How I Met Your Father
1x03 The Fixer
Richard Osman's House of Games
4x25 Episode 25
6x01 Week 1: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
4x04 Red Hot
Shetland
7x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Friday 30 September 2022
Thursday 29 September 2022
TV
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
30x01 Episode 1
Richard Osman's House of Games
4x24 Episode 24
[Watch various (other) episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
30x01 Episode 1
Richard Osman's House of Games
4x24 Episode 24
[Watch various (other) episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday 25 September 2022
Saturday 24 September 2022
Games
Return to Monkey Island
And that's the end! A good ending too, I thought. I can immediately see it'll be controversial with some people, but I don't think we should really have expected anything too different (not that I'm saying we should've guessed this, exactly, but it seems in-keeping). Plus, when put alongside The Matrix Resurrections, I feel like there are finally some legacy sequels giving me the kind of things I've long wanted a legacy sequel to attempt. Love that.
Wish I knew exactly how long the game had taken me. It's my own fault for going back and replaying segments before I'd finished it through once! I got to the end in just under 15 hours, per Steam, but that includes replaying the very end three times, not to mention all the earlier replaying.
And after that, I played for another two hours to hit the final few achievements I missed. A big chunk of that was hunting around for the last few trivia cards; another was that I had to replay a whole swathe of the game because I didn't have any appropriately-placed savegames to quickly pull off something. One of the downsides to the game only allowing 8 save points (plus that, for this particular accomplishment, you need to do something in Part 2 or 3 that doesn't pay off until Part 5, meaning I had to replay the end of Part 3 and all of Part 4; but I initially realised that a little way into Part 4, so if I'd had more savegames I could've just repeated a little bit then instead of a whole part later. Hey ho).
So, I've got 38 out of the 39 achievements. The only one I'm missing is a speed run (completed in under 2 hours). I've never seen the point in speed running point-and-click adventures — story and humour are the goal of the genre, not racing through the puzzles as fast as possible. But as it's the only one I'm missing... and you can do it on Casual Mode, which I haven't played... Maybe...
And that's the end! A good ending too, I thought. I can immediately see it'll be controversial with some people, but I don't think we should really have expected anything too different (not that I'm saying we should've guessed this, exactly, but it seems in-keeping). Plus, when put alongside The Matrix Resurrections, I feel like there are finally some legacy sequels giving me the kind of things I've long wanted a legacy sequel to attempt. Love that.
Wish I knew exactly how long the game had taken me. It's my own fault for going back and replaying segments before I'd finished it through once! I got to the end in just under 15 hours, per Steam, but that includes replaying the very end three times, not to mention all the earlier replaying.
And after that, I played for another two hours to hit the final few achievements I missed. A big chunk of that was hunting around for the last few trivia cards; another was that I had to replay a whole swathe of the game because I didn't have any appropriately-placed savegames to quickly pull off something. One of the downsides to the game only allowing 8 save points (plus that, for this particular accomplishment, you need to do something in Part 2 or 3 that doesn't pay off until Part 5, meaning I had to replay the end of Part 3 and all of Part 4; but I initially realised that a little way into Part 4, so if I'd had more savegames I could've just repeated a little bit then instead of a whole part later. Hey ho).
So, I've got 38 out of the 39 achievements. The only one I'm missing is a speed run (completed in under 2 hours). I've never seen the point in speed running point-and-click adventures — story and humour are the goal of the genre, not racing through the puzzles as fast as possible. But as it's the only one I'm missing... and you can do it on Casual Mode, which I haven't played... Maybe...
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
It is a quieter one this week, with only two new additions — both new releases, though not sharing a date: one is from this week; the other has arrived early from the week after next. Fun times.
Number of titles in collection: 2,924 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,046 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,878 [up 2]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 201 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,250 [up 2]
Number of films: 3,500 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 281 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,422 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,007 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
It is a quieter one this week, with only two new additions — both new releases, though not sharing a date: one is from this week; the other has arrived early from the week after next. Fun times.
Number of titles in collection: 2,924 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,046 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,878 [up 2]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 201 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,250 [up 2]
Number of films: 3,500 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 281 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,422 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,007 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday 23 September 2022
Games
Return to Monkey Island
Apparently I somehow managed to play 4 hours today. It didn't feel like it! I'm sure that's testament to the quality of the game. Also that I did it across three or four bursts, rather than one or two big chunks (like on Tuesday).
Also also, this isn't the amount of time I've spent playing through the story: as a record of that the time is 'off' because I've repeated a few bits in order to hit some achievements. So, it's certainly an accurate count of how long I've spent playing the game, but not of how long it will have taken me to get through the main narrative.
For today, I leave it at the start of Part V — the final part! I guess it'll all be over tomorrow. Exciting, but also sad.
Apparently I somehow managed to play 4 hours today. It didn't feel like it! I'm sure that's testament to the quality of the game. Also that I did it across three or four bursts, rather than one or two big chunks (like on Tuesday).
Also also, this isn't the amount of time I've spent playing through the story: as a record of that the time is 'off' because I've repeated a few bits in order to hit some achievements. So, it's certainly an accurate count of how long I've spent playing the game, but not of how long it will have taken me to get through the main narrative.
For today, I leave it at the start of Part V — the final part! I guess it'll all be over tomorrow. Exciting, but also sad.
Thursday 22 September 2022
Games
Return to Monkey Island
Another hour-and-a-half today brings me to almost 10 hours of playtime. Truly, it's flown by — based on my other recent gaming experiences, this doesn't feel like I've been playing for that long (even compared to solid-gold classics like the original couple of Monkey Islands). It really is superb.
Not sure how much is left, though. Feels like there must be a fair bit to go, but also like I'm getting towards the end (I'm in Part IV and I'm pretty sure Part V is the climax). I'll be sad when it's over...
Another hour-and-a-half today brings me to almost 10 hours of playtime. Truly, it's flown by — based on my other recent gaming experiences, this doesn't feel like I've been playing for that long (even compared to solid-gold classics like the original couple of Monkey Islands). It really is superb.
Not sure how much is left, though. Feels like there must be a fair bit to go, but also like I'm getting towards the end (I'm in Part IV and I'm pretty sure Part V is the climax). I'll be sad when it's over...
Video
Radiance: An Interview with Fran Simeoni
by Man v Film on YouTube
This is a fantastic interview with the founder of Radiance, the new boutique Blu-ray label, about their opening slate of ten films. Of those titles, there were quite a few (okay, most) that I'd never even heard of, so this is a superb introduction — now I want almost all of 'em (my poor wallet!)
Plus, some discussion about the label's birth and plans for its future. All really interesting stuff.
by Man v Film on YouTube
This is a fantastic interview with the founder of Radiance, the new boutique Blu-ray label, about their opening slate of ten films. Of those titles, there were quite a few (okay, most) that I'd never even heard of, so this is a superb introduction — now I want almost all of 'em (my poor wallet!)
Plus, some discussion about the label's birth and plans for its future. All really interesting stuff.
Wednesday 21 September 2022
Games
Return to Monkey Island
Almost another 3 hours of playtime today. I was going to try to limit myself to something like 1 hour a day, so as not to rush through it too fast, but I find it hard to resist... So good.
Almost another 3 hours of playtime today. I was going to try to limit myself to something like 1 hour a day, so as not to rush through it too fast, but I find it hard to resist... So good.
Tuesday 20 September 2022
Films
Broken Blossoms (1919)
[#59 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2022]
And that finally completes the Decades portion of my New 100 Films Challenge. It started off as the easiest category to do (almost any film I watched counted — I completed 58% of it in January alone), but as it went on it became a bit harder. Turns out I don't watch many films from the 1950s (that took until May), and even fewer from the 1910s — which I knew, and is the kind of reason the category exists.
On the bright side, the very next film I watch that doesn't fit into another category can be a Wildcard for this one, because any film released in "a decade" counts!
[#59 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2022]
And that finally completes the Decades portion of my New 100 Films Challenge. It started off as the easiest category to do (almost any film I watched counted — I completed 58% of it in January alone), but as it went on it became a bit harder. Turns out I don't watch many films from the 1950s (that took until May), and even fewer from the 1910s — which I knew, and is the kind of reason the category exists.
On the bright side, the very next film I watch that doesn't fit into another category can be a Wildcard for this one, because any film released in "a decade" counts!
Games
Return to Monkey Island
Regular readers (are there any?) will know how much I've been anticipating this. It came out yesterday, but I was too busy with statey funes to play it. But I'd booked today off work in preparation, and so I spent about 5½ hours on it today — plus a bit more time reading some stuff on Twitter and forums to help mop up a couple of achievements I'd missed (I've got 13 out of 39 on my first day!)
I would've played even more, but I don't want to rush it too much — Monkey Island games hardly come along often; this is one to savour. But it's so good, so much fun, that I don't know how much I'll be able to draw it out. I already want to go play it some more...
Regular readers (are there any?) will know how much I've been anticipating this. It came out yesterday, but I was too busy with statey funes to play it. But I'd booked today off work in preparation, and so I spent about 5½ hours on it today — plus a bit more time reading some stuff on Twitter and forums to help mop up a couple of achievements I'd missed (I've got 13 out of 39 on my first day!)
I would've played even more, but I don't want to rush it too much — Monkey Island games hardly come along often; this is one to savour. But it's so good, so much fun, that I don't know how much I'll be able to draw it out. I already want to go play it some more...
Monday 19 September 2022
Sunday 18 September 2022
Saturday 17 September 2022
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I was going to call this week a quiet one, but I've ended up with five new additions — although, by my recent standerds, it is a quieter one.
They should have divided neatly into two pairs: a couple of UK Criterion releases from the current offer everyone's got on, and a couple of new releases that aren't due out until Monday but arrived early. But then a fifth turned up unexpectedly: Eureka's box set of the Police Story trilogy in 4K, which isn't due out until the 26th. Exciting! That one replaces my old 1080p set of Police Story 1&2, so the number of titles still only goes up by four.
Also of note: one of those 4K titles is my 200th! Already?! I really should watch more of them...
Number of titles in collection: 2,922 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,046 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,876 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 201 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,248 [up 6]
Number of films: 3,498 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 281 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes: 9,422 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,007 [up 5]
Also this week, it's time for the monthly running time update...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
518 days, 4 hours, and 55 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 8 hours, and 6 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
I was going to call this week a quiet one, but I've ended up with five new additions — although, by my recent standerds, it is a quieter one.
They should have divided neatly into two pairs: a couple of UK Criterion releases from the current offer everyone's got on, and a couple of new releases that aren't due out until Monday but arrived early. But then a fifth turned up unexpectedly: Eureka's box set of the Police Story trilogy in 4K, which isn't due out until the 26th. Exciting! That one replaces my old 1080p set of Police Story 1&2, so the number of titles still only goes up by four.
Also of note: one of those 4K titles is my 200th! Already?! I really should watch more of them...
Number of titles in collection: 2,922 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,046 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,876 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 201 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,248 [up 6]
Number of films: 3,498 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 281 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes: 9,422 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,007 [up 5]
Also this week, it's time for the monthly running time update...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
518 days, 4 hours, and 55 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 8 hours, and 6 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday 16 September 2022
Wednesday 14 September 2022
Articles
Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman talk Return to Monkey Island
by elTee & Marius (from The International House of Mojo)
The much-anticipated third/sixth Monkey Island game is out on Monday (good thing there's nothing else going on that day), so here's a fairly extensive interview with its two primary designers, conducted by one of the foremost MI fan sites — i.e. it asks all the kinds of things long-term fans want to know. Super.
by elTee & Marius (from The International House of Mojo)
The much-anticipated third/sixth Monkey Island game is out on Monday (good thing there's nothing else going on that day), so here's a fairly extensive interview with its two primary designers, conducted by one of the foremost MI fan sites — i.e. it asks all the kinds of things long-term fans want to know. Super.
Sunday 11 September 2022
TV
The 1% Club
1x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on the ITV Hub.]
BBC News
6+ hours of a hearse (and entourage) driving through Scotland? That seemed to be what most of the coverage was today. Suffice to say, I didn't watch anything like all of it. Feeling suitably weaned off ahead of returning to work tomorrow.
1x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on the ITV Hub.]
BBC News
6+ hours of a hearse (and entourage) driving through Scotland? That seemed to be what most of the coverage was today. Suffice to say, I didn't watch anything like all of it. Feeling suitably weaned off ahead of returning to work tomorrow.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
5 new reviews were published to 100Films.co.uk this week...
2022 | Week 26
More next Sunday.
2022 | Week 26
Featuring...Read more here.
- The Flying Deuces (1939)
- Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022)
- My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)
- Ambulance (2022)
- Easy A (2010)
More next Sunday.
Saturday 10 September 2022
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
TV dominates this week — and causes my DVD count to actually go up, too! That's because I bought two "complete series" DVD sets from Network: the 1950s Adventures of Sir Lancelot (starring Doctor Who's William Russell) and Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct. Between them that's 11 discs and 54 episodes of TV. But my DVD count only goes up by one, because I also upgraded Robin of Sherwood from DVD to Blu-ray. Plus, there was a new animated Doctor Who release, just to push things up a little further.
Not that the films were slacking either, with four new movie-centric releases, with multiple films, discs, alternate cuts and so on across them. In fact, the only category that doesn't increase this week is short films, which is a shame. Also, it kinda depends how you count it: one of the titles I bought was Indicator's Robin Hood at Hammer double feature, which also includes a Children's Film Foundation short as an extra. Except that "short" runs 61 minutes, which makes it a feature in my book. So there.
Number of titles in collection: 2,918 [up 8]
Of which DVDs: 1,046 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,872 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 199 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,242 [up 19]
Number of films: 3,492 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 278 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,422 [up 60]
Number of short films: 1,002 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
TV dominates this week — and causes my DVD count to actually go up, too! That's because I bought two "complete series" DVD sets from Network: the 1950s Adventures of Sir Lancelot (starring Doctor Who's William Russell) and Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct. Between them that's 11 discs and 54 episodes of TV. But my DVD count only goes up by one, because I also upgraded Robin of Sherwood from DVD to Blu-ray. Plus, there was a new animated Doctor Who release, just to push things up a little further.
Not that the films were slacking either, with four new movie-centric releases, with multiple films, discs, alternate cuts and so on across them. In fact, the only category that doesn't increase this week is short films, which is a shame. Also, it kinda depends how you count it: one of the titles I bought was Indicator's Robin Hood at Hammer double feature, which also includes a Children's Film Foundation short as an extra. Except that "short" runs 61 minutes, which makes it a feature in my book. So there.
Number of titles in collection: 2,918 [up 8]
Of which DVDs: 1,046 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,872 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 199 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,242 [up 19]
Number of films: 3,492 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 278 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,422 [up 60]
Number of short films: 1,002 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday 9 September 2022
TV
BBC News
Had the news on all day... while doing other stuff, obviously — that much non-stop often-repetitious coverage wouldn't be good for you; but there's enough going on at a time like this to merit it. Perhaps the most important moment was the King's address, and then this evening there was:
A Tribute to Her Majesty the Queen
The big special of prerecorded interviews that we all knew existed, as it does for many a major figure, regularly updated to cover later events and more recent significant figures (in this case, including Boris Johnson). It did a rather good job of surveying the entirety of the Queen's life, including not (totally) whitewashing the controversies. And if you want a fuller version, well, there's always The Crown...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Had the news on all day... while doing other stuff, obviously — that much non-stop often-repetitious coverage wouldn't be good for you; but there's enough going on at a time like this to merit it. Perhaps the most important moment was the King's address, and then this evening there was:
A Tribute to Her Majesty the Queen
The big special of prerecorded interviews that we all knew existed, as it does for many a major figure, regularly updated to cover later events and more recent significant figures (in this case, including Boris Johnson). It did a rather good job of surveying the entirety of the Queen's life, including not (totally) whitewashing the controversies. And if you want a fuller version, well, there's always The Crown...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Thursday 8 September 2022
Tuesday 6 September 2022
TV
Have I Got News for You
64x00 Have I Got News for Boris: A Special Tribute
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
64x00 Have I Got News for Boris: A Special Tribute
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday 4 September 2022
TV
House of the Dragon
1x02 The Rogue Prince
Mystery Science Theater 3000
13x07 Gamera vs Jiger
They’ve mentioned repeatedly on the post-episode-premiere Q&As how hard the writers found this one, due to having to riff an entire movie with no leeway to cut for time or repetition (which they do on all the other films they cover), and I feel like that comes across in the final episode. There are some great riffs (the songs; the running gag about the little girl’s bloodthirstiness), but also longer-than-usual periods of silence and some stuff that was a bit too esoteric. By no means a disaster, but not among the best the season has had to offer.
1x02 The Rogue Prince
Mystery Science Theater 3000
13x07 Gamera vs Jiger
They’ve mentioned repeatedly on the post-episode-premiere Q&As how hard the writers found this one, due to having to riff an entire movie with no leeway to cut for time or repetition (which they do on all the other films they cover), and I feel like that comes across in the final episode. There are some great riffs (the songs; the running gag about the little girl’s bloodthirstiness), but also longer-than-usual periods of silence and some stuff that was a bit too esoteric. By no means a disaster, but not among the best the season has had to offer.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
You may have noticed that a new month began halfway through this week, and so there was the usual pair of lookbacks on 100Films.co.uk.
First, at the month as a whole...
Then, at all the films I didn't watch...
No new reviews, though. Hopefully there'll be some more of those next Sunday.
First, at the month as a whole...
Then, at all the films I didn't watch...
No new reviews, though. Hopefully there'll be some more of those next Sunday.
Saturday 3 September 2022
TV
The 1% Club
1x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on the ITV Hub.]
Sam Morril: Same Time Tomorrow
Never heard of this guy before I saw a bit from this show retweeted. Immediately watched the whole thing. Laughed a lot. Well done, algorithm.
[Watch it (again) on Netflix.]
1x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on the ITV Hub.]
Sam Morril: Same Time Tomorrow
Never heard of this guy before I saw a bit from this show retweeted. Immediately watched the whole thing. Laughed a lot. Well done, algorithm.
[Watch it (again) on Netflix.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
A few new additions this week, all new releases. Nothing really unusual or remarkale to report, to be honest.
Number of titles in collection: 2,910 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,045 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,865 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 198 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,223 [up 5]
Number of films: 3,486 [up 3]
Number of additional cuts: 277 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 9,362 [up 12]
Number of short films: 1,002 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
A few new additions this week, all new releases. Nothing really unusual or remarkale to report, to be honest.
Number of titles in collection: 2,910 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,045 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,865 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 198 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,223 [up 5]
Number of films: 3,486 [up 3]
Number of additional cuts: 277 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 9,362 [up 12]
Number of short films: 1,002 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday 2 September 2022
Thursday 1 September 2022
Music
Will of the People
by Muse
Fuck me, I loved this. Muse's best album for years, and perhaps their most consistent ever — I can't remember the last time, if ever, I actually really liked every single track on a Muse album. I've already listened to it multiple times, which is more than I can say for some of the middling tracks on their last few albums (remembering that time I realised I'd only listened to The 2nd Law in full once in the six years since its release).
by Muse
Fuck me, I loved this. Muse's best album for years, and perhaps their most consistent ever — I can't remember the last time, if ever, I actually really liked every single track on a Muse album. I've already listened to it multiple times, which is more than I can say for some of the middling tracks on their last few albums (remembering that time I realised I'd only listened to The 2nd Law in full once in the six years since its release).
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