The Dossier proper begins with an account of our world's encounter with other planes, drawing heavily on the Lovecraft Mythos. Like The New Traveller's Almanac, it's a rather dry scholarly exercise in combining mythologies and providing a fictional history of the world, which I'm sure is of interest to some but just seems to provide near-irrelevant background to the series proper.
More interesting is the next item, the life of Orlando told in the style of '50s children's comics -- albeit with more graphic imagery! It's like a more entertaining version of events hinted at in The New Traveller's Almanac, telling the life of Orlando (obviously) chronologically and with pretty pictures. The brevity of the text makes it less verbose than the preceding document, which is a welcome change -- especially with some faux Shakespeare to come.
This Shakespeare 'play' (just the first two scenes from Act One) is convincingly written, though clearer to a modern reader than genuine untranslated Shakespeare is. It retains a sense of wit and mystery, however, and with references to events already covered or hinted at in the first two artefacts, the beginnings of a linking thread -- perhaps what one might even call a plot -- for this graphic novel are emerging. Individually, it shows the genesis of the first iteration of the League (commonly referred to as Prospero's Men in the series).
It may seem obvious to say this, but Black Dossier initially seems to be no more than a collection of roughly chronological artefacts, which together build up the world and history of the League. If it were just this then it would be an interesting experiment, of interest to diehard fans, but not convincing as anything more. However, in these first three documents there are some themes and ideas overlapping that, perhaps, will come together to create some sort of plot for this volume, beyond just the history of the League. Obviously it's impossible to say for certain until the end, but there is hope that there's more to the book!
Either way, what is here cleverly mashes various ideas and fictions together, and while each artefact follows the story of one character or group there are always crossover points that help you tie the sequence together. The advantage of having both things like the Almanac and this is that they are different ways of presenting similar information -- the Almanac being geographical, for example, whereas this is chronological-by-character. Put them all together and it becomes easier to follow the story. It's also worth nothing that, by the end of the book, there'll have been 108 pages of new story (as in, 'proper' comics pages) for the League itself -- equivalent to four or five issues of a normal comic, which makes it almost as long as the previous series.
Saturday, 14 June 2008
"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier" by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill - Running Commentary, Part 1
Black Dossier is not The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume III, despite being the third book in the series. Rather, it bridges the gap between Volume II and the forthcoming Century storyline. It's also technically the series' first graphic novel (the preceding volumes were originally released as six-part miniseries before being collected as trade paperbacks).
The volume also has a most unusual construction, mirroring the titular book -- really speaking, it's a real-life recreation of the Dossier, right down to the cover design (when you take the dust jacket off) and using different paper stock for some segments. Though it also has comics pages inserted, telling the story of how a couple of characters came across the Dossier itself (and then read it). As such, in my daily summaries I'll be listing all the sections I've read (much like I list individual episodes of TV) along with the pages I find them on. (I've chosen to number the opening pages 1-8, despite some random page numbers later suggesting they should be unnumbered. They're clearly part of the book and I don't imagine it will ever be published without them. The total page count this way is 192.)
As for the book itself... the Prologue tells the story of how two characters (most readers will know who they are) acquire the Black Dossier, which contains secret documents relating the history of the League, its members, and rival organisations. After this, the documents from the Dossier itself begin. In the LoEG world, Britain has just come out from the rule of Big Brother (from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four) and so the book begins with warnings from that government. To this point, it's all just introductory stuff really, though the Prologue effectively establishes the new setting, re-establishes the characters, and gives some hints to what has occurred between the end of Volume II (set in 1898) and the start of Black Dossier (in 1958).
There's also a good use of a thinly-veiled James Bond -- thinly enough to avoid copyright issues, I presume, but clearly enough that any reasonably educated reader can't fail to work out who he is. One thing I dislike, however, was Jimmy ordering his martini stirred instead of shaken -- he's right that shaking it bruises the vodka and that's why one normally has it stirred, but in Casino Royale Bond states the bruising the vodka is precisely why he has it shaken. Possibly a slight gap in Moore's cleverness there, or just a deliberate inversion of the character's 'reality'? Who can say...
The volume also has a most unusual construction, mirroring the titular book -- really speaking, it's a real-life recreation of the Dossier, right down to the cover design (when you take the dust jacket off) and using different paper stock for some segments. Though it also has comics pages inserted, telling the story of how a couple of characters came across the Dossier itself (and then read it). As such, in my daily summaries I'll be listing all the sections I've read (much like I list individual episodes of TV) along with the pages I find them on. (I've chosen to number the opening pages 1-8, despite some random page numbers later suggesting they should be unnumbered. They're clearly part of the book and I don't imagine it will ever be published without them. The total page count this way is 192.)
As for the book itself... the Prologue tells the story of how two characters (most readers will know who they are) acquire the Black Dossier, which contains secret documents relating the history of the League, its members, and rival organisations. After this, the documents from the Dossier itself begin. In the LoEG world, Britain has just come out from the rule of Big Brother (from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four) and so the book begins with warnings from that government. To this point, it's all just introductory stuff really, though the Prologue effectively establishes the new setting, re-establishes the characters, and gives some hints to what has occurred between the end of Volume II (set in 1898) and the start of Black Dossier (in 1958).
There's also a good use of a thinly-veiled James Bond -- thinly enough to avoid copyright issues, I presume, but clearly enough that any reasonably educated reader can't fail to work out who he is. One thing I dislike, however, was Jimmy ordering his martini stirred instead of shaken -- he's right that shaking it bruises the vodka and that's why one normally has it stirred, but in Casino Royale Bond states the bruising the vodka is precisely why he has it shaken. Possibly a slight gap in Moore's cleverness there, or just a deliberate inversion of the character's 'reality'? Who can say...
Friday, 13 June 2008
TV
Babylon 5
1x09 Deathwalker
Doctor Who [classic]
19x19 Earthshock Part One [4th watch]
19x20 Earthshock Part Two [4th watch]
19x21 Earthshock Part Three [4th watch]
19x22 Earthshock Part Four [4th watch]
See here for my thoughts on this story.
House
4x15 House's Head
Part one of House's two-part season finale, with a mystery that viewers without a medical degree can actually participate in: House was in a bus crash he can't remember, and must decipher clues from dreams and hallucinations to work out why he was there and what he saw. It's an interesting episode that leads to a neat cliffhanger.
1x09 Deathwalker
Doctor Who [classic]
19x19 Earthshock Part One [4th watch]
19x20 Earthshock Part Two [4th watch]
19x21 Earthshock Part Three [4th watch]
19x22 Earthshock Part Four [4th watch]
See here for my thoughts on this story.
House
4x15 House's Head
Part one of House's two-part season finale, with a mystery that viewers without a medical degree can actually participate in: House was in a bus crash he can't remember, and must decipher clues from dreams and hallucinations to work out why he was there and what he saw. It's an interesting episode that leads to a neat cliffhanger.
Fiction
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: War of the Robots by Trevor Baxendale
See here for my thoughts on this book.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill
'Titles' (pages 1-8)
Prologue (pages 9-23)
This Warn You (page 24)
Contents (page 25)
See here for my thoughts on the opening 25 pages of Black Dossier.
See here for my thoughts on this book.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill
'Titles' (pages 1-8)
Prologue (pages 9-23)
This Warn You (page 24)
Contents (page 25)
See here for my thoughts on the opening 25 pages of Black Dossier.
Doctor Who: Earthshock
I should warn you, dear reader, that this review contains major spoilers for the 26-year-old Doctor Who story Earthshock; spoilers that are plastered all over the DVD cover and menus, and are the main reasons people still talk about the story. But still, in case you are in blissful ignorance and may ever see this story without stumbling upon a DVD or VHS cover, or indeed a basic plot description, I felt I should warn you.
There's a good deal to like about Earthshock -- hence why I chose it, of course. There's the fifth Doctor, who's one of my favourites (and now everyone's, I'm sure). His TARDIS may be a little over-crowded with three companions, but this story soon sorts that out -- hurrah, Adric dies! It's a fantastic mix of joy at the annoying little brat being gone and some sort of shock/sadness at the death of a companion. But it's much needed, really, as three companions is too many -- Nyssa basically stands around in the TARDIS doing sod all for four episodes. Two companions, on the other hand, is a great number, with Tegan and Adric having plenty to do. The new series should look into using this idea (dalliances with Mickey, Jack and now Martha aside). Of course, Nyssa and Tegan may get more to do now that Adric's dead (hurrah!).
Then there's the Cybermen, the series' best-ever villains (sod those bloody Daleks). In this case they may be (as the Doctor puts it) "positively flippant", but they still stomp around with a certain degree of shiny silver coolness. And they can go up stairs (as a certified Doctor Who fan I'm still allowed to make that joke -- casuals, newbies and proper journalists aren't). They get a cool reveal at the end of Part One, and cool robot minions before that, and their plan to destroy Earth with a freighter is pretty nifty too (even if the bomb-in-a-cave before it is a crap one), plus they get the honour of killing Adric. Adric dies, you know -- did I mention that? Also, any story that has the audacity to completely change its setting and most of the guest cast after an episode and a half has to be applauded, especially when it makes it work so smoothly.
Parts of Earthshock are irritating padding, it's true, and especially obvious on repeat viewings. But when you've got Beryl Reid's excellent space captain, a traditional traitor-who-falls-foul-of-his-masters (just like in Tomb), the Doctor's classic speech about emotions, and all sorts of other nice bits and pieces -- and Adric's death! -- it's quite hard not to find something to enjoy in almost every part of Earthshock.
Plus, Adric dies.
There's a good deal to like about Earthshock -- hence why I chose it, of course. There's the fifth Doctor, who's one of my favourites (and now everyone's, I'm sure). His TARDIS may be a little over-crowded with three companions, but this story soon sorts that out -- hurrah, Adric dies! It's a fantastic mix of joy at the annoying little brat being gone and some sort of shock/sadness at the death of a companion. But it's much needed, really, as three companions is too many -- Nyssa basically stands around in the TARDIS doing sod all for four episodes. Two companions, on the other hand, is a great number, with Tegan and Adric having plenty to do. The new series should look into using this idea (dalliances with Mickey, Jack and now Martha aside). Of course, Nyssa and Tegan may get more to do now that Adric's dead (hurrah!).
Then there's the Cybermen, the series' best-ever villains (sod those bloody Daleks). In this case they may be (as the Doctor puts it) "positively flippant", but they still stomp around with a certain degree of shiny silver coolness. And they can go up stairs (as a certified Doctor Who fan I'm still allowed to make that joke -- casuals, newbies and proper journalists aren't). They get a cool reveal at the end of Part One, and cool robot minions before that, and their plan to destroy Earth with a freighter is pretty nifty too (even if the bomb-in-a-cave before it is a crap one), plus they get the honour of killing Adric. Adric dies, you know -- did I mention that? Also, any story that has the audacity to completely change its setting and most of the guest cast after an episode and a half has to be applauded, especially when it makes it work so smoothly.
Parts of Earthshock are irritating padding, it's true, and especially obvious on repeat viewings. But when you've got Beryl Reid's excellent space captain, a traditional traitor-who-falls-foul-of-his-masters (just like in Tomb), the Doctor's classic speech about emotions, and all sorts of other nice bits and pieces -- and Adric's death! -- it's quite hard not to find something to enjoy in almost every part of Earthshock.
Plus, Adric dies.
"Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: War of the Robots" by Trevor Baxendale
Regular Who author Trevor Baxendale joins the Decide Your Destiny stable with this sixth book in the series (which has so far made it to twelve entries), the dramatically titled War of the Robots. Baxendale's adventure is set "on a distant world populated by robots [where] war has been raging for many years. Can you, the Doctor and Martha discover why the robots are fighting and end the war once and for all?" Ooh, peaceful.
The story begins as it means to go on -- with war! Smoke, gunfire, explosions... it's all-action here. Sadly, the first time I read the book through, Baxendale fell prey to the same trap as Davey Moore, shuttling the reader from page to page without any choices. It was so brief and horridly linear that I did actually read it through again, the first time I've bothered to do that. As an exercise, this showed how unlucky you can get with the wrong choices, as a re-read (attempting to follow several paths at once, too) gave me many more options and longer, more action-packed storylines. The first time through we quickly wound up on a space station, talking a robot into stopping the war; the second time we encountered a group of humans, and wound up killing robots and battling robot dogs. Compared to this, it's a shame the somewhat dull space station alternative even exists. Elsewhere, the choices offered are decent enough (importantly, as I stress with good reason in every review, you direct your character and not the story), if never hugely different. To be fair, I imagine it must be hard to offer many branches with just over 100 segments, and it may be too harsh to pick on the story always leading to similar events -- especially when I also call for the NPCs to be doing more or less the same things in every version.
Get the right path and Baxendale's book provides an entertaining read with moderately varied choices and some exciting sequences; but get the wrong one and you'll be shuttled through a dull denouement -- possibly a common problem that I just haven't been unfortunate enough to come across before. Even with this, it's one of the series' better efforts.
The story begins as it means to go on -- with war! Smoke, gunfire, explosions... it's all-action here. Sadly, the first time I read the book through, Baxendale fell prey to the same trap as Davey Moore, shuttling the reader from page to page without any choices. It was so brief and horridly linear that I did actually read it through again, the first time I've bothered to do that. As an exercise, this showed how unlucky you can get with the wrong choices, as a re-read (attempting to follow several paths at once, too) gave me many more options and longer, more action-packed storylines. The first time through we quickly wound up on a space station, talking a robot into stopping the war; the second time we encountered a group of humans, and wound up killing robots and battling robot dogs. Compared to this, it's a shame the somewhat dull space station alternative even exists. Elsewhere, the choices offered are decent enough (importantly, as I stress with good reason in every review, you direct your character and not the story), if never hugely different. To be fair, I imagine it must be hard to offer many branches with just over 100 segments, and it may be too harsh to pick on the story always leading to similar events -- especially when I also call for the NPCs to be doing more or less the same things in every version.
Get the right path and Baxendale's book provides an entertaining read with moderately varied choices and some exciting sequences; but get the wrong one and you'll be shuttled through a dull denouement -- possibly a common problem that I just haven't been unfortunate enough to come across before. Even with this, it's one of the series' better efforts.
Bond from the Beginning #1: Dr. No
As previously mentioned, I'm going to begin posting 'archive' reviews of the films I've so far watched on my Bond from the Beginning undertaking. Here's the first:
James Bond movies have always been utterly escapist, despite what some might claim. No film shows this better than the first -- the series didn't slide into crazy plots and fantastical creations, it began there! Dr No and his secret base are as mad as anything that follows, and Honey Ryder (in that bikini) is still the defining image of a Bond girl (almost a genre unto themselves).
The story slowly draws you in to its fantasy of villainy; the Technicolor excess must surely have made for a beautiful break from the bleak 'kitchen sink' dramas of British cinema at the time, or the bleak Cold War threat in the real world. Connery is perfect from the start, and amongst the rest of the cast only Felix Leiter feels like a mistake. The action sequences are exciting, the villains are evil, the girl is eye-catching and Bond is properly ruthless. What more do you need?
Dr. No is oft forgotten behind some of the films that follow it, but it really shouldn't be -- if this hadn't been so good we wouldn't have any more.
James Bond movies have always been utterly escapist, despite what some might claim. No film shows this better than the first -- the series didn't slide into crazy plots and fantastical creations, it began there! Dr No and his secret base are as mad as anything that follows, and Honey Ryder (in that bikini) is still the defining image of a Bond girl (almost a genre unto themselves).
The story slowly draws you in to its fantasy of villainy; the Technicolor excess must surely have made for a beautiful break from the bleak 'kitchen sink' dramas of British cinema at the time, or the bleak Cold War threat in the real world. Connery is perfect from the start, and amongst the rest of the cast only Felix Leiter feels like a mistake. The action sequences are exciting, the villains are evil, the girl is eye-catching and Bond is properly ruthless. What more do you need?
Dr. No is oft forgotten behind some of the films that follow it, but it really shouldn't be -- if this hadn't been so good we wouldn't have any more.
Thursday, 12 June 2008
TV
The Graham Norton Show
3x09 (12/6/08 edition)
Heroes
2x08 Four Months Ago...
Heroes takes a leaf out of Lost's book, and finally flashes back to what happened the night Peter exploded and in the four months since.
3x09 (12/6/08 edition)
Heroes
2x08 Four Months Ago...
Heroes takes a leaf out of Lost's book, and finally flashes back to what happened the night Peter exploded and in the four months since.
Fiction
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming
Chapter 12
In which, true to traditional Bond structure, Bond and the girl are captured and taken to the villain's lair, where he's treated to an explanation of the villain's Evil Plan. From memory, Gorner is certainly one of the most despicable, sickest, least vulnerable villains Bond has encountered. Super.
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Crystal Snare by Richard Dungworth
See here for my thoughts on this book.
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapters Five & Six [the end]
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
All done! Hurrah!
Chapter 12
In which, true to traditional Bond structure, Bond and the girl are captured and taken to the villain's lair, where he's treated to an explanation of the villain's Evil Plan. From memory, Gorner is certainly one of the most despicable, sickest, least vulnerable villains Bond has encountered. Super.
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Crystal Snare by Richard Dungworth
See here for my thoughts on this book.
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapters Five & Six [the end]
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
All done! Hurrah!
"Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Crystal Snare" by Richard Dungworth
The second set of Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny books begins with The Crystal Snare, the series' fifth book, written by its only good author so far, Richard Dungworth. And right from the outset he's created another triumph -- the first Decide Your Destiny book brave enough to travel to somewhere that isn't the future! Hurrah! It's back to Victorian Britain, to attend the Great Exhibition. "People from all over the world were amazed at the exhibits on display at the Great Exhibition [exhibits at an exhibition? Whatever next!] - and they didn't even see the alien visitors! Help the Doctor and Martha put a stop to the aliens' plans, before they wreak havoc on humankind..." Ooh, ominous.
The Crystal Snare has something to live up to, as the first historical of the range, and it uses its setting well. At the start, you explore a bit of the Exhibition, with the Doctor telling you all sorts of interesting things. There's a choice of routes, of course, so the reader can see different exhibits on each read. It's not too long before the monsters turn up though, nanobot-things that can take the form of other creatures, including humans. The aliens' plan -- using these remote-controlled bots to collect and analyse a planet's life, then crafting a virus specifically to destroy them all before invading -- is certainly a clever one, but somewhat disappointing in that once the Doctor defeats the robots he doesn't bother going after the aliens who sent them. Surely they have more bots to send? This is also a 'celebrity historical', in the vein of The Unquiet Dead and Tooth and Claw (both also with a Victorian setting, incidentally). The choice -- engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel -- is entirely appropriate, but also underused by the story (at least in the version I read), turning up late and disappearing just as quickly.
Gameplay isn't bad this time round, though doesn't feel as exceptional as in Alien Arena. Pleasingly, the basic story is the same but with variances in experience. The four endings (I should've counted the number in the other books really) offer different resolutions, but none that contradict each other -- for example, in two the Doctor disrupts the signal to the nanobots, while in the other two he destroys their individual processors. Dungworth isn't afraid to write sections that run to several pages if he needs to convey that much information (the opening is five pages, all the climaxes three), which is a much better way of doing things than Davey Moore's forceful page-turning.
The Crystal Snare isn't quite as much fun as the same author's range highlight, Alien Arena, but the historical setting makes a nice change, the gameplay is more appropriate than Colin Brake's entries, and the plot less bogged-down in linearity and technicalities than Moore's book. All in, it's a worthwhile addition to the series.
The Crystal Snare has something to live up to, as the first historical of the range, and it uses its setting well. At the start, you explore a bit of the Exhibition, with the Doctor telling you all sorts of interesting things. There's a choice of routes, of course, so the reader can see different exhibits on each read. It's not too long before the monsters turn up though, nanobot-things that can take the form of other creatures, including humans. The aliens' plan -- using these remote-controlled bots to collect and analyse a planet's life, then crafting a virus specifically to destroy them all before invading -- is certainly a clever one, but somewhat disappointing in that once the Doctor defeats the robots he doesn't bother going after the aliens who sent them. Surely they have more bots to send? This is also a 'celebrity historical', in the vein of The Unquiet Dead and Tooth and Claw (both also with a Victorian setting, incidentally). The choice -- engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel -- is entirely appropriate, but also underused by the story (at least in the version I read), turning up late and disappearing just as quickly.
Gameplay isn't bad this time round, though doesn't feel as exceptional as in Alien Arena. Pleasingly, the basic story is the same but with variances in experience. The four endings (I should've counted the number in the other books really) offer different resolutions, but none that contradict each other -- for example, in two the Doctor disrupts the signal to the nanobots, while in the other two he destroys their individual processors. Dungworth isn't afraid to write sections that run to several pages if he needs to convey that much information (the opening is five pages, all the climaxes three), which is a much better way of doing things than Davey Moore's forceful page-turning.
The Crystal Snare isn't quite as much fun as the same author's range highlight, Alien Arena, but the historical setting makes a nice change, the gameplay is more appropriate than Colin Brake's entries, and the plot less bogged-down in linearity and technicalities than Moore's book. All in, it's a worthwhile addition to the series.
"Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Corinthian Project" by Davey Moore
The first batch of Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny books comes to an end with The Corinthian Project, the fourth book in the series, written by Davey Moore. Once again the reader/player is taken to the future (something I bemoaned in my last review), though this time it's only the near-future. "When the TARDIS lands in an undersea community known as the Corinthian Project, it doesn't take you long to realise there are some very strange things going on. Explore the Project and see if you can uncover the truth..." Ooh, misleading.
Well, somewhat misleading at any rate, because "explore" you certainly do. Moore has clearly spent at least as long creating the setting for this adventure -- its technology, its technicalities, and especially its acronyms -- as he has the actual plot, and he wants you to know it. Consequently the writing is highly descriptive, but too much so -- you can't run down a corridor without being told if you're going clockwise or anti-clockwise; early on you're herded into a Presentation Pod for an introductory lecture, where you're handed a three-page letter explaining the terms and characters... at the end of which you're offered the 'choice', "Now head back to 32 and choose a new direction".
And there is the book's fatal flaw. Never mind exploring the station or riding on a Sea Bike in no way that furthers the plot -- at least that sounds cool, and certain boys will revel in the over-detailing of the way the undersea station works -- but, frequently, once you've chosen a path via two or three decisions, you're shuttled from page to page following "Turn to 59"-style instructions. Where's the choice in that? Moore seems quite happy to let you make a few choices, but after that he wants to tell a straightforward story for a good half a dozen (or more) pages. At least it seems to fulfill another of my desires expressed last time, which was for the same essential events to be occurring 'behind the scenes', but if that sacrifices any choice then I'd prefer the shifting explanations of the last book.
So, at the end of the first batch of Decide Your Destiny books, they don't have a very good batting average. It's not the fault of the concept or the younger audience they're aimed at -- the prose style is good, simple but descriptive, effective for this sort of work. And the concept is obviously a brilliant one. But the weak plotting and style of choices in the books by Colin Brake and Davey Moore (who between them penned three of the initial four titles), makes those books less than satisfying. Only Richard Dungworth's Alien Arena has given me unquestioning enjoyment so far.
Looking ahead to the next batch, they're written by Richard Dungworth (yay!), Trevor Baxendale (author of some entertaining normal Who novels)... and Davey Moore and Colin Brake. Perhaps they learnt from their initial follies?
Well, somewhat misleading at any rate, because "explore" you certainly do. Moore has clearly spent at least as long creating the setting for this adventure -- its technology, its technicalities, and especially its acronyms -- as he has the actual plot, and he wants you to know it. Consequently the writing is highly descriptive, but too much so -- you can't run down a corridor without being told if you're going clockwise or anti-clockwise; early on you're herded into a Presentation Pod for an introductory lecture, where you're handed a three-page letter explaining the terms and characters... at the end of which you're offered the 'choice', "Now head back to 32 and choose a new direction".
And there is the book's fatal flaw. Never mind exploring the station or riding on a Sea Bike in no way that furthers the plot -- at least that sounds cool, and certain boys will revel in the over-detailing of the way the undersea station works -- but, frequently, once you've chosen a path via two or three decisions, you're shuttled from page to page following "Turn to 59"-style instructions. Where's the choice in that? Moore seems quite happy to let you make a few choices, but after that he wants to tell a straightforward story for a good half a dozen (or more) pages. At least it seems to fulfill another of my desires expressed last time, which was for the same essential events to be occurring 'behind the scenes', but if that sacrifices any choice then I'd prefer the shifting explanations of the last book.
So, at the end of the first batch of Decide Your Destiny books, they don't have a very good batting average. It's not the fault of the concept or the younger audience they're aimed at -- the prose style is good, simple but descriptive, effective for this sort of work. And the concept is obviously a brilliant one. But the weak plotting and style of choices in the books by Colin Brake and Davey Moore (who between them penned three of the initial four titles), makes those books less than satisfying. Only Richard Dungworth's Alien Arena has given me unquestioning enjoyment so far.
Looking ahead to the next batch, they're written by Richard Dungworth (yay!), Trevor Baxendale (author of some entertaining normal Who novels)... and Davey Moore and Colin Brake. Perhaps they learnt from their initial follies?
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Films
Almost Famous (2000)
[#41 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Van Helsing (2004)
[2nd watch]
Four years on, with vastly lowered expectations, it's still not very good.
[#41 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Van Helsing (2004)
[2nd watch]
Four years on, with vastly lowered expectations, it's still not very good.
Fiction
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming
Chapter 11
As Bond escapes and recovers from his investigative previous chapter, Scarlett somehow finds him again. She's becoming increasingly suspicious, that girl, and yet somehow Bond accepts everything she has to say, and even takes her along when he returns to investigate the 'Caspian Sea Monster'. Is there a poorly thought-through 'twist' coming with her, or is her story just as ludicrous as it seems?
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Corinthian Project by Davey Moore
See here for my thoughts on this book.
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapter Four
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
Ploughing on through this, as I feel I ought to read it before embarking on Black Dossier (especially as it contains clues to what will happen in that), a book I've had for a good six months now. I'm looking forward to it (believe it or not).
Chapter 11
As Bond escapes and recovers from his investigative previous chapter, Scarlett somehow finds him again. She's becoming increasingly suspicious, that girl, and yet somehow Bond accepts everything she has to say, and even takes her along when he returns to investigate the 'Caspian Sea Monster'. Is there a poorly thought-through 'twist' coming with her, or is her story just as ludicrous as it seems?
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Corinthian Project by Davey Moore
See here for my thoughts on this book.
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapter Four
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
Ploughing on through this, as I feel I ought to read it before embarking on Black Dossier (especially as it contains clues to what will happen in that), a book I've had for a good six months now. I'm looking forward to it (believe it or not).
Doctor Who: City of Death
And so my chronological wander through classic Doctor Who jumps 10 years on from the last story, deep into the era of the longest-running and arguably most-famous Doctor: the fourth, Tom Baker. The story I've chosen is City of Death, well known among Who fans as the highest-rated story ever (aided by an ITV strike, it reached the giddy heights of 17 million viewers). This is the first time I've seen it, however, and I was a bit wary -- the last time I saw such a well-regarded story was The Talons of Weng-Chiang, which I found a bit weak. Luckily, there's a lot more than just ratings success to make City of Death a memorable adventure.
In fact, where to begin? How about the beginning, an atmospheric prehistoric opening with some brilliant set design, models and visual effects work. The story moves quickly on to Paris -- the first time Doctor Who had shot overseas. While most of what we see is the Doctor and Romana running up and down Parisian streets, there's some good location work -- the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre all feature -- and it's truly bizarre to see them riding on the Metro, or indeed existing anywhere outside of the cosy confines of small sets built at Television Centre and shot on video! There are some artful shots too, giving a feeling more like something from the French New Wave than '70s British kids' TV. Dudley Simpson's music underlines this too, with possibly the most genteel race-against-time music I've ever heard (in Part Four, when the Doctor, Romana and Duggan run across Paris to the TARDIS).
But after the production team have had their fun showing off the location it's full steam ahead with a plot that involves a time-altering device and six fake Mona Lisas. It's a very strong storyline, backed up by an endlessly inventive and furiously witty screenplay -- the scripts were co-written by Douglas Adams, and it really shows. The cast are more than up to the task of delivering the marvellous dialogue -- I shouldn't wonder if Tom Baker's faux fool Doctor here wasn't the primary model for David Tennant's current incarnation. There are some more fantastic effects shots too, including an aging chicken, a similar gruesome death, and a surprisingly effective virtual reality bit. The part two cliffhanger is also brilliant -- it's hard to say if it's surprising because I'm so familiar with it from clip shows, etc, but it still seems a neat twist.
There are flaws of course, but they're incredibly minor and really just nitpicking for the sake of it, especially as I haven't even listed all the little bits of brilliance contained within. City of Death (there's one flaw -- a totally meaningless title) is unreserved entertainment from beginning to end. Fantastic.
In fact, where to begin? How about the beginning, an atmospheric prehistoric opening with some brilliant set design, models and visual effects work. The story moves quickly on to Paris -- the first time Doctor Who had shot overseas. While most of what we see is the Doctor and Romana running up and down Parisian streets, there's some good location work -- the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre all feature -- and it's truly bizarre to see them riding on the Metro, or indeed existing anywhere outside of the cosy confines of small sets built at Television Centre and shot on video! There are some artful shots too, giving a feeling more like something from the French New Wave than '70s British kids' TV. Dudley Simpson's music underlines this too, with possibly the most genteel race-against-time music I've ever heard (in Part Four, when the Doctor, Romana and Duggan run across Paris to the TARDIS).
But after the production team have had their fun showing off the location it's full steam ahead with a plot that involves a time-altering device and six fake Mona Lisas. It's a very strong storyline, backed up by an endlessly inventive and furiously witty screenplay -- the scripts were co-written by Douglas Adams, and it really shows. The cast are more than up to the task of delivering the marvellous dialogue -- I shouldn't wonder if Tom Baker's faux fool Doctor here wasn't the primary model for David Tennant's current incarnation. There are some more fantastic effects shots too, including an aging chicken, a similar gruesome death, and a surprisingly effective virtual reality bit. The part two cliffhanger is also brilliant -- it's hard to say if it's surprising because I'm so familiar with it from clip shows, etc, but it still seems a neat twist.
There are flaws of course, but they're incredibly minor and really just nitpicking for the sake of it, especially as I haven't even listed all the little bits of brilliance contained within. City of Death (there's one flaw -- a totally meaningless title) is unreserved entertainment from beginning to end. Fantastic.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
TV
Doctor Who [classic]
17x05 City of Death Part One
17x06 City of Death Part Two
17x07 City of Death Part Three
I'll post a review of this story after Part Four, tomorrow.
17x05 City of Death Part One
17x06 City of Death Part Two
17x07 City of Death Part Three
I'll post a review of this story after Part Four, tomorrow.
Fiction
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Time Crocodile by Colin Brake
See here for my thoughts on this book.
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapter Three
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
See here for my thoughts on this book.
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapter Three
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
"Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Time Crocodile" by Colin Brake
The Time Crocodile is the third adventure in the Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny series, in which the Doctor and Martha whisk you off to "the space zoo", which, unsurprisingly, "isn't like any zoo you've ever visited on Earth. For a start, some of the animals can talk! Explore the zoo and work out who can be trusted and who has a hidden agenda..." Ooh, leisurely.
Colin Brake, author of the series' first book, returns for this installment... and, sadly, all of the problems present in The Spaceship Graveyard come with him. Your choices are often limited to directing the story rather than your actions, and most routes lead to pages that just say the same thing but with different words! Or, at best, the events differ but you're left with the same choices at the end. At the worst point you're instructed to flip a coin to decide what happens next! It's dismal really, and, especially if you realise what's going on, hampers the fun. It suggests to me that Brake would be more comfortable writing a normal, linear novel. (To be fair, I haven't taken the time to examine the branching of options offered by the previous two books in this much depth, but even if they did it too it doesn't make it any less shoddy.)
Flicking through the bits of the book I didn't encounter, I think there are two different, mostly-linear stories, and which you get depends on whether you're polite or rude at the start. After that, they both seem to move along straightforwardly, with no real choice for the reader, until you hit a variety of endings. These endings are all totally different -- as in, the explanations for what's been going on are different each time. For example, one of the two stories leads to a resolution where the evil Professor Morrow (he's not so evil in the other thread) has captured something to create time windows. In one possible finale it's a Time Agent, in the other it's an alien from the future. In my opinion, it should always be the same thing trapped, and if/how it's released should be what you influence. It's probably personal preference, but I think this sort of book is better when there's one 'truth' behind events and your choices influence how it pans out, rather than your choices leading to almost completely different stories.
I'm not quite done moaning yet, though this is a problem with the range as a whole: they're all future-set sci-fi stories. One of the joys of Doctor Who is that there are present day and historical adventures too, but these are as yet unrepresented by the range. They were originally released in batches of four, but clearly no one thought to duplicate the "one past, one present, one future" theory of the normal novel releases. It's a bit of a shame and there's no good reason for it.
Regardless, The Time Crocodile is a weak entry, both in terms of plot and quality of play. There are two more books by Brake to come in this series, each released in a later batch -- I can only hope he learnt something from the vastly superior second book (and, possibly, the others I've yet to read) before he wrote them.
Colin Brake, author of the series' first book, returns for this installment... and, sadly, all of the problems present in The Spaceship Graveyard come with him. Your choices are often limited to directing the story rather than your actions, and most routes lead to pages that just say the same thing but with different words! Or, at best, the events differ but you're left with the same choices at the end. At the worst point you're instructed to flip a coin to decide what happens next! It's dismal really, and, especially if you realise what's going on, hampers the fun. It suggests to me that Brake would be more comfortable writing a normal, linear novel. (To be fair, I haven't taken the time to examine the branching of options offered by the previous two books in this much depth, but even if they did it too it doesn't make it any less shoddy.)
Flicking through the bits of the book I didn't encounter, I think there are two different, mostly-linear stories, and which you get depends on whether you're polite or rude at the start. After that, they both seem to move along straightforwardly, with no real choice for the reader, until you hit a variety of endings. These endings are all totally different -- as in, the explanations for what's been going on are different each time. For example, one of the two stories leads to a resolution where the evil Professor Morrow (he's not so evil in the other thread) has captured something to create time windows. In one possible finale it's a Time Agent, in the other it's an alien from the future. In my opinion, it should always be the same thing trapped, and if/how it's released should be what you influence. It's probably personal preference, but I think this sort of book is better when there's one 'truth' behind events and your choices influence how it pans out, rather than your choices leading to almost completely different stories.
I'm not quite done moaning yet, though this is a problem with the range as a whole: they're all future-set sci-fi stories. One of the joys of Doctor Who is that there are present day and historical adventures too, but these are as yet unrepresented by the range. They were originally released in batches of four, but clearly no one thought to duplicate the "one past, one present, one future" theory of the normal novel releases. It's a bit of a shame and there's no good reason for it.
Regardless, The Time Crocodile is a weak entry, both in terms of plot and quality of play. There are two more books by Brake to come in this series, each released in a later batch -- I can only hope he learnt something from the vastly superior second book (and, possibly, the others I've yet to read) before he wrote them.
Monday, 9 June 2008
TV
Gilmore Girls
4x12 A Family Matter
Shark
2x08 In the Crosshairs
Oh dear, Shark's increasingly annoying daughter (as if she wasn't bad enough to start with) is back after a merciful break last week. On the bright side, we're halfway through the programme's final season. Shark may be a poor man's House-meets-(any legal drama), but it's still moderately entertaining.
4x12 A Family Matter
Shark
2x08 In the Crosshairs
Oh dear, Shark's increasingly annoying daughter (as if she wasn't bad enough to start with) is back after a merciful break last week. On the bright side, we're halfway through the programme's final season. Shark may be a poor man's House-meets-(any legal drama), but it's still moderately entertaining.
Fiction
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: Alien Arena by Richard Dungworth
See here for my thoughts on this book.
See here for my thoughts on this book.
Music
We Are the People (single) by Feeder
Tracks: We Are the People and Calling Out For Days
Feeder are beginning to create a reputation (with me, anyway) for putting out B-sides that are superior to the album track they're paired with. I started to notice with the first single from their last album, Tumble and Fall, which had the excellent B-side Victoria, which was not only superior to the A-side but also any other track on the album. I can't speak for this album yet (it's out next Monday), but Calling Out For Days is the better of these two (both good) songs.
Tracks: We Are the People and Calling Out For Days
Feeder are beginning to create a reputation (with me, anyway) for putting out B-sides that are superior to the album track they're paired with. I started to notice with the first single from their last album, Tumble and Fall, which had the excellent B-side Victoria, which was not only superior to the A-side but also any other track on the album. I can't speak for this album yet (it's out next Monday), but Calling Out For Days is the better of these two (both good) songs.
"Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: Alien Arena" by Richard Dungworth
The second book in the series of Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny adventures, Alien Arena is written by Richard Dungworth and again stars the Doctor and Martha (despite only featuring the Doctor on the cover). This time, "you're on an alien prison ship in the midst of a mutiny! The ringleader, Mr Big, has created an arena, where aliens from all over the universe are fighting each other. Only your quick wits, and a little help from the Doctor and Martha, can help you escape the arena!" Ooh, exciting.
After being somewhat disappointed by the first entry in this series, I had lowered expectations going into this adventure. It seems I needn't have worried -- this one has proper choices! Hurrah! As anyone who's read my previous review may remember, I disliked the style of choices the reader was offered in the first book (they let you direct the story, not your character's actions). Alien Arena consistently offers the latter however, with a nice mix between random decisions -- "go left or right" -- and actual choices -- "reason with him or run away", "hide or run away"... Yes, the second option is often "run away", but considering this is a Doctor Who story that seems reasonable enough (especially when most of the running away is down corridors). The many "left or right" choices give a sense that there's a lot of different adventures to be had here. While the plot must surely remain more or less the same (there are only 99 different sections in the book, after all), the encounters you have along the way, and the manner in which you approach some of them (for example, at one point, watching on a video screen for a clue how to save Martha, or just rushing straight to her location), would seem to allow for a nice degree of variation. Some choices are incredibly open: at one point, the Doctor and Martha each head off to do different things, and you have a choice of who to follow. Best of all is a fantastic final sequence in which you wind up in the titular arena, battling aliens! There are so many choices to make in this fight that it must take up a number of sections within the book, so I presume every storyline climaxes here. This is how a Decide Your Destiny book should be done.
Speaking of the Doctor and Martha (I was, a sentence or two ago), they don't turn up for a good while -- and when they do, the Doctor is Martha-less. Maybe he turns up sooner in some versions (or perhaps they even turn up together), but in the sections I read through you do a fair bit of solo exploring before you bump into the crazy side-burned time traveller. It gives a nice feeling of independence, whereas for much of The Spaceship Graveyard you just followed the Doctor and Martha around. Clearly the book doesn't fulfill my hope of continuing adventures in this series (every ending I saw in the previous book read "Your adventures continue" -- it seems they don't, at least not in this book). It's only a mild disappointment, which does nothing to hinder the excitement of this adventure.
After the lacklustre experience of the first Decide Your Destiny book, Alien Arena is a much more entertaining experience. There are several action-packed sequences and a real sense that you have choices and your decisions will matter. I'm tempted to start reading it again straight away and see what happens by going different ways down corridors or following different characters. Maybe this time it won't end with my memory being wiped...
After being somewhat disappointed by the first entry in this series, I had lowered expectations going into this adventure. It seems I needn't have worried -- this one has proper choices! Hurrah! As anyone who's read my previous review may remember, I disliked the style of choices the reader was offered in the first book (they let you direct the story, not your character's actions). Alien Arena consistently offers the latter however, with a nice mix between random decisions -- "go left or right" -- and actual choices -- "reason with him or run away", "hide or run away"... Yes, the second option is often "run away", but considering this is a Doctor Who story that seems reasonable enough (especially when most of the running away is down corridors). The many "left or right" choices give a sense that there's a lot of different adventures to be had here. While the plot must surely remain more or less the same (there are only 99 different sections in the book, after all), the encounters you have along the way, and the manner in which you approach some of them (for example, at one point, watching on a video screen for a clue how to save Martha, or just rushing straight to her location), would seem to allow for a nice degree of variation. Some choices are incredibly open: at one point, the Doctor and Martha each head off to do different things, and you have a choice of who to follow. Best of all is a fantastic final sequence in which you wind up in the titular arena, battling aliens! There are so many choices to make in this fight that it must take up a number of sections within the book, so I presume every storyline climaxes here. This is how a Decide Your Destiny book should be done.
Speaking of the Doctor and Martha (I was, a sentence or two ago), they don't turn up for a good while -- and when they do, the Doctor is Martha-less. Maybe he turns up sooner in some versions (or perhaps they even turn up together), but in the sections I read through you do a fair bit of solo exploring before you bump into the crazy side-burned time traveller. It gives a nice feeling of independence, whereas for much of The Spaceship Graveyard you just followed the Doctor and Martha around. Clearly the book doesn't fulfill my hope of continuing adventures in this series (every ending I saw in the previous book read "Your adventures continue" -- it seems they don't, at least not in this book). It's only a mild disappointment, which does nothing to hinder the excitement of this adventure.
After the lacklustre experience of the first Decide Your Destiny book, Alien Arena is a much more entertaining experience. There are several action-packed sequences and a real sense that you have choices and your decisions will matter. I'm tempted to start reading it again straight away and see what happens by going different ways down corridors or following different characters. Maybe this time it won't end with my memory being wiped...
Sunday, 8 June 2008
TV
Red Dwarf
2x04 Stasis Leak
For a show apparently about three people (and a computer) alone in the far future, early Red Dwarf certainly finds a number of ways to introduce other characters -- in this episode, the Dwarfers find a leak that allows them to travel back to three weeks before the ship was destroyed. Do they try to save it? No, they just try to find a way to save one person! There's also a distinct repetition of other Red Dwarf tropes, mainly various forms of time travel, seeing future events, and doubles -- it's especially reminiscent of a couple of first series episodes in this respect (and these ideas will crop up often in future episodes too). (Incidentally, virtual reality is another form the show uses often; not this episode, but the one before it and at least twice in future seasons.)
Spooks
4x05 The Book (aka A Journalist, a Minister and a Conservative Group)
Stylishly directed spy-vs-spy episode. It's notably different to how the first couple of seasons would've handled such a story -- it's increasingly headed in a more "action adventure" direction, like (say) 24, rather than the "relatively believable" initial premise -- but nonetheless entertaining. The conclusion is slightly lacklustre and almost rushed, however -- perhaps the events of this episode will have repercussions in the future?
Wild China
Part 5 Land of the Panda
2x04 Stasis Leak
For a show apparently about three people (and a computer) alone in the far future, early Red Dwarf certainly finds a number of ways to introduce other characters -- in this episode, the Dwarfers find a leak that allows them to travel back to three weeks before the ship was destroyed. Do they try to save it? No, they just try to find a way to save one person! There's also a distinct repetition of other Red Dwarf tropes, mainly various forms of time travel, seeing future events, and doubles -- it's especially reminiscent of a couple of first series episodes in this respect (and these ideas will crop up often in future episodes too). (Incidentally, virtual reality is another form the show uses often; not this episode, but the one before it and at least twice in future seasons.)
Spooks
4x05 The Book (aka A Journalist, a Minister and a Conservative Group)
Stylishly directed spy-vs-spy episode. It's notably different to how the first couple of seasons would've handled such a story -- it's increasingly headed in a more "action adventure" direction, like (say) 24, rather than the "relatively believable" initial premise -- but nonetheless entertaining. The conclusion is slightly lacklustre and almost rushed, however -- perhaps the events of this episode will have repercussions in the future?
Wild China
Part 5 Land of the Panda
Fiction
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming
Chapters 9 & 10
Bond finally gets on with investigating Gorner in these two chapters. Initially hindered by a lack of translator/driver, he bumps into the CIA's man in Tehran (who warns him off)... and someone altogether more surprising (who helps him along)... Following the latter's lead, Bond discovers something even more surprising at a boat builder's yard. Faulks begins to bring in fantastical-yet-believable elements here, another staple of many of the best Bonds. The plot, as they say, thickens. (The end of Chapter 10 marks the novel's halfway point.)
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Spaceship Graveyard by Colin Brake
See here for my thoughts on this book.
Chapters 9 & 10
Bond finally gets on with investigating Gorner in these two chapters. Initially hindered by a lack of translator/driver, he bumps into the CIA's man in Tehran (who warns him off)... and someone altogether more surprising (who helps him along)... Following the latter's lead, Bond discovers something even more surprising at a boat builder's yard. Faulks begins to bring in fantastical-yet-believable elements here, another staple of many of the best Bonds. The plot, as they say, thickens. (The end of Chapter 10 marks the novel's halfway point.)
Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Spaceship Graveyard by Colin Brake
See here for my thoughts on this book.
"Doctor Who - Decide Your Destiny: The Spaceship Graveyard" by Colin Brake
I used to love Decide Your Destiny-style books when I was younger. You know the ones -- you read a page of action featuring 'you' as the main character, then make a choice at the end which sends you off to another page, usually hidden in a completely different section of the book, where you read a bit more before making another choice, and so on til you reach one of the story's endings (or, sometimes, you just went round in circles). I suppose it's a simpler, more childish version of role-playing, but helpfully it's one that doesn't require a selection of other massively devoted friends.
So when I heard there was going to be a range of Doctor Who ones, I was faced with a bit of a dilemma: would they still interest me as (ostensibly) a grown-up? They have the massive advantage of being Doctor Who related, of course -- I've reverted to buying toys thanks to Doctor Who -- but was that enough? Would I read them? And if I did, would I enjoy them? At £4.99 RRP for such slim volumes, I decided against it... until The Book People offered the complete set of 12 for just £9.99. I found it was an offer I couldn't refuse. And now I'm actually going to read them, one by one (obviously), and report my thoughts.
First up in the numbered range is The Spaceship Graveyard, featuring the (10th) Doctor and Martha, written by Colin Brake. To quote the blurb: "When the TARDIS engines fail, you find yourselves on a planet littered with abandoned spaceships. But where are the crews? And why has the TARDIS crashed there, too? Explore the spaceship graveyard to find out..." Ooh, intriguing.
Unfortunately, the experience is flawed. But let's start with the good points. The prose is simple but descriptive, entirely appropriate for the level of these books. The main character (i.e. you) is sensibly considered to be a young boy (or possibly just human, but I assumed boy), which to some degree put me in that mindset and possibly helped me enjoy the book more. Brake captures the 10th Doctor well for the most part, though Martha has a disturbing tendency to keep winking at the reader... The plot isn't a bad idea, though it disappointingly doesn't all come together. One of the problems with constructing a book like this, I suppose, but I landed on a Draconian ship that, the Doctor informed me, had helped stop an Earth-Draconian war when it disappeared. Intriguing! But completely irrelevant to the rest of the plot.
This isn't the book's biggest problem, however. The real problem is that all of the decisions you make (at the end of each page, generally, though sometimes it stretches to two) are aimed at the reader and not the character. If that's not clear, I'll clarify: in my opinion, for books like this to truly draw you in, you need to be making decisions as the character. For example (these created by me): "To go left down the corridor turn to page 45, to go right turn to page 9", or "To shoot the alien turn to page 87, to talk to him turn to page 35", and so on. Instead, The Spaceship Graveyard is mostly (possibly entirely) made up of questions that direct the story but that the character you 'play' has no say in. For example (to paraphrase real ones from the novel): "If you meet an alien, go to page 78, if you meet a human go to page 3", or "If you find yourself on the bridge go to page 67, if you find yourself in the hold go to page 43". It's disappointing because you have no control over your actions, meaning you're left to guess what might make the most exciting story. And, flicking through the rest of the book while writing this review, some of the options I missed sound a lot more exciting.
On the plus side, this last point is somewhat reassuring -- there are clearly a variety of adventures to be had here (though, I'd wager, along similar lines), which clearly adds to replay value if one can remember enough to know to make different choices. But it's a huge shame that you're controlling the story and not your character's actions. I hope other books in the series manage the latter.
Talking of other books, this one begins with the Doctor picking you up, but ends with your adventures in time and space continuing. As I'm reading the books in order as a series, I hope they don't all begin with me getting picked up. I hardly expect any kind of character development or arc plot across all 12 (though it's theoretically possible to do something like that without impinging on the quality or stand-alone-ness of the books, so if they'd managed to work one in I'd be very impressed), but it would be nice if they were at least a bit connected in that respect, especially as they're clearly numbered.
So when I heard there was going to be a range of Doctor Who ones, I was faced with a bit of a dilemma: would they still interest me as (ostensibly) a grown-up? They have the massive advantage of being Doctor Who related, of course -- I've reverted to buying toys thanks to Doctor Who -- but was that enough? Would I read them? And if I did, would I enjoy them? At £4.99 RRP for such slim volumes, I decided against it... until The Book People offered the complete set of 12 for just £9.99. I found it was an offer I couldn't refuse. And now I'm actually going to read them, one by one (obviously), and report my thoughts.
First up in the numbered range is The Spaceship Graveyard, featuring the (10th) Doctor and Martha, written by Colin Brake. To quote the blurb: "When the TARDIS engines fail, you find yourselves on a planet littered with abandoned spaceships. But where are the crews? And why has the TARDIS crashed there, too? Explore the spaceship graveyard to find out..." Ooh, intriguing.
Unfortunately, the experience is flawed. But let's start with the good points. The prose is simple but descriptive, entirely appropriate for the level of these books. The main character (i.e. you) is sensibly considered to be a young boy (or possibly just human, but I assumed boy), which to some degree put me in that mindset and possibly helped me enjoy the book more. Brake captures the 10th Doctor well for the most part, though Martha has a disturbing tendency to keep winking at the reader... The plot isn't a bad idea, though it disappointingly doesn't all come together. One of the problems with constructing a book like this, I suppose, but I landed on a Draconian ship that, the Doctor informed me, had helped stop an Earth-Draconian war when it disappeared. Intriguing! But completely irrelevant to the rest of the plot.
This isn't the book's biggest problem, however. The real problem is that all of the decisions you make (at the end of each page, generally, though sometimes it stretches to two) are aimed at the reader and not the character. If that's not clear, I'll clarify: in my opinion, for books like this to truly draw you in, you need to be making decisions as the character. For example (these created by me): "To go left down the corridor turn to page 45, to go right turn to page 9", or "To shoot the alien turn to page 87, to talk to him turn to page 35", and so on. Instead, The Spaceship Graveyard is mostly (possibly entirely) made up of questions that direct the story but that the character you 'play' has no say in. For example (to paraphrase real ones from the novel): "If you meet an alien, go to page 78, if you meet a human go to page 3", or "If you find yourself on the bridge go to page 67, if you find yourself in the hold go to page 43". It's disappointing because you have no control over your actions, meaning you're left to guess what might make the most exciting story. And, flicking through the rest of the book while writing this review, some of the options I missed sound a lot more exciting.
On the plus side, this last point is somewhat reassuring -- there are clearly a variety of adventures to be had here (though, I'd wager, along similar lines), which clearly adds to replay value if one can remember enough to know to make different choices. But it's a huge shame that you're controlling the story and not your character's actions. I hope other books in the series manage the latter.
Talking of other books, this one begins with the Doctor picking you up, but ends with your adventures in time and space continuing. As I'm reading the books in order as a series, I hope they don't all begin with me getting picked up. I hardly expect any kind of character development or arc plot across all 12 (though it's theoretically possible to do something like that without impinging on the quality or stand-alone-ness of the books, so if they'd managed to work one in I'd be very impressed), but it would be nice if they were at least a bit connected in that respect, especially as they're clearly numbered.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
TV
Doctor Who [new]
4x09 Forest of the Dead
See here for my thoughts on this story.
Gilmore Girls
4x11 In the Clamor and the Clangor
Finally, after three and a half seasons, Mrs. Kim finds out the truth about Lane. Sadly, in typical Gilmore Girls fashion, it's nothing like as fantastic or victorious as it ought to be. Still, there's time yet...
Have I Got News For You
6/6/08 edition (extended repeat)
House
4x14 Living the Dream
Red Dwarf
2x03 Thanks For the Memory
More of an exemplary episode than the last, in my opinion, as it effectively combines character comedy, character drama, a clever (but not pointless) structure, and a handful of interesting science-fiction ideas. On the downside, it's not the funniest episode, which is obviously a problem for a comedy.
4x09 Forest of the Dead
See here for my thoughts on this story.
Gilmore Girls
4x11 In the Clamor and the Clangor
Finally, after three and a half seasons, Mrs. Kim finds out the truth about Lane. Sadly, in typical Gilmore Girls fashion, it's nothing like as fantastic or victorious as it ought to be. Still, there's time yet...
Have I Got News For You
6/6/08 edition (extended repeat)
House
4x14 Living the Dream
Red Dwarf
2x03 Thanks For the Memory
More of an exemplary episode than the last, in my opinion, as it effectively combines character comedy, character drama, a clever (but not pointless) structure, and a handful of interesting science-fiction ideas. On the downside, it's not the funniest episode, which is obviously a problem for a comedy.
Films
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
[#39 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Bond from the Beginning #9:
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
[4th or so watch]
See here for my thoughts on this film.
[#39 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Bond from the Beginning #9:
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
[4th or so watch]
See here for my thoughts on this film.
Fiction
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming
Chapter 8
Bond and Darius have dinner and visit the Paradise Club, "heaven on Earth" for people who like drink, opium, and naked swimming. Mainly, the chapter's about a little exposition and a little local colour. Also includes a reference to the Young Bond books, which seems to nicely affirm them as part of the Bond series as much as this is. (Of course, knowing Higson, he may've been referencing something from Fleming that Faulks is also independently referring to. Just to make things complicated.)
Chapter 8
Bond and Darius have dinner and visit the Paradise Club, "heaven on Earth" for people who like drink, opium, and naked swimming. Mainly, the chapter's about a little exposition and a little local colour. Also includes a reference to the Young Bond books, which seems to nicely affirm them as part of the Bond series as much as this is. (Of course, knowing Higson, he may've been referencing something from Fleming that Faulks is also independently referring to. Just to make things complicated.)
Bond from the Beginning
I'm currently in the middle of a little undertaking (for want of a better word) that I like to call Bond from the Beginning, which I shall now briefly (and, perhaps, pointlessly) introduce.
The task is simple: to watch all of the James Bond films, in order, from the start. The current iteration of this only includes the official Eon films -- so no TV Casino Royale, no spoof Casino Royale, and no Never Say Never Again. I've attempted this before (around 2002), where I only made it as far as Diamonds Are Forever. As you can see from my latest viewing, I'm doing better this time.
There are a couple of reasons for trying this. Like many boys & men in the UK (and elsewhere, of course), I've grown up with the Bond films around, catching them on TV, video and -- starting with Tomorrow Never Dies for me -- at the cinema. In this way I've seen them when I could, and generally out of sequence. I've never watched them progress in order from the start. Considering them in this way obviously puts each film in a different context to viewing them out of sequence, so I was intrigued by the chance to re-evaluate the 21 (so far) Bond films in this way.
Additionally, I've always struggled to definitively list my favourite Bond films in order of preference. Some people like to bandy around phrases like "it's in the top half of Bond films", especially as there are a neat 20 (before the Daniel Craig re-boot) and so they could be split cleanly into a Top 10 and Bottom 10. What better chance to create a definitive list of my favourites than when going through them in order? So that's what I'm doing. Obviously, I'll post said list when I reach the end. As I've been going I've also written mini-reviews of each film (intended for my other blog), which I'll now begin to post here.
I can't say how long this will take me to finish -- I've already been going since about April 2007 -- but now you can follow it all here. And at some point, there may be Bond from the Beginning 2...
The task is simple: to watch all of the James Bond films, in order, from the start. The current iteration of this only includes the official Eon films -- so no TV Casino Royale, no spoof Casino Royale, and no Never Say Never Again. I've attempted this before (around 2002), where I only made it as far as Diamonds Are Forever. As you can see from my latest viewing, I'm doing better this time.
There are a couple of reasons for trying this. Like many boys & men in the UK (and elsewhere, of course), I've grown up with the Bond films around, catching them on TV, video and -- starting with Tomorrow Never Dies for me -- at the cinema. In this way I've seen them when I could, and generally out of sequence. I've never watched them progress in order from the start. Considering them in this way obviously puts each film in a different context to viewing them out of sequence, so I was intrigued by the chance to re-evaluate the 21 (so far) Bond films in this way.
Additionally, I've always struggled to definitively list my favourite Bond films in order of preference. Some people like to bandy around phrases like "it's in the top half of Bond films", especially as there are a neat 20 (before the Daniel Craig re-boot) and so they could be split cleanly into a Top 10 and Bottom 10. What better chance to create a definitive list of my favourites than when going through them in order? So that's what I'm doing. Obviously, I'll post said list when I reach the end. As I've been going I've also written mini-reviews of each film (intended for my other blog), which I'll now begin to post here.
I can't say how long this will take me to finish -- I've already been going since about April 2007 -- but now you can follow it all here. And at some point, there may be Bond from the Beginning 2...
Bond from the Beginning #9: The Man With the Golden Gun
I really like The Man With the Golden Gun. There seems to be a consensus (especially among those who only accept For Your Eyes Only, or perhaps The Spy Who Loved Me, as decent efforts from the Moore era) that it's a relatively weak entry, but I think it has more than enough going for it.
Put simply, it's entertaining. Christopher Lee is a great villain, Moore isn't yet too old for the role, the plot's decent enough, the action is exciting, the humour amusing, the one-liners memorable... I even like Lulu's title song. There are numerous other moments that could be expanded on -- most of M's dialogue, the amazingly designed half-sunken ship HQ...
Of course it has its weak points (a few plot holes, J.W. Pepper, and especially the 'woo-oop'ing car stunt), but they don't detract from how flat-out enjoyable it all is. More often than not, that's exactly what a Bond film should be.
Put simply, it's entertaining. Christopher Lee is a great villain, Moore isn't yet too old for the role, the plot's decent enough, the action is exciting, the humour amusing, the one-liners memorable... I even like Lulu's title song. There are numerous other moments that could be expanded on -- most of M's dialogue, the amazingly designed half-sunken ship HQ...
Of course it has its weak points (a few plot holes, J.W. Pepper, and especially the 'woo-oop'ing car stunt), but they don't detract from how flat-out enjoyable it all is. More often than not, that's exactly what a Bond film should be.
Doctor Who: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
Steven Moffat's episodes of Doctor Who arrive with no small degree of expectation. Ever since he penned the first season two-parter The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (which holds the rare honour of having both the best and worst episode titles ever, in my opinion), fans have revered Moffat as the God of new-Who writing. It's not an undeserved reputation: The Empty Child episodes are fantastic, one of my favourite ever stories (and winner of a Hugo); I think his second season effort, The Girl in the Fireplace (which also won a Hugo), is overrated by many, but it's still a good episode; and Blink (which has so far won a BAFTA, and would really be robbed if it didn't make it a hat-trick of Hugos) was an excellent concept wonderfully executed, with the best companion-who-wasn't ever. Then there's the Children in Need short he penned, Time Crash, which is just about perfect.
The news that he'll be taking charge of the whole shebang from season five (airing in 2010) has been greeted by many as if it were the second coming. I think they're being over-optimistic -- not because I think Moffat will do a bad job (quite the opposite), but because many are people who are somewhat unhappy with the way Russell T Davies has run things, and the quality of his episodes, and presume Moffat will bring more of the flavour of his episodes. I'm sure he'll bring his own spin to proceeding, but Moffat and Davies seem to get on well, and the former is clever enough to realise the reasoning behind Davies' showrunning decisions. If he chooses to pen five or six episodes per year, as Davies has, then I don't think anyone can expect them all to be of the same quality -- or indeed style -- as his one-or-two-per-year contribution so far, and he certainly won't make the whole season in the same vein. In my opinion, the correct outlook for Moffat's forthcoming reign is that it will continue Who in more or less the quality and style we've become accustomed to, and that's a good thing.
But analysis of a future that's two years (and nine episodes) away is slightly beside the point: what of the expectations for Moffat's latest two-parter, set in the 51st Century upon a planet that's one big library -- called, simply enough, The Library -- and concerning 'air piranhas' that live in the shadows and a present-day girl who may be dreaming everything... One of the first things that strikes me is Moffat's repeated motifs, which are arguably beginning to cover his Who work to the point of being too easily guessed. There's the faceless monsters (here, a skeleton in a spacesuit, following gas-masked zombies, clockwork droids and living statues); turning everyday things into scary things (ticking clocks, 'the monster under the bed', statues, now shadows); unusual female helpers for the Doctor (two this time -- River Song, who knows the Doctor from his future, and a little girl in another time -- following in the wake of a girl/woman he encountered across her timeline, and a girl interacting with a message he recorded decades earlier); which brings to light another motif, the mucking about with time (see previous examples); also mucking about with structure (more prevalent in his own series, Jekyll); an "everybody lives" ending; and catchphrases ("count the shadows", following "are you my mummy?" and "don't blink"). The only one he seems to have dropped is the banana.
Of course, this is repetition on an unintrusive level (with the possible exception of "everybody lives", which seemed to repeat dialogue wholesale from The Doctor Dances), and it's a tad churlish to pick on these things if the storytelling and new concepts are up to scratch. The latter certainly are: shadows are a great topic to pick on, and cunningly used; The Library is a beautiful idea (and prettily executed by all the design teams, especially the exterior vistas from The Mill); the human-faced helper statues are creepy; and, most effective of all, one of Who's best-ever death scenes, as the mind of Miss Evangelista remains stored in her suit and struggles to understand what's going on -- absolutely chilling, heart-achingly sad, and perfectly executed. Part two contains so many crazy, mashed together ideas that it's pretty hard to pick them apart. Which, in some ways, is a problem: the whole thing is so bold, so mad, so complex, so different, that it doesn't quite seem right at 7pm on Saturday on BBC One. Some people will love it, of course -- some would regardless, just cos it's by Moffat, so their views are virtually useless -- but I'd be fairly surprised if many of the show's target audience truly engaged with it.
As a fan, the main thing that troubles me is Professor River Song. She knows so much about the Doctor that it's incredibly tantalising for a viewer, wanting to know how and why she knows it all and what their adventures together were/will be like. On a practical, production level, the fact that she knows an older Doctor -- specifically, an older 10th Doctor -- is problematic. While it sounds great on the surface -- David Tennant for decades! Hurrah! -- on that practical production level, how do you assure he sticks around long enough to have a suitable number of adventures with River in the future? And that Alex Kingston (who everyone involved seems to think is a much more important actress than the average viewer would) agrees to return too? And if you don't do either of those things, surely this incarnation's final story is locked in as needing to end with some future-revealing montage that explains all this? Perhaps what worries me most is that, in their concern for telling a great story now and in their blithe disregard for such matters (RTD has often said how happy he is to leave continuity debates up to the fans), no one really bothered to consider all this, and it'll just be forever ignored for fans to argue about for eternity (the winner, of course, will be some alternative timeline theory, where the 10th Doctor didn't really regenerate at the end of the 2009 specials / season five / season six / etc, but lived for decades more and had his adventures with River, and somehow this River fell through some portal or other into our timeline and then met our Doctor and blah blah blah). On the bright side, perhaps they know something we don't about who's signed up for 2010's season five, or just what timeline-splitting events may occur in Journey's End...
I shouldn't worry so much of course -- I should, trust and/or ignore, and try to enjoy the story for what it is. But, as a fan, I can't help it; and, on the flip side, as someone who frequently enjoys engaging with Who on the same level as its target audience, I hardly think this new adventure from Mr Moffat is an unequivocal success.
In fact, a bit like Jekyll, I do wonder if I want to like it more than I actually do.
The news that he'll be taking charge of the whole shebang from season five (airing in 2010) has been greeted by many as if it were the second coming. I think they're being over-optimistic -- not because I think Moffat will do a bad job (quite the opposite), but because many are people who are somewhat unhappy with the way Russell T Davies has run things, and the quality of his episodes, and presume Moffat will bring more of the flavour of his episodes. I'm sure he'll bring his own spin to proceeding, but Moffat and Davies seem to get on well, and the former is clever enough to realise the reasoning behind Davies' showrunning decisions. If he chooses to pen five or six episodes per year, as Davies has, then I don't think anyone can expect them all to be of the same quality -- or indeed style -- as his one-or-two-per-year contribution so far, and he certainly won't make the whole season in the same vein. In my opinion, the correct outlook for Moffat's forthcoming reign is that it will continue Who in more or less the quality and style we've become accustomed to, and that's a good thing.
But analysis of a future that's two years (and nine episodes) away is slightly beside the point: what of the expectations for Moffat's latest two-parter, set in the 51st Century upon a planet that's one big library -- called, simply enough, The Library -- and concerning 'air piranhas' that live in the shadows and a present-day girl who may be dreaming everything... One of the first things that strikes me is Moffat's repeated motifs, which are arguably beginning to cover his Who work to the point of being too easily guessed. There's the faceless monsters (here, a skeleton in a spacesuit, following gas-masked zombies, clockwork droids and living statues); turning everyday things into scary things (ticking clocks, 'the monster under the bed', statues, now shadows); unusual female helpers for the Doctor (two this time -- River Song, who knows the Doctor from his future, and a little girl in another time -- following in the wake of a girl/woman he encountered across her timeline, and a girl interacting with a message he recorded decades earlier); which brings to light another motif, the mucking about with time (see previous examples); also mucking about with structure (more prevalent in his own series, Jekyll); an "everybody lives" ending; and catchphrases ("count the shadows", following "are you my mummy?" and "don't blink"). The only one he seems to have dropped is the banana.
Of course, this is repetition on an unintrusive level (with the possible exception of "everybody lives", which seemed to repeat dialogue wholesale from The Doctor Dances), and it's a tad churlish to pick on these things if the storytelling and new concepts are up to scratch. The latter certainly are: shadows are a great topic to pick on, and cunningly used; The Library is a beautiful idea (and prettily executed by all the design teams, especially the exterior vistas from The Mill); the human-faced helper statues are creepy; and, most effective of all, one of Who's best-ever death scenes, as the mind of Miss Evangelista remains stored in her suit and struggles to understand what's going on -- absolutely chilling, heart-achingly sad, and perfectly executed. Part two contains so many crazy, mashed together ideas that it's pretty hard to pick them apart. Which, in some ways, is a problem: the whole thing is so bold, so mad, so complex, so different, that it doesn't quite seem right at 7pm on Saturday on BBC One. Some people will love it, of course -- some would regardless, just cos it's by Moffat, so their views are virtually useless -- but I'd be fairly surprised if many of the show's target audience truly engaged with it.
As a fan, the main thing that troubles me is Professor River Song. She knows so much about the Doctor that it's incredibly tantalising for a viewer, wanting to know how and why she knows it all and what their adventures together were/will be like. On a practical, production level, the fact that she knows an older Doctor -- specifically, an older 10th Doctor -- is problematic. While it sounds great on the surface -- David Tennant for decades! Hurrah! -- on that practical production level, how do you assure he sticks around long enough to have a suitable number of adventures with River in the future? And that Alex Kingston (who everyone involved seems to think is a much more important actress than the average viewer would) agrees to return too? And if you don't do either of those things, surely this incarnation's final story is locked in as needing to end with some future-revealing montage that explains all this? Perhaps what worries me most is that, in their concern for telling a great story now and in their blithe disregard for such matters (RTD has often said how happy he is to leave continuity debates up to the fans), no one really bothered to consider all this, and it'll just be forever ignored for fans to argue about for eternity (the winner, of course, will be some alternative timeline theory, where the 10th Doctor didn't really regenerate at the end of the 2009 specials / season five / season six / etc, but lived for decades more and had his adventures with River, and somehow this River fell through some portal or other into our timeline and then met our Doctor and blah blah blah). On the bright side, perhaps they know something we don't about who's signed up for 2010's season five, or just what timeline-splitting events may occur in Journey's End...
I shouldn't worry so much of course -- I should, trust and/or ignore, and try to enjoy the story for what it is. But, as a fan, I can't help it; and, on the flip side, as someone who frequently enjoys engaging with Who on the same level as its target audience, I hardly think this new adventure from Mr Moffat is an unequivocal success.
In fact, a bit like Jekyll, I do wonder if I want to like it more than I actually do.
Friday, 6 June 2008
TV
Dirt
2x06 And the Winner is...
Doctor Who [classic]
7x01 Spearhead from Space Episode 1 [4th watch]
7x02 Spearhead from Space Episode 2 [4th watch]
7x03 Spearhead from Space Episode 3 [4th watch]
7x04 Spearhead from Space Episode 4 [4th watch]
See here for my thoughts on this story.
Red Dwarf
2x02 Better Than Life
Fan-favourite episode in which the Dwarfers play a virtual reality game that lives up to its title, Better Than Life. It's all well and good, except that the plot lacks a third act, ending instead with an unsatisfying hurried final gag.
2x06 And the Winner is...
Doctor Who [classic]
7x01 Spearhead from Space Episode 1 [4th watch]
7x02 Spearhead from Space Episode 2 [4th watch]
7x03 Spearhead from Space Episode 3 [4th watch]
7x04 Spearhead from Space Episode 4 [4th watch]
See here for my thoughts on this story.
Red Dwarf
2x02 Better Than Life
Fan-favourite episode in which the Dwarfers play a virtual reality game that lives up to its title, Better Than Life. It's all well and good, except that the plot lacks a third act, ending instead with an unsatisfying hurried final gag.
Fiction
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapter Two
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
This is proving incredibly hard going. In it, Moore cunningly assimilates hundreds of literary locations into a fictional guide to the world. Many of the references are incredibly obscure and it can sometimes be a little dryly written -- more a fascinating and impressive piece of work (laced with clues to the League's history for fans) than an entertaining read. This eight-page chapter (graphic novel size, densely filled with three columns of text) took me almost an hour and a half to get through, as I coupled it with Wikipedia research to try to better understand the things Moore refers to (without such an aid they are almost entirely oblique).
Chapter Two
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
This is proving incredibly hard going. In it, Moore cunningly assimilates hundreds of literary locations into a fictional guide to the world. Many of the references are incredibly obscure and it can sometimes be a little dryly written -- more a fascinating and impressive piece of work (laced with clues to the League's history for fans) than an entertaining read. This eight-page chapter (graphic novel size, densely filled with three columns of text) took me almost an hour and a half to get through, as I coupled it with Wikipedia research to try to better understand the things Moore refers to (without such an aid they are almost entirely oblique).
Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space
I seem to be accidentally picking season-openers for my current chronological wander through classic Doctor Who: having had season one's An Unearthly Child and season five's The Tomb of the Cybermen, we now move forward to Jon Pertwee's first story, the season seven opener Spearhead from Space.
Watching Spearhead is almost like coming to a new show, so numerous are the changes made. It's the first story of the 1970s (though only just, as episode one went out on January 3rd 1970); the first with Pertwee's new Doctor; the first in colour; it's shot entirely on location and on film (lending a glossier, higher-budget look that would disappear when the series permanently returned to video from the next serial); the first 'exiled to Earth' story (not a change immediately obvious as the Doctor has had adventures on present day Earth previously); and, by the same token. the first to feature the Brigadier and UNIT as an ongoing regulars (again, a change not necessarily obvious til later). Lump all these elements together -- especially the use of film and location, which give the direction and style a completely different air -- and it doesn't feel like quite the same programme as before.
The story itself gets off to a slow start, however. Episodes one and two almost repeat themselves, with the newly regenerated Doctor stuck unconscious in a hospital bed most of the time. Bits of this work -- viewers keen to know what the new Doctor will be like have such revelations held off for a long time -- but the actual story moves slowly, even for classic Who, and, one or two events aside, it doesn't really kick off until episode three. Personally, I think it would feel better if the events of the opening episodes had been combined, with the rushed part four spread out to fill the gap. As it is, the final episode is far and away the best. The Autons finally come to life en masse (including the (in)famous scenes of them breaking out of shop windows and slaughtering innocents) and there's a nice big battle at the factory. What with the Doctor and Liz heading to Madame Tussaud's to investigate a sideline of the company (an intriguing subplot that's all but ignored), then racing to construct a suitable weapon, before heading to defeat the newly-created body of the Nestene Consciousness, there's more than enough action to fill this single episode. It puts the repetitive first two in the shade.
Which may account for some of the fondness with which Spearhead is remembered -- it starts out with more than a touch of mediocrity, but ends on such a high that it's easy to go away thinking of it as one of the best ever.
Watching Spearhead is almost like coming to a new show, so numerous are the changes made. It's the first story of the 1970s (though only just, as episode one went out on January 3rd 1970); the first with Pertwee's new Doctor; the first in colour; it's shot entirely on location and on film (lending a glossier, higher-budget look that would disappear when the series permanently returned to video from the next serial); the first 'exiled to Earth' story (not a change immediately obvious as the Doctor has had adventures on present day Earth previously); and, by the same token. the first to feature the Brigadier and UNIT as an ongoing regulars (again, a change not necessarily obvious til later). Lump all these elements together -- especially the use of film and location, which give the direction and style a completely different air -- and it doesn't feel like quite the same programme as before.
The story itself gets off to a slow start, however. Episodes one and two almost repeat themselves, with the newly regenerated Doctor stuck unconscious in a hospital bed most of the time. Bits of this work -- viewers keen to know what the new Doctor will be like have such revelations held off for a long time -- but the actual story moves slowly, even for classic Who, and, one or two events aside, it doesn't really kick off until episode three. Personally, I think it would feel better if the events of the opening episodes had been combined, with the rushed part four spread out to fill the gap. As it is, the final episode is far and away the best. The Autons finally come to life en masse (including the (in)famous scenes of them breaking out of shop windows and slaughtering innocents) and there's a nice big battle at the factory. What with the Doctor and Liz heading to Madame Tussaud's to investigate a sideline of the company (an intriguing subplot that's all but ignored), then racing to construct a suitable weapon, before heading to defeat the newly-created body of the Nestene Consciousness, there's more than enough action to fill this single episode. It puts the repetitive first two in the shade.
Which may account for some of the fondness with which Spearhead is remembered -- it starts out with more than a touch of mediocrity, but ends on such a high that it's easy to go away thinking of it as one of the best ever.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
TV
Derren Brown: Trick or Treat
2x02 Kitten
The show with possibly the coolest title sequence on TV (it includes clues to every episode) continues with an episode in which a 19-year-old student is offered £500 to not kill a kitten. It might sound easy, but when you've got Derren's array of tricks levelled against you nothing is as it seems....
The Graham Norton Show
3x08 (5/6/08 edition)
Heroes
2x07 Out of Time
Certain media outlets persist in insisting that season two of Heroes is dull. Perhaps their memories of season one are too nostalgia-tinged, or perhaps they listened too hard to the early criticisms of others? Season two has just as much going on as the first -- occasionally not enough, occasionally (like tonight's episode) packed with incident, revelations and cliffhangers... including a fantastic final moment that merged two great surprises into a single shot.
Holby Blue
2x12 Episode 12 [season finale]
Holby Blue has been a lot better this season, focussing more on individual storylines than one arcing uber-criminal plot and spacing out plot developments in the characters' personal lives a tad more realistically. It also swerved away from repeating a first season storyline, in the process thankfully showing us a lot less of that bitch from the CPS. Long may she barely feature.
Red Dwarf
2x01 Kryten
Despite being a fan of Red Dwarf for over a decade, and owning all eight series on DVD, there are still many episodes I've never seen from series two to six. So, having recently re-watched the first series, I'm intending to continue on through them. As much as I enjoy the show's first six episodes, this series two opener seems to be a step-up in quality. Hopefully it continues.
Spooks
4x04 Road Trip (aka Infiltration of a New Threat)
2x02 Kitten
The show with possibly the coolest title sequence on TV (it includes clues to every episode) continues with an episode in which a 19-year-old student is offered £500 to not kill a kitten. It might sound easy, but when you've got Derren's array of tricks levelled against you nothing is as it seems....
The Graham Norton Show
3x08 (5/6/08 edition)
Heroes
2x07 Out of Time
Certain media outlets persist in insisting that season two of Heroes is dull. Perhaps their memories of season one are too nostalgia-tinged, or perhaps they listened too hard to the early criticisms of others? Season two has just as much going on as the first -- occasionally not enough, occasionally (like tonight's episode) packed with incident, revelations and cliffhangers... including a fantastic final moment that merged two great surprises into a single shot.
Holby Blue
2x12 Episode 12 [season finale]
Holby Blue has been a lot better this season, focussing more on individual storylines than one arcing uber-criminal plot and spacing out plot developments in the characters' personal lives a tad more realistically. It also swerved away from repeating a first season storyline, in the process thankfully showing us a lot less of that bitch from the CPS. Long may she barely feature.
Red Dwarf
2x01 Kryten
Despite being a fan of Red Dwarf for over a decade, and owning all eight series on DVD, there are still many episodes I've never seen from series two to six. So, having recently re-watched the first series, I'm intending to continue on through them. As much as I enjoy the show's first six episodes, this series two opener seems to be a step-up in quality. Hopefully it continues.
Spooks
4x04 Road Trip (aka Infiltration of a New Threat)
Films
Gangs of New York (2002)
[2nd half; 3rd watch]
When I saw Gangs of New York on its original cinema release it was the first Scorsese film I'd seen. Six years later, I'm more familiar with his body of work, having seen a further seven & a half of his films (including several of his most praised). I think Gangs of New York is still my favourite though. It's flawed, but I like the sprawling narrative, which has an almost mythical style; the brutal fights; and Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is fantastic. Gangs is a very Scorsese film too, using a variety of his usual techniques and exploring his usual themes, but applied almost to their genesis in the early days of New York City. I've only seen the likes of Taxi Driver, Goodfellas or The Departed once and am in no huge rush to sit through them again (well, maybe The Departed), but this is the third time I've seen Gangs of New York. Though, to be fair, I watched the other three within the last year and the last time I watched Gangs was probably four years ago... but still, I like it more. So there.
[2nd half; 3rd watch]
When I saw Gangs of New York on its original cinema release it was the first Scorsese film I'd seen. Six years later, I'm more familiar with his body of work, having seen a further seven & a half of his films (including several of his most praised). I think Gangs of New York is still my favourite though. It's flawed, but I like the sprawling narrative, which has an almost mythical style; the brutal fights; and Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is fantastic. Gangs is a very Scorsese film too, using a variety of his usual techniques and exploring his usual themes, but applied almost to their genesis in the early days of New York City. I've only seen the likes of Taxi Driver, Goodfellas or The Departed once and am in no huge rush to sit through them again (well, maybe The Departed), but this is the third time I've seen Gangs of New York. Though, to be fair, I watched the other three within the last year and the last time I watched Gangs was probably four years ago... but still, I like it more. So there.
Fiction
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming
Chapter 7
Bond heads to the Middle East for the first time, an area of the globe Fleming disliked (Faulks cleverly uses some of Fleming's views as Bond's own). There he meets Darius Alizadeh, head of station in Tehran and, as a character, a natural successor to the likes of From Russia With Love's Kerim Bey. In what I assume is a move based on Fleming's style, Faulks has an annoying habit of characters finding any excuse (including interrupting more important discussions) to narrate their entire life history to Bond.
Chapter 7
Bond heads to the Middle East for the first time, an area of the globe Fleming disliked (Faulks cleverly uses some of Fleming's views as Bond's own). There he meets Darius Alizadeh, head of station in Tehran and, as a character, a natural successor to the likes of From Russia With Love's Kerim Bey. In what I assume is a move based on Fleming's style, Faulks has an annoying habit of characters finding any excuse (including interrupting more important discussions) to narrate their entire life history to Bond.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
TV
Gilmore Girls
4x10 The Nanny and the Professor
Spooks
4x03 Divided They Fall (aka Campaign of Terror)
"A textbook operation," says Harry, 48 minutes into this episode. And while the mission may have a final twist in store after that, this is a textbook episode: tense, exciting, twisty, filled with cool spy tropes, believable, and tackling a depressingly real-world issue. At times it may be heavy handed in its philosophising on the state of modern British politics, but that doesn't detract from its relevance. Accusations of Spooks leaping over certain aquatic animals may have been levelled too soon.
4x10 The Nanny and the Professor
Spooks
4x03 Divided They Fall (aka Campaign of Terror)
"A textbook operation," says Harry, 48 minutes into this episode. And while the mission may have a final twist in store after that, this is a textbook episode: tense, exciting, twisty, filled with cool spy tropes, believable, and tackling a depressingly real-world issue. At times it may be heavy handed in its philosophising on the state of modern British politics, but that doesn't detract from its relevance. Accusations of Spooks leaping over certain aquatic animals may have been levelled too soon.
Fiction
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming
Chapters 5 & 6
A tense tennis match between Bond and the villain, Dr Julius Gorner -- very much in the spirit of Goldfinger's round of golf or the Casino Royale card game (among other sporting encounters in Fleming's novels) -- is followed by another Bond obsession -- food -- and a huge chunk of exposition.
Chapters 5 & 6
A tense tennis match between Bond and the villain, Dr Julius Gorner -- very much in the spirit of Goldfinger's round of golf or the Casino Royale card game (among other sporting encounters in Fleming's novels) -- is followed by another Bond obsession -- food -- and a huge chunk of exposition.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
TV
Doctor Who [classic]
5x01 The Tomb of the Cybermen Episode 1 [3rd watch]
5x02 The Tomb of the Cybermen Episode 2 [3rd watch]
5x03 The Tomb of the Cybermen Episode 3 [3rd watch]
5x04 The Tomb of the Cybermen Episode 4 [3rd watch]
See here for my thoughts on this story.
Gilmore Girls
4x09 Ted Koppel's Big Night Out
Spooks
4x02 The Special: Part II (aka The Possibility of a Mole)
5x01 The Tomb of the Cybermen Episode 1 [3rd watch]
5x02 The Tomb of the Cybermen Episode 2 [3rd watch]
5x03 The Tomb of the Cybermen Episode 3 [3rd watch]
5x04 The Tomb of the Cybermen Episode 4 [3rd watch]
See here for my thoughts on this story.
Gilmore Girls
4x09 Ted Koppel's Big Night Out
Spooks
4x02 The Special: Part II (aka The Possibility of a Mole)
Fiction
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming
Chapters 1 - 4
Faulks' James Bond continuation novel (which, in case you've managed to miss the hype, has been written to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Bond's creator, Ian Fleming) gets off to a strong start, with a dramatic opening chapter in Paris followed by an excellent portrayal of an aged and weary Bond considering virtual retirement as the world moves on. Complete with numerous, well-handled references to previous adventures, it so far feels like a last hurrah for an aging hero. Standing as the 15th (and, perhaps, final) book in Fleming's Bond series, that seems only appropriate.
Chapters 1 - 4
Faulks' James Bond continuation novel (which, in case you've managed to miss the hype, has been written to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Bond's creator, Ian Fleming) gets off to a strong start, with a dramatic opening chapter in Paris followed by an excellent portrayal of an aged and weary Bond considering virtual retirement as the world moves on. Complete with numerous, well-handled references to previous adventures, it so far feels like a last hurrah for an aging hero. Standing as the 15th (and, perhaps, final) book in Fleming's Bond series, that seems only appropriate.
Doctor Who: The Tomb of the Cybermen
We continue our one-story-per-Doctor journey through the history of classic Doctor Who with this mid-era Troughton adventure, in which the Doctor, Jamie and new companion Victoria encounter an army of frozen Cybermen.
The Tomb of the Cybermen was widely regarded regarded as a lost classic until 1992, when the story was rediscovered in Hong Kong. Since then opinions have varied a little more, as fans were finally able to lose the free-roaming quality-enhancing abilities of their imagination and see the story as it really was, restrained by all the cheapness of 1967 TV production. But, a few set wobbles and dodgy performances aside, this is an excellent adventure. The Doctor and friends join an archeological expedition excavating long-frozen Cyber-tombs on the planet Telos, though some of the team members have more nefarious motivations. Unlike many four-parters, Tomb doesn't degenerate into a repetitive runaround halfway through part two, instead managing to sustain a complete narrative across all the episodes. The Cybermen themselves don't even arrive until halfway through episode two, the story until then ratcheting tension as the team explore the abandoned complex. It's effective storytelling, building mystery and laying groundwork for later. Another positive element is the team -- it's an international group, not just a collection of Brits or Yanks, which lends it a more realistic future feel. On the downside, the good guys are all American or English while it's the villains who have funny accents, the only black character is essentially a slave (to both humans and Cybermen!), and the script occasionally sinks to a '60s near-misogynistic view of women. Not everything's perfect...
The production, while occasionally wobbly, also has it's number of good points. The sets are very well designed and the blank faces of the Cybermen are particularly effective, even if their shiny jumpsuits and tennis-ball-joints aren't. Sadly, with the exception of an iconically cool (pun not intended) emergence from their defrosted tombs, they don't have a great deal to do. The story's primary villains are actually a couple of power-hungry humans from the expedition, while the Cybermen stomp around a bit and add some menace to the final two episodes. It's understandable, really -- they've just woken up; they must be a bit sleep. For early children's TV, the villains are surprisingly complex characters. Yes, their aim boils down to world domination, but their varying levels of self belief, trust in the Cybermen, and opinions of others' abilities (especially the Doctor) adds something more. Klieg is especially varied, and in a wonderful climax is defeated by the Doctor playing on his ego. The whole script is a gift for Troughton, packed with great lines and scenes for him, most specifically a moving scene between the Doctor and Victoria that manages to hold both touching advice on loss and a beautiful assertion on the series' brilliance. It's among Who's very best moments.
If one's disbelief can be suspended enough to look past the wobbliness the production sometimes exhibits, there's a genuinely classic tale here, for all sorts of reasons beyond even those I've mentioned. Hopefully Steven Moffat's love for blank-faced monsters will mean the Cybermen finally get to return to new Who when he takes charge... unless they return sooner, of course...
The Tomb of the Cybermen was widely regarded regarded as a lost classic until 1992, when the story was rediscovered in Hong Kong. Since then opinions have varied a little more, as fans were finally able to lose the free-roaming quality-enhancing abilities of their imagination and see the story as it really was, restrained by all the cheapness of 1967 TV production. But, a few set wobbles and dodgy performances aside, this is an excellent adventure. The Doctor and friends join an archeological expedition excavating long-frozen Cyber-tombs on the planet Telos, though some of the team members have more nefarious motivations. Unlike many four-parters, Tomb doesn't degenerate into a repetitive runaround halfway through part two, instead managing to sustain a complete narrative across all the episodes. The Cybermen themselves don't even arrive until halfway through episode two, the story until then ratcheting tension as the team explore the abandoned complex. It's effective storytelling, building mystery and laying groundwork for later. Another positive element is the team -- it's an international group, not just a collection of Brits or Yanks, which lends it a more realistic future feel. On the downside, the good guys are all American or English while it's the villains who have funny accents, the only black character is essentially a slave (to both humans and Cybermen!), and the script occasionally sinks to a '60s near-misogynistic view of women. Not everything's perfect...
The production, while occasionally wobbly, also has it's number of good points. The sets are very well designed and the blank faces of the Cybermen are particularly effective, even if their shiny jumpsuits and tennis-ball-joints aren't. Sadly, with the exception of an iconically cool (pun not intended) emergence from their defrosted tombs, they don't have a great deal to do. The story's primary villains are actually a couple of power-hungry humans from the expedition, while the Cybermen stomp around a bit and add some menace to the final two episodes. It's understandable, really -- they've just woken up; they must be a bit sleep. For early children's TV, the villains are surprisingly complex characters. Yes, their aim boils down to world domination, but their varying levels of self belief, trust in the Cybermen, and opinions of others' abilities (especially the Doctor) adds something more. Klieg is especially varied, and in a wonderful climax is defeated by the Doctor playing on his ego. The whole script is a gift for Troughton, packed with great lines and scenes for him, most specifically a moving scene between the Doctor and Victoria that manages to hold both touching advice on loss and a beautiful assertion on the series' brilliance. It's among Who's very best moments.
If one's disbelief can be suspended enough to look past the wobbliness the production sometimes exhibits, there's a genuinely classic tale here, for all sorts of reasons beyond even those I've mentioned. Hopefully Steven Moffat's love for blank-faced monsters will mean the Cybermen finally get to return to new Who when he takes charge... unless they return sooner, of course...
Monday, 2 June 2008
TV
Gilmore Girls
4x08 Die, Jerk
In which Rory gives an awful ballet a memorably scathing review, and has to face the consequences when the lead ballerina tracks her down. I feel there is some moral lesson to be gained here, especially in light of the content of my blogs...
Shark
2x07 In Absentia
"House with lawyers" continues on the road to cancellation with this episode half set in Mexico. It makes for a slight twist on the format, but the situations and dialogue are as cliché-ridden and humourless as ever.
Spooks
4x01 The Special: Part I (aka Surreal World)
The BBC's post-9/11 spy show kicks off its fourth run with a two-parter, with a different style to most previous episodes: the case is a high-profile media-filling successful terrorist attack, rather than the low-key under-the-radar missions of previous seasons. Has Spooks jumped the proverbial shark?
4x08 Die, Jerk
In which Rory gives an awful ballet a memorably scathing review, and has to face the consequences when the lead ballerina tracks her down. I feel there is some moral lesson to be gained here, especially in light of the content of my blogs...
Shark
2x07 In Absentia
"House with lawyers" continues on the road to cancellation with this episode half set in Mexico. It makes for a slight twist on the format, but the situations and dialogue are as cliché-ridden and humourless as ever.
Spooks
4x01 The Special: Part I (aka Surreal World)
The BBC's post-9/11 spy show kicks off its fourth run with a two-parter, with a different style to most previous episodes: the case is a high-profile media-filling successful terrorist attack, rather than the low-key under-the-radar missions of previous seasons. Has Spooks jumped the proverbial shark?
Fiction
Allan and the Sundered Veil by Alan Moore
Chapter VI [the end]
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 1)
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapter One
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
Chapter VI [the end]
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 1)
The New Traveller's Almanac by Alan Moore
Chapter One
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2)
Sunday, 1 June 2008
TV
Florence Nightingale
Disappointingly dry and docudrama-like account of a fraction of Florence Nightingale's life. The cast and director manage little with the latter's leaden script. The whole thing felt more like something you'd only see in the early years of Secondary School.
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
14x19 (30/5/08 edition)
House
4x13 No More Mr. Nice Guy
Sword of Xanten (aka Ring of the Nibelungs)
Parts 1 & 2 (of 2)
Wild China
Part 4 Beyond the Great Wall
This fascinating series about the beautiful, little seen and fast-disappearing sides of life in China continued with some of its greatest sights yet. The 'ice city' at the end has to be my favourite bit so far.
Disappointingly dry and docudrama-like account of a fraction of Florence Nightingale's life. The cast and director manage little with the latter's leaden script. The whole thing felt more like something you'd only see in the early years of Secondary School.
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
14x19 (30/5/08 edition)
House
4x13 No More Mr. Nice Guy
Sword of Xanten (aka Ring of the Nibelungs)
Parts 1 & 2 (of 2)
Wild China
Part 4 Beyond the Great Wall
This fascinating series about the beautiful, little seen and fast-disappearing sides of life in China continued with some of its greatest sights yet. The 'ice city' at the end has to be my favourite bit so far.
Saturday, 31 May 2008
TV
Doctor Who [new]
4x08 Silence in the Library
Gilmore Girls
4x07 The Festival of Living Art
Despite the title, the event featured in the episode is actually called 'The Festival of Living Pictures'.
Have I Got News For You
30/5/08 edition (extended repeat)
I'd Do Anything
1x23 (Final)
1x24 (Final Results)
4x08 Silence in the Library
Gilmore Girls
4x07 The Festival of Living Art
Despite the title, the event featured in the episode is actually called 'The Festival of Living Pictures'.
Have I Got News For You
30/5/08 edition (extended repeat)
I'd Do Anything
1x23 (Final)
1x24 (Final Results)
Friday, 30 May 2008
TV
Babylon 5
1x07 The War Prayer
1x08 And the Sky Full of Stars
Doctor Who [classic]
1x01 An Unearthly Child
1x02 The Cave of Skulls
1x03 The Forest of Fear
1x04 The Firemaker
See here for my thoughts on this story.
1x07 The War Prayer
1x08 And the Sky Full of Stars
Doctor Who [classic]
1x01 An Unearthly Child
1x02 The Cave of Skulls
1x03 The Forest of Fear
1x04 The Firemaker
See here for my thoughts on this story.
Fiction
Allan and the Sundered Veil by Alan Moore
Chapter V
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 1)
Chapter V
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 1)
Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child
45 years ago this November, Doctor Who began... and was almost ignored thanks to the world-changing events in Dallas that same weekend. Thankfully things would pick up in the show's second week, and it would come to have a thorough impact on British culture by the time of its sixth.
Despite having been a Who fan myself for well over a decade now, I've never actually seen the first ever four-part story (though I have seen the originally unbroadcast pilot episode, which greatly resembles episode one as broadcast). But I'm now coming to introduce a friend to classic Who, and to begin their education we're intending to watch one noteworthy four-part story from each Doctor's era. While most are ones I've seen and can vouch for, it seemed silly to begin with anything other than the first ever adventure for the good (or, in this case, highly ambiguous) Doctor.
Perhaps the most striking thing about this first story (unless you're a new fan who struggles with black & white / the slow pace / an old Doctor / so many companions / etc) is how brutal it is. This is especially evident in the Doctor's personality and morals. He's not the cheery happy fun-loving Doctor of David Tennant or Tom Baker -- or even Christopher Eccleston, who tried (and failed) to hide his dark, brooding typecasting behind a thin veil of implausible lightness. The Doctor here is a grumpy old man -- he doesn't want these humans interfering, and when they've seen too much he kidnaps them; when he doesn't get his own way, he strops; when caring for an injured caveman is delaying their escape, he picks up a stone to kill him... and he doesn't stop himself (only Ian's interference achieves that). Elsewhere, an old cavewoman is slain for helping the TARDIS crew escape... and by the only apparently likable caveman too! Later, he gets his head smashed in with a giant rock. Not as violently, at the end of the story the whole tribe murderously chase the Doctor & co back into the TARDIS. There's no neat resolution and no good characters left behind here.
And you know what? It's great! Maybe it wouldn't send a positive moral message to children, and perhaps the cavemen are stereotypes and oversimplified, but it's actually a fairly decent adventure that doesn't succumb too much to the usual four-parter problem of Lots Of Running Around To Kill Time. Of course, it's aided by the fact that it's really a three-parter -- part one, An Unearthly Child itself, stands almost entirely separate as a pitch-perfect start to the series. It begins surprisingly quickly, introducing schoolteachers Ian and Barbara, and they take the audience with them into a fantastical world of humming Police Boxes that are bigger on the inside and travel in time and space. It's hard to imagine a more perfect start to the series -- it might not work word-for-word if made today, but the same basic story would be the one to copy (indeed, new-Who supremo Russell T Davies used basically the same tactic when he launched the new series with Rose, which leads the viewer into the Doctor's crazy alien world via a modern-day teenager).
A fantastic start to the longest-running science-fiction TV series, then, and one that still seems to hold up all these years later.
Despite having been a Who fan myself for well over a decade now, I've never actually seen the first ever four-part story (though I have seen the originally unbroadcast pilot episode, which greatly resembles episode one as broadcast). But I'm now coming to introduce a friend to classic Who, and to begin their education we're intending to watch one noteworthy four-part story from each Doctor's era. While most are ones I've seen and can vouch for, it seemed silly to begin with anything other than the first ever adventure for the good (or, in this case, highly ambiguous) Doctor.
Perhaps the most striking thing about this first story (unless you're a new fan who struggles with black & white / the slow pace / an old Doctor / so many companions / etc) is how brutal it is. This is especially evident in the Doctor's personality and morals. He's not the cheery happy fun-loving Doctor of David Tennant or Tom Baker -- or even Christopher Eccleston, who tried (and failed) to hide his dark, brooding typecasting behind a thin veil of implausible lightness. The Doctor here is a grumpy old man -- he doesn't want these humans interfering, and when they've seen too much he kidnaps them; when he doesn't get his own way, he strops; when caring for an injured caveman is delaying their escape, he picks up a stone to kill him... and he doesn't stop himself (only Ian's interference achieves that). Elsewhere, an old cavewoman is slain for helping the TARDIS crew escape... and by the only apparently likable caveman too! Later, he gets his head smashed in with a giant rock. Not as violently, at the end of the story the whole tribe murderously chase the Doctor & co back into the TARDIS. There's no neat resolution and no good characters left behind here.
And you know what? It's great! Maybe it wouldn't send a positive moral message to children, and perhaps the cavemen are stereotypes and oversimplified, but it's actually a fairly decent adventure that doesn't succumb too much to the usual four-parter problem of Lots Of Running Around To Kill Time. Of course, it's aided by the fact that it's really a three-parter -- part one, An Unearthly Child itself, stands almost entirely separate as a pitch-perfect start to the series. It begins surprisingly quickly, introducing schoolteachers Ian and Barbara, and they take the audience with them into a fantastical world of humming Police Boxes that are bigger on the inside and travel in time and space. It's hard to imagine a more perfect start to the series -- it might not work word-for-word if made today, but the same basic story would be the one to copy (indeed, new-Who supremo Russell T Davies used basically the same tactic when he launched the new series with Rose, which leads the viewer into the Doctor's crazy alien world via a modern-day teenager).
A fantastic start to the longest-running science-fiction TV series, then, and one that still seems to hold up all these years later.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
TV
The Duke: A Portrait of Prince Philip
Part 2 (of 2)
The Graham Norton Show
3x07 (29/5/08 edition)
Heroes
2x06 The Line
Holby Blue
2x11 Episode 11
House
4x12 Don't Ever Change
Part 2 (of 2)
The Graham Norton Show
3x07 (29/5/08 edition)
Heroes
2x06 The Line
Holby Blue
2x11 Episode 11
House
4x12 Don't Ever Change
Fiction
Allan and the Sundered Veil by Alan Moore
Chapter IV
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 1)
Chapter IV
(from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 1)
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Welcome to My Cultural Experience!
The aim of this blog is simple: as the title may suggest, it is a catalogue of my cultural experience. But what does this actually mean?
Well, by "cultural experience" I mean the things most of us are exposed to every day: the things we read, we listen to, we watch on TV, and so on. This covers a massive range of things, obviously, and it would probably consume all of my time if I were to attempt to list it all. So, in practice, this blog will be slightly less ambitious. I will aim to catalogue primary cultural experiences -- effectively, list TV shows, films, music, radio programmes, games, books and magazines I watch/listen to/play/read -- which may sound totally meritless to anyone but me. However, when I have the desire to express an opinion on any of these, I will. And if I wish to write about anything else culturally relevant -- a particular article, perhaps, or an advert -- then this is a forum for doing so.
As well as being a chance to espouse my thoughts on almost anything I fancy (the point of many blogs, I'm sure), it gives readers (should I find any...) a chance to also comment on things, be it in reaction to a longer piece I've written or just to something that's popped up on one of my lists. As such, comments are heartily encouraged, though I suspect I'll be lucky if I find any readers.
On the more technical side of things, updates will be anywhere from daily to... well, less frequently. I watch some TV every day, watch movies somewhat regularly, and follow a fair degree of news that could lead to some extra commentary there. I won't be attempting to catalogue every news article / review / etc I read, nor will my TV list be truly extensive -- if I happen to catch 10 minutes of the news it won't make the list, for example, but if for some reason I felt compelled to waste my life watching an episode of EastEnders I'd admit to it. By a similar token, the music list won't go through every single song I happen to hear every day, but will list any notable events -- e.g. if I listen to a particular album, or a particular selection of songs, or, as with articles/adverts/etc, if I want to comment on a particular song for some reason. And as for games, if you haven't guessed yet... well, I'm not going to be mentioning every minute I waste on Tetris and the like! If I'm not reviewing something, or if I intend to review it sometime later, I'll try to link the post to a relevant site -- for example, the standard IMDb for films, or a TV series' official site (or more likely TV.com), and so forth. All viewings/listenings/readings should be assumed to be my first unless otherwise noted, in which case I'll do my best to give a number, though obviously that's not always possible.
Hopefully that covers what I intend to do here. How long it'll last, I don't know. I've attempted a variety of blogs in the past -- most of them here on Blogger. Some have lasted no more than an introductory post, others are running strong after 17 months with no signs of letting up, even if they're now hosted elsewhere. Speaking of which, please check out my blog, 100 Films in a Year. Hopefully the title is to some degree self explanatory, and that blog's existence will also explain a probable shortage of specific film reviews here (though any posted there will be linked to).
Well, by "cultural experience" I mean the things most of us are exposed to every day: the things we read, we listen to, we watch on TV, and so on. This covers a massive range of things, obviously, and it would probably consume all of my time if I were to attempt to list it all. So, in practice, this blog will be slightly less ambitious. I will aim to catalogue primary cultural experiences -- effectively, list TV shows, films, music, radio programmes, games, books and magazines I watch/listen to/play/read -- which may sound totally meritless to anyone but me. However, when I have the desire to express an opinion on any of these, I will. And if I wish to write about anything else culturally relevant -- a particular article, perhaps, or an advert -- then this is a forum for doing so.
As well as being a chance to espouse my thoughts on almost anything I fancy (the point of many blogs, I'm sure), it gives readers (should I find any...) a chance to also comment on things, be it in reaction to a longer piece I've written or just to something that's popped up on one of my lists. As such, comments are heartily encouraged, though I suspect I'll be lucky if I find any readers.
On the more technical side of things, updates will be anywhere from daily to... well, less frequently. I watch some TV every day, watch movies somewhat regularly, and follow a fair degree of news that could lead to some extra commentary there. I won't be attempting to catalogue every news article / review / etc I read, nor will my TV list be truly extensive -- if I happen to catch 10 minutes of the news it won't make the list, for example, but if for some reason I felt compelled to waste my life watching an episode of EastEnders I'd admit to it. By a similar token, the music list won't go through every single song I happen to hear every day, but will list any notable events -- e.g. if I listen to a particular album, or a particular selection of songs, or, as with articles/adverts/etc, if I want to comment on a particular song for some reason. And as for games, if you haven't guessed yet... well, I'm not going to be mentioning every minute I waste on Tetris and the like! If I'm not reviewing something, or if I intend to review it sometime later, I'll try to link the post to a relevant site -- for example, the standard IMDb for films, or a TV series' official site (or more likely TV.com), and so forth. All viewings/listenings/readings should be assumed to be my first unless otherwise noted, in which case I'll do my best to give a number, though obviously that's not always possible.
Hopefully that covers what I intend to do here. How long it'll last, I don't know. I've attempted a variety of blogs in the past -- most of them here on Blogger. Some have lasted no more than an introductory post, others are running strong after 17 months with no signs of letting up, even if they're now hosted elsewhere. Speaking of which, please check out my blog, 100 Films in a Year. Hopefully the title is to some degree self explanatory, and that blog's existence will also explain a probable shortage of specific film reviews here (though any posted there will be linked to).
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
TV
Babylon 5
1x05 The Parliament of Dreams
1x06 Mind War
This is a back-dated post, designed to completely list the dates I watched Babylon 5. For an introduction to this blog, please see here.
1x05 The Parliament of Dreams
1x06 Mind War
This is a back-dated post, designed to completely list the dates I watched Babylon 5. For an introduction to this blog, please see here.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Thursday, 17 April 2008
TV
Babylon 5
1x03 Born to the Purple
This is a back-dated post, designed to completely list the dates I watched Babylon 5. For an introduction to this blog, please see here.
1x03 Born to the Purple
This is a back-dated post, designed to completely list the dates I watched Babylon 5. For an introduction to this blog, please see here.
Friday, 28 March 2008
TV
Babylon 5
1x02 Soul Hunter
This is a back-dated post, designed to completely list the dates I watched Babylon 5. For an introduction to this blog, please see here.
1x02 Soul Hunter
This is a back-dated post, designed to completely list the dates I watched Babylon 5. For an introduction to this blog, please see here.
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