TV

The Armstrong and Miller Show
2x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Collision
Part 2 (of 5)
More intrigue, more potential cliches. Can Collision overcome them? I fear we'll have to wait til part five to find out.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Generation Kill
Part 6 Stay Frosty
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

How I Met Your Mother
2x22 Something Blue [season finale]
Well, that was inevitable. They did have some fun with it though, in typical HIMYM time-bending fashion -- hurrah!

It's Only a Theory
1x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Spooks
8x02 Episode 2
In which the good guys spend most of the episode being the bad guys, morally. A bit of a return to form after last week though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

new review at 100 Films

High Anxiety (1977)

Mel Brooks pays comedic tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, but those unfamiliar with the Master of Suspense’s output need not apply... I can’t remember many laughs that didn’t spring from a Hitchcock reference of some kind. Indeed, whole chunks pass by without a laugh. At other times, bits that are clearly meant to be funny just don’t hit home, while some gags are almost reassuringly familiar

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 16 feature films and one short in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Collision
Part 1 (of 5)
ITV muscle into BBC territory with a five-part thriller showing every night this week. It's rather epic and with a ridiculously star-laden cast (cries of "oh it's him/her!" abound throughout), but already threatening to tip over into cliche. If Dean Lennox Kelly is smuggling drugs or David Bamber turns out to be a paedophile, or every person in the crash turns out to be somehow connected, I'll be most disappointed at the thorough lack of twists and reasonable logic.
(I realise it started last night -- I'm 24 hours behind, cos this way I can fast-forward the ads. Hurrah!)
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

The Graham Norton Show
6x06 (9/11/09 edition)
David Tennant! Hurrah! Revealing nothing significant about the remaining eps of Who, of course, and giving the usual answers to the usual questions, but he's always entertaining and it's worth watching if you're a fan.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

How I Met Your Mother
2x21 Something Borrowed

Films

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
[#70 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Magazines

Radio Times 14-20 November 2009

Two very good articles this week (not counting the Who one on p17-18, that is, which is always excellent): Stephen Poliakoff espouses on the ludicrous BBC Safeguarding Trust (It's time to set writers free and trust the viewers, p12) and both of Alison Graham's pieces (so I guess that's three then), one about the way documentaries are now over-directed (Stand still, calm down and just let 'em speak, p49) and one about the disappointing guessability of most modern thrillers (Crime dramas need subtlety, also p49).

There's also a feature on Channel 4's so-called '3D Week' (3-D TV, p24) that rather highlights how lacklustre it is. With one two-part programme, one other programme, and two films, it's less a Week and more a Night someone thought they could string out. There's not even an attempt to make it last all week, with Wednesday and Thursday featuring no related programming and Friday being mainly a repeat (and one of the films). Disappointing, C4.

Articles

First pic of David Tennant's last Who story by Neil Wilkes
(from Digital Spy)
This has to be the must underwhelming 'first pic' ever. Honestly, it could be from almost any Tennant story -- the only requirement would be he was wearing the brownish suit.

TV

Ghosts in the Machine
Documentary about the supernatural on TV.

The Graham Norton Show
6x05 (2/11/09 edition)
Yes, last week's.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

House
6x06 Brave Heart

Russell Howard's Good News
1x03 (5/11/09 edition, extended repeat)
Why don't they put the extended one on iPlayer, hm?
[You can only see the shorter version on iPlayer.]

Magazines

Inside Empire

Special edition of Empire celebrating their 20th anniversary. Yes, you're right, they did a 20th Birthday issue earlier this year (guest edited by Steven Spielberg, no less. I still haven't read it.) This issue focuses in on the magazine itself, however.

That might seem a little self indulgent, but Empire is an internationally respected magazine (c'mon, Spielberg guest edited it!) Perhaps because they already did a birthday issue, but at times it feels a little slight -- the list of regrettable mistakes (e.g. giving Attack of the Clones five stars, or Pearl Harbor four), for example, only manages 20 entries, which after some 246 issues seems unlikelily brief.

Other features fail to live up to their promise: What Might Have Been... doesn't present as well-realised an alternate history of the last 20 years in movies as you'd've hoped, for instance, while the focus on the 'directors who define Empire' are just old quotes (though some at least are interesting), and the profile of the readership is as silly as you'd hope but at just two pages feels lacklustre. Several articles merely relive former glories in a watered-down version, such as the six pages dedicated to the Lord of the Rings photo supplement they did in 2003.

It's not all bad -- some of the features are worth a read, like the editors' reminisces or the summary of the Real World in the last 20 years (not as thorough as could be, but wins points for noting Doctor Who was 2005's most defining TV series and GoldenEye 1997's most defining game. Some of the album choices are thoroughly suspect though -- if I've not even heard of them, how defining can they really be?)

Perhaps the 20th birthday issue was a more worthy celebration. I really ought to read that...

new review at 100 Films

Alone in the Dark (2005)

I could go through every scene in the film describing what’s wrong, but no one wants to suffer that. Suffice to say it only gets worse — none of the initial flaws improve, but are compounded by more weak performances (Tara Read as some kind of scientist?) and the story entirely vacating proceedings... It's laughable for all the wrong reasons. Sadly, none of it’s laughable in a charming way — this is not So Bad It’s Good territory.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 16 feature films and one short in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Charley Boorman: By Any Means - Sydney to Tokyo
Part 2 (of 6)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Have I Got News For You
38x04 (6/11/09 edition; uncut repeat).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

It's Only a Theory
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The AristoCats (1970)
[2nd watch]

The World of Tomorrow (1998)
[#69a in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
The short that led to the commission of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Not necessarily that good in its own right, but as an extended trailer / proof of concept it works nicely.

TV

How I Met Your Mother
2x19 Bachelor Party
2x20 Showdown

Merlin
2x06 Beauty and the Beast Part 2
The cast and crew clearly had a ball producing this episode, which makes it great fun to watch too.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance
On at the same time as The X Factor. Oh ITV...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Alone in the Dark (2005)
[#69 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
The first Uwe Boll film I've seen. I can now confirm that he certainly lives up (or, rather, down) to his atrocious reputation.

Articles

Comedy Central orders Onion pilot by Mike Moody
(from Digital Spy)
The Onion: The Series? Sounds like a great idea, considering how funny the videos on the ONN are. So it's a shame to learn it's focusing solely on sports.

Tarantino: 'Kill Bill 3 will be out in 2014' by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Read the article -- that's not really what he said.

new review at 100 Films

Pushing on with yet another review this week at 100 Films...

The Apartment (1960)

It begins almost as a farce, with Jack Lemmon playing up the near-misses inherent in lending your apartment to adulterous men, and though this comedic vein never goes away the film also develops a dark side. Alongside the affairs and underhand dealings — in which our hero is closely involved — there’s an attempted overdose, discussion of other suicide methods, and respectable men getting divorced.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 17 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

The Armstrong and Miller Show
2x03 Episode 3
A brilliant return for "kill them".
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
17x09 (30/10/09 edition)
It seems that Christopher Walken makes for an awkward interview, but his spoken word rendition of a Lady Gaga song was TV gold.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

House
6x05 Instant Karma

How I Met Your Mother
2x18 Moving Day

The Sarah Jane Adventures
3x08 The Eternity Trap Part Two
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Avatar Trailer 2
I was thoroughly underwhelmed by the first Avatar trailer -- as were many, despite the media's insistence that it was the best thing since someone invented moving pictures. This, on the other hand, actually looks quite good... but you have to ignore the hype. The CGI doesn't look completely lifelike, as we've been repeatedly told it will, but it is very good CGI; and overall it looks like a potentially entertaining sci-fi action/war movie, but not The Greatest Most Important Movie Ever Made Ever, as some are still insisting. So if you ignore all that -- don't take it on its own terms, as it were -- it looks like it might be quite good.
Still keep thinking of this though.

Exiled (2006)
[#68 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Sherlock Holmes Trailer 2
Feels less like a trailer and more a semi-randomly assembled series of clips. But they're really cool clips. No, it's not 'proper' Sherlock Holmes, but it does look like a great big entertaining action/adventure film, and that's fine by me.

Articles

How Scary Should Kids Movies Be? by Helen O'Hara
(from the Empire Blog)
An excellent point -- essentially, that a bit of a scare is good for kids. It's certainly the ethos that Doctor Who operates on, and that's just one of the reasons it's so good.

Ian McKellen has read The Hobbit! by James White
(from Total Film)
The screenplay, that is, not the book. Though he's probably read the book. But that's not news, is it. Of course, this is barely news, because he can't actually say anything about it. Still, it's exciting that it's getting closer.

Kick-Ass Character Posters Now Online by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire)
Much coolness.

Collection Count

It's the third week of Collection Count, tracking my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics. If you don't know what this is you can read my initial post here.

Another week of increases here, and a very adult statistic of the week...

Number of titles in collection: 1,072 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,037 [up 6]
Of which Blu-rays: 35 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 2,633 [up 8]
Number of films in collection: 1,117 [up 15]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,653 [no change]

Statistic of the week:

Number of titles rated 18:
171
(15.9% of the collection)

Any particularly anal readers may like to note that as my collection includes discs from around the world, I have 154 titles without a BBFC classification, some of which are/would be rated 18 if I had the UK edition.

See you next week, faithful reader.

new review at 100 Films

Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

so imbued with the recognisable calling cards of noir in its cinematography, characters and plot points that it feels more like an entry in a well-established genre than a formative inclusion. At only just over an hour it is, on the one hand, too brief to dig into its characters or complicate its story, but on the other, it rattles past quickly enough that the good bits impress and the weak bits are only briefly registered

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 17 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Argumental
2x10 (3/11/09 edition)

Defying Gravity
1x04 H2IK
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

How I Met Your Mother
2x16 Stuff
The episode I accidentally skipped. Not that it matters, and it seems this links more directly into the next one anyhow.

The Sarah Jane Adventures
3x07 The Eternity Trap Part One
Ooh, spooky! Some kids'll be having nightmares tonight.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Buffy creator bids for Terminator
(from BBC News)
Ah Joss, funny as ever. It's sometimes hard to tell if the journalist writing the article has twigged it's a joke...

new review at 100 Films

Babel (2006)

The quickest way to assess Babel is to say that it is about something — or, About Something. The plots, such as they are, aren’t really the point; nor is how they connect, or what chronology they actually occurred in... Naturally, because it is About Something, the Something it is About isn’t made blindingly clear, though there are many contenders

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 17 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Charley Boorman: By Any Means - Sydney to Tokyo
Part 1 (of 6)
No detail on the preparation? No running vehicle count? No Russ accompanying? Have to say, so far, series two is lacking some of the first's charm.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Generation Kill
Part 5 A Burning Dog
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
23x06 (4/11/09 edition)
Winkleman's a poor host, of course, but this episode did manage to pick up once it got going.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Ross Noble's Australian Trip
Part 6 (of 6)
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

Spooks
8x01 Episode 1
Over-written, over-directed, over-acted, and over-wrought -- makes for a distinctly underwhelming return for the spy series. Must do better, or the whole show should be retired.
(Incidentally, with episode titles now turning up on Wikipedia, I've updated all my entries for series 7. And, as predicted here, this is the first time I've watched an episode of Spooks on its first broadcast since 1x02 in May 2002.)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Gibbons Gabs
and
Gibbons Galore
(from WatchmenComicMovie.com)
Nice interview with Watchmen co-creator/illustrator Dave Gibbons. In part one he discusses the film, its reception and the various cuts, while part is a general grabbag of broadly related topics.

new review at 100 Films

Eastern Promises (2007)

director David Cronenberg widened his appeal somewhat with the excellent crime thriller A History of Violence. Here he reunites with star Viggo Mortensen for another grim tale, switching the bright searing heat of the American Midwest for the rain-drenched nighttime streets of our fair capital. But despite some similarities in plot and theme, Eastern Promises failed to engage me in the same way as the earlier effort

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 18 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson
1x01 Episode 1
As hit and miss as sketch shows always are, but with a good enough hit ratio. There are too many wonderfully accurate impersonations to mention, but Stephenson's uncanny Davina McCall takes the biscuit. A decent impression show has been missing from the schedule for a while -- this fills the void nicely.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

It's Only a Theory
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Russell Howard's Good News
1x02 (29/10/09 edition, extended repeat)
[You can only see the shorter version on iPlayer.]

DVD Extras

Deleted Scene on Hilary and Jackie
It's a shame this doesn't come with a director's introduction/commentary, because it's a beautifully shot little sequence that looks great. Perhaps that's why, though -- the swish camerawork distracts too much from the point of the scene?

Articles

A-list stars honour Jonathan Ross
(from BBC News)
What the headline misses out is that Ross was given a music award. "What?" I hear you say. "He's not a musician!" Don't worry, it all makes sense (pretty much...) when you read the full story.

new review at 100 Films

For Your Consideration (2006)

The team who basically invented the spoof documentary finally taking on their own industry? Brilliant! But it feels like they felt the same way and rushed into production without properly thinking it through. Which, in its own way, is rather ironic.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 19 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

FlashForward
1x05 Give Me Some Truth
FlashForward hits new heights of lunacy with a Big Dramatic Shoot-Out set to some chart-bothering pop-rock. Except it's '80s chart-bothering pop-rock. I just can't tell if it's meant to be a comic bad-'80s-movie-style gunfight or if the producers actually thought this was a cool idea. Either way, it just seems laughable for all the wrong reasons.
Oh dear.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

Have I Got News For You
38x03 (30/10/09 edition; uncut repeat).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Ripley's Game (2002)
[#67 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
Ebert numbers this among his Great Movies. That may be over-egging it a bit, but it's certainly underrated.

TV

Criminal Justice
2x03 Part 3
2x04 Part 4
2x05 Part 5 [season finale]

The Graham Norton Show
6x04 (26/10/09 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock
Originally broadcast sometime last year, Merton co-writes, presents and directs this look at Hitchcock's early life and British films. It's a brilliant piece: analytical and informative, but also incredibly playful. Despite being known as the Master of Suspense, Hitch was incessantly humourous -- one of the reasons his films are so well regarded is this contrast -- and one imagines he would delight in the occasionally irreverent style Merton employs here. Most documentaries are watch-once contains for information, but the intelligence and entertainment Merton brings to this make it worth seeking out and, at some point, seeking out again.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

The Fry debacle by @brumplum
(from Plum's plums)
Remember yesterday's Stephen Fry story? Here's the (reasonable, I should point out) response from the guy who 'insulted' him. There certainly has been a media overreaction. (And you'll be pleased to know they've made up and Stephen's still on twitter).

Review of The Complete Fritz Lang Mabuse Boxset DVD by Clydefro Jones
(from DVD Times)
Comprehensive review of Masters of Cinema's excellent-looking new box set. Lengthy, but fascinating.

TV

Emma
Part 4 (of 4)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

With the next Doctor Who special, The Waters of Mars (brilliant title), screening for the press yesterday, the net is naturally awash with stories relating to it. And quite right too. Here are a few of the best/most interesting/etc that I've seen...

Be warned, all articles contain spoilers.

Ten Waters of Mars teasers by Neil Wilkes
(from Digital Spy)
Does what it says on the tin, and naturally is spectacularly spoilersome.

Transcript: Doctor Who press conference by Neil Wilkes & Philippa Warr (from Digital Spy)
and
Doctor Who: It’s Time by Ian Wylie (from Life of Wylie)
Both claim to offer a full transcript of the post-screening press conference. They're similar, but still amusingly different, in some cases missing whole questions (and answers, obviously). Clearly journalists have a different definition of "full" to the rest of us... but then that should be no surprise.

And in Who DVD news...

The Mind of Evil In Colour (Just Not Yet) and More! by Graeme
(from The Doctor Who Blog)
Some good news, some bad there -- I seriously hope "no incomplete story is currently on the DVD release schedule" means "in the immediate future", because there are some brilliant and very releasable incomplete stories left. Even if they're scheduled for November 2013 (when the range will end) to allow time for animated reconstructions to become viable, they deserve a release.

And in other news entirely...

Blog sparks mass council walkout
(from BBC News)
Hurrah for the power of the blog!

Fry ponders leaving Twitter site
(from BBC News)
Because of one stupid comment, the article implies, but it seems to have been building for a while -- too many news sources seem to think Twitter's Opinion and Stephen Fry's Opinion are synonymous, and that understandably irritates him.

Paranormal Activity breaks Witch record by Tim Parks
(from Digital Spy)
"Paranormal Activity has surpassed The Blair Witch Project to become the most profitable movie ever made. The film, directed by Oren Peli on a budget of $15,000 (£9,059)... has now made $65.1m (£39.5m) and has reaped a 433,900% return on its initial investment"

new review at 100 Films

Saw IV (2007)

After the overly gory third film, Saw IV returns to the franchise’s roots by playing more like a thriller than a horror film — even more so than the previous instalments, one might argue, as aside from a couple of jumps and a few instances of gore, the story and its key sequences move forward via police investigation, endless flashbacks and copious twists. The Saw franchise should be applauded for trying to be more than just another slasher series, but needs to learn the value of restraint in other areas.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 19 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

The Armstrong and Miller Show
2x02 Episode 2
Yes, last week's.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Criminal Justice
2x01 Part 1
2x02 Part 2
Finally catching up with this. It's grim and depressing, as promised, but also utterly brilliant. Marvellous performances all round, particularly from Maxine Peake.

How I Met Your Mother
2x17 Arrivederci, Fiero
Oops, skipped one again. Fortunately this was entirely standalone.

The Sarah Jane Adventures
3x06 The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith Part Two
Another brilliant episode -- SJA is really excelling this series -- with a moving send-off to David T.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

High Anxiety (1977)
[#65 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)
[#66 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
On 4HD, though the D didn't look very H to me.

Articles

The Thief of Bagdad (1940) by Roger Ebert
(from Great Movies at rogerebert.com)
Lovely review/article on 100 Films' #66.

Collection Count

Last week I started my new Collection Count series, tracking my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics. You can read the whole initial post here.

This week most numbers have gone up (as is generally the case; though, occasionally (very occasionally) I do sell titles and they might go down), which is as exciting as ever. And statistic of the week is truly fascinating. Oh yes.

Number of titles in collection: 1,066 [up 9]
Of which DVDs: 1,031 [up 7]
Of which Blu-rays: 35 [up 2]

Number of discs in collection: 2,625 [up 9]
Number of films in collection: 1,102 [up 8]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,653 [up 1]

Statistic of the week:

Number of titles produced in the '00s:
589
(55.3% of the collection)

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Ooh, lots today...

Argumental
2x09 (27/10/09 edition)

Defying Gravity
1x03 Threshold
Dear God, please save us from "sci-fi for women". (Not that there's anything wrong with women liking sci-fi, but foisting Hollyoaks-level soapy plotting onto a promising sci-fi/fact idea is incredibly disappointing.)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
17x08 (23/10/09 edition)
If anyone knows where I can get hold of Tim Minchin's specially written song, please let me know -- it was brilliant!
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

How I Met Your Mother
2x15 Lucky Penny
The kind of episode HIMYM does so well. Here, the story jumps increasingly far back in time to outline a months-long chain of cause and effect that stems from a penny to Ted losing out on a major job.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
23x05 (28/10/09 edition)
Frank Skinner makes for the most laid-back host yet. Not sure if that's good or bad...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Ross Noble's Australian Trip
Part 4 (of 6)
Part 5 (of 6)
"Landrover on a Pole." Ah, Australia.
[Watch Part 4 and Part 5 (again) on Demand Five.]

The Sarah Jane Adventures
3x05 The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith Part One
One of the best yet, packed with wonderful humour. Though the best bit is surely to come tomorrow, of course.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Generation Kill
Part 4 Combat Jack
Along with @Generation_Kill, of course.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

House
6x04 The Tyrant

How I Met Your Mother
2x13 Columns
2x14 Monday Night Football

Films

Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)
[#64 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
It was made in '64... and it's #64! Such amazement...

Articles

The Five Scariest Episodes in TV History by Richard Lawson
(from tv.com)
Some good picks, though the omission of Doctor Who's Blink is a serious oversight.

TV

Argumental
2x08 (20/10/09 edition)
Yes, last week's.
Proof if proof were needed that this isn't series three: managing to discuss Michael Jackson with reference to his upcoming gigs at the O2 -- and, obviously therefore, not mentioning his death -- clearly shows it was filmed a good while ago. I'm fairly surprised they broadcast that round, actually.

How I Met Your Mother
2x12 First Time in New York

Articles

It's Question Time for the Daily Mail by Media Monkey
(from guardian.co.uk)
The Daily Mail are liars -- look, here's proof.

The Only Tobin Bell Interview You'll Ever Need by Kyle Buchanan
(from Movie|Line)
Normally I find articles with such self-important titles to be objectionable, but for once it's not undeserved. The star of the Saw series has an awful lot more to offer, as demonstrated by this interview that is fascinating but barely mentions those films.

Paul Haggis Renounces Church of Scientology in Blistering Letter by Kyle Buchanan
(from Movie|Line)
You may've heard this story -- it's such a damning letter that it's been quite widely reported. Be sure to stick around for page two, that's where the best bits are (not that I don't approve of what he's saying on the first page, but someone in the media being pro gay marriage and a church being anti it has all the surprise value of the latest X Factor single going straight to number one).

new review at 100 Films

Saw III (2006)

the point at which the franchise finally tips over into the justly reviled “torture porn” category. That’s not to say it’s solely focused on its gruesome deaths — as with the previous two films, there’s a thriller-ish plot to work through as well — but Jigsaw’s traps this time round are shown in excruciating detail... Along with it, the gore feels less justified. The traps have an element of invention about them, but the punishment doesn’t fit the crime in the same way it did in the first tw

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 17 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Have I Got News For You
38x02 (23/10/09 edition; uncut repeat).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

How I Met Your Mother
2x11 How Lily Stole Christmas

It's Only a Theory
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
[#63 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

TV

FlashForward
1x04 Black Swan
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

Life
Part 2 Reptiles and Amphibians
Crikey this looks stunning in HD.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Life On Location
Part 2 Chasing the Dragon
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Russell Howard's Good News
1x01 (22/10/09 edition, extended repeat)
Faintly topical, rather lewd, very BBC Three.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Saw IV (2007)
[#62 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Articles

Hmm... remember this? by Anton Vowl
(from The enemies of reason)
One of the best articles you will ever read, showing both the hypocrisy of papers like the Daily Mail and Daily Express, and how they might just be to blame for the rise of the BNP. My favourite bit is where the Mail has a headline that's word-for-word identical to BNP protest placards.

Saw 7 - Sequel Plans by Sheridan Passell
(from Movie Moron)
Odd things are occurring in the world of the Saw franchise -- just look at those Rotten Tomatoes scores!

TV

Emma
Part 3 (of 4)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

How I Met Your Mother
2x09 Slap Bet
2x10 Single Stamina

Merlin
2x05 Beauty and the Beast Part 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine #414

DWM finds itself in a slightly awkward position at the minute, it seems to me. It can't start reporting on Matt Smith's era because David Tennant's is far from over (there's three Who specials, a full-length animation, two eps of Sarah Jane, and a surprise 'Project 3' still to come), despite reports covering the web with titbits from filming; but as Tennant's era is all in the can, with broadcast still a month or two away, it has no news on that front either. Russell T Davies' Production Notes are particularly meaningless these days because of that -- we want to hear what Mr Moffat has to say about work on the new series, not Davies' endless (almost literally, it seems) musings on leaving.

It leaves the whole thing feeling a bit neutered, quite frankly, a problem it didn't have in the run up to Chris Eccleston's era beginning -- with no exiting Doctor, the mag was free to publish bits of news and whatnot about the forthcoming series. Same for Tennant's, actually, because serious work (well, filming) didn't commence until after the regeneration was shown on screen. Surely they don't really think fandom are dumb enough to not realise Smith's era is already underway? Where's the news of writers, directors, which episodes have been/are being filmed?

While celebrating it's 30th anniversary this month, it seems DWM has finally hit a production team-enforced nadir. One can only hope that things return to their previous high standard once the new team take over properly.

TV

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
17x07 (16/10/09 edition)
Yes, last week's.

The Graham Norton Show
6x03 (19/10/09 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Sarah Jane Adventures
3x04 The Mad Woman in the Attic Part Two
Makes a nice change to have aliens without a malicious purpose, but to still craft an interesting and worthwhile story around them. It's especially suited to the kiddy-centric Who spin-off, actually
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

October Filming Roundup by Chuck Foster
(from Doctor Who News Page)
They're currently filming episode one of Series Five (or Series One, as Steven Moffat will be rebranding it), so beware spoilers in this piece. Not too many, actually, though it does reveal Amy Pond's job and her dad-friendly initial costume, among one or two other intriguing titbits -- including our first blurry partial look at the new TARDIS console room.

Collection Count

As some readers will be aware, I have a rather large DVD/Blu-ray collection. It's by no means amongst the largest in the world, but to any sane person it's big. Insanely big. Huge, one might say. And it's increasing all the time. Daily, at times.

So, in the interests of... well, nothing, really... I've decided to post a weekly Collection Count. Every Friday, a little list of some of the statistics from my collection. These will include a few the same every week, but, in case there's little variance (or, indeed, interest) I'll bung in one different stat every week. (If that makes no sense, hopefully it will in practice).

My collection has just been through quite a solid period of expansion, so it's a shame I didn't think of this earlier, and it probably means I'll now cut back and the numbers will barely shift at all... but we'll see.

Here's this week's numbers:

Number of titles in collection: 1,057
Of which DVDs: 1,024
Of which Blu-rays: 33

Number of discs in collection: 2,616
Number of films in collection: 1,094
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,652

And statistic of the week is...

Total running time of collection (approx.):
179 days, 16 hours, and 53 minutes.

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
23x04 (22/10/09 edition)
Jack Whitehall makes the first rubbish host of this guest-hosted series, and consequently this is the most lacklustre episode so far. Still, even below-par Buzzcocks is worth watching.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Question Time
22/10/09 edition
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Sarah Jane Adventures
3x03 The Mad Woman in the Attic Part One
Interesting framing device, though it's not very reassuring to know that mid-teen boys will still have that annoying helmet-like haircut (as sported by three in this episode) in 50 years' time. All round a good episode though, which at times I thought was going to be an SJA version of Torchwood's Greeks Bearing Gifts, if you know what I mean. Guess not. Anyway, much promise for tomorrow's second half.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Saw III (2006)
[#61 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Articles

Gately's label complains to PCC
(from BBC News)

Boyzone's record label, Polydor, has filed an official complaint with the Press Complaints Commission over a Daily Mail column about Stephen Gately... More than 25,000 people have now contacted the PCC about the article. The PCC has already written to the Daily Mail for its response to the complaints received so far - the most ever made about a single newspaper article.

Marvel: 'Batman & Robin was important film' by Tim Parks
(from Digital Spy)
Hopefully you can see where the Marvel-man making this comment is going with such an apparently ludicrous assertion, but in case not:

[It] may be the most important comic book movie ever made. It was so bad that it demanded a new way of doing things. It created the opportunity to do X-Men and Spider-Man adaptations that respected the source material and adaptations that were not campy.

TV

Defying Gravity
1x01 Pilot
1x02 Natural Selection
I've loved the miniseries that inspired this (the BBC's Space Odyssey) ever since it first aired, always thinking it would make a good basis for an extended-length series... which this is. Unsurprisingly, it can't wholly live up to expectations. There are some good bits, and some wonderful special effects, but there's also plenty of soap opera-level melodrama and horribly cheesy dialogue, not least the voiceover narration. Ouch.
It's been called "Grey's Anatomy in space". I've never seen Grey's, but I can guess what people mean, and think they should've just stuck with the realistic sci-fi angle of the original miniseries. Certainly, the most obviously sci-fi element of all -- whatever the mystery in Pod 4 is -- is the most irritating part of the show for me (yes, even more than the voiceover), because it drags would could almost be science-fact into out-and-out science-fiction. And while I do love out-and-out science-fiction, I want a series with this premise to have a greater grounding in reality.
Still, I'll be sticking with it -- there's some promise. (As much as anything, I want it be successful enough to run for as many seasons are needed to show us the whole darn mission.)
[Watch Pilot and Natural Selection (again) on iPlayer.]

Generation Kill
Part 3 Screwby
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
1x06 Thrilla in the Villa [season finale]
Despite a poor showing in the US leading to co-production partner Comedy Central pulling out, I hear UK production company Hat Trick are still pursuing a second series with the BBC (who haven't ruled out the idea). Reports say that, to make it affordable, the budget would be slashed by half, reconfiguring the series to focus more on Matt Lucas' character, with fewer special effects and filming in the UK. The series wasn't half bad and still has promise, so hopefully it'll be given another shot.

Last Chance to See
Part 5 Kakapo
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Dave wants more Red Dwarf by Robin Parker
(from Broadcast)
Says it all, really. Apart from that scripts are in development and that "filming is pencilled in for next year".
Additionally, for an interview with the head of Dave talking about how pleased they were with Back to Earth, look here.

new review at 100 Films

Saw II (2005)

the climax produces a final round of twists that are almost equal to the first film’s triumphant reveal. I won’t give it away, but it’s entirely in keeping with both the games Jigsaw might play and the flashback-driven style of the first film, not to mention that — as the insistent concluding recap shows — there are clues seeded all the way along. If it’s not as audaciously memorable as the twist in Saw, that’s through no fault of it’s own.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 15 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

The Force
Episode 1 (of 3)
Excellent new documentary series which follows a real-life police case from beginning to end (assuming there is one), with full access to every element of the police's activities during the investigation. As well as being fascinating in its own right, it neatly shows up the veracity (or lack thereof) of the many TV shows about criminal investigation.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

How I Met Your Mother
2x08 Atlantic City

Articles

INTERVIEW - Charlie Brooker by Ben Parfitt
(from MCV)
Interesting three-part interview with Charlie Brooker relating to his recent Gameswipe TV programme. An interesting read for both gamers and those baffled by gamers -- for the former, it might explain why non-gamers find it all so odd; and for the latter, it might help explain it a bit. Maybe.
In particular, Part Three's discussion of violence in games is definitely worth a read, as Brooker has several objective, intelligent and worthwhile points to make.

TV

The Armstrong and Miller Show
2x01 Episode 1
That rarest of things, a sketch show that's consistently good. Nice to finally have it back.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

House
6x03 Epic Fail
After the highly irregular events of the opening two-parter, House takes another episode to put things back on track. Yes, we're back in Case of the Week territory, but at least it's with an interesting patient.

How I Met Your Mother
2x07 Swarley
Nice Friends reference. Nice Cheers reference. Nice to see yet another Joss Whedon chum turn up in this show. Nice episode all round.

It's Only a Theory
1x02 Episode 2
It seems I completely forgot to mention watching the first episode of this new series. Oops. It's an odd'un, part panel comedy part discussion of concepts, which I suppose is why it's on BBC Four. It has some potential, but it's not ever going to be a breakthrough success.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Disney predicts 'profound changes' for films by Oli Simpson
(from Digital Spy)

the DVD business continues to decline by double digits annually... the advent of high definition Blu-ray discs has not halted the slide, noting that the average family already owns around 80 movies in their libraries but are not replacing their older discs with Blu-ray equivalents.

...in order to bolster the home video business, the window between the time a movie is released in cinemas and on DVD must be shortened. ... the long delay from cinema to DVD has given pirates an opportunity to capitalise. "In South Korea, it obliterated the secondary market so much so that we [Disney] closed our home video operations"

If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it, can Carter-Ruck ban all mention of the sound? by Charlie Brooker
(from guardian.co.uk)
Another current major news story beautifully deconstructed by Mr Brooker.

TV

The Graham Norton Show
6x02 (12/10/09 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Have I Got News For You
38x01 (16/10/09 edition; uncut repeat)
It's back! Hurrah! And the extended repeat is still the only way to go.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

House
6x01 Broken Part 1
6x02 Broken Part 2
A couple of weeks late in starting the new season, due to an intensive season five catch-up. But that's fine, because this is actually a two-hour season premiere that was cut in two for the UK broadcast -- so I win.
It's also an excellent episode. Entirely unlike any other episode of House ever (which is something you very rarely get to say with total honesty about any TV programme), but all the more brilliant for it. It probably relies on having spent five seasons getting to know the character, so it's hard to recommend it to everyone, but it's nonetheless a great hour-and-a-half of drama. Not flawless (some of the protocols followed by staff were more lax than they would be in reality; the happy endings for almost anyone stretched credibility), but still great.

How I Met Your Mother
2x06 Aldrin Justice

Films

Saw II (2005)
[#60 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Articles

Edge Of Darkness Trailer Now Online by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire)
"It's all based on the 1985 BBC TV series of the same name, but before you throw up your hands in disgust and dismiss it as just another remake, it's worth noting that this is directed by Martin Campbell, who also made the much acclaimed series. That makes it less like Gus Van Sant's Psycho and more like Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 remake of his own film, The Man Who Knew Too Much."

The Future Of The X-Men Franchise by Nick de Semlyen
(from Empire)
Producer Lauren Shuler Donner reveals all about the four (four) X-Men films currently in development. All sound promising.

New Harry Brown Poster by Phil de Semlyen
(from Empire)
Michael Caine killing hoodies? Sounds bloody brilliant!

new review at 100 Films

Saw (2004)

Despite being credited with birthing the entirely risible ‘gorno’ genre, Saw isn’t really a good example of it. There are nasty, vicious murders — or, technically, deaths — but there’s no serious sexual element and it’s all underpinned by a half-decent plot. In fact, I’ve heard it called “a thriller with sadism” rather than a horror movie.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 15 films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Ross Noble's Australian Trip
Part 2 (of 6)
Part 3 (of 6)
[Watch Part 2 and Part 3 (again) on Demand Five.]

Films

Saw (2004)
[#59 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Articles: more Jan Moir

Jan's paper, the Daily Mail, absolutely adores it when people flock to Ofcom to complain about something offensive, especially when it's something they've only learned about second-hand via an inflammatory article in a newspaper. So it would undoubtedly be delighted if, having read this, you paid a visit to the Press Complaints Commission website to lodge a complaint about Moir's article on the basis that it breaches sections 1, 5 and 12 of its code of practice.

Daily Mail column on Stephen Gately death provokes record complaints by Robert Booth
(from guardian.co.uk)
"• Protests crash PCC's website and flood internet
• Companies rush to pull advertising from website"

Why there was nothing 'human' about Jan Moir's column on the death of Stephen Gately by Charlie Brooker
(from guardian.co.uk)
Another excellent blow-by-blow dissection of Moir's article, which shows what a mockery her 'apology' is.

Yesterday by Derren Brown
(from All Your Minds Are Belong To Us)
"Moir issued a statement saying she was a victim of an orchestrated campaign. Moir’s interpretation was wrong, and betrays a misguided notion about the nature of Twitter and similar forms of networking. There is no orchestration – just the rapid spread of information."
Brown's view of the Moir affair, and the power (for good) of twitter.

A Day at the Office

Five brave workers decide to record themselves simultaneously at their office doing something... unthinkable...

TV

How I Met Your Mother
2x05 World's Greatest Couple

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
23x03 (15/10/09 edition)
Alex James looked nervous as anything, but actually did a great job as this week's guest host of another hilarious edition. Those viewers who are trying not to enjoy Buzzcocks now that Amstell's left are really missing out.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Ross Noble's Australian Trip
Part 1 (of 6)
The frequently surreal comedian conducts a tour of Australia on his motorbike, in a cross between the Ewan McGregor/Charley Boorman series and, well, any recorded stand-up gig. Like most of his work, it's a mix of the hilarious and the lacklustre.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

The Sarah Jane Adventures
3x02 Prisoner of the Judoon Part Two
A strong second part, showing off even more of the things that made the first so good. Next week's looks promisingly spooky too.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Twitter and Facebook outrage over Jan Moir's Stephen Gately article by Mercedes Bunz
(from PDA at guardian.co.uk)
The Daily Mail post an even more hate-filled and ridiculous article than usual, and face the wrath of the Internet for it. If that doesn't sound too scary, it's resulted in over 6,000 complaints to the PCC, in the process crashing their website. Read the article for more details.

Why there is nothing 'natural' about the life of Jan Moir by Anton Vowl
(from The enemies of reason)
And also this one, which is an excellent rebuttal to Moir's stupidity.

TV

How I Met Your Mother
2x03 Brunch
2x04 Ted Mosby: Architect

Last Chance to See
Part 4 Komodo Dragon
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x12 Enemy of the Bane Part Two [season finale]
3x01 Prisoner of the Judoon Part One
Despite reaching the end of SJA season two way back in December, I never got round to the final episode. And knowing the new series was coming for the past few weeks, I still didn't get to it. Until today, of course, with season three just beginning.
The first part of the new season was excellent, incidentally. Looking glorious in HD, Liz Sladen was given a real chance to shine once possessed by the Evil Alien Type, and the Judoon made for some brilliant humour. If the whole season is up to this standard then SJA is now better than ever.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]