(from SFX)
Stephen Fry! Stephen Fry!
Click to enlarge.
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Articles
Ten Doctor Who covers for SFX issue 176 by David Bradley
(from SFX)
Stephen Fry! Stephen Fry!
Click to enlarge.
(from SFX)
Stephen Fry! Stephen Fry!
Click to enlarge.
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Films
Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
[3rd or so watch]
After the disappointment I felt upon rewatching Hot Shots!, I approached this sequel with no small degree of trepidation. Luckily, this one's a lot better, and while some of the jokes are now dated (there are at least a couple of cultural references very specific to the early '90s) the majority still stands up today. Sure, it's still mostly immature and silly, but within that it's frequently amusing -- the point of a spoof, after all. In fact, it was even better watching it now than whenever I last saw it (as much as 10 years ago, possibly, if not more), because there were a few jokes I can now get, such as the references to The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. Additionally, the film has been cut to shreds in the UK over time -- well, trimmed of some very funny bits, at least -- so watching it as I did from the US DVD, this is actually the first time I've seen all of it.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
[2nd watch]
It's been a good few years since I've seen this too. I was meant to watch it for my degree two or three years ago, but didn't bother. Now I need to watch it for my MA, so this time I'm bothering. Logic dictates it's at least four years since I last saw it therefore, and I'm somewhat glad I didn't watch it sooner -- the gap has allowed me to both forgot how brilliant it is, and grow up enough to enjoy it even more. Pure cinema, unremittingly excellent, and well deserving of all its high placings on Best Films Ever lists. An experience to be savoured.
[3rd or so watch]
After the disappointment I felt upon rewatching Hot Shots!, I approached this sequel with no small degree of trepidation. Luckily, this one's a lot better, and while some of the jokes are now dated (there are at least a couple of cultural references very specific to the early '90s) the majority still stands up today. Sure, it's still mostly immature and silly, but within that it's frequently amusing -- the point of a spoof, after all. In fact, it was even better watching it now than whenever I last saw it (as much as 10 years ago, possibly, if not more), because there were a few jokes I can now get, such as the references to The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. Additionally, the film has been cut to shreds in the UK over time -- well, trimmed of some very funny bits, at least -- so watching it as I did from the US DVD, this is actually the first time I've seen all of it.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
[2nd watch]
It's been a good few years since I've seen this too. I was meant to watch it for my degree two or three years ago, but didn't bother. Now I need to watch it for my MA, so this time I'm bothering. Logic dictates it's at least four years since I last saw it therefore, and I'm somewhat glad I didn't watch it sooner -- the gap has allowed me to both forgot how brilliant it is, and grow up enough to enjoy it even more. Pure cinema, unremittingly excellent, and well deserving of all its high placings on Best Films Ever lists. An experience to be savoured.
Non-Fiction
Letters Between a Father and a Son (aka Between Father and Son: Family Letters) by V.S. Naipaul, edited by Gillon Aitken
Parts V - VII
Parts V - VII
shameless eBay self-promotion: update 3
You can read the full story behind these auctions in my previous three updates; here's just a list of what I'm currently selling. Anything in bold is being bid on, anything crossed out sold since this was posted; everything else also has a Buy It Now option.
DVDs
Casino Royale 2-disc Collector's Edition
Doctor Who Complete Davros Collection box set (new)
Ghost in the Shell
L.A. Confidential
Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles with Richard Roxburgh, Ian Hart and Richard E. Grant
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
The West Wing Season 1 Part 1
The West Wing Season 1 Part 2
Books
Casino Royale (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Diamonds Are Forever (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Dr No (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
From Russia With Love (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Goldfinger (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Live and Let Die (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Moonraker (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Thunderball (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
You Only Live Twice (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Toys
Doctor Who Micro-Universe: Captain Jack's Chula Ship (with exclusive Captain Jack mini-figure)
All these auctions end next weekend, with the exception of the two Holmes DVDs, which end on Monday.
I've still got two things left to sell: a Doctor Who Empress of the Racnoss action figure, and a copy of the UK 2-disc release of Se7en, possibly my favourite film ever.
DVDs
Books
Toys
All these auctions end next weekend, with the exception of the two Holmes DVDs, which end on Monday.
I've still got two things left to sell: a Doctor Who Empress of the Racnoss action figure, and a copy of the UK 2-disc release of Se7en, possibly my favourite film ever.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
TV
The Graham Norton Show
4x02 (9/10/08 edition, uncut repeat)
The Sandbaggers
1x04 The Most Suitable Person
4x02 (9/10/08 edition, uncut repeat)
The Sandbaggers
1x04 The Most Suitable Person
Non-Fiction
Letters Between a Father and a Son (aka Between Father and Son: Family Letters) by V.S. Naipaul, edited by Gillon Aitken
Parts I - IV
The letters themselves begin when V.S. (aka Vido) was just 17, and it shows. Selfish, self-centred, snobbish, whiny, irritating, 'depressed', obsessed with girls... 60 years on, teenagers are exactly the same, only now they can't construct full sentences -- or even words, thanks to txt spk. By the end of the fourth part/chapter (they're merely numbered) he's 19, but he hasn't improved; if anything, time at Oxford has made him even more snobbish. Other than these unappealing characteristics, the letters are packed with the boring monotony of most letters -- family news, of interest only to particularly gossipy family members (though, amusingly, Vido criticises Jane Austen's Emma for being just that), and other random snippets of normal, boring life. Beyond a couple of worthwhile pieces of advice for writers, and the odd snippet of genuinely good or interesting writing, one has to wonder where the value lies in publishing these.
Parts I - IV
The letters themselves begin when V.S. (aka Vido) was just 17, and it shows. Selfish, self-centred, snobbish, whiny, irritating, 'depressed', obsessed with girls... 60 years on, teenagers are exactly the same, only now they can't construct full sentences -- or even words, thanks to txt spk. By the end of the fourth part/chapter (they're merely numbered) he's 19, but he hasn't improved; if anything, time at Oxford has made him even more snobbish. Other than these unappealing characteristics, the letters are packed with the boring monotony of most letters -- family news, of interest only to particularly gossipy family members (though, amusingly, Vido criticises Jane Austen's Emma for being just that), and other random snippets of normal, boring life. Beyond a couple of worthwhile pieces of advice for writers, and the odd snippet of genuinely good or interesting writing, one has to wonder where the value lies in publishing these.
Articles
Apple laptops get $999 entry price, Nvidia chips by Jessica Mintz
(from Mail.com)
"Apple avoided a major price cut to the Macintosh line, though it did lower its least expensive computer, the existing version of the entry-level MacBook, by $100 to $999. For the updated MacBook and MacBook Pro machines, Apple gave them some of the high-end features that had been in the MacBook Air, including thinner laptop casings and a 'multitouch' track pad, which, like the iPhone, understands gestures for spinning and zooming... Apple switched from Intel Corp. to Nvidia Corp. as the supplier of the laptops' graphics chips. [Steve] Jobs said the change speeds up processing-intensive activities -- playing popular 3-D video games, for example -- as much as six-fold... The redesigned laptops are lighter than existing machines, and Apple touted a construction 'breakthrough' in the way the casings are cut and tooled from aluminum, without a stronger skeleton fused to the insides."
As Quantum of Solace edges closer (only 17 days to go!) there will surely be more and more articles about Bond. Here are a couple from today:
Bond is back... by Martyn Palmer, Charlie Higson & Danny Scott
(from Radio Times 18-24 October 2008, p.10-19)
Interviews with Daniel Craig (a surprisingly good one), producer Barbara Broccoli, and stuntmen Vic Armstrong and George Leech, plus an article by Charlie Higson looking back at previous Bonds (oft-trodden ground, well covered here). This is all thanks to a raft of TV specials about Bond next week -- a bit premature, it seems to me, as some are on almost two weeks before the film's release. Surely it would make more sense to show them in the week running up to October 31st?
James Bond Puts The Pressure On Marc Forster by Devin Zydel
(from CommanderBond.net)
Among other worthwhile comments from Bond 22's director, "It always comes up, this comparison [between James Bond and Jason Bourne...] I feel there’s a huge difference -- it’s like apples and oranges. Stylistically alone, Bond should never be in the Bourne vein. Bond has a different kind of quality. He can still transport you." Thank God for that. One of my greatest fears when Casino Royale turned up was they'd try to make it too much like Bourne (and everything on TV these days) -- hand held, shaky, grainy, "gritty". It works great for Bourne, in my opinion, but it's not Bond -- and, thankfully, Casino Royale didn't succumb to it. It's good to know they still haven't.
Also posted today, articles on a new series of Doctor Who books and the return of Red Dwarf in 2009.
(from Mail.com)
"Apple avoided a major price cut to the Macintosh line, though it did lower its least expensive computer, the existing version of the entry-level MacBook, by $100 to $999. For the updated MacBook and MacBook Pro machines, Apple gave them some of the high-end features that had been in the MacBook Air, including thinner laptop casings and a 'multitouch' track pad, which, like the iPhone, understands gestures for spinning and zooming... Apple switched from Intel Corp. to Nvidia Corp. as the supplier of the laptops' graphics chips. [Steve] Jobs said the change speeds up processing-intensive activities -- playing popular 3-D video games, for example -- as much as six-fold... The redesigned laptops are lighter than existing machines, and Apple touted a construction 'breakthrough' in the way the casings are cut and tooled from aluminum, without a stronger skeleton fused to the insides."
As Quantum of Solace edges closer (only 17 days to go!) there will surely be more and more articles about Bond. Here are a couple from today:
Bond is back... by Martyn Palmer, Charlie Higson & Danny Scott
(from Radio Times 18-24 October 2008, p.10-19)
Interviews with Daniel Craig (a surprisingly good one), producer Barbara Broccoli, and stuntmen Vic Armstrong and George Leech, plus an article by Charlie Higson looking back at previous Bonds (oft-trodden ground, well covered here). This is all thanks to a raft of TV specials about Bond next week -- a bit premature, it seems to me, as some are on almost two weeks before the film's release. Surely it would make more sense to show them in the week running up to October 31st?
James Bond Puts The Pressure On Marc Forster by Devin Zydel
(from CommanderBond.net)
Among other worthwhile comments from Bond 22's director, "It always comes up, this comparison [between James Bond and Jason Bourne...] I feel there’s a huge difference -- it’s like apples and oranges. Stylistically alone, Bond should never be in the Bourne vein. Bond has a different kind of quality. He can still transport you." Thank God for that. One of my greatest fears when Casino Royale turned up was they'd try to make it too much like Bourne (and everything on TV these days) -- hand held, shaky, grainy, "gritty". It works great for Bourne, in my opinion, but it's not Bond -- and, thankfully, Casino Royale didn't succumb to it. It's good to know they still haven't.
Also posted today, articles on a new series of Doctor Who books and the return of Red Dwarf in 2009.
Doctor Who: The Darksmith Legacy - Titles
Multi-Platform Book Range - Full List by John Bowman
(from The Doctor Who News Page)
For those who missed the initial announcement... this article handily recaps it!
"All the titles of the forthcoming 10-part multi-platform Doctor Who book project The Darksmith Legacy have been announced. As reported earlier this month by this site, the first two books will be out in January 2009, followed by a new "episode" every month after that. Published by BBC Children's Books in association with Penguin Books, they will offer the adventure of a book serialisation, complete with cliffhangers, plus interactivity and content that is only obtainable online."
Intriguing, eh? I'm intending to follow it, though I hope the online content isn't too essential -- especially if it includes silly games, tasks, or 'point gathering' thingies, because I'm not sure I can be bothered.
There are some pretty good titles in the series, in my opinion, so I've decided to list them below.
The Dust of Ages by Justin Richards
The Graves of Mordane by Colin Brake
The Colour of Darkness by Richard Dungworth
The Depths of Despair by Justin Richards
The Vampire of Paris by Steve Cole
The Game of Death by Trevor Baxendale
The Planet of Oblivion by Justin Richards
The Picture of Emptiness by Jacqueline Rayner
The Art of War by Mike Tucker
The End of Time by Justin Richards
Note several authors from the Decide Your Destiny series in that list -- clearly known to Penguin and/or deemed most capable of writing for children.
(from The Doctor Who News Page)
For those who missed the initial announcement... this article handily recaps it!
"All the titles of the forthcoming 10-part multi-platform Doctor Who book project The Darksmith Legacy have been announced. As reported earlier this month by this site, the first two books will be out in January 2009, followed by a new "episode" every month after that. Published by BBC Children's Books in association with Penguin Books, they will offer the adventure of a book serialisation, complete with cliffhangers, plus interactivity and content that is only obtainable online."
Intriguing, eh? I'm intending to follow it, though I hope the online content isn't too essential -- especially if it includes silly games, tasks, or 'point gathering' thingies, because I'm not sure I can be bothered.
There are some pretty good titles in the series, in my opinion, so I've decided to list them below.
Note several authors from the Decide Your Destiny series in that list -- clearly known to Penguin and/or deemed most capable of writing for children.
Red Dwarf is coming back!
I can't believe I hadn't heard this sooner, but Robert Llewellyn (aka Kryten) was on Loose Women today, where he revealed that there will be four new Red Dwarf specials next year! Yay!
The full article from the official site is here, but to summarise:
The four specials will be produced next year, for the 21st anniversary, and premiere on Dave. Yes, Dave.
Co-creator Doug Naylor will oversee them and all the original cast will return. Hurrah!
Why's it taken so long? "Thanks to movie and broadcaster wrangles, Grant Naylor haven't been in a position to produce new Red Dwarf since Series VIII went out to audiences of over eight million in 1999."
This might not be the end! Depending on the success of these specials, now the rights are back in the hands of GNP there's always the potential for more.
The four specials aren't all brand-new episodes of Red Dwarf exactly, however. In fact, they break down as follows:
Show One: The Making Of The Specials
"A highly entertaining look at what goes on behind the scenes on a Red Dwarf production."
Show Two: Red Dwarf Special: Part One
"The cast get back into character, and costume, a decade on..."
Show Three: Red Dwarf Special: Part Two
"The adventure continues..."
Show Four: A Clip Show With a Serious Difference
"The cast do it their way. Red Dwarf as you have never, ever seen it before!"
Hurrah again! And we should finally get an answer to series eight's cliffhanger. We've only had to wait a decade! (At least, there bloody better be an answer...)
The full article from the official site is here, but to summarise:
The four specials aren't all brand-new episodes of Red Dwarf exactly, however. In fact, they break down as follows:
"A highly entertaining look at what goes on behind the scenes on a Red Dwarf production."
"The cast get back into character, and costume, a decade on..."
"The adventure continues..."
"The cast do it their way. Red Dwarf as you have never, ever seen it before!"
Hurrah again! And we should finally get an answer to series eight's cliffhanger. We've only had to wait a decade! (At least, there bloody better be an answer...)
shameless eBay self-promotion: update 2
As you may know from Sunday, I'm selling a variety of items on eBay at the moment, so thought I'd bring them to the attention of anyone reading this. All are available as either auctions (with low low low starting prices) or Buy It Now prices (the latter disappears when someone bids, incidentally).
Many items have sold already (anything sold from the last two days has been removed, anything sold since posting this is crossed out) while others are already being bid on (those are in bold) -- so act fast if you want anything!
DVDs
Casino Royale 2-disc Collector's Edition
Doctor Who Complete Davros Collection box set (new)
Ghost in the Shell
L.A. Confidential
Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles with Richard Roxburgh, Ian Hart and Richard E. Grant
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
The West Wing Season 1 Part 1
The West Wing Season 1 Part 2
Books
Casino Royale (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Diamonds Are Forever (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Dr No (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
From Russia With Love (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Goldfinger (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Live and Let Die (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Moonraker (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Thunderball (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
You Only Live Twice (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Toys
Doctor Who Micro-Universe: Captain Jack's Chula Ship (with exclusive Captain Jack mini-figure)
All these auctions end next weekend, with the exception of the two Holmes DVDs, which end on Monday -- provided none of them go for Buy It Now before then of course.
I've still got one thing left to sell in this clear-out -- namely, a Doctor Who Empress of the Racnoss action figure -- but that's big and awkward to work out the postage on, so I'll list it when I can be bothered to sort that out.
I'm liking selling stuff on eBay. Money is good, as is the space it creates. I'm quite tempted to trawl through my nearly-900-titles DVD collection and find other stuff I'm not really fussed about to flog; or perhaps some of my duplicate Who toys (damn box sets always including a Doctor).
Many items have sold already (anything sold from the last two days has been removed, anything sold since posting this is crossed out) while others are already being bid on (those are in bold) -- so act fast if you want anything!
DVDs
Books
Toys
All these auctions end next weekend, with the exception of the two Holmes DVDs, which end on Monday -- provided none of them go for Buy It Now before then of course.
I've still got one thing left to sell in this clear-out -- namely, a Doctor Who Empress of the Racnoss action figure -- but that's big and awkward to work out the postage on, so I'll list it when I can be bothered to sort that out.
I'm liking selling stuff on eBay. Money is good, as is the space it creates. I'm quite tempted to trawl through my nearly-900-titles DVD collection and find other stuff I'm not really fussed about to flog; or perhaps some of my duplicate Who toys (damn box sets always including a Doctor).
Monday, 13 October 2008
TV
The Sandbaggers
1x03 Is Your Journey Really Necessary?
Sandbaggers' surprise character deaths may not have the visceral impact of Spooks' (but then, very little beats a deep fat fryer in that respect), but they carry more than enough bleak punchiness of their own. This programme is excellent, by-the-way.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x03 The Day of the Clown Part One
I find it very intriguing that both SJA, Doctor Who's kid-friendly spin-off, and Torchwood, Doctor Who's adult-oriented spin-off, have done circus-related episodes. That must say something about the fear of clowns... (Both did them in their second series too, though that's not nearly as intriguing a coincidence/pattern.)
Wired
Part 1 (of 3)
The third (and final, I believe) serial in ITV's 'Monday thrillers' strand, this has a lot to live up to after the slow-paced (in a good way), intelligently written drama of both The Children and Place of Execution. The modern high-tech setting pushes it more toward Spooks territory, though it's not as whooshy (for want of a better phrase, clearly) as BBC shows of this ilk -- who'd've thought ITV would ever be less 'edgy', 'modern' and 'we need to make it appeal to people with no attention span' than the BBC? Part 1 shows potential; I hope it can maintain it.
1x03 Is Your Journey Really Necessary?
Sandbaggers' surprise character deaths may not have the visceral impact of Spooks' (but then, very little beats a deep fat fryer in that respect), but they carry more than enough bleak punchiness of their own. This programme is excellent, by-the-way.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x03 The Day of the Clown Part One
I find it very intriguing that both SJA, Doctor Who's kid-friendly spin-off, and Torchwood, Doctor Who's adult-oriented spin-off, have done circus-related episodes. That must say something about the fear of clowns... (Both did them in their second series too, though that's not nearly as intriguing a coincidence/pattern.)
Wired
Part 1 (of 3)
The third (and final, I believe) serial in ITV's 'Monday thrillers' strand, this has a lot to live up to after the slow-paced (in a good way), intelligently written drama of both The Children and Place of Execution. The modern high-tech setting pushes it more toward Spooks territory, though it's not as whooshy (for want of a better phrase, clearly) as BBC shows of this ilk -- who'd've thought ITV would ever be less 'edgy', 'modern' and 'we need to make it appeal to people with no attention span' than the BBC? Part 1 shows potential; I hope it can maintain it.
Non-Fiction
Letters Between a Father and a Son (aka Between Father and Son: Family Letters) by V.S. Naipaul, edited by Gillon Aitken
Introduction by Gillon Aitken
The introduction seems to average about 10 commas and semi-colons per sentence.
Introduction by Gillon Aitken
The introduction seems to average about 10 commas and semi-colons per sentence.
Articles
Che & Day The Earth Stood Still Posters by Emily Phillips
(from Empire Online)
Continuing my Che coverage (why, I'm still not sure), it seems the film will be split in half -- in France, at least -- bearing the twin titles -- on the poster, at least -- of Che: Premiere Partie - L'Argentin and Che: Deuxieme Partie - Guerilla. "Un Film de Steven Soderbergh" indeed. For English-speaking readers, they translate as Che: First Part - The Argentinian and Che: Second Part - Guerilla. What titles will appear on screen at the films' open (or indeed close these days) is anyone's guess. Of course, most people won't care enough to guess. (There's also a poster for the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still at that link, as you may have guessed. I'm not fussed, to be honest.)
Fey Blamed For 'Ruining' Palin's Reputation
(from WENN)
To just get political, briefly: yay!
Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes — FIRST PICTURES
and
Jude Law as Dr. Watson — FIRST LOOK
(from Just Jared.com)
The first link shows Holmes looking a little Charlie Chaplin-like (ironically enough), presumably undercover in some way. The second set of pictures are much more promising. I still think Law's a poor actor by and large, but at least he looks the part. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Will there be a Before Sunset Sequel? by Brad Brevet
(from RopeofSilicon)
Posting reviews of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset prompted me to look into this. The answer is... a bit vague...
Woody Allen's Manhattan Reveals the Meaning of Life by Brad Brevet
(from RopeofSilicon)
An interesting article, about both Allen's beautiful film and what is required of one's favourite movies.
(from Empire Online)
Continuing my Che coverage (why, I'm still not sure), it seems the film will be split in half -- in France, at least -- bearing the twin titles -- on the poster, at least -- of Che: Premiere Partie - L'Argentin and Che: Deuxieme Partie - Guerilla. "Un Film de Steven Soderbergh" indeed. For English-speaking readers, they translate as Che: First Part - The Argentinian and Che: Second Part - Guerilla. What titles will appear on screen at the films' open (or indeed close these days) is anyone's guess. Of course, most people won't care enough to guess. (There's also a poster for the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still at that link, as you may have guessed. I'm not fussed, to be honest.)
Fey Blamed For 'Ruining' Palin's Reputation
(from WENN)
To just get political, briefly: yay!
Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes — FIRST PICTURES
and
Jude Law as Dr. Watson — FIRST LOOK
(from Just Jared.com)
The first link shows Holmes looking a little Charlie Chaplin-like (ironically enough), presumably undercover in some way. The second set of pictures are much more promising. I still think Law's a poor actor by and large, but at least he looks the part. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Will there be a Before Sunset Sequel? by Brad Brevet
(from RopeofSilicon)
Posting reviews of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset prompted me to look into this. The answer is... a bit vague...
Woody Allen's Manhattan Reveals the Meaning of Life by Brad Brevet
(from RopeofSilicon)
An interesting article, about both Allen's beautiful film and what is required of one's favourite movies.
shameless eBay self-promotion: update
As you may know from yesterday, I'm selling a variety of items on eBay at the moment, so thought I'd bring them to the attention of anyone reading this. All are available as either auctions (with low low low starting prices) or Buy It Now prices (the latter disappears when someone bids, incidentally).
Many items have sold already (anything sold from yesterday has been removed, anything sold since posting this is crossed out) while others are already being bid on (those are in bold) -- so act fast if you want anything!
DVDs
Casino Royale 2-disc Collector's Edition
Doctor Who Complete Davros Collection box set (new)
The Game
Ghost in the Shell
L.A. Confidential
Marnie (The Hitchcock Collection)
The Prisoner The Ultimate Collection (complete series)
The West Wing Season 1 Part 1
The West Wing Season 1 Part 2
Books
Casino Royale (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Diamonds Are Forever (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Dr No (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
From Russia With Love (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Goldfinger (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Live and Let Die (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Moonraker (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Thunderball (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
You Only Live Twice (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Toys
Doctor Who Micro-Universe: Captain Jack's Chula Ship (with exclusive Captain Jack mini-figure)
All these auctions end next weekend -- provided they don't go for Buy It Now before then of course, which many have.
I've still got more items to sell, which I'll add soon. These include:
The Hound of the Baskervilles with Richard Roxburgh, Ian Hart and Richard E. Grant
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
Doctor Who Empress of the Racnoss action figure
So, eyes open -- though I'll undoubtedly mention them here.
Many items have sold already (anything sold from yesterday has been removed, anything sold since posting this is crossed out) while others are already being bid on (those are in bold) -- so act fast if you want anything!
DVDs
Books
Toys
All these auctions end next weekend -- provided they don't go for Buy It Now before then of course, which many have.
I've still got more items to sell, which I'll add soon. These include:
So, eyes open -- though I'll undoubtedly mention them here.
Sunday, 12 October 2008
TV
Big Cat Live
1x08 (12/10/08 edition) [season finale]
By Any Means
Part 6 (of 6)
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
15x06 (10/10/08 edition)
Sir Roger Moore! I may not always think highly of his Bond (though have been enjoying them a surprising amount on re-watching lately), but he's a wonderful entertainer.
Stephen Fry in America
Part 1 The New World
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Part 4 (of 4)
Ah, Hardy -- depressing to the bitter end.
1x08 (12/10/08 edition) [season finale]
By Any Means
Part 6 (of 6)
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
15x06 (10/10/08 edition)
Sir Roger Moore! I may not always think highly of his Bond (though have been enjoying them a surprising amount on re-watching lately), but he's a wonderful entertainer.
Stephen Fry in America
Part 1 The New World
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Part 4 (of 4)
Ah, Hardy -- depressing to the bitter end.
shamless eBay self-promotion
I'm selling a variety of items on eBay at the moment, so just thought I'd bring them to the attention of anyone reading this blog. All are available as either auctions (with low low low starting prices) or Buy It Now prices (the latter disappears when someone bids, incidentally). Items are selling already (anything crossed out has now sold), so act fast if you want anything.
DVDs
Casino Royale 2-disc Collector's Edition
Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks
Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks
Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks
Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks
Frankenstein & The Bride of Frankenstein
The Game
Ghost in the Shell
The Godfather Trilogy
L.A. Confidential
Marnie (The Hitchcock Collection)
The Seventh Seal
Books
Casino Royale (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Diamonds Are Forever (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Dr No (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
From Russia With Love (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Goldfinger (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Live and Let Die (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Moonraker (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
Thunderball (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
You Only Live Twice (Penguin Modern Classics edition)
All these auctions end between 11:42pm on 18th October and 1:22am on 19th October (wow, I spent an hour and 40 minutes listing things?!)
I've got more items to sell, which I'll add sometime soon. These include:
Doctor Who Davros box set
The Hound of the Baskervilles with Richard Roxburgh, Ian Hart and Richard E. Grant
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking
The Prisoner Complete Series
The West Wing Season 1 (Parts 1&2)
Doctor Who Empress of the Racnoss action figure
Doctor Who Micro Universe Chula Ship with Captain Jack figure
So, eyes out. I'm sure I'll mention them here again.
DVDs
Books
All these auctions end between 11:42pm on 18th October and 1:22am on 19th October (wow, I spent an hour and 40 minutes listing things?!)
I've got more items to sell, which I'll add sometime soon. These include:
So, eyes out. I'm sure I'll mention them here again.
Saturday, 11 October 2008
TV
Big Cat Live
1x07 (11/10/08 edition)
Blue Peter at 50
Who doesn't love Blue Peter? Or, at least, loved it when they were little. (If you don't/didn't, what's wrong with you?!) I have to say, it's quite odd seeing the current line-up of presenters, now devoid of anyone who presented it when I was younger (which is entirely down to Konnie Huq's bizarrely long ten-year run, of course).
Merlin
1x04 The Poisoned Chalice
No Heroics
1x02 The Fantastic Chore
One of the most thoroughly sex-obsessed shows I've seen in a while.
The Sandbaggers
1x02 A Proper Function of Government
Still brilliant. You could remake this today with the same scripts, I swear.
1x07 (11/10/08 edition)
Blue Peter at 50
Who doesn't love Blue Peter? Or, at least, loved it when they were little. (If you don't/didn't, what's wrong with you?!) I have to say, it's quite odd seeing the current line-up of presenters, now devoid of anyone who presented it when I was younger (which is entirely down to Konnie Huq's bizarrely long ten-year run, of course).
Merlin
1x04 The Poisoned Chalice
No Heroics
1x02 The Fantastic Chore
One of the most thoroughly sex-obsessed shows I've seen in a while.
The Sandbaggers
1x02 A Proper Function of Government
Still brilliant. You could remake this today with the same scripts, I swear.
Articles
Moriarty Sees A Half-Hour Of Watchmen In Hollywood! by Drew McWeeny
(from Ain't It Cool News)
Massively spoiler-filled (even if you've read the book, it spoils some of the things they've changed/added), but also massively positive. Good news about the running time too: "The film’s running 2 hours and 43 minutes right now without closing credits, and he doesn’t feel like he’s really had to sacrifice anything to get it to that length. At most, a director’s extended cut might add 20 minutes or so to that time, and the Black Freighter material might add in another half-hour at most. The theatrical version might not be the last cut of Watchmen we see, but it’s certainly not a compromised edit in any way."
(from Ain't It Cool News)
Massively spoiler-filled (even if you've read the book, it spoils some of the things they've changed/added), but also massively positive. Good news about the running time too: "The film’s running 2 hours and 43 minutes right now without closing credits, and he doesn’t feel like he’s really had to sacrifice anything to get it to that length. At most, a director’s extended cut might add 20 minutes or so to that time, and the Black Freighter material might add in another half-hour at most. The theatrical version might not be the last cut of Watchmen we see, but it’s certainly not a compromised edit in any way."
100 Films update
I last posted an update from my other blog, 100 Films in a Year, a little over a month ago. Since then I've updated it with numerous new reviews, so here's some handy links to them all.
from 2008...
Agatha (1979)
Cathy Come Home (1966)
Flushed Away (2006)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Road to Singapore (1940)
Southland Tales (2006)
Stardust (2007)
Texas Across the River (1966)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
from 2007...
Alfie (1966)
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004)
The Cat's Meow (2001)
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
Mrs Brown (1997)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
Point Break (1991)
100 Films Special: The Star Wars Series
Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope - DVD Edition (1977/2004)
Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - DVD Edition (1980/2004)
Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - DVD Edition (1983/2004)
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Thunderbirds (2004)
Wilde (1997)
More to come -- from both years -- in the future.
from 2008...
Agatha (1979)
Cathy Come Home (1966)
Flushed Away (2006)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Road to Singapore (1940)
Southland Tales (2006)
Stardust (2007)
Texas Across the River (1966)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
from 2007...
Alfie (1966)
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America (2004)
The Cat's Meow (2001)
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
Mrs Brown (1997)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
Point Break (1991)
100 Films Special: The Star Wars Series
Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope - DVD Edition (1977/2004)
Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - DVD Edition (1980/2004)
Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - DVD Edition (1983/2004)
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Thunderbirds (2004)
Wilde (1997)
More to come -- from both years -- in the future.
Friday, 10 October 2008
Films
Quantum of Solace Music Exclusive
Composer David Arnold chats about the score -- including some nice snippets while the orchestra play it -- and briefly touches on the title theme.
Composer David Arnold chats about the score -- including some nice snippets while the orchestra play it -- and briefly touches on the title theme.
Stand-Up
Tim Vine Live (DVD)
The great thing about Tim Vine's act is that he packs a Guiness World Record-breaking 499 jokes into an hour -- so if you don't find one gag particularly amusing there'll be another along in 7 seconds! Of course, if you don't like his style at all then that's pretty meaningless, but hey-ho.
He does songs too, which are more variable; especially the closing number, which is OK but probably the least funny bit of the whole act -- not the best thing to end on then. That said, it is catchy, and is still stuck in my head...
The great thing about Tim Vine's act is that he packs a Guiness World Record-breaking 499 jokes into an hour -- so if you don't find one gag particularly amusing there'll be another along in 7 seconds! Of course, if you don't like his style at all then that's pretty meaningless, but hey-ho.
He does songs too, which are more variable; especially the closing number, which is OK but probably the least funny bit of the whole act -- not the best thing to end on then. That said, it is catchy, and is still stuck in my head...
Fiction
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller & Lynn Varley
Book Two
Messy, in much the same way those stupid 'event' books -- like Infinite Crisis or Civil War or 52 -- are messy. It assumes you know who all these characters are, but it's a Batman book, not a JLA or Silly DCU Event book, and while some of them are obvious (Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow...), others aren't. At all. The rest of the time, it feels like it's the work of someone who really wants to emulate the quality of Dark Knight Returns (many of its tropes are still there), but has less style when it comes to both art -- over-huge panels, wasted space, too scratchy, etc -- or story -- it is, as I have said, messy.
Book Two
Messy, in much the same way those stupid 'event' books -- like Infinite Crisis or Civil War or 52 -- are messy. It assumes you know who all these characters are, but it's a Batman book, not a JLA or Silly DCU Event book, and while some of them are obvious (Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow...), others aren't. At all. The rest of the time, it feels like it's the work of someone who really wants to emulate the quality of Dark Knight Returns (many of its tropes are still there), but has less style when it comes to both art -- over-huge panels, wasted space, too scratchy, etc -- or story -- it is, as I have said, messy.
Articles
The 100 Essential DVDs You Must Own
(from Empire Online)
Empire published this a month or two ago but, despite my DVD obsession, I've only just got round to going through it. Debates over inclusions and exclusions aside, there are some disappointing factual errors (Hearts of Darkness was available on DVD long before this piece was written; the UK Buffy sets are not "extras-lite"), but otherwise is as interesting as these lists ever are. I can tell you that I own 69 of them, and of the remaining 31 there are at least a couple that I am never going to bother with.
Studios To Sponsor Oscarcast For First Time
(from Studio Briefing)
For normal people: an "Oscarcast" is the TV broadcast of the Oscars. 2009's ceremony will be the first time trailers for films can be shown during the ceremony. However, they'll be under incredibly strict guidelines: "They can not promote any nominated film, nor any prequel or sequel. Only films that are scheduled to open in April or later in the year can be promoted. Each distributor will be allowed to purchase one 30- or 60-second commercial, and each can promote only one film. They may not have aired prior to the telecast. Only one movie spot can be broadcast during any commercial break. And none of the spots will be permitted to use the terms 'Oscar' or 'Academy Award'." OTT? Expect a slew of Super Bowl-style blockbuster trailers then, as they'll all be out after April and aren't likely to want to invoke Oscar's name.
(from Empire Online)
Empire published this a month or two ago but, despite my DVD obsession, I've only just got round to going through it. Debates over inclusions and exclusions aside, there are some disappointing factual errors (Hearts of Darkness was available on DVD long before this piece was written; the UK Buffy sets are not "extras-lite"), but otherwise is as interesting as these lists ever are. I can tell you that I own 69 of them, and of the remaining 31 there are at least a couple that I am never going to bother with.
Studios To Sponsor Oscarcast For First Time
(from Studio Briefing)
For normal people: an "Oscarcast" is the TV broadcast of the Oscars. 2009's ceremony will be the first time trailers for films can be shown during the ceremony. However, they'll be under incredibly strict guidelines: "They can not promote any nominated film, nor any prequel or sequel. Only films that are scheduled to open in April or later in the year can be promoted. Each distributor will be allowed to purchase one 30- or 60-second commercial, and each can promote only one film. They may not have aired prior to the telecast. Only one movie spot can be broadcast during any commercial break. And none of the spots will be permitted to use the terms 'Oscar' or 'Academy Award'." OTT? Expect a slew of Super Bowl-style blockbuster trailers then, as they'll all be out after April and aren't likely to want to invoke Oscar's name.
"New Products Added"
I hate it when online retailers have sales that they then add new items to.
"New products added!", they proudly proclaim. But do they have a section where you can see these new products? No.
So if you trawled through the sale first time round, just in case they happened to have something worthwhile that you didn't already own at a worthwhile price, you now have to trawl through the whole thing again, just in case something they added is something worthwhile that you don't already own at a worthwhile price.
Which isn't very worth your while, if you ask me.
"New products added!", they proudly proclaim. But do they have a section where you can see these new products? No.
So if you trawled through the sale first time round, just in case they happened to have something worthwhile that you didn't already own at a worthwhile price, you now have to trawl through the whole thing again, just in case something they added is something worthwhile that you don't already own at a worthwhile price.
Which isn't very worth your while, if you ask me.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
TV
8 Out of 10 Cats
7x06 (9/10/08 edition)
Big Cat Live
1x05 (9/10/08 edition)
The Graham Norton Show
4x01 (2/10/08 edition, uncut repeat)
It's official: baboons are evil.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
22x02 (9/10/08 edition)
7x06 (9/10/08 edition)
Big Cat Live
1x05 (9/10/08 edition)
The Graham Norton Show
4x01 (2/10/08 edition, uncut repeat)
It's official: baboons are evil.
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
22x02 (9/10/08 edition)
Films
Changeling Trailer
"The debut trailer for the Clint Eastwood-directed thriller... Existing somewhere between L.A. Confidential and Flightplan, Changeling tells the based-on-true-events tale of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), a single mum living in 1920's Los Angeles whose young son goes missing one day. Months later, the police find the boy and return him to his mother's loving arms - but the problem is, he's not her son... A case that rocked California's legal system and uncovered the institutionalised corruption that was eating away at the prohibition-era LA police department". (Description from Empire.)
The Prestige (2006)
[2nd watch]
Even better a second time through. Obviously you have to see it once not knowing all the plot's revelations, but when you do its fun seeing the clues layered in, virtually unnoticeably, right from the start.
Some behind-the-scenes videos from Quantum of Solace...
First up, a look at the work going on for the title sequence, an essential element for any Bond film. There's no shots from the finished sequence, but the behind-the-scenes look at filming the girls gives an idea where it must be going -- as with the posters and the music video, the desert. (Available in HD, if you want it.)
And second, a more general and generic 'news wrap' containing interviews with Daniel Craig, director Marc Forster and producer Michael G. Wilson.
"The debut trailer for the Clint Eastwood-directed thriller... Existing somewhere between L.A. Confidential and Flightplan, Changeling tells the based-on-true-events tale of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), a single mum living in 1920's Los Angeles whose young son goes missing one day. Months later, the police find the boy and return him to his mother's loving arms - but the problem is, he's not her son... A case that rocked California's legal system and uncovered the institutionalised corruption that was eating away at the prohibition-era LA police department". (Description from Empire.)
The Prestige (2006)
[2nd watch]
Even better a second time through. Obviously you have to see it once not knowing all the plot's revelations, but when you do its fun seeing the clues layered in, virtually unnoticeably, right from the start.
Some behind-the-scenes videos from Quantum of Solace...
First up, a look at the work going on for the title sequence, an essential element for any Bond film. There's no shots from the finished sequence, but the behind-the-scenes look at filming the girls gives an idea where it must be going -- as with the posters and the music video, the desert. (Available in HD, if you want it.)
From Crackle:
From Crackle:
Articles
Exclusive: New Frost/Nixon Poster by Glen Ferris
(from Empire Online)
Yay for Michael Sheen! I've been assuming it was a two-hander though, so the rest of that cast list is more than a tad surprising -- Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Toby Jones and Rebecca Hall -- plus, of course, Frank Langella as Nixon -- are all named, among a very long cast list indeed.
The Stath Who Would Be King by Glen Ferris
(from the Empire Blog)
"The truth is unavoidable. No matter what he does, Jason Statham is hard as nails and no one else comes close to equalling him."
When Bad Films Turn Good by Olly Richards
(from the Empire Blog)
Personally, when I watched Van Helsing a second time, I still just thought it was mostly crap. But Richards does have some points:
"What is not to love? You have some Transylvanian accents that skirt the darker depths of Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and Cleethorpes; a Frankenstein’s monster who looks like Mama Fratelli after an hour in a pressure cooker; Kate Beckinsale in impractically comely outfits that suggest she might be going to a Halloween party dressed as both members of Heart; Richard Roxburgh, as Dracula, devouring great lumps of scenery [he's the best thing in it, if you ask me]... Will Kemp giving absolute commitment to quite possibly the worst werewolf transformation committed to film; Hugh Jackman wearing Courtney Cox’s hair; and - as a cherry on the cake – some gas masked midgets on fire."
Who Will Watch the Watchmen? by Dan Goodswen
(from the Empire Blog)
"DC Comics, the publisher of Watchmen, sold 100,000 copies of the graphic novel in 2007. In July, The Dark Knight came to theatres around the world accompanied by a 3 minute trailer for the film version of Watchmen. Less than a week later, DC Comics ordered an additional print of 300,000 copies of the book. That figure has since risen to 900,000."
(from Empire Online)
Yay for Michael Sheen! I've been assuming it was a two-hander though, so the rest of that cast list is more than a tad surprising -- Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Toby Jones and Rebecca Hall -- plus, of course, Frank Langella as Nixon -- are all named, among a very long cast list indeed.
The Stath Who Would Be King by Glen Ferris
(from the Empire Blog)
"The truth is unavoidable. No matter what he does, Jason Statham is hard as nails and no one else comes close to equalling him."
When Bad Films Turn Good by Olly Richards
(from the Empire Blog)
Personally, when I watched Van Helsing a second time, I still just thought it was mostly crap. But Richards does have some points:
"What is not to love? You have some Transylvanian accents that skirt the darker depths of Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and Cleethorpes; a Frankenstein’s monster who looks like Mama Fratelli after an hour in a pressure cooker; Kate Beckinsale in impractically comely outfits that suggest she might be going to a Halloween party dressed as both members of Heart; Richard Roxburgh, as Dracula, devouring great lumps of scenery [he's the best thing in it, if you ask me]... Will Kemp giving absolute commitment to quite possibly the worst werewolf transformation committed to film; Hugh Jackman wearing Courtney Cox’s hair; and - as a cherry on the cake – some gas masked midgets on fire."
Who Will Watch the Watchmen? by Dan Goodswen
(from the Empire Blog)
"DC Comics, the publisher of Watchmen, sold 100,000 copies of the graphic novel in 2007. In July, The Dark Knight came to theatres around the world accompanied by a 3 minute trailer for the film version of Watchmen. Less than a week later, DC Comics ordered an additional print of 300,000 copies of the book. That figure has since risen to 900,000."
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
TV
Big Cat Live
1x04 (8/10/08 edition)
Heroes
3x02 The Butterfly Effect
Heroes Unmasked
3x02 New Heroes on the Block
The Sandbaggers
1x01 First Principles
See here for my thoughts on this episode.
1x04 (8/10/08 edition)
Heroes
3x02 The Butterfly Effect
Heroes Unmasked
3x02 New Heroes on the Block
The Sandbaggers
1x01 First Principles
See here for my thoughts on this episode.
Fiction
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller & Lynn Varley
Top Cop Pops by Vicki Vale
Book One
Frank Miller is a helluva writer, but his opaque introductions (which that Vicki Vale thing is one of, believe it or not) leave something to be desired in my opinion.
Anyhow, this is the follow up to Miller's truly seminal Dark Knight Returns, probably the best Batman book ever written -- so no pressure following it up 15 years later then! It was largely poorly reviewed on release, and I can see why -- Miller's art is too sparse, coming across as rushed more than intentionally sketchy; the large amount of dead space (often only two or three panels on a page, undetailed splash pages for no reason) smacks of padding, especially as the story feels rather slight; plus, despite the room and apparent simplicity, it can be damn hard to follow at times.
It's not all bad -- the basics of the story are a decent idea, and do follow thematically from DKR plus, Superman gets thoroughly smashed at the end of Book One. That's something I always like to see.
Top Cop Pops by Vicki Vale
Book One
Frank Miller is a helluva writer, but his opaque introductions (which that Vicki Vale thing is one of, believe it or not) leave something to be desired in my opinion.
Anyhow, this is the follow up to Miller's truly seminal Dark Knight Returns, probably the best Batman book ever written -- so no pressure following it up 15 years later then! It was largely poorly reviewed on release, and I can see why -- Miller's art is too sparse, coming across as rushed more than intentionally sketchy; the large amount of dead space (often only two or three panels on a page, undetailed splash pages for no reason) smacks of padding, especially as the story feels rather slight; plus, despite the room and apparent simplicity, it can be damn hard to follow at times.
It's not all bad -- the basics of the story are a decent idea, and do follow thematically from DKR plus, Superman gets thoroughly smashed at the end of Book One. That's something I always like to see.
Articles
The Dark Knight Screenwriter David Goyer On Batman 3 Rumors: ‘It’s All B.S.’ by Shawn Adler
(from MTV Splash Page)
"“It’s all B.S.,” he said. “ALL of it.”" Sums it up!
Exclusive: Watchmen Video Journal
(from Sci Fi Wire)
"The video, Blue Monday, offers a look behind the scenes at how director Zack Snyder and his team brought the indestructible Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) to life." Includes some previously-unseen clips from the film. I really ought to watch the rest of these video journals...
M. Night Shyamalan Further Ponders Unbreakable Sequel by Rick Marshall
(from MTV Splash Page)
Please please please please please!
Review of The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Jason Sanford
(from Flak Magazine)
"then the public actually read DK2. Reviewers called Miller's minimalist artwork "hastily drawn." Lynn Varley's super-bright digital colors were described as "green, flavored mouthwash." Worse, readers didn't like how Miller mocked the very mythology of superheroes that made his original book so powerful... Which is a shame, because in between the hype and the hate, DK2 makes as revolutionary a take on what troubles the comic books industry as Miller's original novel did... Just as The Dark Knight Returns opened a comic book door to the darker aspects of human life, so does DK2 show how to return fun to comics. It also makes a kind of tangled sense. In a world where Sept. 11 happens and the Justice Department wants postal workers to monitor un-American activity, perhaps the only way a superhero can save the day is to look around, have fun and laugh."
(from MTV Splash Page)
"“It’s all B.S.,” he said. “ALL of it.”" Sums it up!
Exclusive: Watchmen Video Journal
(from Sci Fi Wire)
"The video, Blue Monday, offers a look behind the scenes at how director Zack Snyder and his team brought the indestructible Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) to life." Includes some previously-unseen clips from the film. I really ought to watch the rest of these video journals...
M. Night Shyamalan Further Ponders Unbreakable Sequel by Rick Marshall
(from MTV Splash Page)
Please please please please please!
Review of The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Jason Sanford
(from Flak Magazine)
"then the public actually read DK2. Reviewers called Miller's minimalist artwork "hastily drawn." Lynn Varley's super-bright digital colors were described as "green, flavored mouthwash." Worse, readers didn't like how Miller mocked the very mythology of superheroes that made his original book so powerful... Which is a shame, because in between the hype and the hate, DK2 makes as revolutionary a take on what troubles the comic books industry as Miller's original novel did... Just as The Dark Knight Returns opened a comic book door to the darker aspects of human life, so does DK2 show how to return fun to comics. It also makes a kind of tangled sense. In a world where Sept. 11 happens and the Justice Department wants postal workers to monitor un-American activity, perhaps the only way a superhero can save the day is to look around, have fun and laugh."
Articles: Dracula 2
Dracula Sequel Headed To Screens? by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire Online)
"The Stoker clan have banded together and authorised Dracula: The Un-Dead to follow Bram Stoker's original novel -- and have also sold the film rights... It is, perhaps, no surprise that the Stoker family are so keen on the plan, given that Bram's great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker has written the book along with Dracula historian [Ian] Holt."
"The story picks up 25 years after the original, as the heroes of the original novel are being stalked by... someone. Holt and Stoker used Bram Stoker's original notes and found characters and plot threads written by him but cut from the original novel. Even the title of this one is Bram's original title, so with a bit of luck it will feel like a real sequel and not just another spin on the myth."
"A screenplay for the book was written by Holt with Alexander Galant, and the plan is for that to shoot next June, just before the book is released in October 2009."
There's information to be found on Wikipedia about cast and crew, but it cites no sources and no other articles mention it, so it would seem to be groundless speculation. That said, there are some odd names in there, so it might be worth tracking down if you're interested.
(from Empire Online)
"The Stoker clan have banded together and authorised Dracula: The Un-Dead to follow Bram Stoker's original novel -- and have also sold the film rights... It is, perhaps, no surprise that the Stoker family are so keen on the plan, given that Bram's great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker has written the book along with Dracula historian [Ian] Holt."
"The story picks up 25 years after the original, as the heroes of the original novel are being stalked by... someone. Holt and Stoker used Bram Stoker's original notes and found characters and plot threads written by him but cut from the original novel. Even the title of this one is Bram's original title, so with a bit of luck it will feel like a real sequel and not just another spin on the myth."
"A screenplay for the book was written by Holt with Alexander Galant, and the plan is for that to shoot next June, just before the book is released in October 2009."
There's information to be found on Wikipedia about cast and crew, but it cites no sources and no other articles mention it, so it would seem to be groundless speculation. That said, there are some odd names in there, so it might be worth tracking down if you're interested.
The Sandbaggers: First Principles
The New York Times once described this late '70s drama as "the best spy series in television history", and on the evidence of this first episode I can see where they're coming from.
Unlike modern-day equivalents such as Spooks, The Sandbaggers concerns itself more with the planning and Whitehall political machinations than with the action on the ground. As such it's slower paced and wordier, but also much more intelligent. Even at the time this would have been unusual -- spy genre pedigree is the likes of James Bond and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., after all -- and episode one does a fantastic job of justifying its style.
When a Norwegian spy plane crashes behind enemy lines, they enlist the help of the British services -- specifically, the elite Sandbaggers division -- to rescue the scientists who were on board. When the British take their time planning the dangerous operation, the Norwegians get nervous and run off to the CIA... who rush in without a decent plan and consequently get themselves captured. This, as lead character and Sandbaggers director Neil Burnside points out to his Norwegian counterpart at the end, is why planning and forethought are even more important than the mission on the ground.
The other advantage Sandbaggers has over modern-day British series in this ilk is its setting. It's the height of the Cold War, when Britain was still just about a big enough world power, with a strong enough secret service, for all this to conceivable. These days, the lengths MI5 go to in Spooks often seems a bit... silly.
It's a shame they don't make programmes like Sandbaggers any more, as its change of pace and genuinely complex plotting would be welcome in the current TV landscape. As it is, at least we can enjoy it on DVD.
Unlike modern-day equivalents such as Spooks, The Sandbaggers concerns itself more with the planning and Whitehall political machinations than with the action on the ground. As such it's slower paced and wordier, but also much more intelligent. Even at the time this would have been unusual -- spy genre pedigree is the likes of James Bond and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., after all -- and episode one does a fantastic job of justifying its style.
When a Norwegian spy plane crashes behind enemy lines, they enlist the help of the British services -- specifically, the elite Sandbaggers division -- to rescue the scientists who were on board. When the British take their time planning the dangerous operation, the Norwegians get nervous and run off to the CIA... who rush in without a decent plan and consequently get themselves captured. This, as lead character and Sandbaggers director Neil Burnside points out to his Norwegian counterpart at the end, is why planning and forethought are even more important than the mission on the ground.
The other advantage Sandbaggers has over modern-day British series in this ilk is its setting. It's the height of the Cold War, when Britain was still just about a big enough world power, with a strong enough secret service, for all this to conceivable. These days, the lengths MI5 go to in Spooks often seems a bit... silly.
It's a shame they don't make programmes like Sandbaggers any more, as its change of pace and genuinely complex plotting would be welcome in the current TV landscape. As it is, at least we can enjoy it on DVD.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Articles
Fan Made: Dark Knight Sequel Poster by Erik Davis
(from Cinematical)
Personally, I don't want the Riddler in the next Batman film -- I think he'd be too much like the Joker, unless they have some damn good ideas -- but this is one mighty cool poster. So cool, in fact, that I'd accept having the Riddler just to see this plastered around the place. Click to see it in its full-sized glory.
On a related note...
Knowledge of fonts
(from BBC News)
"We see film posters every day. But have you ever stopped to think about the lettering they use? Sebastian Lester has. As a typeface designer... he's a literal font of knowledge. Many posters... use custom lettering. As Lester explains, though, others employ fonts in common everyday usage." Interesting picture-article.
(from Cinematical)
Personally, I don't want the Riddler in the next Batman film -- I think he'd be too much like the Joker, unless they have some damn good ideas -- but this is one mighty cool poster. So cool, in fact, that I'd accept having the Riddler just to see this plastered around the place. Click to see it in its full-sized glory.
On a related note...
Knowledge of fonts
(from BBC News)
"We see film posters every day. But have you ever stopped to think about the lettering they use? Sebastian Lester has. As a typeface designer... he's a literal font of knowledge. Many posters... use custom lettering. As Lester explains, though, others employ fonts in common everyday usage." Interesting picture-article.
Monday, 6 October 2008
TV
Big Cat Live
1x02 (6/10/08 edition)
No Heroics
1x01 Supergroupie
Sex obsessed, yes, but still pretty funny. So it's that rarest of things: a half-decent comedy on ITV!
Place of Execution
Part 3 (of 3)
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x02 The Last Sontaran Part Two
A great conclusion. Hurrah for SJA being so good!
1x02 (6/10/08 edition)
No Heroics
1x01 Supergroupie
Sex obsessed, yes, but still pretty funny. So it's that rarest of things: a half-decent comedy on ITV!
Place of Execution
Part 3 (of 3)
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x02 The Last Sontaran Part Two
A great conclusion. Hurrah for SJA being so good!
Films
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
[#65 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
My quest-within-a-quest: to watch one film a night for at least the next week (as in, seven days). This is, therefore, the first. Let's see how I do...
[#65 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
My quest-within-a-quest: to watch one film a night for at least the next week (as in, seven days). This is, therefore, the first. Let's see how I do...
Articles
No Heroics: Geek detail
(from ITV.com)
A gallery of some of the inside jokes from No Heroics. Some are lacklustre, some very good. Here's the best:
Review of Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic DVD by Eamonn McCusker
(from DVD Times)
Scathing!
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 20-1.
So, that was that. Nothing greatly surprising in the final run, though the order is undoubtedly intriguing. Nice to see some reach such giddy heights; others should be considerably lower, in my opinion.
(from ITV.com)
A gallery of some of the inside jokes from No Heroics. Some are lacklustre, some very good. Here's the best:
Review of Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic DVD by Eamonn McCusker
(from DVD Times)
Scathing!
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 20-1.
So, that was that. Nothing greatly surprising in the final run, though the order is undoubtedly intriguing. Nice to see some reach such giddy heights; others should be considerably lower, in my opinion.
The Tudors has episode titles!
Turns out, despite the listings on TV.com, The Tudors has episode titles! It's true, they're on the iTunes Store. (Season One has titles too, but I watched them long before this blog began.)
So, hurrah -- titles are much better than plain numbers, if you ask me.
It's a minor point, I know, but I'll be going back and editing all my posts to add in their actual titles now. Bloody TV.com.
So, hurrah -- titles are much better than plain numbers, if you ask me.
It's a minor point, I know, but I'll be going back and editing all my posts to add in their actual titles now. Bloody TV.com.
I'm blue!
Da-ba-dee da-ba-die!
This colour scheme -- which I've just noticed -- seems to suit the site and/or me better. So here it is!
This colour scheme -- which I've just noticed -- seems to suit the site and/or me better. So here it is!
Sunday, 5 October 2008
TV
Big Cat Live
1x01 (5/10/08 edition)
The latest iteration of the BBC's long-running Big Cat... series. (I've just started from 1 with the numbering, 'cause that sorting got too much.)
By Any Means
Part 5 (of 6)
The Riches
2x07 The Lying King [series finale]
With the series now unfortunately cancelled, this is how it disappointingly ends -- not with a whimper, but with a multi-cliffhangered bang. Just as it gets really good, everything is frustratingly left hanging. I'm annoyed.
Secret Policeman's Ball '08
The blog had a live update of what was going on as it happened (the event itself was last night, Channel 4's TV broadcast tonight). Quite a bizarre idea for a gig of this nature, if you ask me. As for the content... Mitchell and Webb made a poor effort of their own, originally excellent sketch; Tim Minchin's song was very funny; but Eddie Izzard, closing the show, was comedy gold as ever -- the stand-out stand-up by a country mile.
1x01 (5/10/08 edition)
The latest iteration of the BBC's long-running Big Cat... series. (I've just started from 1 with the numbering, 'cause that sorting got too much.)
By Any Means
Part 5 (of 6)
The Riches
2x07 The Lying King [series finale]
With the series now unfortunately cancelled, this is how it disappointingly ends -- not with a whimper, but with a multi-cliffhangered bang. Just as it gets really good, everything is frustratingly left hanging. I'm annoyed.
Secret Policeman's Ball '08
The blog had a live update of what was going on as it happened (the event itself was last night, Channel 4's TV broadcast tonight). Quite a bizarre idea for a gig of this nature, if you ask me. As for the content... Mitchell and Webb made a poor effort of their own, originally excellent sketch; Tim Minchin's song was very funny; but Eddie Izzard, closing the show, was comedy gold as ever -- the stand-out stand-up by a country mile.
Articles
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 50-21. More surprised -- primarily, the original Star Wars and all three Lord of the Rings films are outside the Top 20! No sign yet of the overrated Empire Strikes Back though...
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 50-21. More surprised -- primarily, the original Star Wars and all three Lord of the Rings films are outside the Top 20! No sign yet of the overrated Empire Strikes Back though...
Saturday, 4 October 2008
TV
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
15x05 (3/10/08 edition)
Parky! Yay!
Little Britain USA
1x01 Episode 1
Lucas and Walliams take some of their old character over the pond, and find some new ones there too. Despite the new setting and HBO funding (it airs nearly a week later over here, fact-fans), the style (and quality) of humour is unchanged.
Merlin
1x03 The Mark of Nimueh
I have to wonder if there's something in Nimueh and Morgana looking as if they could be twins...
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
2x04 (4/10/08 edition)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Part 3 (of 4)
Ah, Hardy -- as unrelentingly depressing as ever.
15x05 (3/10/08 edition)
Parky! Yay!
Little Britain USA
1x01 Episode 1
Lucas and Walliams take some of their old character over the pond, and find some new ones there too. Despite the new setting and HBO funding (it airs nearly a week later over here, fact-fans), the style (and quality) of humour is unchanged.
Merlin
1x03 The Mark of Nimueh
I have to wonder if there's something in Nimueh and Morgana looking as if they could be twins...
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
2x04 (4/10/08 edition)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Part 3 (of 4)
Ah, Hardy -- as unrelentingly depressing as ever.
Friday, 3 October 2008
Music
Another Way to Die (video) by Jack White & Alicia Keys
OK, so it's been floating around on the net for days (especially after it received its US premiere on Monday), but rather than watching it in some crappy blocky streaming window I've held out til now to catch it on TV (where it premiered on Channel 4 under an hour ago). I say "held out" -- I'm hardly good at getting round to watching things. But still... It's all rather uninspired, to be honest, and feels like it could do with some clips from the film to give it a good kick up the arse. More so than any other theme, this one seems designed to fit with a title sequence, so it's a bit odd when attached to such a lacklustre video. I still like the song mind.
OK, so it's been floating around on the net for days (especially after it received its US premiere on Monday), but rather than watching it in some crappy blocky streaming window I've held out til now to catch it on TV (where it premiered on Channel 4 under an hour ago). I say "held out" -- I'm hardly good at getting round to watching things. But still... It's all rather uninspired, to be honest, and feels like it could do with some clips from the film to give it a good kick up the arse. More so than any other theme, this one seems designed to fit with a title sequence, so it's a bit odd when attached to such a lacklustre video. I still like the song mind.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
DVD Extras
Doctor Who: The Lost Season
(from Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord)
Brief featurette about the abandoned plans for the original season 23. They're illustrated, and someone clearly had too much fun drawing Peri's chest.
Three of these missing stories were novelised, donchaknow, and I read them all about 10 or 11 years ago. Go me.
I love features like this, about 'lost' stories. There's one on the Survival DVD too, but I don't think I got round to watching it. Maybe I'll do that now...
(from Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord)
Brief featurette about the abandoned plans for the original season 23. They're illustrated, and someone clearly had too much fun drawing Peri's chest.
Three of these missing stories were novelised, donchaknow, and I read them all about 10 or 11 years ago. Go me.
I love features like this, about 'lost' stories. There's one on the Survival DVD too, but I don't think I got round to watching it. Maybe I'll do that now...
Articles
The greatest magazine cover of all time
(from Radio Times)
Photo article showing the complex process by which RT created their "Vote Dalek!" cover in 2005, which was recently voted the greatest magazine cover of all time (hence the title). It received over a quarter of the vote apparently. Well deserved too, if you ask me.
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 164-134. Yep, still going...
(from Radio Times)
Photo article showing the complex process by which RT created their "Vote Dalek!" cover in 2005, which was recently voted the greatest magazine cover of all time (hence the title). It received over a quarter of the vote apparently. Well deserved too, if you ask me.
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 164-134. Yep, still going...
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
TV
Heroes
3x00 Countdown to the Premiere
3x01 The Second Coming
Not quite as mind-blowing an opening as some fans claimed at the time, this is still Heroes on good forms, with plenty of answers, twists, and new questions. The future glimpse of a city being destroyed is a bit too reminiscent of season one though.
(The countdown aired immediately prior to the 2-hour premiere in the US, and on BBC Three last Friday in the UK.)
Heroes Unmasked
3x01 Opening Pandora's Box
Now with new voiceover blokey, Santiago Cabrera. Nice that he's still connected with the show somehow.
3x00 Countdown to the Premiere
3x01 The Second Coming
Not quite as mind-blowing an opening as some fans claimed at the time, this is still Heroes on good forms, with plenty of answers, twists, and new questions. The future glimpse of a city being destroyed is a bit too reminiscent of season one though.
(The countdown aired immediately prior to the 2-hour premiere in the US, and on BBC Three last Friday in the UK.)
Heroes Unmasked
3x01 Opening Pandora's Box
Now with new voiceover blokey, Santiago Cabrera. Nice that he's still connected with the show somehow.
Articles
Review of Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord DVD by James Gray
(from DVD Times)
Long, in-depth review of the latest classic Doctor Who DVD release, including an excellent summary of the problems surrounding this season. Now with only one "opening CGI shot" error. I have the box set (have since Saturday), but have yet to even unwrap it.
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 211-165.
(from DVD Times)
Long, in-depth review of the latest classic Doctor Who DVD release, including an excellent summary of the problems surrounding this season. Now with only one "opening CGI shot" error. I have the box set (have since Saturday), but have yet to even unwrap it.
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 211-165.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
TV
Mutual Friends
1x06 Episode Six [season finale]
And hopefully "series finale" too, I must say. While I'm sure it was lots of fun to film -- Alexander Armstrong especially seems to be having a whale of a time, and they've all noted in interviews how much they've enjoyed it -- the wobbly plotting, leaps in logic, and underwritten female characters render it something of a failure. Of course, it'll all come down to ratings in the end.
The Tudors
2x10 Destiny and Fortune [season finale]
Yep, it's not on TV til Friday -- but that's the joy of downloads! You'd think everyone knows what's coming here -- this episode includes the final fate of Henry VIII's (or, as the Americans have it on their posters for this, "Henry 8") second wife -- but I heard of someone on daytime TV the other day hoping everything turns out OK for her. Oh dear oh dear. Still, The Tudors is renowned (amongst me, anyway) for not going anywhere fast, and after the flurry of events in the last two episodes it slows back down for this final installment.
The US broadcast (which I was watching here, of course) also included a trailer for the next season, cunningly edited from clips and soundbites from season two! It was quite impressive really.
1x06 Episode Six [season finale]
And hopefully "series finale" too, I must say. While I'm sure it was lots of fun to film -- Alexander Armstrong especially seems to be having a whale of a time, and they've all noted in interviews how much they've enjoyed it -- the wobbly plotting, leaps in logic, and underwritten female characters render it something of a failure. Of course, it'll all come down to ratings in the end.
The Tudors
2x10 Destiny and Fortune [season finale]
Yep, it's not on TV til Friday -- but that's the joy of downloads! You'd think everyone knows what's coming here -- this episode includes the final fate of Henry VIII's (or, as the Americans have it on their posters for this, "Henry 8") second wife -- but I heard of someone on daytime TV the other day hoping everything turns out OK for her. Oh dear oh dear. Still, The Tudors is renowned (amongst me, anyway) for not going anywhere fast, and after the flurry of events in the last two episodes it slows back down for this final installment.
The US broadcast (which I was watching here, of course) also included a trailer for the next season, cunningly edited from clips and soundbites from season two! It was quite impressive really.
Music
Monkey: Journey to the West by Damon Albarn
"The album is a natural development of art and music based on the opera of the same name which Albarn and Jamie Hewlett created with director Chen Shi-Zheng." It's an unusual piece of work, a mix of beautiful pieces, cool pieces, and the odd splash of drivel. It's easy to see why some -- mainly those who foolishly expected this to be Gorillaz's third album -- were disappointed. For those with a more open mind, however, it's definitely worth a listen. Track 21, Monkey Bee, is allegedly the theme for the BBC's Beijing Olympics coverage, but I think you'd be relatively hard pushed to recognise it in there.
"The album is a natural development of art and music based on the opera of the same name which Albarn and Jamie Hewlett created with director Chen Shi-Zheng." It's an unusual piece of work, a mix of beautiful pieces, cool pieces, and the odd splash of drivel. It's easy to see why some -- mainly those who foolishly expected this to be Gorillaz's third album -- were disappointed. For those with a more open mind, however, it's definitely worth a listen. Track 21, Monkey Bee, is allegedly the theme for the BBC's Beijing Olympics coverage, but I think you'd be relatively hard pushed to recognise it in there.
Monday, 29 September 2008
TV
Place of Execution
Part 2 (of 3)
The Sarah Jane Adventures Season 2 Cinema Trailer
"From the Makers of Doctor Who" -- never mind the Sontaran stomping around the trailer, there's this notice at the end, just in case you forgot. In my typical fashion, I've had this knocking around for weeks but only got round to watching it half an hour before the series started. "Oops."
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x01 The Last Sontaran Part One
"She's back, and it's not about time cos that's the show it's spun off from."
The Tudors
2x09 The Act of Treason
Part 2 (of 3)
The Sarah Jane Adventures Season 2 Cinema Trailer
"From the Makers of Doctor Who" -- never mind the Sontaran stomping around the trailer, there's this notice at the end, just in case you forgot. In my typical fashion, I've had this knocking around for weeks but only got round to watching it half an hour before the series started. "Oops."
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x01 The Last Sontaran Part One
"She's back, and it's not about time cos that's the show it's spun off from."
The Tudors
2x09 The Act of Treason
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