The Old Guard (2020)
[#162 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Friday, 10 July 2020
Thursday, 9 July 2020
TV
Hamilton's America
A documentary that aired on PBS in the US after the Hamilton phenomenon and truly taken hold. Part making-of, part history lesson, it’s full of insight into both, so it's a shame Disney+ couldn't get this (or didn't try, I dunno) to accompany the film -- I think a lot of people who’ve enjoyed the film would enjoy this as a chaser. Definitely worth a watch if you can track it down.
Star Trek: Picard
1x09 Et in Arcadia Ego Part 1
[Watch it (again) on Prime Video.]
A documentary that aired on PBS in the US after the Hamilton phenomenon and truly taken hold. Part making-of, part history lesson, it’s full of insight into both, so it's a shame Disney+ couldn't get this (or didn't try, I dunno) to accompany the film -- I think a lot of people who’ve enjoyed the film would enjoy this as a chaser. Definitely worth a watch if you can track it down.
Star Trek: Picard
1x09 Et in Arcadia Ego Part 1
[Watch it (again) on Prime Video.]
Wednesday, 8 July 2020
Tuesday, 7 July 2020
Films
Make Mine Music (1946)
[#160 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Plus...
David Lynch Cooks Quinoa (2007)
[#159a in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
"Shia LaBeouf" Live
[Watch it (again) on YouTube]
Both of these are counted as short films on this list on Letterboxd, but I'd argue the Shia LaBeouf one is actually a comedy skit and/or music video. The Lynch one is originally a DVD special feature, but I'm gonna let it count, as much as anything with the purpose of writing about the weirdness of that list on 100 Films.
[#160 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Plus...
David Lynch Cooks Quinoa (2007)
[#159a in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
"Shia LaBeouf" Live
[Watch it (again) on YouTube]
Both of these are counted as short films on this list on Letterboxd, but I'd argue the Shia LaBeouf one is actually a comedy skit and/or music video. The Lynch one is originally a DVD special feature, but I'm gonna let it count, as much as anything with the purpose of writing about the weirdness of that list on 100 Films.
Monday, 6 July 2020
Films
A Dog's Will (2000)
[#159 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
The 8th greatest film of all time according to Letterboxd users.
[#159 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
The 8th greatest film of all time according to Letterboxd users.
Sunday, 5 July 2020
TV
Celebrity Mastermind
2019/2020 Episode 5 (of 10)
Elementary
6x20 Fit to Be Tied
6x21 Whatever Remains, However Improbable [season finale]
Jonathan Creek
2x06 Mother Redcap [season finale; 2nd or so watch]
Regarding my ongoing dilemma about how many times I've seen these episodes, the more of the series I watch, the more I suspect I had the first series on VHS and watched it more than once, but only saw the second series onwards when it aired. (Not that this matters to anyone besides me and my weird completism for counting rewatches!)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
2019/2020 Episode 5 (of 10)
Elementary
6x20 Fit to Be Tied
6x21 Whatever Remains, However Improbable [season finale]
Jonathan Creek
2x06 Mother Redcap [season finale; 2nd or so watch]
Regarding my ongoing dilemma about how many times I've seen these episodes, the more of the series I watch, the more I suspect I had the first series on VHS and watched it more than once, but only saw the second series onwards when it aired. (Not that this matters to anyone besides me and my weird completism for counting rewatches!)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100 Films
Just 1 new review on 100 Films in a Year this week, but it was a big one...
Hamilton (2020)
It was also the start of a new month, so there was my usual review of the old one...
More next Sunday.
Hamilton (2020)
it doesn’t feel like a mere stopgap until they film it ‘properly’, nor a “that’ll do” stand-in for a real theatrical performance, but instead like a legitimate experience in its own right. Hamilton is a masterpiece, and getting to see it performed by the original cast in its original staging via a film so carefully and lovingly crafted is an absolute thrill.Read more here.
It was also the start of a new month, so there was my usual review of the old one...
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 4 July 2020
TV
Agatha Raisin
3x01 The Haunted House
Celebrity Mastermind
2019/2020 Episode 3 (of 10)
Elementary
6x19 The Geek Interpreter
3x01 The Haunted House
Celebrity Mastermind
2019/2020 Episode 3 (of 10)
Elementary
6x19 The Geek Interpreter
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week's only new addition is that missing Red Dwarf series from last week, which means I now own the complete show on Blu-ray. Hurrah. Now just to watch it...
Number of titles in collection: 2,394 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,090 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,304 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 63 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,192 [up 2]
Number of films: 2,689 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 174 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,935 [up 6]
Number of short films: 754 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
This week's only new addition is that missing Red Dwarf series from last week, which means I now own the complete show on Blu-ray. Hurrah. Now just to watch it...
Number of titles in collection: 2,394 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 1,090 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,304 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 63 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,192 [up 2]
Number of films: 2,689 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 174 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,935 [up 6]
Number of short films: 754 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 3 July 2020
Thursday, 2 July 2020
TV
Elementary
6x18 The Visions of Norman P. Horowitz
Jonathan Creek
2x04 The Problem at Gallows Gate Part One [2nd or so watch]
2x05 The Problem at Gallows Gate Part Two [2nd or so watch]
[Watch parts one and two (again) on iPlayer.]
Staged
1x05 Ulysses
1x06 The Cookie Jar [season finale]
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer.]
6x18 The Visions of Norman P. Horowitz
Jonathan Creek
2x04 The Problem at Gallows Gate Part One [2nd or so watch]
2x05 The Problem at Gallows Gate Part Two [2nd or so watch]
[Watch parts one and two (again) on iPlayer.]
Staged
1x05 Ulysses
1x06 The Cookie Jar [season finale]
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 1 July 2020
TV
Elementary
6x17 The Worms Crawl In, the Worms Crawl Out
Jonathan Creek
2x03 The Scented Room [2nd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Staged
1x03 Who the F#!k is Michael Sheen?
1x04 Bara Brith
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer.]
6x17 The Worms Crawl In, the Worms Crawl Out
Jonathan Creek
2x03 The Scented Room [2nd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Staged
1x03 Who the F#!k is Michael Sheen?
1x04 Bara Brith
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
The Ipcress File (1965)
[#156 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
As part of Blindspot 2020, a leftover from Blindspot 2019.
[#156 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
As part of Blindspot 2020, a leftover from Blindspot 2019.
Tuesday, 30 June 2020
Monday, 29 June 2020
TV
Elementary
6x16 Uncanny Valley of the Dolls
Jonathan Creek
2x01 Danse Macabre [2nd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Staged
1x01 Cachu Hwch
1x02 Up to No Good
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer.]
6x16 Uncanny Valley of the Dolls
Jonathan Creek
2x01 Danse Macabre [2nd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Staged
1x01 Cachu Hwch
1x02 Up to No Good
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 28 June 2020
this week on 100 Films
5 new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week...
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
The 100-Week Roundup VI
More next Sunday.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Sporadically funny; often dated; with tired and rehashed routines; longer than Alexander Lemtov’s penis; and surprisingly emotional at the end… Actually, maybe The Story of Fire Saga is like Eurovision after all.Read more here.
The 100-Week Roundup VI
Featuring...Read more here.
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
- Full Metal Jacket
- Wind River
- Body of Lies
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 27 June 2020
TV
The Twilight Zone
1x11 And When the Sky Was Opened
1x14 Third from the Sun
+ the audio commentary by TZ expert Marc Scott Zicree & TV producer David Simkins on Third from the Sun
1x11 And When the Sky Was Opened
1x14 Third from the Sun
+ the audio commentary by TZ expert Marc Scott Zicree & TV producer David Simkins on Third from the Sun
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
After upgrading Red Dwarf I-VIII to Blu-ray last week, as well as buying the latest 'series', I decided to complete my collection, which means an upgrade for Back to Earth and new purchases for X to XII (I hadn't bought them before because I was torn between getting DVDs to match the rest of my collection or buying Blu-rays because they're better quality. Upgrading the older series settled that debate). Unfortunately, XI turned up damaged, so that'll get added to the stats when a replacement arrives.
This week was mostly TV-based, as I also bought the miniseries versions of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Watchmen. Five seasons of TV totals 28 episodes added -- you can tell they're mostly not US series, eh?
Number of titles in collection: 2,393 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,090 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,303 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 63 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 6,190 [up 12]
Number of films: 2,689 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 174 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,929 [up 28]
Number of short films: 754 [up 3]
It's also time for the monthly running time update. It's felt like a fairly busy four weeks, but what effect has it had?
Total running time of collection (approx.):
451 days, 9 hours, and 5 minutes.
(Up 3 days and 55 minutes from last month.)
Not a small amount by any means, but not as big as last month, nor that really big month earlier this year.
See you next week, faithful reader.
After upgrading Red Dwarf I-VIII to Blu-ray last week, as well as buying the latest 'series', I decided to complete my collection, which means an upgrade for Back to Earth and new purchases for X to XII (I hadn't bought them before because I was torn between getting DVDs to match the rest of my collection or buying Blu-rays because they're better quality. Upgrading the older series settled that debate). Unfortunately, XI turned up damaged, so that'll get added to the stats when a replacement arrives.
This week was mostly TV-based, as I also bought the miniseries versions of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Watchmen. Five seasons of TV totals 28 episodes added -- you can tell they're mostly not US series, eh?
Number of titles in collection: 2,393 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,090 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,303 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 63 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 6,190 [up 12]
Number of films: 2,689 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 174 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,929 [up 28]
Number of short films: 754 [up 3]
It's also time for the monthly running time update. It's felt like a fairly busy four weeks, but what effect has it had?
Total running time of collection (approx.):
451 days, 9 hours, and 5 minutes.
(Up 3 days and 55 minutes from last month.)
Not a small amount by any means, but not as big as last month, nor that really big month earlier this year.
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 26 June 2020
Films
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
[#153 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Polytechnique (2009)
[#152 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
[#153 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Polytechnique (2009)
[#152 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Thursday, 25 June 2020
Wednesday, 24 June 2020
Films
Man on Wire (2008)
[#149 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)
[#150 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
What do you mean you've never heard of it? It's the 243rd greatest film of all time!
[#149 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)
[#150 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
What do you mean you've never heard of it? It's the 243rd greatest film of all time!
Tuesday, 23 June 2020
Films
Chicken Run (2000)
[#148 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Crawl (2019)
[#147 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
[#148 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Crawl (2019)
[#147 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Monday, 22 June 2020
Sunday, 21 June 2020
TV
Hey Duggee
2x44 The Comedy Badge
Apparently this is my little nephew's favourite show, so we thought we'd watch an episode. It was actually quite fun (as programmes aimed at 2-to-5-year-olds go).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Shelf Isolation
1x02 Denise Mina
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The South Bank Show [Sky Arts]
5x01 George R.R. Martin
This was filmed back in 2015, when Martin was being criticised for taking so long to finish The Winds of Winter. Five years on, there's still no publication date in sight.
2x44 The Comedy Badge
Apparently this is my little nephew's favourite show, so we thought we'd watch an episode. It was actually quite fun (as programmes aimed at 2-to-5-year-olds go).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Shelf Isolation
1x02 Denise Mina
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The South Bank Show [Sky Arts]
5x01 George R.R. Martin
This was filmed back in 2015, when Martin was being criticised for taking so long to finish The Winds of Winter. Five years on, there's still no publication date in sight.
Films
Do the Right Thing (1989)
[#145 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Blindspot 2020 #6
+ a look through some of the Criterion Blu-ray's special features, including one where Spike Lee reads out some of the contemporary racist reactions from the mainstream media
[#145 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Blindspot 2020 #6
+ a look through some of the Criterion Blu-ray's special features, including one where Spike Lee reads out some of the contemporary racist reactions from the mainstream media
this week on 100 Films
7 new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week...
Gemini Man (2019)
Tomb Raider 3D (2018)
The 100-Week Roundup V
More next Sunday.
Gemini Man (2019)
a film that, at every point I can remember it being talked about, was discussed more for its various technical feats than anything else. Partly that’s because there are a couple of angles. Firstly, the most obvious: it stars Will Smith as an ageing assassin who must fight… a 25-years-younger Will Smith, achieved with motion capture and CGI. Secondly, director Ang Lee shot it in 3D 4K HFR — that’s High Frame Rate, if you don’t know, with the picture running at 120 frames per second rather than the 24fps we’ve been used to for the past 90-odd years. Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that Gemini Man often feels more like a tech demo with a plot grafted onto it than it does a fully functioning movie in its own right.Read more here.
Tomb Raider 3D (2018)
successfully recreates the running, jumping, shooting, puzzle-solving action of its inspiration without too overtly abandoning real-life logic for video game logic. Well, I say “real-life logic” — it’s actually “action/adventure movie logic”, but I think that’s allowed in an action/adventure movie. As an entry in that genre, it’s fun enough. It’s not going to compete for greatest-of-all-time status with its urtext, the Indiana Jones films, nor does it quite challenge the heights of more-overt homages like The Mummy, but it’s not a bad couple of hours’ entertainment in their mould.Read more here.
The 100-Week Roundup V
Featuring...Read more here.
- Blade of the Immortal
- Cash on Demand
- Free Enterprise
- Iron Monkey
- Muppet Treasure Island
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 20 June 2020
Films
7500 (2019)
[#144 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Tomb Raider 3D (2018)
[#143 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
[#144 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Tomb Raider 3D (2018)
[#143 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Oh dear, I'm at it again: although it doesn't beat the new record I set back in April, this week slots into second place in the rankings of my most new purchases in one week, with 16... not that you'd know it from looking at the top stat. That's thanks to one box set replacing eight previous individual releases (Red Dwarf series I-VIII), and kept low by three more DVD-to-BD upgrades.
Hidden by that drop in DVD numbers is a rare purchase on the format (I say "rare": the last time I bought a DVD was only two weeks ago. You wait ages for one to come along, etc).
Number of titles in collection: 2,387 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,091 [down 10]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,296 [up 15]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 62 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,178 [up 15]
Number of films: 2,687 [up 13]
Number of additional cuts: 174 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 8,901 [up 1]
Number of short films: 751 [up 2]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Oh dear, I'm at it again: although it doesn't beat the new record I set back in April, this week slots into second place in the rankings of my most new purchases in one week, with 16... not that you'd know it from looking at the top stat. That's thanks to one box set replacing eight previous individual releases (Red Dwarf series I-VIII), and kept low by three more DVD-to-BD upgrades.
Hidden by that drop in DVD numbers is a rare purchase on the format (I say "rare": the last time I bought a DVD was only two weeks ago. You wait ages for one to come along, etc).
Number of titles in collection: 2,387 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,091 [down 10]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,296 [up 15]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 62 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,178 [up 15]
Number of films: 2,687 [up 13]
Number of additional cuts: 174 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 8,901 [up 1]
Number of short films: 751 [up 2]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 19 June 2020
Theatre
Fleabag
Available to rent via Amazon, the original one-woman stage version of the successful TV show. I've never seen the TV version, so I guess I didn't quite know what to expect from this -- more than just "a comedy", given the level and kind of praise it's attracted. But jeez, I wasn't expecting it to get so dark. Lovers of small furry animals, beware.
Available to rent via Amazon, the original one-woman stage version of the successful TV show. I've never seen the TV version, so I guess I didn't quite know what to expect from this -- more than just "a comedy", given the level and kind of praise it's attracted. But jeez, I wasn't expecting it to get so dark. Lovers of small furry animals, beware.
Thursday, 18 June 2020
Films
Gemini Man (2019)
[#141 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
On 4K UltraHD Blu-ray, where it's also in high frame rate (HFR) at 60fps (as opposed to the usual 24fps. It was actually shot at 120fps, but nothing supports that. And it was shot in 3D, but 4K doesn't do 3D, annoyingly).
[#141 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
On 4K UltraHD Blu-ray, where it's also in high frame rate (HFR) at 60fps (as opposed to the usual 24fps. It was actually shot at 120fps, but nothing supports that. And it was shot in 3D, but 4K doesn't do 3D, annoyingly).
Articles
How A Filmmaker Got The No. 1 Movie In America During A Pandemic
by Lisa Finn (from Patch)
In short: they made a short horror film on Zoom, rented a cinema to screen it, bought all the tickets, and with virtually nothing else showing that was enough to get them to #1. Ingenious. The short is now available to rent online, so maybe I will...
by Lisa Finn (from Patch)
In short: they made a short horror film on Zoom, rented a cinema to screen it, bought all the tickets, and with virtually nothing else showing that was enough to get them to #1. Ingenious. The short is now available to rent online, so maybe I will...
Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Tuesday, 16 June 2020
Monday, 15 June 2020
Films
The Old Dark House (1932)
[#137 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
The Rhythm Section (2020)
[#138 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
[#137 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
The Rhythm Section (2020)
[#138 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
Sunday, 14 June 2020
this week on 100 Films
No new film reviews over at 100 Films in a Year this week, but there was a new TV column...
More next Sunday.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 13 June 2020
TV
Macbeth
The Royal Shakespeare Company production from 2018, starring Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack. It's already available on iPlayer as part of the Culture in Quarantine series, and will also be shown on BBC Four tomorrow (Sunday) night. I posted some thoughts on Letterboxd, and will expand on them further in my next 100 Films TV column.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Royal Shakespeare Company production from 2018, starring Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack. It's already available on iPlayer as part of the Culture in Quarantine series, and will also be shown on BBC Four tomorrow (Sunday) night. I posted some thoughts on Letterboxd, and will expand on them further in my next 100 Films TV column.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
For once, this week's updates are exactly what you see -- no upgrades, partial or full; no hidden recounts -- just four new titles, with nine discs between them, containing 11 feature-length films and 15 short films.
But there's a bunch of stuff currently in the post or on order that should make next week's update both fairly big (if they all turn up) and as fiddly as normal.
Number of titles in collection: 2,382 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,101 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,281 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 62 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 6,163 [up 9]
Number of films: 2,674 [up 11]
Number of additional cuts: 172 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,900 [no change]
Number of short films: 749 [up 15]
See you next week, faithful reader.
For once, this week's updates are exactly what you see -- no upgrades, partial or full; no hidden recounts -- just four new titles, with nine discs between them, containing 11 feature-length films and 15 short films.
But there's a bunch of stuff currently in the post or on order that should make next week's update both fairly big (if they all turn up) and as fiddly as normal.
Number of titles in collection: 2,382 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 1,101 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,281 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 62 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 6,163 [up 9]
Number of films: 2,674 [up 11]
Number of additional cuts: 172 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,900 [no change]
Number of short films: 749 [up 15]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 12 June 2020
TV
Daniel Sloss: X
Only just found out about this, because it hasn't had a proper UK release. It's well worth seeking out, though -- both hilarious and insightful.
Only just found out about this, because it hasn't had a proper UK release. It's well worth seeking out, though -- both hilarious and insightful.
Thursday, 11 June 2020
Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Tuesday, 9 June 2020
TV
The Great British Bake Off
9x10 Final [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x10 Episode 10 [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x05 The House of Monkeys [season finale; 2nd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
9x10 Final [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x10 Episode 10 [season finale]
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x05 The House of Monkeys [season finale; 2nd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 8 June 2020
TV
Elementary
6x13 Breathe
Grantchester
5x06 Episode 6 [season finale]
The Great British Bake Off
9x09 Pâtisserie
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x09 Episode 9
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x04 No Trace of Tracy [2nd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
6x13 Breathe
Grantchester
5x06 Episode 6 [season finale]
The Great British Bake Off
9x09 Pâtisserie
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x09 Episode 9
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x04 No Trace of Tracy [2nd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 7 June 2020
TV
Grantchester
5x05 Episode 5
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x03 The Reconstituted Corpse [3rd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
5x05 Episode 5
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x08 Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x03 The Reconstituted Corpse [3rd or so watch]
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Films
Gambit (1966)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2020 #28
The Gay Divorcee (1934)
[#132 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
aka The Gay Divorce on iPlayer
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2020 #28
The Gay Divorcee (1934)
[#132 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
aka The Gay Divorce on iPlayer
this week on 100 Films
No reviews at 100 Films in a Year this week, but there were a couple of other posts. Firstly, a new month began this week (yep, that was only this week), so, as always, it was time to look back at the one just gone...
I also reached my 2,000th film. It was...
Click/tap the picture for more about that.
More (hopefully reviews) next Sunday.
I also reached my 2,000th film. It was...
Click/tap the picture for more about that.
More (hopefully reviews) next Sunday.
Saturday, 6 June 2020
Films
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
[#131 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
And that's also 100 Films' 2,000th film! More about that here.
The Scarlet Claw (1944)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2020 #27
[#131 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
And that's also 100 Films' 2,000th film! More about that here.
The Scarlet Claw (1944)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2020 #27
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
In a very rare occurrence, I actually bought a new DVD this week... but it replaces two old DVDs, so the DVD count still goes down! Poor old DVD, there's just no winning anymore. Actually, that said, although one of the UHD titles I bought this week was a DVD-to-UHD upgrade, the UHD release doesn't include all of the old special features, so I'll be hanging onto the DVD. A DVD victory!
Number of titles in collection: 2,378 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,101 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,277 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 61 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 6,154 [up 13]
Number of films: 2,663 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 172 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,900 [up 6]
Number of short films: 734 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
In a very rare occurrence, I actually bought a new DVD this week... but it replaces two old DVDs, so the DVD count still goes down! Poor old DVD, there's just no winning anymore. Actually, that said, although one of the UHD titles I bought this week was a DVD-to-UHD upgrade, the UHD release doesn't include all of the old special features, so I'll be hanging onto the DVD. A DVD victory!
Number of titles in collection: 2,378 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,101 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,277 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 61 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 6,154 [up 13]
Number of films: 2,663 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 172 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,900 [up 6]
Number of short films: 734 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 5 June 2020
TV
Elementary
6x11 You've Come a Long Way, Baby
Grantchester
5x04 Episode 4
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x02 Jack in the Box [3rd or so watch]
I didn't remember any specifics from the first episode (which led me to hedge my bets on the 'view count', that maybe I'd not rewatched it since it first aired in 1997), but I remember most of this one vividly (which leads me to think I'd already seen it more than once. But, knowing me, I very much doubt I'd've watched individual episodes multiple times -- I'd've rewatched the whole series. Ah, what does it matter anyway?)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
6x11 You've Come a Long Way, Baby
Grantchester
5x04 Episode 4
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x02 Jack in the Box [3rd or so watch]
I didn't remember any specifics from the first episode (which led me to hedge my bets on the 'view count', that maybe I'd not rewatched it since it first aired in 1997), but I remember most of this one vividly (which leads me to think I'd already seen it more than once. But, knowing me, I very much doubt I'd've watched individual episodes multiple times -- I'd've rewatched the whole series. Ah, what does it matter anyway?)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Comics
Nemo: River of Ghosts by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill
The third and final volume in the Nemo trilogy (following Heart of Ice and The Roses of Berlin, set in the world of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I thought these were going to be a trio of standalone books, but either I was wrong or Moore couldn't resist tying them together -- it's not really a three-parter, but they're definitely connected, and you'd only get the most out of this volume by having read the other two. It's also dense with other literary allusions, naturally (that's the style of the LoEG universe, after all), but not so obstructively as in other books. And, thankfully, it's not half in untranslated-German this time!
While an enjoyable trilogy, there's something about these books that feels 'light' to me. I mean, they don't exactly feel light to read, what with all the references you either get or know you're missing, but the stories are kind of slight. I don't know, maybe I'm just being picky. It'll be interesting to get to that League re-read I mentioned and consume them closer together.
The third and final volume in the Nemo trilogy (following Heart of Ice and The Roses of Berlin, set in the world of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I thought these were going to be a trio of standalone books, but either I was wrong or Moore couldn't resist tying them together -- it's not really a three-parter, but they're definitely connected, and you'd only get the most out of this volume by having read the other two. It's also dense with other literary allusions, naturally (that's the style of the LoEG universe, after all), but not so obstructively as in other books. And, thankfully, it's not half in untranslated-German this time!
While an enjoyable trilogy, there's something about these books that feels 'light' to me. I mean, they don't exactly feel light to read, what with all the references you either get or know you're missing, but the stories are kind of slight. I don't know, maybe I'm just being picky. It'll be interesting to get to that League re-read I mentioned and consume them closer together.
Thursday, 4 June 2020
TV
Elementary
6x10 The Adventure of the Ersatz Sobekneferu
The Great British Bake Off
9x07 Vegan
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x01 The Wrestler's Tomb [2nd or so watch]
Finally doing something I've been meaning to do for years (decades, really): rewatching all of Jonathan Creek from the start (which will eventually lead to a load of episodes I've never seen). I own it on DVD, but you can also currently catch the whole series on iPlayer.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
6x10 The Adventure of the Ersatz Sobekneferu
The Great British Bake Off
9x07 Vegan
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Jonathan Creek
1x01 The Wrestler's Tomb [2nd or so watch]
Finally doing something I've been meaning to do for years (decades, really): rewatching all of Jonathan Creek from the start (which will eventually lead to a load of episodes I've never seen). I own it on DVD, but you can also currently catch the whole series on iPlayer.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 3 June 2020
TV
Elementary
6x09 Nobody Lives Forever
Lucifer
4x10 Who's da New King of Hell? [season finale]
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
6x09 Nobody Lives Forever
Lucifer
4x10 Who's da New King of Hell? [season finale]
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
Tuesday, 2 June 2020
Monday, 1 June 2020
Sunday, 31 May 2020
Films
Fisherman's Friends (2019)
[#127 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
The Spider Woman (1944)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2020 #26
[#127 in 100 Films in a Year 2020]
The Spider Woman (1944)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2020 #26
this week on 100 Films
6 new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, all in one place...
The 100-Week Roundup IV
More next Sunday.
The 100-Week Roundup IV
Featuring...Read more here.
- Amadeus: Director's Cut
- Becoming Bond
- Doubt
- The Florida Project
- Gaslight
- Swingers
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 30 May 2020
TV
Elementary
6x07 Sober Companions
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x08 Super Bad Boyfriend
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
6x07 Sober Companions
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x08 Super Bad Boyfriend
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
As promised last week, nothing new to add this week (there should be some next week, post willing). But at least I can share the (delayed) monthly running time update...
Number of titles in collection: 2,375 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,102 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,273 [no change]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 58 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,141 [no change]
Number of films: 2,659 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 172 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,894 [no change]
Number of short films: 734 [no change]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
448 days, 8 hours, and 10 minutes.
(Up 3 days, 9 hours, and 19 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
As promised last week, nothing new to add this week (there should be some next week, post willing). But at least I can share the (delayed) monthly running time update...
Number of titles in collection: 2,375 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,102 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,273 [no change]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 58 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,141 [no change]
Number of films: 2,659 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 172 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,894 [no change]
Number of short films: 734 [no change]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
448 days, 8 hours, and 10 minutes.
(Up 3 days, 9 hours, and 19 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 29 May 2020
TV
Elementary
6x05 Bits and Pieces
6x06 Give Me the Finger
The Great British Bake Off
9x05 Spice
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x07 Devil Is as Devil Does
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
6x05 Bits and Pieces
6x06 Give Me the Finger
The Great British Bake Off
9x05 Spice
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x07 Devil Is as Devil Does
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
Thursday, 28 May 2020
TV
Elementary
6x04 Our Time Is Up
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x06 Orgy Pants to Work
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
6x04 Our Time Is Up
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x06 Orgy Pants to Work
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
TV
Elementary
6x03 Pushing Buttons
The Great British Bake Off
9x04 Desserts
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x05 Expire Erect
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
6x03 Pushing Buttons
The Great British Bake Off
9x04 Desserts
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x05 Expire Erect
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
TV
Elementary
6x01 An Infinite Capacity for Taking Pains
6x02 Once You've Ruled Out God
Crikey: it's three years to the day since I last watched Elementary!
Lucifer
4x04 All About Eve
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
6x01 An Infinite Capacity for Taking Pains
6x02 Once You've Ruled Out God
Crikey: it's three years to the day since I last watched Elementary!
Lucifer
4x04 All About Eve
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
Monday, 25 May 2020
TV
The Great British Bake Off
9x03 Bread
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Rookie
1x20 Free Fall [season finale]
9x03 Bread
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Rookie
1x20 Free Fall [season finale]
Sunday, 24 May 2020
TV
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Rookie
1x19 The Checklist
5x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Rookie
1x19 The Checklist
this week on 100 Films
Just 1 new review on 100 Films in a Year this week...
Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
More next Sunday.
Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
If you’ve seen any of the recent Fast & Furious movies, you should pretty much know what to expect here: physically-implausible OTT action, with a knowing wink to the audience so we can all share in the ridiculousness. ... In fact, while not ‘officially’ labelled a Comedy, Hobbs & Shaw borders on being one.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 23 May 2020
TV
The Great British Bake Off
9x02 Cakes
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x03 O, Ye of Little Faith, Father
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
The Rookie
1x18 Homefront
9x02 Cakes
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x03 O, Ye of Little Faith, Father
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
The Rookie
1x18 Homefront
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week was meant to be a running time update, but I've been too busy to update that particular stat. I don't think I'm expecting any other new additions in the next week (but you never know!), so bumping it to next week will be fine.
Number of titles in collection: 2,375 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,102 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,273 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 58 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,141 [up 8]
Number of films: 2,659 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 172 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,894 [up 7]
Number of short films: 734 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
This week was meant to be a running time update, but I've been too busy to update that particular stat. I don't think I'm expecting any other new additions in the next week (but you never know!), so bumping it to next week will be fine.
Number of titles in collection: 2,375 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,102 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,273 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 58 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,141 [up 8]
Number of films: 2,659 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 172 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 8,894 [up 7]
Number of short films: 734 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 22 May 2020
TV
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
5x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Rookie
1x17 The Shake Up
5x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
The Rookie
1x17 The Shake Up
Comics
Nemo: The Roses of Berlin by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill
Holy moly, it's six years since I read a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen-connected book. That's partly my own fault, because two volumes of Nemo have been out for almost all of that time; but between July 2018 and July 2019 they published the final League adventure, which I've recently purchased in its collected hardback form, so I'm catching up on those two remaining spin-offs before I dive into that. And then maybe a re-read of the entire series, because it's been a very, very long time since I read the first two volumes (I don't know how long exactly, but looking at my blog archives I can see I read the third book, Black Dossier, in the middle of 2008!)
As for The Roses of Berlin, it's a fun adventure, though it made for a somewhat halting read because of the amount that's in German. Maybe us English readers are meant to just skim past that, but I felt the need to translate it just in case, and so read the whole book accompanied by Jess Nevins’ annotations — interesting and insightful, but reading them alongside the book makes for a rather stop-start experience. I’m sure there’s an argument for authenticity in having the German characters speak German, but it would make for a smoother read if they didn’t. One other thing: there are clearly some plot elements of this that do make it a sequel to the first Nemo book, not just a standalone second adventure, and there are tie-ins to other League stories too, so it was a shame it’s been so long since I read those. As I said, I should re-read all of the League-universe books in a more condensed timespan.
Holy moly, it's six years since I read a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen-connected book. That's partly my own fault, because two volumes of Nemo have been out for almost all of that time; but between July 2018 and July 2019 they published the final League adventure, which I've recently purchased in its collected hardback form, so I'm catching up on those two remaining spin-offs before I dive into that. And then maybe a re-read of the entire series, because it's been a very, very long time since I read the first two volumes (I don't know how long exactly, but looking at my blog archives I can see I read the third book, Black Dossier, in the middle of 2008!)
As for The Roses of Berlin, it's a fun adventure, though it made for a somewhat halting read because of the amount that's in German. Maybe us English readers are meant to just skim past that, but I felt the need to translate it just in case, and so read the whole book accompanied by Jess Nevins’ annotations — interesting and insightful, but reading them alongside the book makes for a rather stop-start experience. I’m sure there’s an argument for authenticity in having the German characters speak German, but it would make for a smoother read if they didn’t. One other thing: there are clearly some plot elements of this that do make it a sequel to the first Nemo book, not just a standalone second adventure, and there are tie-ins to other League stories too, so it was a shame it’s been so long since I read those. As I said, I should re-read all of the League-universe books in a more condensed timespan.
Thursday, 21 May 2020
TV
The Great British Bake Off
9x01 Biscuits
Catching up on the 2018 series.
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x02 Somebody's Been Reading Dante's Inferno
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
The Rookie
1x16 Greenlight
9x01 Biscuits
Catching up on the 2018 series.
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Lucifer
4x02 Somebody's Been Reading Dante's Inferno
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
The Rookie
1x16 Greenlight
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
TV
Lucifer
4x01 Everything's Okay
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
The Twilight Zone
2x25 The Mind and the Matter
5x33 The Brain Center at Whipple's
5x34 Come Wander with Me
4x01 Everything's Okay
[Watch season 4 (again) on Netflix.]
The Twilight Zone
2x25 The Mind and the Matter
5x33 The Brain Center at Whipple's
5x34 Come Wander with Me
Tuesday, 19 May 2020
TV
The Twilight Zone
4x07 Jess-Belle
+ the audio commentary by the episode's writer, Earl Hamner, and TZ expert Marc Scott Zicree, where they nonstop sing its praises. My consensus ranking places it 146th out of 156 episodes.
4x07 Jess-Belle
+ the audio commentary by the episode's writer, Earl Hamner, and TZ expert Marc Scott Zicree, where they nonstop sing its praises. My consensus ranking places it 146th out of 156 episodes.
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