solid second (almost £3m up on third place). Can it take the top spot? It's got nearly £11m to go if it will -- quite a stretch after five weeks on release. But you never know -- after all, it took Mamma Mia 23 weeks to sneak past Titanic...
by Author (from RadioTimes)
It seems like such a short time ago that Mamma Mia sat quite clearly atop this list -- that was a big story at the time, which I don't recall happening when Avatar, Toy Story 3, Harry Potter 8 or Titanic's re-release all overtook it.
Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, Skyfall is now a solid second (almost £3m up on third place). Can it take the top spot? It's got nearly £11m to go if it will -- quite a stretch after five weeks on release. But you never know -- after all, it took Mamma Mia 23 weeks to sneak past Titanic...
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
TV
Dragons' Den
10x09 Episode 9
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Hebburn
1x06 A Very Big Day [season finale]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Mentalist
5x04 Blood Feud
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Rolf's Animal Clinic
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
10x09 Episode 9
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Hebburn
1x06 A Very Big Day [season finale]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Mentalist
5x04 Blood Feud
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Rolf's Animal Clinic
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Articles
Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart return for X-Men Days of Future Past
by Paul Martinovic (from Digital Spy)
Ooh, exciting news!
by Paul Martinovic (from Digital Spy)
Ooh, exciting news!
Monday, 26 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x07 (20/11/12 edition)
Gooood riddance.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Elementary
1x04 The Rat Race
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
26x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Stephen Fry: Gadget Man
1x01 Super Commuter
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
1x07 (20/11/12 edition)
Gooood riddance.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Elementary
1x04 The Rat Race
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
26x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Stephen Fry: Gadget Man
1x01 Super Commuter
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Comics
The Amazing Spider-Man #698 by Dan Slott & Richard Elson
It's the beginning of the end for Peter Parker as Spider-Man: ASM comes to a close with next month's #700, before a new series with a new Spidey launches in 2013. Naturally this has some fans up in arms, as if Slott were the devil himself. Of course, there's also the climax of this issue, which has some pretty shocking developments. But c'mon, it's a story, and it's far from done.
And it's in comics -- even if something terrible happens, it'll be undone within a few years at most. How do comics fans not get that by now?
Dial H #2 by China Miéville & Mateus Santolouco
The Iron Snail! Awesome.
Judge Dredd #1 by Duane Swierczynski
featuring Ripe with art by Nelson Daniel
and Protection Racket with art by Paul Gulacy
The new US Dredd comic from IDW. I wasn't going to bother (regular readers know how well my reading of 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine is going), but it has a rather cool foil-stamped alternate cover of Dredd's badge (still available here) which was hard to resist.
And the content is good stuff too, thank Grud. Swierczynski seems to have a handle on the action, humour and ideas that are inherent to Dredd. A promising beginning.
It's the beginning of the end for Peter Parker as Spider-Man: ASM comes to a close with next month's #700, before a new series with a new Spidey launches in 2013. Naturally this has some fans up in arms, as if Slott were the devil himself. Of course, there's also the climax of this issue, which has some pretty shocking developments. But c'mon, it's a story, and it's far from done.
And it's in comics -- even if something terrible happens, it'll be undone within a few years at most. How do comics fans not get that by now?
Dial H #2 by China Miéville & Mateus Santolouco
The Iron Snail! Awesome.
Judge Dredd #1 by Duane Swierczynski
featuring Ripe with art by Nelson Daniel
and Protection Racket with art by Paul Gulacy
The new US Dredd comic from IDW. I wasn't going to bother (regular readers know how well my reading of 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine is going), but it has a rather cool foil-stamped alternate cover of Dredd's badge (still available here) which was hard to resist.
And the content is good stuff too, thank Grud. Swierczynski seems to have a handle on the action, humour and ideas that are inherent to Dredd. A promising beginning.
Articles
Merlin to end after series five
by Andy Joannou (from Digital Spy)
The internet flooded with moaning and wailing Merlin fans at midnight on Sunday/Monday when it was announced that the currently-running fifth series would be Merlin's last. Which is funny, because they've said since the start that they have a five year plan, and as the series has remained successful that's surely the reason they've chosen to end it now. Pay attention, 'fans'.
Seitz on Liz & Dick: A Retro-Bad TV Biopic
by Matt Zoller Seitz (from Vulture)
As the Telegraph put it, it's been "savaged by American critics". More here.
by Andy Joannou (from Digital Spy)
The internet flooded with moaning and wailing Merlin fans at midnight on Sunday/Monday when it was announced that the currently-running fifth series would be Merlin's last. Which is funny, because they've said since the start that they have a five year plan, and as the series has remained successful that's surely the reason they've chosen to end it now. Pay attention, 'fans'.
Seitz on Liz & Dick: A Retro-Bad TV Biopic
by Matt Zoller Seitz (from Vulture)
Ladies and gentlemen, behold Liz & Dick, the worst reviewed program of 2012.
As the Telegraph put it, it's been "savaged by American critics". More here.
Sunday, 25 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x06 (19/11/12 edition)
The most irritating quiz show contestant of all time, and he becomes the first to get on three editions?! Bloody typical.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Arrow
1x03 Lone Gunmen
Castle
2x18 Boom!
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Dave's One Night Stand
4x02 Patrick Kielty
Seems I missed the first episode of the series. It starred Al Murray. Can't say I'm fussed.
Spy
2x06 Codename: Citizen Lame
1x06 (19/11/12 edition)
The most irritating quiz show contestant of all time, and he becomes the first to get on three editions?! Bloody typical.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Arrow
1x03 Lone Gunmen
Castle
2x18 Boom!
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Dave's One Night Stand
4x02 Patrick Kielty
Seems I missed the first episode of the series. It starred Al Murray. Can't say I'm fussed.
Spy
2x06 Codename: Citizen Lame
this week on 100 Films
Two new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, both of biographical documentaries...
Bill Cunningham New York (2010)
Read more here.
Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project (2011)
Read more here.
And also new to the new blog was...
Gambit (1966)
With the Colin Firth / Cameron Diaz remake in cinemas now, it seemed a good time to re-post my review of the Michael Caine / Shirley MacLaine original. I don't know what the remake's like (not that good, according to what I've seen), but this is wonderful.
Read my review here.
More next Sunday.
Bill Cunningham New York (2010)
What he actually is, more than a “fashion photographer”, is a documentarian, recording how people choose to present themselves to the world, both as individuals and how that translates en masse. Fashion may seem like a meaningless, arbitrary, frivolous thing to afford such time to, and I’d have no argument against Fashion being called exactly that. But fashion — the actual clothes we wear in our actual lives — is something a good many people spend a good amount of time obsessing over; it’s how they choose to represent themselves in the world, how they indicate what they’re like as a person, how they show which groups or types of people they align with. We all do it, even if it’s not a conscious choice. Surely that’s worth recording?
Read more here.
Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project (2011)
Briefly covering his upbringing, to better set in context what follows, Unauthorized tells the story of how Harvey and his brother Bob took their success as concert promoters and applied the techniques to the movie business, moving from simply buying and distributing foreign and indie films, to actually producing them, in the process revolutionising the American film industry for a decade or two.
Read more here.
And also new to the new blog was...
Gambit (1966)
With the Colin Firth / Cameron Diaz remake in cinemas now, it seemed a good time to re-post my review of the Michael Caine / Shirley MacLaine original. I don't know what the remake's like (not that good, according to what I've seen), but this is wonderful.
Read my review here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 24 November 2012
TV
The Comic Strip Presents...
Five Go to Rehab
Well that was disappointingly rubbish.
Merlin
5x08 The Hollow Queen
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Person of Interest
1x16 Risk
QI
10x08 Jumble (XL edition)
The one I said I'd fill in.
Five Go to Rehab
Well that was disappointingly rubbish.
Merlin
5x08 The Hollow Queen
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Person of Interest
1x16 Risk
QI
10x08 Jumble (XL edition)
The one I said I'd fill in.
Comics
2000 AD #1805-1808
• Low Life: Saudade, Parts 1-4 by Rob Williams & D'Israeli
Remember how I read The Judge Dredd Story Everyone's Been Going On About, only to discover part of the reason for that was, a few parts in, it tied in to the current story in The Simping Detective, so I had to go back and read all of that? Well, turns out it's tying in to the current story in Low Life too, as revealed even further down the line, so I need to go back and re-read all of that too. And this is a case in point of why one should read the whole Prog in one go as it comes, rather than story-by-story -- especially as the surprise of it happening not only once but twice has now been spoiled for me.
But my, have they clearly gone big with this one!
Anyway, I've now caught them all up to the same point (a couple of Progs back) so can proceed in an orderly fashion through the rest of their stories… or story.
2000 AD #1809-1811
• Judge Dredd: The Cold Deck, Parts Four - Six by Al Ewing & Henry Flint
• Low Life: Saudade, Parts 5-7 by Rob Williams & D'Israeli
• The Simping Detective: Jokers to the Right, Parts Six - Eight by Simon Spurrier & Simon Coleby
And here it all gets pretty epic, if occasionally confusing thanks to ties to long-standing continuity and the three strips all lightly playing off each other, not to mention Spurrier's tendency towards purplish verbosity. But in spite of that, it's pretty awesome.
Prog 1811 is with subscribers today and in shops from Wednesday. Looks to be Prog 1812 (in shops Wednesday 5th December) is the final part of all these tales. Can't wait.
Dial H #1 by China Miéville & Mateus Santolouco
This series is quite far through now, but I'm only just getting round to starting it. It's OK, I would've bought all of the first arc anyway. And it's even more OK because I thought it was pretty good, with a promising concept well executed. I've heard not a lot of people like it and perhaps it's been getting low sales, so maybe it takes a downward turn, and even if it doesn't it may turn out to be one for the chop before too long, but I'll keep going for the moment at least.
• Low Life: Saudade, Parts 1-4 by Rob Williams & D'Israeli
Remember how I read The Judge Dredd Story Everyone's Been Going On About, only to discover part of the reason for that was, a few parts in, it tied in to the current story in The Simping Detective, so I had to go back and read all of that? Well, turns out it's tying in to the current story in Low Life too, as revealed even further down the line, so I need to go back and re-read all of that too. And this is a case in point of why one should read the whole Prog in one go as it comes, rather than story-by-story -- especially as the surprise of it happening not only once but twice has now been spoiled for me.
But my, have they clearly gone big with this one!
Anyway, I've now caught them all up to the same point (a couple of Progs back) so can proceed in an orderly fashion through the rest of their stories… or story.
2000 AD #1809-1811
• Judge Dredd: The Cold Deck, Parts Four - Six by Al Ewing & Henry Flint
• Low Life: Saudade, Parts 5-7 by Rob Williams & D'Israeli
• The Simping Detective: Jokers to the Right, Parts Six - Eight by Simon Spurrier & Simon Coleby
And here it all gets pretty epic, if occasionally confusing thanks to ties to long-standing continuity and the three strips all lightly playing off each other, not to mention Spurrier's tendency towards purplish verbosity. But in spite of that, it's pretty awesome.
Prog 1811 is with subscribers today and in shops from Wednesday. Looks to be Prog 1812 (in shops Wednesday 5th December) is the final part of all these tales. Can't wait.
Dial H #1 by China Miéville & Mateus Santolouco
This series is quite far through now, but I'm only just getting round to starting it. It's OK, I would've bought all of the first arc anyway. And it's even more OK because I thought it was pretty good, with a promising concept well executed. I've heard not a lot of people like it and perhaps it's been getting low sales, so maybe it takes a downward turn, and even if it doesn't it may turn out to be one for the chop before too long, but I'll keep going for the moment at least.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week's update includes a DVD I actually received a couple of weeks ago, but thought I'd be returning. I imported the Thai DVD of Birth because it was the only one in the world to include a second disc of special features. The website said it had two discs; the packaging boasts about the two discs; but inside was just the film disc. After emailing the retailer, turns out the second disc isn't made any more, so that was a bit of a waste. Luckily it was no more expensive than just buying the UK DVD (especially after I got a compensatory refund) so I'm not ludicrously out of pocket for no reason. Shame about those extras though.
Number of titles in collection: 1,506 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,146 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 360 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 3,755 [up 2]
Number of films in collection: 1,547 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,700 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 370 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
This week's update includes a DVD I actually received a couple of weeks ago, but thought I'd be returning. I imported the Thai DVD of Birth because it was the only one in the world to include a second disc of special features. The website said it had two discs; the packaging boasts about the two discs; but inside was just the film disc. After emailing the retailer, turns out the second disc isn't made any more, so that was a bit of a waste. Luckily it was no more expensive than just buying the UK DVD (especially after I got a compensatory refund) so I'm not ludicrously out of pocket for no reason. Shame about those extras though.
Number of titles in collection: 1,506 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,146 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 360 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 3,755 [up 2]
Number of films in collection: 1,547 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,700 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 370 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 23 November 2012
TV
Bring Me Morecambe & Wise
1x01 From Stage to Screen
Castle
2x17 Tick, Tick, Tick…
This feels very much like a season finale two-parter, which is very odd as it's still very much mid-season.
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Derren Brown: Fear & Faith
Part 2 (of 2)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Mentalist
5x03 Not One Red Cent
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
1x01 From Stage to Screen
Castle
2x17 Tick, Tick, Tick…
This feels very much like a season finale two-parter, which is very odd as it's still very much mid-season.
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Derren Brown: Fear & Faith
Part 2 (of 2)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Mentalist
5x03 Not One Red Cent
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Thursday, 22 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x05 (16/11/12 edition)
Featuring one of the more irritating contestants I've ever seen on a quiz show. And he won too! Which means we have to suffer him next time as well. Ugh.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Hebburn
1x05 She Doesn't Just Give It Away
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Hunted
1x07 Khyber
I presume that was meant to be an "is Sam poisoned?!" cliffhanger, which was promptly spoilt by plastering her all over the trailer. Not that we don't know she'll survive, but still.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x05 (16/11/12 edition)
Featuring one of the more irritating contestants I've ever seen on a quiz show. And he won too! Which means we have to suffer him next time as well. Ugh.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Hebburn
1x05 She Doesn't Just Give It Away
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Hunted
1x07 Khyber
I presume that was meant to be an "is Sam poisoned?!" cliffhanger, which was promptly spoilt by plastering her all over the trailer. Not that we don't know she'll survive, but still.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x04 (15/11/12 edition)
On which two players amass all the money, then a third swoops in, finally gets some questions right, and waltzes off with over £5,500. Seems somehow immoral...
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Live at the Apollo
8x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x04 (15/11/12 edition)
On which two players amass all the money, then a third swoops in, finally gets some questions right, and waltzes off with over £5,500. Seems somehow immoral...
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Live at the Apollo
8x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
Hunted creator Frank Spotnitz confirms Sam Hunter spin-off series
by David Brown (from Radio Times)
So, basically, Hunted series 2 but by a different name. And probably not on over here. Or on Sky1, I suppose, but they seem to be doing less pinching of drama these days than they used to.
by David Brown (from Radio Times)
So, basically, Hunted series 2 but by a different name. And probably not on over here. Or on Sky1, I suppose, but they seem to be doing less pinching of drama these days than they used to.
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x03 (14/11/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Rolf's Animal Clinic
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
1x03 (14/11/12 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Rolf's Animal Clinic
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Films
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part I (2012)
[#90 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
Adapting the first two books of Frank Miller's seminal tale. This hits UK DVD and Blu-ray next Monday, while the second half is out in the US at the end of January.
[#90 in 100 Films in a Year 2012]
Adapting the first two books of Frank Miller's seminal tale. This hits UK DVD and Blu-ray next Monday, while the second half is out in the US at the end of January.
Articles
Tweetnotes - Skyfall
by Andrew Ellard (from Storify)
Ellard analyses the latest Bond film in his usual insightful way. A few massive spoilers in there, so make sure you've seen the film first (but then, who hasn't?)
by Andrew Ellard (from Storify)
Ellard analyses the latest Bond film in his usual insightful way. A few massive spoilers in there, so make sure you've seen the film first (but then, who hasn't?)
Monday, 19 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x01 (12/11/12 edition)
Weirdly, Virgin put it on eventually. Handy. It's a nice show, because most of the questions are so easy it makes you feel quite clever.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Elementary
1x03 Child Predator
The Hour
2x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
26x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Yes, Prime Minister
2x06 The Patron of the Arts
1x01 (12/11/12 edition)
Weirdly, Virgin put it on eventually. Handy. It's a nice show, because most of the questions are so easy it makes you feel quite clever.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Elementary
1x03 Child Predator
The Hour
2x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
26x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Yes, Prime Minister
2x06 The Patron of the Arts
DVD Extras
Extras on The Call of Cthulhu DVD
These are headed up by half-hour making-of Hearing "The Call", which is both informative and entertaining, with good insight on how they made this quite fascinating production for virtually no money. It's better put together than some behind-the-scenes features on professional releases and definitely worth a watch for anyone who enjoyed the film.
The disc also houses eight minutes of deleted footage, including more of the stop-motion monster; a few easter eggs in the same vein; galleries of both behind-the-scenes photos and production stills; and the obligatory trailer, which doesn't sell the film quite as well as it could in my opinion.
These are headed up by half-hour making-of Hearing "The Call", which is both informative and entertaining, with good insight on how they made this quite fascinating production for virtually no money. It's better put together than some behind-the-scenes features on professional releases and definitely worth a watch for anyone who enjoyed the film.
The disc also houses eight minutes of deleted footage, including more of the stop-motion monster; a few easter eggs in the same vein; galleries of both behind-the-scenes photos and production stills; and the obligatory trailer, which doesn't sell the film quite as well as it could in my opinion.
Sunday, 18 November 2012
TV
A Mark Heap double bill...
Friday Night Dinner
2x06 The Mouse [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Spy
2x05 Codename: Family Bonds
Friday Night Dinner
2x06 The Mouse [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Spy
2x05 Codename: Family Bonds
Comics
Bleeding Cool Magazine #0
With Bleeding Cool Magazine #1 due any week now (it was originally slated for October), I've finally got round to reading June's #0 preview issue. It's exactly what you'd expect in many ways -- gossipy, irreverent, but informative. Even more if the latter than the website, really, because it's had a bit more time and effort poured in than the primarily news-driven site.
Sword of Sorcery #0
featuring Amethyst by Christy Marx & Aaron Lopresti
and Beowulf by Tony Bedard & Jesus Saiz
DC's new fantasy comic is, for want of a less demeaning adjective, a bit girly. Back-up strip Beowulf, a sci-fi/fantasy retelling of the classic poem, shows more promise.
Talon #0 by James Tynion IV & Guillem March
Spinning out of the recent Batman epic, The Court of Owls, this launch issue is all setup. Tynion IV has cut his teeth writing the back-up strips on several Bat titles, and with Scott Snyder helping out by co-plotting there's sure to be promise here.
With Bleeding Cool Magazine #1 due any week now (it was originally slated for October), I've finally got round to reading June's #0 preview issue. It's exactly what you'd expect in many ways -- gossipy, irreverent, but informative. Even more if the latter than the website, really, because it's had a bit more time and effort poured in than the primarily news-driven site.
Sword of Sorcery #0
featuring Amethyst by Christy Marx & Aaron Lopresti
and Beowulf by Tony Bedard & Jesus Saiz
DC's new fantasy comic is, for want of a less demeaning adjective, a bit girly. Back-up strip Beowulf, a sci-fi/fantasy retelling of the classic poem, shows more promise.
Talon #0 by James Tynion IV & Guillem March
Spinning out of the recent Batman epic, The Court of Owls, this launch issue is all setup. Tynion IV has cut his teeth writing the back-up strips on several Bat titles, and with Scott Snyder helping out by co-plotting there's sure to be promise here.
Articles
The Colourisation Debate - Not All Black and White
by Julian Upton (from MovieMail)
Such a true example. The rest of the piece is very good too.
by Julian Upton (from MovieMail)
Some time ago I had to sit through a lecture by an ‘expert’ on colour cinema, who began by showing a YouTube clip of the colourised version of It’s a Wonderful Life. “What’s that?” he asked. “It’s a Wonderful Life,” we said. “No,” he said in his best Jeremy Clarkson voice, “it’s an abomination.”
He then showed a YouTube clip of the black-and-white It’s a Wonderful Life — a clip that was horizontally stretched, pixelated and whose sound and image was all but destroyed by the low-quality upload — and proceeded to talk about that as if it wasn’t an abomination.
Such a true example. The rest of the piece is very good too.
this week on 100 Films
No new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week! But Bill Cunningham New York is on Sky Arts 1 tonight, so my review of that will go live later today at this location.
Still, new to the new blog there was...
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Still, new to the new blog there was...
High Plains Drifter (1973)
Clint rides into town, has a beer and a bottle of whiskey, kills three men for no good reason and rapes the only woman in sight. It’s a fine introduction to our ‘hero’. But instead of setting the sheriff on him, the townsfolk bend over backwards to help him (more or less). Why? Are they as uncaring as he? Or do they need something from this capable man?
Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 17 November 2012
TV
Children in Need 2012
Specifically, everything after midnight; though the link below will just take you to all the CiN stuff on iPlayer.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
44x05 (9/11/12 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]
Merlin
5x07 A Lesson in Vengeance
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Specifically, everything after midnight; though the link below will just take you to all the CiN stuff on iPlayer.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
44x05 (9/11/12 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]
Merlin
5x07 A Lesson in Vengeance
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week, my Paralympics Blu-ray finally arrives, a Dynamo box set I'd half forgotten I ordered also turns up, and Masters of Cinema's gorgeous Passion of Joan of Arc BD arrives a week or so before its release date (yay for direct ordering).
Number of titles in collection: 1,504 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,145 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 359 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 3,753 [up 10]
Number of films in collection: 1,545 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,700 [up 11]
Number of short films in collection: 370 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
This week, my Paralympics Blu-ray finally arrives, a Dynamo box set I'd half forgotten I ordered also turns up, and Masters of Cinema's gorgeous Passion of Joan of Arc BD arrives a week or so before its release date (yay for direct ordering).
Number of titles in collection: 1,504 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,145 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 359 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 3,753 [up 10]
Number of films in collection: 1,545 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,700 [up 11]
Number of short films in collection: 370 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 16 November 2012
TV
Children in Need 2012
As ever, there'll be more CiN tomorrow to cover the post-midnight stuff (which is, naturally, still on as I post this).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Derren Brown: Fear & Faith
Part 1 (of 2)
Or, to put it another way, Derren Brown: Fear -- next week is the Faith part. Although it does work, because there's certainly some faith in here and I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover there's some fear in religious faith.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
As ever, there'll be more CiN tomorrow to cover the post-midnight stuff (which is, naturally, still on as I post this).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Derren Brown: Fear & Faith
Part 1 (of 2)
Or, to put it another way, Derren Brown: Fear -- next week is the Faith part. Although it does work, because there's certainly some faith in here and I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover there's some fear in religious faith.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Thursday, 15 November 2012
TV
1001 Things You Should Know
1x02 (13/11/12 edition)
C4's new daytime quiz show, which I primarily watched because it's presented by Sandi Toksvig and she seemed an arbiter of quality. It's not bad, but it's basically just a simple question format -- pleasant enough but hardly taxing. Not likely to make the jump to a prime-time variant. (And I started with episode two because episode one wasn't available on Virgin Media's version of 4oD, because Virgin are useless like that.)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Hebburn
1x04 Feeling Dynamic
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Hunted
1x06 Ambassadors
See also today's Articles.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Only Connect
Children in Need Special: Goldfingers vs Fowls
I did surprisingly well at this... though, as you may remember from last year, they apparently make it slightly easier for the celebrity/special editions, so that might not be saying a whole lot.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x02 (13/11/12 edition)
C4's new daytime quiz show, which I primarily watched because it's presented by Sandi Toksvig and she seemed an arbiter of quality. It's not bad, but it's basically just a simple question format -- pleasant enough but hardly taxing. Not likely to make the jump to a prime-time variant. (And I started with episode two because episode one wasn't available on Virgin Media's version of 4oD, because Virgin are useless like that.)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Hebburn
1x04 Feeling Dynamic
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Hunted
1x06 Ambassadors
See also today's Articles.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Only Connect
Children in Need Special: Goldfingers vs Fowls
I did surprisingly well at this... though, as you may remember from last year, they apparently make it slightly easier for the celebrity/special editions, so that might not be saying a whole lot.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
BBC1 spy drama Hunted axed after one series by Tom Cole
and
ITV axes James Nesbitt medical drama Monroe by Jack Seale
(from Radio Times)
A pair of cancellations yesterday. Can't say I'm surprised by Hunted -- it's never quite clicked -- but it's a shame about Monroe. It faced unbeatable competition from BBC's not-as-good behemoth, New Tricks, and I should imagine was dropped because of it.
and
ITV axes James Nesbitt medical drama Monroe by Jack Seale
(from Radio Times)
A pair of cancellations yesterday. Can't say I'm surprised by Hunted -- it's never quite clicked -- but it's a shame about Monroe. It faced unbeatable competition from BBC's not-as-good behemoth, New Tricks, and I should imagine was dropped because of it.
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
TV
Crime Stories
1x01 Episode 1
ITV1 enters the daytime drama sphere that's been such a success for BBC One with this documentary-style drama about relatively minor crimes (things like theft, as opposed to the incessant murders that occupy prime-time detectives). The choice of a documentary aesthetic means it can looks cheap without looking cheap, though the largely improvised (I hope!) acting is distinctly daytime. Still, has promise in its own way.
[Watch episode 2 on ITV Player.]
Heston's Fantastical Food
1x01 Heston's Big Breakfast
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
1x01 Episode 1
ITV1 enters the daytime drama sphere that's been such a success for BBC One with this documentary-style drama about relatively minor crimes (things like theft, as opposed to the incessant murders that occupy prime-time detectives). The choice of a documentary aesthetic means it can looks cheap without looking cheap, though the largely improvised (I hope!) acting is distinctly daytime. Still, has promise in its own way.
[Watch episode 2 on ITV Player.]
Heston's Fantastical Food
1x01 Heston's Big Breakfast
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Articles
Weekend Report: Skyfall Scores Best Bond Debut Ever
by Ray Subers (from Box Office Mojo)
Bit late to the party on this one because I've been mostly away from the 'net since Sunday, but in case you missed it too this is worth reporting. Essentially, Skyfall had a fab opening weekend in the US, smashing previous Bond records (the next nearest, Quantum of Solace, is nearly 24% lower) and winding up the fourth-largest opening of the entire year. Go Bond!
by Ray Subers (from Box Office Mojo)
Bit late to the party on this one because I've been mostly away from the 'net since Sunday, but in case you missed it too this is worth reporting. Essentially, Skyfall had a fab opening weekend in the US, smashing previous Bond records (the next nearest, Quantum of Solace, is nearly 24% lower) and winding up the fourth-largest opening of the entire year. Go Bond!
Monday, 12 November 2012
TV
Castle
2x16 The Mistress Always Spanks Twice
Castle finally returns to Channel 5's schedule, after a whole five months' pause mid-season... but at least it's not the mooted next-year, so hurrah. Double-billing it with the tonally similar Mentalist seems excessive, but I suppose if they then feed off each other's success...
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
The Mentalist
5x02 Devil's Cherry
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Monroe
2x06 Episode 6 [season finale]
I would wonder where we'll find the characters next series, but based on the fact this was consistently trounced by BBC One's lower-quality New Tricks, we may not see another run. Shame.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
QI
10x09 Jeopardy (XL edition)
I skipped one. Will fill it in later.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Rolf's Animal Clinic
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
2x16 The Mistress Always Spanks Twice
Castle finally returns to Channel 5's schedule, after a whole five months' pause mid-season... but at least it's not the mooted next-year, so hurrah. Double-billing it with the tonally similar Mentalist seems excessive, but I suppose if they then feed off each other's success...
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
The Mentalist
5x02 Devil's Cherry
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Monroe
2x06 Episode 6 [season finale]
I would wonder where we'll find the characters next series, but based on the fact this was consistently trounced by BBC One's lower-quality New Tricks, we may not see another run. Shame.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
QI
10x09 Jeopardy (XL edition)
I skipped one. Will fill it in later.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Rolf's Animal Clinic
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Comics
2000 AD Free Comic Book Day 2012
Continuing my attempt to re-start reading the Galaxy's Greatest Comic, I went for this year's FCBD issue. Five stories, only one of which I'd read before. The first is an all-new four-page Judge Dredd, written by creator John Wagner, which manages to be both entertaining and function as an intro for complete newbies. This is what the launching-soon US Dredd comic from IDW should aspire to with its first issue... except even if it does, it'll take 20 pages to achieve what Wagner does so well in just four.
Also, the first part of The Grievous Journey of Ichabod Azrael, from a couple of years ago. It seemed an enticing introduction, certainly made me want to read more. A new tale started a while after this (not somewhere I've got to in my reading, obviously), but to continue his origin I guess I'll have to find the paperback. Then the first part of Zombo from my first Prog; a classic self-contained Ro-Busters by Alan Moore and Steve Dillon (from 1982); and a fun superhero-lampooning Future Shock (from 2010), perfect for this US-comics-fan-aimed one-off promo.
Good fun and fairly representative of what 2000 AD is like week-to-week, I thought. Nice job droids.
Continuing my attempt to re-start reading the Galaxy's Greatest Comic, I went for this year's FCBD issue. Five stories, only one of which I'd read before. The first is an all-new four-page Judge Dredd, written by creator John Wagner, which manages to be both entertaining and function as an intro for complete newbies. This is what the launching-soon US Dredd comic from IDW should aspire to with its first issue... except even if it does, it'll take 20 pages to achieve what Wagner does so well in just four.
Also, the first part of The Grievous Journey of Ichabod Azrael, from a couple of years ago. It seemed an enticing introduction, certainly made me want to read more. A new tale started a while after this (not somewhere I've got to in my reading, obviously), but to continue his origin I guess I'll have to find the paperback. Then the first part of Zombo from my first Prog; a classic self-contained Ro-Busters by Alan Moore and Steve Dillon (from 1982); and a fun superhero-lampooning Future Shock (from 2010), perfect for this US-comics-fan-aimed one-off promo.
Good fun and fairly representative of what 2000 AD is like week-to-week, I thought. Nice job droids.
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Comics
2000 AD #1806-1808
Judge Dredd: The Cold Deck, Parts One - Three by Al Ewing & Henry Flint
This seems to be getting an uncommon amount of praise and attention online, so I decided to skip ahead with my frankly shocking 2000 AD backlog (I last read a full Prog a year ago (crikey!), and I was behind then) and see what all the fuss is about with the still-ongoing Dredd story. If you want a go too, they've made Part One available online for free.
Plus, three Progs' worth is more or less the same size as a regular US comic, so it's a fair chunk to assess. That said, a good 2000 AD writer will get as much into six pages as your typical US comic will in 20, and Al Ewing is a good writer. Clearly the story is set in the wake of a Massive Event (the day of chaos stuff that was going on even when I last read a Prog), but it still makes sense and is an interesting read. I don't get why people were harping on about the amazing twist at the end of part two, though, so I wonder if that's something striking in light of everything that's happened in the past year-ish? In which case, maybe stop trying to push it so hard to casual readers/newbies!
And then I read the intro to Prog 1809 (in stores Wednesday), which pointed out that the plots of Dredd and another current Thrill are linked -- so I guess that was the twist. Kinda lost if you're only reading one to catch up on what everyone's on about. Still, guess what I'm reading next...
2000 AD #1804-1808
The Simping Detective: Jokers to the Right, Parts One - Five by Simon Spurrier & Simon Coleby
Once 2000 AD starts a line-up of strips, they usually stay in the same order until they end. In Prog 1806, they suddenly re-arrange so that Dredd is immediately followed by The Simping Detective. I guess they wanted to make sure people immediately saw the link.
And immediate it is, in 1807, connecting via the same line of dialogue. Simping Part Four plugs the gap between Dredd Parts Two and Three, and then... then they become unconnected again (and are re-split in the next Prog). Will they reunite again later? Tharg only knows.
Judge Dredd: The Cold Deck, Parts One - Three by Al Ewing & Henry Flint
This seems to be getting an uncommon amount of praise and attention online, so I decided to skip ahead with my frankly shocking 2000 AD backlog (I last read a full Prog a year ago (crikey!), and I was behind then) and see what all the fuss is about with the still-ongoing Dredd story. If you want a go too, they've made Part One available online for free.
Plus, three Progs' worth is more or less the same size as a regular US comic, so it's a fair chunk to assess. That said, a good 2000 AD writer will get as much into six pages as your typical US comic will in 20, and Al Ewing is a good writer. Clearly the story is set in the wake of a Massive Event (the day of chaos stuff that was going on even when I last read a Prog), but it still makes sense and is an interesting read. I don't get why people were harping on about the amazing twist at the end of part two, though, so I wonder if that's something striking in light of everything that's happened in the past year-ish? In which case, maybe stop trying to push it so hard to casual readers/newbies!
And then I read the intro to Prog 1809 (in stores Wednesday), which pointed out that the plots of Dredd and another current Thrill are linked -- so I guess that was the twist. Kinda lost if you're only reading one to catch up on what everyone's on about. Still, guess what I'm reading next...
2000 AD #1804-1808
The Simping Detective: Jokers to the Right, Parts One - Five by Simon Spurrier & Simon Coleby
Once 2000 AD starts a line-up of strips, they usually stay in the same order until they end. In Prog 1806, they suddenly re-arrange so that Dredd is immediately followed by The Simping Detective. I guess they wanted to make sure people immediately saw the link.
And immediate it is, in 1807, connecting via the same line of dialogue. Simping Part Four plugs the gap between Dredd Parts Two and Three, and then... then they become unconnected again (and are re-split in the next Prog). Will they reunite again later? Tharg only knows.
this week on 100 Films
One new review was published to 100 Films in a Year this week...
16 Blocks (2006)
Read more here.
And new to the new blog...
Night of the Demon (1957)
Read more here.
The Thief (1952)
Read more here.
More next Sunday.
16 Blocks (2006)
A Bruce Willis action movie? You know what you’re in for here, don’t you? Well, not quite. 16 Blocks casts Willis as less John McClane and more John McCane: old, fat, drunk, limping. He’s a copper still, but the kind of detective whose primary duties are being left to watch over an apartment full of bodies until uniform can show up.
Read more here.
And new to the new blog...
Night of the Demon (1957)
beloved by some, but I don’t think I quite got it myself. There are some great sequences, but I didn’t always find it hung together in between. Ironically, while many have criticised the actual appearance of the titular beast at the end, I think it works rather well.
Read more here.
The Thief (1952)
if The Thief is known for anything it’s for its dialogue — as the poster proclaims, “not a word is spoken…!” At some points in cinema history that would go without saying, but this is 25 years after the first talkie, so it’s being Experimental. It’s not silent film styled either, unlike recent attempts to recreate that early era like The Artist.
Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 10 November 2012
TV
Friday Night Dinner
2x05 The Yoghurts
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Merlin
5x06 The Dark Tower
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
2x05 The Yoghurts
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Merlin
5x06 The Dark Tower
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week, I tip over 1,500 titles in my collection -- again. I barely noted it last time, but what I meant to do was compare it to this, a record of my DVD collection at 750 titles, four years and eight months ago. After the regular stats, then, there's a replica of that post with new stats.
Number of titles in collection: 1,501 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,144 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 357 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 3,743 [up 4]
Number of films in collection: 1,544 [up 6]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,689 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 370 [no change]
So, as mentioned, here are those new numbers.
We begin with ones you know: that I now own 1,501 titles with a grand total of 3,743 discs. That's an average of 2.494 discs per title -- slightly higher than last time's 2.367, but not by much. Box sets and multiple-discs-for-single-films are only slightly more prevalent, then.
Last time I listed my eight largest individual sets. This time it will be nine, because there are three tied at seventh place; plus one drops out, so there's only two new ones here: the complete Lost on Blu-ray (36) and The Sopranos (30). The others remain Angel (30), Babylon 5 with Crusade and TV movies (41), The Bergman Collection (30), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (39), Farscape (42), The West Wing (44) and The X-Files (59). If we take eight of them (ignoring one of the three 30s), these 0.53% of my titles make up 8.58% of my discs -- it might sound a lot, but it's nothing like as big as last time.
A fairer way to look at it might be to again take the top 1%-ish of titles and see how many discs they contribute -- I imagine that's what I was going for last time, and why I did the top eight sets rather than ten. Last time that single percentile accounted for 17.5% of my discs; now it's 13.2%. Clearly I've not bought so many huge box sets in the past few years... though come Christmas the ginormous Harry Potter set will kick things up a little further.
What about the spread of decades -- do I own many films? Last time the largest part of my collection was the then-present '00s, at a massive 52%; now, it's 46.8%. It's nice that I've spread things around a bit more, but then since then we've changed decade -- the last three years are the '10s (obviously). They've already contributed 7.3%, which together with the '00s makes 54.1%... but that's covering 13 years, not last time's 10, so it's all a bit scruffy. Either way, the '00s are already in fifth place -- ahead are the '90s at 13.99% (formerly 20.6%), the '80s at 9.2% (formerly 10.2%), and the '70s at 7.9% (formerly 7%). It's interesting that the proportion of '70s films has grown as my collection doubled -- wouldn't've called that one.
I imagine some of the other slides are due to the '00s diluting the waters, and maybe earlier decades bulking up. The 1890s and 1900s weren't present last time, though they account for a grand total of 0.1998%; the '10s increase marginally, from 0.2% to 0.3%, while the '20s are more significant, up from 0.6% to 1.67%. The remaining decades all see their percentage share increase too: the '30s up to 1.87% (from 1.3%), the '40s to 2.07% (from 1.6%), the '50s to 2.47% (from 1.3%), and the '60s to 5.66% (from 5%). I guess this general spread of increases accounts for the drops elsewhere -- I've clearly bought primarily new releases and a lot of older titles, and not so many from the '90s and '80s. So there you have it.
I've at this point noted how arbitrary many of the remaining stats are -- even more so than those decades. Maybe that's why I skipped them last time.
I will take a look at the ever-popular running time, though. Last time that came to 118 days, 18 hours and 55 minutes. Now, it's 271 days, 23 hours and 41 minutes. the number of titles has (just over) doubled, but the running time has clearly much more than -- closer to two-and-a-half times as big, actually. Box sets, I guess.
So that's that then. See you next week, faithful reader.
This week, I tip over 1,500 titles in my collection -- again. I barely noted it last time, but what I meant to do was compare it to this, a record of my DVD collection at 750 titles, four years and eight months ago. After the regular stats, then, there's a replica of that post with new stats.
Number of titles in collection: 1,501 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,144 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 357 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 3,743 [up 4]
Number of films in collection: 1,544 [up 6]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,689 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 370 [no change]
So, as mentioned, here are those new numbers.
We begin with ones you know: that I now own 1,501 titles with a grand total of 3,743 discs. That's an average of 2.494 discs per title -- slightly higher than last time's 2.367, but not by much. Box sets and multiple-discs-for-single-films are only slightly more prevalent, then.
Last time I listed my eight largest individual sets. This time it will be nine, because there are three tied at seventh place; plus one drops out, so there's only two new ones here: the complete Lost on Blu-ray (36) and The Sopranos (30). The others remain Angel (30), Babylon 5 with Crusade and TV movies (41), The Bergman Collection (30), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (39), Farscape (42), The West Wing (44) and The X-Files (59). If we take eight of them (ignoring one of the three 30s), these 0.53% of my titles make up 8.58% of my discs -- it might sound a lot, but it's nothing like as big as last time.
A fairer way to look at it might be to again take the top 1%-ish of titles and see how many discs they contribute -- I imagine that's what I was going for last time, and why I did the top eight sets rather than ten. Last time that single percentile accounted for 17.5% of my discs; now it's 13.2%. Clearly I've not bought so many huge box sets in the past few years... though come Christmas the ginormous Harry Potter set will kick things up a little further.
What about the spread of decades -- do I own many films? Last time the largest part of my collection was the then-present '00s, at a massive 52%; now, it's 46.8%. It's nice that I've spread things around a bit more, but then since then we've changed decade -- the last three years are the '10s (obviously). They've already contributed 7.3%, which together with the '00s makes 54.1%... but that's covering 13 years, not last time's 10, so it's all a bit scruffy. Either way, the '00s are already in fifth place -- ahead are the '90s at 13.99% (formerly 20.6%), the '80s at 9.2% (formerly 10.2%), and the '70s at 7.9% (formerly 7%). It's interesting that the proportion of '70s films has grown as my collection doubled -- wouldn't've called that one.
I imagine some of the other slides are due to the '00s diluting the waters, and maybe earlier decades bulking up. The 1890s and 1900s weren't present last time, though they account for a grand total of 0.1998%; the '10s increase marginally, from 0.2% to 0.3%, while the '20s are more significant, up from 0.6% to 1.67%. The remaining decades all see their percentage share increase too: the '30s up to 1.87% (from 1.3%), the '40s to 2.07% (from 1.6%), the '50s to 2.47% (from 1.3%), and the '60s to 5.66% (from 5%). I guess this general spread of increases accounts for the drops elsewhere -- I've clearly bought primarily new releases and a lot of older titles, and not so many from the '90s and '80s. So there you have it.
I've at this point noted how arbitrary many of the remaining stats are -- even more so than those decades. Maybe that's why I skipped them last time.
I will take a look at the ever-popular running time, though. Last time that came to 118 days, 18 hours and 55 minutes. Now, it's 271 days, 23 hours and 41 minutes. the number of titles has (just over) doubled, but the running time has clearly much more than -- closer to two-and-a-half times as big, actually. Box sets, I guess.
So that's that then. See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 9 November 2012
TV
Downton Abbey
3x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
Aww, everything's resolved Happily Ever After... until the Christmas special, anyway. And series four, of course.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Red Dwarf
10x06 The Beginning [season finale]
Aww, everything's resolved... except it isn't, because there were those couple of mentions of Kochanski that didn't go anywhere. So, Series XI? After the ratings this got, I expect so.
3x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
Aww, everything's resolved Happily Ever After... until the Christmas special, anyway. And series four, of course.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Red Dwarf
10x06 The Beginning [season finale]
Aww, everything's resolved... except it isn't, because there were those couple of mentions of Kochanski that didn't go anywhere. So, Series XI? After the ratings this got, I expect so.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
TV
30 Years of the Comic Strip
Everyone goes on about Five Go Mad in Dorset, and indeed that's the only one I've seen, so it was nice to get this thorough overview of some of the Comic Strip's other greatest hits.
Hebburn
1x03 Dressing Up Fancy
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Hunted
1x05 Ambassadors
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Everyone goes on about Five Go Mad in Dorset, and indeed that's the only one I've seen, so it was nice to get this thorough overview of some of the Comic Strip's other greatest hits.
Hebburn
1x03 Dressing Up Fancy
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Hunted
1x05 Ambassadors
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
TV
Frankenstein: A Modern Myth
Well-made overview of the ongoing impact of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, featuring footage from Danny Boyle's theatrical production (which apparently ended its run 18 months ago! Time flies). Lots of analysis of the continued relevance of the tale; lots of clever editing with archive footage, often drawing comparisons and parallels of its own. Good stuff.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Spy
2x03 Codename: Lie Hard
Yes, Prime Minister
2x05 Power to the People
Well-made overview of the ongoing impact of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, featuring footage from Danny Boyle's theatrical production (which apparently ended its run 18 months ago! Time flies). Lots of analysis of the continued relevance of the tale; lots of clever editing with archive footage, often drawing comparisons and parallels of its own. Good stuff.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Spy
2x03 Codename: Lie Hard
Yes, Prime Minister
2x05 Power to the People
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
TV
Cuckoo
1x06 The Wedding [season finale]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
44x04 (2/11/12 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]
Nick Nickleby
Part 1 (of 5)
BBC daytime gets all clever-like with this modern-day adaption of Charles Dickens' novel The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. It does feel conspicuously like a Victorian novel relocated to the present day, in spite of updates to the story to make it more relevant (transposing private boarding schools for elderly care homes, for instance); and despite their aim to make primetime-worthy drama for daytime, it looks quite cheap and, for want of a better word, daytime-y. Valiant effort though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x06 The Wedding [season finale]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
44x04 (2/11/12 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]
Nick Nickleby
Part 1 (of 5)
BBC daytime gets all clever-like with this modern-day adaption of Charles Dickens' novel The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. It does feel conspicuously like a Victorian novel relocated to the present day, in spite of updates to the story to make it more relevant (transposing private boarding schools for elderly care homes, for instance); and despite their aim to make primetime-worthy drama for daytime, it looks quite cheap and, for want of a better word, daytime-y. Valiant effort though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Around-the-World Roundup: Skyfall Adds Incredible $156 Million Overseas
by Ray Subers (from Box Office Mojo)
One of the many great things about the James Bond series is it makes a mockery of American websites' US-focused view of film box office stats. Unlike, say, Tintin (which a lot of sites were aware America had never heard of and so was a much harder sell in the US than the rest of the world), they know Bond; people in the US do go to see Bond films; and so they think it'll follow the pattern of a regular blockbuster... and it never, ever does.
Latest example: Skyfall has yet to take a penny in the US and it's already the seventh highest-grossing Bond film of all time worldwide.
The US market will be important to what its final total is, obviously, but... well, I was going to say "nothing like as important as with most other big films", but that's not actually that true. The top ten highest-grossers of all time (worldwide) have roughly a 34/66 average split between the US / the rest of the world; conversely, the first two Daniel Craig Bond films come out at 28.5% from the US versus 71.5% from elsewhere. Not that out of step, really, and in the Brosnan era the States accounted for a closer-to-average 35%.
I suppose the difference is Skyfall has had two whole weeks to boost that always-big international box office, which is normally lost under stories about the US gross because it comes out everywhere else first. And actually, if you look at the top ten highest grossing films of all time in the US alone, the list is quite different (only half match up), so, y'know, there's that. (Look, this is going on, you probably don't care, let's take a look at the next article.)
How do you solve a problem like Potemkin?
by Michael Brooke (from BFI)
On the issue of presenting frames with atypical frame rates on home media formats (mainly silents, but potentially a problem in the future too). That might sound dry, but for film/tech fans it's an interesting issue, and one that deserves to be more mainstream (a little bit, anyway) so that whatever replaces Blu-ray doesn't miss the same opportunity. If more and more films begin to be shot at 48fps or 60fps, perhaps the need for a solution will become more pressing, and will retroactively aid the presentation of silent films. Fingers crossed.
by Ray Subers (from Box Office Mojo)
One of the many great things about the James Bond series is it makes a mockery of American websites' US-focused view of film box office stats. Unlike, say, Tintin (which a lot of sites were aware America had never heard of and so was a much harder sell in the US than the rest of the world), they know Bond; people in the US do go to see Bond films; and so they think it'll follow the pattern of a regular blockbuster... and it never, ever does.
Latest example: Skyfall has yet to take a penny in the US and it's already the seventh highest-grossing Bond film of all time worldwide.
The US market will be important to what its final total is, obviously, but... well, I was going to say "nothing like as important as with most other big films", but that's not actually that true. The top ten highest-grossers of all time (worldwide) have roughly a 34/66 average split between the US / the rest of the world; conversely, the first two Daniel Craig Bond films come out at 28.5% from the US versus 71.5% from elsewhere. Not that out of step, really, and in the Brosnan era the States accounted for a closer-to-average 35%.
I suppose the difference is Skyfall has had two whole weeks to boost that always-big international box office, which is normally lost under stories about the US gross because it comes out everywhere else first. And actually, if you look at the top ten highest grossing films of all time in the US alone, the list is quite different (only half match up), so, y'know, there's that. (Look, this is going on, you probably don't care, let's take a look at the next article.)
How do you solve a problem like Potemkin?
by Michael Brooke (from BFI)
On the issue of presenting frames with atypical frame rates on home media formats (mainly silents, but potentially a problem in the future too). That might sound dry, but for film/tech fans it's an interesting issue, and one that deserves to be more mainstream (a little bit, anyway) so that whatever replaces Blu-ray doesn't miss the same opportunity. If more and more films begin to be shot at 48fps or 60fps, perhaps the need for a solution will become more pressing, and will retroactively aid the presentation of silent films. Fingers crossed.
Monday, 5 November 2012
TV
Derren Brown: Apocalypse
Part Two (of 2)
That... was kind of lacklustre. Best bit was the "28 Days Later" 'gag' when he went to meet him a month later.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Men Who Made the Movies: Alfred Hitchcock
1973 documentary about the Master of Suspense, mixing interview snippets with analysed film clips. Quite good; very spoilersome for a variety of his movies.
Monroe
2x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Rolf's Animal Clinic
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Top Gear
Fifty Years of Bond Cars
Aside from passing references to James May, the Stig and Top Gear's poor track record at building things that work, this could just be a solid Richard Hammond-fronted guide to the notable cars featured in Bond films down the years. So that's good then, because it's pretty much the right tone and content for part of the series' 50th anniversary celebrations.
Part Two (of 2)
That... was kind of lacklustre. Best bit was the "28 Days Later" 'gag' when he went to meet him a month later.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Men Who Made the Movies: Alfred Hitchcock
1973 documentary about the Master of Suspense, mixing interview snippets with analysed film clips. Quite good; very spoilersome for a variety of his movies.
Monroe
2x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Rolf's Animal Clinic
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Top Gear
Fifty Years of Bond Cars
Aside from passing references to James May, the Stig and Top Gear's poor track record at building things that work, this could just be a solid Richard Hammond-fronted guide to the notable cars featured in Bond films down the years. So that's good then, because it's pretty much the right tone and content for part of the series' 50th anniversary celebrations.
Comics
Legends of the Dark Knight #1
Batman-starring anthology comic collecting the digital-first series in print. Three stories in this first issue, headlined by The Butler Did It, written by Damon Lindelof and drawn by Jeff Lemire. It's a very effective little tale, actually, a perfect example of the short comic story form. If only most modern writers could show such economy! This achieves so much in just 10 pages, whereas your typical comic arc ekes proceedings out for six issues or more.
The remaining two stories aren't quite as iconic, but fun and concise stories nonetheless. All of the Above, by Jonathan Larsen and JG Jones, manages an amusing use for the oft-referenced Bat-Shark Repellant from the 1966 movie. Finally, The Crime Never Committed by Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott doesn't come with a "Batman learns something" twist likes the other, which is probably to its benefit.
The variety of type of story this format allows, plus the chance to get a self-contained tale, certainly marks it out from the vast majority of essentially-samey multi-issue arcs most comics trade in. Appreciated.
Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation² #3 by Scott & David Tipton (with Tony Lee), J.K. Woodward & the Sharp Brothers
This is the last issue of this I've bought, partly because it's been so dreadful and partly because it looked like the collected edition was going to be a helluva lot cheaper than continuing to collect individual issues. But then it turned out they were intending to publish this dreck across two volumes, at least doubling the price! So at the minute I have no further parts on order, because it was barely worth what they were asking for just half of it. So why am I reading this? Well, I did buy it, so I thought I should still read it. And I can always acquire the remaining five issues (five more?! God!) by... other means...
Anyway, there's actually a slight improvement in quality here: an extended flashback to an adventure featuring the Fourth Doctor and the crew of the original USS Enterprise (Kirk, Spock, that lot) is rendered in a crisp, clear, '60s-cartoon-esque style by the Sharp Brothers, and it looks glorious. The Tiptons' dialogue is still appalling, but by telling a self-contained tale in about ten pages the story finally moves at a decent rate. Bookending this are more scenes on the TNG ship, featuring Woodward's sloppy, indistinct, drab art and a snail's crawl of plot to match the clanging dialogue. Even the speech bubbles are badly placed (also a problem in the flashback bit.)
How this is still selling, God only knows...
Batman-starring anthology comic collecting the digital-first series in print. Three stories in this first issue, headlined by The Butler Did It, written by Damon Lindelof and drawn by Jeff Lemire. It's a very effective little tale, actually, a perfect example of the short comic story form. If only most modern writers could show such economy! This achieves so much in just 10 pages, whereas your typical comic arc ekes proceedings out for six issues or more.
The remaining two stories aren't quite as iconic, but fun and concise stories nonetheless. All of the Above, by Jonathan Larsen and JG Jones, manages an amusing use for the oft-referenced Bat-Shark Repellant from the 1966 movie. Finally, The Crime Never Committed by Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott doesn't come with a "Batman learns something" twist likes the other, which is probably to its benefit.
The variety of type of story this format allows, plus the chance to get a self-contained tale, certainly marks it out from the vast majority of essentially-samey multi-issue arcs most comics trade in. Appreciated.
Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation² #3 by Scott & David Tipton (with Tony Lee), J.K. Woodward & the Sharp Brothers
This is the last issue of this I've bought, partly because it's been so dreadful and partly because it looked like the collected edition was going to be a helluva lot cheaper than continuing to collect individual issues. But then it turned out they were intending to publish this dreck across two volumes, at least doubling the price! So at the minute I have no further parts on order, because it was barely worth what they were asking for just half of it. So why am I reading this? Well, I did buy it, so I thought I should still read it. And I can always acquire the remaining five issues (five more?! God!) by... other means...
Anyway, there's actually a slight improvement in quality here: an extended flashback to an adventure featuring the Fourth Doctor and the crew of the original USS Enterprise (Kirk, Spock, that lot) is rendered in a crisp, clear, '60s-cartoon-esque style by the Sharp Brothers, and it looks glorious. The Tiptons' dialogue is still appalling, but by telling a self-contained tale in about ten pages the story finally moves at a decent rate. Bookending this are more scenes on the TNG ship, featuring Woodward's sloppy, indistinct, drab art and a snail's crawl of plot to match the clanging dialogue. Even the speech bubbles are badly placed (also a problem in the flashback bit.)
How this is still selling, God only knows...
Articles
Cool Stuff: Here’s What A Star Wars Theme Park Might Look Like
by Germain Lussier (from /Film)
Title pretty much has it covered.
by Germain Lussier (from /Film)
Title pretty much has it covered.
Sunday, 4 November 2012
TV
Regular Sunday viewing, it would seem... plus The Mentalist...
Downton Abbey
3x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Dragons' Den
10x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Mentalist
5x01 The Crimson Ticket (aka The Red Glass Bead)
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
26x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Downton Abbey
3x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Dragons' Den
10x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Mentalist
5x01 The Crimson Ticket (aka The Red Glass Bead)
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
26x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
this week on 100 Films
This week on 100 Films in a Year sees November kick off, which means my review of October is here. Fascinating reading as ever.
You may remember from last week that I was re-posting all my old Saw reviews. Those continue below, but as part of it I wrote a new overview of the series. You can read that here.
And so to regular business: two new reviews were published to the blog this week, and they were...
Serpico (1973)
Read more here.
The Beast Stalker (2008)
Read more here.
And new to the new blog...
Saw IV (2007)
Read more here.
Saw V (2008)
Read more here.
Saw VI (2009)
Read more here.
Saw 3D (2010)
Read more here.
More next Sunday.
You may remember from last week that I was re-posting all my old Saw reviews. Those continue below, but as part of it I wrote a new overview of the series. You can read that here.
And so to regular business: two new reviews were published to the blog this week, and they were...
Serpico (1973)
it certainly has a biographical feel. That came as a bit of a surprise, to me at least — I was expecting a thriller about a good cop exposing the corrupt ones, but instead got Frank Serpico’s life story from the time he left training on... More than a corrupt cop thriller, it’s a biopic about someone involved in that world.
Read more here.
The Beast Stalker (2008)
As a Hong Kong-produced thriller, you’d expect the focus here to actually be on the action sequences, but that’s not the case — there’s a real effort to look at the characters and the investigative side of the story. It’s by no means a procedural, and the character drama isn’t as deep as it might like to be, but the intentions are good.
Read more here.
And new to the new blog...
Saw IV (2007)
too complex, ultimately descending into the realms of incomprehensibility. There are around four different plot threads, at least two of them jumping around in time like a TARDIS with ADD. Goodness knows how many different time zones are included, how many progress in a linear fashion, and whether they have any bearing on each other. Even references to previous films are confused.
Read more here.
Saw V (2008)
Saw Part 5 might be a more apt moniker for this film: it picks up directly from the end of Saw IV — which, you may remember, took place concurrently with Saw III, ultimately appending about 30 seconds to that film’s climax. Even if you wanted to start your Saw viewing here, you wouldn’t have a hope of following what’s going on.
Read more here.
Saw VI (2009)
It doesn’t start well. The opening sequence is awful, sinking to torture porn levels again... And then, almost suddenly, it gets good. It’s probably the best Saw movie since the first.
Read more here.
Saw 3D (2010)
it isn’t so much stupid as disappointing. The problem is that there are some good ideas, but few are executed as well as they could be or paid off appropriately. The setting for the opening trap is a marvellous twist on the format [but] it’s a one off. It doesn’t even have any bearing on the rest of the plot.
Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 3 November 2012
TV
Elementary
1x02 While You Were Sleeping
Friday Night Dinner
2x04 The New Car
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Great British Bake Off
3x12 Revisited
Looking back at series two and what the contestants have done since.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Merlin
5x05 The Disir
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x02 While You Were Sleeping
Friday Night Dinner
2x04 The New Car
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Great British Bake Off
3x12 Revisited
Looking back at series two and what the contestants have done since.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Merlin
5x05 The Disir
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Films
Thunderball (1965)
[3rd or so watch]
I'll be reviewing this as #87a in 100 Films 2012, alongside the other '60s Bond films, at a later date.
[3rd or so watch]
I'll be reviewing this as #87a in 100 Films 2012, alongside the other '60s Bond films, at a later date.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Small updates this week, but the star attraction is the ever-exciting running time update. You may remember that last month it went down, much to my surprise -- I think that was the first time, and I have no idea what I removed from the list to cause such an occurrence. Can't help but feel I must've mis-listed something somewhere... Anyway, it's up again this time. See how much longer my collection has become in the past month at the end of the post.
Number of titles in collection: 1,497 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,142 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 355 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 3,737 [up 5]
Number of films in collection: 1,538 [up 4]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,689 [up 3]
Number of short films in collection: 370 [no change]
And the running time update tells us...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
271 days, 13 hours, and 4 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 12 hours, and 24 minutes from last month; and up 2 days, 5 hours, and 52 minutes from the month before.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Small updates this week, but the star attraction is the ever-exciting running time update. You may remember that last month it went down, much to my surprise -- I think that was the first time, and I have no idea what I removed from the list to cause such an occurrence. Can't help but feel I must've mis-listed something somewhere... Anyway, it's up again this time. See how much longer my collection has become in the past month at the end of the post.
Number of titles in collection: 1,497 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,142 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 355 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 3,737 [up 5]
Number of films in collection: 1,538 [up 4]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,689 [up 3]
Number of short films in collection: 370 [no change]
And the running time update tells us...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
271 days, 13 hours, and 4 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 12 hours, and 24 minutes from last month; and up 2 days, 5 hours, and 52 minutes from the month before.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 2 November 2012
TV
Miranda
2x06 The Perfect Christmas [season finale; 2nd watch]
Happened to be watching BBC One when this began and it's addictively, un-turn-off-able-ly good. And rather than an out-of-season Christmas special making me feel it was stupid to air it, I genuinely feel a bit Christmassy now. Impressive.
There are some quarters keen to dismiss the entire show, and sometimes you begin to wonder if they might be right with some of their criticisms... but then you happen across just one episode and immediately recall just how bloody good it is. So sod them all. Can't wait for the third series, which surely must be arriving soon.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Person of Interest
1x15 Blue Code
Red Dwarf
10x05 Dear Dave
2x06 The Perfect Christmas [season finale; 2nd watch]
Happened to be watching BBC One when this began and it's addictively, un-turn-off-able-ly good. And rather than an out-of-season Christmas special making me feel it was stupid to air it, I genuinely feel a bit Christmassy now. Impressive.
There are some quarters keen to dismiss the entire show, and sometimes you begin to wonder if they might be right with some of their criticisms... but then you happen across just one episode and immediately recall just how bloody good it is. So sod them all. Can't wait for the third series, which surely must be arriving soon.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Person of Interest
1x15 Blue Code
Red Dwarf
10x05 Dear Dave
Articles
Skyfall Biggest Ever First-Week Box Office Earner In The UK
by Dave Golder (from SFX)
Plus a list of the current UK top ten highest grossers. Skyfall's currently 39th, but only £20m from overtaking Star Wars Episode I and cracking the top ten.
by Dave Golder (from SFX)
Skyfall has now taken an extraordinary £37.2 million in its opening week, overtaking Deathly Hallows Part 2 to secure the biggest seven day gross of all time in UK box office history.
Plus a list of the current UK top ten highest grossers. Skyfall's currently 39th, but only £20m from overtaking Star Wars Episode I and cracking the top ten.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
TV
Hebburn
1x02 Ghost Town
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss
Having covered the development of British and American horror cinema pretty thoroughly in his 2010 series A History of Horror, here Gatiss turns his attention to nearly a century of European horror movies, from 1920's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to 2006's Pan's Labyrinth (with nods to even more recent fare, hence my "nearly a century" comment). It's equally as compelling and informative as his earlier series, the only downside being it's a single 90-minute episode -- there's clearly enough to be said here to fill another series.
There's a related article, in which he lists his five favourite European horror movies (one of which isn't even featured in the programme), here.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Hunted
1x04 Kismet
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
QI
10x07 Journalism (XL edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Suburgatory
1x22 The Motherload [season finale]
1x02 Ghost Town
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss
Having covered the development of British and American horror cinema pretty thoroughly in his 2010 series A History of Horror, here Gatiss turns his attention to nearly a century of European horror movies, from 1920's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to 2006's Pan's Labyrinth (with nods to even more recent fare, hence my "nearly a century" comment). It's equally as compelling and informative as his earlier series, the only downside being it's a single 90-minute episode -- there's clearly enough to be said here to fill another series.
There's a related article, in which he lists his five favourite European horror movies (one of which isn't even featured in the programme), here.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Hunted
1x04 Kismet
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
QI
10x07 Journalism (XL edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Suburgatory
1x22 The Motherload [season finale]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)