Doctor Who
3x30 The Celestial Toyroom
aka The Celestial Toymaker Part 1. With all the rumours about the Toymaker’s forthcoming return, I thought it was about time I watched his debut (and, so far, only televisual) appearance. Of course, I can’t properly watch it because it’s 75% missing, so the Loose Cannon recon will have to suffice.
Thursday, 23 June 2022
DVD Extras
Michael Grade in Conversation
The other interview I was referring to yesterday. It’s thorough enough that you feel there’s nothing left to be said, but it also doesn’t feel like there’s anything significantly new here. Interviewer Matthew Sweet does his best to draw out the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but it becomes clear that Grade didn’t care enough about Doctor Who to remember all the nitty-gritty details. So that’s that, then.
The other interview I was referring to yesterday. It’s thorough enough that you feel there’s nothing left to be said, but it also doesn’t feel like there’s anything significantly new here. Interviewer Matthew Sweet does his best to draw out the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but it becomes clear that Grade didn’t care enough about Doctor Who to remember all the nitty-gritty details. So that’s that, then.
Wednesday, 22 June 2022
DVD Extras
Colin Baker in Conversation
I've been picking up every one of the Doctor Who: The Collection Blu-ray releases as they come out, but I've not actually watched very much content on them. Indeed, I think the John Nathan-Turner doc may be literally the only thing I've watched from any of the 11 sets released so far. Shame on me — I really must do a lot to change that.
Well, here's one thing, at least. Though, like the JNT doc, I'm only watching it so quickly because I've seen it praised repeatedly on social media. In fact, there are three "In Conversation" features on the season 22 set, and I've seen two of them praised repeatedly; but as they're each essentially feature-length, I've only watched one for now. The other soon.
I've been picking up every one of the Doctor Who: The Collection Blu-ray releases as they come out, but I've not actually watched very much content on them. Indeed, I think the John Nathan-Turner doc may be literally the only thing I've watched from any of the 11 sets released so far. Shame on me — I really must do a lot to change that.
Well, here's one thing, at least. Though, like the JNT doc, I'm only watching it so quickly because I've seen it praised repeatedly on social media. In fact, there are three "In Conversation" features on the season 22 set, and I've seen two of them praised repeatedly; but as they're each essentially feature-length, I've only watched one for now. The other soon.
Films
Lupin the Third: Is Lupin Still Burning? (2018)
A one-off special to mark 50 years of Lupin III. I'm counting it as a short film; others would say it's an episode of TV. It's what anime fans call an OVA — Original Video Animation — which means it went straight to DVD, basically. I say that makes it a short, even though it was released alongside a TV series. (Does it really matter, though?)
As a short, I'll review it on 100 Films eventually. For now, I posted some thoughts on Letterboxd.
A one-off special to mark 50 years of Lupin III. I'm counting it as a short film; others would say it's an episode of TV. It's what anime fans call an OVA — Original Video Animation — which means it went straight to DVD, basically. I say that makes it a short, even though it was released alongside a TV series. (Does it really matter, though?)
As a short, I'll review it on 100 Films eventually. For now, I posted some thoughts on Letterboxd.
Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Audio Drama / Podcasts
Doctor Who: Redacted
1x10 Salvation [season finale]
Overall, I enjoyed that about as much as I've enjoyed the Chibnall era as a whole. Yeah. I've seen people on Twitter hoping for a second series; I hope it gets left behind in the current era, where it clearly belongs.
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
1x10 Salvation [season finale]
Overall, I enjoyed that about as much as I've enjoyed the Chibnall era as a whole. Yeah. I've seen people on Twitter hoping for a second series; I hope it gets left behind in the current era, where it clearly belongs.
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
Monday, 20 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Turned out to be about 45 minutes left, for a total time of 2 hours 55 minutes — slightly longer than the first two chapters took me, but not insanely so. Again, some entertainingly different-feeling sorts of puzzles here, which makes up for those slightly unwieldy cutscenes. Still got two-fifths of the game to go and already I feel like I'll be disappointed when it's over...
Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Turned out to be about 45 minutes left, for a total time of 2 hours 55 minutes — slightly longer than the first two chapters took me, but not insanely so. Again, some entertainingly different-feeling sorts of puzzles here, which makes up for those slightly unwieldy cutscenes. Still got two-fifths of the game to go and already I feel like I'll be disappointed when it's over...
Sunday, 19 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Felt like there were a lot of cutscenes at some points this chapter. Why not make them interactive conversations instead? Obviously the player's options would be narrow because it's about getting on with the plot, but they could throw in a couple of variations or asides. Plus, at least it would feel like a game rather than spending five minutes just watching, performing one simple task, then spending another five minutes watching.
Those iffy bits aside, the game remains decent fun. Some different types of puzzles I'd not seen before, which was a welcome change, and a nice use of fan-favourite character Murray. Just over 2 hours of time spent playing the chapter so far, which, based on the other two, probably means 30 to 45 minutes to go.
Chapter 3 Lair of the Leviathan
Felt like there were a lot of cutscenes at some points this chapter. Why not make them interactive conversations instead? Obviously the player's options would be narrow because it's about getting on with the plot, but they could throw in a couple of variations or asides. Plus, at least it would feel like a game rather than spending five minutes just watching, performing one simple task, then spending another five minutes watching.
Those iffy bits aside, the game remains decent fun. Some different types of puzzles I'd not seen before, which was a welcome change, and a nice use of fan-favourite character Murray. Just over 2 hours of time spent playing the chapter so far, which, based on the other two, probably means 30 to 45 minutes to go.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
5 new reviews were published to 100Films.co.uk this week...
Encanto (2021)
High and Low (1963)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
2022 | Weeks 16–17
More next Sunday.
Encanto (2021)
It doesn’t look like your typical Disney Princess movie, but it’s not functionally different to them. The Madrigal family’s powers mean they effectively rule over their small town, albeit in a benevolent way, which makes Mirabel a de facto Princess; and she has the usual Disney Princess hangups about feeling under-appreciated and needing to find her self-worth. But hey, at least she doesn’t also need to find a husband!Read more here.
High and Low (1963)
Akira Kurosawa has a good many classic films to his name, but, according to users of both IMDb and Letterboxd, this is the second best of them all — and, on the latter’s list. the 12th greatest film ever made, to boot... It’s certainly a fine piece of work — although, on first watch, I’d say I’ve seen several better examples of the genre and several better films by Kurosawa. But that isn’t truly a criticism of the film, rather of its high placing on the lists mentionedRead more here.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
The MCU publicity claim that any given film is “not just a superhero movie, it’s a [1970s conspiracy thriller / John Hughes comedy / whatever]” has, rightly, become a bit of a laughing stock. But I think Shang-Chi might be the first time it’s actually true. Yeah, it’s undeniably set in the MCU and, as such, plays by some of those rules... but the bulk of the movie itself is not really a superhero film as we normally think of them. Rather, it’s a martial arts fantasy-actioner.Read more here.
2022 | Weeks 16–17
Featuring two very different coming-of-age movies...Read more here.
- CODA (2021)
- Cruella (2021)
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 18 June 2022
Films
The Ghost Writer (2010)
Normally I go with UK titles for films, and this was originally released here as The Ghost, but nowadays it's on Netflix (where I watched it) as The Ghost Writer, so...
Normally I go with UK titles for films, and this was originally released here as The Ghost, but nowadays it's on Netflix (where I watched it) as The Ghost Writer, so...
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I would call this week a quieter one, but that's only in the context of recent times. It still boasts six new additions, with ten films, an additional cut, and 24 episodes of TV between them.
Among them, I finally picked up the first Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K set. It contains just four of his films, versus the 16-film BD set I also own them in. No replacement in my collection there, then! Indeed, it'll be some time before I can lose the BD set — if ever. Y'see, this volume is almost two years old, and they've only recently released a second with five more films. That leaves seven to go, two of which are actually with different rights holders, so who knows if they'll all ever see the light of day on 4K? Maybe they will, but I'll certainly be keeping the BD set for the forseeable future.
One BD set I won't be keeping for too much longer is the Peter Cushing Dalek films. The 4K edition of Dr. Who and the Daleks turned up this morning, and when the matching set for Daleks' Invasion Earth turns up (in a month's time) then I'll remove the old BD from these stats.
Number of titles in collection: 2,863 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,808 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 177 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,112 [up 19]
Number of films: 3,417 [up 10]
Number of additional cuts: 265 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,305 [up 24]
Number of short films: 968 [up 6]
See you next week, faithful reader.
I would call this week a quieter one, but that's only in the context of recent times. It still boasts six new additions, with ten films, an additional cut, and 24 episodes of TV between them.
Among them, I finally picked up the first Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection 4K set. It contains just four of his films, versus the 16-film BD set I also own them in. No replacement in my collection there, then! Indeed, it'll be some time before I can lose the BD set — if ever. Y'see, this volume is almost two years old, and they've only recently released a second with five more films. That leaves seven to go, two of which are actually with different rights holders, so who knows if they'll all ever see the light of day on 4K? Maybe they will, but I'll certainly be keeping the BD set for the forseeable future.
One BD set I won't be keeping for too much longer is the Peter Cushing Dalek films. The 4K edition of Dr. Who and the Daleks turned up this morning, and when the matching set for Daleks' Invasion Earth turns up (in a month's time) then I'll remove the old BD from these stats.
Number of titles in collection: 2,863 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,808 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 177 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,112 [up 19]
Number of films: 3,417 [up 10]
Number of additional cuts: 265 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,305 [up 24]
Number of short films: 968 [up 6]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 17 June 2022
Audio Drama / Podcasts
Doctor Who: Redacted
1x08 Ghosts
Did they have to recast several characters from the TV show because the original actorsread the script wouldn't appear, I wonder?
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
1x08 Ghosts
Did they have to recast several characters from the TV show because the original actors
[Listen to it (again) on BBC Sounds.]
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 2 The Siege of Spinner Cay
So, having said there could be half-an-hour left, it was a little over fifteen minutes, including credits. Well, you never know! That means Chapter 2 took me about two-and-three-quarter hours, the same as Chapter 1, for a total so far of just over 5½ hours gametime.
As for the game itself, one thing I could do without (having now had it in both chapters so far): running around jungles trying to remember which pathway leads where. It's okay as a one-off, but it's not that much fun to repeat; it feels like a cheat to make the game feel bigger (more locations!) or longer (artificially extending it as you randomly try different paths hoping to end up where you're looking for).
Chapter 2 The Siege of Spinner Cay
So, having said there could be half-an-hour left, it was a little over fifteen minutes, including credits. Well, you never know! That means Chapter 2 took me about two-and-three-quarter hours, the same as Chapter 1, for a total so far of just over 5½ hours gametime.
As for the game itself, one thing I could do without (having now had it in both chapters so far): running around jungles trying to remember which pathway leads where. It's okay as a one-off, but it's not that much fun to repeat; it feels like a cheat to make the game feel bigger (more locations!) or longer (artificially extending it as you randomly try different paths hoping to end up where you're looking for).
Thursday, 16 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 2 The Siege of Spinner Cay
Uncharted waters — a Monkey Island game I've never played! I don't know if it's just in my head, because I know how the game was released, but Tales feels like a Monkey Island 'TV series' vs the 'movies' that were the first four games. It's not a scale or graphics thing either, because, if anything, this is the slickest and most cinematic MI has ever looked. I guess it's partly the way the story is paced (there's clearly an overarching narrative, but also it seems as if each episode is a self-contained chunk), and also textural things, like episode 1 ending with "to be continued" and episode 2 beginning with a kind of recap, plus opening credits playing over the early scenes — much more like TV than a movie. None of which really matters, it's just a feeling.
And, for the sake of keeping track, I've played this chapter for two-and-a-half hours so far. I think I'm near the end of it now, but there are surprisingly long cutscenes and whatnot sometimes — that "near the end" might translate to another half-hour yet, hence why I stopped for the evening.
Chapter 2 The Siege of Spinner Cay
Uncharted waters — a Monkey Island game I've never played! I don't know if it's just in my head, because I know how the game was released, but Tales feels like a Monkey Island 'TV series' vs the 'movies' that were the first four games. It's not a scale or graphics thing either, because, if anything, this is the slickest and most cinematic MI has ever looked. I guess it's partly the way the story is paced (there's clearly an overarching narrative, but also it seems as if each episode is a self-contained chunk), and also textural things, like episode 1 ending with "to be continued" and episode 2 beginning with a kind of recap, plus opening credits playing over the early scenes — much more like TV than a movie. None of which really matters, it's just a feeling.
And, for the sake of keeping track, I've played this chapter for two-and-a-half hours so far. I think I'm near the end of it now, but there are surprisingly long cutscenes and whatnot sometimes — that "near the end" might translate to another half-hour yet, hence why I stopped for the evening.
Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Oops — I kinda accidentally finished Chapter 1 already. I say "accidentally" because I had in mind that it took me about four hours the first time, being as thorough as I could be with dialogue trees and exploration and what have you, and I was aiming to be similarly thorough this time. So as I passed about two-and-a-half hours of playtime, I thought I must still be a ways from the end... but nope, somehow this time I did it in under three hours (about two-and-three-quarters, to be a little more precise).
Not sure how I managed that. Maybe I wasn't as thorough as I thought (I hope not!); maybe last time I spent longer stuck on puzzles (I didn't remember any of them this time to solve them quicker, but last time I hadn't played an adventure game for years, whereas this time I've come off the back of completing Monkey Islands 1-4 in the space of just 7 weeks).
Whatever the reason, it's done now — and so, next time, I enter uncharted waters: a Monkey Island game I've never played before! Exciting times.
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Oops — I kinda accidentally finished Chapter 1 already. I say "accidentally" because I had in mind that it took me about four hours the first time, being as thorough as I could be with dialogue trees and exploration and what have you, and I was aiming to be similarly thorough this time. So as I passed about two-and-a-half hours of playtime, I thought I must still be a ways from the end... but nope, somehow this time I did it in under three hours (about two-and-three-quarters, to be a little more precise).
Not sure how I managed that. Maybe I wasn't as thorough as I thought (I hope not!); maybe last time I spent longer stuck on puzzles (I didn't remember any of them this time to solve them quicker, but last time I hadn't played an adventure game for years, whereas this time I've come off the back of completing Monkey Islands 1-4 in the space of just 7 weeks).
Whatever the reason, it's done now — and so, next time, I enter uncharted waters: a Monkey Island game I've never played before! Exciting times.
Tuesday, 14 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Up to about an hour-and-a-quarter of playtime now. (I’m going to have to keep track of that here, because the game doesn’t do it; and it auto-saves, so no save-game names to write it in; and I’m curious how long it takes me to complete this, to compare it to the other games.)
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Up to about an hour-and-a-quarter of playtime now. (I’m going to have to keep track of that here, because the game doesn’t do it; and it auto-saves, so no save-game names to write it in; and I’m curious how long it takes me to complete this, to compare it to the other games.)
Monday, 13 June 2022
Games
Tales of Monkey Island
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Alright, here we go: Monkey Island 5. Released monthly at the end of 2009, I finally played this first chapter in August 2010... and then never got round to the rest. 12 years later, I'm gonna finish it this time! Though today I only played for about 20 minutes; enough to get through the opening cutscenes and tutorial. The latter was particularly necessary, as the control method is different again to any previous Monkey game. It feels more intuitive than Escape's, though. Weirdly, I don't remember it at all... but then, I only used it for 4 hours on one afternoon/evening 12 years ago, so maybe it's not "weird" at all.
Also noticeably better than Escape were the graphics. It's still not the slickest 3D game ever made — it's not designed to be, and wouldn't have been 13 years ago either — but it still looks pretty nice today, whereas Escape looks horrendously dated. It's also remarkable how cinematic it feels. Even interactive dialogue trees feel like they launches into a mini-cutscene with every option selected, using a variety of camera angles and whatnot, rather than the static "gameplay" perspective of... well, every other adventure game I've ever played. It's rather nice.
Chapter 1 Launch of the Screaming Narwhal [2nd play]
Alright, here we go: Monkey Island 5. Released monthly at the end of 2009, I finally played this first chapter in August 2010... and then never got round to the rest. 12 years later, I'm gonna finish it this time! Though today I only played for about 20 minutes; enough to get through the opening cutscenes and tutorial. The latter was particularly necessary, as the control method is different again to any previous Monkey game. It feels more intuitive than Escape's, though. Weirdly, I don't remember it at all... but then, I only used it for 4 hours on one afternoon/evening 12 years ago, so maybe it's not "weird" at all.
Also noticeably better than Escape were the graphics. It's still not the slickest 3D game ever made — it's not designed to be, and wouldn't have been 13 years ago either — but it still looks pretty nice today, whereas Escape looks horrendously dated. It's also remarkable how cinematic it feels. Even interactive dialogue trees feel like they launches into a mini-cutscene with every option selected, using a variety of camera angles and whatnot, rather than the static "gameplay" perspective of... well, every other adventure game I've ever played. It's rather nice.
Sunday, 12 June 2022
this week on 100Films.co.uk
Just 1 new post on 100Films.co.uk this week...
The 100 Films Guide to Top Gun
More next Sunday.
The 100 Films Guide to Top Gun
Does it hold up? Well, that depends what you want from a movie. It certainly comes with a more-than-healthy does of ’80s cheese and rampant-but-unacknowledged homoeroticism. For some, that makes it either unwatchable or two hours of laughing at the film. But if you’re onboard with its particular style, it’s still good funRead more here.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 11 June 2022
Films
Top Gun 3D (1986)
[3rd or so watch]
[#36 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2022]
I remember loving this as a kid — though, as is so often the case with movies from my childhood, I don't actually know how many times I saw it. We weren't great rewatchers in my household, so I don't imagine I've seen it more than two, maybe three, times, max. Whatever the number, this is the first time I've seen it for about 25–30 years. I've been meaning to get round to revisiting it for years too: I've owned it since DVD, then bought the 3D Blu-ray five years ago too. Obviously, the sequel has finally provoked my rewatch. I think it holds up as good fun, so long as you're on board with its cheesy '80s-ness.
[3rd or so watch]
[#36 in The All-New 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2022]
I remember loving this as a kid — though, as is so often the case with movies from my childhood, I don't actually know how many times I saw it. We weren't great rewatchers in my household, so I don't imagine I've seen it more than two, maybe three, times, max. Whatever the number, this is the first time I've seen it for about 25–30 years. I've been meaning to get round to revisiting it for years too: I've owned it since DVD, then bought the 3D Blu-ray five years ago too. Obviously, the sequel has finally provoked my rewatch. I think it holds up as good fun, so long as you're on board with its cheesy '80s-ness.
Audio Drama / Podcasts
Doctor Who: Redacted
1x06 Recruits
1x07 Requiem
I do wonder how much the main character in this is an author stand-in, because she's frequently annoying and selfish, but the drama seems to think she's always in the right, and is doing that thing of making her "special", with abilities and insights and whatnot that no one else has. Anyway, Recruits might be the best instalment so far, but that's not saying a whole deal. Only three more to go. I hope the explanation of what's going on, whenever it finally comes, is worth it.
[Listen to Recruits and Requiem (again) on BBC Sounds.]
1x06 Recruits
1x07 Requiem
I do wonder how much the main character in this is an author stand-in, because she's frequently annoying and selfish, but the drama seems to think she's always in the right, and is doing that thing of making her "special", with abilities and insights and whatnot that no one else has. Anyway, Recruits might be the best instalment so far, but that's not saying a whole deal. Only three more to go. I hope the explanation of what's going on, whenever it finally comes, is worth it.
[Listen to Recruits and Requiem (again) on BBC Sounds.]
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
And I'm done. Just over 10½ hours in the end, which is longer than expected. I blame the controls. I did also try to be exhaustive with the dialogue trees — that's part of the point after all, right? And I got stuck for a bit on a part that's notoriously buggy, but I managed to make it work eventually.
So, four down, just one to go... or five, depending how you count it...
And I'm done. Just over 10½ hours in the end, which is longer than expected. I blame the controls. I did also try to be exhaustive with the dialogue trees — that's part of the point after all, right? And I got stuck for a bit on a part that's notoriously buggy, but I managed to make it work eventually.
So, four down, just one to go... or five, depending how you count it...
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Seven new titles this week, and pretty straightforward too — only one's an upgrade, and only one has anything more than "1 film" to add to the below stats (it's an additional cut).
Number of titles in collection: 2,857 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,802 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 174 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,092 [up 7]
Number of films: 3,407 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 264 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,281 [no change]
Number of short films: 962 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Seven new titles this week, and pretty straightforward too — only one's an upgrade, and only one has anything more than "1 film" to add to the below stats (it's an additional cut).
Number of titles in collection: 2,857 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,802 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 174 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 7,092 [up 7]
Number of films: 3,407 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 264 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,281 [no change]
Number of short films: 962 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 10 June 2022
TV
Mystery Science Theater 3000
13x04 Munchie
This episode premiered a couple of weeks back, but I wasn't free to watch it live (as I had the first three). Catching up now, before episode five's premiere tonight... which does mean I don't really feel like watching that later. Oh well. I'm glad they're keeping the full live premiere events available to stream afterwards, because I enjoy the post-screening Q&As (I still need to go back and watch episode two's, which had a 'double premiere' a la episode one).
13x04 Munchie
This episode premiered a couple of weeks back, but I wasn't free to watch it live (as I had the first three). Catching up now, before episode five's premiere tonight... which does mean I don't really feel like watching that later. Oh well. I'm glad they're keeping the full live premiere events available to stream afterwards, because I enjoy the post-screening Q&As (I still need to go back and watch episode two's, which had a 'double premiere' a la episode one).
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
Despite what I said yesterday, after a couple more hours play I do feel like (a) I'm a significantly far through the game, and (b) getting close to the finale. (I guess my comment yesterday was more how I felt at a point during yesterday's playtime, rather than by the end of it.) Also, I'm now hours past how long it took me to complete any of the first three, and yet I maintain that Escape simply doesn't feel significanlty longer/bigger than them.
Despite what I said yesterday, after a couple more hours play I do feel like (a) I'm a significantly far through the game, and (b) getting close to the finale. (I guess my comment yesterday was more how I felt at a point during yesterday's playtime, rather than by the end of it.) Also, I'm now hours past how long it took me to complete any of the first three, and yet I maintain that Escape simply doesn't feel significanlty longer/bigger than them.
Thursday, 9 June 2022
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
Another few hours today. I'm already pushing towards how long each of the previous games lasted in total, but I feel like it's only just underway. Well, "only just" might be a bit harsh, but it doesn't even feel halfway through, let alone "almost done". I'm sure it's a longer game overall, but I'm also certain my perception of shortness is partly due to the awkward controls making things take longer.
The Room Two
Hadn't forgotten that I was logging this too, I just hadn't played it for a bit.
Another few hours today. I'm already pushing towards how long each of the previous games lasted in total, but I feel like it's only just underway. Well, "only just" might be a bit harsh, but it doesn't even feel halfway through, let alone "almost done". I'm sure it's a longer game overall, but I'm also certain my perception of shortness is partly due to the awkward controls making things take longer.
The Room Two
Hadn't forgotten that I was logging this too, I just hadn't played it for a bit.
Wednesday, 8 June 2022
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
I don't disagree with the consensus view that this is the worst game of the series, but "worst" is a relative term. Put it this way: this evening, I intended to play this for a little bit before having the time to watch some TV, maybe even a film. Two-and-a-half hours later, I had to make myself stop playing because it was getting late.
I don't disagree with the consensus view that this is the worst game of the series, but "worst" is a relative term. Put it this way: this evening, I intended to play this for a little bit before having the time to watch some TV, maybe even a film. Two-and-a-half hours later, I had to make myself stop playing because it was getting late.
Tuesday, 7 June 2022
Games
Escape from Monkey Island
On to the fourth Monkey Island game; the last one I played in full, back when it came out, 22 years ago. 22 years! Jesus. Also, as I mentioned when I started Curse, I can't remember for sure if this is the second or third time I'm playing it — I feel like I did re-play it sometime, but I can't remember when. So, no re-play count for now.
First impressions? The then-current 3D graphics have aged much more poorly than the pixel art and cartoon styles of the first three games. It's not just the low poly counts and basic textures — the pre-rendered backgrounds feel much more sparse than the detail-packed drawn ones; and it changes camera angle far too often, which can be confusing. That's compounded by the keyboard-based controls (presumably designed to be controller-friendly for console ports), which are clunky. If you choose character-based navigation, it can be oddly confusing about which direction Guybrush will go in; but if it's camera based, that changes every time it switches angle, leading to you sometimes accidentally running in and out of a location repeatedly. Shame they didn't also include mouse support for PCs — it would be much nicer with good ol' point-and-click. Hopefully I'll get used to it as the game goes on...
On to the fourth Monkey Island game; the last one I played in full, back when it came out, 22 years ago. 22 years! Jesus. Also, as I mentioned when I started Curse, I can't remember for sure if this is the second or third time I'm playing it — I feel like I did re-play it sometime, but I can't remember when. So, no re-play count for now.
First impressions? The then-current 3D graphics have aged much more poorly than the pixel art and cartoon styles of the first three games. It's not just the low poly counts and basic textures — the pre-rendered backgrounds feel much more sparse than the detail-packed drawn ones; and it changes camera angle far too often, which can be confusing. That's compounded by the keyboard-based controls (presumably designed to be controller-friendly for console ports), which are clunky. If you choose character-based navigation, it can be oddly confusing about which direction Guybrush will go in; but if it's camera based, that changes every time it switches angle, leading to you sometimes accidentally running in and out of a location repeatedly. Shame they didn't also include mouse support for PCs — it would be much nicer with good ol' point-and-click. Hopefully I'll get used to it as the game goes on...
Monday, 6 June 2022
TV
Around the World with Willy Fog
1x01 The Wager
Is this classic / cult animated adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days a worthy substitute for the other series I just enjoyed? Um...
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
Not Going Out
12x04 Front Window
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x01 The Wager
Is this classic / cult animated adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days a worthy substitute for the other series I just enjoyed? Um...
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
Not Going Out
12x04 Front Window
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 5 June 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
Not sure how exactly they intend to bring this back for a second series (there's a hint at the end, but will they really go there?), but I'm glad they are — it's been a lot of fun.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x139 Week 24: Thursday
5x140 Week 24: Friday [season finale]
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x08 Episode 8 [season finale]
Not sure how exactly they intend to bring this back for a second series (there's a hint at the end, but will they really go there?), but I'm glad they are — it's been a lot of fun.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x139 Week 24: Thursday
5x140 Week 24: Friday [season finale]
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
this week on 100Films.co.uk
A new month means new monthly columns at 100Films.co.uk this week. First, the review of May...
Then, all the (many, many) films I failed to watch last month...
No new film reviews this week. Hopefully there'll be more next Sunday.
Then, all the (many, many) films I failed to watch last month...
No new film reviews this week. Hopefully there'll be more next Sunday.
Saturday, 4 June 2022
TVt
Around the World in 80 Days
1x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
4x11 The Experimental Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x137 Week 24: Tuesday
5x138 Week 24: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x07 Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
4x11 The Experimental Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x137 Week 24: Tuesday
5x138 Week 24: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Another week, another large pile of new additons — ten in total this week, including three upgrades (though in one case I'm keeping the previous version (at least for now) due to a single unique special feature (it's a commentary track, so at least it's a chunky extra)). So, the actual titles increase doesn't quite reach double figures; which is for the best really, because clearly I'm buying too much stuff recently!
Anyway, more new additions to come next week.
Number of titles in collection: 2,851 [up 8]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,796 [up 9]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 172 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,085 [up 16]
Number of films: 3,401 [up 7]
Number of additional cuts: 263 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,281 [up 13]
Number of short films: 962 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Another week, another large pile of new additons — ten in total this week, including three upgrades (though in one case I'm keeping the previous version (at least for now) due to a single unique special feature (it's a commentary track, so at least it's a chunky extra)). So, the actual titles increase doesn't quite reach double figures; which is for the best really, because clearly I'm buying too much stuff recently!
Anyway, more new additions to come next week.
Number of titles in collection: 2,851 [up 8]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,796 [up 9]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 172 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 7,085 [up 16]
Number of films: 3,401 [up 7]
Number of additional cuts: 263 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,281 [up 13]
Number of short films: 962 [up 1]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 3 June 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x136 Week 24: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x06 Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x136 Week 24: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Thursday, 2 June 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Not Going Out
12x03 Friend
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x134 Week 23: Thursday
5x135 Week 23: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Ten Percent
1x03 Episode 3
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Not Going Out
12x03 Friend
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x134 Week 23: Thursday
5x135 Week 23: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Ten Percent
1x03 Episode 3
Fiction
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
This spooky short story came up on Twitter today, and someone shared a link to read it online, so I did. In short, it's about creepy wallpaper, and the reason it came up on Twitter is because someone has made wallpaper inspired by it — apparently without realising that, y'know, that's creepy.
This spooky short story came up on Twitter today, and someone shared a link to read it online, so I did. In short, it's about creepy wallpaper, and the reason it came up on Twitter is because someone has made wallpaper inspired by it — apparently without realising that, y'know, that's creepy.
Wednesday, 1 June 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x132 Week 23: Tuesday
5x133 Week 23: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x132 Week 23: Tuesday
5x133 Week 23: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 31 May 2022
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x130 Week 22: Friday
5x131 Week 23: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
5x130 Week 22: Friday
5x131 Week 23: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 30 May 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
4x10 The Queen's Gambit Job
Not Going Out
12x02 Text
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x129 Week 22: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
4x10 The Queen's Gambit Job
Not Going Out
12x02 Text
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x129 Week 22: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Games
The Curse of Monkey Island
Completed. Just under 7½ hours, so a bit longer than the first two took me in the end. Gotta say, the final cut scene is a bit disappointing. I guess there was some “the game is over, just get out of it” logic there, but considering how long some of the earlier ones were, it feels like we should be rewarded with a decent coda. Hey-ho, it’s hardly the end of the world.
Next: Monkey goes 3D in Escape.
Completed. Just under 7½ hours, so a bit longer than the first two took me in the end. Gotta say, the final cut scene is a bit disappointing. I guess there was some “the game is over, just get out of it” logic there, but considering how long some of the earlier ones were, it feels like we should be rewarded with a decent coda. Hey-ho, it’s hardly the end of the world.
Next: Monkey goes 3D in Escape.
Sunday, 29 May 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x127 Week 22: Tuesday
5x128 Week 22: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Ten Percent
1x02 Episode 2
1x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x127 Week 22: Tuesday
5x128 Week 22: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Ten Percent
1x02 Episode 2
this week on 100Films.co.uk
5 new reviews were published to 100Films.co.uk this week...
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
2022 | Weeks 14–15
More next Sunday.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
It feels like they’ve gone out of their way to crossover with everything possible: the two previous Spider-Man film series; there’s something from spinoff Venom; and even the MCU Netflix series, which were previously of dubious canonicity (of course, now they’re on Disney+ so they’re allowed to count again). About all that’s missing is Into the Spider-Verse, and there’s even an oblique reference to that. With all of that in the mix, it plays kinda like Fan Service: The Movie. Normally that would be a criticism, but it does it so entertainingly — and it’s so much the movie’s very raison d’être — that I think it works, in its own way.Read more here.
2022 | Weeks 14–15
Featuring...Read more here.
- Withnail & I (1987)
- Munich: The Edge of War (2021)
- tick, tick… BOOM! (2021)
- Move Over, Darling (1963)
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 28 May 2022
TV
Around the World in 80 Days
1x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
4x09 The Cross My Heart Job
Not Going Out
12x01 Painting
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x126 Week 22: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Ten Percent
1x01 Episode 1
1x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Leverage
4x09 The Cross My Heart Job
Not Going Out
12x01 Painting
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x126 Week 22: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Ten Percent
1x01 Episode 1
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Last week I mentioned that I had multiple big parcels on the way. Most of them turned up, but not the biggest of all, so this is a strong week rather than the record-challenger it might've been otherwise. Assuming that final parcel turns up for next week's update, it'll make four chunky ones in a row. I'd say "maybe I should cut back", but then I look at how much I've got on preorder...
Anyway, this week is also the monthly running time update, so that's fun.
Number of titles in collection: 2,843 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,056 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,787 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 169 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,069 [up 13]
Number of films: 3,394 [up 12]
Number of additional cuts: 263 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 9,268 [no change]
Number of short films: 961 [up 1]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
507 days, 3 hours, and 38 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 22 hours, and 26 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Last week I mentioned that I had multiple big parcels on the way. Most of them turned up, but not the biggest of all, so this is a strong week rather than the record-challenger it might've been otherwise. Assuming that final parcel turns up for next week's update, it'll make four chunky ones in a row. I'd say "maybe I should cut back", but then I look at how much I've got on preorder...
Anyway, this week is also the monthly running time update, so that's fun.
Number of titles in collection: 2,843 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,056 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,787 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 169 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,069 [up 13]
Number of films: 3,394 [up 12]
Number of additional cuts: 263 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 9,268 [no change]
Number of short films: 961 [up 1]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
507 days, 3 hours, and 38 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 22 hours, and 26 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 27 May 2022
TV
The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off
2x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x125 Week 21: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
2x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x125 Week 21: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Games
The Curse of Monkey Island
These last two parts aren't quite as short as I thought. They're hardly full parts, really, having only a couple of scenes each, but they are pushing up that final gameplay total.
These last two parts aren't quite as short as I thought. They're hardly full parts, really, having only a couple of scenes each, but they are pushing up that final gameplay total.
Thursday, 26 May 2022
TV
Leverage
4x08 The Boiler Room Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x124 Week 21: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
4x08 The Boiler Room Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
5x124 Week 21: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Games
The Curse of Monkey Island
Almost at the end now, I think (I'm into Part 5, which is the penultimate one, but I think each of the last two are quite short). At just under 6 hours of playtime now, I suspect by the end it won't have taken much (if any longer) to complete than the first two.
Almost at the end now, I think (I'm into Part 5, which is the penultimate one, but I think each of the last two are quite short). At just under 6 hours of playtime now, I suspect by the end it won't have taken much (if any longer) to complete than the first two.
Tuesday, 24 May 2022
Games
The Curse of Monkey Island
Just a bit more today — up to 5 hours playtime now, and it's clear there's plenty of game left to go.
The Room Two
Gonna try not to rush through this one quite so much!
Just a bit more today — up to 5 hours playtime now, and it's clear there's plenty of game left to go.
The Room Two
Gonna try not to rush through this one quite so much!
Monday, 23 May 2022
Games
The Curse of Monkey Island
Past the combat and into Part 4 now, after another hour played. Whole new island, lots to do and explore and puzzle out next time.
The Room
Talking with someone about how much I'd been enjoying replaying Monkey Island, they recommended this iPhone game (it's available on other formats now), which it turns out is a decade old but had passed me by (like most games in the past 10 to 20 years, to be honest). So I downloaded it for the free trial, then bought the full game (only 89p), then finished it. Well, it shows how much I was enjoying it that I burned through it all so fast! Fortunately, there are sequels. They're each a little more expensive, so hopefully they'll last a little longer...
Past the combat and into Part 4 now, after another hour played. Whole new island, lots to do and explore and puzzle out next time.
The Room
Talking with someone about how much I'd been enjoying replaying Monkey Island, they recommended this iPhone game (it's available on other formats now), which it turns out is a decade old but had passed me by (like most games in the past 10 to 20 years, to be honest). So I downloaded it for the free trial, then bought the full game (only 89p), then finished it. Well, it shows how much I was enjoying it that I burned through it all so fast! Fortunately, there are sequels. They're each a little more expensive, so hopefully they'll last a little longer...
Sunday, 22 May 2022
Games
The Curse of Monkey Island
After 3½ hours total played, I'm into the ship combat / insult swordfighting section (aka Part 3).
After 3½ hours total played, I'm into the ship combat / insult swordfighting section (aka Part 3).
Saturday, 21 May 2022
TV
The 1% Club
1x03 Episode 3
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch the series (again) on the ITV Hub.]
Scouting for Toys
1x06 Meccano
[Watch the series (again) on UKTV Play.]
1x03 Episode 3
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch the series (again) on the ITV Hub.]
Scouting for Toys
1x06 Meccano
[Watch the series (again) on UKTV Play.]
Games
The Curse of Monkey Island
On to #3! The forthcoming Return will be a direct sequel to #2, so arguably I should've stopped there; but they've also said it doesn't erase #3–5 from canon, and definitely features characters and/or elements from those later sequels, so my plan is to just go ahead and play them all.
As for how long this one takes to complete (vs. the 6 hours it took me to finish each of the first two this time round), the save games don't have a timer here, so I'm keeping track of it myself. Therefore, I also have no idea which percentage I've (supposedly) completed. I'm into Part Two already, though, after just over an hour playing. That said, it feels like this game has to be longer — there's lots more stuff to look at, each with its own description (rather than the generic "nice" that was trotted out so often in MI2), and tonnes of dialogue options in every conversation; plus, really lengthy cut scenes. Unless the game itself is very short (which I don't remember it being), this has to have a longer playtime. (For what it's worth, a site I found called HowLongToBeat says the first two take 6½–7½ hours, while Curse takes 8–9½, so I may well be correct.)
Big aside...
I've not included re-play counts on these (like I do for film or TV rewatches) because the first two were Special Editions and it was the first time I'd played those remakes. But also, I'm really not sure how many times I've played any of these. The first two, at least twice each before these recent plays; Curse, I really can't remember if I only ever played it once or if I went back sometime. Looking ahead, I also can't remember if I only played Escape once or more (I feel like I did replay it at some point). I only become certain with the fifth game, Tales of Monkey Island, which was released in chapters, and I clearly remember only playing Chapter One. Plus, it's archived on this blog if I had forgotten.
On to #3! The forthcoming Return will be a direct sequel to #2, so arguably I should've stopped there; but they've also said it doesn't erase #3–5 from canon, and definitely features characters and/or elements from those later sequels, so my plan is to just go ahead and play them all.
As for how long this one takes to complete (vs. the 6 hours it took me to finish each of the first two this time round), the save games don't have a timer here, so I'm keeping track of it myself. Therefore, I also have no idea which percentage I've (supposedly) completed. I'm into Part Two already, though, after just over an hour playing. That said, it feels like this game has to be longer — there's lots more stuff to look at, each with its own description (rather than the generic "nice" that was trotted out so often in MI2), and tonnes of dialogue options in every conversation; plus, really lengthy cut scenes. Unless the game itself is very short (which I don't remember it being), this has to have a longer playtime. (For what it's worth, a site I found called HowLongToBeat says the first two take 6½–7½ hours, while Curse takes 8–9½, so I may well be correct.)
Big aside...
I've not included re-play counts on these (like I do for film or TV rewatches) because the first two were Special Editions and it was the first time I'd played those remakes. But also, I'm really not sure how many times I've played any of these. The first two, at least twice each before these recent plays; Curse, I really can't remember if I only ever played it once or if I went back sometime. Looking ahead, I also can't remember if I only played Escape once or more (I feel like I did replay it at some point). I only become certain with the fifth game, Tales of Monkey Island, which was released in chapters, and I clearly remember only playing Chapter One. Plus, it's archived on this blog if I had forgotten.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
As if the 9 new titles I purchased last week, I mentioned that I had a bunch more in the post — and so, they've turned up for this week. It's not quite as many, but it makes for a big fortnight overall.
Number of titles in collection: 2,837 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,057 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,780 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 169 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,056 [up 6]
Number of films: 3,382 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 261 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,268 [no change]
Number of short films: 960 [up 2]
Now, I've got even more titles in the post... but many are coming from faraway places like Australia and the USA, so it's hard to know exactly when they'll arrive. If they all turn up in the next week (which they might, but also might not), they'll be just in time for the monthly running time update. It could be a big'un!
See you then, faithful reader.
As if the 9 new titles I purchased last week, I mentioned that I had a bunch more in the post — and so, they've turned up for this week. It's not quite as many, but it makes for a big fortnight overall.
Number of titles in collection: 2,837 [up 6]
Of which DVDs: 1,057 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,780 [up 6]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 169 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,056 [up 6]
Number of films: 3,382 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 261 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,268 [no change]
Number of short films: 960 [up 2]
Now, I've got even more titles in the post... but many are coming from faraway places like Australia and the USA, so it's hard to know exactly when they'll arrive. If they all turn up in the next week (which they might, but also might not), they'll be just in time for the monthly running time update. It could be a big'un!
See you then, faithful reader.
Friday, 20 May 2022
Thursday, 19 May 2022
Wednesday, 18 May 2022
TV
For All Mankind
1x05 Into the Abyss
Crikey: it’s over a year since I last watched an episode of this! And apparently I only watched four — I thought I’d got a bit further through than that. Thing is, I didn’t intend to stop watching, it just… happened. It’s, weirdly, a show I think is great while it’s on, but don’t feel much drive to watch in between episodes; and when there’s always so much else to watch, that can end up with it falling by the wayside. Anyway, here I am making a concerted effort to finally get on with it. I thought this was another great episode, by the way.
1x05 Into the Abyss
Crikey: it’s over a year since I last watched an episode of this! And apparently I only watched four — I thought I’d got a bit further through than that. Thing is, I didn’t intend to stop watching, it just… happened. It’s, weirdly, a show I think is great while it’s on, but don’t feel much drive to watch in between episodes; and when there’s always so much else to watch, that can end up with it falling by the wayside. Anyway, here I am making a concerted effort to finally get on with it. I thought this was another great episode, by the way.
Tuesday, 17 May 2022
Video
Doctor Who: The Fan Show
- Steven Moffat On Writing, Weeping Angels, and More
- Steven Moffat On Matt Smith's Era, Writing The 50th Anniversary & MORE!
- The Steven Moffat Interview: Part 3
When Steven Moffat stepped down as showrunner of Doctor Who, he did a three-part over-an-hour-long interview with The Fan Show YouTube series, covering his entire time on the show. I'd meant to watch it at the time but kind of forgot. Something brought it to mind the other day, and so I've finally watched it. It's interesting and with some insightful observations, although you may have heard them repeated or retold elsewhere in the intervening years. And, in fact, he worked on the show for so long that even an hour-or-so doesn't feel like long enough to cover everything worth covering. But they do their best.
[Watch them (again) at the above YouTube links.]
- Steven Moffat On Writing, Weeping Angels, and More
- Steven Moffat On Matt Smith's Era, Writing The 50th Anniversary & MORE!
- The Steven Moffat Interview: Part 3
When Steven Moffat stepped down as showrunner of Doctor Who, he did a three-part over-an-hour-long interview with The Fan Show YouTube series, covering his entire time on the show. I'd meant to watch it at the time but kind of forgot. Something brought it to mind the other day, and so I've finally watched it. It's interesting and with some insightful observations, although you may have heard them repeated or retold elsewhere in the intervening years. And, in fact, he worked on the show for so long that even an hour-or-so doesn't feel like long enough to cover everything worth covering. But they do their best.
[Watch them (again) at the above YouTube links.]
Sunday, 15 May 2022
Video
RetroAhoy
The Secret of Monkey Island
Stumbled across this on Letterboxd, so thought I might end up logging it as a film, but eh, not really. It's very slickly produced, though, even if it does stray from its ostensible title: the part about The Secret of Monkey Island is actually only 10 or 15 minutes of the 74-minute video, proceeded by a potted history of the birth of the adventure game genre, and followed by a look at the sequels, other LucasArts adventure games, and what's happened to the genre since. All very interesting, mind, and I've ended up with about half-a-dozen titles to look up.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
The Secret of Monkey Island
Stumbled across this on Letterboxd, so thought I might end up logging it as a film, but eh, not really. It's very slickly produced, though, even if it does stray from its ostensible title: the part about The Secret of Monkey Island is actually only 10 or 15 minutes of the 74-minute video, proceeded by a potted history of the birth of the adventure game genre, and followed by a look at the sequels, other LucasArts adventure games, and what's happened to the genre since. All very interesting, mind, and I've ended up with about half-a-dozen titles to look up.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
this week on 100Films.co.uk
7 new reviews were published to 100Films.co.uk this week...
Fast & Furious 9 (2021)
West Side Story (2021)
2022 | Weeks 12–13
More next Sunday.
Fast & Furious 9 (2021)
before long they're racing around (literally) after one Macguffin or another, plus all the requisite shooting stuff and blowing stuff up and performing physics-defying CGI-aided stunts that have become The Fast Saga’s hallmarks. If that makes it sound a bit tired — just “more of the same” — well, remember, we’ve reached film #9.Read more here.
West Side Story (2021)
I remember when I first heard about this remake, I couldn’t quite understand what they were going to add by redoing it. The original is a widely-acclaimed classic — why remake it? I should’ve remembered one of the golden rules of cinema: always trust Spielberg.Read more here.
2022 | Weeks 12–13
Featuring...Read more here.
- Muriel's Wedding (1994)
- Cobra (1986)
- Django & Django (2021)
- A Man Escaped (1956)
- Death on the Nile (2022)
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 14 May 2022
TV
Eurovision Song Contest: Turin 2022
The first time I've been able to watch Eurovision live since 2018! And thank goodness I could, because what a show to experience live! So close...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The first time I've been able to watch Eurovision live since 2018! And thank goodness I could, because what a show to experience live! So close...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Games
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge: Special Edition
And that's the end. Took me pretty much exactly the same time it took to complete the first one, a little to my surprise.
I find it hard to say which of the two is better. The first has more classic memorable moments, but the second feels more expansive, and does have its fair share of great bits. They're both great classics, ultimately.
And that's the end. Took me pretty much exactly the same time it took to complete the first one, a little to my surprise.
I find it hard to say which of the two is better. The first has more classic memorable moments, but the second feels more expansive, and does have its fair share of great bits. They're both great classics, ultimately.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I had one of my "carried away" weeks this week, with 9 new additions here and a bunch more in the post for next week. Of this week's lot, four are new releases (out next Monday); two were titles I happened to see recommended; one I thought was a recent release (it actually came out last September), but I'd been waiting for a sale price and now I got it; and the other two were just a bit random... and they're also DVDs.
That's right, I bought DVDs! And not one, but two! It does still happen, once in a blue moon; and only for titles not available on Blu-ray, and not likely to be available on Blu-ray, of course. (It'd be just my luck for someone to announce BD releases of them next month now. But they cost less than £4 each, so it'd be no true hardship.)
Number of titles in collection: 2,831 [up 9]
Of which DVDs: 1,057 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,774 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 169 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,050 [up 10]
Number of films: 3,376 [up 9]
Number of additional cuts: 260 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 9,268 [no change]
Number of short films: 958 [up 2]
See you next week, faithful reader.
I had one of my "carried away" weeks this week, with 9 new additions here and a bunch more in the post for next week. Of this week's lot, four are new releases (out next Monday); two were titles I happened to see recommended; one I thought was a recent release (it actually came out last September), but I'd been waiting for a sale price and now I got it; and the other two were just a bit random... and they're also DVDs.
That's right, I bought DVDs! And not one, but two! It does still happen, once in a blue moon; and only for titles not available on Blu-ray, and not likely to be available on Blu-ray, of course. (It'd be just my luck for someone to announce BD releases of them next month now. But they cost less than £4 each, so it'd be no true hardship.)
Number of titles in collection: 2,831 [up 9]
Of which DVDs: 1,057 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,774 [up 7]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 169 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 7,050 [up 10]
Number of films: 3,376 [up 9]
Number of additional cuts: 260 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 9,268 [no change]
Number of short films: 958 [up 2]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 13 May 2022
Games
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge: Special Edition
My opinion is now swinging the other way: I feel like I'm nearly at the end, and I've got there quicker than in Secret. Possibly I've just been playing it in a more condensed timeframe, though, because I'm at about five-and-a-half hours of playtime for 87% complete.
My opinion is now swinging the other way: I feel like I'm nearly at the end, and I've got there quicker than in Secret. Possibly I've just been playing it in a more condensed timeframe, though, because I'm at about five-and-a-half hours of playtime for 87% complete.
Thursday, 12 May 2022
Games
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge: Special Edition
Just over 3 hours playtime and apparently 37% complete. Might be worth mentioning that I don’t remember this one as well as I did Secret, so I am having to actually solve more of the puzzles. Still, the game feels bigger, with more stuff to look at, more characters to talk to and for longer, and the need to traverse multiple islands with multiple locations on each.
Just over 3 hours playtime and apparently 37% complete. Might be worth mentioning that I don’t remember this one as well as I did Secret, so I am having to actually solve more of the puzzles. Still, the game feels bigger, with more stuff to look at, more characters to talk to and for longer, and the need to traverse multiple islands with multiple locations on each.
Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Games
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge: Special Edition
Setting sail on game #2! The save game once again charts my progress, so after an hour's play I'm allegedly 10% of the way through. If that's true, MI2 is a much longer game than the first, as I thought. But the first game's progress percentage was poppycock, so we'll see.
Setting sail on game #2! The save game once again charts my progress, so after an hour's play I'm allegedly 10% of the way through. If that's true, MI2 is a much longer game than the first, as I thought. But the first game's progress percentage was poppycock, so we'll see.
Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Monday, 9 May 2022
Sunday, 8 May 2022
TV
The British Academy Television Awards 2022
I used to watch religiously, but it turns out this is the first time I've watched the TV BAFTAs since 2017 — that's five years! This year, It's a Sin deserved to sweep up, with multiple nominations, but in the end it didn't win a single thing. Tsk.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Taskmaster
1x04 Down an Octave
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
I used to watch religiously, but it turns out this is the first time I've watched the TV BAFTAs since 2017 — that's five years! This year, It's a Sin deserved to sweep up, with multiple nominations, but in the end it didn't win a single thing. Tsk.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Taskmaster
1x04 Down an Octave
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Podcasts
Kermode & Mayo's Take
5/5/2022 The one with Tom Hiddleston, Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Cabaret
As I said the other day, I've long been aware of Kermode & Mayo's popular film radio show / podcast but never joined in listening, so this new start seemed as good a time as any.
5/5/2022 The one with Tom Hiddleston, Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Cabaret
As I said the other day, I've long been aware of Kermode & Mayo's popular film radio show / podcast but never joined in listening, so this new start seemed as good a time as any.
Saturday, 7 May 2022
TV
Mystery Science Theater 3000
13x01 Santo in the Treasure of Dracula Post-Premiere Q&A
So, although the new season of MST3K premiered two months ago, it also premiered tonight. What? Well, before it was a backer-exclusive preview of an unfinished cut of the episode; tonight was the 'real deal'. I didn't watch the whole thing again, but did tune in for the live chat / Q&A afterwards, which was fun.
Taskmaster
1x03 The Poet and the Egg
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
13x01 Santo in the Treasure of Dracula Post-Premiere Q&A
So, although the new season of MST3K premiered two months ago, it also premiered tonight. What? Well, before it was a backer-exclusive preview of an unfinished cut of the episode; tonight was the 'real deal'. I didn't watch the whole thing again, but did tune in for the live chat / Q&A afterwards, which was fun.
Taskmaster
1x03 The Poet and the Egg
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Three new titles this week, including a BD-to-4K upgrade so exact (same number of discs, same number of cuts, etc) that it only shows on the UHD stat. It was one of Arrow's Dario Argento titles, which I've mostly been ignoring because I bought all of them on regular BD and, frankly, haven't watched any of them, so forking out the same money again just for the resolution boost, on films I don't actually know if I like, seemed daft.
But the last couple have actually started improving on the BD releases — this one was Deep Red, which adds a whole load of bonus features, as well as packaging more in line with the rest of the range. I couldn't resist. And next up, in a couple of months, is Tenebrae, which is a complete overhaul from the previous edition, so I'll definitely be buying that. Or I could actually watch my current copy and check I really want to...
Number of titles in collection: 2,822 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,767 [up 2]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 169 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,040 [up 3]
Number of films: 3,367 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 258 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,268 [no change]
Number of short films: 957 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Three new titles this week, including a BD-to-4K upgrade so exact (same number of discs, same number of cuts, etc) that it only shows on the UHD stat. It was one of Arrow's Dario Argento titles, which I've mostly been ignoring because I bought all of them on regular BD and, frankly, haven't watched any of them, so forking out the same money again just for the resolution boost, on films I don't actually know if I like, seemed daft.
But the last couple have actually started improving on the BD releases — this one was Deep Red, which adds a whole load of bonus features, as well as packaging more in line with the rest of the range. I couldn't resist. And next up, in a couple of months, is Tenebrae, which is a complete overhaul from the previous edition, so I'll definitely be buying that. Or I could actually watch my current copy and check I really want to...
Number of titles in collection: 2,822 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,055 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,767 [up 2]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 169 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 7,040 [up 3]
Number of films: 3,367 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 258 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 9,268 [no change]
Number of short films: 957 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 6 May 2022
Thursday, 5 May 2022
Wednesday, 4 May 2022
TV
Taskmaster
1x01 Melon Buffet
Thought it was about time (long overdue, even) that I found out what all the fuss was about. It was pretty good — very few things could live up to the hype Taskmaster has accrued down the years, so "pretty good" isn't a bad result. I'll certainly keep watching it (for 10 more days, at least, when it's apparently being removed from All 4).
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
1x01 Melon Buffet
Thought it was about time (long overdue, even) that I found out what all the fuss was about. It was pretty good — very few things could live up to the hype Taskmaster has accrued down the years, so "pretty good" isn't a bad result. I'll certainly keep watching it (for 10 more days, at least, when it's apparently being removed from All 4).
[Watch it (again) on All 4.]
Articles
Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo: ‘I’ve never heard us described as an island of joy before!’
by Miranda Sawyer (from the Guardian)
For some reason, I've never really engaged with Kermode & Mayo's show or podcast (beyond watching the odd clip or reading some tweets or whatever). Not sure why. But now they're moving it to a new medium (this is an interview promoting that, FYI), so it seems as good a jumping on point as any. That said, I don't really listen to podcasts (just look at their history of being logged on this blog — few and far between), so we'll see how that goes.
by Miranda Sawyer (from the Guardian)
For some reason, I've never really engaged with Kermode & Mayo's show or podcast (beyond watching the odd clip or reading some tweets or whatever). Not sure why. But now they're moving it to a new medium (this is an interview promoting that, FYI), so it seems as good a jumping on point as any. That said, I don't really listen to podcasts (just look at their history of being logged on this blog — few and far between), so we'll see how that goes.
Tuesday, 3 May 2022
Games
The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
And I'm done. Took almost exactly 6 hours in the end, over half of which was spent on the first "35%" — and that was the part of the game I remembered best, so was also the part I worked through the fastest and with the greatest ease. That said, it's also the part with more characters to just chat to and places to just explore, so I was hardly doing a speedrun. Nonetheless, I think those percentages are pretty darn inaccurate, however they're generated.
Anyway, that was a lot of fun. It's a great game — a classic for a reason. On to the sequel next, which I remember as being a much bigger game, so it'll be interesting to see how many hours that takes me.
And I'm done. Took almost exactly 6 hours in the end, over half of which was spent on the first "35%" — and that was the part of the game I remembered best, so was also the part I worked through the fastest and with the greatest ease. That said, it's also the part with more characters to just chat to and places to just explore, so I was hardly doing a speedrun. Nonetheless, I think those percentages are pretty darn inaccurate, however they're generated.
Anyway, that was a lot of fun. It's a great game — a classic for a reason. On to the sequel next, which I remember as being a much bigger game, so it'll be interesting to see how many hours that takes me.
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