Arrow
2x02 Identity
Friends
4x06 The One with the Dirty Girl [4th or so watch]
Episodes of Friends often have three plots, to cover all of the characters. Usually you can rank them, as I expect they did in writing, in order of importance -- probably called the A plot, B plot, and C plot. And this episode is, weirdly, but most definitely, named after the C plot.
Thursday 31 October 2013
Wednesday 30 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
25x06 The Happiness Patrol Part Two [2nd watch]
The one with the bit where the Doctor talks some men out of shooting him, amongst other fun and frolics. I like The Happiness Patrol.
Friends
4x05 The One with Joey's New Girlfriend [4th or so watch]
Person of Interest
2x01 The Contingency
While the US are enjoying season three, Channel 5 have finally started on season two. Ah, it's like thegood bad ol' days...
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
The Wrong Mans
1x05 Wanted Mans
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
25x06 The Happiness Patrol Part Two [2nd watch]
The one with the bit where the Doctor talks some men out of shooting him, amongst other fun and frolics. I like The Happiness Patrol.
Friends
4x05 The One with Joey's New Girlfriend [4th or so watch]
Person of Interest
2x01 The Contingency
While the US are enjoying season three, Channel 5 have finally started on season two. Ah, it's like the
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
The Wrong Mans
1x05 Wanted Mans
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Films
Land of the Dead: Director's Cut (2005)
[#96 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
Week of the Living Dead #4.
[#96 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
Week of the Living Dead #4.
Tuesday 29 October 2013
TV
Elementary
2x01 Step Nine
Sherlock Holmes in London? What an original idea! Good plot, though.
Friends
4x04 The One with the Ballroom Dancing [4th or so watch]
The Great British Bake Off
4x11 The Final
Despite it getting higher viewing figures than The X Factor, I've managed to go a whole week without having the Bake Off final spoiled. (It would've been simpler to watch it sooner, of course... but then, I didn't take any special measures (I just kind of forgot about it), and it still wasn't ruined, so...)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Suburgatory
2x13 Blowtox and Burlap
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
2x01 Step Nine
Sherlock Holmes in London? What an original idea! Good plot, though.
Friends
4x04 The One with the Ballroom Dancing [4th or so watch]
The Great British Bake Off
4x11 The Final
Despite it getting higher viewing figures than The X Factor, I've managed to go a whole week without having the Bake Off final spoiled. (It would've been simpler to watch it sooner, of course... but then, I didn't take any special measures (I just kind of forgot about it), and it still wasn't ruined, so...)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Suburgatory
2x13 Blowtox and Burlap
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
DVD Extras
For Every Dawn There is a Day Or Why George Romero Would Never Direct a Rambo Movie
by Calum Waddell
Booklet included with the UK Day of the Dead Blu-ray, which again is one long essay by Waddell. Although he valiantly defends the film, and again expands upon what it Means, there were a lot of little niggles (in his conclusion he uses the word "anecdote" instead of "antidote"!) that make it feel kind of amateurish -- or, worse, fannish.
by Calum Waddell
Booklet included with the UK Day of the Dead Blu-ray, which again is one long essay by Waddell. Although he valiantly defends the film, and again expands upon what it Means, there were a lot of little niggles (in his conclusion he uses the word "anecdote" instead of "antidote"!) that make it feel kind of amateurish -- or, worse, fannish.
Comics
Day of the Dead: Desertion by Stefan Hutchinson, Barry Keating & Jeff Zornow
A full-length (well, one-shot length) comic included with Arrow Video's Blu-ray of Day of the Dead. Unfortunately, it's pretty terrible. There are some neat ideas in there, which someone of Romero's ability could have explored, but here it's just rendered with ultra-violence and extreme language purely for shock factor. Plus, dialogue that no one in the world would ever actually say -- it's over-written to the point of absurdity.
A full-length (well, one-shot length) comic included with Arrow Video's Blu-ray of Day of the Dead. Unfortunately, it's pretty terrible. There are some neat ideas in there, which someone of Romero's ability could have explored, but here it's just rendered with ultra-violence and extreme language purely for shock factor. Plus, dialogue that no one in the world would ever actually say -- it's over-written to the point of absurdity.
Monday 28 October 2013
TV
Arrow
2x01 City of Heroes
Ah Arrow -- it can be ever so cheesy and silly, but occasionally it's really good, and overall it's fun. Unlike the godawful Once Upon a Time, which I've finally decided to just give up on.
Doctor Who
25x05 The Happiness Patrol Part One [2nd watch]
With less than a month to go 'til the 50th anniversary special, #bbbDW50 reaches the end of the classic era proper with this Seventh Doctor story.
It's the one that exploded across the news a few years ago for being a satire on Margaret Thatcher, which was a bit baffling for Doctor Who fans: we'd always known that; why was it news? (Indeed, the autobiography which was the source for the news story had been out for a few years itself.) It's a controversial story all round, in fact: this is also the one with the Kandy Man, who is both divisive (you just know there are some fans who are going to give themselves an aneurism over a villain made from sweets) and possibly copyright-infringing (the Bertie Bassett people complained and the BBC had to promise never to bring him back).
Then there's all the stuff with indoor sets that are meant to be be outdoor streets, and the garish costumes, and painting the TARDIS pink... In DWM's Mighty 200 it came a lowly 170th, putting it in the bottom half of Sylvester McCoy stories (albeit at the top of said half).
Personally, I've always liked it. It's got a barminess undercut with a serious side that works. The guest star is Sheila Hancock, who is always magnificent. And there's that bit where the Doctor talks his way out of getting shot which is simply marvellous.
Some people dismiss the McCoy years out of hand, without even considering they might have some merit. Yes, the show had been getting steadily worse for years (while '60s and '70s stories can hold up well today, several '80s ones really, really do not), but it picked back up again towards the end. It's a shame that by then so few people cared; and even those who were watching assumed it was still all bad, and can't get over that to this day.
Friends
4x03 The One with the 'Cuffs [4th or so watch]
Have I Got News For You
46x03 (18/10/2013 edition; extended repeat)
2x01 City of Heroes
Ah Arrow -- it can be ever so cheesy and silly, but occasionally it's really good, and overall it's fun. Unlike the godawful Once Upon a Time, which I've finally decided to just give up on.
Doctor Who
25x05 The Happiness Patrol Part One [2nd watch]
With less than a month to go 'til the 50th anniversary special, #bbbDW50 reaches the end of the classic era proper with this Seventh Doctor story.
It's the one that exploded across the news a few years ago for being a satire on Margaret Thatcher, which was a bit baffling for Doctor Who fans: we'd always known that; why was it news? (Indeed, the autobiography which was the source for the news story had been out for a few years itself.) It's a controversial story all round, in fact: this is also the one with the Kandy Man, who is both divisive (you just know there are some fans who are going to give themselves an aneurism over a villain made from sweets) and possibly copyright-infringing (the Bertie Bassett people complained and the BBC had to promise never to bring him back).
Then there's all the stuff with indoor sets that are meant to be be outdoor streets, and the garish costumes, and painting the TARDIS pink... In DWM's Mighty 200 it came a lowly 170th, putting it in the bottom half of Sylvester McCoy stories (albeit at the top of said half).
Personally, I've always liked it. It's got a barminess undercut with a serious side that works. The guest star is Sheila Hancock, who is always magnificent. And there's that bit where the Doctor talks his way out of getting shot which is simply marvellous.
Some people dismiss the McCoy years out of hand, without even considering they might have some merit. Yes, the show had been getting steadily worse for years (while '60s and '70s stories can hold up well today, several '80s ones really, really do not), but it picked back up again towards the end. It's a shame that by then so few people cared; and even those who were watching assumed it was still all bad, and can't get over that to this day.
Friends
4x03 The One with the 'Cuffs [4th or so watch]
Have I Got News For You
46x03 (18/10/2013 edition; extended repeat)
DVD Extras
For Every Night There is a Dawn (Or how George Romero never recovered from the Vietnam War)
by Calum Waddell
Booklet included with the UK Dawn of the Dead Blu-ray, which is one long, interesting essay by Waddell.
by Calum Waddell
Booklet included with the UK Dawn of the Dead Blu-ray, which is one long, interesting essay by Waddell.
Sunday 27 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
1x04 The Fourth Doctor
Friends
4x02 The One with the Cat [4th or so watch]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x04 The Fourth Doctor
Friends
4x02 The One with the Cat [4th or so watch]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Films
Toy Story of Terror! (2013)
[#93a in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
Pixar's latest Toy Story short is this made-for-TV Halloween special, shown in the US a couple of weeks ago and now available through Sky Movies in the UK. It's good fun, so a shame Sky got their grubby little mitts on it.
[#93a in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
Pixar's latest Toy Story short is this made-for-TV Halloween special, shown in the US a couple of weeks ago and now available through Sky Movies in the UK. It's good fun, so a shame Sky got their grubby little mitts on it.
Non-Fiction
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook
Book Two, Chapter 21
Book Two, Chapter 21
this week on 100 Films
Five brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
The Italian Job (2003)
Man on a Ledge (2012)
My Week with Marilyn (2011)
On Dangerous Ground (1952)
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2012)
And there were four reviews new to the new blog, too...
Die Hard 2 (1990)
An Education (2009)
Is Anybody There? (2008)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
More next Sunday.
The Italian Job (2003)
I’ve never seen the original, but from what I gather the only similarity is they both feature Minis in their climactic sequence — and even then, the original used ‘real’ Minis while this uses those daft big-as-a-regular-car new ones. In that respect it’s one of those remakes/reboots that is just using the name for brand recognition, and they normally turn out to be awful. But maybe The Italian Job is the exception...Read more here.
Man on a Ledge (2012)
A man books into a swish hotel, has a nice meal, then climbs out the window. Onlookers and police gather. Will he jump? Or is he just a distraction? What follows is pretty generic ‘single location thriller’ material, with a thoroughly daft ending… but when the whole film strains plausibility, do we buy it?Read more here.
My Week with Marilyn (2011)
The supporting cast is a veritable who’s who of recognisable British faces, stars of screens both big and small. Barely a speaking part goes by without an actor you’re certain to recognise. I’d list them but, honestly, there are far, far too many. [But,] of course Dominic Cooper’s in it — is it even legal to make a mid-budget British movie without him now?Read more here.
On Dangerous Ground (1952)
I also didn’t ‘feel’ the juxtaposition of shadowy city in the film’s early sections with bright snowy country later on. Nonetheless, there is a clear contrast on screen, particularly as the city is all shot at night and is very black, while most of the country scenes occur in daylight, emphasising the near-ceaseless white of the snow.Read more here.
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2012)
The master of miniatures back when special effects were truly special, rather than copious CGI ladled all over a couple of thousand shots throughout a blockbuster, the effect of Harryhausen’s work in (primarily) the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s is to thank for much of the best creativity in sci-fi/fantasy filmmaking of the last 20 to 30 years.Read more here.
And there were four reviews new to the new blog, too...
Die Hard 2 (1990)
Arguably the other main reason Die Hard worked so well — the confined office block setting — is also discarded, giving McClane a whole airport to run around. We have to be grateful that this isn’t just a straight forward rehash of the first film... but it doesn’t have the same brilliant simplicity.Read more here.
An Education (2009)
Jenny’s induction into her new friends’ higher-class world isn’t marred by the usual abundance of “embarrassing faux pas” humour that such tales normally fall back on. I’ve never understood where the entertainment value is supposed to lie in seeing the character we’re asked to like being put through the kind of social embarrassment that happens all too often in real life and that we’d really rather like to forget.Read more here.
Is Anybody There? (2008)
Perhaps if you’ve ever been that child who wondered and worried about what comes after death, or struggled to find your place in the world, or become stuck in a situation where you feel you may as just give up, or known people who’ve been abandoned as they grew old, or who have suffered that horrible, sometimes slow, sometimes all too fast, loss of their mental faculties, then this film will engage you too.Read more here.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
it may lack the depth of X-Men or X2, both of which played with subtexts of social exclusion and derision... but, taken as a straightforward action-adventure movie about people with extraordinary abilities fighting each other, it more than satisfies.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday 26 October 2013
TV
Atlantis
1x05 White Lies
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
4x01 The One with the Jellyfish [4th or so watch]
The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x04 Episode 4
1x05 White Lies
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
4x01 The One with the Jellyfish [4th or so watch]
The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x04 Episode 4
Films
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
[#93 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
It's almost Halloween (had you noticed?), and this year I'm finally going to execute my long-held plan to watch all of George A. Romero's "Dead" films in a week. Starting today, with the first (obv.) The plan is to also run reviews daily on 100 Films, starting from Monday.
[#93 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
It's almost Halloween (had you noticed?), and this year I'm finally going to execute my long-held plan to watch all of George A. Romero's "Dead" films in a week. Starting today, with the first (obv.) The plan is to also run reviews daily on 100 Films, starting from Monday.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Number of titles in collection: 1,628 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,193 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 435 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 4,046 [up 4]
Number of films in collection: 1,735 [up 8]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,007 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 405 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Number of titles in collection: 1,628 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,193 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 435 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 4,046 [up 4]
Number of films in collection: 1,735 [up 8]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,007 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 405 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday 25 October 2013
TV
Archer
4x10 Un Chien Tangerine
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Doctor Who
22x09 The Two Doctors Part Three [2nd watch]
It seems even the great, legendary Robert Holmes can't muster a good Sixth Doctor story.
Here, we get an underused Patrick Troughton (though, even then, he can't help but be brilliant); Sontarans who may as well not be in it (they could be any generic heavies); and we're treated to some of the era's trademark violence, as the Doctor murders a villain with cyanide gas, a Sontaran's dismembered leg is gleefully waved about, and a supporting character is bloodily stabbed in the chest; the last leads to a death scene that I think is supposed to be poignant but is just comic, and is overshadowed by a final shot where the camera adjusts to highlight a different character's chest.
It's not all bad. There's the highly comical sight of the cast traipsing around Seville in daft sci-fi costumes; there's a surprisingly impressive explosion, which must have been practical; and, among the cast, there's Troughton, and Frazer Hines, plus Nicola Bryant bringing her ample charms.
Unless memory cheats, this is the end of the Bad Part of #bbbDW50 -- though some may disagree, as the next couple of stories (at least) are under-rated personal favourites.
Friends
3x25 The One at the Beach [season finale; 4th or so watch]
The Graham Norton Show
14x02 (18/10/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Was It Something I Said
1x02 Episode 2 (extended repeat)
[Watch only the shorter version on 4oD.]
4x10 Un Chien Tangerine
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Doctor Who
22x09 The Two Doctors Part Three [2nd watch]
It seems even the great, legendary Robert Holmes can't muster a good Sixth Doctor story.
Here, we get an underused Patrick Troughton (though, even then, he can't help but be brilliant); Sontarans who may as well not be in it (they could be any generic heavies); and we're treated to some of the era's trademark violence, as the Doctor murders a villain with cyanide gas, a Sontaran's dismembered leg is gleefully waved about, and a supporting character is bloodily stabbed in the chest; the last leads to a death scene that I think is supposed to be poignant but is just comic, and is overshadowed by a final shot where the camera adjusts to highlight a different character's chest.
It's not all bad. There's the highly comical sight of the cast traipsing around Seville in daft sci-fi costumes; there's a surprisingly impressive explosion, which must have been practical; and, among the cast, there's Troughton, and Frazer Hines, plus Nicola Bryant bringing her ample charms.
Unless memory cheats, this is the end of the Bad Part of #bbbDW50 -- though some may disagree, as the next couple of stories (at least) are under-rated personal favourites.
Friends
3x25 The One at the Beach [season finale; 4th or so watch]
The Graham Norton Show
14x02 (18/10/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Was It Something I Said
1x02 Episode 2 (extended repeat)
[Watch only the shorter version on 4oD.]
Non-Fiction
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook
Book Two, Chapter 16
Interlude
Chapters 17-20
Book Two, Chapter 16
Interlude
Chapters 17-20
Thursday 24 October 2013
TV
Archer
4x07 Live and Let Dine
4x09 The Honeymooners
C5 have deigned to show more episodes, meaning I get more Archer for the first time in a month. And there was another one on in the middle of the night, too. Hurrah, and/or about bloody time!
[Watch Live and Let Dine & The Honeymooners (again) on Demand 5.]
Friends
3x23 The One with Ross's Thing [4th or so watch]
3x24 The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion [4th or so watch]
Man Down
1x01 Episode 1
Don't think I'll be bothering with any more of this.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Newsroom
2x06 One Step Too Many
4x07 Live and Let Dine
4x09 The Honeymooners
C5 have deigned to show more episodes, meaning I get more Archer for the first time in a month. And there was another one on in the middle of the night, too. Hurrah, and/or about bloody time!
[Watch Live and Let Dine & The Honeymooners (again) on Demand 5.]
Friends
3x23 The One with Ross's Thing [4th or so watch]
3x24 The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion [4th or so watch]
Man Down
1x01 Episode 1
Don't think I'll be bothering with any more of this.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Newsroom
2x06 One Step Too Many
Wednesday 23 October 2013
TV
Castle
3x04 Punked
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Doctor Who
22x08 The Two Doctors Part Two [2nd watch]
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
1x03 The Third Doctor
Friends
3x22 The One with the Screamer [4th or so watch]
3x04 Punked
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Doctor Who
22x08 The Two Doctors Part Two [2nd watch]
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
1x03 The Third Doctor
Friends
3x22 The One with the Screamer [4th or so watch]
Films
The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
[#92 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
aka Zatôichi monogatari, the first of 26 movies starring Shintarô Katsu as the titular blind swordsman.
Criterion are releasing a lavish (almost-)complete Blu-ray set of the series later in the year, which is massively tempting (it looks gorgeous), but as I've had the first few films knocking about on DVD for a few years I thought I should check one or two of them out before committing to Criterion's set.
One thing's for certain: the picture quality in the new set will be more pleasant. Not just because it's in HD, but because the 2006 US DVD I watched this on presented the film in its correct ultra-wide aspect ratio... but stuck within a 4:3 frame, with the subtitles under the film image -- i.e. a nightmare to watch nicely on a widescreen TV. I'll be happy to take it in again when I get that BD set.
[#92 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
aka Zatôichi monogatari, the first of 26 movies starring Shintarô Katsu as the titular blind swordsman.
Criterion are releasing a lavish (almost-)complete Blu-ray set of the series later in the year, which is massively tempting (it looks gorgeous), but as I've had the first few films knocking about on DVD for a few years I thought I should check one or two of them out before committing to Criterion's set.
One thing's for certain: the picture quality in the new set will be more pleasant. Not just because it's in HD, but because the 2006 US DVD I watched this on presented the film in its correct ultra-wide aspect ratio... but stuck within a 4:3 frame, with the subtitles under the film image -- i.e. a nightmare to watch nicely on a widescreen TV. I'll be happy to take it in again when I get that BD set.
Tuesday 22 October 2013
TV
Friends
3x21 The One with a Chick and a Duck [4th or so watch]
The Great British Bake Off
4x09 French Week
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Wrong Mans
1x04 Inside Mans
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
3x21 The One with a Chick and a Duck [4th or so watch]
The Great British Bake Off
4x09 French Week
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Wrong Mans
1x04 Inside Mans
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Non-Fiction
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook
Book Two, Chapters 13-15
Book Two, Chapters 13-15
Monday 21 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
22x07 The Two Doctors Part One [2nd watch]
Instead of moving on, #bbbDW50 this week welcomes back the Second Doctor, guest starring in this Sixth Doctor adventure. It's an odd one: it begins with him and Jamie, spends a whole 10 minutes of the episode with them, and only then introduces the incumbent TARDIS team... who we spend the rest of the episode with, only fleetingly seeing the other Doctor and his companion in one other scene. They haven't even teamed up by episode's end.
It also feels like conclusive proof the 45-minute episode length was a bad fit for Who at the time. It feels slow and unfocussed, like someone's taken a 25-minute episode and stretched it rather than sticking two back to back. I know old drama moves at a slower pace and I'm fine with that, obviously, but this... just doesn't seem to work.
Or it could just be yet another weak Sixth Doctor story, of course.
Also, it's clearly evident that this was a relatively early entry in the DVD range. The restoration, while not bad, is nothing like as slick as on more recent titles. For one thing, this is before the Restoration Team's standard-for-years practice of replacing the opening & closing credits with a new, cleaner version, and as such they look pretty shoddy. Probably not a title that merits the full revisited treatment, though I'm sure it could be improved on now.
Have I Got News For You
46x02 (11/10/2013 edition; extended repeat)
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
22x07 The Two Doctors Part One [2nd watch]
Instead of moving on, #bbbDW50 this week welcomes back the Second Doctor, guest starring in this Sixth Doctor adventure. It's an odd one: it begins with him and Jamie, spends a whole 10 minutes of the episode with them, and only then introduces the incumbent TARDIS team... who we spend the rest of the episode with, only fleetingly seeing the other Doctor and his companion in one other scene. They haven't even teamed up by episode's end.
It also feels like conclusive proof the 45-minute episode length was a bad fit for Who at the time. It feels slow and unfocussed, like someone's taken a 25-minute episode and stretched it rather than sticking two back to back. I know old drama moves at a slower pace and I'm fine with that, obviously, but this... just doesn't seem to work.
Or it could just be yet another weak Sixth Doctor story, of course.
Also, it's clearly evident that this was a relatively early entry in the DVD range. The restoration, while not bad, is nothing like as slick as on more recent titles. For one thing, this is before the Restoration Team's standard-for-years practice of replacing the opening & closing credits with a new, cleaner version, and as such they look pretty shoddy. Probably not a title that merits the full revisited treatment, though I'm sure it could be improved on now.
Have I Got News For You
46x02 (11/10/2013 edition; extended repeat)
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Sunday 20 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
1x02 The Second Doctor
Friends
3x20 The One with the Dollhouse [4th or so watch]
Suburgatory
2x12 Body Talk
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Was It Something I Said
1x01 Episode 1 (extended repeat)
[Watch the shorter version (again) on 4oD.]
(or be like me and Torrent the longer one...)
1x02 The Second Doctor
Friends
3x20 The One with the Dollhouse [4th or so watch]
Suburgatory
2x12 Body Talk
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Was It Something I Said
1x01 Episode 1 (extended repeat)
[Watch the shorter version (again) on 4oD.]
(or be like me and Torrent the longer one...)
this week on 100 Films
Four new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week.
First up, a film that has its UK free-TV premiere on Channel 5 at 4:20pm this afternoon...
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
The Extraordinary Voyage (2011)
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)
A Trip to the Moon (1902)
Just one review new to the new blog this week, though...
The House on 92nd Street (1945)
More next Sunday.
First up, a film that has its UK free-TV premiere on Channel 5 at 4:20pm this afternoon...
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Cloudy subverts first impressions by actually being really good. And I mean that as in “good for adults”, not just “good for kids”... The main selling point is that it’s very funny. Of course there’s the slapstick cartoon humour, which is well done, but there’s also a lot of great one-liners, random asides, and the like.Read more here.
The Extraordinary Voyage (2011)
Documentary about the life and work of Georges Méliès, with particular attention to A Trip to the Moon, which then moves on to discuss how the hand-coloured print was rediscovered and the various attempts at restoring it.Read more here.
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)
If you’ve seen a Zucker-Abrams-Zucker film you’ll know what you’re in for (and if you haven’t, is a sequel really the best place to start?), but the pleasing aspect is that this is as good as any. Well, not as good as any, but it’s a fine example of their style.Read more here.
A Trip to the Moon (1902)
Of all the defining images of cinema — certainly of the silent era — the face on the Moon with a rocket in its eye must be one of the most recognised, though you have to wonder how many have actually seen Méliès’ full vision.Read more here.
Just one review new to the new blog this week, though...
The House on 92nd Street (1945)
Here’s an unusual one from the pantheon of film noir. These days we’d probably call it a docu-drama, though thankfully there are no talking heads, but there is a factual voiceover narration. The story, we’re told, comes from the FBI’s files and is based on a real case — the original title was Now It Can Be Told and it’s “loosely based on the case of Duquesne Spy Ring headed by Frederick Joubert Duquesne and the work of real life double agent William G. Sebold.”Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday 19 October 2013
TV
Atlantis
1x04 Twist of Fate
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
3x18 The One with the Hypnosis Tape [4th or so watch]
3x19 The One with the Tiny T-Shirt [4th or so watch]
1x04 Twist of Fate
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
3x18 The One with the Hypnosis Tape [4th or so watch]
3x19 The One with the Tiny T-Shirt [4th or so watch]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week, the number of TV episodes in my collection shoots past 6,000. Oh dear Lordy. I wonder how many of those I've actually watched?
That same release is responsible for the short film, while the 'Final Cut' of The Wicker Man is responsible for a DVD-to-BD upgrade -- meaning changes across the board this week.
Number of titles in collection: 1,626 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,192 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 434 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 4,042 [up 9]
Number of films in collection: 1,727 [up 8]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,007 [up 13]
Number of short films in collection: 405 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
This week, the number of TV episodes in my collection shoots past 6,000. Oh dear Lordy. I wonder how many of those I've actually watched?
That same release is responsible for the short film, while the 'Final Cut' of The Wicker Man is responsible for a DVD-to-BD upgrade -- meaning changes across the board this week.
Number of titles in collection: 1,626 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,192 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 434 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 4,042 [up 9]
Number of films in collection: 1,727 [up 8]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,007 [up 13]
Number of short films in collection: 405 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday 18 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
21x24 The Twin Dilemma Part Four [season finale]
Well that's that over! The important thing here is, now I can say I've seen it.
Starting next Monday, #bbbDW50 moves on to... more Sixth Doctor. I bet you can guess which by now. It's also the phase of the project that's all neat: every story/era lasts a week. Until the modern one, which doesn't quite split as a week for RTD and a week for Moffat. But it almost does. Almost.
Friends
3x17 The One Without the Ski Trip [4th or so watch]
The Graham Norton Show
14x01 (11/10/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
21x24 The Twin Dilemma Part Four [season finale]
Well that's that over! The important thing here is, now I can say I've seen it.
Starting next Monday, #bbbDW50 moves on to... more Sixth Doctor. I bet you can guess which by now. It's also the phase of the project that's all neat: every story/era lasts a week. Until the modern one, which doesn't quite split as a week for RTD and a week for Moffat. But it almost does. Almost.
Friends
3x17 The One Without the Ski Trip [4th or so watch]
The Graham Norton Show
14x01 (11/10/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Non-Fiction
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook
Book One, Chapters 11-12
That's the end of Book One -- from here on, it's all the new material.
Glad I re-read, though: it was both interesting all over again, and surely a good primer for the conversations, topics, dare I say "storylines" that will continue into the second half.
Book One, Chapters 11-12
That's the end of Book One -- from here on, it's all the new material.
Glad I re-read, though: it was both interesting all over again, and surely a good primer for the conversations, topics, dare I say "storylines" that will continue into the second half.
Thursday 17 October 2013
TV
Friends
3x14 The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner [4th or so watch]
3x15 The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break [4th or so watch]
3x16 The One with the Morning After [4th or so watch]
Mock the Week
12x12 Highlights Special
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
3x14 The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner [4th or so watch]
3x15 The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break [4th or so watch]
3x16 The One with the Morning After [4th or so watch]
Mock the Week
12x12 Highlights Special
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
Lady of Deceit (1947)
[#88 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
More commonly known as Born to Kill, but this is the UK title and what it was called on BBC Two, so I go with that. It's also a better title, if you ask me -- Born to Kill is thoroughly generic noir, while Lady of Deceit better suggests the film's themes.
It's based on a novel called Deadlier Than the Male, which is also what it was known as in Australia. Why they didn't just stick with that everywhere, goodness only knows.
[#88 in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
More commonly known as Born to Kill, but this is the UK title and what it was called on BBC Two, so I go with that. It's also a better title, if you ask me -- Born to Kill is thoroughly generic noir, while Lady of Deceit better suggests the film's themes.
It's based on a novel called Deadlier Than the Male, which is also what it was known as in Australia. Why they didn't just stick with that everywhere, goodness only knows.
Wednesday 16 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
21x23 The Twin Dilemma Part Three
It finally feels like the story is getting underway... with just one part left. Hey-ho.
Friends
3x12 The One with All the Jealousy [4th or so watch]
3x13 The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends [4th or so watch]
The Two Ronnies Spectacle
1x03 Songs & Serials [final episode]
21x23 The Twin Dilemma Part Three
It finally feels like the story is getting underway... with just one part left. Hey-ho.
Friends
3x12 The One with All the Jealousy [4th or so watch]
3x13 The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends [4th or so watch]
The Two Ronnies Spectacle
1x03 Songs & Serials [final episode]
Non-Fiction
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook
Book One, Chapters 5-10
This is bloody addictive once you get going -- I was reading on-and-off for close to four hours to get through all that (some 160 pages), but the time just evaporated. And I still had to stop myself from just plunging on.
The one bit that grates, though, is the absence of script pages. There were tonnes and tonnes -- whole drafts of whole episodes, in fact -- included in the original hardback version. Here, Davies and Cook discuss them, but (for space reasons) we're no longer privy to reading the actual scripts. And because they're mentioning the existence of the pages ("Here are some more I've written", etc) and their content ("Oh my, that turns up", etc) it really draws attention to their absence. Shame.
Book One, Chapters 5-10
This is bloody addictive once you get going -- I was reading on-and-off for close to four hours to get through all that (some 160 pages), but the time just evaporated. And I still had to stop myself from just plunging on.
The one bit that grates, though, is the absence of script pages. There were tonnes and tonnes -- whole drafts of whole episodes, in fact -- included in the original hardback version. Here, Davies and Cook discuss them, but (for space reasons) we're no longer privy to reading the actual scripts. And because they're mentioning the existence of the pages ("Here are some more I've written", etc) and their content ("Oh my, that turns up", etc) it really draws attention to their absence. Shame.
Tuesday 15 October 2013
TV
Friends
3x11 The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister [4th or so watch]
Suburgatory
2x11 Yakult Leader
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Wrong Mans
1x03 Dead Mans
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
3x11 The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister [4th or so watch]
Suburgatory
2x11 Yakult Leader
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Wrong Mans
1x03 Dead Mans
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Non-Fiction
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook
Book One, Chapters 3-4
Book One, Chapters 3-4
Monday 14 October 2013
TV
Castle
3x03 Under the Gun
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Cowboy Bebop
1x07 Heavy Metal Queen
1x08 Waltz for Venus
And to think, I was once worried I would finish the first half of the series long before the second box set was out -- and that was before the release date was put back to today. Still, good a time as any to resume.
Doctor Who
21x22 The Twin Dilemma Part Two
The accepted wisdom that it was a mistake to make the Doctor so unlikeable in his first outing remains true, but, nonetheless, Colin Baker's performance is the best thing here by a mile.
Friends
3x10 The One Where Rachel Quits [4th or so watch]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
3x03 Under the Gun
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Cowboy Bebop
1x07 Heavy Metal Queen
1x08 Waltz for Venus
And to think, I was once worried I would finish the first half of the series long before the second box set was out -- and that was before the release date was put back to today. Still, good a time as any to resume.
Doctor Who
21x22 The Twin Dilemma Part Two
The accepted wisdom that it was a mistake to make the Doctor so unlikeable in his first outing remains true, but, nonetheless, Colin Baker's performance is the best thing here by a mile.
Friends
3x10 The One Where Rachel Quits [4th or so watch]
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Sunday 13 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who: The Doctors Revisited
1x01 The First Doctor
BBC America's 11-part Doctor Who retrospective, which has been running all year over there at a rate of one a month, finally makes it to the UK courtesy of Watch, who are airing the whole thing across six weekends. It's a bit of a beginner's guide, but that also means it serves as a pleasant-enough overview for those of us more familiar with the show's history. Plus you get to hear the thoughts of insiders like David Tennant and Steven Moffat.
Downton Abbey
4x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Friends
3x09 The One with the Football [4th or so watch]
1x01 The First Doctor
BBC America's 11-part Doctor Who retrospective, which has been running all year over there at a rate of one a month, finally makes it to the UK courtesy of Watch, who are airing the whole thing across six weekends. It's a bit of a beginner's guide, but that also means it serves as a pleasant-enough overview for those of us more familiar with the show's history. Plus you get to hear the thoughts of insiders like David Tennant and Steven Moffat.
Downton Abbey
4x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Friends
3x09 The One with the Football [4th or so watch]
DVD Extras
Doctor Who: The Golden Age
Short featurette on the Tenth Planet DVD (officially out tomorrow) that sets out to expose the fallacy that there was once a "golden age" of the programme. And it's quite right too. Of course different people have different favourite eras, for whatever reason, but you can't really single out a point when it was unquestionably better than at any other point.
Short featurette on the Tenth Planet DVD (officially out tomorrow) that sets out to expose the fallacy that there was once a "golden age" of the programme. And it's quite right too. Of course different people have different favourite eras, for whatever reason, but you can't really single out a point when it was unquestionably better than at any other point.
this week on 100 Films
Firstly, allow me to point you towards the 100 Films in a Year summary of what's on TV today. They all happen to be on Channel 5, oddly.
Now then, down to regular business. Three brand-new reviews were published this week, and they were...
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)
The Debt (2011)
Tintin and the Mystery of the Golden Fleece (1961)
And there were loads new to the new blog (four today alone), as follows...
Angels & Demons (2009)
Angels & Demons: Extended Version (2009)
Cameraman: The Life & Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)
Glory (1989)
Hercules (1997)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Vantage Point (2008)
More next Sunday.
Now then, down to regular business. Three brand-new reviews were published this week, and they were...
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)
“Old fogies go to India” is the setup of this frothy comedy-drama... But when said fogies are played by Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie and Penelope Wilton, it will surprise no one to learn there’s something here for us all.Read more here.
The Debt (2011)
a team of Mossad agents are hailed as heroes following a high-value mission, only to face serious repercussions decades later. A cast led by Oscar winner Helen Mirren and nominees Jessica Chastain and Tom Wilkinson help affirm this as serious-minded Cold War dramaRead more here.
Tintin and the Mystery of the Golden Fleece (1961)
the first of two live-action Tintin movies made by the French in the ’60s. It seems quite a low-budget affair, but that might just be applying modern tastes to an era of more simple means. For all the flat direction and pound-store costumes, there’s still a globetrotting plot involving sunken ships, numerous chases, helicopters, and that kind of thing.Read more here.
And there were loads new to the new blog (four today alone), as follows...
Angels & Demons (2009)
It still concerns itself with Hanks’ Langdon dashing about trying to solve insanely cryptic clues in a limited timeframe, surrounded by irritating policeman, suspicious friendly characters, and a girl who is almost pointless. However, it’s a lot less talkyRead more here.
Angels & Demons: Extended Version (2009)
the extended cut is basically the same as the theatrical version. If you enjoyed that then you might want to seek this out for your next viewing, just because why not? If you weren’t impressed before, however, there’s no special incentive to try again.Read more here.
Cameraman: The Life & Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)
It’s a biography of Cardiff’s work, moving chronologically through his major contributions to cinema. The insights are numerous thanks to the number of films covered and a lot of footage from an interview with Cardiff himself.Read more here.
Glory (1989)
it would be easy to slide into Issue of the Week melodrama in handling such a tale, but Zwick manages it without undue sentiment — there’s an appropriate realisation of the importance of events, perhaps even occasional reverence, but time is taken to show doubts and prejudices.Read more here.
Hercules (1997)
the tale is told with surprising faithfulness. There’s still a healthy dose of anachronistic content to liven up the humour though. In fact, the sequences with Hercules’ adoring fans and merchandising empire ring even more true in this Twilight-obsessed world than they did 13 years ago.Read more here.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
The first half hour is great fun, but then it gets weird, adds in hefty doses of over-complex plotting, and drags along fairly slowly until it finds an exciting climax a little late on.Read more here.
Vantage Point (2008)
I don’t imagine you’ve missed the endless comparisons [to Rashomon] But, in fact, it’s nothing like it... There are no lies and no real misdirection; none of the characters interpret what they see, we’re just shown it from where they were standing.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday 12 October 2013
TV
Atlantis
1x03 A Boy of No Consequence
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
3x07 The One with the Race Car Bed [4th or so watch]
3x08 The One with the Giant Poking Device [4th or so watch]
1x03 A Boy of No Consequence
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
3x07 The One with the Race Car Bed [4th or so watch]
3x08 The One with the Giant Poking Device [4th or so watch]
Comics
Dredd Underbelly: Part Two by Arthur Wyatt & Henry Flint
(from Judge Dredd Megazine #341)
In which things suddenly, almost inexplicably, leap forward from last time. It feels like some of the story has been skipped, even. Ho hum.
(from Judge Dredd Megazine #341)
In which things suddenly, almost inexplicably, leap forward from last time. It feels like some of the story has been skipped, even. Ho hum.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
A big pile of Doctor Who DVDs this week (six, to be precise) sees my DVD collection of the classic series become almost complete... just as they find some more stories. But I have those on pre-order now, so yay. And aside from such as-yet-unreleased titles (which, obviously, I couldn't own) and a few Special Editions (which are all still a bit pricey), there's only one story I don't have! So if anyone sees The Ambassadors of Death for about a fiver, do let me know...
Number of titles in collection: 1,623 [up 7]
Of which DVDs: 1,193 [up 7]
Of which Blu-rays: 430 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 4,033 [up 9]
Number of films in collection: 1,719 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,994 [up 27]
Number of short films in collection: 404 [up 12]
See you next week, faithful reader.
A big pile of Doctor Who DVDs this week (six, to be precise) sees my DVD collection of the classic series become almost complete... just as they find some more stories. But I have those on pre-order now, so yay. And aside from such as-yet-unreleased titles (which, obviously, I couldn't own) and a few Special Editions (which are all still a bit pricey), there's only one story I don't have! So if anyone sees The Ambassadors of Death for about a fiver, do let me know...
Number of titles in collection: 1,623 [up 7]
Of which DVDs: 1,193 [up 7]
Of which Blu-rays: 430 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 4,033 [up 9]
Number of films in collection: 1,719 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,994 [up 27]
Number of short films in collection: 404 [up 12]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday 11 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
21x21 The Twin Dilemma Part One
While everyone else (not literally, but you know what I mean -- that's how it feels) is busy watching The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear off iTunes, I'm waiting for the DVDs (November and February respectively) -- and, instead, watching a story I've never seen.
Last night, while waiting for the official confirmation of which missing episodes had been found, I worked out that there are around 310 previously-existing episodes of Who that I've never watched. So while this new find is exciting on many levels, and is all kinds of improbable and wonderful, for me it's not a "must see now!" moment -- it just increases the number of episodes I've never seen (and decreases the number of missing episodes I've not listened to, haha!) That's why I'm in no rush... which is great, because each story is something like £10 on iTunes, and then £13 again for each on DVD in only a few months, so I'm saving £20.
Anyway: #bbbDW50 (note the new link). It's time for the Sixth Doctor, and (as I mentioned before) after jumping 8½ years to get from the Fourth to Fifth Doctors, the time skipped to reach this is just one week.
There are several reasons for that choice, but one is the marvellous symmetry of it: Androzani is The Greatest Doctor Who Story Ever Made™, and it is immediately -- immediately -- followed by The Worst Doctor Who Story Ever Made™. Plus it's one of only two Sixth Doctor tales I've never seen (the other is Timelash, the second-worst story ever), which is a bonus.
And it really is dreadful. The writing, the acting, the costumes, the sets, the monsters, the music... everything is awful. It's slow, it's dull, it's unlikeable, it's irritating. It's not even so-bad-it's-funny. And ever so slow -- the Doctor and Peri spend the entire episode in the TARDIS! Dear God!
I imagine it doesn't improve from here.
The Great British Bake Off
4x08 Quarter Final
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
46x01 (4/10/2013 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]
21x21 The Twin Dilemma Part One
While everyone else (not literally, but you know what I mean -- that's how it feels) is busy watching The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear off iTunes, I'm waiting for the DVDs (November and February respectively) -- and, instead, watching a story I've never seen.
Last night, while waiting for the official confirmation of which missing episodes had been found, I worked out that there are around 310 previously-existing episodes of Who that I've never watched. So while this new find is exciting on many levels, and is all kinds of improbable and wonderful, for me it's not a "must see now!" moment -- it just increases the number of episodes I've never seen (and decreases the number of missing episodes I've not listened to, haha!) That's why I'm in no rush... which is great, because each story is something like £10 on iTunes, and then £13 again for each on DVD in only a few months, so I'm saving £20.
Anyway: #bbbDW50 (note the new link). It's time for the Sixth Doctor, and (as I mentioned before) after jumping 8½ years to get from the Fourth to Fifth Doctors, the time skipped to reach this is just one week.
There are several reasons for that choice, but one is the marvellous symmetry of it: Androzani is The Greatest Doctor Who Story Ever Made™, and it is immediately -- immediately -- followed by The Worst Doctor Who Story Ever Made™. Plus it's one of only two Sixth Doctor tales I've never seen (the other is Timelash, the second-worst story ever), which is a bonus.
And it really is dreadful. The writing, the acting, the costumes, the sets, the monsters, the music... everything is awful. It's slow, it's dull, it's unlikeable, it's irritating. It's not even so-bad-it's-funny. And ever so slow -- the Doctor and Peri spend the entire episode in the TARDIS! Dear God!
I imagine it doesn't improve from here.
The Great British Bake Off
4x08 Quarter Final
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Have I Got News For You
46x01 (4/10/2013 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]
Non-Fiction
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook
Book One, Chapter 2
Book One, Chapter 2
Thursday 10 October 2013
TV
Friends
3x06 The One with the Flashback [4th or so watch]
Oh, if only they'd known how many more flashbacks they'd do...
Mock the Week
12x11 (3/10/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
3x06 The One with the Flashback [4th or so watch]
Oh, if only they'd known how many more flashbacks they'd do...
Mock the Week
12x11 (3/10/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday 9 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
21x20 The Caves of Androzani Part Four [2nd watch]
And so The Greatest Doctor Who Story Ever Made™ comes to a close. It really is a corker, I think. OK, the monster is crap (and also needless), and there's a couple of bits of duff dialogue here and there -- but in the same way that no Who story is completely without merit, no great one is completely without some drawback. Everything else about Androzani is so exceptional -- particularly in this final part, where it all comes together magnificently -- that the minor sticking points can be largely overlooked.
Next time: after jumping 8½ years to get from the Fourth to Fifth Doctors, the time skipped to reach the Sixth is... one week. If you don't know what that means... well, you'll see...
Friends
3x04 The One with the Metaphorical Tunnel [4th or so watch]
3x05 The One with Frank Jr. [4th or so watch]
The Two Ronnies Spectacle
1x02 The Sketches
21x20 The Caves of Androzani Part Four [2nd watch]
And so The Greatest Doctor Who Story Ever Made™ comes to a close. It really is a corker, I think. OK, the monster is crap (and also needless), and there's a couple of bits of duff dialogue here and there -- but in the same way that no Who story is completely without merit, no great one is completely without some drawback. Everything else about Androzani is so exceptional -- particularly in this final part, where it all comes together magnificently -- that the minor sticking points can be largely overlooked.
Next time: after jumping 8½ years to get from the Fourth to Fifth Doctors, the time skipped to reach the Sixth is... one week. If you don't know what that means... well, you'll see...
Friends
3x04 The One with the Metaphorical Tunnel [4th or so watch]
3x05 The One with Frank Jr. [4th or so watch]
The Two Ronnies Spectacle
1x02 The Sketches
Non-Fiction
Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter by Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook
Foreword by Philip Pullman
Introduction by Russell T Davies
Introduction by Benjamin Cook
Book One, Chapter 1
In 2008, then-showrunner Russell T Davies and DWM journalist Benjamin Cook co-wrote a book about Davies' experiences writing & running Who. I devoured it in 10 days back in January 2009, because it was fascinatingly insightful, brilliantly written, and gorgeously designed to boot.
Come the time for a paperback version in 2010, and Davies had finished his time on the show -- the original book covered Davies' final full series, after which they (of course) produced a run of specials. So the paperback is updated to include those episodes... but what's extraordinary and special and wonderful is that this update isn't just a chapter or two stuck on the end, oh no. Of the paperback's 693 pages, fully 353 of them are part of the updated section. Or, to put it another way: over half. It's another whole book again! Wonderful if you didn't buy the original Writer's Tale (essentially you're getting a whole extra book free); and even if you did, it makes the paperback a worthwhile proposition (if they'd just published the new stuff it would surely command the same price).
I've had this second edition/sequel/whatever it is for years now (I got it for Christmas the year it came out, if I remember rightly; though as it's a 5th printing, maybe it was for a later birthday/etc); but, even though I loved the first volume, it somehow wound up being put unread on my shelf. Well, with the 50th anniversary fast approaching, what better time to dig it out and dig in? The only question: do I re-read all of what I read before (it is nearly 5 years ago now -- more than enough time has passed to need a recap/appreciate a re-experiencing), or just go straight to the new stuff? It's a bloody long thing to re-read, after all; but if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.
Something I notice before I begin: the original had 15 chapters (and an epilogue-bit), while this version of the first book has just 12. I don't imagine they've omitted three chapters' worth of stuff, so I guess it got restructured. They did remove the four early-draft scripts that were in the hardback, so perhaps that necessitated some combining of chapters. Anyway...
Foreword by Philip Pullman
Introduction by Russell T Davies
Introduction by Benjamin Cook
Book One, Chapter 1
In 2008, then-showrunner Russell T Davies and DWM journalist Benjamin Cook co-wrote a book about Davies' experiences writing & running Who. I devoured it in 10 days back in January 2009, because it was fascinatingly insightful, brilliantly written, and gorgeously designed to boot.
Come the time for a paperback version in 2010, and Davies had finished his time on the show -- the original book covered Davies' final full series, after which they (of course) produced a run of specials. So the paperback is updated to include those episodes... but what's extraordinary and special and wonderful is that this update isn't just a chapter or two stuck on the end, oh no. Of the paperback's 693 pages, fully 353 of them are part of the updated section. Or, to put it another way: over half. It's another whole book again! Wonderful if you didn't buy the original Writer's Tale (essentially you're getting a whole extra book free); and even if you did, it makes the paperback a worthwhile proposition (if they'd just published the new stuff it would surely command the same price).
I've had this second edition/sequel/whatever it is for years now (I got it for Christmas the year it came out, if I remember rightly; though as it's a 5th printing, maybe it was for a later birthday/etc); but, even though I loved the first volume, it somehow wound up being put unread on my shelf. Well, with the 50th anniversary fast approaching, what better time to dig it out and dig in? The only question: do I re-read all of what I read before (it is nearly 5 years ago now -- more than enough time has passed to need a recap/appreciate a re-experiencing), or just go straight to the new stuff? It's a bloody long thing to re-read, after all; but if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.
Something I notice before I begin: the original had 15 chapters (and an epilogue-bit), while this version of the first book has just 12. I don't imagine they've omitted three chapters' worth of stuff, so I guess it got restructured. They did remove the four early-draft scripts that were in the hardback, so perhaps that necessitated some combining of chapters. Anyway...
Tuesday 8 October 2013
TV
Friends
3x03 The One with the Jam [4th or so watch]
The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Wrong Mans
1x02 Bad Mans
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
3x03 The One with the Jam [4th or so watch]
The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Wrong Mans
1x02 Bad Mans
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Monday 7 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
21x19 The Caves of Androzani Part Three [2nd watch]
Aside from the poorly-realised Magma Creature, Androzani really is brilliant. The direction is first-rate, the performances are top-notch, the story is second-to-none... even the lighting, notoriously dreadful throughout the Davison era, has been nailed. And that cliffhanger...!
Friends
3x02 The One Where No One's Ready [5th or so watch]
We once studied this at university as a perfect example of economical but hilarious screenwriting. And it really is.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Newsroom
2x05 News Night with Will McAvoy
21x19 The Caves of Androzani Part Three [2nd watch]
Aside from the poorly-realised Magma Creature, Androzani really is brilliant. The direction is first-rate, the performances are top-notch, the story is second-to-none... even the lighting, notoriously dreadful throughout the Davison era, has been nailed. And that cliffhanger...!
Friends
3x02 The One Where No One's Ready [5th or so watch]
We once studied this at university as a perfect example of economical but hilarious screenwriting. And it really is.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Newsroom
2x05 News Night with Will McAvoy
Fiction
Solo by William Boyd
Part Four, Chapters 6-12
Part Five, Chapters 1-2 [the end]
Well, I thought that was really good. A cracking spy story, a well-observed recreation of Bond and Fleming (without slipping in to parody), all-round a good read. It does have a bit of an open-ended conclusion, though, so (when combined with the fact it was so good) I dearly hope IFP can persuade Boyd back for another go.
Part Four, Chapters 6-12
Part Five, Chapters 1-2 [the end]
Well, I thought that was really good. A cracking spy story, a well-observed recreation of Bond and Fleming (without slipping in to parody), all-round a good read. It does have a bit of an open-ended conclusion, though, so (when combined with the fact it was so good) I dearly hope IFP can persuade Boyd back for another go.
Sunday 6 October 2013
TV
The Big Fat Quiz of the 90s
Channel 4 seem to have these on fairly regularly now, but I normally only bother with the 'traditional' year-end one. This one, however, had a good line-up of guests. And it was quite fun, so, yeah.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Castle
3x02 He's Dead, She's Dead
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Friends
3x01 The One with the Princess Leia Fantasy [4th or so watch]
I feel like I've seen season three even less than season two, but who bloody knows.
Channel 4 seem to have these on fairly regularly now, but I normally only bother with the 'traditional' year-end one. This one, however, had a good line-up of guests. And it was quite fun, so, yeah.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Castle
3x02 He's Dead, She's Dead
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Friends
3x01 The One with the Princess Leia Fantasy [4th or so watch]
I feel like I've seen season three even less than season two, but who bloody knows.
this week on 100 Films
First up, as it's now October that means its time for the always exciting 100 Films in a Year monthly update.
How good was September? This good. Also at that link: five great Shakespeare adaptations.
And that wasn't all this week, oh no. There were also three new reviews published, including...
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Deluxe Edition) (2013)
Les Misérables (2012)
Safe House (2012)
And finally, reviews new to the new blog...
Great Expectations (1998)
Solaris (2002)
Stormbreaker (2006)
More next Sunday.
How good was September? This good. Also at that link: five great Shakespeare adaptations.
And that wasn't all this week, oh no. There were also three new reviews published, including...
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Deluxe Edition) (2013)
Given the choice, I think this adaptation functions better in its original, intended, two-part version; but the single-film version is not fundamentally different to double-billing its constituent parts. [But] though there are aesthetic reasons for choosing to watch The Dark Knight Returns as two separate features, there are several unavoidable reasons why picking up the Deluxe Edition is preferable.Read more here.
Les Misérables (2012)
Jackman is the star of the show, and brings his musical theatre background to bear on a clearly-sung but emotive performance. He was unlucky to be in the same awards year as Daniel Day-Lewis’ all-conquering turn in Lincoln, because otherwise those gongs might well have been his.Read more here.
Safe House (2012)
Denzel Washington is a fugitive, Ryan Reynolds is the CIA rookie who ends up looking after him — and later, chasing him — after Something Goes Wrong at the titular abode in this workmanlike thrillerRead more here.
And finally, reviews new to the new blog...
Great Expectations (1998)
It comes across more as an academic exercise in turning a British Victorian novel into a modern American movie than a believable tale that works in isolation. Indeed, many of the changes appear to be designed purely to help distance it: the changed character names, the focus on the love story, and so on. Yet it directly recreates many scenes from the novel, and it obviously retains its titleRead more here.
Solaris (2002)
When Andrei Tarkovsky adapted Stanislaw Lem’s thoughtful science fiction novel in 1972, it took 165 minutes. When Steven Soderbergh did it 30 years later, it took just over 90. Lem hated them both, stating that he didn’t write about people’s “erotic problems in space”, but for those concerned with what the film is about rather than what it (perhaps) should have been about, it seems that an abbreviated running time is no barrier to loading any adaptation of Solaris with a weighty thoughtfulness.Read more here.
Stormbreaker (2006)
An adaptation of the first in Anthony Horowitz’s bestselling series of Alex Rider novels. It does a good job of translating the book, aided by an extensive cast of recognisable Brits (and some Yanks) and some entertaining action sequences.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Belatedly, here's this week's small update... followed by the always-fun monthly running time update.
Number of titles in collection: 1,616 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,186 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 430 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 4,024 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 1,719 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,967 [up 1]
Number of short films in collection: 392 [no change]
And that all-action running time update tells us...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
288 days, 22 hours, and 6 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 3 hours, and 13 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Belatedly, here's this week's small update... followed by the always-fun monthly running time update.
Number of titles in collection: 1,616 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,186 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 430 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 4,024 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 1,719 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,967 [up 1]
Number of short films in collection: 392 [no change]
And that all-action running time update tells us...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
288 days, 22 hours, and 6 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 3 hours, and 13 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Saturday 5 October 2013
TV
Atlantis
1x02 A Girl By Any Other Name
That name presumably being "Morgana", as the makers of this (and, funnily enough, Merlin) seem to have borrowed her arc plot for Medusa.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
2x23 The One with the Chicken Pox [4th or so watch]
2x24 The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding [season finale; 4th or so watch]
1x02 A Girl By Any Other Name
That name presumably being "Morgana", as the makers of this (and, funnily enough, Merlin) seem to have borrowed her arc plot for Medusa.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
2x23 The One with the Chicken Pox [4th or so watch]
2x24 The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding [season finale; 4th or so watch]
Films
Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)
[2nd watch; #84a in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
To mark Doctor Who's 50th anniversary on my film blog, I'm intending to write Make/Remake articles on the two Dalek movies. Which naturally means re-watching them, because I haven't seen them for years (and now own them on Blu-ray).
Initial impression is, I liked this a good deal more than I used to, which I think might have been received wisdom about them being almost a blight on Who history. It's certainly of comparable quality to the original serial, which it sticks to very closely.
[2nd watch; #84a in 100 Films in a Year 2013]
To mark Doctor Who's 50th anniversary on my film blog, I'm intending to write Make/Remake articles on the two Dalek movies. Which naturally means re-watching them, because I haven't seen them for years (and now own them on Blu-ray).
Initial impression is, I liked this a good deal more than I used to, which I think might have been received wisdom about them being almost a blight on Who history. It's certainly of comparable quality to the original serial, which it sticks to very closely.
Fiction
Solo by William Boyd
Part Two, Chapters 9-18
The end of the Africa section of the novel -- next up, Bond goes the titular solo. It's a bit meandering at times, but it builds to a helluva last-minute twist; actually, the kind of twist you feel you should've seen coming, but I didn't at all. Super stuff.
Part Two, Chapters 9-18
The end of the Africa section of the novel -- next up, Bond goes the titular solo. It's a bit meandering at times, but it builds to a helluva last-minute twist; actually, the kind of twist you feel you should've seen coming, but I didn't at all. Super stuff.
Friday 4 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
21x18 The Caves of Androzani Part Two [2nd watch]
Downton Abbey
4x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Friends
2x22 The One with the Two Parties [4th or so watch]
The Great British Bake Off
4x07 Pastry
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
21x18 The Caves of Androzani Part Two [2nd watch]
Downton Abbey
4x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Friends
2x22 The One with the Two Parties [4th or so watch]
The Great British Bake Off
4x07 Pastry
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Thursday 3 October 2013
TV
Friends
2x21 The One with the Bullies [4th or so watch]
Mock the Week
12x10 (26/9/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
2x21 The One with the Bullies [4th or so watch]
Mock the Week
12x10 (26/9/13 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday 2 October 2013
TV
Doctor Who
21x17 The Caves of Androzani Part One [2nd watch]
After just four episodes in the presence of the Fourth Doctor (the lowest amount yet, but not the lowest overall), #bbbDW50 races on to the titular Time Lord's fifth incarnation.
This one's a pretty clear choice for a celebration of the show's 50th anniversary: it's the story most recently voted the best ever by fans, in (where else) DWM's Mighty 200 survey. There are a number of contenders for such a lofty position (other regular incumbents include Genesis of the Daleks and The Talons of Weng-Chiang), but Androzani is also a deserving choice -- not least because two of its four episodes feature some of Doctor Who's best ever cliffhangers. (The fact that the middle one's remarkably poor should just be overlooked.)
Despite being a personal favourite too, I've only actually seen it once -- I first got into Who through the Target novelisations, and Androzani was one I read and loved from those early days of my fandom. Nice to revisit it properly, then -- it deserves it, it's bloody great.
Friends
2x20 The One Where Old Yeller Dies [4th or so watch]
The Hoff's Best Film ...Ever!
1x06 The Hoff's Best Romantic Comedy Film ...Ever! [season finale]
Action, Horror, Sports, Sci-Fi... Yeah, rom-com totally fits with that.
Suburgatory
2x10 Chinese Chicken
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
21x17 The Caves of Androzani Part One [2nd watch]
After just four episodes in the presence of the Fourth Doctor (the lowest amount yet, but not the lowest overall), #bbbDW50 races on to the titular Time Lord's fifth incarnation.
This one's a pretty clear choice for a celebration of the show's 50th anniversary: it's the story most recently voted the best ever by fans, in (where else) DWM's Mighty 200 survey. There are a number of contenders for such a lofty position (other regular incumbents include Genesis of the Daleks and The Talons of Weng-Chiang), but Androzani is also a deserving choice -- not least because two of its four episodes feature some of Doctor Who's best ever cliffhangers. (The fact that the middle one's remarkably poor should just be overlooked.)
Despite being a personal favourite too, I've only actually seen it once -- I first got into Who through the Target novelisations, and Androzani was one I read and loved from those early days of my fandom. Nice to revisit it properly, then -- it deserves it, it's bloody great.
Friends
2x20 The One Where Old Yeller Dies [4th or so watch]
The Hoff's Best Film ...Ever!
1x06 The Hoff's Best Romantic Comedy Film ...Ever! [season finale]
Action, Horror, Sports, Sci-Fi... Yeah, rom-com totally fits with that.
Suburgatory
2x10 Chinese Chicken
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Tuesday 1 October 2013
TV
Unintentional comedy day...
Friends
2x18 The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies [4th or so watch]
2x19 The One Where Eddie Won't Go [4th or so watch]
The Hoff's Best Film ...Ever!
1x04 The Hoff's Best Dance Film ...Ever!
Action, Horror, Sports, Sci-Fi... Yeah, dance totally fits with that.
The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x01 Episode 1
Miss Millican goes the way of most BBC comedy programmes and gets a buried-in-the-schedules extended-by-10-minutes repeat of her programme.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer, or watch the shorter version in HD.]
The Two Ronnies Spectacle
1x01 Two Become One
Like Bring Me Morecambe & Wise, but with the Two Ronnies. So that's nice.
The Wrong Mans
1x01 The Wrong Mans
A new comedy-thriller from Horrible Histories' Mathew Baynton and Gavin & Stacey's James Corden. Very promising first part -- funny and thrilleringy.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friends
2x18 The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies [4th or so watch]
2x19 The One Where Eddie Won't Go [4th or so watch]
The Hoff's Best Film ...Ever!
1x04 The Hoff's Best Dance Film ...Ever!
Action, Horror, Sports, Sci-Fi... Yeah, dance totally fits with that.
The Sarah Millican Slightly Longer Television Programme
3x01 Episode 1
Miss Millican goes the way of most BBC comedy programmes and gets a buried-in-the-schedules extended-by-10-minutes repeat of her programme.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer, or watch the shorter version in HD.]
The Two Ronnies Spectacle
1x01 Two Become One
Like Bring Me Morecambe & Wise, but with the Two Ronnies. So that's nice.
The Wrong Mans
1x01 The Wrong Mans
A new comedy-thriller from Horrible Histories' Mathew Baynton and Gavin & Stacey's James Corden. Very promising first part -- funny and thrilleringy.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
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