Tuesday 30 July 2019

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x04 The Potted Gardener [2nd watch]

Year of the Rabbit
1x06 Episode 6 [season finale]
I hope this comes back for a second series -- it was great fun, and it ended on a tantalising tease for more.
[Watch the entire series (again) on All 4.]

Monday 29 July 2019

TV

Have I Got News For You
56x06 (9/11/18 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

How to Break into the Elite
Not necessarily what it sounds like. Rather than some kind of twisted self-help guide, it was an insightful look at how big a (negative) role class still places in the hiring practices of wealthy companies.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Twilight Zone
1x07 The Lonely

University Challenge
2019/20 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Year of the Rabbit
1x04 Episode 4
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch the entire series (again) on All 4.]

Films

The Lion King (2019)
[#103 in 100 Films in a Year 2019]

Sherlock Jr. (1924)
[#102 in 100 Films in a Year 2019]
What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...? 2019 #7
+ a featurette about the movie's filming locations, which also included interesting info about how some shots were achieved.

Sunday 28 July 2019

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x02 Hell's Bells [2nd watch]
1x03 The Wellspring of Death [2nd watch]

this week on 100 Films

After my holidays, I also returned to 100 Films in a Year this week...


Il blogger prodigo
Buongiorno, dear readers — the prodigal blogger has returned! (“Prodigal” being a word I’ve here misused, as I’m sure many of us do, thanks to that Biblical story. Though as it actually means “spending money freely and recklessly”, anyone who’s seen the size of my unwatched DVD and Blu-ray collection might consider it fitting after all.)
Read more here.


And posted 4 new reviews, in one handy post...


Review Roundup
Featuring...
- American Assassin
- Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
- Wild Strawberries
- Yes Man
Read more here.


More next Sunday.

Saturday 27 July 2019

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x01 Walkers of Dembley [2nd watch]

The Twilight Zone
2x15 The Invaders

Films

Die Another Day (2002)
[4th or so watch]
Rewatchathon 2019 #21. I wasn't sure if I should count this -- I didn't join it until a little way in, and there were parts I only half watched. But I counted Skyfall under similar circumstances last year, so here it is.

Fiction

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Delusion for a Dragon Slayer

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Just one new addition this week, but it's my first 3D + 4K Ultra HD combo pack, so that's exciting. I wish they'd do more of those. It's also time for the monthly running time update, though that's only noteworthy for its smallness: it's the lowest month-on-month increase in 9 months.

Number of titles in collection: 2,240 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,132 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,108 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 31 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 5,826 [up 3]
Number of films: 2,571 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 8,637 [no change]
Number of short films: 671 [no change]

Total running time of collection (approx.):
427 days and 10 minutes.
(Up 16 hours and 11 minutes from last month.)

See you next week, faithful reader.

Friday 26 July 2019

TV

Agatha Raisin
1x00 The Quiche of Death [2nd watch]
With series 2 finally having aired in the UK, we're doing a bit of a catch-up before watching it.

The Twilight Zone
2x26 Shadow Play
After an unintentional break (I last watched an episode over 2 months ago), I'm resuming my potted viewing of the best-regarded episodes of this seminal sci-fi anthology.

Wednesday 24 July 2019

TV

Peston
5x27 (24/7/2019 edition)
Apparently it was an "historic day" (that's what the newscasters kept saying, anyway), so I ended up watching a bunch of news coverage and topping it off with ITV's political discussion show.
[Watch it (again) on the ITV Hub.]

Year of the Rabbit
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch the entire series (again) on All 4.]

Tuesday 23 July 2019

Monday 22 July 2019

TV

University Challenge
2019/20 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Sunday 21 July 2019

TV

Ghosts
1x05 Moonah Ston
1x06 Getting Out [season finale]
[Watch Moonah Ston and Getting Out (again) on iPlayer.]

University Challenge
2019/20 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Year of the Rabbit
1x01 Episode 1
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch the entire series (again) on All 4.]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week... well, not last week, because (as I mentioned) I've just been on holiday. But I came back to a small pile of Blu-rays that were released while I was away, so here are the numbers for the past fortnight.

Although the numbers below make it look like I added one new title (with a slightly-weird number of discs, films and TV episodes), it's a bit more complicated than that. Firstly, there's a new classic Doctor Who Blu-ray set, which unfortunately doesn't replace a single DVD (yet) because every story this season has at least one special feature removed (to be included on a future box set... hopefully. Hence why I'm holding on to the DVDs for the time being). There's also a "complete series" Blu-ray (Hellsing Ultimate), which replaces two previous volume releases and in the process completes the series (the previous two releases contained episodes one to eight; this has episodes one to ten). And, finally, one straightforward new Blu-ray release, which is where the film comes in.

Number of titles in collection: 2,239 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,132 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,107 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 30 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 5,823 [up 9]
Number of films: 2,570 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 8,637 [up 28]
Number of short films: 671 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

Friday 19 July 2019

Fiction

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream
Big Sam Was My Friend
Eyes of Dust
World of the Myth
Lonelyache


Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian
Chapter 1
The 2003 film Master and Commander was based on the Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, of which this is the second instalment. I greatly enjoyed the film when I finally saw it in 2012 (over 7 years ago! Jeez), so the idea of reading the novels has always been at the back of my mind. Normally I'd start with the first, but this one was available to me, so I thought I'd read a chapter or two and see how I got on. Well, they're quite long chapters (just 14 across this 470-something page book), and the first was enough to convince me that, actually, I don't really get on with it. Oh well.

Thursday 18 July 2019

Fiction

Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
Chapters 41-45 [the end]

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Echoes of Screams, 1983
Introduction
Foreword

A collection of short stories, although this is just the intro to the 1983 edition and the two intros to the original 1967 edition. Maybe tomorrow I'll read some of the actual stories...

Wednesday 17 July 2019

Fiction

Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
Chapters 23-40

Articles

Veronica Mars Team Talks Leaning Into Noir Mystery for Hulu Series
by Danielle Turchiano (from Variety)

Creator/writer Rob Thomas and producer/star Kristen Bell talk about reviving VM again. More interesting and insightful than the usual publicity puff-piece (e.g. Thomas talks about some of the things they wanted but couldn't have for this season).

Tuesday 16 July 2019

Fiction

Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
Prologue
Chapters 1-22


The first Veronica Mars novel was a pretty standalone case -- it had callbacks and connections to the series, but most were minor or incidental, showing an awareness of the franchise's history rather than a dependance on it (although one part made some very significant additions to the Mars mythology). But this second book feels like almost a direct sequel to the movie: it begins by kicking off subplots that deal with storylines left hanging from the film, namely the fallout from Weevil being framed and Keith attempting to prove the sheriff's corruption (which led to his car accident in the film); plus Logan and Veronica being back in a relationship is a much more significant element in this novel, too.

It’s also filled with even more callbacks to the TV series: the main case has a victim who’s a minor character from a couple of episodes, and it’s later revealed that she’s connected to an entirely different minor character from the TV series. It’s kind of realistic that in a small town you’d end up bumping into the same people, but surely Neptune isn’t that small...

Creator Rob Thomas has always said the novels were canon, something he's reiterated in the run-up to the fourth season; but whereas they probably could've got away with ignoring the first novel and no one would've known (i.e. by just not mentioning its additions one way or the other), it feels like the events shaping up in this one (I'm only halfway through) are more likely to have a baring on the new season.

And, indeed, from what I've read, it's already been confirmed that new characters and plot developments from this novel are part of the new TV episodes. Well, at least it keeps the novels worthwhile; more than "some nice fan fiction".

Monday 15 July 2019

Fiction

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
Chapters 30-39 [the end]

I enjoyed that a lot. It captured the tone and style of the series (and movie) really well, with some fan service (returning characters, references to old plot lines, etc) but not so much as to sink the experience. Looking forward to the second one, and already sad they only did two (why they stopped there, I don't know).

Sunday 14 July 2019

Fiction

Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
Prologue
Chapters 1-29


Finally getting round to the novels before the TV series returns.

Saturday 13 July 2019

Friday 12 July 2019

Thursday 11 July 2019

Fiction

The Emperor Waltz by Philip Hensher
Book 8 1-15

The section with the gays in the ‘80s do go on a bit. You get the feeling Hensher was rather enjoying writing about a world he was in, possibly a world he was nostalgic for, even with its flaws, and so he got carried away. It’s not even unlikeable, it’s just that much of it seems like a humongous aside.

Wednesday 10 July 2019

Tuesday 9 July 2019

Monday 8 July 2019

Fiction

The Emperor Waltz by Philip Hensher
Book 2 5-11
Book 3
Book 4
1-5

Sunday 7 July 2019

Fiction

The Emperor Waltz by Philip Hensher
Book 1
Book 2
1-4

this week on 100 Films

It was nearly a whole week ago now, I know, but a new month did begin this week, and so 100 Films in a Year looked back at the last one — lightweight though it was...





And 5 new reviews were published this past week, too...


The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)
Where the first three Dragon Tattoo stories were all fundamentally crime thrillers, this opens up the storytelling world into much more fanciful realms. It’s a bit like they’ve tried to make Lisbeth Salander a kind of freelance female James Bond, using her l33t h4x0r skillz to stop evil cyber-terrorists. It also helps that she’s pretty handy on a motorbike and with a gun. How? Just because. Unfortunately, an element of ‘just because’ powers too much of the film, with fundamental flaws in even its basic setup
Read more here.


The Karate Kid (2010)
From reading other viewer reviews, I get the impression a lot of people dislike it just because they’re nostalgic for the original or because they’re annoyed by Jaden Smith’s parents trying to make him a movie star. But if you remove those external contexts, the film offers a decent storyline and some strong performances — it’s Jackie Chan, c’mon!
Read more here.


Shaft (2019)
Where Jackson’s Shaft was once a cool dude kicking ass and taking names (or whatever it is cool dude PIs did in the early ’00s), here they’ve turned him into a bit of a throwback dinosaur, spouting politically incorrect opinions with every other line of dialogue... At times it’s like someone adapted one of those facile “millennials are to blame for everything” articles into a movie; or at least copy-pasted it into Shaft Sr’s dialogue.
Read more here.


Witness (1985)
the film could descend into a culture-clash comedy — the big city cop chafing against historical rural life — but, while that clash is certainly in play, it’s not milked for laughs. Rather, the film is about Book experiencing a way of life so different to his own, and it changing his perspective on the world. Indeed, with the focus it gives to Amish ways, the film almost seems like it wanted to be a documentary about that community as much as a story.
Read more here.


Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival (1970)
Sex has been a factor of Zatoichi films before, but I’m not sure any other is as consumed by it as this one. It starts with a mistress auction and teases of nudity; the mystery ronin’s quest is to kill everyone who slept with his wife, which he thinks includes Ichi; the major set-piece is a fight in a bathhouse between Ichi and an army of assassins, all of whom are stark naked; Ichi spends an evening with five prostitutes; the villains decide the best way to kill our hero is with a honey trap (who winds up genuinely falling for Ichi, of course); there’s the roadhouse owners we randomly come across, who are casually perverse… and that’s all before the one-hour mark. Though if you’re expecting to see flashes of flesh, the nude scenes feature almost Austin Powers-level endeavours to make sure nothing explicit is shown.
Read more here.


More next Sunday, perhaps, depending on my holiday.

Saturday 6 July 2019

Holiday

As you read this, I am leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again... except I do know: it's Saturday 20th.

Until then, updates may be sporadic and/or delayed, if there's even anything to write about.

Friday 5 July 2019

TV

Beecham House
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on the ITV Hub.]

Thursday 4 July 2019

Films

The Killer (1989)
[#100 in 100 Films in a Year 2019]
Blindspot 2019 #6. Later than expected for both #100 and Blindspot #6, but here we are!

Wednesday 3 July 2019

TV

Summer of Rockets
Part 6 (of 6)
[Watch the entire series (again) on iPlayer.]

Tuesday 2 July 2019

TV

Glastonbury 2019
Kylie Minogue
Well, the Sunday afternoon BBC One show was billed as Kyle, but it began with Jeff Goldblum and ended with a fair old chunk of Miley Cyrus, so them too.
[Watch these sets, and many more (again), on iPlayer.]

Films

Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman (1971)
[#99 in 100 Films in a Year 2019]