Invincible
Behind-the-Scenes
Free behind-the-scenes video for the 'motion comic' made my MTV. Based on the extended preview at the front of this very light-weight "making of", it has the advantage of a full voice cast, but the actual animation is incredibly minimal. Sort of the inverse of...
Watchmen Motion Comics
Chapter I (of 12)
The first Warner Premiere Motion Comic, available through iTunes in the US (it doesn't seem to have turned up in the UK yet). The original comic is brilliant and, aside from a sometimes-iffy narrator (a full voice cast would've been better) this is an excellent rendition. It's surprisingly animated too -- perhaps not quite up to scratch for a fully-animated show (especially with those speech bubbles floating around), but a lot more than just moving things around within the frame or somesuch.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Back in the UK!
0!
As this is posted, I should be somewhere in the air, flying Business Class from Newark to Bristol. Oo-ooh, I know. However, thanks to horrendous delays, I'll probably be sat in the Business Lounge at Newark waiting for a flight.
For a full explanation, please see the start of the countdown.
As this is posted, I should be somewhere in the air, flying Business Class from Newark to Bristol. Oo-ooh, I know. However, thanks to horrendous delays, I'll probably be sat in the Business Lounge at Newark waiting for a flight.
For a full explanation, please see the start of the countdown.
TV
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Animated Series
Unreleased Promo
Back in 2001 and 2002, Joss Whedon & co tried to get an animated version of Buffy off the ground. A four-minute promo was completed in 2004, but no network picked up the show. Finally, just a few days ago, that promo leaked online. Hurrah! A must-see for anyone who ever liked Buffy -- it looks great, though the voice actress for Buffy sounds nothing like Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Acts 1 - 3 (of 3)
"#1 Downloaded TV Season on iTunes 3 WEEKS RUNNING!"
And it's funny. Which is the point. So all is good. Surprisingly few songs though. And Whedon can't resist a tragic twist or two.
Unreleased Promo
Back in 2001 and 2002, Joss Whedon & co tried to get an animated version of Buffy off the ground. A four-minute promo was completed in 2004, but no network picked up the show. Finally, just a few days ago, that promo leaked online. Hurrah! A must-see for anyone who ever liked Buffy -- it looks great, though the voice actress for Buffy sounds nothing like Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Acts 1 - 3 (of 3)
"#1 Downloaded TV Season on iTunes 3 WEEKS RUNNING!"
And it's funny. Which is the point. So all is good. Surprisingly few songs though. And Whedon can't resist a tragic twist or two.
Articles
10 Shows You Should Be Watching by Shirley Halperin, Jeff Jensen, Tim Stack, Dan Snierson, Jennifer Armstrong, Lindsay Soll, Ken Tucker & Mandi Bierly
(from Entertainment Weekly #995/996, p.34-35)
List-article of ten low-rated US TV shows that are (allegedly) great. Featuring Breaking Bad, Reaper, Flight of the Conchords, Friday Night Lights, Greek, The Paper, Gossip Girl (in spite of the fuss, it seems few watch it), In Treatment, Brotherhood, and Bones (cos 9.7m average is "no one").
20 fall movies we can't wait to see by Adam Markovitz
(from EW.com)
Pictorial preview of some of the big films still to come in 2008. Includes the great truism, "There's a thin line between ''And the Oscar goes to...'' and ''The Hallmark Channel proudly presents...''"
Be Still My Geeking Heart by Olly Richards
(from Empire Online)
A Joss Whedon Batman film? Let me say that again: a Joss Whedon Batman film?! Sorry, Chris Nolan -- we all love you, but nothing short of Joss in charge of Batman Begins 3 is going to satiate us now.
Mad Men (Summer TV Preview) by Missy Schwartz
(from Entertainment Weekly #995/996, p.26-33)
(from Entertainment Weekly #995/996, p.34-35)
List-article of ten low-rated US TV shows that are (allegedly) great. Featuring Breaking Bad, Reaper, Flight of the Conchords, Friday Night Lights, Greek, The Paper, Gossip Girl (in spite of the fuss, it seems few watch it), In Treatment, Brotherhood, and Bones (cos 9.7m average is "no one").
20 fall movies we can't wait to see by Adam Markovitz
(from EW.com)
Pictorial preview of some of the big films still to come in 2008. Includes the great truism, "There's a thin line between ''And the Oscar goes to...'' and ''The Hallmark Channel proudly presents...''"
Be Still My Geeking Heart by Olly Richards
(from Empire Online)
A Joss Whedon Batman film? Let me say that again: a Joss Whedon Batman film?! Sorry, Chris Nolan -- we all love you, but nothing short of Joss in charge of Batman Begins 3 is going to satiate us now.
Mad Men (Summer TV Preview) by Missy Schwartz
(from Entertainment Weekly #995/996, p.26-33)
Friday, 15 August 2008
TV
Doctor Who [new]
4x13 Journey's End [2nd watch; season finale]
See here for my thoughts on this story. [coming soon]
Heroes Season 3 Trailer
A brilliant two-minute trail for the forthcoming third season of Heroes, subtitled "Villains". It looks absolutely fantastic, even if it does use the very tired "Choose a Side" tagline.
Tin Man
Part 3 Conclusion (aka Tin Man) [final episode]
Y'know, one of the worst things about this is that it's packed with the cheap fantasy trick of pointlessly renaming everyday things in the fantasy world, such as "years" being called "annuals". It just draws attention to itself, making otherwise fine bits of dialogue objectionable. Well, actually, there are plenty worse things -- the CGI springs to mind, which would have been much better if they hadn't tried to reach beyond their means with such a large volume of needless or needlessly-long shots. I do find the references to the original stories amusing though, even if they help cement this as nothing more than an interesting curio for The Wizard of Oz than a fully independent piece of drama.
4x13 Journey's End [2nd watch; season finale]
See here for my thoughts on this story. [coming soon]
Heroes Season 3 Trailer
A brilliant two-minute trail for the forthcoming third season of Heroes, subtitled "Villains". It looks absolutely fantastic, even if it does use the very tired "Choose a Side" tagline.
Tin Man
Part 3 Conclusion (aka Tin Man) [final episode]
Y'know, one of the worst things about this is that it's packed with the cheap fantasy trick of pointlessly renaming everyday things in the fantasy world, such as "years" being called "annuals". It just draws attention to itself, making otherwise fine bits of dialogue objectionable. Well, actually, there are plenty worse things -- the CGI springs to mind, which would have been much better if they hadn't tried to reach beyond their means with such a large volume of needless or needlessly-long shots. I do find the references to the original stories amusing though, even if they help cement this as nothing more than an interesting curio for The Wizard of Oz than a fully independent piece of drama.
Films
Body of Lies Trailer (#2A)
It's better than the crappy one they showed before The Dark Knight, but I still have no bloody idea what it's actually about (other than, y'know, the War on Terror -- so what else is new?)
It's better than the crappy one they showed before The Dark Knight, but I still have no bloody idea what it's actually about (other than, y'know, the War on Terror -- so what else is new?)
Articles
Empire Essay: Rififi by Kim Newman
(from Empire Online)
Effectively an extended review, but an interesting article-like one -- though be warned that it's spoiler-packed.
Reviews from Empire Online of:
The 39 Steps by Ian Freer
"the most satisfying of Hitchcock’s Brit period, a thrilling, rollercoaster romp, made before the phrase ‘rollercoaster romp’ existed."
The 39 Steps by Kim Newman
"After the curtain has fallen, you'll be happy for a week."
Le Cercle Rouge DVD by David Parkinson
"noir-ish urban Western"
The Lady Vanishes by Alan Morrison
"a fun romp celebrating the stiff-upper-lippedness of our great nation."
The Lady Vanishes DVD by David Parkinson
"Hitchcock was the master of confined spaces and he makes splendid use of the train's compartments and corridors... However, it's the dialogue and characterisation that make [it] so mischievously gratifying."
The Passion of Joan of Arc by David Parkinson
"so humblingly powerful or so purely cinematic. One of the most inspired and inspiring films ever made."
Rififi DVD by Michael Hayden
"A masterful piece of genre filmmaking. Dassin's direction raises this textbook French film noir to crime classic status."
Le Samourai by Kim Newman
"Keeping the dialogue minimal and the action high on the agenda, life in Paris' underworld proves to be surprisingly yet suitably violent and threatening."
(from Empire Online)
Effectively an extended review, but an interesting article-like one -- though be warned that it's spoiler-packed.
Reviews from Empire Online of:
The 39 Steps by Ian Freer
"the most satisfying of Hitchcock’s Brit period, a thrilling, rollercoaster romp, made before the phrase ‘rollercoaster romp’ existed."
The 39 Steps by Kim Newman
"After the curtain has fallen, you'll be happy for a week."
Le Cercle Rouge DVD by David Parkinson
"noir-ish urban Western"
The Lady Vanishes by Alan Morrison
"a fun romp celebrating the stiff-upper-lippedness of our great nation."
The Lady Vanishes DVD by David Parkinson
"Hitchcock was the master of confined spaces and he makes splendid use of the train's compartments and corridors... However, it's the dialogue and characterisation that make [it] so mischievously gratifying."
The Passion of Joan of Arc by David Parkinson
"so humblingly powerful or so purely cinematic. One of the most inspired and inspiring films ever made."
Rififi DVD by Michael Hayden
"A masterful piece of genre filmmaking. Dassin's direction raises this textbook French film noir to crime classic status."
Le Samourai by Kim Newman
"Keeping the dialogue minimal and the action high on the agenda, life in Paris' underworld proves to be surprisingly yet suitably violent and threatening."
Thursday, 14 August 2008
TV
Damages
1x11 I Hate These People [2nd watch]
1x12 There's No 'We' Anymore [2nd watch]
1x13 Because I Know Patty [2nd watch; season finale]
Damages is utterly brilliant, and certainly stands up to a second viewing -- in fact, it might even better, because the whole thing's clearly been planned out and well executed from the start (either that, or they've done a damn fine job of bluffing that it was!) I can't wait for season two.
Doctor Who [classic]
Trailer for The War Machines
These new(-ish) 'Coming Soon' trailers for Who DVDs can be a bit of a mixed bag -- certainly, I've never seen a Hartnell one that works. Until now! This War Machines one is utterly brilliant, so it's typical that it won't see the light of day on a proper DVD. It's available for free online at least, but it deserves a full-res DVD release.
1x11 I Hate These People [2nd watch]
1x12 There's No 'We' Anymore [2nd watch]
1x13 Because I Know Patty [2nd watch; season finale]
Damages is utterly brilliant, and certainly stands up to a second viewing -- in fact, it might even better, because the whole thing's clearly been planned out and well executed from the start (either that, or they've done a damn fine job of bluffing that it was!) I can't wait for season two.
Doctor Who [classic]
Trailer for The War Machines
These new(-ish) 'Coming Soon' trailers for Who DVDs can be a bit of a mixed bag -- certainly, I've never seen a Hartnell one that works. Until now! This War Machines one is utterly brilliant, so it's typical that it won't see the light of day on a proper DVD. It's available for free online at least, but it deserves a full-res DVD release.
Films
The Golden Compass (2007)
[#51 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
My Best Friend's Girl 'Red Band' Trailer
Of moderate funniness. The poster (which star Dane Cook has had a good old rant about) certainly doesn't seem to represent the film accurately: it makes it look like Bridget Jones' Diary, when (based on this trailer) it's more like Wedding Crashers.
For the first time ever (in this history of this blog), you can see this trailer right here:
[#51 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
My Best Friend's Girl 'Red Band' Trailer
Of moderate funniness. The poster (which star Dane Cook has had a good old rant about) certainly doesn't seem to represent the film accurately: it makes it look like Bridget Jones' Diary, when (based on this trailer) it's more like Wedding Crashers.
For the first time ever (in this history of this blog), you can see this trailer right here:
Theatre
The 39 Steps
(at the Cort Theatre, New York)
"Hitchcock Meets Hilarious" proudly proclaim the posters and website for this originally-British comedy, and they're right on the money. Four cast members play dozens of characters in this wittily-staged comedy spy thriller, with a plot as Hitchcockian as they come. In fact, the title "Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps" -- which is bandied about on the posters and everywhere else, but not (it would seem) technically the title -- would be a better full moniker, as the play is adapted from that version more than the original novel (I gather) and is stuffed with references to other famous Hitchcock films. Recommended.
(at the Cort Theatre, New York)
"Hitchcock Meets Hilarious" proudly proclaim the posters and website for this originally-British comedy, and they're right on the money. Four cast members play dozens of characters in this wittily-staged comedy spy thriller, with a plot as Hitchcockian as they come. In fact, the title "Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps" -- which is bandied about on the posters and everywhere else, but not (it would seem) technically the title -- would be a better full moniker, as the play is adapted from that version more than the original novel (I gather) and is stuffed with references to other famous Hitchcock films. Recommended.
Articles
Can Knight Beat Titanic?
(from Studio Briefing)
As noted on Monday, The Dark Knight is going to beat Star Wars -- so what's new? Well, chiefly of note here is this quote from "Warner Bros. distribution chief" Dan Fellman: "Titanic was once in a lifetime, and I don't think we'll ever have another gross like that in the history of the industry". There are so many things wrong with that it's hard to know where to start, but... Titanic was "once in a lifetime", so it will happen again... but we'll never see its like again... in history... So, in the past, we will never see its like again, apart from in another lifetime. Yeah, well done Dan.
Dane Cook Rips Best Friend's Girl Poster by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire Online)
As in slags it off big-time, not tears it up. Bad article title, Empire. Funny story though, and Cook seems to have a point. See my thoughts on the trailer for more.
O'Brien anger over Rocky remake
(from BBC News)
Translation: "Richard O'Brien isn't happy that Sky One & MTV are remaking The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Except that's still not quite the case, as this quote shows: "It was announced on Wednesday that the new version... would be co-produced by O'Brien. But he told the BBC he would not be involved "in any way". "I have no view on whether it should be remade but it doesn't have my blessing," he added." Chalk up yet another misleading headline for BBC News.
Three New Articles From the Doctor Who Restoration Team
I always look forward to new articles from the Restoration Team, as I find the work they do quite astounding and interesting. Today, we're treated to articles on three forthcoming classic Who DVDs; namely...
- The War Machines (+ two articles on the story's VHS restoration, here and here)
- Four to Doomsday
- The Trial of a Time Lord
That said, the only one of those with very much detail is The War Machines. Trial has an incredible extras package though.
Universal Buys Wheel Of Time by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire Online)
But what are the chances of them actually making a film / film series out of Robert Jordan's long series of massive novels? (The average page count for each book is 850 -- a total of 9,353 pages across the 11 so far published!) Very very slim, I should imagine. Unlike the books. (Ho ho!)
(from Studio Briefing)
As noted on Monday, The Dark Knight is going to beat Star Wars -- so what's new? Well, chiefly of note here is this quote from "Warner Bros. distribution chief" Dan Fellman: "Titanic was once in a lifetime, and I don't think we'll ever have another gross like that in the history of the industry". There are so many things wrong with that it's hard to know where to start, but... Titanic was "once in a lifetime", so it will happen again... but we'll never see its like again... in history... So, in the past, we will never see its like again, apart from in another lifetime. Yeah, well done Dan.
Dane Cook Rips Best Friend's Girl Poster by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire Online)
As in slags it off big-time, not tears it up. Bad article title, Empire. Funny story though, and Cook seems to have a point. See my thoughts on the trailer for more.
O'Brien anger over Rocky remake
(from BBC News)
Translation: "Richard O'Brien isn't happy that Sky One & MTV are remaking The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Except that's still not quite the case, as this quote shows: "It was announced on Wednesday that the new version... would be co-produced by O'Brien. But he told the BBC he would not be involved "in any way". "I have no view on whether it should be remade but it doesn't have my blessing," he added." Chalk up yet another misleading headline for BBC News.
Three New Articles From the Doctor Who Restoration Team
I always look forward to new articles from the Restoration Team, as I find the work they do quite astounding and interesting. Today, we're treated to articles on three forthcoming classic Who DVDs; namely...
- The War Machines (+ two articles on the story's VHS restoration, here and here)
- Four to Doomsday
- The Trial of a Time Lord
That said, the only one of those with very much detail is The War Machines. Trial has an incredible extras package though.
Universal Buys Wheel Of Time by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire Online)
But what are the chances of them actually making a film / film series out of Robert Jordan's long series of massive novels? (The average page count for each book is 850 -- a total of 9,353 pages across the 11 so far published!) Very very slim, I should imagine. Unlike the books. (Ho ho!)
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
TV
Damages
1x09 Do You Regret What We Did? [2nd watch]
1x10 Sort of Like a Family [2nd watch]
Tin Man
Part 2 Search for the Emerald
An improvement on the first part, as it breaks away from slavishly re-imagining the original story, but it still suffers from a cookie-cutter fantasy plot, low production values, a turgid pace and hammy acting.
1x09 Do You Regret What We Did? [2nd watch]
1x10 Sort of Like a Family [2nd watch]
Tin Man
Part 2 Search for the Emerald
An improvement on the first part, as it breaks away from slavishly re-imagining the original story, but it still suffers from a cookie-cutter fantasy plot, low production values, a turgid pace and hammy acting.
Films
Trailers for:
Ashes of Time: Redux
Babylon A.D.
Exciting near-future action flick, or just a Children of Men rip off?
Bangkok Dangerous
Surprisingly exciting trailer for the new Nic Cage actioner. He's looking a bit old for that haircut though.
Choke
Adaptation of the new Chuck Palahniuk novel. Looks very good.
City of Ember
Could-be-fun kiddy post-apocalypse sci-fi.
Cthulhu
Looks like a cheap fan film to me.
Death Race
Provided there's not too much plot and plenty of cool car action, this could actually be pretty cool. Then again, it is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
Defiance
Promising new work from the director of Blood Diamond.
Hamlet 2
It has no right to look any good, but this looks hilarious.
Igor
Was looking forward to this. Not at all now. Disappointing for me, "oh dear" for whoever edited the trailer.
Righteous Kill
Conversely, this looks brilliant. Maybe it can even live up to the hype its pairing of stars brings.
Twilight
I'm sure fans of the books will love it, but it looks just as crappy as it sounds.
W.
"Odd" is just about the best word to describe this. Fitting, I suppose. But since when was Tony Blair blond?
Ashes of Time: Redux
Babylon A.D.
Exciting near-future action flick, or just a Children of Men rip off?
Bangkok Dangerous
Surprisingly exciting trailer for the new Nic Cage actioner. He's looking a bit old for that haircut though.
Choke
Adaptation of the new Chuck Palahniuk novel. Looks very good.
City of Ember
Could-be-fun kiddy post-apocalypse sci-fi.
Cthulhu
Looks like a cheap fan film to me.
Death Race
Provided there's not too much plot and plenty of cool car action, this could actually be pretty cool. Then again, it is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
Defiance
Promising new work from the director of Blood Diamond.
Hamlet 2
It has no right to look any good, but this looks hilarious.
Igor
Was looking forward to this. Not at all now. Disappointing for me, "oh dear" for whoever edited the trailer.
Righteous Kill
Conversely, this looks brilliant. Maybe it can even live up to the hype its pairing of stars brings.
Twilight
I'm sure fans of the books will love it, but it looks just as crappy as it sounds.
W.
"Odd" is just about the best word to describe this. Fitting, I suppose. But since when was Tony Blair blond?
Articles
Hollywood feels the crunch by Peter Bowes
(from BBC News)
iPhone Software Sales Take Off: Apple's Jobs by Nick Wingfield
(from The Wall Street Journal)
Brief interview with Steve Jobs about the stunning success of the new iPhone App Store.
Zak Penn Writes The Argonauts by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire Online)
"Zak Penn is to write and produce a new take on The Argonauts, the crew who accompanied the Greek hero Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece. Penn's story will be an "original take" on the legend... But this is just one of a wave of Greek-themed projects in Hollywood at the moment... there's Louis Leterrier working on Clash of the Titans; Warners is planning a 300 sequel... Relativity Media is making War of Gods about Theseus; Brett Ratner's mulling God of War (don't confuse those two; this one's based on a game); and there are at least three Hercules projects in development, including Peter Berg's Hercules: The Thracian Wars (based on a comic). Oh, and DreamWorks is making a different film called The Argonauts, about modern treasure-hunters thrown back through time when they find the original Argo."
(from BBC News)
iPhone Software Sales Take Off: Apple's Jobs by Nick Wingfield
(from The Wall Street Journal)
Brief interview with Steve Jobs about the stunning success of the new iPhone App Store.
Zak Penn Writes The Argonauts by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire Online)
"Zak Penn is to write and produce a new take on The Argonauts, the crew who accompanied the Greek hero Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece. Penn's story will be an "original take" on the legend... But this is just one of a wave of Greek-themed projects in Hollywood at the moment... there's Louis Leterrier working on Clash of the Titans; Warners is planning a 300 sequel... Relativity Media is making War of Gods about Theseus; Brett Ratner's mulling God of War (don't confuse those two; this one's based on a game); and there are at least three Hercules projects in development, including Peter Berg's Hercules: The Thracian Wars (based on a comic). Oh, and DreamWorks is making a different film called The Argonauts, about modern treasure-hunters thrown back through time when they find the original Argo."
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
TV
Damages
1x05 A Regular Earl Anthony [2nd watch]
1x06 She Spat at Me [2nd watch]
1x07 We Are Not Animals [2nd watch]
1x08 Blame the Victim [2nd watch]
Tin Man
Part 1 Into the Storm
Sci-Fi's SF/F re-imagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, originally shown last December in the US and this May in the UK... but I watched it on a legal download via TV. That works fine, though I swear it was shot for widescreen and presented here in 4:3 (not iTunes' fault, I'm sure). As for the show itself... well...
1x05 A Regular Earl Anthony [2nd watch]
1x06 She Spat at Me [2nd watch]
1x07 We Are Not Animals [2nd watch]
1x08 Blame the Victim [2nd watch]
Tin Man
Part 1 Into the Storm
Sci-Fi's SF/F re-imagining of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, originally shown last December in the US and this May in the UK... but I watched it on a legal download via TV. That works fine, though I swear it was shot for widescreen and presented here in 4:3 (not iTunes' fault, I'm sure). As for the show itself... well...
Articles
Dark Knight Rules The Box Office Again by Olly Richards
(from Empire Online)
For the first time since Lord of the Rings 3 in 2003/4, The Dark Knight makes it to four weeks at the top of the US box office. While it's likely to drop next weekend, under the double whammy of the highly-anticipated Tropic Thunder (though that will do business on Wednesday and Thursday that won't get counted) and the even-more-highly-anticipated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, TDK should still overtake Star Wars as the second-highest-grossing-film-in-the-US-ever by the end of the week. Can it best Titanic? I still don't think so, but you never know...
Invisibility cloak 'step closer'
(from BBC News)
No, seriously. Well, sort of.
(from Empire Online)
For the first time since Lord of the Rings 3 in 2003/4, The Dark Knight makes it to four weeks at the top of the US box office. While it's likely to drop next weekend, under the double whammy of the highly-anticipated Tropic Thunder (though that will do business on Wednesday and Thursday that won't get counted) and the even-more-highly-anticipated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, TDK should still overtake Star Wars as the second-highest-grossing-film-in-the-US-ever by the end of the week. Can it best Titanic? I still don't think so, but you never know...
Invisibility cloak 'step closer'
(from BBC News)
No, seriously. Well, sort of.
Monday, 11 August 2008
Articles
Inside the World of Warner Premiere Motion Comics
(from Newsarama.com)
Quite interesting interview about Warner's new Motion Comics thingies (turning DC Comics into part-animated, narrated videos). Unfortunately it's clearly an interview with some form of mid-level executive rather than fan or creative, as it's packed with copywriter-sanitized middle-management marketing speak.
Review of Star Wars: The Clone Wars by James Dyer
(from Empire Online)
"It may not be what the (now older) fans are hoping for, but this is entirely in keeping with Lucas’ original vision -- whether you like it or not."
(from Newsarama.com)
Quite interesting interview about Warner's new Motion Comics thingies (turning DC Comics into part-animated, narrated videos). Unfortunately it's clearly an interview with some form of mid-level executive rather than fan or creative, as it's packed with copywriter-sanitized middle-management marketing speak.
Review of Star Wars: The Clone Wars by James Dyer
(from Empire Online)
"It may not be what the (now older) fans are hoping for, but this is entirely in keeping with Lucas’ original vision -- whether you like it or not."
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Films
Hamlet (1996)
[#50 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
[1st half]
Kenneth Branagh's four-hour full-text adaptation of arguably Shakespeare's most famous play. So long it has an official intermission inserted, which is where I watched to -- it's a bit much for one sitting if you ask me. At least the current David Tennant-starring production, which I'll be seeing in September, has been edited.
[#50 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
[1st half]
Kenneth Branagh's four-hour full-text adaptation of arguably Shakespeare's most famous play. So long it has an official intermission inserted, which is where I watched to -- it's a bit much for one sitting if you ask me. At least the current David Tennant-starring production, which I'll be seeing in September, has been edited.
Non-Fiction
Overheard in New York by S. Morgan Friedman & Michael Malice
Forward by Marc Shaiman
Introduction: The Whole World is Listening by Lawrence Block
"Behind Closed Doors"
"Going Underground" (pages 101-137)
'Best of' volume from the blog of the same name, which collects amusing things people have been overheard saying in New York (the title really is self explanatory).
Forward by Marc Shaiman
Introduction: The Whole World is Listening by Lawrence Block
"Behind Closed Doors"
"Going Underground" (pages 101-137)
'Best of' volume from the blog of the same name, which collects amusing things people have been overheard saying in New York (the title really is self explanatory).
Saturday, 9 August 2008
TV
Beijing 2008 Olympics: Opening Ceremony
I'm still not convinced that the Chinese should have the Olympics (the IOC insist that the Olympics should not be political and are about unity or harmony or something, yet they're in a country infamous for its human rights violations? Do they have no sense of irony?), but this opening ceremony -- a vast, impressive mix of techniques and styles, directed by filmmaker Zhang Yimou -- is too startling to miss. Of course, they wasted a helluva lot of money on it, so of course it does. I expect any participant who did their bit wrong will be taken out and shot. (Watched on NBC with US commentary, which was surprisingly good.)
I'm still not convinced that the Chinese should have the Olympics (the IOC insist that the Olympics should not be political and are about unity or harmony or something, yet they're in a country infamous for its human rights violations? Do they have no sense of irony?), but this opening ceremony -- a vast, impressive mix of techniques and styles, directed by filmmaker Zhang Yimou -- is too startling to miss. Of course, they wasted a helluva lot of money on it, so of course it does. I expect any participant who did their bit wrong will be taken out and shot. (Watched on NBC with US commentary, which was surprisingly good.)
Articles
Beijing Olympics: Britain sends twice as many public workers as athletes by Gordon Rayner, Sarah Knapton and Jon Swaine
(from Telegraph.co.uk)
"Whilst Team GB comprises 313 athletes, more than 600 publicly-funded workers will be attending the Games... In 2004, just seven public servants attended the Athens Olympics." Except these opening statistics are incredibly misleading, as the article later reveals that "by far the biggest British contingent at the Games will be the BBC, which has sent 437 staff... The record number is 33 more than the corporation sent to Athens" -- so include that and the seven becomes 413! The reason for the extra people is that we're hosting the next Olympics and this is a chance for various officials to find out how it's done. Perhaps we are overspending on this, but at least some of it is justifiable.
How do other countries rate Batman?
(from BBC News)
After the controversy over the BBFC's rating of The Dark Knight, BBC News looks at how eight other nations rated the film. Two of them, including France, gave it the equivalent of a U!
"It's kind of locked in this no-man's land." by Matt Weston
(from CommanderBond.net)
Interview with Rare's senior software engineer, Nick Burton, about what's going on with the GoldenEye remake for Xbox LIVE Arcade / Wii. It's a big legal problem, really. Burton also talks about whether or not GoldenEye's shadow hangs over the company.
Nigerian advises against 86 wives by Andrew Walker
(from BBC News)
It starts out sounding like an amusing story about an old guy with a ludicrous number of wives, but it quickly becomes clear it's actually some sort of scary cult thing goin' on.
Potter prequel book sets record
(from BBC News)
"A book featuring a new Harry Potter tale by JK Rowling has become the fastest-selling collection of short stories of all time in the UK. What's Your Story? contains 13 postcard-sized tales by authors including Doris Lessing, Nick Hornby and Sebastian Faulks... Irvine Welsh, Michael Rosen, Tom Stoppard and Margaret Atwood... More than 10,000 copies were bought on its first day of release, with some shops sold out by Thursday lunchtime." It's only available from Waterstone's, as it's launched from their initiative, but the BBC article cunningly doesn't mention this!
(from Telegraph.co.uk)
"Whilst Team GB comprises 313 athletes, more than 600 publicly-funded workers will be attending the Games... In 2004, just seven public servants attended the Athens Olympics." Except these opening statistics are incredibly misleading, as the article later reveals that "by far the biggest British contingent at the Games will be the BBC, which has sent 437 staff... The record number is 33 more than the corporation sent to Athens" -- so include that and the seven becomes 413! The reason for the extra people is that we're hosting the next Olympics and this is a chance for various officials to find out how it's done. Perhaps we are overspending on this, but at least some of it is justifiable.
How do other countries rate Batman?
(from BBC News)
After the controversy over the BBFC's rating of The Dark Knight, BBC News looks at how eight other nations rated the film. Two of them, including France, gave it the equivalent of a U!
"It's kind of locked in this no-man's land." by Matt Weston
(from CommanderBond.net)
Interview with Rare's senior software engineer, Nick Burton, about what's going on with the GoldenEye remake for Xbox LIVE Arcade / Wii. It's a big legal problem, really. Burton also talks about whether or not GoldenEye's shadow hangs over the company.
Nigerian advises against 86 wives by Andrew Walker
(from BBC News)
It starts out sounding like an amusing story about an old guy with a ludicrous number of wives, but it quickly becomes clear it's actually some sort of scary cult thing goin' on.
Potter prequel book sets record
(from BBC News)
"A book featuring a new Harry Potter tale by JK Rowling has become the fastest-selling collection of short stories of all time in the UK. What's Your Story? contains 13 postcard-sized tales by authors including Doris Lessing, Nick Hornby and Sebastian Faulks... Irvine Welsh, Michael Rosen, Tom Stoppard and Margaret Atwood... More than 10,000 copies were bought on its first day of release, with some shops sold out by Thursday lunchtime." It's only available from Waterstone's, as it's launched from their initiative, but the BBC article cunningly doesn't mention this!
Friday, 8 August 2008
Films
Mad Detective Trailer
Out in US cinemas now; out on DVD in the UK on 3rd November from Masters of Cinema. Looks pretty good to me.
Out in US cinemas now; out on DVD in the UK on 3rd November from Masters of Cinema. Looks pretty good to me.
Music
Quantum of Solace (song) by Joe Cornish
Thanks to Empire Online for bringing this to my attention -- an alternate theme for the forthcoming 22nd Bond film by comedian Joe Cornish (the second half of comedy duo Adam & Joe). "Did The Bond Producers Pick Wrong Song?" asks the headline. Well, no, but once it gets going it does have a few half decent jokes.
Thanks to Empire Online for bringing this to my attention -- an alternate theme for the forthcoming 22nd Bond film by comedian Joe Cornish (the second half of comedy duo Adam & Joe). "Did The Bond Producers Pick Wrong Song?" asks the headline. Well, no, but once it gets going it does have a few half decent jokes.
Articles
Ang Lee Is Taking Woodstock by Olly Richards
(from Empire Online)
"the only way this could sound less like an Ang Lee project would be if you threw in a big, green, giant man... oh, hang on."
After directing films as diverse as Sense and Sensibility, Brokeback Mountain and Hulk, I don't think anything can sound unlike an Ang Lee project.
James Cameron's 'Avatar' creating tech buzz by Carolyn Giardina
(from THR.com)
Very interesting article (especially once it gets going) about the amazing technical innovations on James Cameron's forthcoming (in December 2009) film Avatar.
Is Hollywood overestimating the clout of the geek? by Steven Zeitchik
(from THR.com)
Great article about the importance (or not?) of the Comic-Con geek-crowd to the success of movies and TV shows.
Lucas says Indiana Jones needs Ford to continue by Ryan Pearson
(from Mail.com)
Interesting interview with George Lucas in which he discusses a potential Indy 5, Star Wars in 3D, and Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie (yes, really).
Net address bug worse than feared by Maggie Shiels
(from BBC News)
Though the article seems to conclude that, actually, the bug is relatively minor and unlikely to cause problems. BBC News is beginning to seem a bit sensationalist to me.
Rebecca Hall Joins Ealing's Dorian Gray by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire Online)
"Hall isn’t alone in joining the cast of Oliver Parker’s movie, which is currently shooting. In fact, roughly half the population of Britain has signed on in one fell swoop, with Ben Chaplin, Emilia Fox, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Max Irons..., Fiona Shaw, Pip Torrens, Douglas Henshall, Caroline Goodall, Michael Culkin, Johnny Harris, Hugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub all signing on the line that is dotted. And that, dear readers, is one hell of a cast." Plus there's Colin Firth and Maryam d'Abo, as well as Prince Caspian himself Ben Barnes as the titular Gray.
(from Empire Online)
"the only way this could sound less like an Ang Lee project would be if you threw in a big, green, giant man... oh, hang on."
After directing films as diverse as Sense and Sensibility, Brokeback Mountain and Hulk, I don't think anything can sound unlike an Ang Lee project.
James Cameron's 'Avatar' creating tech buzz by Carolyn Giardina
(from THR.com)
Very interesting article (especially once it gets going) about the amazing technical innovations on James Cameron's forthcoming (in December 2009) film Avatar.
Is Hollywood overestimating the clout of the geek? by Steven Zeitchik
(from THR.com)
Great article about the importance (or not?) of the Comic-Con geek-crowd to the success of movies and TV shows.
Lucas says Indiana Jones needs Ford to continue by Ryan Pearson
(from Mail.com)
Interesting interview with George Lucas in which he discusses a potential Indy 5, Star Wars in 3D, and Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie (yes, really).
Net address bug worse than feared by Maggie Shiels
(from BBC News)
Though the article seems to conclude that, actually, the bug is relatively minor and unlikely to cause problems. BBC News is beginning to seem a bit sensationalist to me.
Rebecca Hall Joins Ealing's Dorian Gray by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire Online)
"Hall isn’t alone in joining the cast of Oliver Parker’s movie, which is currently shooting. In fact, roughly half the population of Britain has signed on in one fell swoop, with Ben Chaplin, Emilia Fox, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Max Irons..., Fiona Shaw, Pip Torrens, Douglas Henshall, Caroline Goodall, Michael Culkin, Johnny Harris, Hugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub all signing on the line that is dotted. And that, dear readers, is one hell of a cast." Plus there's Colin Firth and Maryam d'Abo, as well as Prince Caspian himself Ben Barnes as the titular Gray.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Articles
Batman film breaks another record
(from BBC News)
The Dark Knight is now the fastest film to reach $400m in the US (after breaking just about every other record in existence on its way there). The previous record holder was Shrek 2, which managed it in 43 days -- The Dark Knight did it in just 18.
The Dark Knight Hits $400m Domestic
(from Empire Online)
A more amusingly-told version of the above news.
(from BBC News)
The Dark Knight is now the fastest film to reach $400m in the US (after breaking just about every other record in existence on its way there). The previous record holder was Shrek 2, which managed it in 43 days -- The Dark Knight did it in just 18.
The Dark Knight Hits $400m Domestic
(from Empire Online)
A more amusingly-told version of the above news.
Articles: more Hamlet reviews
"Tennant was able to overcome the hype and prove his abilities as a “really fine, athletic and technically accomplished classical actor”... A few critics were sceptical about Gregory Doran’s cuts to the original text, particularly in the final scenes, but overall, there was great excitement surrounding this “full-value production”." (from WhatsOnStage.com's superior review round-up)
Five more reviews today (after the five yesterday), plus five varying round-ups -- if you read just one Hamlet article, make it the WhatsOnStage summary.
Reviews
Alas poor Doctor Who... you're okay but not out of this world by Quentin Letts
(from Mail Online)
Letts seems to want to dislike this production more than he actually does, forcing his way into any small fault he sees in poor attempts to widen them.
David Tennant thrills in Hamlet by David Baldwin
(from Metro.co.uk)
"there's no sense of righteous anger here, no earth-shattering grief. That doesn't make this a bad performance though, merely a different interpretation of the role. Doran seems to have understood what would suit Tennant best and gone with that, which pays dividends... It's not a Hamlet for the ages, but rather one for the here and now."
Hamlet, Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon by Paul Taylor
(from The Independent)
A very good, balanced review, including a more sensible list of great modern Hamlets than the Guardian's.
Hamlet (RSC, Stratford) by Michael Coveney
(from WhatsOnStage.com)
"Hamlet should be exciting. And Gregory Doran’s full-value production for the RSC in the Courtyard is exactly that... We should respond to Hamlet himself as a funny, fast, sardonic, headstrong prince with a streak of fatal prevarication and sense of his own intellectual superiority. And that we certainly do... This is easily the most complete Hamlet of recent years, and one of the most enjoyable."
Here's a prince for our time by Nicholas de Jongh
(originally from the Evening Standard)
Tennant "achieves something sensational and never managed in the past 40 years. He unlocks the key to the mystery of Hamlet and offers a convincing explanation for the prince's famous delay in avenging his father's murder... I was dazzled and excited by this concept... I hope Tennant can endow his historic Hamlet with what it crucially misses -- a heart."
Summaries
Mixed response to Tennant's play
(from BBC News)
The report correctly notes that the reviews have been mixed, though broadly positive and, having read a few myself, I'd say the most common conclusion is that it's a pretty damn good production. That's not as newsworthy as people slating it, of course, which is what this article initially focuses on.
Rave reviews for David Tennant's Hamlet
(from Metro.co.uk)
The yin to the BBC's summary's yang.
Review Round-up: Is Tennant Hamlet Hype or Hit? by Kate Jackson
(from WhatsOnStage.com)
Great round-up of many reviews: an accurate summation (after a few paragraphs of facts) followed by key quotes from seven different reviews (all of which I've featured here too).
Reviews roundup: Hamlet by Natalie Hanman
(from guardian.co.uk)
"The hype, it seems, was justified."
'Subtle', 'surreal' and the 'best in years'... David Tennant's Hamlet wins over the critics (mostly) by Graham Smith
(from Mail Online)
"while some critics made barbed comments about theatre companies using big names to fill seats, Tennant's performance received a generally positive response - with a few reservations."
"At the time of writing, if you want to pick up a good pair of seats for this sold out production of Hamlet on eBay, you'll have to shell out about £500." (Stratford performances are sold out; tickets for the 3-week London run go on sale in September.)
Five more reviews today (after the five yesterday), plus five varying round-ups -- if you read just one Hamlet article, make it the WhatsOnStage summary.
Reviews
Alas poor Doctor Who... you're okay but not out of this world by Quentin Letts
(from Mail Online)
Letts seems to want to dislike this production more than he actually does, forcing his way into any small fault he sees in poor attempts to widen them.
David Tennant thrills in Hamlet by David Baldwin
(from Metro.co.uk)
"there's no sense of righteous anger here, no earth-shattering grief. That doesn't make this a bad performance though, merely a different interpretation of the role. Doran seems to have understood what would suit Tennant best and gone with that, which pays dividends... It's not a Hamlet for the ages, but rather one for the here and now."
Hamlet, Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon by Paul Taylor
(from The Independent)
A very good, balanced review, including a more sensible list of great modern Hamlets than the Guardian's.
Hamlet (RSC, Stratford) by Michael Coveney
(from WhatsOnStage.com)
"Hamlet should be exciting. And Gregory Doran’s full-value production for the RSC in the Courtyard is exactly that... We should respond to Hamlet himself as a funny, fast, sardonic, headstrong prince with a streak of fatal prevarication and sense of his own intellectual superiority. And that we certainly do... This is easily the most complete Hamlet of recent years, and one of the most enjoyable."
Here's a prince for our time by Nicholas de Jongh
(originally from the Evening Standard)
Tennant "achieves something sensational and never managed in the past 40 years. He unlocks the key to the mystery of Hamlet and offers a convincing explanation for the prince's famous delay in avenging his father's murder... I was dazzled and excited by this concept... I hope Tennant can endow his historic Hamlet with what it crucially misses -- a heart."
Summaries
Mixed response to Tennant's play
(from BBC News)
The report correctly notes that the reviews have been mixed, though broadly positive and, having read a few myself, I'd say the most common conclusion is that it's a pretty damn good production. That's not as newsworthy as people slating it, of course, which is what this article initially focuses on.
Rave reviews for David Tennant's Hamlet
(from Metro.co.uk)
The yin to the BBC's summary's yang.
Review Round-up: Is Tennant Hamlet Hype or Hit? by Kate Jackson
(from WhatsOnStage.com)
Great round-up of many reviews: an accurate summation (after a few paragraphs of facts) followed by key quotes from seven different reviews (all of which I've featured here too).
Reviews roundup: Hamlet by Natalie Hanman
(from guardian.co.uk)
"The hype, it seems, was justified."
'Subtle', 'surreal' and the 'best in years'... David Tennant's Hamlet wins over the critics (mostly) by Graham Smith
(from Mail Online)
"while some critics made barbed comments about theatre companies using big names to fill seats, Tennant's performance received a generally positive response - with a few reservations."
"At the time of writing, if you want to pick up a good pair of seats for this sold out production of Hamlet on eBay, you'll have to shell out about £500." (Stratford performances are sold out; tickets for the 3-week London run go on sale in September.)
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Theatre
Avenue Q
(at the Golden Theater, New York)
Hilariously funny and consistently entertaining, much more so than any other musical I've ever seen. Can't recommend this highly enough to anyone who enjoys a good laugh.
(at the Golden Theater, New York)
Hilariously funny and consistently entertaining, much more so than any other musical I've ever seen. Can't recommend this highly enough to anyone who enjoys a good laugh.
Articles
'Film addict' Lucas on Clone Wars by Rajesh Mirchandani
(from BBC News)
Preview of the new Star Wars film, out a week Friday in the US and UK. Includes some quotes from George Lucas and a pair of video interviews.
Review of The X-Files: I Want to Believe by Dave Bradley
(from SFX)
Another fairly scathing review of the new X-sequel, though the feedback comments nicely offer different perspectives.
(from BBC News)
Preview of the new Star Wars film, out a week Friday in the US and UK. Includes some quotes from George Lucas and a pair of video interviews.
Review of The X-Files: I Want to Believe by Dave Bradley
(from SFX)
Another fairly scathing review of the new X-sequel, though the feedback comments nicely offer different perspectives.
Articles: Hamlet reviews
It was press night at the RSC production of Hamlet this evening, so naturally the first reviews are beginning to come in already.
They all seem very positive -- starred reviews all seem to give 4 out of 5 -- if insistent that Tennant is a good Hamlet but not the best ever. I'd bet that not all of these critics could agree on who is the best ever though, so I don't think anyone should be worried by such empty, obvious and easy criticism. Elsewhere, Patrick Stewart receives universal (and undoubtedly deserved) praise.
The following are the reviews I've read so far, in alphabetical order by article title. The first is an exception, however, being a review of an earlier preview performance; if you're not looking to read them all, allow me to recommend those of The Guardian and The Telegraph.
David Tennant's Hamlet by John Morrison
Review of a preview performance of Hamlet, which is entirely sold out. Morrison thinks Tennant "isn't bad as Hamlet, but he doesn't (yet) bring out the many different dimensions of the role". There's still plenty time for him to settle into the part, of course, so I'm quite glad I'll be going at the end of September.
David Tennant: thrills abound in Doctor Who Hamlet by Charles Spencer
(from Telegraph.co.uk)
"this is a gripping Hamlet that could become great if Tennant finds the courage to raise the dramatic stakes still further."
Dr Who's David Tennant as Hamlet at the Courtyard, Stratford by Benedict Nightingale
(from Times Online)
"I’ve seen bolder Hamlets and more moving Hamlets, but few who kept me so riveted throughout."
Review: David Tennant in Hamlet by Caroline Briggs
(from BBC News)
Largely positive, though shares the common views on Tennant's performance.
Review of Hamlet by Michael Billington
(from guardian.co.uk)
Tennant "is a fine Hamlet whose virtues, and occasional vices, are inseparable from the production itself... This is a Hamlet of quicksilver intelligence, mimetic vigour and wild humour: one of the funniest I've ever seen... active, athletic, immensely engaging". (Also includes a list of top 10 modern Hamlets -- apparently 1958 counts as modern, and 2000 seems to be the cut-off date.)
They all seem very positive -- starred reviews all seem to give 4 out of 5 -- if insistent that Tennant is a good Hamlet but not the best ever. I'd bet that not all of these critics could agree on who is the best ever though, so I don't think anyone should be worried by such empty, obvious and easy criticism. Elsewhere, Patrick Stewart receives universal (and undoubtedly deserved) praise.
The following are the reviews I've read so far, in alphabetical order by article title. The first is an exception, however, being a review of an earlier preview performance; if you're not looking to read them all, allow me to recommend those of The Guardian and The Telegraph.
David Tennant's Hamlet by John Morrison
Review of a preview performance of Hamlet, which is entirely sold out. Morrison thinks Tennant "isn't bad as Hamlet, but he doesn't (yet) bring out the many different dimensions of the role". There's still plenty time for him to settle into the part, of course, so I'm quite glad I'll be going at the end of September.
David Tennant: thrills abound in Doctor Who Hamlet by Charles Spencer
(from Telegraph.co.uk)
"this is a gripping Hamlet that could become great if Tennant finds the courage to raise the dramatic stakes still further."
Dr Who's David Tennant as Hamlet at the Courtyard, Stratford by Benedict Nightingale
(from Times Online)
"I’ve seen bolder Hamlets and more moving Hamlets, but few who kept me so riveted throughout."
Review: David Tennant in Hamlet by Caroline Briggs
(from BBC News)
Largely positive, though shares the common views on Tennant's performance.
Review of Hamlet by Michael Billington
(from guardian.co.uk)
Tennant "is a fine Hamlet whose virtues, and occasional vices, are inseparable from the production itself... This is a Hamlet of quicksilver intelligence, mimetic vigour and wild humour: one of the funniest I've ever seen... active, athletic, immensely engaging". (Also includes a list of top 10 modern Hamlets -- apparently 1958 counts as modern, and 2000 seems to be the cut-off date.)
Articles: French Crime Wave
Thanks to The French Crime Wave season at New York City's Film Forum, here's a selection of articles I've read on the films included and the season itself. (Unfortunately, I'm only in the States for the first week of the five-week season.)
Gallic Gangsters, They’re Funny That Way by Terrence Rafferty
(from The New York Times)
A thematic overview of Film Forum's series covering a good number of the films.
A Noir Classic Makes It Back From the Blacklist by Michael Sragow
(originally from The New York Times)
Interesting article about Rififi, mixing analysis and behind-the-scenes detail.
Noir, French Style by V.A. Musetto
(from New York Post)
Very brief preview, picking out a couple of the Post's film editor's favourites.
Six Decades of French Noir Come to Film Forum by Elena Oumano
(from The Village Voice)
Another brisk-feeling preview, but with a bit more meat on its bones.
Gallic Gangsters, They’re Funny That Way by Terrence Rafferty
(from The New York Times)
A thematic overview of Film Forum's series covering a good number of the films.
A Noir Classic Makes It Back From the Blacklist by Michael Sragow
(originally from The New York Times)
Interesting article about Rififi, mixing analysis and behind-the-scenes detail.
Noir, French Style by V.A. Musetto
(from New York Post)
Very brief preview, picking out a couple of the Post's film editor's favourites.
Six Decades of French Noir Come to Film Forum by Elena Oumano
(from The Village Voice)
Another brisk-feeling preview, but with a bit more meat on its bones.
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
"those using Microsoft Windows are vulnerable"
from Hi-tech criminals target Twitter (from BBC News):
"Micro blogging site Twitter is the latest target of cyber criminals who are increasingly finding fertile ground on social networks[...]
It comes as Kaspersky also releases details about two worms that target social networking sites MySpace and Facebook. More variants of these worms are also starting to turn up. The worms transformed victims' machines into zombie computers, used by criminals to send spam, launch phishing attacks and harvest data[...]
Only those using Microsoft Windows are vulnerable to infection from these malicious programs."
Go go !
(That's the Apple symbol again, incidentally.)
"Micro blogging site Twitter is the latest target of cyber criminals who are increasingly finding fertile ground on social networks[...]
It comes as Kaspersky also releases details about two worms that target social networking sites MySpace and Facebook. More variants of these worms are also starting to turn up. The worms transformed victims' machines into zombie computers, used by criminals to send spam, launch phishing attacks and harvest data[...]
Only those using Microsoft Windows are vulnerable to infection from these malicious programs."
Go go !
(That's the Apple symbol again, incidentally.)
TV
Damages
1x01 Pilot (aka Get Me a Lawyer) [2nd watch]
1x02 Jesus, Mary and Joe Cocker [2nd watch]
Is Damages as good second time round? Oh yes! It's just a shame the DVD is so poorly designed. Most US shows see fit to put no more than four 42-minute episodes on a disc; Damages has squeezed four 42-minute episodes and a 54-minute one onto its first disc! This is especially stupid considering disc two contains a normal four 42-minute episodes and disc three averages out at four 45-minute ones. There's a notable dent in image quality thanks to this, which is mildly distracting. Still, it's a damn fine programme.
1x01 Pilot (aka Get Me a Lawyer) [2nd watch]
1x02 Jesus, Mary and Joe Cocker [2nd watch]
Is Damages as good second time round? Oh yes! It's just a shame the DVD is so poorly designed. Most US shows see fit to put no more than four 42-minute episodes on a disc; Damages has squeezed four 42-minute episodes and a 54-minute one onto its first disc! This is especially stupid considering disc two contains a normal four 42-minute episodes and disc three averages out at four 45-minute ones. There's a notable dent in image quality thanks to this, which is mildly distracting. Still, it's a damn fine programme.
Articles
Do they really think the earth is flat? by Brendan O'Neill
(from BBC News)
Would you believe, there are still some people who genuinely believe the world is flat? Apparently so! But then, there are still plenty of people who don't believe in evolution, so what do you expect?
Microsoft sees end of Windows era
(from BBC News)
Interesting news piece on Microsoft's plans for what to replace the increasingly-dated Windows format of OSs with. Also includes the fantastically clause-ridden sentence, "I would be surprised if there was definitive evidence that nothing like this was not kicking around" -- ah, the loss of meaning!
Review of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
(from Empire Online)
It just opened at #2 in the US, behind a third week for The Dark Knight, and reviews like this reveal why. Empire don't expect it to be some meaningful artistic film, just a fun blockbuster, and unfortunately it comes up short in that respect. Oh dear.
(from BBC News)
Would you believe, there are still some people who genuinely believe the world is flat? Apparently so! But then, there are still plenty of people who don't believe in evolution, so what do you expect?
Microsoft sees end of Windows era
(from BBC News)
Interesting news piece on Microsoft's plans for what to replace the increasingly-dated Windows format of OSs with. Also includes the fantastically clause-ridden sentence, "I would be surprised if there was definitive evidence that nothing like this was not kicking around" -- ah, the loss of meaning!
Review of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
(from Empire Online)
It just opened at #2 in the US, behind a third week for The Dark Knight, and reviews like this reveal why. Empire don't expect it to be some meaningful artistic film, just a fun blockbuster, and unfortunately it comes up short in that respect. Oh dear.
I've just discovered the Apple symbol in normal fonts: (It's Option+Shift+K -- at least, it is on Macs -- for anyone interested in repeating the process.)
But, the real question is, will it be visible to those without a Mac? Without a normal PC here to test for myself, I have no idea.
Anyone?
But, the real question is, will it be visible to those without a Mac? Without a normal PC here to test for myself, I have no idea.
Anyone?
Monday, 4 August 2008
Articles
The buzz of internet film teasers by Alex Stanger
(from BBC News)
Interesting article about the importance of trailers to movies these days, though let down by being based on a poorly researched falsehood (the footage screened of Terminator Salvation at Comic-Con 2008 was all/mostly all new, not just the teaser trailer).
(from BBC News)
Interesting article about the importance of trailers to movies these days, though let down by being based on a poorly researched falsehood (the footage screened of Terminator Salvation at Comic-Con 2008 was all/mostly all new, not just the teaser trailer).
Philadelphia
A visit to this historic American city, including:
The Big Bus Company
Bus tour of various sites in the city, from Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed) to the steps Rocky ran up. Very informative, therefore worthwhile.
Liberty Bell Center
A brief museum housing the Liberty Bell, one of America's symbolic artefacts (or, I suppose, "artifacts").
The Big Bus Company
Bus tour of various sites in the city, from Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed) to the steps Rocky ran up. Very informative, therefore worthwhile.
Liberty Bell Center
A brief museum housing the Liberty Bell, one of America's symbolic artefacts (or, I suppose, "artifacts").
Sunday, 3 August 2008
TV
The Armstrong & Miller Show
A selection of random sketches thanks to YouTube, including their brilliant WWII RAF and Flanders & Swan spoof ones. Also, an absolutely exceptional one from an older series that you can see here.
At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper
Review of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Respected reviewers Roger Ebert and original collaborator Gene Siskel review the first animated Batman film spun off from the ever-popular animated series in this piece (available for free online) from around 1995, naming it second only to Burton's Batman in the screen Bat-canon (of course, this was a decade before Batman Begins).
A selection of random sketches thanks to YouTube, including their brilliant WWII RAF and Flanders & Swan spoof ones. Also, an absolutely exceptional one from an older series that you can see here.
At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper
Review of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Respected reviewers Roger Ebert and original collaborator Gene Siskel review the first animated Batman film spun off from the ever-popular animated series in this piece (available for free online) from around 1995, naming it second only to Burton's Batman in the screen Bat-canon (of course, this was a decade before Batman Begins).
Theatre
Walking With Dinosaurs: The Live Experience
(at Madison Square Garden)
Like the TV show on which it was based, this is theoretically an educational look back at the time of the dinosaurs. In reality, the real attraction is the spectacle of seeing life-size dinosaurs moving about in the real world. Spectacular it is, enjoyable with either a childish sense of wonder that there are dinosaurs right there or a more adult appreciation of the technical skill implemented to achieve this. The scale of the show means it won't be going everywhere, but if you're into dinosaurs -- or have a child who is -- it's unmissable given the chance. (Check out the show's official site for clips.)
(at Madison Square Garden)
Like the TV show on which it was based, this is theoretically an educational look back at the time of the dinosaurs. In reality, the real attraction is the spectacle of seeing life-size dinosaurs moving about in the real world. Spectacular it is, enjoyable with either a childish sense of wonder that there are dinosaurs right there or a more adult appreciation of the technical skill implemented to achieve this. The scale of the show means it won't be going everywhere, but if you're into dinosaurs -- or have a child who is -- it's unmissable given the chance. (Check out the show's official site for clips.)
Apple TV
My parents just got an Apple TV for their New York apartment, and within a couple of hours I can say it's a lot of fun. Movie trailers from Apple in HD or videos from YouTube load up blindingly quickly -- especially those HD trailers, whose speed beggars belief -- and, while it's slightly awkward to search using the onscreen letter selection, anything that's on YouTube can be found. It's all such fun.
Apple TV also plays music, synced wirelessly with iTunes on your home PC or Mac. It's also fun to browse your music collection on your TV, flipping through the album covers (if you've bothered to acquire them of course) and playing the music out through whatever speaker system you have there -- great if you've got a surround sound setup! This syncing also allows you to get at any videos that are on your iTunes, so whether you've legally bought it or illegally downloaded it, if it's playable in your iTunes you can now play it on your TV.
It also allows you to purchase movies and TV shows from the iTunes store directly from your TV, either as rentals in SD or sometimes HD (for films), or to keep (for either). That's definitely something we'll try out sometime soon. Apparently the quality of HD movies isn't as good as Blu-ray -- it streams them, rather than spending forever downloading a Blu-ray-sized video file -- but should still be impressive. Some of the TV shows are also very reasonable priced, making them seem like fair rentals (with the full-priced ones I often wonder why not buy the harddrive-crash-proof DVD or Blu-ray instead?) You can also buy music and music videos from your Apple TV.
In all, the Apple TV is a lot of fun if you download (or would download) a lot of TV and movies and would like to properly watch them on your TV, or have a good sound setup and would love to hear all your music through it. There are other solutions, of course, but this one integrates seamlessly and works perfectly. But then, it is made by Apple, so what did you expect?
Apple TV also plays music, synced wirelessly with iTunes on your home PC or Mac. It's also fun to browse your music collection on your TV, flipping through the album covers (if you've bothered to acquire them of course) and playing the music out through whatever speaker system you have there -- great if you've got a surround sound setup! This syncing also allows you to get at any videos that are on your iTunes, so whether you've legally bought it or illegally downloaded it, if it's playable in your iTunes you can now play it on your TV.
It also allows you to purchase movies and TV shows from the iTunes store directly from your TV, either as rentals in SD or sometimes HD (for films), or to keep (for either). That's definitely something we'll try out sometime soon. Apparently the quality of HD movies isn't as good as Blu-ray -- it streams them, rather than spending forever downloading a Blu-ray-sized video file -- but should still be impressive. Some of the TV shows are also very reasonable priced, making them seem like fair rentals (with the full-priced ones I often wonder why not buy the harddrive-crash-proof DVD or Blu-ray instead?) You can also buy music and music videos from your Apple TV.
In all, the Apple TV is a lot of fun if you download (or would download) a lot of TV and movies and would like to properly watch them on your TV, or have a good sound setup and would love to hear all your music through it. There are other solutions, of course, but this one integrates seamlessly and works perfectly. But then, it is made by Apple, so what did you expect?
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Articles
Che Remains In Storage
(from Studio Briefing)
"after garnering a raft of enthusiastic notices and a best-actor award for its star, Benicio Del Toro, Steven Soderbergh's $65-million Che [actually called Guerilla, according to IMDb] has still been unable to find a distributor [...] Even in the best of times for independent film makers, the film would have faced an uphill battle: it is more than four hours long; the actors speak Spanish" -- good luck!
Eventually, we will all hate Obama too by David Aaronovitch
(from Times Online)
Interesting article about how anti-American non-anti-Americans are, and how Obama can't win -- or, at least, can't keep -- the affection of the rest of the world.
If the US election were a novel, the climax came in chapter three - now it has literally lost the plot by Lionel Shriver
(from guardian.co.uk)
Another interesting article about the US Presidential election, in which author Shriver looks at the race as if it were a constructed work of fiction. (She then moves on to a bit about SUVs which is also amusing.)
Prince Of Persia Pushed Back To 2010 by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire Online)
It's pretty ridiculous how far in advance movie releases get planned these days, isn't it? Can you believe in the past they used to just make things and release them when they were done -- I bet that seems ridiculous to modern-day Hollywood money men.
Reviews by Roger Ebert of:
(from rogerebert.com)
The Mummy Returns
"I was not, however, pleased by The Mummy Returns (2001), although it inspired one of my funnier reviews."
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
"Moviegoers who knowingly buy a ticket for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor are going to get exactly what they expect: There is a mummy, a tomb, a dragon and an emperor. And the movie about them is all that it could be."
Swing Vote
"The movie is determined to be bipartisan. It doesn't take sides. Both candidates would sell their mothers to win the election. That's the message, really: Our political system doesn't encourage politicians to tell the truth, but to say what they think voters want to hear. And the press assists them in that process."
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
A rare positive review for the X-Files sequel.
Wire-walk film omits 9/11 tragedy by Neil Smith
(from BBC News)
News piece / article / interview about the new documentary Man on Wire and why it includes no mention of the Twin Towers' destruction.
(from Studio Briefing)
"after garnering a raft of enthusiastic notices and a best-actor award for its star, Benicio Del Toro, Steven Soderbergh's $65-million Che [actually called Guerilla, according to IMDb] has still been unable to find a distributor [...] Even in the best of times for independent film makers, the film would have faced an uphill battle: it is more than four hours long; the actors speak Spanish" -- good luck!
Eventually, we will all hate Obama too by David Aaronovitch
(from Times Online)
Interesting article about how anti-American non-anti-Americans are, and how Obama can't win -- or, at least, can't keep -- the affection of the rest of the world.
If the US election were a novel, the climax came in chapter three - now it has literally lost the plot by Lionel Shriver
(from guardian.co.uk)
Another interesting article about the US Presidential election, in which author Shriver looks at the race as if it were a constructed work of fiction. (She then moves on to a bit about SUVs which is also amusing.)
Prince Of Persia Pushed Back To 2010 by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire Online)
It's pretty ridiculous how far in advance movie releases get planned these days, isn't it? Can you believe in the past they used to just make things and release them when they were done -- I bet that seems ridiculous to modern-day Hollywood money men.
Reviews by Roger Ebert of:
(from rogerebert.com)
The Mummy Returns
"I was not, however, pleased by The Mummy Returns (2001), although it inspired one of my funnier reviews."
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
"Moviegoers who knowingly buy a ticket for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor are going to get exactly what they expect: There is a mummy, a tomb, a dragon and an emperor. And the movie about them is all that it could be."
Swing Vote
"The movie is determined to be bipartisan. It doesn't take sides. Both candidates would sell their mothers to win the election. That's the message, really: Our political system doesn't encourage politicians to tell the truth, but to say what they think voters want to hear. And the press assists them in that process."
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
A rare positive review for the X-Files sequel.
Wire-walk film omits 9/11 tragedy by Neil Smith
(from BBC News)
News piece / article / interview about the new documentary Man on Wire and why it includes no mention of the Twin Towers' destruction.
Friday, 1 August 2008
Films
The Spirit Theatrical Trailer
Very Sin City-esque -- perhaps too much so -- and also pretty bizarre. It'll either by impossibly cool or woefully poor, and I doubt we'll know til we see it.
Very Sin City-esque -- perhaps too much so -- and also pretty bizarre. It'll either by impossibly cool or woefully poor, and I doubt we'll know til we see it.
Articles
Matthew Goode Exclusive Interview – Watchmen by Frosty
(from Collider.com)
Fantastic interview with Matthew Goode, who can currently be seen as the lead in Brideshead Revisited, focussing on the forthcoming adaptation of Watchmen, in which he plays the key role of Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias. The interview contains a couple of casually-mentioned major plot spoilers, however, so if you haven't read the book and want to remain surprised you might want to skip this one.
Watchmen goes Hi-Res – All the Comic-Con Posters Are Here by Cal Kemp
(from Collider.com)
And, to go with that, a simply stunning set of character-based teaser posters. These are newbie-friendly, of course.
(from Collider.com)
Fantastic interview with Matthew Goode, who can currently be seen as the lead in Brideshead Revisited, focussing on the forthcoming adaptation of Watchmen, in which he plays the key role of Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias. The interview contains a couple of casually-mentioned major plot spoilers, however, so if you haven't read the book and want to remain surprised you might want to skip this one.
Watchmen goes Hi-Res – All the Comic-Con Posters Are Here by Cal Kemp
(from Collider.com)
And, to go with that, a simply stunning set of character-based teaser posters. These are newbie-friendly, of course.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard for ordinary folk
Potter fairytales to be published
(from BBC News)
"A collection of fairytales penned by Harry Potter author JK Rowling is to be published to raise money for a children's charity. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which Rowling first mentioned in The Deathly Hallows, will go on sale on 4 December. A handwritten copy of the book was sold at auction for £1.95m last year [to Amazon.com]. Rowling wrote and illustrated seven copies of the book, but offered only one for sale. It was thought the book would never be published."
The book will be available in two editions: a normal paperback, RRP £6.99 or $12.99 (the UK edition and US edition have differing covers (the UK one is far, far better) but presumably identical content), or a £50/$100 Collector's Edition, available exclusively through Amazon and limited to "no more than" 100,000 copies. It looks rather pretty too.
Order now before it sells out, I say. Net profits from both editions go to the Children's High Level Group charity.
(from BBC News)
"A collection of fairytales penned by Harry Potter author JK Rowling is to be published to raise money for a children's charity. The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which Rowling first mentioned in The Deathly Hallows, will go on sale on 4 December. A handwritten copy of the book was sold at auction for £1.95m last year [to Amazon.com]. Rowling wrote and illustrated seven copies of the book, but offered only one for sale. It was thought the book would never be published."
The book will be available in two editions: a normal paperback, RRP £6.99 or $12.99 (the UK edition and US edition have differing covers (the UK one is far, far better) but presumably identical content), or a £50/$100 Collector's Edition, available exclusively through Amazon and limited to "no more than" 100,000 copies. It looks rather pretty too.
Order now before it sells out, I say. Net profits from both editions go to the Children's High Level Group charity.
Thursday, 31 July 2008
The evils of British Gas
Anger over £1bn Centrica profits
(from BBC News)
"British Gas owner Centrica revealed £5m-per-day profits, after announcing a record price hike [...] On Wednesday, British Gas raised gas bills by 35% with immediate effect, to restore "reasonable profitability". Centrica said the rise was justified and was needed to offset higher costs."
It seems amazing that such a high-profile company would do something apparently so stupid, but I still bet most people who use British Gas won't bother to change supplier, and shareholders won't go selling their shares in a moral outrage. So, in fact, while we can all be shocked and angered at such blatant abuse of consumers, no one's going to do anything about it.
(from BBC News)
"British Gas owner Centrica revealed £5m-per-day profits, after announcing a record price hike [...] On Wednesday, British Gas raised gas bills by 35% with immediate effect, to restore "reasonable profitability". Centrica said the rise was justified and was needed to offset higher costs."
It seems amazing that such a high-profile company would do something apparently so stupid, but I still bet most people who use British Gas won't bother to change supplier, and shareholders won't go selling their shares in a moral outrage. So, in fact, while we can all be shocked and angered at such blatant abuse of consumers, no one's going to do anything about it.
Films
Brideshead Revisited (2008)
[#49 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Teaser Trailer
It's certainly pretty-looking, and Potter himself is barely in the trailer! If the film retains that sort of balance -- focussing on the vital backstory of Tom Riddle / Dumbledore and cutting down the 'present day' plot -- it will be very interesting indeed. However it's treated, let's hope David Yates' excellent direction of the previous Potter outing can be paired with a better script (the last's was a bit like a two-hour montage) and produce a superior movie.
[#49 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Teaser Trailer
It's certainly pretty-looking, and Potter himself is barely in the trailer! If the film retains that sort of balance -- focussing on the vital backstory of Tom Riddle / Dumbledore and cutting down the 'present day' plot -- it will be very interesting indeed. However it's treated, let's hope David Yates' excellent direction of the previous Potter outing can be paired with a better script (the last's was a bit like a two-hour montage) and produce a superior movie.
Articles
Release Date, Extras, Specs & More for Firefly: The Complete Series on Blu-ray Disc! by David Lambert
(from TVShowsonDVD.com)
As nice as a new edition of Possibly The Greatest TV Show Ever is, I hope they don't bother releasing this on DVD. I'd feel compelled to buy it, but all that's new are two commentary tracks (which I rarely/never listen to) and a Cast Reunion featurette. They'll have to do more than that! Though I will of course get it on BD, if I ever make the upgrade.
Scoop on the DVD Release of 24: Exile - Special Creator's Cut by David Lambert
(from TVShowsonDVD.com)
Includes a plot summary for the forthcoming (in November) 24 TV movie (something I hadn't seen before), as well as info on a speedy and thorough DVD release. I hope R2 gets similar treatment.
(from TVShowsonDVD.com)
As nice as a new edition of Possibly The Greatest TV Show Ever is, I hope they don't bother releasing this on DVD. I'd feel compelled to buy it, but all that's new are two commentary tracks (which I rarely/never listen to) and a Cast Reunion featurette. They'll have to do more than that! Though I will of course get it on BD, if I ever make the upgrade.
Scoop on the DVD Release of 24: Exile - Special Creator's Cut by David Lambert
(from TVShowsonDVD.com)
Includes a plot summary for the forthcoming (in November) 24 TV movie (something I hadn't seen before), as well as info on a speedy and thorough DVD release. I hope R2 gets similar treatment.
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
TV
Mad Men
1x12 Nixon vs. Kennedy
A chance for the series' minor regulars to shine a little, in an episode that includes subplots for each of them during the events of an all-night party for the 1960 Presidential election (among other major plot developments).
1x12 Nixon vs. Kennedy
A chance for the series' minor regulars to shine a little, in an episode that includes subplots for each of them during the events of an all-night party for the 1960 Presidential election (among other major plot developments).
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
The end of Big Brother?
Has BB9 turned into heaven or hell? by Liam Allen
(from BBC News)
Could this really be the beginning of the end -- or even just the end -- of Big Brother in the UK? We can but hope...
(from BBC News)
Could this really be the beginning of the end -- or even just the end -- of Big Brother in the UK? We can but hope...
TV
BBC News: Doctor Who Proms Special
Interview with Russell T Davies (available online at the above link) after this year's Doctor Who Prom.
Mad Men
1x10 The Long Weekend
1x11 Indian Summer
On Blu-ray! Mmm, HD...
Doctor Who theme tune by Nigel Kennedy - BBC Proms 2008
Ow. I've included the link, but, for your own aural safety, don't click it.
Interview with Russell T Davies (available online at the above link) after this year's Doctor Who Prom.
Mad Men
1x10 The Long Weekend
1x11 Indian Summer
On Blu-ray! Mmm, HD...
Doctor Who theme tune by Nigel Kennedy - BBC Proms 2008
Ow. I've included the link, but, for your own aural safety, don't click it.
Articles
Warner's Launches Anti-Piracy Campaign For Dark Knight
(from Studio Briefing)
Very interesting (and very brief) news piece on the special anti-piracy measures enforced for The Dark Knight (which is still smashing every box office record known to man, incidentally). Also check out the article about Leno's final show directly beneath it -- the change in the cost of advertising is quite staggering.
(from Studio Briefing)
Very interesting (and very brief) news piece on the special anti-piracy measures enforced for The Dark Knight (which is still smashing every box office record known to man, incidentally). Also check out the article about Leno's final show directly beneath it -- the change in the cost of advertising is quite staggering.
Websites
Cuil
A new search engine, founded by several people who used to work for Google, that claims to search more pages more intelligently than any other search engine. Whether it'll take off remains to be seen -- it's certainly different to other search engines you're likely to have used, which can definitely be off-putting, but such change hasn't stopped many adopting Firefox or Safari over Internet Explorer. For more info, try this article at BBC News or Cuil's own info pages. (It's pronounced "cool", by-the-way.)
A new search engine, founded by several people who used to work for Google, that claims to search more pages more intelligently than any other search engine. Whether it'll take off remains to be seen -- it's certainly different to other search engines you're likely to have used, which can definitely be off-putting, but such change hasn't stopped many adopting Firefox or Safari over Internet Explorer. For more info, try this article at BBC News or Cuil's own info pages. (It's pronounced "cool", by-the-way.)
Monday, 28 July 2008
TV
At the Movies With Ebert & Roeper
(26/7/08 edition)
Not that Ebert's even on it (hasn't been for the last two years, apparently, and currently replaced by Michael Phillips). Largely negative reviews for The X-Files: I Want to Believe and Brideshead Revisited, but much acclaim for Boy A, which was original on TV in the UK but has a (limited) theatrical release over here.
Doctor Who [new]
4x13a Music of the Spheres [special]
A special 7-minute scene written by Russell T Davies for this year's Doctor Who Prom. For copyright reasons it's relatively hard to watch legitimately (hopefully it'll be on the season four DVD set though), but then there's always the magic of YouTube these days. Find it with sound from the broadcast if you can -- it'll be worth it.
(26/7/08 edition)
Not that Ebert's even on it (hasn't been for the last two years, apparently, and currently replaced by Michael Phillips). Largely negative reviews for The X-Files: I Want to Believe and Brideshead Revisited, but much acclaim for Boy A, which was original on TV in the UK but has a (limited) theatrical release over here.
Doctor Who [new]
4x13a Music of the Spheres [special]
A special 7-minute scene written by Russell T Davies for this year's Doctor Who Prom. For copyright reasons it's relatively hard to watch legitimately (hopefully it'll be on the season four DVD set though), but then there's always the magic of YouTube these days. Find it with sound from the broadcast if you can -- it'll be worth it.
Films
Crash: Director's Cut (2004)
[3rd watch]
Despite a critical backlash following its Best Picture Oscar win, I still maintain this is a much better film than the distinctly overrated Brokeback Mountain -- a view apparently upheld by IMDb voters, where Crash is placed #177 on the Top 250 while Brokeback doesn't even figure.
[3rd watch]
Despite a critical backlash following its Best Picture Oscar win, I still maintain this is a much better film than the distinctly overrated Brokeback Mountain -- a view apparently upheld by IMDb voters, where Crash is placed #177 on the Top 250 while Brokeback doesn't even figure.
Articles
Batman's nemesis crowns dark tale by Michael Osborn
(from BBC News)
Little new in this brief article about The Dark Knight, with quotes from director Chris Nolan and stars Michael Caine and Christian Bale. If you haven't read much about the film, however, you may find something here.
(from BBC News)
Little new in this brief article about The Dark Knight, with quotes from director Chris Nolan and stars Michael Caine and Christian Bale. If you haven't read much about the film, however, you may find something here.
Art
Dali: Painting and Film
(at the Museum of Modern Art)
Special Exhibition of the loopy Spaniard's work. MoMA's website includes a (more limited) online version of the exhibition, accessible here.
Museum of Modern Art
A general wander around the museum, which has a few genuine pieces of art amongst an awful lot of dreadful tosh.
(at the Museum of Modern Art)
Special Exhibition of the loopy Spaniard's work. MoMA's website includes a (more limited) online version of the exhibition, accessible here.
Museum of Modern Art
A general wander around the museum, which has a few genuine pieces of art amongst an awful lot of dreadful tosh.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Films
The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience (2008)
[#48a in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
This is the second time I've seen The Dark Knight. Read my first review of it, from a normal screening, here. (IMAX review now available too.)
[#48a in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
This is the second time I've seen The Dark Knight. Read my first review of it, from a normal screening, here. (IMAX review now available too.)
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Friday, 25 July 2008
Thursday, 24 July 2008
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
TV
Mad Men
1x03 Marriage of Figaro
1x04 New Amsterdam
A well-paired, er, pair of episodes. Mad Men is the sort of on-going-story-based show (which most dramas seem to be these days, of course) that works well when watched in multi-episode chunks, because the storylines flow across episodes. Of course, it means the line between what happened when is harder to remember -- and there are obvious pacing issues in reducing a one-week gap to one-minute!
On another, related, note, Blu-ray is annoying -- the films/TV themselves may be pretty, but the slow games console-style loading times and ugly menus are a right pain.
1x03 Marriage of Figaro
1x04 New Amsterdam
A well-paired, er, pair of episodes. Mad Men is the sort of on-going-story-based show (which most dramas seem to be these days, of course) that works well when watched in multi-episode chunks, because the storylines flow across episodes. Of course, it means the line between what happened when is harder to remember -- and there are obvious pacing issues in reducing a one-week gap to one-minute!
On another, related, note, Blu-ray is annoying -- the films/TV themselves may be pretty, but the slow games console-style loading times and ugly menus are a right pain.
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Films
Presto (2008)
[#47b in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Amusing Pixar short that's currently playing before WALL-E in cinemas.
WALL-E (2008)
[#48 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
And Pixar's aforementioned latest CG triumph.
[#47b in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Amusing Pixar short that's currently playing before WALL-E in cinemas.
WALL-E (2008)
[#48 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
And Pixar's aforementioned latest CG triumph.
Monday, 21 July 2008
TV
Jimmy Kimmel Live
(18/7/08 edition)
Batman-centric, just like the whole of America at the minute. Understandable, mind, considering its quality, and that Maggie Gyllenhaal was a guest. So too were Ant & Dec -- more British hosts trying to conquer America. Also a very funny segment where things that didn't need censoring were bleeped/pixelated, turning clean things dirty. (Despite the name, Kimmel Live is "recorded tonight". Absurdity!)
(18/7/08 edition)
Batman-centric, just like the whole of America at the minute. Understandable, mind, considering its quality, and that Maggie Gyllenhaal was a guest. So too were Ant & Dec -- more British hosts trying to conquer America. Also a very funny segment where things that didn't need censoring were bleeped/pixelated, turning clean things dirty. (Despite the name, Kimmel Live is "recorded tonight". Absurdity!)
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Films
The Dark Knight (2008)
[#47 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Read my review at 100 Films.
I Am Legend: Alternate Theatrical Version (2007)
[#47a in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
While I saw the theatrical cut of I Am Legend earlier this year (see my 100 Films review), this is the first time I've seen the barely-different DVD "alternate theatrical version".
Also, the first film I've watched on Blu-ray. It was... sharp.
[#47 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Read my review at 100 Films.
I Am Legend: Alternate Theatrical Version (2007)
[#47a in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
While I saw the theatrical cut of I Am Legend earlier this year (see my 100 Films review), this is the first time I've seen the barely-different DVD "alternate theatrical version".
Also, the first film I've watched on Blu-ray. It was... sharp.
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