Happy Finish
Pilot
Quite funny.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
iCandy
Pilot
Rubbish.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Mad Men
3x13 Shut the Door, Have a Seat [season finale]
Another excellent closing episode from Mad Men, replete with moments to contest Don's declaration about having no contract (my favourite was Joan's return). It's also a tantalising 'cliffhanger', and with the new season set to begin Stateside in around three months I'm not sure I can handle the long slow wait 'til BBC Four/HD bother to pick it up.
[Watch it again in HD on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Articles
50 Movie Titles That Got Lost In Translation by Simon Brew
(from Den of Geek)
I appreciate this was posted A Very Long Time Ago and it's on an awful website, but someone happened to mention it on twitter today. It's an expectedly daft but still rather amusing diversion, I thought. Look out in particular for China's version of Boogie Nights and France's (alleged) new title for The Matrix. Do feel free to share any other favourites in the comments.
Damages not expected to return by Mike Moody
and
Damages creator wants new season by Catriona Wightman
(from Digital Spy)
The first season of Damages was utterly brilliant, flawless TV. The second was a bit of a muddle. The third... could still go either way (it's just finished in the US, halfway through on BBC One, and I'm only on episode three still) All of which leaves me rather uncertain about whether a fourth run is a good idea: if it has and can hit the heights of its first season, more is definitely desired; but it's just maintained the second year's degeneration, then no thanks, put it out of our misery.
Sutherland says 24 movie script is ready by Mike Moody
(from Digital Spy)
(from Den of Geek)
I appreciate this was posted A Very Long Time Ago and it's on an awful website, but someone happened to mention it on twitter today. It's an expectedly daft but still rather amusing diversion, I thought. Look out in particular for China's version of Boogie Nights and France's (alleged) new title for The Matrix. Do feel free to share any other favourites in the comments.
Damages not expected to return by Mike Moody
and
Damages creator wants new season by Catriona Wightman
(from Digital Spy)
The first season of Damages was utterly brilliant, flawless TV. The second was a bit of a muddle. The third... could still go either way (it's just finished in the US, halfway through on BBC One, and I'm only on episode three still) All of which leaves me rather uncertain about whether a fourth run is a good idea: if it has and can hit the heights of its first season, more is definitely desired; but it's just maintained the second year's degeneration, then no thanks, put it out of our misery.
Sutherland says 24 movie script is ready by Mike Moody
(from Digital Spy)
Sutherland also hinted that the plot could possibly mirror the show's first season, giving Jack Bauer a personal crisis to deal with. "It doesn't have to be a bomb," he said. "It can be something personal that people understand."Sounds like good news... but then they've said something similar before every season of the TV show for the last few years, so I'll believe it when we see it.
Monday, 19 April 2010
TV
A Comedy Roast
1x03 Chris Tarrant [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Graham Norton Show
7x01 (12/4/10 edition)
Over the Rainbow
Show 5: Results
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x03 Chris Tarrant [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The Graham Norton Show
7x01 (12/4/10 edition)
Over the Rainbow
Show 5: Results
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
This is What a Tweet Looks Like by Sarah Perez
(from ReadWriteWeb)
"Yes yes, a message only 140 characters long, I know." But oh no no, dear reader, no no -- there's a lot more to a tweet than you might think. And this explains it. Moderately interesting, I thought.
(from ReadWriteWeb)
"Yes yes, a message only 140 characters long, I know." But oh no no, dear reader, no no -- there's a lot more to a tweet than you might think. And this explains it. Moderately interesting, I thought.
Sunday, 18 April 2010
TV
Have I Got News For You
39x03 (15/4/10 edition; extended repeat)
I had a specific comment to make about this episode, but it's completely gone now. Just watch it, laugh lots, and I'm sure you'll've seen whatever it was I had to say.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Russell Howard's Good News
2x04 (15/4/10 edition)
Despite setting a recording for the extended repeat, it seems BBC Three did Something Funny and I wound up with the last 20 minutes of Herbie-whatever-with-Lindsay-Lohan and a half-an-hour-early edition of Family Guy. There's no explanation for this that I can find.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wallander [Swedish]
2x01 Hämnden (aka The Revenge)
The Swedish Wallander series returns for its second and reportedly final series. This episode was originally released in cinemas, so counts as #40 on 100 Films in a Year 2010. Click here to read my review.
You Have Been Watching
2x01 (15/4/10 edition)
Hurrah for another excellent programme returning.
This edition featured clips from Spartacus: Blood and Sand, a series I'd been a little looking forward to because it looked like it might be Rome Mark 2. Sadly, this appears to not be the case. Where Rome was high-budget and underpinned its sex and violence with an awful lot of character and intelligence, Spartacus: BS (the most apt title abbreviation) has CGI in every scene that's so bad it makes everything look like a 15-year-old computer game. The quality of the script and acting suggest they've been dragged from the same.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
39x03 (15/4/10 edition; extended repeat)
I had a specific comment to make about this episode, but it's completely gone now. Just watch it, laugh lots, and I'm sure you'll've seen whatever it was I had to say.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Russell Howard's Good News
2x04 (15/4/10 edition)
Despite setting a recording for the extended repeat, it seems BBC Three did Something Funny and I wound up with the last 20 minutes of Herbie-whatever-with-Lindsay-Lohan and a half-an-hour-early edition of Family Guy. There's no explanation for this that I can find.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wallander [Swedish]
2x01 Hämnden (aka The Revenge)
The Swedish Wallander series returns for its second and reportedly final series. This episode was originally released in cinemas, so counts as #40 on 100 Films in a Year 2010. Click here to read my review.
You Have Been Watching
2x01 (15/4/10 edition)
Hurrah for another excellent programme returning.
This edition featured clips from Spartacus: Blood and Sand, a series I'd been a little looking forward to because it looked like it might be Rome Mark 2. Sadly, this appears to not be the case. Where Rome was high-budget and underpinned its sex and violence with an awful lot of character and intelligence, Spartacus: BS (the most apt title abbreviation) has CGI in every scene that's so bad it makes everything look like a 15-year-old computer game. The quality of the script and acting suggest they've been dragged from the same.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Articles
By Zeus! The version of Clash of the Titans you didn't see by Devin Faraci
(from CHUD.com)
Whether you've seen the new Clash of the Titans or not (I haven't), this makes for an interesting read -- basically, how they took something half-decent and completely buggered about with it to make the film as released.
Cook-book misprint costs Australian publishers dear
(from BBC News)
Over here, this would no doubt lead to all kinds of outrage and demands for refunds and apologies and probably the closure of the company or at least resignation of all involved in the book's creation. In Australia, however...
How did you find Victory of the Daleks? by Neil Wilkes
(from Digital Spy)
I turned on BBC HD at the scheduled time and there it was!
Ho ho ho. But you can read some bafflingly sarcasm-free idiotic comments here.
(from CHUD.com)
Whether you've seen the new Clash of the Titans or not (I haven't), this makes for an interesting read -- basically, how they took something half-decent and completely buggered about with it to make the film as released.
Cook-book misprint costs Australian publishers dear
(from BBC News)
An Australian publisher has had to pulp and reprint a cook-book after one recipe listed "salt and freshly ground black people" instead of black pepper.Marvellous!
Over here, this would no doubt lead to all kinds of outrage and demands for refunds and apologies and probably the closure of the company or at least resignation of all involved in the book's creation. In Australia, however...
"why anyone would be offended, we don't know," head of publishing Bob Sessions is quoted as saying... "proofreading a cook-book is an extremely difficult task. I find that quite forgivable," Mr Sessions said. If anyone complains about the "silly mistake", they will be given the new versionArgh! Common sense! Run away!
How did you find Victory of the Daleks? by Neil Wilkes
(from Digital Spy)
I turned on BBC HD at the scheduled time and there it was!
Ho ho ho. But you can read some bafflingly sarcasm-free idiotic comments here.
this week on 100 Films
Just 1 new review again this week at 100 Films in a Year. I really ought to post more...
Elektra (2005)
More next Sunday. Hopefully.
Elektra (2005)
The plot starts out as sub-Leon assassin nonsense, before turning into sub-X-Men superhero nonsense. The connection to Daredevil is actually minimal... she reverts to a bright red get-up that’s slightly more reminiscent of the comics. “It builds the legend,” she semi-explains. How can a legend be built if everyone who sees her in it is promptly killed?
More next Sunday. Hopefully.
stupid Digital Spy readers on Doctor Who episode 3
These are hilarious. Honestly, the amount of stupidity on display is... well, it's a little troubling, actually; but it does make for funny reading.
I'm not trying to say Victory of the Daleks was a great episode or anything (though I did think parts of it were fun and others conveyed good ideas), and I'm not adverse to a difference of opinion... but there's a big difference between conflicting opinions and pure idiocy, which many of these comments display.
Here's a selection:
Yes, in every new-series episode so far they've pretended to be good guys.
Except they haven't. Not once.
Two things: Moffat didn't write this episode, and he's never directed an episode. One might argue this is a little geeky, requiring behind-the-scenes knowledge -- but if you're going to criticise someone's work, at least attribute it to the right person. You may as well say Twilight isn't as good as Great Expectations because, well, they're both by authors writing in English.
It's not theatre, love. What do you want him to do, turn to camera and invite us to share the jokes? Or suggest we should be scared? Maybe ask if we'd like a cup of tea too?
So, you're watching a series in which a two-hearted alien travels through time and space in a little blue box that is infinitely bigger on the inside fighting all kinds of aliens and monsters... and you think an episode set in our own history is "a bit far fetched"?
But this takes the prize for the very best -- or, rather, very worst...
That's right, readers: the Doctor visiting a 6-year-long continent-spanning war twice and not meeting himself is "very, very, VERY, silly."
If you can stand the pain, the whole darn lot can be read here.
I'm not trying to say Victory of the Daleks was a great episode or anything (though I did think parts of it were fun and others conveyed good ideas), and I'm not adverse to a difference of opinion... but there's a big difference between conflicting opinions and pure idiocy, which many of these comments display.
Here's a selection:
Dalek plot always seems to be the same
Yes, in every new-series episode so far they've pretended to be good guys.
Except they haven't. Not once.
Steven Moffat wrote such amazing episodes... he seems to have forgotten how to write/direct over the last year.
Two things: Moffat didn't write this episode, and he's never directed an episode. One might argue this is a little geeky, requiring behind-the-scenes knowledge -- but if you're going to criticise someone's work, at least attribute it to the right person. You may as well say Twilight isn't as good as Great Expectations because, well, they're both by authors writing in English.
I found that the new doctor... didn't interact with the audience properly.
It's not theatre, love. What do you want him to do, turn to camera and invite us to share the jokes? Or suggest we should be scared? Maybe ask if we'd like a cup of tea too?
The storyline was well thats just it, it was a bit far fetched
So, you're watching a series in which a two-hearted alien travels through time and space in a little blue box that is infinitely bigger on the inside fighting all kinds of aliens and monsters... and you think an episode set in our own history is "a bit far fetched"?
But this takes the prize for the very best -- or, rather, very worst...
doctor who, season 1, episode 9/10. the doctor visits WW2 and encounters gas mask children. doctor who, season 5, episode 3. the doctor visits WW2 and encounters daleks. how does he not meet himself? ... very, very, VERY, silly.
That's right, readers: the Doctor visiting a 6-year-long continent-spanning war twice and not meeting himself is "very, very, VERY, silly."
If you can stand the pain, the whole darn lot can be read here.
Saturday, 17 April 2010
TV
Doctor Who
31x03 Victory of the Daleks
Looks like Character, the main Doctor Who toy licensee, is now in charge of the series itself. Why else replace the excellent 2005 Dalek re-design with a selection of merchandise-friendly multi-coloured bubble bath bottles?
The actual story was by-and-large pretty good though, particularly their escape at the end -- truly, a victory for the Daleks. And it also means that when they inevitably return they won't have to resort to the now-tired "one of us survived and happened to fall through time" malarky they've used goodness-knows-how-many times over the past five years (including this episode).
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who Confidential
5x03 War Games
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Mentalist
2x08 His Red Right Hand
Dark episode. Though not sure what his right hand had to do with it. His leg, yes, but not his hand.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Over the Rainbow
Show 5
For the first time in weeks/months/years, I've finally watched all of the BBC's Saturday night line-up when it was actually on! Though I watched it on BBC HD, so most of it was late. Still...
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
31x03 Victory of the Daleks
Looks like Character, the main Doctor Who toy licensee, is now in charge of the series itself. Why else replace the excellent 2005 Dalek re-design with a selection of merchandise-friendly multi-coloured bubble bath bottles?
The actual story was by-and-large pretty good though, particularly their escape at the end -- truly, a victory for the Daleks. And it also means that when they inevitably return they won't have to resort to the now-tired "one of us survived and happened to fall through time" malarky they've used goodness-knows-how-many times over the past five years (including this episode).
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who Confidential
5x03 War Games
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
The Mentalist
2x08 His Red Right Hand
Dark episode. Though not sure what his right hand had to do with it. His leg, yes, but not his hand.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Over the Rainbow
Show 5
For the first time in weeks/months/years, I've finally watched all of the BBC's Saturday night line-up when it was actually on! Though I watched it on BBC HD, so most of it was late. Still...
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
Mark Gatiss talks Who, Sherlock by Neil Wilkes & Nick Levine
(from Digital Spy)
Probably best to read this after his episode as it contains minor spoilers, but it's mostly nice to hear an update on Sherlock -- looking forward to that one. (See also: interview with Ian McNeice, aka Winston Churchill, about the same episode (but not Sherlock. Obviously.))
Matthew Weiner Says Mad Men Is Half-Over by Christopher Rosen
(from Movie|Line)
i.e. they're hoping for six seasons, no more (and, be default, no less). So that's... good... I guess...
(from Digital Spy)
Probably best to read this after his episode as it contains minor spoilers, but it's mostly nice to hear an update on Sherlock -- looking forward to that one. (See also: interview with Ian McNeice, aka Winston Churchill, about the same episode (but not Sherlock. Obviously.))
Matthew Weiner Says Mad Men Is Half-Over by Christopher Rosen
(from Movie|Line)
i.e. they're hoping for six seasons, no more (and, be default, no less). So that's... good... I guess...
Friday, 16 April 2010
TV
Archer
1x09 Job Offer
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Ashes to Ashes
3x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Outnumbered
3x02 Programme 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x09 Job Offer
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Ashes to Ashes
3x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Outnumbered
3x02 Programme 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Confession: I Can't Tell the Actors Apart on HBO's The Pacific by Kyle Buchanan
(from Movie|Line)
I haven't been watching The Pacific (partly because I object to Sky shoving it on Movies; partly cos I may as well just wait for the Blu-ray to get it in the best quality), but this article makes it look hard. Just look at the three pictures at the top... and remember that they aren't the same guy. Seriously.
Sutherland confirms 24 movie series by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
All information we already knew, just reiterated. But noteworthy for this:
Previously producers intimated that the movie might make half the film cover 23 hours and the last hour occur in real-time -- this is a little half-arsed, but at the same time is probably the only way to cover both the titular period and the franchise's primary gimmick.
Zac Efron in Firefly
(from Serial Bus)
Holy moly, so it is!
(from Movie|Line)
I haven't been watching The Pacific (partly because I object to Sky shoving it on Movies; partly cos I may as well just wait for the Blu-ray to get it in the best quality), but this article makes it look hard. Just look at the three pictures at the top... and remember that they aren't the same guy. Seriously.
Sutherland confirms 24 movie series by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
All information we already knew, just reiterated. But noteworthy for this:
The film will be a two-hour representation of a 24-hour daysays Sutherland. That's all well and good, but the main thing about the show is less that it all takes place in one day (though, obviously, that's the title) and more that it takes place in real time. Note that the one-off circa-90-minute TV movie special didn't try to include 24 hours, but simply it covered a (real-time) two.
Previously producers intimated that the movie might make half the film cover 23 hours and the last hour occur in real-time -- this is a little half-arsed, but at the same time is probably the only way to cover both the titular period and the franchise's primary gimmick.
Zac Efron in Firefly
(from Serial Bus)
Holy moly, so it is!
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week. Slight increases this week thanks to some new Doctor Who DVDs.
Number of titles in collection: 1,164 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,089 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 75 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 2,827 [up 5]
Number of films in collection: 1,222 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,890 [up 16]
Statistic of the week:
Number of titles in the 'Drama' genre:
183
(15.7% of the total)
Genre is a rather subjective thing and many titles cross several -- is Back to the Future Comedy or Sci-fi? Which Bond films are Thrillers and which are just Action? -- which is why I've thus far avoided any stats around it. Nonetheless, I group every title on my list into one genre, and the largest of these is the suitably generic 'Drama'.
See you next week, faithful reader.
Number of titles in collection: 1,164 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,089 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 75 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 2,827 [up 5]
Number of films in collection: 1,222 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,890 [up 16]
Statistic of the week:
Number of titles in the 'Drama' genre:
183
(15.7% of the total)
Genre is a rather subjective thing and many titles cross several -- is Back to the Future Comedy or Sci-fi? Which Bond films are Thrillers and which are just Action? -- which is why I've thus far avoided any stats around it. Nonetheless, I group every title on my list into one genre, and the largest of these is the suitably generic 'Drama'.
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Articles
Review of Kick-Ass by Roger Ebert
(from rogerebert.com)
I don't agree with Ebert in the slightest -- I loved Kick-Ass -- but, at the same time, his arguments are moderately well-reasoned. Certainly better than the Daily Mail's laughable claptrap, anyway.
(from rogerebert.com)
I don't agree with Ebert in the slightest -- I loved Kick-Ass -- but, at the same time, his arguments are moderately well-reasoned. Certainly better than the Daily Mail's laughable claptrap, anyway.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
TV
The Mentalist
2x07 Red Bulls
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Over the Rainbow
Programme 5 (of 20)
Programme 6 (of 20)
[Watch programmes 5 and 6 (again) on iPlayer.]
2x07 Red Bulls
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Over the Rainbow
Programme 5 (of 20)
Programme 6 (of 20)
[Watch programmes 5 and 6 (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
FlashForward tipped for season two renewal by Oli Simpson
(from Digital Spy)
Despite performing poorly in the US, apparently "it actually does fairly well overseas". Really?! The world has poor taste... (Says he who still intends to keep watching season one. When I get round to it.)
Still, the story is actually more interesting for this reason:
Rare indeed.
(from Digital Spy)
Despite performing poorly in the US, apparently "it actually does fairly well overseas". Really?! The world has poor taste... (Says he who still intends to keep watching season one. When I get round to it.)
Still, the story is actually more interesting for this reason:
"This is a rare case where a low domestic performer could get a surprise pickup."
Rare indeed.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
TV
House
6x16 Black Hole
Well, that's certainly some... unusual science...
Mad Men
3x12 The Grown Ups
[Watch it again in HD on iPlayer.]
6x16 Black Hole
Well, that's certainly some... unusual science...
Mad Men
3x12 The Grown Ups
[Watch it again in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
Survivors axe confirmed by BBC by Paul Millar
(from Digital Spy)
Cheerio Survivors! Though they clearly wanted a third run, they'd at least wrapped up most of the major plot threads. It's no surprise it's gone, really.
But bless Digital Spy for thinking the largely-criticised opinion of their often-criticised TV reviewer counts as "a roasting by critics".
(from Digital Spy)
Cheerio Survivors! Though they clearly wanted a third run, they'd at least wrapped up most of the major plot threads. It's no surprise it's gone, really.
But bless Digital Spy for thinking the largely-criticised opinion of their often-criticised TV reviewer counts as "a roasting by critics".
Doctor Who's 10 best cliffhangers
For no reason other than I have, I've written a list of my favourite 10 cliffhangers from the 00s revival of Doctor Who -- yes, this makes the post's title slightly misleading... but also slightly catchier.
With Moffat's reign only just underway -- and no proper cliffhangers yet -- this is really "the best cliffhangers from the RTD years", but there you go. I was going to do the classic series too, but there are just too many to try to remember.
And so, in a loosely ranked order, here they are...
10) Bad Wolf
This is 10th because, really, technically, it's not a cliffhanger. Forget "Rose, I'm coming for you" or whatever -- very dramatic speech, yes; cliffhanger, not really -- the Next Time trailer does the real work here, getting us all excited in a way the 'cliffhanger' didn't. And the key is the closing dialogue: an extra-deep Dalek voice booms, "THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME". Through who, through who? I can't even remember the details of the revelation, but the tease is immense and the speculation ran rampant.
9) Evolution of the Daleks
This one was thoroughly ruined in advance: it was all over the cover of that week's Radio Times. But if you play the game of pretending you don't know... holy crap, it's a Human Dalek! That's new!
8) Last of the Time Lords
"Something strange enters the TARDIS" became the staple for end-of-season Christmas-special teases -- though it just felt that way, because in fact they only did it twice (well, three if you count the first season's regeneration; and it was almost a fourth, but they (wisely) cut that scene from Journey's End). So Doomsday gets points for doing it first, and it certainly did it well... but Last of the Time Lords did it better. This wins out for how it does it: it's the Titanic! And it's broken through the side of the console room! Repetitious or not, that still earns maximum points for originality, thanks.
7) Silence in the Library
Donna's one of those help droid things! By nuWho standards this is gloriously understated -- no monsters surrounding our heroes, no twist-tastic reveal, no oh-no-it's-all-lost moment for the Doctor -- he's just running away, and mid-chase spots his friend's face glued to a computer, and we know what this means -- she's sucked inside and there's no hope for her. Well done Mr Moffat, much better than The Empty Child's "they've surrounded us" cookie-cutter closer.
6) The Sound of Drums
Whatever you think of the choice of music, or the ageing of the Doctor, this is a helluvan ending: the villain isn't about to win, as per usual in cliffhangers, he has won. Never-ending hordes of floating metallic spheres descend on the Earth, decimating it, and the Doctor can only stand by and watch, helpless, as the Master celebrates like a loon. How the hell are they gonna get out of this one?!
5) Army of Ghosts
Now, personally, on first viewing, I just thought "oh typical, it's the bloody Daleks again". But if you weren't expecting RTD to pull such a stunt, or if you think the Daleks are actually pretty cool and should be in every season, then I imagine this is pretty amazing. Indeed, if one switches off and believes the lies -- i.e. the Daleks were all wiped out at the end of Parting of the Ways and so we shall completely ignore the possibility they might ever return -- then this would be a shocking surprise.
4) Turn Left
It's less an actual cliffhanger more a hint that Something Big Is Coming, but the key to this is context. Bad Wolf was a huge part of nuWho's return -- fans spent the whole of the first season debating what it might mean and what it was all building to. Many were let down by the eventual revelation, but that doesn't detract from its significance. And then it kept cropping up, right until Bad Wolf Bay, appending a whole extra set of heightened emotion onto those words. So they mean a lot to fans, and they also mean Rose -- so factor in that we've seen her two or three times already this season, and that we know Donna's meant to convey a message, and that it says Bad Wolf EVERYWHERE... Christ it's exciting.
3) The End of Time, Part One
It's the Master again, and again he's won. This cliffhanger is both hilariously funny and gloriously tense: John Simm, on the face -- and in the body -- of every man, woman and child on the planet is at once amusing and, when you think about it, utterly terrifying; and there's no obvious way that the Doctor can just fix it and undo everything. Once again, the Master's won, and the Doctor's screwed. Oh noes.
2) The Stolen Earth
In the middle of an over-stuffed story full of Everything We Ever Did In New Who, Russell picks up on one more: regeneration. For one whole week, the nation genuinely believed the Who production team might've pulled off the greatest coup in modern TV history by filming a major twist that no paper or magazine had got its grubby little hands on. The fact that he ultimately didn't regenerate almost didn't matter: viewers genuinely believed he might have, and that's the important bit. Now, of course, when any viewer knows the 10th Doctor definitely survives for another six episodes, it might not have quite the same effect.
1) Utopia
He's the goddamn Master! Even if you'd suspected, the writing, editing and music make the end of this episode the most thrilling 10 minutes nuWho had produced to this point (arguably, it still is). Plus the actual cliffhanger bit -- that the Doctor & co are stranded in the Far Future, with enemies baring down and the TARDIS stolen -- is pretty neat too. But it's that reveal that's the real classic here.
And, to extract maximum value-for-money from this post, the worst cliffhanger in all 60 episodes of Russell T Davies-managed Who is...
The Poison Sky
"Oh my God, the TARDIS is suddenly and randomly pulling us off into the future to a different story! Why?!" Well, um, simply because someone decided Martha should be in another episode… Rubbish.
With Moffat's reign only just underway -- and no proper cliffhangers yet -- this is really "the best cliffhangers from the RTD years", but there you go. I was going to do the classic series too, but there are just too many to try to remember.
And so, in a loosely ranked order, here they are...
10) Bad Wolf
This is 10th because, really, technically, it's not a cliffhanger. Forget "Rose, I'm coming for you" or whatever -- very dramatic speech, yes; cliffhanger, not really -- the Next Time trailer does the real work here, getting us all excited in a way the 'cliffhanger' didn't. And the key is the closing dialogue: an extra-deep Dalek voice booms, "THEY SURVIVED THROUGH ME". Through who, through who? I can't even remember the details of the revelation, but the tease is immense and the speculation ran rampant.
9) Evolution of the Daleks
This one was thoroughly ruined in advance: it was all over the cover of that week's Radio Times. But if you play the game of pretending you don't know... holy crap, it's a Human Dalek! That's new!
8) Last of the Time Lords
"Something strange enters the TARDIS" became the staple for end-of-season Christmas-special teases -- though it just felt that way, because in fact they only did it twice (well, three if you count the first season's regeneration; and it was almost a fourth, but they (wisely) cut that scene from Journey's End). So Doomsday gets points for doing it first, and it certainly did it well... but Last of the Time Lords did it better. This wins out for how it does it: it's the Titanic! And it's broken through the side of the console room! Repetitious or not, that still earns maximum points for originality, thanks.
7) Silence in the Library
Donna's one of those help droid things! By nuWho standards this is gloriously understated -- no monsters surrounding our heroes, no twist-tastic reveal, no oh-no-it's-all-lost moment for the Doctor -- he's just running away, and mid-chase spots his friend's face glued to a computer, and we know what this means -- she's sucked inside and there's no hope for her. Well done Mr Moffat, much better than The Empty Child's "they've surrounded us" cookie-cutter closer.
6) The Sound of Drums
Whatever you think of the choice of music, or the ageing of the Doctor, this is a helluvan ending: the villain isn't about to win, as per usual in cliffhangers, he has won. Never-ending hordes of floating metallic spheres descend on the Earth, decimating it, and the Doctor can only stand by and watch, helpless, as the Master celebrates like a loon. How the hell are they gonna get out of this one?!
5) Army of Ghosts
Now, personally, on first viewing, I just thought "oh typical, it's the bloody Daleks again". But if you weren't expecting RTD to pull such a stunt, or if you think the Daleks are actually pretty cool and should be in every season, then I imagine this is pretty amazing. Indeed, if one switches off and believes the lies -- i.e. the Daleks were all wiped out at the end of Parting of the Ways and so we shall completely ignore the possibility they might ever return -- then this would be a shocking surprise.
4) Turn Left
It's less an actual cliffhanger more a hint that Something Big Is Coming, but the key to this is context. Bad Wolf was a huge part of nuWho's return -- fans spent the whole of the first season debating what it might mean and what it was all building to. Many were let down by the eventual revelation, but that doesn't detract from its significance. And then it kept cropping up, right until Bad Wolf Bay, appending a whole extra set of heightened emotion onto those words. So they mean a lot to fans, and they also mean Rose -- so factor in that we've seen her two or three times already this season, and that we know Donna's meant to convey a message, and that it says Bad Wolf EVERYWHERE... Christ it's exciting.
3) The End of Time, Part One
It's the Master again, and again he's won. This cliffhanger is both hilariously funny and gloriously tense: John Simm, on the face -- and in the body -- of every man, woman and child on the planet is at once amusing and, when you think about it, utterly terrifying; and there's no obvious way that the Doctor can just fix it and undo everything. Once again, the Master's won, and the Doctor's screwed. Oh noes.
2) The Stolen Earth
In the middle of an over-stuffed story full of Everything We Ever Did In New Who, Russell picks up on one more: regeneration. For one whole week, the nation genuinely believed the Who production team might've pulled off the greatest coup in modern TV history by filming a major twist that no paper or magazine had got its grubby little hands on. The fact that he ultimately didn't regenerate almost didn't matter: viewers genuinely believed he might have, and that's the important bit. Now, of course, when any viewer knows the 10th Doctor definitely survives for another six episodes, it might not have quite the same effect.
1) Utopia
He's the goddamn Master! Even if you'd suspected, the writing, editing and music make the end of this episode the most thrilling 10 minutes nuWho had produced to this point (arguably, it still is). Plus the actual cliffhanger bit -- that the Doctor & co are stranded in the Far Future, with enemies baring down and the TARDIS stolen -- is pretty neat too. But it's that reveal that's the real classic here.
And, to extract maximum value-for-money from this post, the worst cliffhanger in all 60 episodes of Russell T Davies-managed Who is...
The Poison Sky
"Oh my God, the TARDIS is suddenly and randomly pulling us off into the future to a different story! Why?!" Well, um, simply because someone decided Martha should be in another episode… Rubbish.
Monday, 12 April 2010
TV
Archer
1x08 The Rock
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Have I Got News For You
39x02 (8/4/10 edition)
No extended edition this week, sadly; especially a shame as it was a particularly good edition, I thought.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
House
6x15 Private Lives
Russell Howard's Good News
2x03 (8/4/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch only the shorter version (again) on iPlayer.]
1x08 The Rock
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Have I Got News For You
39x02 (8/4/10 edition)
No extended edition this week, sadly; especially a shame as it was a particularly good edition, I thought.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
House
6x15 Private Lives
Russell Howard's Good News
2x03 (8/4/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch only the shorter version (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Johnson: 'Kick-Ass controversy is mad' by Catriona Wightman
(from Digital Spy)
Despite his embarrassing uncomfortableness in interviews, Aaron Johnson has some very sensible things to say about what's considered 'controversial' and what should be.
(from Digital Spy)
Despite his embarrassing uncomfortableness in interviews, Aaron Johnson has some very sensible things to say about what's considered 'controversial' and what should be.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
TV
Archer
1x06 Skorpio
1x07 Skytanic
If you've not been watching Archer you should consider catching up with it (unfortunately only the most recent episodes are still available on Demand Five if one wants a place to see it legally & free). It's humour isn't always the height of sophisticated wit, but it's largely funny and has a surprising line in on-going storylines for a comedy cartoon.
[Watch Skorpio and Skytanic (again) on Demand Five.]
Doctor Who
31x02 The Beast Below
Another excellent episode: a different style of story, beautiful fairytale tone, meaningful collection of relevant subtexts, Sophie Okonedo being fantastic, and, wonderfully, the Demon Headmaster. A shining example of a standalone episode -- come the end of season polls it'll likely be forgotten behind all the high-profile returning monsters, two-parters and the season finale, which is a real shame.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who Confidential
5x02 All About the Girl
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
House
6x14 5 to 9
Truly excellent Cuddy-centric episode, even if the everything-turns-out-perfect conclusion(s) were so perfect it made me think it was going to turn out to be a daydream -- that would've been a very House-like trick to pull.
The Mentalist
2x06 Black Gold and Red Blood
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
3x05 (10/4/10 edition)
That Star Wars list was a walk in the park! Sure, the full version was full of all kinds of obsessively obscure characters and droids, but getting to 15 or so would've been eminently achievable. Blokey was just showing off naming the likes of Boba Fett over Han Solo, Chewbacca and Yoda.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x06 Skorpio
1x07 Skytanic
If you've not been watching Archer you should consider catching up with it (unfortunately only the most recent episodes are still available on Demand Five if one wants a place to see it legally & free). It's humour isn't always the height of sophisticated wit, but it's largely funny and has a surprising line in on-going storylines for a comedy cartoon.
[Watch Skorpio and Skytanic (again) on Demand Five.]
Doctor Who
31x02 The Beast Below
Another excellent episode: a different style of story, beautiful fairytale tone, meaningful collection of relevant subtexts, Sophie Okonedo being fantastic, and, wonderfully, the Demon Headmaster. A shining example of a standalone episode -- come the end of season polls it'll likely be forgotten behind all the high-profile returning monsters, two-parters and the season finale, which is a real shame.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who Confidential
5x02 All About the Girl
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
House
6x14 5 to 9
Truly excellent Cuddy-centric episode, even if the everything-turns-out-perfect conclusion(s) were so perfect it made me think it was going to turn out to be a daydream -- that would've been a very House-like trick to pull.
The Mentalist
2x06 Black Gold and Red Blood
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
3x05 (10/4/10 edition)
That Star Wars list was a walk in the park! Sure, the full version was full of all kinds of obsessively obscure characters and droids, but getting to 15 or so would've been eminently achievable. Blokey was just showing off naming the likes of Boba Fett over Han Solo, Chewbacca and Yoda.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
The case for arresting the Pope by Allison Kilkenny
(from Allison Kilkenny: Unreported on True/Slant)
Fingers crossed...
(from Allison Kilkenny: Unreported on True/Slant)
Fingers crossed...
this week on 100 Films
After some time away, I've finally posted a new review to 100 Films in a Year, and it was...
Choke (2008)
More next Sunday. Quite a few more, I hope.
Choke (2008)
the distinctive narratorial ‘voice’ is very reminiscent of Fight Club, both book and film, as are numerous other elements: support groups; random encounters; the inclusion of a Big Twist. While an awareness of the author means the latter feels a little formulaic, Shyamalan-style, at least it seems Palahniuk can still pull them off.
More next Sunday. Quite a few more, I hope.
Saturday, 10 April 2010
TV
Doctor Who
31x01 The Eleventh Hour [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who Confidential
5x01 Call Me the Doctor
Outtake TV
2009/10 Episode 1
Doesn't Rufus Hound look like Anne Robinson these days...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Over the Rainbow
Programme 3 (of 20)
Programme 4 (of 20)
How Amy even made it into the final 20, never mind final 10, I don't know. Well, actually, I can guess, and it's nothing to do with her appropriateness to play Dorothy.
[Watch programme 4 (again) on iPlayer.]
Russell Howard's Good News
2x02 (1/4/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch only the shorter version (again) on iPlayer.]
31x01 The Eleventh Hour [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who Confidential
5x01 Call Me the Doctor
Outtake TV
2009/10 Episode 1
Doesn't Rufus Hound look like Anne Robinson these days...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Over the Rainbow
Programme 3 (of 20)
Programme 4 (of 20)
How Amy even made it into the final 20, never mind final 10, I don't know. Well, actually, I can guess, and it's nothing to do with her appropriateness to play Dorothy.
[Watch programme 4 (again) on iPlayer.]
Russell Howard's Good News
2x02 (1/4/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch only the shorter version (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week. Except last week, as it turned out.
A pile of post in my absence means this week the numbers jump up more than they have in a while -- yay! Plus it's the latest running time update, which I always like because it saves me having to think of a new statistic for this week.
Number of titles in collection: 1,162 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,087 [up 6]
Of which Blu-rays: 75 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 2,822 [up 11]
Number of films in collection: 1,222 [up 7]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,874 [no change]
Statistic of the week:
Total running time of collection (approx.):
196 days, and 50 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 4 hours, and 12 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
A pile of post in my absence means this week the numbers jump up more than they have in a while -- yay! Plus it's the latest running time update, which I always like because it saves me having to think of a new statistic for this week.
Number of titles in collection: 1,162 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,087 [up 6]
Of which Blu-rays: 75 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 2,822 [up 11]
Number of films in collection: 1,222 [up 7]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,874 [no change]
Statistic of the week:
Total running time of collection (approx.):
196 days, and 50 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 4 hours, and 12 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 9 April 2010
TV
Ashes to Ashes
3x01 Episode 1
And so, the final series of Life On Mars/Ashes to Ashes begins (yes, a week late for me). Plenty of questions still unanswered, plenty of new ones in this episode. It should be an exciting couple of months...
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
22x05 The Mark of the Rani Part One
22x06 The Mark of the Rani Part Two
I'm fairly certain that this is the first (proper) classic Who story I've watched that I'd never seen before since City of Death way back in June 2008. I ought to do this more.
You may also have guessed this was for Insomniac Whovian (it now has it's own real site/blog!) on twitter. Follow @I_Whovian and me for more such antics, and take a look-see at #MarkOfTheRani for comments on this story.
[Watch The Mark of the Rani (again) on msn video player or SeeSaw.]
Outnumbered
3x01 Programme 1
Outnumbered impressively retains its brilliance even as the kids age and it heads into a third run, thoroughly disproving the notion that if you want to make a good comedy series you can only do two rounds. Karen may just be the greatest TV character created ever. Though the Doctor (see above) and Gene Hunt (see above above) would run her close. Good day, good day.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
3x01 Episode 1
And so, the final series of Life On Mars/Ashes to Ashes begins (yes, a week late for me). Plenty of questions still unanswered, plenty of new ones in this episode. It should be an exciting couple of months...
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
22x05 The Mark of the Rani Part One
22x06 The Mark of the Rani Part Two
I'm fairly certain that this is the first (proper) classic Who story I've watched that I'd never seen before since City of Death way back in June 2008. I ought to do this more.
You may also have guessed this was for Insomniac Whovian (it now has it's own real site/blog!) on twitter. Follow @I_Whovian and me for more such antics, and take a look-see at #MarkOfTheRani for comments on this story.
[Watch The Mark of the Rani (again) on msn video player or SeeSaw.]
Outnumbered
3x01 Programme 1
Outnumbered impressively retains its brilliance even as the kids age and it heads into a third run, thoroughly disproving the notion that if you want to make a good comedy series you can only do two rounds. Karen may just be the greatest TV character created ever. Though the Doctor (see above) and Gene Hunt (see above above) would run her close. Good day, good day.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Boyle blasted for Down's Syndrome gags by Alex Fletcher
(from Digital Spy)
What this women's basically saying is, "I find Frankie Boyle's dark and un-PC humour really funny... until he makes nasty jokes about a condition I actually know about and then he's evil."
Jonathan Ross: Can I be honest with you? by Decca Aitkenhead
(from guardian.co.uk)
Absolutely fantastic interview with Jonathan Ross, ostensibly about his new comic -- and there is indeed some nice stuff in there about Turf and his general thoughts on comics -- but the interview ranges wider, to his attitude towards life, the press and certain controversial matters in his past. Well-written and insightful, this is actually an excellent example of how to do an interview-piece, and probably deserves to be read by everyone, whatever your opinion of the interviewee.
(from Digital Spy)
What this women's basically saying is, "I find Frankie Boyle's dark and un-PC humour really funny... until he makes nasty jokes about a condition I actually know about and then he's evil."
Jonathan Ross: Can I be honest with you? by Decca Aitkenhead
(from guardian.co.uk)
Absolutely fantastic interview with Jonathan Ross, ostensibly about his new comic -- and there is indeed some nice stuff in there about Turf and his general thoughts on comics -- but the interview ranges wider, to his attitude towards life, the press and certain controversial matters in his past. Well-written and insightful, this is actually an excellent example of how to do an interview-piece, and probably deserves to be read by everyone, whatever your opinion of the interviewee.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
TV
A Comedy Roast
1x01 Bruce Forsyth
Very funny. Hopefully this is a format that can now run and run.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
3x04 (3/4/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x01 Bruce Forsyth
Very funny. Hopefully this is a format that can now run and run.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
3x04 (3/4/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Doctor Who - The Adventure Games by Marcus
(from Doctor Who News Page)
Announcement of a series of Doctor Who PC/Mac games, to be made available free from the official site later this year.
These aren't the tacky little Flash-built arcade-style games the site's always had, but Proper, 3D, Download-and-Install games with voice casts and writers and the whole works. They sound like the could be excellent, provided they really are old-school adventure games and not platformers/shoot-em-ups masquerading as 'adventure games'. Best of all (from a very fannish point of view), the screenshot of a Cyberman suggests we may have seen the back of the alternate-universe Cybus Cybermen...
Very, very exciting.
The greatest 9,331 movies of all time by Paul Hiebert
(from Film Salon)
Yes, nine thousand, three hundred and thirty-one. Madness! But fun madness.
Still Wrapped In Plastic: Twin Peaks Turns 20 by John Powers
(from npr)
Nice little piece on the importance, impact and greatness of Twin Peaks. Don't worry, there're no spoilers.
(from Doctor Who News Page)
Announcement of a series of Doctor Who PC/Mac games, to be made available free from the official site later this year.
These aren't the tacky little Flash-built arcade-style games the site's always had, but Proper, 3D, Download-and-Install games with voice casts and writers and the whole works. They sound like the could be excellent, provided they really are old-school adventure games and not platformers/shoot-em-ups masquerading as 'adventure games'. Best of all (from a very fannish point of view), the screenshot of a Cyberman suggests we may have seen the back of the alternate-universe Cybus Cybermen...
Very, very exciting.
The greatest 9,331 movies of all time by Paul Hiebert
(from Film Salon)
Yes, nine thousand, three hundred and thirty-one. Madness! But fun madness.
Still Wrapped In Plastic: Twin Peaks Turns 20 by John Powers
(from npr)
Nice little piece on the importance, impact and greatness of Twin Peaks. Don't worry, there're no spoilers.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
TV
Have I Got News For You
39x01 (1/4/10 edition; extended repeat) [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Mad Men
3x11 The Gypsy and the Hobo
39x01 (1/4/10 edition; extended repeat) [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Mad Men
3x11 The Gypsy and the Hobo
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Monday, 5 April 2010
TV
Channel 4's Comedy Gala
In aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Most of the show was very good too, but can anyone tell me just why Lee Evans is so popular? Some of his stuff is funny, other bits fail miserably, and other bits are just old; there are worse comedians, certainly, but why does he get such huge gigs -- and, here, headlines with double the time of anyone else + an award (albeit a rather daft one) -- when there are other much better, and arguably more prominent, funnymen (and women) out there? It baffles me.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
In aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Most of the show was very good too, but can anyone tell me just why Lee Evans is so popular? Some of his stuff is funny, other bits fail miserably, and other bits are just old; there are worse comedians, certainly, but why does he get such huge gigs -- and, here, headlines with double the time of anyone else + an award (albeit a rather daft one) -- when there are other much better, and arguably more prominent, funnymen (and women) out there? It baffles me.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Articles
Download 700+ Free Scifi Books Onto Your iPhone by Cyriaque Lamar
(from io9)
Always good. (And it's legal, of course.)
Pope's immunity could be challenged in Britain by Paisley Dodds
(from Mail Times at mail.com)
Interesting article discussing the possibility of this happening. Sounds unlikely, but we can but hope. You can sign a related petition here.
(from io9)
Always good. (And it's legal, of course.)
Pope's immunity could be challenged in Britain by Paisley Dodds
(from Mail Times at mail.com)
Interesting article discussing the possibility of this happening. Sounds unlikely, but we can but hope. You can sign a related petition here.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
TV
Doctor Who
31x01 The Eleventh Hour
Fantastic start to the new series. It's beautifully shot -- incredibly movie-like, much more so than it has been before -- and wonderfully fast-paced, witty and exciting. Not sure on the new TARDIS set but I may be convinced; but the new theme is a too-busy mess and the new title sequence a little lacking, in my opinion: it's like the old one but with a more-complex vortex graphic and fewer unique moments (e.g. the time-freeze TARDIS-spin). I like the new episode title/credits font, and that someone's finally worked out how to make it different sizes in the post-titles opening credits, but it amuses me that, having gone HD, they've suddenly got massively bigger overall.
But these are silly fan-ish worries. The episode itself was wonderful -- the bit with all the previous Doctors, and #11 walking through the hologram, was simply glorious -- and the hints at the series arc highly intriguing. I'm unfeasibly excited for the rest of the season.
Job done.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Jonathan Creek
The Judas Tree [Easter special]
Hm. Well, that's not vintage Creek, is it.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
31x01 The Eleventh Hour
Fantastic start to the new series. It's beautifully shot -- incredibly movie-like, much more so than it has been before -- and wonderfully fast-paced, witty and exciting. Not sure on the new TARDIS set but I may be convinced; but the new theme is a too-busy mess and the new title sequence a little lacking, in my opinion: it's like the old one but with a more-complex vortex graphic and fewer unique moments (e.g. the time-freeze TARDIS-spin). I like the new episode title/credits font, and that someone's finally worked out how to make it different sizes in the post-titles opening credits, but it amuses me that, having gone HD, they've suddenly got massively bigger overall.
But these are silly fan-ish worries. The episode itself was wonderful -- the bit with all the previous Doctors, and #11 walking through the hologram, was simply glorious -- and the hints at the series arc highly intriguing. I'm unfeasibly excited for the rest of the season.
Job done.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Jonathan Creek
The Judas Tree [Easter special]
Hm. Well, that's not vintage Creek, is it.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
The Doctor Who Roadshow comes to Scotland by Jonathan Melville
(from ReelScotland)
I was in Edinburgh while this was going on. I missed it. To be honest, I'm quite glad I didn't bother taking the time to go.
The New TARDIS by Dave Golder
(from SFX)
Exec producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger chat a bit about the ethos behind the new TARDIS console room. Interesting.
Scott wants Robin Hood sequel by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Hm.
(from ReelScotland)
I was in Edinburgh while this was going on. I missed it. To be honest, I'm quite glad I didn't bother taking the time to go.
The New TARDIS by Dave Golder
(from SFX)
Exec producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger chat a bit about the ethos behind the new TARDIS console room. Interesting.
Scott wants Robin Hood sequel by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Hm.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
TV
Chris Moyles' Quiz Night
2x06 (2/4/10 edition)
Have I Got News For You
39x01 (1/4/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
2x06 (2/4/10 edition)
Have I Got News For You
39x01 (1/4/10 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Don't be fooled by the hype: This crime against cinema is twisted, cynical, and revels in the abuse of childhood by Christopher Tookey
(from Mail Online)
The Mail's single-star review of the excellent Kick-Ass -- as usual with a Mail article, this is so ridiculous it's just funny. It affirms my long-held view that the lower-rated the Mail's review, the better the film. Still, it's worrying how some people think.
(from Mail Online)
The Mail's single-star review of the excellent Kick-Ass -- as usual with a Mail article, this is so ridiculous it's just funny. It affirms my long-held view that the lower-rated the Mail's review, the better the film. Still, it's worrying how some people think.
Dinner
The Kitchin
I don't normally highlight what I eat -- obviously -- but I think going to a Michelin-starred restaurant (especially for the first time) counts as a cultural experience.
It was very nice, thank you very much.
I don't normally highlight what I eat -- obviously -- but I think going to a Michelin-starred restaurant (especially for the first time) counts as a cultural experience.
It was very nice, thank you very much.
Friday, 2 April 2010
TV
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
18x11 (2/4/10 edition)
Aaron Johnson was great in Kick-Ass (and, apparently, in Nowhere Boy), but he's certainly uncomfortable in interviews. Needs some kind of training I think, especially if he has to do the American press junket yet.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
18x11 (2/4/10 edition)
Aaron Johnson was great in Kick-Ass (and, apparently, in Nowhere Boy), but he's certainly uncomfortable in interviews. Needs some kind of training I think, especially if he has to do the American press junket yet.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
This confounds my regular array of categories, but still, it counts...
City Sightseeing bus tour of Edinburgh
City Sightseeing bus tour of Edinburgh
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Films
Kick-Ass (2010)
[#39 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
It was a review cliché even before the reviews were published, but it's still true: Kick-Ass kicks ass. See it.
[#39 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
It was a review cliché even before the reviews were published, but it's still true: Kick-Ass kicks ass. See it.
Articles
10/40/70 #1: Starship Troopers by Nicholas Rombes
(from The Rumpus)
An intriguing new series of columns, this, best explained by its own introduction:
First iPad Reviews Are In by Rosa Golijan
(from Gizmodo)
...and they're all shiny & good. Hurrah!
(from The Rumpus)
An intriguing new series of columns, this, best explained by its own introduction:
what if, instead of freely choosing which parts of the film to address, I select three different, arbitrary time codes (in this case and for future columns, the 10-minute, 40-minute, and 70-minute mark), freeze the frames, and use that as a guide to writing about the filmIt's a little bit film-school pretentious at times, but it's an interesting enough idea to make it worth keeping an eye on.
First iPad Reviews Are In by Rosa Golijan
(from Gizmodo)
...and they're all shiny & good. Hurrah!
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Articles
Pullman defends new book The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ
(from find-book.co.uk)
(from find-book.co.uk)
Pullman is no stranger to controversy. His previous books [depicted] the Catholic Church as a shady, corrupt establishmentWhat, he wrote the truth?
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Articles
A to Z of Awesomeness by Neill Cameron
(from BuzzFeed)
The alphabet, comics style. Yay for D! And T! And others are good too.
The Most Ironic Signs Of All Time
(from The Huffington Post)
Hilariously funny. (Apart from 16, which is an old gag. Though at least that's funny if you've never seen it, whereas 17 is just fake. But otherwise.)
(from BuzzFeed)
The alphabet, comics style. Yay for D! And T! And others are good too.
The Most Ironic Signs Of All Time
(from The Huffington Post)
Hilariously funny. (Apart from 16, which is an old gag. Though at least that's funny if you've never seen it, whereas 17 is just fake. But otherwise.)
Monday, 29 March 2010
TV
Doctor Who [classic]
3x05 Mission to the Unknown [Loose Cannon reconstruction]
aka Dalek Cutaway... despite that never being on screen or anything. But this is essentially a Doctor-less precursor to the slightly-later epic story, The Daleks' Master Plan. The episode is lost, so this is a reconstruction from the original soundtrack and photos. More thorough information here.
3x05 Mission to the Unknown [Loose Cannon reconstruction]
aka Dalek Cutaway... despite that never being on screen or anything. But this is essentially a Doctor-less precursor to the slightly-later epic story, The Daleks' Master Plan. The episode is lost, so this is a reconstruction from the original soundtrack and photos. More thorough information here.
Articles
Claudia Winkleman named as Jonathan Ross's successor on Film 2010 by Paul MacInnes
(from guardian.co.uk )
Well, now, I don't think anyone saw that coming. But maybe she can "prove [her] doubters wrong".
Matt Smith: 'I wrote Doctor Who stories' by Daniel Kilkelly
(from Digital Spy)
Are fans clamouring for them to be released or that Mr Smith shouldn't be so presumptuous as to think he can write fiction? God only knows, I can't be bothered to find out.
Steven Moffat Interview, Part One by Nick Setchfield
(from SFX)
Good interview about new-nuWho.
(from guardian.co.uk )
Well, now, I don't think anyone saw that coming. But maybe she can "prove [her] doubters wrong".
Matt Smith: 'I wrote Doctor Who stories' by Daniel Kilkelly
(from Digital Spy)
Are fans clamouring for them to be released or that Mr Smith shouldn't be so presumptuous as to think he can write fiction? God only knows, I can't be bothered to find out.
Steven Moffat Interview, Part One by Nick Setchfield
(from SFX)
Good interview about new-nuWho.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
TV
The Bubble
1x06 (26/3/10 edition) [season finale]
"My David."
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who [classic]
A Fix with Sontarans [Jim'll Fix It sketch]
The first thing-I've-never-seen I watched as part of #InsomniacWhovian! Shame it was so inauspicious... Hashtag: #AFixWithSontarans, of course.
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
18x10 (26/3/10 edition)
With Matt Smith and an exclusive clip from Vampires in Venice.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Russell Howard's Good News
2x01 (25/3/10 edition)
Mr Howard's filthy news review returns. Completely forgot that they never put the extended version on iPlayer (boo!) so had to watch the shorter one.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x06 (26/3/10 edition) [season finale]
"My David."
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who [classic]
A Fix with Sontarans [Jim'll Fix It sketch]
The first thing-I've-never-seen I watched as part of #InsomniacWhovian! Shame it was so inauspicious... Hashtag: #AFixWithSontarans, of course.
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
18x10 (26/3/10 edition)
With Matt Smith and an exclusive clip from Vampires in Venice.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Russell Howard's Good News
2x01 (25/3/10 edition)
Mr Howard's filthy news review returns. Completely forgot that they never put the extended version on iPlayer (boo!) so had to watch the shorter one.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Radio
Doctor Who Radio Trailer
Apparently exclusive to Paul O'Grady's Radio 2 show and only to be broadcast once -- Lord only knows why, it's hardly specific. On the other hand, it's a bit daft and lacking, so why play it again?
If you really want to hear it (without having to shuffle through all of this week's show looking for it), it's up at Blogtor Who.
Apparently exclusive to Paul O'Grady's Radio 2 show and only to be broadcast once -- Lord only knows why, it's hardly specific. On the other hand, it's a bit daft and lacking, so why play it again?
If you really want to hear it (without having to shuffle through all of this week's show looking for it), it's up at Blogtor Who.
this week on 100 Films
4 new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
Doctor Faustus (1967)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Saw V (2008)
More next Sunday.
Doctor Faustus (1967)
stylistically reminiscent of a Gothic Hammer Horror, which is either wholly inappropriate or an ingenious genre mash-up... There are repulsively horrific corpses, a harem of naked ladies, an array of special effects, plus a medieval-styled gothic atmosphere to all the sets and costumes
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
it’s about boxing, a subject I couldn’t care less about, and indeed I don’t think I’ve ever seen a boxing-centric film before. Unfortunately, Million Dollar Baby did nothing to allay my suspicions that I wouldn’t care less about those either.
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
From the posters on Tony’s walls, to the fashions, to how it’s shot, it seems to have been designed specifically to exude seventies-ness in a way few other things seem to. It feels natural, then, that some of its original elements have become shorthand definitions for the era: the Bee Gees music, the dancing, and in particular that pose.
Saw V (2008)
what Saw V suffers in backstory it makes up for with simplicity... A working knowledge of the preceding films is essential, true, but with that in hand one can actually follow the story easily this time. Indeed, one might even argue it’s too easy
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 27 March 2010
TV
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
3x03 (27/3/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Over the Rainbow
Programme 1 (of 20)
Programme 2 (of 20)
[Watch programme 1 and programme 2 in HD (again) on iPlayer.]
3x03 (27/3/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Over the Rainbow
Programme 1 (of 20)
Programme 2 (of 20)
[Watch programme 1 and programme 2 in HD (again) on iPlayer.]
The Future...
What the future looked like in 1993.
One assumes this video will be hilariously outdated... and then, surprisingly, most of its content has come true, and the bits that haven't are largely on their way or available in a slightly different form.
Freaky.
One assumes this video will be hilariously outdated... and then, surprisingly, most of its content has come true, and the bits that haven't are largely on their way or available in a slightly different form.
Freaky.
Friday, 26 March 2010
TV
Doctor Who [classic]
21x05 The Awakening Part One [2nd watch]
21x06 The Awakening Part Two [2nd watch]
As mentioned yesterday, this was watched for Insomniac Whovian on twitter with @frizfrizzle (though a bit later than planned). See the hashtag #TheAwakening for what we had to say about it.
You might be able to watch The Awakening legally (and for free) on the BBC's YouTube channel's Doctor Who section, but it wouldn't work for us last night.
For the near-future schedule of Insomniac Whovian, look here.
Doctor Who [new]
2x03 School Reunion [3rd watch]
An impromptu Insomniac Whovian. See what we thought on the hashtag #SchoolReunion (they have a pretty obvious format, these).
Mad Men
3x10 The Color Blue
Looks like it's all about to hit the fan...
[Watch it again in HD on iPlayer.]
Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds
Part 2 Out of Sight
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
21x05 The Awakening Part One [2nd watch]
21x06 The Awakening Part Two [2nd watch]
As mentioned yesterday, this was watched for Insomniac Whovian on twitter with @frizfrizzle (though a bit later than planned). See the hashtag #TheAwakening for what we had to say about it.
You might be able to watch The Awakening legally (and for free) on the BBC's YouTube channel's Doctor Who section, but it wouldn't work for us last night.
For the near-future schedule of Insomniac Whovian, look here.
Doctor Who [new]
2x03 School Reunion [3rd watch]
An impromptu Insomniac Whovian. See what we thought on the hashtag #SchoolReunion (they have a pretty obvious format, these).
Mad Men
3x10 The Color Blue
Looks like it's all about to hit the fan...
[Watch it again in HD on iPlayer.]
Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds
Part 2 Out of Sight
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
Doctor Who: It’s About Time by Ian Wylie
(from Life of Wylie)
A full transcript of the Moffat/Smith/Gillan interview from the Doctor Who press launch. Great for fans.
See you at the movies by Roger Ebert
(from Roger Ebert's Journal)
Being in the UK, I've never seen the recently-cancelled series At the Movies, but this is an interesting post nonetheless.
When Headlines Don't Match Their Pictures: The Funniest News Photo Fails Ever by Katla McGlynn
(from The Huffington Post)
They are funny!
(from Life of Wylie)
A full transcript of the Moffat/Smith/Gillan interview from the Doctor Who press launch. Great for fans.
See you at the movies by Roger Ebert
(from Roger Ebert's Journal)
Being in the UK, I've never seen the recently-cancelled series At the Movies, but this is an interesting post nonetheless.
When Headlines Don't Match Their Pictures: The Funniest News Photo Fails Ever by Katla McGlynn
(from The Huffington Post)
They are funny!
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Number of titles in collection: 1,156 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,081 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 75 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 2,811 [up 2]
Number of films in collection: 1,222 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,874 [no change]
Statistic of the week:
Number of Doctor Who stories I own that I've never seen:
35
This week's stat is inspired by a comment on twitter, and is vaguely related to the the Statistic of the Week from January 29th.
See you next week, faithful reader.
Number of titles in collection: 1,156 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,081 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 75 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 2,811 [up 2]
Number of films in collection: 1,222 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,874 [no change]
Statistic of the week:
Number of Doctor Who stories I own that I've never seen:
35
This week's stat is inspired by a comment on twitter, and is vaguely related to the the Statistic of the Week from January 29th.
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
TV
Doctor Who [new]
2x11 Fear Her [3rd watch]
Watched for Insomniac Whovian on twitter with @frizfrizzle. See the hashtag #FearHer.
Join him and/or us and/or others later (around 1am) for the same thing again with The Awakening (inevitable hashtag: #TheAwakening), which you can also watch legally and for free on the BBC's YouTube channel's Doctor Who section.
FlashForward: What Did You See?
A full-episode-length "Previously on..." covering the first 10 episodes (thanks to a 15-week mid-season hiatus). It was so engrossing I actually fell asleep.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
2x11 Fear Her [3rd watch]
Watched for Insomniac Whovian on twitter with @frizfrizzle. See the hashtag #FearHer.
Join him and/or us and/or others later (around 1am) for the same thing again with The Awakening (inevitable hashtag: #TheAwakening), which you can also watch legally and for free on the BBC's YouTube channel's Doctor Who section.
FlashForward: What Did You See?
A full-episode-length "Previously on..." covering the first 10 episodes (thanks to a 15-week mid-season hiatus). It was so engrossing I actually fell asleep.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Articles
Kevin Smith slams "nasty" critics by Catriona Wightman
(from Digital Spy)
On the one hand, he's just getting pissy about bad reviews. On the other, he has a fairly valid point:
(from Digital Spy)
On the one hand, he's just getting pissy about bad reviews. On the other, he has a fairly valid point:
"Realised whole system's upside down: so we let a bunch of people see it for free & they s**t all over it?" he posted. "Meanwhile, people who'd REALLY like to see the flick for free are made to pay? Bulls**t: from now on, any flick I'm ever involved with, I conduct critics screenings thusly: you wanna see it early to review it? Fine: pay like you would if you saw it next week.
Why am I giving an arbitrary 500 people power over what I do at all, let alone for free? ... Why's their opinion more valid? It's a backwards system."
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
TV
David Lean in Close-Up with Jonathan Ross
The 90-minute BBC Four version from last October; completely missed it even being on BBC One (almost a year ago! Crikey.) It's a rather good documentary too, and all fascinating, so I'm glad I saw the full version.
Mad Men
3x09 Wee Small Hours
The 90-minute BBC Four version from last October; completely missed it even being on BBC One (almost a year ago! Crikey.) It's a rather good documentary too, and all fascinating, so I'm glad I saw the full version.
Mad Men
3x09 Wee Small Hours
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
TV
Archer
1x05 Honeypot
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
FlashForward: Revealed
Behind-the-scenes-type-programme Five showed before Christmas, when the series went on its mid-season hiatus. Full of hype and hyperbole, it was pretty much as weak as the show it was promoting.
1x05 Honeypot
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
FlashForward: Revealed
Behind-the-scenes-type-programme Five showed before Christmas, when the series went on its mid-season hiatus. Full of hype and hyperbole, it was pretty much as weak as the show it was promoting.
Monday, 22 March 2010
TV
House
6x13 Moving the Chains
The Mentalist
2x05 Red Scare
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Tinga Tinga Tales
Why Snake Has No Legs
Why Flamingo Stands on One Leg
[Watch both episodes (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
6x13 Moving the Chains
The Mentalist
2x05 Red Scare
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Tinga Tinga Tales
Why Snake Has No Legs
Why Flamingo Stands on One Leg
[Watch both episodes (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
Has 3-D already failed? by Kristin Thompson
(from Observations on film art at David Bordwell's website on cinema)
This article's from last September, but -- despite Avatar -- I reckon many of its points still stand. And it's therefore excellent.
On a related note, also check out Bwana Beowulf and Coraline, cornered from the same blog. Both are further discussions of 3D, using specific films (which should be obvious) as case studies, and continue to demonstrate why this 3D malarky isn't all its cracked up to be.
(from Observations on film art at David Bordwell's website on cinema)
This article's from last September, but -- despite Avatar -- I reckon many of its points still stand. And it's therefore excellent.
On a related note, also check out Bwana Beowulf and Coraline, cornered from the same blog. Both are further discussions of 3D, using specific films (which should be obvious) as case studies, and continue to demonstrate why this 3D malarky isn't all its cracked up to be.
Suggestion of the day...
Send this letter to this email address (adding some kind of framing bit to note the letter's not actually by you but you agree with every word of it).
It'll only take a few seconds, but it might one day turn out to be worth it.
It'll only take a few seconds, but it might one day turn out to be worth it.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
TV
QI
7x01 Gardens (extended repeat)
Much-belated first-showing for this extended repeat of an edition that first went out way back in November 2009.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sport Relief 2010
[2nd half]
This is where recording it pays off, as the later-hours' schedule gradually fills up with repeats of sketches and appeal films, not to mention the inane babble of Fearne Cotton and Patrick Kielty.
[Watch the it (again) on iPlayer.]
7x01 Gardens (extended repeat)
Much-belated first-showing for this extended repeat of an edition that first went out way back in November 2009.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sport Relief 2010
[2nd half]
This is where recording it pays off, as the later-hours' schedule gradually fills up with repeats of sketches and appeal films, not to mention the inane babble of Fearne Cotton and Patrick Kielty.
[Watch the it (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100 Films
Just 2 new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)
What About Bob? (1991)
More next Sunday.
Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009)
the film fails to deliver on is its twin promises of raunch and horror. Aside from a couple of brief surgically-enhanced medieval boobs, a flash of knickers and the odd girl-on-girl kiss, the film’s sexy content is non-existent... The horror, meanwhile, is reduced to well-signposted jump scares and the odd bit of comical decapitation/melting
What About Bob? (1991)
The film hinges entirely on Murray and Dreyfuss, and both are excellent in their respective roles. Murray portrays Bob’s mental health struggles early on in a way that would garner wider praise for accuracy if this were a drama, showing the potential he’s only unleashed in more recent years to play straight roles
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
TV
Sport Relief 2010
[1st half + BBC Two segment]
I recorded it so I could fastforward the dull bits (by which I mean rubbish singers, etc, not the appeal films), but was surprised to find I barely skipped anything. I expect it'll pay dividends come the later hours though -- these charity telethons always wind up repeating the best sketches by midnight.
[Watch the first half and BBC Two half-hour (again) on iPlayer.]
[1st half + BBC Two segment]
I recorded it so I could fastforward the dull bits (by which I mean rubbish singers, etc, not the appeal films), but was surprised to find I barely skipped anything. I expect it'll pay dividends come the later hours though -- these charity telethons always wind up repeating the best sketches by midnight.
[Watch the first half and BBC Two half-hour (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
Saw V (2008)
[#34 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Regular readers may remember that the first four films in the series were 2009's numbers 59, 60, 61 and 62.
Titanic (1997)
[#35 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Having avoided this box office behemoth for 12 years, it seems appropriate to finally see it now it's been toppled from its highest-grossing perch. Plus, it was on in HD.
[#34 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Regular readers may remember that the first four films in the series were 2009's numbers 59, 60, 61 and 62.
Titanic (1997)
[#35 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Having avoided this box office behemoth for 12 years, it seems appropriate to finally see it now it's been toppled from its highest-grossing perch. Plus, it was on in HD.
Games
The Secret of Monkey Island: The Flash Movie
The whole plot of The Secret of Monkey Island, re-told at speed by a German bloke (in English) with cartoony illustrations. Kinda fun.
The whole plot of The Secret of Monkey Island, re-told at speed by a German bloke (in English) with cartoony illustrations. Kinda fun.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Just one new Blu-ray this week, despite the Saturday delay in posting. It's the rather-good Seraphim Falls, which I watched earlier this week. It should look rather lovely on BD and it was going dirt cheap (£4.99! for a Blu-ray!) at several retailers.
Number of titles in collection: 1,154 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,079 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 75 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 2,809 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 1,219 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,874 [no change]
Statistic of the week:
Number of titles rated 15:
395
(34% of the total)
Following in the footsteps of titles rated U and titles rated 18, those rated 15 are the largest group in my collection -- almost double the next closest!
What's next closest? That's for another time...
See you next week, faithful reader.
Just one new Blu-ray this week, despite the Saturday delay in posting. It's the rather-good Seraphim Falls, which I watched earlier this week. It should look rather lovely on BD and it was going dirt cheap (£4.99! for a Blu-ray!) at several retailers.
Number of titles in collection: 1,154 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,079 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 75 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 2,809 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 1,219 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,874 [no change]
Statistic of the week:
Number of titles rated 15:
395
(34% of the total)
Following in the footsteps of titles rated U and titles rated 18, those rated 15 are the largest group in my collection -- almost double the next closest!
What's next closest? That's for another time...
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 19 March 2010
TV
The Bubble
1x05 (18/3/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Queen
Part 2 Us and Them
[Watch it (again) on 4oD or SeeSaw.]
Tinga Tinga Tales
Why Crocodile Has a Bumpy Back
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x05 (18/3/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Queen
Part 2 Us and Them
[Watch it (again) on 4oD or SeeSaw.]
Tinga Tinga Tales
Why Crocodile Has a Bumpy Back
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Thursday, 18 March 2010
TV
Damages
3x03 Flight's at 11:08
Damages in thoroughly-appropriate-episode-title shocker!
The Queen
Part 1 Sisters
Ah, the drama-documentary: not enough documentary to provide proper insight, not enough drama to justify it being, er, a drama. Still, for what it is, this was (er, is?) quite good. I certainly learnt stuff... but then, I didn't know much about it in the first place. And Emilia Fox is worth watching in anything.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD. Or SeeSaw. Or anywhere you bloody like these days.]
Tinga Tinga Tales
Why Tickbird Sits On Hippo's Back
I give up trying to number the episodes, there's no point.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
3x03 Flight's at 11:08
Damages in thoroughly-appropriate-episode-title shocker!
The Queen
Part 1 Sisters
Ah, the drama-documentary: not enough documentary to provide proper insight, not enough drama to justify it being, er, a drama. Still, for what it is, this was (er, is?) quite good. I certainly learnt stuff... but then, I didn't know much about it in the first place. And Emilia Fox is worth watching in anything.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD. Or SeeSaw. Or anywhere you bloody like these days.]
Tinga Tinga Tales
Why Tickbird Sits On Hippo's Back
I give up trying to number the episodes, there's no point.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
I'm writing this post moments before it shall be posted, so I'll be brief:
Google Street View uncovers secret superhero headquarters
(from Sci Fi Wire)
Ha!
Fathers For Justice?
The Hobbit to be in 3D? by Josh Winning
(from Total Film)
No thank you.
Top 25 SFX TV Shows by Dave Golder
(from SFX)
User-voted best-of list. Always funny. Good top three (and higher, probably, but I've not seen all of them / all of the shows (if you see the difference)).
...and that's all for now.
Google Street View uncovers secret superhero headquarters
(from Sci Fi Wire)
Ha!
Fathers For Justice?
The Hobbit to be in 3D? by Josh Winning
(from Total Film)
No thank you.
Top 25 SFX TV Shows by Dave Golder
(from SFX)
User-voted best-of list. Always funny. Good top three (and higher, probably, but I've not seen all of them / all of the shows (if you see the difference)).
...and that's all for now.
Wolverine 2 footage
Just to steal Empire's twitter joke, "Exclusive footage from Wolverine 2 - They're going for a very different tone this time around".
Watch the video here. Oh, go on.
Watch the video here. Oh, go on.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
TV
Dexter
3x04 All in the Family
Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds
Part 1 Speed Limits
In case you forget that this programme uses high-speed cameras (to show things too fast to see with the naked eye), Hammond reminds us about every 137 seconds. It's almost like they're trying to make it a drinking game.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
3x04 All in the Family
Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds
Part 1 Speed Limits
In case you forget that this programme uses high-speed cameras (to show things too fast to see with the naked eye), Hammond reminds us about every 137 seconds. It's almost like they're trying to make it a drinking game.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Articles
Twin Peaks - The Fight For More by Ben Rawson-Jones
(from Digital Spy)
Twin Peaks season two finally hits UK DVD next week, after the best part of a decade waiting (personally, I caved almost a year and a half ago and got the US complete set), which makes it as good a time as any to muse on the missing Peaks (deleted scenes from the film that are just waiting for a DVD release) and the potential (if any) for the story to continue in the future.
(from Digital Spy)
Twin Peaks season two finally hits UK DVD next week, after the best part of a decade waiting (personally, I caved almost a year and a half ago and got the US complete set), which makes it as good a time as any to muse on the missing Peaks (deleted scenes from the film that are just waiting for a DVD release) and the potential (if any) for the story to continue in the future.
Monday, 15 March 2010
Articles
Film 4 HD, E4 HD coming to Virgin Media
and
ITV1 HD to launch in April
by Andrew Laughlin (from Digital Spy)
If that's true, it means Virgin will soon be making some changes to the way they offer HD -- currently it's only available with a V+ HD box, which costs an extra £5 per month on most packages. More likely, I suspect, she's talking rubbish and the current system will continue.
So long as Virgin stick to their thus-far method of offering HD (if you get the SD channel you get the HD channel) and don't switch to making HD channels higher-package-only (a constant threat, I feel, as they always refer to their most-expensive XL package when discussing new HD channels), then I won't complain.
and
ITV1 HD to launch in April
by Andrew Laughlin (from Digital Spy)
Virgin Media director of digital entertainment Cindy Rose [said] "we're... making HD available to all of our customers for no extra fee."
If that's true, it means Virgin will soon be making some changes to the way they offer HD -- currently it's only available with a V+ HD box, which costs an extra £5 per month on most packages. More likely, I suspect, she's talking rubbish and the current system will continue.
So long as Virgin stick to their thus-far method of offering HD (if you get the SD channel you get the HD channel) and don't switch to making HD channels higher-package-only (a constant threat, I feel, as they always refer to their most-expensive XL package when discussing new HD channels), then I won't complain.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
TV
Damages
3x01 Your Secrets Are Safe
Another promising start to a season of Damages -- hopefully this one will improve over the variable second. Distinctly odd recap at the start though; what with Dexter's four-minute epic at the start of its third season, it's beginning to feel like A Thing.
Dexter
3x02 Finding Freebo
3x01 Your Secrets Are Safe
Another promising start to a season of Damages -- hopefully this one will improve over the variable second. Distinctly odd recap at the start though; what with Dexter's four-minute epic at the start of its third season, it's beginning to feel like A Thing.
Dexter
3x02 Finding Freebo
Films
Seraphim Falls (2006)
[#30 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Waitress (2007)
[#31 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
[#30 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Waitress (2007)
[#31 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)