TV

Castle
5x15 Target
5x16 Hunt
aka Castle Does Taken, Parts One and Two. Despite the obviousness of that influence, and some very poor green screen shots of a certain foreign city, it was a very good two-parter.

Detectorists
2x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Castle
5x14 Reality Star Struck

Have I Got News For You
50x07 (20/11/2015 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
4x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

TV

Arrow
4x05 Haunted

Live at the Apollo
11x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Castle
5x13 Recoil

Detectorists
2x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Flash
2x05 The Darkness and the Light

Jessica Jones
1x04 AKA 99 Friends

TV

Jessica Jones
1x03 AKA It's Called Whiskey

this week on 100 Films

Four brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Inside Out (2015)

Pixar haven’t had the greatest start to the second decade of the 21st Century... This might go some way towards explaining why their release for this year has attracted such acclaim, despite it offering a pretty rote storyline dressed up in some fancy ‘original idea’ clothing (not that it is a truly original idea) and a modicum of genuine emotional resonance.

Read more here.


The Machine (2013)

maybe James, in only his second feature, is trying to show his full range and use the film as a calling card. After all, it does attempt human drama, an exploration of sci-fi ideas, a touch of conspiracy thriller, and an all-action climax. Unfortunately he’s delivered quite a clunky screenplay, which lingers on inexplicable scenes one moment before rushing over vital things the next

Read more here.


One-Eyed Monster (2008)

For the innocents among you… well, maybe you should stop reading now. For the slightly-less-innocent, “one-eyed monster” is a euphemism for a (whisper it) penis. It also contains the word “monster”, like, y’know, a horror movie. What if you made a horror movie where some chap’s one-eyed monster was a monster?!

Read more here.


Turtle Power (2014)

The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ... This informative documentary uses interviews with all the key players to tell the story of how a small indie comic, created incidentally and published almost on a whim, became a true cultural phenomenon.

Read more here.


Plus two archive reposts...


2009: The Full List

So, 2009… the first year I failed to reach my stated goal. Still, I saw 94 new films and bothered to review several others — and here’s a full alphabetical list of the lot of ’em!

Read more here.


2009 In Retrospect

It’s been a somewhat inauspicious year for 100 Films, actually, failing to make the titular target for the first time and not necessarily seeing a great many classic films along the way. 2007’s Top Ten held undeniable classics like Brief Encounter and Citizen Kane, while 2008’s managed the likes of Rashomon [and] Notorious... I don’t mean to spoil this year’s lot, but it looks kinda tame and modern (70% come from the last three years) by comparison.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Doctor Who
35x10 Face the Raven
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Jessica Jones
1x01 AKA Ladies Night
1x02 AKA Crush Syndrome

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Quite a few additions this week, relatively, which means I sail past 600 Blu-rays without landing neatly on it. Ah well, it's not that interesting a number anyway. Should keep next week's running time update lively, though.

Number of titles in collection: 1,815 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,213 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 602 [up 3]

Number of discs in collection: 4,567 [up 22]
Number of films in collection: 1,971 [up 9]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,805 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 462 [up 3]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Have I Got News For You
50x06 (6/11/2015 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
4x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Articles

Peter Jackson: 'I didn’t know what the hell I was doing' when I made The Hobbit
by Ben Child (from the Guardian)

With quotes culled from the behind-the-scenes video on the forthcoming Battle of the Five Armies extended DVD, director Peter Jackson candidly admits how he rushed The Hobbit films.


Why Star Wars: The Force Awakens Not Screening for Critics Might Be a Good Thing
by Sam Adams (from Criticwire)

Interesting thoughts on the place for and relevance of movie criticism.

TV

Arrow
4x04 Beyond Redemption

Live at the Apollo
11x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Premium Bond with Mark Gatiss and Matthew Sweet
Sweet and Gatiss offer an appreciation of the whole Bond series, by gently critically analysing them. So, so much better than a vacuous "weren't they all great" puff piece. Hurrah for BBC Four!
[Watch it (again) in full on iPlayer, or in Bond-by-Bond chunks here.]

Films

Tank Girl (1995)
[#180 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

The Flash
2x04 The Fury of Firestorm

Have I Got News For You
50x05 (30/10/2015 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

this week on 100 Films

No new reviews on 100 Films in a Year this week (I was away most of the week), but there were two archive re-posts...


2008: The Full List

This year hasn’t been quite as successful as last, at least in terms of film viewing. As the year neared its end I didn’t think I’d make it to 100, and was all prepared to settle for 90 around Christmas time, but a final push saw me make it in the nick of time. Hurrah!

Read more here.


2008 In Retrospect

And so 2008 is finally at an end (really this time)... first up, my five Worst Films, in no particular order; then, my ten Best Films, in a lovely countdown.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Doctor Who
35x09 Sleep No More
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Inside Out (2015)
[#179 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Lava (2014)
[#179b in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Riley's First Date? (2015)
[#179a in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Number of titles in collection: 1,811 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,212 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 599 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 4,545 [up 5]
Number of films in collection: 1,962 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,805 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 459 [up 2]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Frank Skinner On Demand With...
Lee Mack
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Come Drink with Me (1966)
[#178 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
3x02 Thirty Five Quid For This...
[Watch it (again) on Dave OD.]

Arrow
4x03 Restoration

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
4x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

TV

The Flash
2x03 Family of Rogues

Have I Got News For You
50x04 (23/10/2015 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

Live at the Apollo
11x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Lucky VII: Superfan J.J. Abrams on Directing The Force Awakens.
by Scott Dadich (from Wired)

Nice, detailed interview with the director of Star Wars Episode VII.

Films

Enchanted (2007)
[3rd watch]
This was #80 on 100 Films way back in 2008.

TV

Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled
3x01 I've Been Fingered By Captain Kirk
[Watch it (again) on Dave OD.]

Films

The Little Mermaid (1989)
[4th or so watch]

this week on 100 Films

Three brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)

there are too many characters, and the film doesn’t always seem to know what to do with all of them. The array of cameos in minor roles is fine, and sure to please thoroughly-versed comic book readers, but it’s the main characters who are sometimes sidelined. In some cases, literally: Wonder Woman disappears off to her island after two scenes; the Flash retires early on; Superman gets sunk in the ocean at the start of the climax.

Read more here.


Spooks: The Greater Good (2015)

you don’t need to have seen the TV series to follow the plot, which is standalone in every aspect that seriously matters... However, a familiarity might help manage your expectations: The Greater Good feels like a wider-screen, (slightly-)bigger-budgeted version of the show, for good or ill. “Good” because, well, it should really, otherwise why call it Spooks? “Ill” because anyone expecting an action-packed thriller to rival Bond, Bourne, or Mission: Impossible will come away disappointed.

Read more here.


The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

the film really comes alive for its final hour... Here’s where the film’s real adventure lies, as we whizz through multiple fantasy landscapes, the thief battling monsters as he goes... This is also where most of the film’s famed special effects are to be found. So groundbreaking that they were analysed in scientific magazines at the time, they still have the power to enchant viewers the best part of a century later.

Read more here.


Plus two archive posts recapping 100 Films Year 1...


2007 In Retrospect

Read on for my five least-favourite films I’ve seen this year, and (more interestingly, I’m sure) my top ten — in a lovely countdown and all!

Read more here.


2007: The Full List

And so the end is here. Yes, finally this time! ... as we’ve reached the end, here’s the full alphabetical list of everything I saw, followed by some intensely interesting statistical whatsits.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Doctor Who
35x08 The Zygon Inversion
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The Lone Ranger (2013)
[#177 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Number of titles in collection: 1,808 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,210 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 598 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 4,540 [up 2]
Number of films in collection: 1,959 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,805 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 457 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

Films

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
[#176 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Articles

John Lewis Christmas advert: who is Moon Hitler?
by Stuart Heritage (from the Guardian)

Perfectly skewering John Lewis' annual mawkishness-fest.

TV

Arrow
4x02 The Candidate

Have I Got News For You
50x03 (16/10/2015 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

The Flash
2x02 Flash of Two Worlds

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
4x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Films

The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
[#175 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Castle
5x12 Death Gone Crazy

Films

Force Majeure (2014)
[#174 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Have I Got News For You
50x02 (9/10/2015 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

Mock the Week
14x12 (highlights/out-takes)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Horns (2013)
[#173 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Duck Quacks Don't Echo
3x07 Episode 7

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
4x02 Episode 2

this week on 100 Films

It's the 1st of a new month, so my round up of what was posted over on 100 Films in a Year this week naturally begins with the October round-up. It's a big'un -- the biggest ever, in fact!




Phew! Now then, there were also six brand-new reviews published this week. They were...


Birdman (2014)

Michael Keaton is an actor who once played a superhero in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Well, to clarify, Michael Keaton plays an actor, Riggan Thomson, who once played a superhero in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Decades later, he’s trying to be taken seriously by starring in a play on Broadway… which he’s also written… and is directing… and has sunk his personal finances into. So it’s probably not a good thing that one of his cast can’t act, his personal life is all over the place, the critics hate him before the play’s even opened, and he’s hallucinating superpowers.

Read more here.


Spectre (2015)

I saw Spectre days after the eager-beavers but still before some people, so here are my spoiler-free thoughts... Chances are, if you’re interested in a review of the 24th Bond movie you’ve already read one. Several, probably. Nonetheless... I’m compelled to throw some of my initial spoiler-free thoughts out there. Plus, in places, commentary on those other reviews.

Read more here.


Stoker (2013)

Stoker isn’t all about its mystery and its twists — it’s at least as much about its carefully constructed Gothic mood; but part of that is the mystery, so, y’know. Indeed, it’s so moody and atmospheric that it seems to turn some viewers off. It’s certainly not thrill-a-minute, and it has a very particular pace and tone.

Read more here.


Superbad (2007)

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s semi-autobiographical comedy sets Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) (see what they did there?) on a quest to obtain booze for a party where they hope to copulate. Or, “every American teen comedy.”

Read more here.


Twilight (2008)

For Halloween, I decided to review one of the most notorious supernatural films of recent times. A movie so horrific, it sent critics cowering behind their sofas. A film so evil, it’s perverted the minds of children — and some adults — the world over. A movie so renowned, it strikes fear into the hearts of even hardened movie lovers. I speak, of course, of Twilight.

Read more here.


Wings (1927)

part rom-com, part war-action movie. On the ground, Jack and David’s interactions with Mary and Sylvia (the latter of whom barely features) are based around misunderstandings and almost-slapstick drunkenness. In the air, the picture comes alive in thrilling battle scenes, performed by fearless stuntmen and shot by bold cameramen.

Read more here.


Finally, six archive posts were reposted too...


July 2011

Every year of 100 Films seems to see at least one shockingly weak month for my film viewing. Last year it was April (three films); the year before February (two) and July (none); and so on. This year I’d done pretty well — my monthly totals so far run at 12, 13, 13, 9, 11 and 9 — but I have finally crumbled: July 2011 scores a lowly four.

Read more here.


August 2011

[The following was all irrelevant soon after I posted it, never mind now in 2015. But hey-ho, the repostathon rolls on…]

Read more here.


September 2011

By the end of September 2010 I’d made it to my goal of 100 films. This year? Not a chance. Of course I haven’t. I ended last month on 77 — even at my best, 23 films in a month is madness. [How times have changed!]

Read more here.


October 2011

Still not at 100. I think I would have made it to 90 though, or possibly even a bit further, but I re-watched X-Men: First Class on Blu-ray last Friday night and got a burning desire to re-watch the rest of the X-Men films in chronological order

Read more here.


November 2011

This year’s 100 Films is turning into a race for the finish line — always kinda fun, if not record-breaking... now — as I enter the final stretch — I find myself just one ahead of target. To put it plainly: there’s eight films to go to my goal.

Read more here.


December 2011

But did I make it to 100 in time? ... I did! Just. Three films in the final 24 hours of the year, the last of them finishing just an hour before midnight, see me reach 100 exactly this year. Phew!

Read more here.


So nearly done with the reposts now!

More next Sunday.

TV

Doctor Who
35x07 The Zygon Invasion
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The Babadook (2014)
[#170 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Blue Ruin (2013)
[#171 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

You're Next (2011)
[#172 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Number of titles in collection: 1,807 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,210 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 597 [up 2]

Number of discs in collection: 4,538 [up 4]
Number of films in collection: 1,958 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,805 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 457 [no change]

Plus this week it's time for a running time update, so...

Total running time of collection (approx.):
328 days, 3 hours, and 25 minutes.
(Up 19 hours and 34 minutes from last month.)

See you next week, faithful reader.

Films

Jupiter Ascending (2015)
[#169 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Arrow
4x01 Green Arrow

James Bond's Spectre with Jonathan Ross
The 10 minutes they spent actually talking about Spectre were good...
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Mock the Week
14x11 (8/10/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The Machine (2013)
[#167 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Spectre (2015)
[#168 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Duck Quacks Don't Echo
3x06 Episode 6

The Flash
2x01 The Man Who Saved Central City

Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
4x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Films

Life Itself (2014)
[#166 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Films

Mr. Holmes (2015)
[#165 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Outnumbered
5x06 Spartacus The Musical [series finale; 2nd watch]

Films

Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
[#164 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

this week on 100 Films

Four brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Back in Time (2015)

Wednesday just passed was “Back to the Future Day”, the exact date Marty McFly and Doc Brown (and Marty’s girlfriend) travel forward to in Back to the Future Part II. As one of the many, many (many) things that went on to mark the occasion, Netflix debuted this crowdfunded documentary worldwide. Apparently it began life as a film just about DeLorean owners, but then expanded to include Back to the Future fans in general, and ultimately includes many of the trilogy’s cast and crew talking about the movies themselves, too.

Read more here.


The Falling (2014)

it does have a distinctly unnerving air a lot of the time, and there are definite references to and hints about some kind of mysticism playing a role. It’s often incredibly atmospheric, with some beautiful cinematography courtesy of DP Agnès Godard and effective editing by Chris Wyatt.

Read more here.


Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)

like two films playing at once: the dramatic/romantic story of President FDR’s (Bill Murray) burgeoning affair with his distant cousin Daisy (Laura Linney), and the comedy-drama of his meeting with King George VI (aka “the one Colin Firth played in The King’s Speech”; here, Samuel West) and Queen Elizabeth 1.5 (Olivia Colman) in the build up to World War 2

Read more here.


Ladyhawke (1985)

Ladyhawke is an ’80s medieval fantasy, though relatively light on the fantasy — it’s not Conan the Barbarian. It’s more like an old romance, in the “classical literature” sense rather than the “movie genre” one.

Read more here.


Plus six archive posts were reposted on the new blog...


January 2011

Following the success of 2010, 2011’s off to a good start. For one thing I’ve got every review from last year posted... More pertinently, though, the film-watching is off and running. Though I started later than ever this year, I’m suitably far ahead as January closes.

Read more here.


February 2011

Another month down sees the year reach ½ of ⅓ complete (or, to put it another way, “one sixth” — but they don’t do a little symbol for that). Last month I watched 12 films and talked about continuing at that rate; this month I’ve watched 13, so that’s grand — and sees me quarterway toward my goal already.

Read more here.


March 2011

March saw me reach the 500th feature film to be reviewed on this blog. Not #500, mind you (that’ll be later this year), because I’ve also reviewed a variety of films that don’t count — hardly-different alternate cuts, a couple I’d just seen before, that kind of thing. About 25 of those, as it turns out. But still, 500 reviews — that’s a lot!

Read more here.


April 2011

This month I watched nine feature films I’d never seen before (plus one short). That looks a bit weak compared to previous months this year, which averaged out at (just under) 13 each. I blame TV — lots on this month

Read more here.


May 2011

Much of watching 100 films is the long, sometimes slow, slog of getting through so many films. Oh I know some people watch far more than that in a year, but I think most would agree getting to such a number is a marathon rather than a sprint. If you watched one a day, it would still take over three months. Sometimes, though, it's broken up by my arrival at key points. And this month, I reached not one but two milestones.

Read more here.


June 2011

It’s no news that being halfway through the calendar year sees me more than halfway through my annual goal (because that happened last month), but it’s always a good time to stop and take stock. As you’ll see shortly, this point finds me at 67 films.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Doctor Who
35x06 The Woman Who Lived
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Outnumbered
5x05 Communication Skills [2nd watch]

Films

The Golem: How He Came into the World (1920)
[#163 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Number of titles in collection: 1,804 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,209 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 595 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 4,534 [up 3]
Number of films in collection: 1,955 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,805 [up 4]
Number of short films in collection: 457 [up 1]

See you next week, faithful reader.

Films

Stoker (2013)
[#162 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Films

Back in Time (2015)
[#161 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Films

The Grandmaster (2013)
[#160 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Films

Europa Report (2013)
[#158 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
[#159 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Films

Circle (2015)
[#157 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Coherence (2013)
[#156 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Films

The Decoy Bride (2011)
[#155 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Jurassic World (2015)
[#154 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

this week on 100 Films

Five brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


The Crying of Lot 49 (2007)

it appears to be a student short, possibly only made for some school project. It adapts the entire novel in just seven minutes, solely through meaningful images and music — there are no actors, no dialogue, no voiceover. A solid knowledge of the book is essential to understand what’s going

Read more here.


Dreams of a Life (2011)

In 2006, the body of 38-year-old Joyce Vincent was found in her London bedsit, surrounded by Christmas presents and with the TV still on. Sad, but largely unremarkable, were it not for the fact that she’d been dead for three years. Carol Morley’s documentary attempts to uncover the story of Joyce’s life, and how it reached a point where no one noticed she’d been gone for so long.

Read more here.


Parabellum (2015)

Alfred Hitchcock once said said that “movies are real life with the boring parts cut out.” Valenta Rinner’s movie is the opposite of this in every respect: it isn’t real life, which is fine, but he only left the boring parts in, which isn’t.

Read more here.


Supermen of Malegaon (2008)

It’s an incredible, one-of-a-kind film; more powerful and life-affirming than it perhaps has any right to be. But then the filmmakers of Malegaon don’t really care about such things. They make movies because they want to, whether they ‘should’ or not; they make them better than you might expect; and it enriches their lives. Their story may do the same for you. In my opinion, it’s an essential film; a true must-see.

Read more here.


Terror by Night (1946)

For what is the shortest film in the series, screenwriter Frank Gruber and regular director/producer Roy William Neill have constructed a contained, almost claustrophobic version of a Holmes tale. There are definite pros to this: it’s effectively a locked room mystery, with an element of howdunnit closely tied to the whodunnit.

Read more here.


Just five archive posts were reposted this week, finishing off 2010. Next week, 2011 begins.


August 2010

At this exact point last year, as we head into the year's final third, I was 22 films behind The Target -- i.e. the rate of film-watching that would get me to exactly 100 films by December 31st at a regular, consistent pace. This year, I'm 23 films ahead. I'm having a little party. By myself. Nibbles?

Read more here.


September 2010

And lo, in the 9th month of the 10th year, I didst see 11 new films, and one of them was Number One-Hundred! Excuse me while I do a little victory dance.

Read more here.


October 2010

October last year was something of a tipping point, when I finally stopped falling behind and actually began catching up. This year, I’m just forging ahead...

Read more here.


November 2010

After doing so well for most of the year — including last month, where I made appropriate headway toward my new goal of 130 films — it’s rather slipped in November. Just four new films (and a couple of others I’ll review, but that don’t count in the slightest). I blame TV.

Read more here.


December 2010

So here we are, the final few new films I watched in 2010... And, as you’ll see in just a few lines, I sadly didn’t beat my previous record of 129 films. Hey ho — I made it to 100 (and comfortably over it), and after failing last year and barely scraping through the year before, I’m more than happy with that.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Doctor Who
35x05 The Girl Who Died
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Outnumbered
5x04 Into the Wilderness [2nd watch]

Films

Wings (1927)
[#153 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

One early-arrival new release this week. Been a long time since that happened, but HMV are back selling online and it seems they're as premature with pre-orders as ever -- hurrah! There's a few more new releases in the next couple of weeks, so that'll be even more exciting. As exciting as this ever gets, anyway.

Number of titles in collection: 1,802 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,208 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 594 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 4,531 [up 2]
Number of films in collection: 1,954 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,801 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 456 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

Films

A Clockwork Orange (1971)
[#152 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...? 2015 #8

TV

Top Coppers
1x06 The Passion of the Chris [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Inside Netflix's $12-Million, Oscar-Seeking Gamble on Beasts of No Nation
by Nicole LaPorte (from Fast Company)

An interesting piece on the strategy behind Netflix's release of a prestige, awards-baiting film, and what it might mean for the future of filmed entertainment.

TV

Top Coppers
1x05 The Escape of Vince Rust
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Dreams of a Life (2011)
[#151 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Films

The Crying of Lot 49 (2007)
[#149a in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Parabellum (2015)
[#150 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Supermen of Malegaon (2008)
[#149 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]
My review will be up here in the morning.

Films

Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)
[#148 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

sex, lies, and videotape (1989)
[#147 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Castle
5x11 Under the Influence

Doctor Who
35x04 Before the Flood
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Outnumbered
5x03 House of Hormones [2nd watch]

Films

Ender's Game (2013)
[#146 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

this week on 100 Films

Just two brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week...


Rush (2013)

Appropriately, the racing sequences are the best part. Those were the days when F1 was a little wild and uncontrolled, which the film does a good job of conveying, and also of using to its advantage to create tense and exciting set pieces. Kudos to every element of production here, not only the brilliant camerawork and editing, and the array of special effects required to tie it together, but also the production design that makes the one or two tracks they filmed on look like circuits all around the world.

Read more here.


Shallow Grave (1994)

it concerns three ultra-chummy flatmates in contemporary Edinburgh who take in a fourth lodger, who promptly dies, leaving behind an insane amount of cash. Rather than report it, they dispose of the corpse and keep the cash. You don’t get much further from Merchant-Ivory than that.

Read more here.


Meanwhile, my archive posts are well into 2010 now, with 11 more reposted this week...


A final push...!

So today is the final day of 2008, and so the final day of this blog's second year. And have I made it to 100? Not yet.

Read more here.


Another dismal January

It seems like barely a couple of months since I was posting about a dismal January; but, of course, it was a year ago -- and I've just had another equally mediocre month.

Read more here.


Sit-rep (or, ‘In want of a better title’)

The start of April marks the end of the year’s first quarter in just about every way possible (meaning in months, weeks and days). Unfortunately, it looks unlikely that the same will be said for this year’s attempt at 100 films.

Read more here.


July 2009

one month on from my last post, and at around 58% of the way through 2009 I find the actions toward my titular aim floundering this year — never mind the last post, it’s been over a month since I actually watched a film.

Read more here.


It’s halfway through 2009!

“But it’s September!” I hear you cry in response to my patently ludicrous title. “That’s not halfway through the year by any reasonable measure!” No, it isn’t — but it is (if you haven’t already guessed) the point at which I’ve seen 50 new films in 2009 (at last!)

Read more here.


The end is nigh…

this is simply an observation (and little more than that, I’m afraid) that there are a mere 31 days of 2009 left. Indeed, 31 days of this decade. Cripes.

Read more here.


Another year over, or: Third time unlucky

“Another year over,” sang John Lennon, “and what have you done?” (Well, if you re-arrange the lyrics he did.) Failed to reach 100 films, that’s what. Well… There’s a first time for everything. It had to happen sooner or later.

Read more here.


A ¼ through 2010

Pat on the back over, it’s back to actually watching films. 25 in two months — 150 by the end of December? Well, we’ll see..

Read more here.


May 2010

I’ve decided to start putting these little lists up every month as a way of keeping the blog current and offering myself a chance to reflect on How Things Are Going. Having switched to longer reviews in the blog’s second year, and ultimately abandoned posting them in order too, I feel I’ve lost this side of things a little. And without it, the whole exercise becomes just a random selection of films.

Read more here.


June 2010

The start of July is, perhaps obviously, halfway through the year. In terms of film-viewing, then, I should have reached 50, obviously. As attentive regular readers will be aware, I actually reached 50 last month. It’s nice to be well ahead of schedule after last year’s failure

Read more here.


July 2010

July last year was when I didn’t watch a single film, so while I’ve not watched a great many this month (compared to the rest of the year so far), I’ve done a bang-up job compared to 2009.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

The Great British Bake Off
6x10 Class of 2014
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Have I Got News For You
50x01 (2/10/2015 edition; extended repeat)
[Watch the extended version (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Twilight (2008)
[#145 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Yep.

Comics

Marvel's Jessica Jones #1 by Brian Michael Bendis & Michael Gaydos

Short prequel to Netflix's second Marvel TV series (available from November 20th) by the character's original creators. Features a cameo from Daredevil for good measure.

Articles

Daniel Craig's 'secret plan' to save James Bond
by Robbie Collin (from the Telegraph)

A good feature on how the current run of Bond films have served to rejuvenate the franchise.

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

This week: two new releases, and a double-film catalogue title replacing a single-film DVD. Number-changing fun!

Number of titles in collection: 1,801 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,208 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 593 [up 3]

Number of discs in collection: 4,529 [up 7]
Number of films in collection: 1,953 [up 6]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,801 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 456 [up 1]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
2x10 Episode 10 [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The Fifth Estate (2013)
[#144 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Castle
5x10 Significant Others

Outnumbered
5x02 K for Victory [3rd watch]

TV

Duck Quacks Don't Echo
3x05 Episode 5

The Great British Bake Off
6x11 The Final [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The Wrestler (2008)
[#143 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Castle
5x09 Secret Santa

Films

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
[#142 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Castle
5x08 After Hours

Mock the Week
14x10 (1/10/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Castle
5x07 Swan Song

Doctor Who
35x03 Under the Lake
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Duck Quacks Don't Echo
3x04 Episode 4

The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
2x09 Episode 9
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

this week on 100 Films

First up from 100 Films in a Year this week, it's a new month, so here's a look back at the last one -- which was rather special...




Elsewise, two brand-new reviews were published this week...


Filmed in Supermarionation (2014)

This documentary about the behind-the-scenes story of those iconic shows is an absolute nostalgia-fest, then; but it’s also more than that: a story of British endeavour, ambition and inventiveness, which perfected an art form and, in the process, revolutionised television and film. And all by a bunch of young Brits working out of a poky little industrial unit in Slough to make children’s TV programmes using puppets.

Read more here.


Foxcatcher (2014)

In a rare dramatic role, and lumbered with a hefty prosthetic noise, Carrell’s John Du Pont almost feels like a caricature rather than a plausible human being… but apparently the film has actually toned down how odd the man was, so what are you gonna do? It’s a memorable performance none the less.

Read more here.


And finally, ten archive posts were reposted too...


2007 | Weeks 43-45

It’s goodbye to October and hello to November, as the year moves into its final sixth. It’ll be over before you know it — and with it, my final total of new films this year. How exciting!

Read more here.


2007 | Weeks 46-48

being the dedicated student that I am, I’ve watched all the suggested viewing for a seminar in which my group had to pose the questions. The seminar was on “Urban Rhythms”… but in film-viewing terms that translates to four Scorseses, four Woody Allens, and an anthology featuring shorts by both of them and Francis Ford Coppola

Read more here.


2007 | Weeks 49-50 (2008 Preview)

in the past two weeks I’ve only watched… well, NO films! Yet there is still an entry. Why? Well, I resolved that, regardless of how many films I watched, I’d post double-week entries for both this one and the next. And I haven’t watched any films, so there’s none here. A silly resolution, obviously... So instead of film reviews, but in light of the fact I’m posting this anyway, I’ve decided to share with you some of the changes I have planned for 2008. I’m sure there’s nothing mind-blowingly exciting here, but maybe it’ll be of vague interest.

Read more here.


2007 | Weeks 50-52

After the emptiness of my last entry, I have actually watched some films this time. Three of them, in fact — my final three films of the year! And one short too.

Read more here.


Here we go again…

With 2007 finally finished, it’s time to begin all over again for 2008.

Read more here.


A dismal January

This new year of film watching has hardly got off to an auspicious start, with only five new films seen in January. For those who haven’t already done the maths, that rate sees me just reaching 60 by the end of the year — a tad short of 100!

Read more here.


100 Days

the 100th day of 2008! As it’s just over a quarter of the way through the year, and also a nice round number in its own right, and as I did a similar thing at roughly this point last year, it seems an appropriate time for a statisticstastic look at how things are going so far.

Read more here.


What May has been

Ah May! The start of summer! Not that I like summer, personally, as I’m rather adverse to all that heat. But it’s been miserable weather for the most part so far, so I’m all the happier. As is my film viewing, it must be said. Happier, that is, not miserable.

Read more here.


Two-thirds done

With August now behind us, 2008 is two-thirds complete. And so, as I missed halfway, now seems like a moderately appropriate time to reflect on how well my aim of watching 100 new films is going in 2008.

Read more here.


Eternal laziness of the dreamless blogger

11 months down, 1 to go… 81 films down — it should’ve been at least 92. It’s fair to say 100 Films hasn’t gone quite as smoothly this year as it did last

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Only one new title this week... but it's also the monthly running time update -- and, as promised, it's a big'un. Biggest increase ever? To be honest, I can't remember (and I've been doing this for years now, so I'm not going to go check), but surely it's up there.

Number of titles in collection: 1,799 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,209 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 590 [up 1]

Number of discs in collection: 4,522 [up 1]
Number of films in collection: 1,947 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,801 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 455 [no change]

Total running time of collection (approx.):
327 days, 7 hours, and 51 minutes.
(Up 6 days and 5 hours (precisely) from last month.)

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

A Fine Romance
3x02 The Hotel
Episode guides for this series are remarkably inconsistent, but this is the episode number the Radio Times said was on (even if their plot description doesn't match), so...

TV

The Great British Bake Off
6x09 Chocolate
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Mock the Week
14x09 (24/9/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The Falling (2014)
[#141 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Castle
5x05 Probable Cause
5x06 The Final Frontier

Films

Terror by Night (1946)
[#140 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

The 13th, and penultimate, film starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. After years of 'work', I've very nearly finished the series!

TV

Would I Lie To You?
9x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

L'Atalante (1934)
[#138 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...? 2015 #7


Spooks: The Greater Good (2015)
[#139 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

Castle
5x04 Murder He Wrote

Mock the Week
14x08 (17/9/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Boyz n the Hood (1991)
[#137 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]