TV

Broken Saints
Chapter 4 Epiphany
Chapter 5 Awakening
With such short early episodes, Chapter 1 can only provide a brief overview of the four main characters, while the four chapters that follow successively introduce the start of their journey. It's still a bit slow and pretentious, but there's also promise. And 19 chapters to go...

Little Dorrit
Part 13 (of 14)
Part 14 (of 14)
A feature-length dose of Little Boring -- sorry, I mean, Little Dorrit -- as it finally reaches its conclusion. The (very literal) fall of the house of Clenham was perhaps the most entertaining bit yet, and certainly the most ludicrous in a story filled with ludicrous elements. Nothing like as good as Bleak House. Most of its audience understandably dropped off before the end, which is a shame because the format works so well (as proved by Bleak House) and this may've killed off hope of any more done in a similar style.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
22x11 (11/12/08 edition) [season finale]
Josh Groban: surprisingly likable and willing to take the mick out of himself. Grant From Feeder: shouldn't really have bothered going.
Odd length series too. I rather suspect it would've been 12, were it not for the Brand episode.

Fiction

Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Luke Ross
(collecting Jonah Hex Vol.2 #1-6)
Issue 6 [the end]
A good set of standalone Western tales. Now, where's book two...

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory IV

IV. Waking in Manhattan
by Andy Brown

This week and next, Poem of the Day is presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

The night that raised my hopes now whittles down
our options. The morning's heavy snowfall
consumes the blue masses of skyscrapers
and builds on our distance. I open the grille;
imagine us both -- exiles on far shores --
staring past the smuts on our windows.
There are patterns in the bird tracks on the ledge.
I fill my eyes with their secret language:
the text of our future; the novel of our love.
All I ask today is you & I rise above
this interval in the theatre of weather,
but I am restless beneath a drift of lies,
blocking light from the glass. I retrieve the dull
hammer of my self and nail the window shut.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

TV

Argumental
1x07 (8/12/08 edition)

Broken Saints
Chapter 1 Introitus
Chapter 2 Cryptic
Chapter 3 Versus [2nd watch]
(Chapters 3 & 4 were the ones infamously included on the UK 2-disc release of Night Watch, where I saw them before.)
An intriguing opening -- a bit slow paced, a bit arty, a bit pretentious. Not everyone's cup of tea, but promising. For a brief introduction to the series, so my post here.

The Devil's Whore
Part 4 (of 4)
Another strong episode rounds off an excellent series. It doesn't feel fast-paced, yet at over an hour an episode (with breaks) rushes past faster than even something supposedly super-speedy and modern like Spooks. If you missed this, catch up with it when & where you can.

The Graham Norton Show
4x10 (4/12/08 edition, uncut repeat)
Only one guest was fine when it was Robin Williams, but Barry Manilow? Barry Manilow? In fact, he turned out to be fairly amiable -- especially as I could fast-forward the singing.

Fiction

Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Tony DeZuniga
(collecting Jonah Hex Vol.2 #1-6)
Issue 5

Articles

The Dark Knight Score Up For Oscar Again by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire)
Didn't see that coming, but hurrah!

A Fresh Start For 'Bond 23', Says Daniel Craig by Devin Zydel
(from CommanderBond.net)
"We've finished this story as far as I'm concerned." Plus, the chances of Moneypenny and Q returning seem to get stronger by the day.

Movie Poster Mash-Ups
(from Empire)
Not exactly a new idea, but a very amusing one. Not all hit the mark, obviously, but enough do to make it worthwhile. Check out themed galleries of Star Wars (I especially recommend number 24) and Harry Potter.

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory III

III. Koi Carp
by Andy Brown

This week and next, Poem of the Day is presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

This pollen-honeyed evening
your parting gift of Koi carp
rise to the gilded surface.

They flash their dog-brown eyes
beneath the pond's lens;
twitch a muscle and disappear.

But tight in the kernel
of night, they cut through
the dream's meniscus,

stirring the pool's surprises;
quick insects; slow molluscs
down in the muck & the silt.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

Broken Saints

Broken Saints was something of an internet sensation when it was first released online during 2001 to 2003.

The series -- which is in 24 chapters with a total running time of 12 hours (the early episodes are short while the finale hits an hour and a half) -- has been referred to by its creators as a "cinematic novel". Essentially, this means an 'animated comic': in its original version, limited animation (mainly for scene transitions) with speech bubbles instead of voice acting, but still a video with music and sound effects.

Eventually purchased by Fox and released on DVD, the series exists in two (or three, depending how you count it) versions: as well as the original online version, there's the 'DVD version' with spruced-up animation (for parts 1 to 12) and a choice of either the original soundtrack or a fully voice-acted one. It's this last option that I'm choosing to watch. (For the completist, the original Flash-animated versions of the first twelve episodes are included via DVD-ROM.)

It's recently been announced that a long-rumoured live action series is in development (or, "trying to find funding", by the sounds of things), so I decided it was finally time (I've owned the DVD since its UK release) to get round to watching the original.

You can still watch the original version online, for free, here. For more information, check out Wikipedia's good overview; the creator's blog, which includes the November 30th announcement of the live-action series; a live-action trailer (in various qualities); and DVD Times' review of the R2 DVD. (The rest of the official site is currently down.)

TV

Spooks
7x08 Nuclear Strike [season finale]
A good old "biggest threat yet!" season finale, marred somewhat by logic flaws (there's no way you could ever get an iris scan off a CCTV image. Ever.) Nasty little cliffhanger too.

Films

Ultimate Avengers II (2006)
[#83 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
A superior sequel.

Fiction

Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Luke Ross
(collecting Jonah Hex Vol.2 #1-6)
Issues 1 - 4
Comics aren't just about superheroes you know: DC's Jonah Hex is a Western in the traditional sense, albeit with lots of violence and nastiness that you likely wouldn't find in films made before the '60s, at least. The other nice thing about Hex is that each issue is an individual tale, a self-contained burst of Western action that makes for an entertaining read while it lasts, leaving this collection to feel like a book of short stories, or a box set of episodic TV -- in the old sense, before everything had to have grand arc plots. On the strength of this, I expect I'll acquire further volumes.

Articles

2009 TV Preview: Moving Wallpaper returns by Neil Wilkes
(from Digital Spy)
While Echo Beach turned out to be twaddle, Moving Wallpaper was fab. Very excited about it's return. "We ran around the houses to come up with [an Echo Beach replacement] that I thought hadn't been seen on British television for a while -- and then in the middle of writing [a zombie series], bloody Dead Set came out!"

The Dark Knight breaks Blu-ray records by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Yep, it's at it again. It "shifted 513,000 units on its first day of release on Monday, 21% of which (107,730) were Blu-ray discs. The format has experienced a surge in popularity, with sales of 463,000 for November 2008 a 66% increase from the previous month."

Horgan's Pulling axed by BBC Three by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Right after it beats other, better known, shows to a Comedy Award. "Oops"?

John Stevenson hired for We3 by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
"Producer Don Murphy [said] that the movie version will retain the comic book's violent tone. "We're doing it as an R-rating. It's not going to be cutesy. There's killer rabbits and stuff. We're in the process right now of trying to figure out where we're going to make it."" Whoo!

Will David Tennant make it on stage tonight? That is the question on Hamlet opening night after actor hurts back
(from Mail Online)
Ah the Mail -- everything you need to know in the headline. Still -- oh dear! Glad this didn't happen to me.

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory II

II. I imagine you've changed little...
by Andy Brown

This week and next, Poem of the Day is presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

I imagine you've changed little since our thing
in the Great Rift, so far away this morning
as I sit here drinking coffee on the terrace of the café
            La Délicieuse.

I imagine you still wear that face all other
men could love. I am tempted to believe, however
briefly, that although there is no antidote
            there's hope --

the feeling that we've lived through this before
and know what's coming next. Your silence is
obscure. Still you're
            imprisoned

by a world where things are held by threads --
the prince on the princess's hair; Damocles' sword;
all those feelings you shored-up,
            but never fully expressed.

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.

What makes a film a film?

What makes a film a film, as opposed to a TV special, or different to a direct-to-DVD movie — indeed, is there a difference?

This is the sort of thing that’s bothered me for a while, mainly thanks to the Radio Times. The Radio Times’ film section frequently features reviews for something that’s labelled “US TVM” — translation: an American TV Movie. But not everything falls into this category. 24: Redemption didn't, but one-off editions of other (older) series have, so why are they different?

What about Paul Greengrass’ excellent Bloody Sunday, simultaneously screened on Channel 4 and released in cinemas? Or more recently, Ballet Shoes — just part of last year’s Christmas schedule in the UK, but it received a limited late-summer theatrical release in the US. So is that a film, or ‘just’ a TV special?

Read the full article over at 100 Films in a Year.

TV

Clone
1x04 The Ian Cam
Very little to do with the titular cam, but one of the better episodes so far.

Have I Got News For You
36x07 (5/11/08 edition; extended repeat)

Survivors [2008]
1x03 Episode 3

Films

Ultimate Avengers (2006)
[#82 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]

DVD Extras

First Look at Ultimate Avengers 2
(from Ultimate Avengers)
A trailer-length preview of the next Ultimate Avengers film, made up of storyboards/animatics and talking heads going on about how much darker and more character-led it will be. So nothing changes, eh?

Music

The Tempest,
Propane Nightmares and
Mutiny
(songs from In Silico)
by Pendulum
At their best (i.e. in these songs), Pendulum sound like missing tracks from Muse's Black Holes & Revelations. Most of the rest of the time they just sound like bloody dance music. (On a random other note, Black Holes & Revelations is two-and-a-half years old! Really doesn't feel like it.)

Spaceman,
A Dustland Fairytale,
A Crippling Blow,
Losing Touch and
Joy Ride
(songs from Day & Age)
by the Killers
So, despite my predictions, these are the tracks from Day & Age that I've been most listening to. (Well, I got some right.)

Articles

The Top 50 DVDs of 2008 by Tom Charity
(from LOVEFiLM)

LOVEFiLM's list talks some sense -- "it's more useful to compare like with like. After all, if you're in the mood for a comedy, you don't really care if that Romanian abortion film won the Palme d'Or" -- but it's also predicated on some utter nonsense.

"About half of these movies came out in UK cinemas in 2007. The other half were released earlier this year and have already made it to DVD... We haven't gone in to back catalogue releases, because frankly, there are just too many to choose from. And we haven't talked about bonus features... you probably don't rent or purchase a movie for the commentary track." I should wager it does sway some people, actually.

So, if you're ignoring whether the disc's any good, and excluding back catalogue releases, that just makes this "The 50 Best Films Of The Second Half Of 2007 And The First Half Of 2008". And there aren't even 50, because one's on two lists. What a load of twaddle.

I still went through it, of course, because I love lists. I've seen just 12 of the 49 (and have another 7 on DVD, as per usual). How about you?

Poem of the Day: The Trust Territory I

I. If I tell you...
by Andy Brown

For the next two weeks, Poem of the Day is going to be presenting Andy Brown's 10-part poem, The Trust Territory. I think there's much to enjoy in each individual segment, and even more so when all ten pieces are put together. Also, at least some parts of it are especially suited to this time of year.

Please see after today's piece for information on where to find the poem in print.

If I tell you your love is a spider's web,
I mean that in its tensile sense --
the strongest substance known to man,
weight for weight tougher than steel.

'Web', I mean, in its tensile sense,
but also with a hint of home:
weight for weight tougher than steel,
a place for the creature to rest.

And with that hint of home,
a place that gathers morning dew;
a place for the creature to rest,
amazing a passing child's eye.

A thing that gathers morning dew,
my love, is a spider's web,
amazing a passing child's eye.
Please don't take offence -- I do not mean

your love is a spider's web
and I the struggling fly.
No, please don't take offence -- I do not mean
you are the spider who turns

on me, poor struggling fly.
If I tell you your love is a spider's web.
you are not -- repeat not -- the spider who turns
to feast on the head of her mate.

No, I mean... 'the strongest substance known to man.'

The Trust Territory was originally published as a poetry chapbook, now out of print. It's currently available in Fall of the Rebel Angels: Poems 1996-2006 (find the best prices online here). The versions posted here are taken from the latter. From the author's acknowledgements for that volume: "Many [poems in this collection] appear as they were first published in individual volumes, others have been edited over the years and it is these final versions I wish to preserve."

Andy Brown's latest book is Goose Music, co-authored with John Burnside.

Please see here for information on Poem of the Day and copyright.