Birth of the Living Dead (2013)
[#30 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
Mute (2018)
[#31 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
Friday, 23 February 2018
Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Monday, 19 February 2018
Sunday, 18 February 2018
TV
Absentia
1x02 Reset
The British Academy Film Awards 2018
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Good Place
2x07 Derek
1x02 Reset
The British Academy Film Awards 2018
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Good Place
2x07 Derek
this week on 100 Films
3 brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
Black Panther (2018)
Fast & Furious 8 (2017)
Zatoichi on the Road (1963)
More next Sunday.
Black Panther (2018)
Black Panther is once again undoubtedly a superhero movie in more than just the literal sense that it’s adapted from a comic book about a superhero, but this particular mix of varied influences — some familiar (it’s not the first movie to imitate Bond), others less so (African culture in an action-adventure blockbuster) — does make it feel genuinely different to the norm.Read more here.
Fast & Furious 8 (2017)
You may remember that, once upon a time, these films were about street racers who occasionally carried out on-the-road heists, all the better to keep the focus on the cars. Those days are long gone, despite an opening sequence here that tries to pretend that’s still part of the game. No, nowadays we’re in the “international spy actioner” genre, and our former street racers have somehow become highly capable agents… whose primary tools/weapons are still vehicles. It’s utterly ridiculous… but, thank goodness, everyone involved seems to know that.Read more here.
Zatoichi on the Road (1963)
“Easily one of the best entries in the series”? Nope. The “action starts red hot and keeps getting hotter”? Don’t be silly... As for the plot… Overdeveloped? Yes. Convoluted? Undoubtedly. And needlessly soRead more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 17 February 2018
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
For the first time in... only a month, actually... there's nothing at all to report.
Number of titles in collection: 2,084 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,163 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 921 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 5,341 [no change]
Number of films: 2,325 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 605 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
For the first time in... only a month, actually... there's nothing at all to report.
Number of titles in collection: 2,084 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,163 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 921 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 5,341 [no change]
Number of films: 2,325 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 605 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 16 February 2018
TV
The Good Place
2x06 Janet and Michael
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1x02 The Iowa-Scuba Affair
Directed by Richard Donner, of Superman and Lethal Weapon fame!
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
6x06 Episode 6
Room 101
7x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
2x06 Janet and Michael
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1x02 The Iowa-Scuba Affair
Directed by Richard Donner, of Superman and Lethal Weapon fame!
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
6x06 Episode 6
Room 101
7x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Thursday, 15 February 2018
TV
The Good Place
2x05 The Trolley Problem
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1x01 The Vulcan Affair
Haven't watched any of this since I was a kid (and, consequently, I've no idea whatsoever which episodes I've seen -- I don't remember any specifics), but here I go with a full-on watch. One episode done, 104 to go...
The X Files
11x01 My Struggle III
Oh dear, that was... confusing. It didn't help that it's nearly two years since the last episode, which this played heavily on. OK, there was a "previously on", but I didn't think that helped enough. And even if it hadn't been confusing, I don't think it was a very good episode anyway. It was just... odd. I mean, what was with all that random voiceover from Mulder? Nonetheless, sometime I really need to watch all of The X Files from the start -- maybe this would make more sense then.
[Watch it (again) on My5.]
2x05 The Trolley Problem
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1x01 The Vulcan Affair
Haven't watched any of this since I was a kid (and, consequently, I've no idea whatsoever which episodes I've seen -- I don't remember any specifics), but here I go with a full-on watch. One episode done, 104 to go...
The X Files
11x01 My Struggle III
Oh dear, that was... confusing. It didn't help that it's nearly two years since the last episode, which this played heavily on. OK, there was a "previously on", but I didn't think that helped enough. And even if it hadn't been confusing, I don't think it was a very good episode anyway. It was just... odd. I mean, what was with all that random voiceover from Mulder? Nonetheless, sometime I really need to watch all of The X Files from the start -- maybe this would make more sense then.
[Watch it (again) on My5.]
Wednesday, 14 February 2018
TV
The Persuaders!
1x23 A Death in the Family [2nd watch]
I first watched this episode back in October 2010, and it's what persuaded (joke not intended) me to buy the complete series DVD set... which I then didn't start watching until May 2017... and now we're in February 2018 and I've finally almost finished it.
1x23 A Death in the Family [2nd watch]
I first watched this episode back in October 2010, and it's what persuaded (joke not intended) me to buy the complete series DVD set... which I then didn't start watching until May 2017... and now we're in February 2018 and I've finally almost finished it.
Films
Black Panther (2018)
[#23 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
WarGames (1983)
[#22 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
[#23 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
WarGames (1983)
[#22 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Monday, 12 February 2018
TV
Castle
8x22 Crossfire [series finale]
Death in Paradise
7x06 Meditated in Murder
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
8x22 Crossfire [series finale]
Death in Paradise
7x06 Meditated in Murder
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 11 February 2018
this week on 100 Films
3 brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
Blade Runner 2049 3D (2017)
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
Eddie the Eagle (2016)
More next Sunday.
Blade Runner 2049 3D (2017)
cinematographer Roger Deakins is, I believe, no fan of 3D. Indeed, he’s publicly expressed that his preferred version of Blade Runner 2049 is the 2D one... Nonetheless, he also personally supervised the film’s conversion to 3D. I guess that’s some kind of dedication. It shouldn’t be a huge surprise, then, that this is not a film designed to show off in 3D — but that’s not to say it’s bad. Rather, what it most often offers is a subtle, believable delineation of space.Read more here.
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
“Logic doesn’t apply to any of this.” So says Tam, played by Zhang Ziyi, about halfway through this third movie in the Cloverfield sort-of-series. She’s talking about the crazy circumstances they’ve found themselves mixed up in, but she may as well be talking about the movie itself.Read more here.
Eddie the Eagle (2016)
The unlikely hero of the 1988 Winter Olympics — ski jumper Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards — gets the Cool Runnings treatment in this comedy-drama. I make the Cool Runnings connection because, firstly, they’re both about unlikely competitors in the Winter Olympics (from the same year, in fact — what was in the water in ’88?!); and, secondly, because in their transition to the big screen they were both heavily fictionalised.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 10 February 2018
Films
Casino (1995)
[#19 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...? 2018 #2
The Love Punch (2013)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2018 #8
[#19 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...? 2018 #2
The Love Punch (2013)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2018 #8
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
After an exceptionally busy time last week, it's back to the regular drip of my ever-increasing collection.
Number of titles in collection: 2,084 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,163 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 921 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 5,341 [up 4]
Number of films: 2,325 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 605 [up 3]
See you next week, faithful reader.
After an exceptionally busy time last week, it's back to the regular drip of my ever-increasing collection.
Number of titles in collection: 2,084 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,163 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 921 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 5,341 [up 4]
Number of films: 2,325 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 605 [up 3]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 9 February 2018
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Wednesday, 7 February 2018
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
TV
Castle
8x21 Hell to Pay
The Good Place
2x02 Dance Dance Resolution
Death in Paradise
7x05 Murder on the Day of the Dead
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
8x21 Hell to Pay
The Good Place
2x02 Dance Dance Resolution
Death in Paradise
7x05 Murder on the Day of the Dead
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 5 February 2018
Sunday, 4 February 2018
TV
Castle
8x19 Dead Again
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 10 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Insert Name Here
3x08 Jack [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
8x19 Dead Again
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 10 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Insert Name Here
3x08 Jack [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100 Films
We're in to the second month of 2018 already, which meant it was time to look back on January over at 100 Films in a Year this week...
There were also 5 brand-new reviews published this week...
Comedy Review Roundup
Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
More next Sunday.
There were also 5 brand-new reviews published this week...
Comedy Review Roundup
Quick reviews of The Heat, In the Loop, and This is the End.Read more here.
Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)
Two of Japan’s most successful cultural exports meet for the first time here as the King of the Monsters, Godzilla, gets the anime treatment. Originally conceived as a TV series, the box office success of Shin Godzilla prompted studio Toho to restructure the project as a trilogy of movies and release them theatrically (in Japan, anyway — the rest of the world gets them via Netflix). Part 2 is due later in 2018 and Part 3 in early 2019.Read more here.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
we’re in familiar Guy Ritchie territory: lads up to criminal hijinks with a London accent, only now in medieval costumes. [And] if you approach Legend of the Sword less as a King Arthur film and more as a Guy Ritchie-flavoured fantasy movie, there are bits of it I think are really, really good. Some of it’s great, evenRead more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 3 February 2018
TV
Room 101
7x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Strike
1x02 The Cuckoo's Calling Part 2
1x03 The Cuckoo's Calling Part 3
7x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Strike
1x02 The Cuckoo's Calling Part 2
1x03 The Cuckoo's Calling Part 3
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
A whopping nine new titles were added to my collection this week, a mix of new releases and sale purchases. They were also a mix of brand new additions, DVD-to-BD upgrades, and BD-to-BD upgrades too, meaning there's a scattering of different changes to the numbers below.
And all of that just in time for the monthly running time update, too!
Number of titles in collection: 2,082 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,163 [down 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 919 [up 8]
Number of discs in collection: 5,337 [up 10]
Number of films: 2,323 [up 8]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 602 [up 3]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
394 days, 11 hours, and 37 minutes.
(Up 17 hours and 57 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
A whopping nine new titles were added to my collection this week, a mix of new releases and sale purchases. They were also a mix of brand new additions, DVD-to-BD upgrades, and BD-to-BD upgrades too, meaning there's a scattering of different changes to the numbers below.
And all of that just in time for the monthly running time update, too!
Number of titles in collection: 2,082 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,163 [down 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 919 [up 8]
Number of discs in collection: 5,337 [up 10]
Number of films: 2,323 [up 8]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 602 [up 3]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
394 days, 11 hours, and 37 minutes.
(Up 17 hours and 57 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 2 February 2018
TV
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 9 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Insert Name Here
3x07 Jane
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Strike
1x01 The Cuckoo's Calling Part 1
2017/2018 Episode 9 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Insert Name Here
3x07 Jane
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Strike
1x01 The Cuckoo's Calling Part 1
Thursday, 1 February 2018
Articles
Highsnobsiety: A Beginner’s Guide to the Yakuza
by Mark Edwards (from Team Yellow)
Stumbled across this while looking for something else, and learnt a lot of stuff I never knew.
by Mark Edwards (from Team Yellow)
Stumbled across this while looking for something else, and learnt a lot of stuff I never knew.
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Tuesday, 30 January 2018
Sunday, 28 January 2018
this week on 100 Films
4 brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
Public Access (1993)
Saludos Amigos (1942)
The Straight Story (1999)
More next Sunday.
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
Naturally it’s a tale not so much of derring-do as of humorous shenanigans, though in truth it’s not the studio’s most hysterical offering, ticking along with a level of gentle amusement rather than outright hilarity... Plus it’s all carried off with the ineffable charm of Aardman’s hand-crafted puppetryRead more here.
Public Access (1993)
What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this pretty little town? Who is this stranger and what are his motives? How will the community react to the previously-secret complaints and possible revelations? Unfortunately, Public Access does very little to explore any of those possibilities.Read more here.
Saludos Amigos (1942)
The sixth film in Disney’s official animated canon was the first in a run of cheap “package films” that span the gap from 1942’s Bambi to 1950’s Cinderella. Frankly, if Disney hadn’t decided to make it part of their animated canon whenever that list was first settled upon, I very much doubt it would be remembered today.Read more here.
The Straight Story (1999)
Such a simple, straightforward, grounded narrative seems so very un-Lynch-like at first, but its tale of quirky Americana, peopled by a ragtag selection of endearing oddballs, isn’t so far outside his wheelhouse.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 27 January 2018
TV
Murder on the Blackpool Express
Would I Lie To You?
11x10 The Unseen Bits [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x10 The Unseen Bits [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
One new DVD-to-BD upgrade this week, which otherwise makes no changes whatsoever. Ho hum.
Number of titles in collection: 2,076 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,165 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 911 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 5,327 [no change]
Number of films: 2,315 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 599 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
One new DVD-to-BD upgrade this week, which otherwise makes no changes whatsoever. Ho hum.
Number of titles in collection: 2,076 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,165 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 911 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 5,327 [no change]
Number of films: 2,315 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 599 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 26 January 2018
Thursday, 25 January 2018
TV
The Great British Bake Off
The Great Festive Bake Off [2018 special]
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x09 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Great Festive Bake Off [2018 special]
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x09 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Monday, 22 January 2018
Sunday, 21 January 2018
this week on 100 Films
It's that time of the month over at 100 Films in a Year: the TV review...
Plus there were 4 brand-new film reviews too...
Black Swan (2010)
Bright (2017)
The Man from Earth: Holocene (2017)
The Mummy (2017)
More next Sunday.
Plus there were 4 brand-new film reviews too...
Black Swan (2010)
Described by director Darren Aronofsky as “a psychological thriller horror film”, Black Swan straddles the divide between classy Cinema and genre Movies as artfully as, say, a Hitchcock thriller. [...] Shot handheld on a mix of 16mm and video-capable HD DSLRs,it has a documentary look, often emphasised by its editing — at times it could almost pass for a fly-on-the-wall look behind the scenes of a ballet company. [This] serves to make the film’s unsettling parts all the more effectiveRead more here.
Bright (2017)
Bright is a long way from perfect, but it’s also pretty far from being the disaster of epic proportions that critical and social media reaction seems suspiciously keen to paint it as (the Cannes-like “Netflix make TV not movies” sentiment is strong in some quarters). It’s a middle-of-the-road blockbuster movie, with some very solid plus points that are let down by some irritating negatives.Read more here.
The Man from Earth: Holocene (2017)
has some very good ideas that could’ve made for a worthy continuation of the original film. Chief among them is the mystery of John’s relatively sudden ageing. Is he dying? Is he just entering a new phase of his existence? Either way: why? The film asks these questions, makes nods towards possible explanations, but otherwise doesn’t seek to explore it too much.Read more here.
The Mummy (2017)
It’s a tonal mishmash. It’s not exciting enough to satisfy as an action movie, but not scary enough to qualify as a horror. There’s humour, but it’s poorly integrated, feeling at odds with the dark tone. This is a PG-13 movie that kinda wants to be an R, but not so much that it’ll really commit to sitting on that PG-13/R line.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 20 January 2018
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Number of titles in collection: 2,076 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,166 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 910 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 5,327 [up 2]
Number of films: 2,315 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 599 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Number of titles in collection: 2,076 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,166 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 910 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 5,327 [up 2]
Number of films: 2,315 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 599 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 19 January 2018
Thursday, 18 January 2018
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Films
The Man from Earth (2007)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2018 #3
+ one of the two audio commentaries, featuring director Richard Schenkman and actor John Billingsley
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2018 #3
+ one of the two audio commentaries, featuring director Richard Schenkman and actor John Billingsley
Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Monday, 15 January 2018
Films
Die Hard (1988)
[4th watch]
Rewatchathon 2018 #2. It's been almost ten years since I last watched Die Hard. Where does time go?!
[4th watch]
Rewatchathon 2018 #2. It's been almost ten years since I last watched Die Hard. Where does time go?!
Sunday, 14 January 2018
TV
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 5 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x07 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
2017/2018 Episode 5 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x07 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
The Love Punch (2013)
[#7 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
[#6 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
[#7 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
[#6 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
this week on 100 Films
5 brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
District 9 (2009)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Get Out (2017)
Her (2013)
Moon (2009)
I also selected the 22 films I must watch during 2018 for my Blindspot and "What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen" challenges. Read about those at these two links:
More next Sunday.
District 9 (2009)
The first half is excitingly original and interestingly ideas-driven, with allegory that is powerful if perhaps a little heavy-handed (I suppose that’s kind of unavoidable when you make a movie about segregation and set it in South Africa). The second half is just a shoot-em-up.Read more here.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Once it gets past everyone’s lustfulness (it feels uncomfortably like watching the filmmakers play out some personal fantasies), there are proper big sci-fi ideas driving Forbidden Planet. There are also some gloriously pulpy action sequences, like a fight against an invisible monster. It’s backed up by great special effects.Read more here.
Get Out (2017)
Get Out unfurls with a slow-burn tension, where you can’t be sure that Chris isn’t just being paranoid. Well, we can be sure, because we know we’re watching a horror movie. In terms of that genre, it’s effectively creepy without indulging in many outright scares — it foregrounds an encroaching sense of unease rather than pure terror.Read more here.
Her (2013)
People often refer to the template of Black Mirror as “what if technology but MORE”, and Her definitely fulfils that brief: “what if Siri was genuinely intelligent and someone fell in love with her?” Also like an episode of Black Mirror, it’s as much about what this reveals about humanity as it is about the crazy sci-fi conceptRead more here.
Moon (2009)
Like so much good sci-fi, it uses its imagined situation as impetus to explore the effect on its characters (or, in this case, character) and what the human reaction would be in such a situation. Maybe this is becoming a cliché already, but it’s quite like an episode of Black Mirror in that regard.Read more here.
I also selected the 22 films I must watch during 2018 for my Blindspot and "What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen" challenges. Read about those at these two links:
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 13 January 2018
TV
Upstart Crow
2x07 A Christmas Crow [Christmas special; 2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Vera
8x01 Blood and Bone
[Watch it (again) on the ITV Hub.]
2x07 A Christmas Crow [Christmas special; 2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Vera
8x01 Blood and Bone
[Watch it (again) on the ITV Hub.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
After all the new stuff and yearly stats last week, this week there's absolutely nothing to report. Not a sausage.
Number of titles in collection: 2,075 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,166 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 909 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 5,325 [no change]
Number of films: 2,314 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 599 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader, when there will be some additions, I promise.
After all the new stuff and yearly stats last week, this week there's absolutely nothing to report. Not a sausage.
Number of titles in collection: 2,075 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,166 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 909 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 5,325 [no change]
Number of films: 2,314 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 599 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader, when there will be some additions, I promise.
Friday, 12 January 2018
TV
Blue Planet II
Episode 6 Coasts
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Death in Paradise
7x02 The Stakes are High
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x06 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Episode 6 Coasts
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Death in Paradise
7x02 The Stakes are High
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x06 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Thursday, 11 January 2018
TV
Blue Planet II
Episode 5 Green Seas
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Great British Bake Off
The Great Christmas Bake Off [2017 special]
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Episode 5 Green Seas
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Great British Bake Off
The Great Christmas Bake Off [2017 special]
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Wednesday, 10 January 2018
TV
Blue Planet II
Episode 4 Big Blue
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 4 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Our Friend Victoria
1x07 Christmas [special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Episode 4 Big Blue
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 4 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Our Friend Victoria
1x07 Christmas [special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 9 January 2018
TV
Blue Planet II
Episode 3 Coral Reefs
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 3 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Insert Name Here
3x05 Christmas
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Episode 3 Coral Reefs
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 3 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Insert Name Here
3x05 Christmas
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
DVD Extras
Dunkirk Special Features
The three featurettes under "Land", about how they staged the beach scenes, and the two under "Air", about how they achieved the aerial sequences. The latter was particularly interesting, because they basically invented a load of new techniques -- as well as reviving some very old ones -- to do things that have never been done before. Quite incredible.
The three featurettes under "Land", about how they staged the beach scenes, and the two under "Air", about how they achieved the aerial sequences. The latter was particularly interesting, because they basically invented a load of new techniques -- as well as reviving some very old ones -- to do things that have never been done before. Quite incredible.
Monday, 8 January 2018
TV
Blue Planet II
Episode 2 The Deep
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 2 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
37x00 Twice Upon a Time [Christmas special; 2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Episode 2 The Deep
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 2 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
37x00 Twice Upon a Time [Christmas special; 2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 7 January 2018
TV
Blue Planet II
Episode 1 One Ocean
Finally watching this in UHD via iPlayer (only available via certain devices). It looks absolutely stunning.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 1 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
[2nd watch]
Enjoyed this more a second time, actually.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Not Going Out
9x00 The True Meaning of Christmas [Christmas special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tim Vine Travels Through Time
Christmas Special [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Episode 1 One Ocean
Finally watching this in UHD via iPlayer (only available via certain devices). It looks absolutely stunning.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Celebrity Mastermind
2017/2018 Episode 1 (of 10)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
[2nd watch]
Enjoyed this more a second time, actually.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Not Going Out
9x00 The True Meaning of Christmas [Christmas special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tim Vine Travels Through Time
Christmas Special [2nd watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100 Films
With the new year only just underway, the past week over at 100 Films in a Year has been entirely concerned with looking back at 2017.
It started with the monthly progress report for December...
And continued with these four posts looking over the year in its entirety...
My Top 5 Most-Read New Posts in 2017
2017: The Full List
2017 Statistics
The Best & Worst of 2017
More next Sunday.
It started with the monthly progress report for December...
And continued with these four posts looking over the year in its entirety...
My Top 5 Most-Read New Posts in 2017
This year, all five of my most-read posts are from my TV review column... But this is a film blog (it’s in the title), so this year I’m doing two top fives: the genuine top 5 most-read new posts in 2017, which is also the top 5 most-read new TV-related posts, and then the top 5 most-read new film-related posts.Read more here.
2017: The Full List
2017 — the 11th year I’ve been doing this 100 films challenge, and the fifth consecutive year I’ve surpassed that goal. Below is the full list of new films I watched this year, all linked up to reviews and that.Read more here.
2017 Statistics
In today’s post we do the fun stuff: look at all sorts of statistics about 2017's viewing. Hurrah!Read more here.
The Best & Worst of 2017
Having listed all I watched in 2017 and analysed it thoroughly, it’s time for the finale: what I thought were the best films I saw last year.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 6 January 2018
TV
Death in Paradise
7x01 Murder from Above
I once complained that Death in Paradise should have episode titles. According to Wikipedia, it's had them all along. Hm. Anyway, henceforth I'll be using those, wherever they derive from.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x05 At Christmas
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
7x01 Murder from Above
I once complained that Death in Paradise should have episode titles. According to Wikipedia, it's had them all along. Hm. Anyway, henceforth I'll be using those, wherever they derive from.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Would I Lie To You?
11x05 At Christmas
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I was unable to do an accurate year-on-year increases post last time because I was away from home. Although we're now nearly a week into 2018, I've not purchased or received anything new since December 31st, so this post will serve just as well.
Number of titles in collection: 2,075 [up 3 this week; up 154 in 2017]
Of which DVDs: 1,166 [no change this week; down 27 in 2017]
Of which Blu-rays: 909 [up 3 this week; up 181 in 2017]
That's my highest number of new titles in a year since records began (i.e. 2013). And I was meant to be trying to buy less!
Number of discs in collection: 5,325 [up 11 this week; up 374 in 2017]
Number of films: 2,314 [up 7 this week; up 193 in 2017]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change this week; up 426 in 2017]
Number of short films: 599 [no change this week; up 91 in 2017]
Not quite sure how I acquired so many short films. As far as I'm aware that's all made up of odd ones here and there included with feature films.
Total running time of collection (approx.):
393 days, 17 hours, and 40 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 12 hours, and 18 minutes from last month.)
(Up 27 days, 7 hours, and 3 minutes from last year.)
Despite that whopping number of new titles, that's not the highest yearly running time increase (that belongs to 2015, probably because I acquired nearly 50% more TV episodes that year).
See you next week, faithful reader.
I was unable to do an accurate year-on-year increases post last time because I was away from home. Although we're now nearly a week into 2018, I've not purchased or received anything new since December 31st, so this post will serve just as well.
Number of titles in collection: 2,075 [up 3 this week; up 154 in 2017]
Of which DVDs: 1,166 [no change this week; down 27 in 2017]
Of which Blu-rays: 909 [up 3 this week; up 181 in 2017]
That's my highest number of new titles in a year since records began (i.e. 2013). And I was meant to be trying to buy less!
Number of discs in collection: 5,325 [up 11 this week; up 374 in 2017]
Number of films: 2,314 [up 7 this week; up 193 in 2017]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change this week; up 426 in 2017]
Number of short films: 599 [no change this week; up 91 in 2017]
Not quite sure how I acquired so many short films. As far as I'm aware that's all made up of odd ones here and there included with feature films.
Total running time of collection (approx.):
393 days, 17 hours, and 40 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 12 hours, and 18 minutes from last month.)
(Up 27 days, 7 hours, and 3 minutes from last year.)
Despite that whopping number of new titles, that's not the highest yearly running time increase (that belongs to 2015, probably because I acquired nearly 50% more TV episodes that year).
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 5 January 2018
DVD Extras
Dunkirk Special Features
The four featurettes under the heading "Creation". I intend to watch the remaining 12, just not all in one go (altogether they add up to just under 2 hours -- slightly longer than the film itself).
The four featurettes under the heading "Creation". I intend to watch the remaining 12, just not all in one go (altogether they add up to just under 2 hours -- slightly longer than the film itself).
Thursday, 4 January 2018
Films
Bright (2017)
[#1 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
It begins again...
Dunkirk (2017)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2018 #1. This, too, begins again...
[#1 in 100 Films in a Year 2018]
It begins again...
Dunkirk (2017)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2018 #1. This, too, begins again...
Wednesday, 3 January 2018
TV
University Challenge
Christmas 2017 Brunel University v Reading University
Christmas 2017 Semi-Final 1
[Watch Brunel v Reading and Semi-Final 1 (again) on iPlayer.]
Christmas 2017 Brunel University v Reading University
Christmas 2017 Semi-Final 1
[Watch Brunel v Reading and Semi-Final 1 (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 1 January 2018
TV
Michael McIntyre: Happy & Glorious
Thought I'd seen this -- I recognised the start -- but it's not in my records and there were bits I didn't remember, so...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Mrs Brown's Boys
CSI: Mammy [New Year special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
University Challenge
Christmas 2017 Queen Mary College, London v Cardiff University
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Thought I'd seen this -- I recognised the start -- but it's not in my records and there were bits I didn't remember, so...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Mrs Brown's Boys
CSI: Mammy [New Year special]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
University Challenge
Christmas 2017 Queen Mary College, London v Cardiff University
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 31 December 2017
TV
The Graham Norton Show
22x13 New Year's Eve Show
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Little Women
Part 2 (of 3)
Part 3 (of 3)
[Watch parts two and three (again) on iPlayer.]
22x13 New Year's Eve Show
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Little Women
Part 2 (of 3)
Part 3 (of 3)
[Watch parts two and three (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100 Films
As it's the new year tomorrow, this week over at 100 Films in a Year has ended with a review of 2017's Christmas TV...
Aside from that, there were 8 brand-new film reviews...
The 39 Steps (1935)
Dances with Wolves Special Edition (1990/1991)
Gran Torino (2008)
Jackie Brown (1997)
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Nashville (1975)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
More next Sunday.
Aside from that, there were 8 brand-new film reviews...
The 39 Steps (1935)
This adaptation of John Buchan’s adventure novel is one of the best-known among director Alfred Hitchcock’s early works, and for good reason. Galloping briskly along with a running time under 90 minutes, it’s a film where mood, tone, and the wonderful execution of individual sequences are all allowed to trump plot, which is somewhere on the spectrum from unexplained to nonsensical.Read more here.
Dances with Wolves Special Edition (1990/1991)
the near-four-hour extended one certainly feels its length. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — this is an epic in the truest sense of the word, with a large story to tell on a grand canvass; although it’s concurrently a drama about just a couple of people from different cultures coming to interact.Read more here.
Gran Torino (2008)
I imagine it would play very nicely as a companion piece and/or counterpoint to his earlier Oscar-winner, Unforgiven — both are stories about old men in one final fight, essentially. Here, that comes with a subtext about the price that’s paid for standing up for yourself. It may be the right thing to do, and maybe it ends up with the right result, but the good guys really suffer to get to that point.Read more here.
Jackie Brown (1997)
Some people argue that Jackie Brown is secretly Tarantino’s best movie. I add “secretly” there because it gets a lot less attention than the aforementioned movies that came either side of it. That’s not a bandwagon I’m prepared to jump on. To me, it feels a little like QT was trying to emulate what worked about Pulp Fiction without just making a rip-off of his own movie, and therefore it’s a bit of an inferior copy.Read more here.
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
It’s a grandly romantic film — it is all about the triumph of love over everything else, after all — but with a particular fantastical bent that I think remains unique. It has the wit to present a mildly irreverent stance on the afterlife, not taking the whole “life and death” thing too seriously.Read more here.
Nashville (1975)
Robert Altman’s low-key epic about 24 characters and how their stories interact, overlap, and collide across five days in the city of Nashville, Tennessee. The sheer scope of that makes it a tricky film to interpret. There’s a lot going on, much of it in snatched conversations and moments that leave it up to the audience to piece together what matters and why.Read more here.
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Coming to Planet of the Apes for the first time almost 50 years after its release, there’s an unavoidable quaintness to some of it, mainly the monkey makeup. It was for a long time iconic, but it’s been abandoned in favour of hyper-realistic CGI in the new movies and therefore shows its age.Read more here.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Screenplay (first two acts) — 3/5Read more here.
Screenplay (bit where it suddenly gets plot-heavy and all exposition-y to set up the third act) — 1/5
Screenplay (third act that seems to be from a completely different, much more conventional movie) — 2/5
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 30 December 2017
TV
A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Little Women
Part 1 (of 3)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Little Women
Part 1 (of 3)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
A Few Good Men (1992)
Stumbled across this on TV and watched chunks from the second half, including the famous climax. Not something I'd do normally, but when having Christmas at other people's houses... It's not like my viewing of it first time round was perfect, having to wait over two months between most of the film and the final half-hour. I really ought to re-watch it properly.
Scrooged (1988)
[#174 in 100 Films in a Year 2017]
Stumbled across this on TV and watched chunks from the second half, including the famous climax. Not something I'd do normally, but when having Christmas at other people's houses... It's not like my viewing of it first time round was perfect, having to wait over two months between most of the film and the final half-hour. I really ought to re-watch it properly.
Scrooged (1988)
[#174 in 100 Films in a Year 2017]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Technically the monthly running time update isn't due until next week, but this is the last update of 2017 so I thought it would be better to bring it forward a week and do all my past-year increases... but I'm away from home at the minute, and home is where my full records are, so it'll have to wait after all. On the bright side, I'm not expecting any new additions in the next week that aren't technically already here (they're waiting for me when I get home), so it'll still be accurate for my 2017 increases.
Aaaanyway! On with the stats for what I got for Christmas...
Number of titles in collection: 2,072 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,166 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 906 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 5,314 [up 3]
Number of films: 2,307 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 599 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Technically the monthly running time update isn't due until next week, but this is the last update of 2017 so I thought it would be better to bring it forward a week and do all my past-year increases... but I'm away from home at the minute, and home is where my full records are, so it'll have to wait after all. On the bright side, I'm not expecting any new additions in the next week that aren't technically already here (they're waiting for me when I get home), so it'll still be accurate for my 2017 increases.
Aaaanyway! On with the stats for what I got for Christmas...
Number of titles in collection: 2,072 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,166 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 906 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 5,314 [up 3]
Number of films: 2,307 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 8,005 [no change]
Number of short films: 599 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
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