Friday, 19 December 2008

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory X

X. Song for the Siren
by Andy Brown

Today, Poem of the Day finishes its presentation of Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory, which has been published here on week days for the last two weeks. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment of this work, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

The rain is light. Light falls.
A handstroke of sun tans
the sky's western edge.

You sit in the meadow
by a solitary oak, your feet
dipped in a stream of fish

and frogs, your head among
a cloud of flies, crying;
tears that gleam like acorns.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Thursday, 18 December 2008

Films

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
[2nd watch]

DVD Extras

Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition
A beautiful tin containing four episodes of MST3K and some other goodies. It looks super-lovely. Unfortunately, it seems to be impossible to actually get the contents out of the tin... I'll let you know if I ever manage it.

Magazines

Empire #235
A really rubbish Review Of 2008 -- yes, everyone has a Top 10 Films list, but that's still the most exciting part and should not be relegated to an inconspicuous third of a page somewhere near the end. They used to do a nice Top 25, but this year it just looks like they couldn't be bothered.

SFX #178
Whoo, I read the new one! Very odd cover, incidentally, though it does have a Dollhouse preview.

Torchwood: The Official Magazine #12
A particularly weak issue, full of filler. It does have some info on season three however.

Christmas singles

Stop The X Factor from being Christmas number one! Buy one -- or all (I did) -- of these!

Do not buy from Amazon -- it doesn't count toward the chart.

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
iTunes | 7digital | tunetribe | HMV
Backed by Facebook and Radio 1, this one stands the best chance.

Let's Not Fight This Christmas by Chris Difford & the Decorations
(aka The One Show Single)
iTunes | 7digital
Camp and silly, this is -- believe it or not -- the best one.

It's Christmas Time by Status Quo
iTunes | 7digital
Almost as good. These two would fit seamlessly on all those Christmas compilations.

Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth by Bandaged
(aka Sir Terry Wogan & Aled Jones)
iTunes | 7digital
It's got Sir Terry Wogan on it -- that automatically makes it a contender for Best Ever.

Once Upon a Christmas Song by Peter Kay's Geraldine McQueen
iTunes | 7digital
Not as good as it could be, but hey, it might have a chance...

Joseph, Better You Than Me by the Killers featuring Elton John & Neil Tennant
iTunes

And I'll be posting this again tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after...

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory IX

IX. I stood before you...
by Andy Brown

This week, Poem of the Day is continuing to present Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. The first five parts were published daily last week. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment of this work, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

I stood before you, lost for word,
the bunch behind my star-lit back.

'Silence, that's what flowers are,' you said,
'or rather, a man's way of silencing.'

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Wednesday, 17 December 2008

TV

On the third day of catch-up my TV showed to me...!

Merlin
1x13 Le Morte d'Arthur [season finale]
Oh what a clever title! Too clever for a prime time Saturday night family drama? I mean, will most viewers even know what it means, never mind the cultural reference?

The Royal Variety Performance 2008
I almost always watch this, but often have mixed feelings by the end of it. This year, however, it was a damn fine show, with too many highlights to list here. Hurrah!

Survivors [2008]
1x05 Episode 5

Wallander
1x03 One Step Behind [season finale]
Oh he's so glum. Though quite understandably in this episode, it must be said.

Articles

Hallelujah set to be a Christmas No 1 and 2 by Sam Jones
(from guardian.co.uk)
Hallelujah!

Will X Factor winner Alexandra be beaten to the Christmas No.1 by Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah? by Lizzie Smith
(from Mail Online)
Fingers crossed!

Christmas singles

Stop The X Factor from being Christmas number one! Buy one -- or all (I did) -- of these!

New today: Hallelujah is available from HMV! A new place to buy! Yay!

Do not buy it from Amazon -- it doesn't count toward the chart.

The Facebook group has almost hit 80,000 members as of writing this, and I should think will cross that by the end of the day. There's still hope!

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
iTunes | 7digital | tunetribe | HMV
Backed by Facebook and Radio 1, this one stands the best chance.

Let's Not Fight This Christmas by Chris Difford & the Decorations
(aka The One Show Single)
iTunes | 7digital
Camp and silly, this is -- believe it or not -- the best one.

It's Christmas Time by Status Quo
iTunes | 7digital
Almost as good. These two would fit seamlessly on all those Christmas compilations.

Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth by Bandaged
(aka Sir Terry Wogan & Aled Jones)
iTunes | 7digital
It's got Sir Terry Wogan on it -- that automatically makes it a contender for Best Ever.

Once Upon a Christmas Song by Peter Kay's Geraldine McQueen
iTunes | 7digital
Not as good as it could be, but hey, it might have a chance...

Joseph, Better You Than Me by the Killers featuring Elton John & Neil Tennant
iTunes

And I'll be posting this again tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after...

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory VIII

VIII. A Breath from the Wood
by Andy Brown

This week, Poem of the Day is continuing to present Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. The first five parts were published daily last week. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment of this work, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

Why she appeared in the ruffled beards
of lichen on the trees outside my window,
asking was I now prepared to love,
or just go on pretending, I could not say.

Instead, I sat ashamed of my own breath
and stammered pointless words
about the only options left to us
the whole of the woodwind day.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Tuesday, 16 December 2008

TV

Still catching up...

Argumental
1x08 (15/12/08 edition)
And now Argumental's off on a festive break. I already look forward to its return.

Clone
1x05 Dude
There are times -- just moments, maybe -- when this is almost good. Almost. I'll keep watching dutifully til the final episode, but I doubt it'll get a second series. Even Hyperdrive managed that.

The Graham Norton Show
4x11 (11/12/08 edition, uncut repeat)
I swear Brendan Fraser was on a fairly high level of illicit substance(s) throughout this.

Live at the Apollo
4x03 (12/12/08 edition)
This show works best with three comedians, I think, and this episode only features two. It's especially bad when they're the team captains on 8 Out of 10 Cats, so over 13 episodes of that they've already used the majority of their material.

Natural World
Titus: The Gorilla King [2nd watch]
Regular readers with exceptional memories may remember that when I first watched this just over a month ago I mentioned its story could be easily adapted for a Tudors-like drama. Well, that's why I'm watching it again: note-taking on the plot. An intriguing idea or a waste of time? It's certainly an interesting exercise at least.

Articles

Movie Reviews: Frost/Nixon
(from Studio Briefing)
"It's a movie with the stolid title Frost/Nixon, and it's about a series of interviews that aired in 90-minute segments in 1977 between British celebrity interviewer David Frost and the disgraced former President Richard Nixon. Sounds like stuff that PBS might have taken a pass on for Masterpiece Theater, right? Wrong, say most critics, who have bestowed nearly undiluted acclaim on it."
Also "wrong", because -- and here's what's annoying, because Americans don't seem to know what their own programming is or where it comes from -- "Masterpiece Theater" is just a strand of bought-in British programmes (as best I can tell, anyway), usually made by the BBC and usually period drama. For example, as part of "Masterpiece Theater" they've shown both Cranford and Bleak House, but also The Forsyte Saga (the '00s ITV one) and The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (a modern political comedy-drama). All very separate series in the UK, but bung them under a collective heading on one US network and the braindead yanks seem to assume they're all somehow connected and must be PBS-produced. Fools.
Anyway, the film sounds good, doesn't it?

Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine #403
"David Morrissey is The Next Doctor!" proudly proclaims the new DWM's cover. Indeed, but is he the next Doctor? We'll have to wait til Christmas Day to find out -- 9 days to go! Increasingly intriguingly, who is the CyberKing? And why has he/she/it meant The Next Doctor has more CGI shots than the (apparently) more epic Voyage of the Damned?

SFX #177
The next issue of SFX is out tomorrow and I've finally gotten round to looking at the last -- which, to be fair, is better than I've managed for about the past year.

Christmas singles UPDATE: the Killers now available

...but only from iTunes, as far as I can see.

Will it be as good as A Great Big Sled? I doubt it -- but it's still unquestionably better than The X Factor!

Joseph, Better You Than Me by the Killers featuring Elton John & Neil Tennant
iTunes

Buy buy buy!

Christmas singles

Stop The X Factor from being Christmas number one! Buy one -- or all (I did) -- of these!

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
iTunes | 7digital | tunetribe
Backed by Facebook and Radio 1, this one stands the best chance.

Let's Not Fight This Christmas by Chris Difford & the Decorations
(aka The One Show Single)
iTunes | 7digital
Camp and silly, this is -- believe it or not -- the best one.

It's Christmas Time by Status Quo
iTunes | 7digital
Almost as good. These two would fit seamlessly on all those Christmas compilations.

Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth by Bandaged
(aka Sir Terry Wogan & Aled Jones)
iTunes | 7digital
It's got Sir Terry Wogan on it -- that automatically makes it a contender for Best Ever.

Once Upon a Christmas Song by Peter Kay's Geraldine McQueen
iTunes | 7digital
Not as good as it could be, but hey, it might have a chance...

Run by Leona Lewis
iTunes | 7digital
If you have to. The others would be better than this, but this would be better than X Factor.

And I'll be posting this again tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after...

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory VII

VII. Daybreak
by Andy Brown

This week, Poem of the Day is continuing to present Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. The first five parts were published daily last week. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment of this work, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

Day breaks with the iridescence
of beetles. Last night remains

a beautiful, desolate thing:
me, lying

like an insect on a silver pin,
waiting for something to happen,

as if the world was about
to reach out

with the answer and you, leaving,
hiding your smile -- that thing

you do as much as with
your eyes as with your lips.

Alone, I come-to to this
clock of exquisite sadness.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Monday, 15 December 2008

TV

Thanks to the BBC's iPlayer being available on my TV, I now live my life by watching nothing when it's on and then having to catch up on it all. And today I have caught up on...

Lead Balloon
3x05 Spikey

Outnumbered
2x05 Episode 5

Survivors [2008]
1x04 Episode 4

Wallander
1x02 Firewall

Articles

2009 TV Preview: Law & Order UK by Neil Wilkes
(from Digital Spy)
Or, as I believe it's actually called, Law & Order: London. Some interesting info for those interested in the production side of TV, as this is semi-adapted from old US L&O scripts.

Elton John hits out at X Factor by David Balls
(from Digital Spy)
Go go Elton!

Christmas singles

As well as the campaign to make Jeff Buckley Christmas number one, there are a variety of other Christmas singles out now. The chances of them beating The X Factor? Small. But you can do your bit to help by buying them, so here are some handy links...

Let's Not Fight This Christmas by Chris Difford & the Decorations
(aka The One Show Single)
iTunes | 7digital

Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth by Bandaged
(aka Sir Terry Wogan & Aled Jones)
iTunes | 7digital

It's Christmas Time by Status Quo
iTunes | 7digital

Once Upon a Christmas Song by Peter Kay's Geraldine McQueen
iTunes | 7digital

And, of course...

Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
iTunes | 7digital | tunetribe

The Killers & Elton John were supposed to have one out too, so I'd heard, but there's no sign of that.

Heck, if you really have to, I'd rather this was number one again still:

Run by Leona Lewis
iTunes | 7digital
It's a cover, you know. You probably do, but I feel I should point it out -- it's not original. Much like Amy Winehouse's over-praised rendition of Valerie.

buy Buckley!

Today's the day people -- it's time to stop The X Factor being Christmas number one! So buy Buckley -- or any of the other Christmas singles. I'm intending to post a list & links sometime soon, but for now here are places to buy Buckley that count toward the chart:

7digital - unencumbered high quality 320k mp3 89p...

tunetribe.com - cheaper but semi-crippled WMA (windows file) only 49p

iTunes - 79p but DRM AAC file from Apple

And I'll be posting a reminder every day, just so you don't forget.

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory VI

VI. December
by Andy Brown

This week, Poem of the Day is continuing to present Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. The first five parts were published daily last week. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment of this work, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

Convinced it is a good idea, we spend
the long, dark nights unloading ourselves.
We watch each other twist and bend.

Such a weight of 'this & that' my friend:
each night we pull confessions from the shelves
convinced it is a good idea and spend

the nights awake. Where will this honesty end?
Too late, the old advice not to dig and delve
too deep; we watch each other twist and bend.

Resigned to the damage we may never mend
we drive the clock past Ten. Eleven. Twelve,
convinced it is a good idea. We spend

hours addressing the nightmare of 'The End',
cling tight together, like digger's hand to helve
and watch each other twist and bend.

Once more we see there's nothing really to defend.
Perhaps the answer lies in making love?
Unconvinced it is a good idea, we spend
ourselves, watching each other twist and bend.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Saturday, 13 December 2008

TV

24: Redemption Extended Edition
[#86 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]

Top Gear
4x01 (9/5/04 edition)
Featuring a Lotus Exige vs an Apache gunship helicopter, possibly the coolest car-chase-like-thing you've seen outside a Bond movie.

Films

The Aristocrats (2005)
[#87 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]

Cube (1997)
[3rd watch; #83a in 100 Films in a Year 2008]

Cube²: Hypercube (2002)
[#84 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Oh dear.

Cube Zero (2004)
[#85 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
Equally oh dear.

Articles

2009 TV Preview: Ashes To Ashes 2 by Neil Wilkes
(from Digital Spy)
Very revealing, though not spoilersome, preview of the second series. Can't wait!

Buckley to beat X Factor at Christmas? by Michael Thornton
(from Digital Spy)
Do your duty!

Fuller bashes Heroes: Villains by Ben Rawson-Jones
(from Digital Spy)
Sounds like things should be improving...

Goyer's Magneto relying on Wolverine by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
"They're going to wait until Wolverine comes out to decide whether or not they're going to greenlight another X-Men-related film. They like the script a lot and it's definitely a movie they say they want to make, it's a movie I'm still interested in making, so we're just waiting on Wolverine." No surprises there then.

Movie Reviews: The Day The Earth Stood Still
(from Studio Briefing)
"as cold and blank as the expression on [star Keanu] Reeves's face."

Movie Reviews: Gran Torino
(from Studio Briefing)
"The notion of a 78-year-old action hero may sound like a contradiction in terms, but Eastwood brings it off... it's clearly a career-capping work." Hurrah!

Who boss reveals Morrissey helped Tennant by Ben Rawson-Jones
(from Digital Spy)
"It was particularly good for David Tennant, cos we were at the end of a very gruelling shoot, making 15 episodes in a row for the first time ever. So for him to have a good friend coming on board, right at the end, was a real boost." Aww.

Buckley to beat X Factor at Christmas!

Buckley to beat X Factor at Christmas? by Michael Thornton
(from Digital Spy)

A campaign has been launched to get Jeff Buckley to the top of the Christmas chart ahead of the winner of this year's X Factor.

[The winner] will release a cover of Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah, but Buckley fans are drumming up support for his 1994 interpretation. A Facebook group has been launched urging fans to help the Buckley track, which is currently at number 43 in the charts, reach number one by purchasing it online.

I don't care what you think of Jeff Buckley, you have to get behind this simply to stop The X Factor winning. Come on Britain, we can do it!

To make this as easy as possible we will post the download links, but make sure you WAIT UNTIL the 15th... (many thanks to Kevin Adams)

7digital - unencumbered high quality 320k mp3 89p...

tunetribe.com - cheaper but semi-crippled WMA (windows file) only 49p

iTunes - 79p but DRM AAC file from Apple

...they're all recorded by the official UK chart.

Heck, splash out £2.17 and get all three -- it's all going to a good cause!

Friday, 12 December 2008

TV

Golden Balls
(12/12/08 edition)
I know I know, utter trash, but it was on and I was curious how it worked. It's a twist on Deal or No Deal, of course, and it's equally as dull.

Films

The Green Mile (1999)
[2nd watch]
We got through all three hours of this in a single two-hour seminar, including pauses for comment and discussion. So maybe doesn't quite 'count' as a watch...

Little Miss Sunshine
[2nd watch]
It really doesn't feel like nearly two years (to be precise, 21 months) since I watched this first, as part of 100 Films in a Year 2007. But there you go, time flies & all that. Anyway, the film itself is ludicrously heartwarming and has perhaps the greatest climax of any film ever. Seriously.

DVD Extras

Alternate Endings
and
Alternate Endings with Commentary by directors Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
(from Little Miss Sunshine)
Four offerings that are not so much alternate endings as alternate final beats -- including one directed by Abigail Breslin, the film's 9-year-old star! It's easy to see why they were excised, though they're certainly fun to see.

Hugh Jackman to host the Oscars

I kid you not!

From People.com via IMDb:

And the hosting honor goes to … Hugh Jackman.

People's reigning Sexiest Man Alive has been chosen to host the 81st annual Academy Awards ceremony, to take place Feb. 22 The Australia star, 40, who'll be hosting the Oscars for the first time, was selected "because we want the ceremony to be fun," says Laurence Mark, producer of the telecast. "He can hold the screen and he can hold a stage. It doesn't hurt that he looks amazing in a tuxedo and he's the Sexiest Man Alive."

Jackman won an Emmy in 2005 for hosting the 59th annual Tony Awards in 2004. He was also nominated as host of the Tonys in 2005. ABC will broadcast the Oscar ceremony live from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 22.

Well I'll be damned -- they usually choose comedians!

I think Jackman will be good though -- clearly he has hosting credentials, plus he's a very likable and very funny guy. Though this rather suggests they're not expecting Australia to get any noms...

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory V

V. da Capo
by Andy Brown

This week and next, Poem of the Day is presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

                               da capo / Mus: 'repeat from the beginning'

You scan the line of albums, lick your lips
and ease one out. It opens in your palm.
Wetting a finger you shuffle through the pages
like a teller. A smile fields your face:

'You see, I'm right,' you say (again).
'It was here. You must remember --
'our naked bodies joined together;
'warm breezes shaking perfume

'from the clover?' Why is it, I wonder,
I don't recall a thing; but you -- oh you! --
your memory is so sharp? You slide it back.
We go to bed. Stare at the ceiling; our latest books.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Thursday, 11 December 2008

TV

Broken Saints
Chapter 4 Epiphany
Chapter 5 Awakening
With such short early episodes, Chapter 1 can only provide a brief overview of the four main characters, while the four chapters that follow successively introduce the start of their journey. It's still a bit slow and pretentious, but there's also promise. And 19 chapters to go...

Little Dorrit
Part 13 (of 14)
Part 14 (of 14)
A feature-length dose of Little Boring -- sorry, I mean, Little Dorrit -- as it finally reaches its conclusion. The (very literal) fall of the house of Clenham was perhaps the most entertaining bit yet, and certainly the most ludicrous in a story filled with ludicrous elements. Nothing like as good as Bleak House. Most of its audience understandably dropped off before the end, which is a shame because the format works so well (as proved by Bleak House) and this may've killed off hope of any more done in a similar style.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
22x11 (11/12/08 edition) [season finale]
Josh Groban: surprisingly likable and willing to take the mick out of himself. Grant From Feeder: shouldn't really have bothered going.
Odd length series too. I rather suspect it would've been 12, were it not for the Brand episode.

Fiction

Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Luke Ross
(collecting Jonah Hex Vol.2 #1-6)
Issue 6 [the end]
A good set of standalone Western tales. Now, where's book two...

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory IV

IV. Waking in Manhattan
by Andy Brown

This week and next, Poem of the Day is presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

The night that raised my hopes now whittles down
our options. The morning's heavy snowfall
consumes the blue masses of skyscrapers
and builds on our distance. I open the grille;
imagine us both -- exiles on far shores --
staring past the smuts on our windows.
There are patterns in the bird tracks on the ledge.
I fill my eyes with their secret language:
the text of our future; the novel of our love.
All I ask today is you & I rise above
this interval in the theatre of weather,
but I am restless beneath a drift of lies,
blocking light from the glass. I retrieve the dull
hammer of my self and nail the window shut.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Wednesday, 10 December 2008

TV

Argumental
1x07 (8/12/08 edition)

Broken Saints
Chapter 1 Introitus
Chapter 2 Cryptic
Chapter 3 Versus [2nd watch]
(Chapters 3 & 4 were the ones infamously included on the UK 2-disc release of Night Watch, where I saw them before.)
An intriguing opening -- a bit slow paced, a bit arty, a bit pretentious. Not everyone's cup of tea, but promising. For a brief introduction to the series, so my post here.

The Devil's Whore
Part 4 (of 4)
Another strong episode rounds off an excellent series. It doesn't feel fast-paced, yet at over an hour an episode (with breaks) rushes past faster than even something supposedly super-speedy and modern like Spooks. If you missed this, catch up with it when & where you can.

The Graham Norton Show
4x10 (4/12/08 edition, uncut repeat)
Only one guest was fine when it was Robin Williams, but Barry Manilow? Barry Manilow? In fact, he turned out to be fairly amiable -- especially as I could fast-forward the singing.

Fiction

Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Tony DeZuniga
(collecting Jonah Hex Vol.2 #1-6)
Issue 5

Articles

The Dark Knight Score Up For Oscar Again by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire)
Didn't see that coming, but hurrah!

A Fresh Start For 'Bond 23', Says Daniel Craig by Devin Zydel
(from CommanderBond.net)
"We've finished this story as far as I'm concerned." Plus, the chances of Moneypenny and Q returning seem to get stronger by the day.

Movie Poster Mash-Ups
(from Empire)
Not exactly a new idea, but a very amusing one. Not all hit the mark, obviously, but enough do to make it worthwhile. Check out themed galleries of Star Wars (I especially recommend number 24) and Harry Potter.

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory III

III. Koi Carp
by Andy Brown

This week and next, Poem of the Day is presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

This pollen-honeyed evening
your parting gift of Koi carp
rise to the gilded surface.

They flash their dog-brown eyes
beneath the pond's lens;
twitch a muscle and disappear.

But tight in the kernel
of night, they cut through
the dream's meniscus,

stirring the pool's surprises;
quick insects; slow molluscs
down in the muck & the silt.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Broken Saints

Broken Saints was something of an internet sensation when it was first released online during 2001 to 2003.

The series -- which is in 24 chapters with a total running time of 12 hours (the early episodes are short while the finale hits an hour and a half) -- has been referred to by its creators as a "cinematic novel". Essentially, this means an 'animated comic': in its original version, limited animation (mainly for scene transitions) with speech bubbles instead of voice acting, but still a video with music and sound effects.

Eventually purchased by Fox and released on DVD, the series exists in two (or three, depending how you count it) versions: as well as the original online version, there's the 'DVD version' with spruced-up animation (for parts 1 to 12) and a choice of either the original soundtrack or a fully voice-acted one. It's this last option that I'm choosing to watch. (For the completist, the original Flash-animated versions of the first twelve episodes are included via DVD-ROM.)

It's recently been announced that a long-rumoured live action series is in development (or, "trying to find funding", by the sounds of things), so I decided it was finally time (I've owned the DVD since its UK release) to get round to watching the original.

You can still watch the original version online, for free, here. For more information, check out Wikipedia's good overview; the creator's blog, which includes the November 30th announcement of the live-action series; a live-action trailer (in various qualities); and DVD Times' review of the R2 DVD. (The rest of the official site is currently down.)

Tuesday, 9 December 2008

TV

Spooks
7x08 Nuclear Strike [season finale]
A good old "biggest threat yet!" season finale, marred somewhat by logic flaws (there's no way you could ever get an iris scan off a CCTV image. Ever.) Nasty little cliffhanger too.

Films

Ultimate Avengers II (2006)
[#83 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
A superior sequel.

Fiction

Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Luke Ross
(collecting Jonah Hex Vol.2 #1-6)
Issues 1 - 4
Comics aren't just about superheroes you know: DC's Jonah Hex is a Western in the traditional sense, albeit with lots of violence and nastiness that you likely wouldn't find in films made before the '60s, at least. The other nice thing about Hex is that each issue is an individual tale, a self-contained burst of Western action that makes for an entertaining read while it lasts, leaving this collection to feel like a book of short stories, or a box set of episodic TV -- in the old sense, before everything had to have grand arc plots. On the strength of this, I expect I'll acquire further volumes.

Articles

2009 TV Preview: Moving Wallpaper returns by Neil Wilkes
(from Digital Spy)
While Echo Beach turned out to be twaddle, Moving Wallpaper was fab. Very excited about it's return. "We ran around the houses to come up with [an Echo Beach replacement] that I thought hadn't been seen on British television for a while -- and then in the middle of writing [a zombie series], bloody Dead Set came out!"

The Dark Knight breaks Blu-ray records by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Yep, it's at it again. It "shifted 513,000 units on its first day of release on Monday, 21% of which (107,730) were Blu-ray discs. The format has experienced a surge in popularity, with sales of 463,000 for November 2008 a 66% increase from the previous month."

Horgan's Pulling axed by BBC Three by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Right after it beats other, better known, shows to a Comedy Award. "Oops"?

John Stevenson hired for We3 by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
"Producer Don Murphy [said] that the movie version will retain the comic book's violent tone. "We're doing it as an R-rating. It's not going to be cutesy. There's killer rabbits and stuff. We're in the process right now of trying to figure out where we're going to make it."" Whoo!

Will David Tennant make it on stage tonight? That is the question on Hamlet opening night after actor hurts back
(from Mail Online)
Ah the Mail -- everything you need to know in the headline. Still -- oh dear! Glad this didn't happen to me.

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory II

II. I imagine you've changed little...
by Andy Brown

This week and next, Poem of the Day is presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

I imagine you've changed little since our thing
in the Great Rift, so far away this morning
as I sit here drinking coffee on the terrace of the café
            La Délicieuse.

I imagine you still wear that face all other
men could love. I am tempted to believe, however
briefly, that although there is no antidote
            there's hope --

the feeling that we've lived through this before
and know what's coming next. Your silence is
obscure. Still you're
            imprisoned

by a world where things are held by threads --
the prince on the princess's hair; Damocles' sword;
all those feelings you shored-up,
            but never fully expressed.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

What makes a film a film?

What makes a film a film, as opposed to a TV special, or different to a direct-to-DVD movie — indeed, is there a difference?

This is the sort of thing that’s bothered me for a while, mainly thanks to the Radio Times. The Radio Times’ film section frequently features reviews for something that’s labelled “US TVM” — translation: an American TV Movie. But not everything falls into this category. 24: Redemption didn't, but one-off editions of other (older) series have, so why are they different?

What about Paul Greengrass’ excellent Bloody Sunday, simultaneously screened on Channel 4 and released in cinemas? Or more recently, Ballet Shoes — just part of last year’s Christmas schedule in the UK, but it received a limited late-summer theatrical release in the US. So is that a film, or ‘just’ a TV special?

Read the full article over at 100 Films in a Year.

Monday, 8 December 2008

TV

Clone
1x04 The Ian Cam
Very little to do with the titular cam, but one of the better episodes so far.

Have I Got News For You
36x07 (5/11/08 edition; extended repeat)

Survivors [2008]
1x03 Episode 3

Films

Ultimate Avengers (2006)
[#82 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]

DVD Extras

First Look at Ultimate Avengers 2
(from Ultimate Avengers)
A trailer-length preview of the next Ultimate Avengers film, made up of storyboards/animatics and talking heads going on about how much darker and more character-led it will be. So nothing changes, eh?

Music

The Tempest,
Propane Nightmares and
Mutiny
(songs from In Silico)
by Pendulum
At their best (i.e. in these songs), Pendulum sound like missing tracks from Muse's Black Holes & Revelations. Most of the rest of the time they just sound like bloody dance music. (On a random other note, Black Holes & Revelations is two-and-a-half years old! Really doesn't feel like it.)

Spaceman,
A Dustland Fairytale,
A Crippling Blow,
Losing Touch and
Joy Ride
(songs from Day & Age)
by the Killers
So, despite my predictions, these are the tracks from Day & Age that I've been most listening to. (Well, I got some right.)

Articles

The Top 50 DVDs of 2008 by Tom Charity
(from LOVEFiLM)

LOVEFiLM's list talks some sense -- "it's more useful to compare like with like. After all, if you're in the mood for a comedy, you don't really care if that Romanian abortion film won the Palme d'Or" -- but it's also predicated on some utter nonsense.

"About half of these movies came out in UK cinemas in 2007. The other half were released earlier this year and have already made it to DVD... We haven't gone in to back catalogue releases, because frankly, there are just too many to choose from. And we haven't talked about bonus features... you probably don't rent or purchase a movie for the commentary track." I should wager it does sway some people, actually.

So, if you're ignoring whether the disc's any good, and excluding back catalogue releases, that just makes this "The 50 Best Films Of The Second Half Of 2007 And The First Half Of 2008". And there aren't even 50, because one's on two lists. What a load of twaddle.

I still went through it, of course, because I love lists. I've seen just 12 of the 49 (and have another 7 on DVD, as per usual). How about you?

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory I

I. If I tell you...
by Andy Brown

For the next two weeks, Poem of the Day is going to be presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

If I tell you your love is a spider's web,
I mean that in its tensile sense --
the strongest substance known to man,
weight for weight tougher than steel.

'Web', I mean, in its tensile sense,
but also with a hint of home:
weight for weight tougher than steel,
a place for the creature to rest.

And with that hint of home,
a place that gathers morning dew;
a place for the creature to rest,
amazing a passing child's eye.

A thing that gathers morning dew,
my love, is a spider's web,
amazing a passing child's eye.
Please don't take offence -- I do not mean

your love is a spider's web
and I the struggling fly.
No, please don't take offence -- I do not mean
you are the spider who turns

on me, poor struggling fly.
If I tell you your love is a spider's web.
you are not -- repeat not -- the spider who turns
to feast on the head of her mate.

No, I mean... 'the strongest substance known to man.'

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Sunday, 7 December 2008

TV

Little Dorrit
Part 12 (of 14)
Delayed from Thursday. Finally, someone stands up to Mr Dorrit a bit and Mrs Clenham is -- for a moment -- likable. Both of those things occurred within the same scene, incidentally.

Outnumbered
2x04 Episode 4
After a lull in the last few episodes this was a spectacular return to form. Karen has to be one of the finest comic characters ever, and certainly the sweetest.

Top Gear
12x06 (7/12/08 edition)
Best. Road. Test. Ever. "What if I'm chased through a shopping centre by baddies driving a Corvette?" And if you thought they couldn't top that... D-Day 2! Most entertaining.

Fiction

Winter Story by Jill Barklem
[2nd read]

Saturday, 6 December 2008

TV

The British Comedy Awards 2008
Last year there were no Comedy Awards due to the 2006 ones being caught up in the phone voting scandals; this year, the Brand/Ross/Sachs affair surely put them in jeopardy. But on the air they were, and a few good jabs were had at the 30,000 people who complained without evening having heard the show -- with sizable cheers from the audience. Russell Brand's pre-recorded acceptance speech was intriguingly cut short, however... Also amusing, the lack of applause and amount of heckling that Ricky Gervais' win received, especially when his pre-recorded speech was full of his usual "I've won so many awards, this one means nothing" schtick. It got old a few years ago, and now it seems people really hate it. It's just a shame the audience audio was turned down so much. It'll be interesting to see what (if anything) gets more press coverage post-event: the reactions to Ross & Brand, or the jeering of Gervais.

Live at the Apollo
4x02 (5/12/08 edition)

Merlin
1x12 To Kill the King
Oh, the twisty-turny morals! Very nearly scuppered it too, but of course they twisted the right way for an unsurprisingly moral finale. But did the rest of the episode go too far the other to fully justify the ending? I think they may've. Also, the Next Time trailer was unintentionally amusing -- aiming for the same portentous effect as a Doctor Who season finale trailer, but without the weight of imagery and import to carry it off. Oh dear.

Articles

Movie Reviews: Punisher: War Zone
(from Studio Briefing)
Sounds like it's exactly what is set out to be... and the critics all hate that. At least it should please the fans.

New look - we are listening! by Colin Polonowski, and user comments
(from DVD Times)
Who'd've thought a redesign of a free website would prove so controversial?

100 Films update

While it's not been as long since the last update as I usually leave it, I decided the time was ripe to mention the latest round of reviews posted on my other blog, 100 Films in a Year. Though, there aren't many...

As December dawns (oh how literary-sounding!), I still have quite a way to go to hit my target of seeing 100 new films before the year's out. Finger-crossing time, perhaps; or maybe finger-pulling-out time -- I should just get on with it. Talking of which, I wrote a little 'editorial' on the matter here.

Anyway, I have recently posted the following reviews from 2008's quest...

  • The Cable Guy (1996)
  • Fist of Legend (1994)
  • Mamma Mia! (2008)
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943)
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942)


  • And among all these new films, I'm slowly uploading reviews from 2007. The latest batch includes...

  • The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
  • Hellboy: Director's Cut (2004)
  • On the Town (1949)
  • Piglet's Big Movie (2003)
  • Play Time (1967)
  • While You Were Sleeping (1995)
  • Wild at Heart (1990)


  • Also...
  • Telling Lies (a short)


  • I'm nearly done updating last year -- hopefully, 2007 and 2008 will finish around the same time. It'll be odd only having new reviews to post in 2009.

    Friday, 5 December 2008

    TV

    Big Cat Week
    2x05 (7/1/05 edition) [season finale]
    I wonder if someone got a little annoyed with Jonathan Scott, considering how bossy he comes across during one bit of this...

    The Dark Defender
    Part One: Little Chino
    Part Two: Roger Hicks
    Part Three: Ken Olson [final episode]
    "Stalker of the night, his blade of vengeance turns wrong into right." Animated-ish web spin-off thing from Dexter season two, which I've had knocking around since I finished watching that season... even though it looked rubbish. And, indeed, it's not very good, like an "oh, that would be a good idea" moment no one could be bothered to properly follow through. Quite why I suffered through all three episodes I don't know.

    Wallander
    1x01 Sidetracked
    See here for my thoughts on this episode.

    Poetry

    Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 by Andy Brown
    Part II (pages 60-63)

    Wallander: Sidetracked

    The BBC plays at ITV's game, adapting a series of detective novels into a TV series, with feature-length episodes, named after the lead character.

    The difference here is, these are Swedish novels set in Sweden -- and filmed there too -- starring Distinguished Actor Kenneth Branagh. (Incidentally, the Swedes have already produced a film series (adapting the novels) and a TV series (with new stories) featuring the character. It's interesting to note how different he looks in each version; and you can see for yourself on screen when BBC Four screen some of the Swedish Wallander films next week.)

    It's certainly 'grim up North' -- or, indeed, grim up Norse -- ho ho ho! Anyway, it's grim, and slow-paced in a measured, thoughtful kind of way. Big mistake in casting someone fairly well known in a tiny role though, especially when all the other small roles are filled by unknowns -- they may as well be wearing a T-shirt saying "I did it". That aside, it's quite good, though based on comments in one of the many issues of Radio Times out at the minute (whichever one covers Wallander's final ep), the unrelentingly downbeat style might get a tad wearing.

    One other element I was uncertain of: the conclusion of the main plot. It seems like your usual "hero does the Right Thing" moment, but things are a bit more complicated than that in this instance, and the possible ramifications of what Wallander did aren't touched upon. A bit of a missed beat considering the more intelligent, considered and complex approach this particular crime drama seems to be taking when compared to the straightforward black-and-white ones ITV churns out.

    Also, I have no idea what the title had to do with anything.

    Poem of the Day: Together forever... until the 8th of December

    by 'Daniella'

    Today sees the last in a series of five poems about December here on Poem of the Day. It's also Funny Friday, of course, so I have searched out this amusing little piece for your delectation.

    It can be surprisingly hard to find funny poems around the web, and even more so if you're after a very specific topic. This was the best I could do, though I don't mind too much as I personally find it quite amusing. The author is a 15-year-old South African who posted it on Poems & Quotes a month ago today (you can read the original posting, with its own comments, here). And that's about all the biographical information I have for you.

    Together forever ~ we'll never part
    Together forever ~ you have my heart
    Noah and Allie in modern day
    Through the test of time our love will stay
    The perfect couple; meant to be
    The perfect couple ~ you and me
    "Together forever" is what I remember...
    Together forever, till the 8th of December

    In the author's words, "I wrote this because my friend kept saying how she knew that my boyfriend and I would last forever and that we're like Noah and Allie from The Notebook, but she already knew that we're gonna break up... so it's pretty ironic."

    Next Monday is the 8th, you know. I don't know if they're breaking up then or if this was last year. You can always ask her if you like. Do let us know if you do.

    And that's the last Funny Friday until January. Sorry. Why? All will become clear soon enough...

    Thursday, 4 December 2008

    TV

    No Little Dorrit today, because the BBC decided to show some tosh about Shannon bloody Matthews instead. It'll now be shown for the first time in Sunday's omnibus. Seems odd for such a big primetime drama -- maybe no one's been watching? Don't imagine they'd've done the same to East-bloody-Enders.

    Lead Balloon
    3x04 Karma

    Never Mind the Buzzcocks
    22x10 (4/12/08 edition)

    Last week I summarised the appalling amount of TV I had to catch up on. How are things one week on? One Sarah Jane Adventures, one Survivors, one Wallander, one Heroes... four Apparitionses and five Heroes Unmaskeds. At least some have improved.

    Poetry

    Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 by Andy Brown
    Part II (pages 49-59)

    The Trust Territory by Andy Brown
    (from Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 pages 37-46)
    [a few reads now]

    Poem of the Day: December

    by Helen Hunt Jackson

    This week Poem of the Day is celebrating the start of December, with a poem each day somehow related to the month. On Monday and Tuesday we had a pair of English poets, and yesterday was the first in a pair of Americans.

    Jackson's December is the final piece in a book of poetry entitled A Calendar of Sonnets, originally published in 1886. I'm sure you can guess the subject of the eleven preceding pieces. If you're interested, you can read the whole book for free at Project Gutenberg.

    The lakes of ice gleam bluer than the lakes
    Of water 'neath the summer sunshine gleamed:
    Far fairer than when placidly it streamed,
    The brook its frozen architecture makes,
    And under bridges white its swift way takes.
    Snow comes and goes as messenger who dreamed
    Might linger on the road; or one who deemed
    His message hostile gently for their sakes
    Who listened might reveal it by degrees.
    We gird against the cold of winter wind
    Our loins now with mighty bands of sleep,
    In longest, darkest nights take rest and ease,
    And every shortening day, as shadows creep
    O'er the brief noontide, fresh surprises find.

    As usual, it concentrates primarily on nature. I suppose it's no surprise that all the poetry found easily online is quite old -- it's a copyright thing, I should imagine -- and therefore obviously not concerned with aspects of modern experience

    Tomorrow, we end the week with a December-themed Funny Friday.

    Alec Baldwin is very funny

    Normally I don't bother watching videos people post on blogs unless they're under a minute. This one's nearly three, but I bothered, and so should you -- it's hilarious.

    Wednesday, 3 December 2008

    TV

    Babylon 5
    1x21 The Quality of Mercy
    1x22 Chrysalis [season finale]
    Long-time readers may remember that I tried to finish the first season of Babylon 5 before I went to New York last summer -- five months ago. Ha! Well, anyway, I've finally done it.
    The Quality of Mercy is one of the series' best stand-alone episodes so far; Chrysalis is overrated, one of those season finales that confuses complications and "not resolving anything" with events of importance and cliffhangers -- thankfully, a style that's now mostly out of fashion. And where Mercy is all very well written and performed, Chrysalis has some dreadful daytime-soap-level relationship scenes. Ouch.

    The Devil's Whore
    Part 3 (of 4)

    Heroes
    3x09 It's Coming

    Little Dorrit
    Part 11 (of 14)

    The Sarah Jane Adventures
    2x09 The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part One

    Poetry

    Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 by Andy Brown
    Part II (pages 37-48)

    Poem of the Day: December Night

    by W. S. Merwin

    This week Poem of the Day is celebrating the start of December, with a poem each day somehow related to the month.

    After a pair of English poets, it's time for a pair of Americans. Born in 1927 and coming to fame as an anti-war poet during the 1960s, Merwin is decidedly more modern than Southey or Keats, though his poem might not be so different...

    The cold slope is standing in darkness
    But the south of the trees is dry to the touch

    The heavy limbs climb into the moonlight bearing feathers
    I came to watch these
    White plants older at night
    The oldest
    Come first to the ruins

    And I hear magpies kept awake by the moon
    The water flows through its
    Own fingers without end

    Tonight once more
    I find a single prayer and it is not for men

    Tomorrow, a woman. Shocking I know.