TV

Ashes to Ashes
2x01 Episode One
Hurrah for the return of Ashes, the underrated Life On Mars sequel. Always a joy to have Gene Hunt on our screens and lots of intriguing mysteries to mull over for the next 8 weeks -- and, hopefully, an intended third (and final) season beyond that.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Graham Norton Show
5x06 (16/4/09 edition, uncut repeat)
Robot Graham = Best. Thing. Ever. Gillian Anderson's accent = tad odd, it must be said, but surprisingly British-sounding.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Primeval
3x04 Episode 4
Oft-predictable tosh, again, but rather spectacular tosh this week with a Great Big Dinosaur and chases around an airport and a helicopter and Nigel Marven getting eaten -- it's exactly what Primeval should be like.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Articles

Ashes To Ashes returns! by Nick Setchfield
(from SFX)
"SFX is celebrating the return of Ashes To Ashes to BBC One with a week of thug-slapping, Quattro-spinning exclusives." Hurrah! Today, it's a very good interview with co-creator Matthew Graham that covers all sorts of topics related to the series.

BBC iPlayer goes HD, adds higher quality streams, releases iPlayer Desktop out of Labs by Anthony Rose
(from BBC Internet Blog)
Yes, yes, yes yes yes! Seriously considering giving up watching programmes that are also shown on BBC HD on my TV (which is small and non-HD) and just watching them on my Mac via iPlayer Desktop (which is HD!) Lots more info in the article, naturally, including that they've improved the SD stream to bring it closer to TV quality. Yummy.

Simon Pegg talks Trek by Nick Setchfield
(from SFX)
The second part of SFX's interview with the Geekdom God (I mentioned the first half here). Worth a look just for the amusingly subtle dig at Heroes if nothing else.

new review at 100 Films

State of Play (2009)

the real focus of this screen-to-bigger-screen translation is the complex six-hour story of the original series, condensed from 340 minutes to just 127. This three-fold reduction has been well handled, and perhaps their most noteworthy achievement is crafting a film that feels entirely like its own entity without sacrificing anything significant from the primary conspiracy plot.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 16 new films in the review pipeline at 100 Films, not to mention two shorts, a film I've previously seen, and an alternate cut. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Damages
2x09 You Got Your Prom Date Pregnant
Are the FBI investigating Patty, or not? Why is the apparently-primary UNR plot so often sidelined? Will William Hurt's name forever be in the credits even though he doesn't appear to be in it any more? These are the burning questions.

Louis Theroux: A Place for Paedophiles
I never used to bother with Louis Theroux's programmes, but after finding his San Quentin prison doc very interesting (way back in January 2008, as it turns out -- you can read my thoughts on it at my old blog) this semi-sequel (as it were) looked like an equally intriguing prospect.
And it was -- a difficult issue handled intelligently and thoughtfully, devoid of any inappropriate humour. There are many questions raised -- not just about paedophiles and how we should treat them, but about the legality and morality of the institution that was his subject -- but no easy answers handed down.
This is quality documentary making and we should be thankful that there's someone prepared to make such work and that we have a network prepared to fund and broadcast it.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Wire
1x12 Cleaning Up
If you'd told me this was the final episode I wouldn't've been surprised, which means I'm rather intrigued to see what cards they have left to play. Should be an interesting final episode...

Films

State of Play (2009)
[#20 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
Not that I'm boasting (maybe a little), but I got to see this at a preview screening ahead of its UK release this Wednesday. The real question is, is it as good as the TV series? The answer: of course it bloody isn't. But, fortunately, it's a very good film nonetheless.
My full review is up at 100 Films now.

Articles

Matthew McConaughey’s Next 10 Movie Posters by Daniel O'Brien
(from Cracked.com)
These spoof posters may be a long way from the standard of other similar Photoshop-based gags you see around the web, but, crucially, most of them are funny. Can't always guarantee that.

new review at 100 Films

The Birds (1963)

The titular demented avians attack, and attack again, a near relentless series of assaults and set pieces that allow Hitchcock to show off his apparently endless array of shooting and editing tricks. And it’s all achieved without a single note of music — yet some sections are almost unbearably tense, built entirely with camera angles and masterful editing.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 16 new films in the review pipeline at 100 Films, not to mention two shorts, a film I've previously seen, and an alternate cut. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Another weak TV day...

I've Never Seen Star Wars
1x05 Hugh Dennis
In which Dennis tries a paltry three things. One of them was eating roadkill though, so that almost makes up for it.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

AVPR - Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
[#19 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
And that's it for my trawl through all eight Alien and Predator films! Reviews soon.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer 4a
Among the list of reasons the MPAA have classified this a PG (a surprisingly low decision given the last few films and some of the events in this book) is the comment "mild sensuality". The MPAA must be the only ratings organisation outside of the Middle East who consider this something parents might want to guard their children against.
As for the trailer itself, it looks incredibly action-packed seeing as I remember this book as being particularly wordy and staid, moving things into place for the finale. That's a good thing in my opinion. It also closes with the possibly the best rendition of the films' main theme yet, suitably epic and dramatic. Still, Half-Blood Prince remains the weakest of the Potter titles. It might sound quite good, but it only refers to a relatively minor plot element (as far as I remember anyway) -- there's certainly no mention of it in the trailer!

Music

Milestones by Ben & Alfie
Ben and Alfie Weedon are a pair of Westcountry teens who produce classical folk-tinged music, to some acclaim in certain musical circles (so I'm told). 2008's Milestones features new material alongside pieces collected from previous albums.
As well as the music, there's some joy to be had from the track titles: while some are wholly expected for the genre (Quarrender's Reel, From the Duck Pond), others show a nice degree of wit or create an interesting disjunct -- Track 8 (track two on the CD), Thing-A-Me Jig, and Ultrasound, for example. The CD's brief liner notes for each track also help focus the listener's attention on the boys' intention, which is especially nice for a classical novice like myself.
You can buy/preview their music from CD Baby, iTunes, or their MySpace page.

Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine #407
Unsurprisingly focused on Planet of the Dead... as is next issue... Hopefully they'll give it up then, otherwise they'll be going on about one special all the way to November.

Being so close to one special naturally means there's little news on the future, with only some minor casting for the excellent-sounding Waters of Mars and some reheated quotes about the end of Tennant's tenure to tide us over new-series-wise. In past-terms, Big Finish's forthcoming 'Lost Stories'/'Season 23' strand sound promising, and the hint at possibly doing something similar with Season 27 is very tantalising for a McCoy fan like myself. A preview of the just-released novel Prisoner of the Daleks also makes it sound brilliant -- I may have to begin buying the books again, and perhaps even read them.

Commentary on this issue can't avoid the already infamous Christopher H Bidmead interview. Except I haven't read it yet. But one particular pull-quote is probably rather telling: "This is a good interview. You're asking all the right questions, and I'm offering some brilliant answers!" Oh my.

Finally, for the first time in 11 years DWM is conducting a Best Story Ever poll of its readership, nicely timed for the 200th story. (It is it is it is, whatever else you want to argue.) The deadline isn't 'til June so Lord knows when the results will be published (to coincide with story #201, maybe? Or Tennant's departure?) With 40 adventures now in consideration that weren't last time, it'll be interesting to see if Tennant and/or Eccleston storm the Top 50, or if there'll be enough classic series fans to help combat the over-enthusiastic new-series-only newcomers.

Articles

100 Movies To See Before You Die by The Yahoo! Movies Editorial Staff
(from Yahoo! Movies)
These lists come along all the time, often featuring most of the same films. I'm an absolute sucker for them nonetheless, and on this one I've seen exactly 50 of the 100 listed. Many good choices, of course, but some oddities that could really do with a note of explanation.

David Heyman talks Dumbledore's funeral, Hogwarts battle & more by Emma Riddle
(from SnitchSeeker.com)
Harry Potter producer Heyman discusses some of the cuts and changes to the adaptations of both Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows, including how they've made a rod for their own backs with some of the stuff they cut in earlier films. If you're at all interested in Potter than this is worth a read.

Poem of the Week: Anchor Baby

by Tim Burton

Apologies for being 24 hours late. Maybe I should just move this to Saturdays...

Anyway, this piece is my favourite tale from Burton's volume The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories. A little more about it following the poem itself:

There was a beautiful girl
who came from the sea.
And there was just one place
that she wanted to be.

With a man named Walker
who played in a band.
She would leave the ocean
and come onto the land.

He was the one that she wanted the most.
And she tried everything
to capture this ghost.

But throughout all their lives
they never connected.
She wandered the earth
alone and rejected

She tried looking happy
she tried looking tragic,
she tried astral projecting,
sex, and black magic.

Nothing could join them,
except maybe one thing,
just maybe...
something to anchor their spirits...
They had a baby.

But to give birth to a baby
they needed a crane.
the umbilical cord
was in the form of a chain.

I t was ugly and gloomy,
and as hard as a kettle.
It had no pink skin,
just heavy gray metal.

The baby that was meant
to bring them together,
just shrouded them both
in a cloud of foul weather.

So Walker took off
to play with the band.
And from that day on,
he stayed mainly on land.

And she was alone
with her gray baby anchor,
who got so oppressive
that eventually sank her.

As she went to the bottom,
not fulfilling her wish,
it was her, and her baby...
and a few scattered fish.

Better known as a film director (you've heard of him, right), Burton started out in animation, crafting a lot of his own characters and stories. In 1996 he published The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories, a volume of poetic stories with his own illustrations. Whether they were all written around that time or some date back to his earlier pre-directing career, I don't know. The style of the pieces is typical of what you might expect from Burton -- fairytale-like, but also very dark and macabre. "Twisted", some would surely say.

For my thoughts on the whole book you can look back to when I read it about a month ago (it feels considerably longer, I must say). You can also read the full text online here, complete with illustrations, though I don't know if this is legal. The book itself is published by Faber & Faber, and their page for it is here.

TV

A particularly busy TV day, which makes for a nice change.

Argumental
2x01 (23/3/09 edition)
After what seems like no time away, Argumental's back! Hurrah! (Look, forget I've already watched the next two, alright?) A particularly strong start to a new series too, packed with utter hilarity until the very last -- well, if we're honest, until the penultimate -- round.

I've Never Seen Star Wars
1x06 Nigel Havers
Havers made for a consistently surprising guest -- I'd never have expected him to give such high scores to McDonalds or getting a tattoo. How little he enjoyed the Smiths (which I can completely relate to) didn't seem to warrant a score as high as 7 though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Mad Men
2x09 Six Month Leave
Mad Men's quality has been slightly variable in this second season -- never bad, but you get the sense proceedings aren't quite as focused as they were in the first year, especially when it comes to arc plots -- but this episode sees the show on blazingly good form. One of the best.

The Mentalist
1x03 Red Tide
Some dodgy dialogue (and delivery) aside, this continues to be an entertaining procedural that makes good use of the lead character's Derren Brown-style skills -- they're all believably grounded in truth and treated with suitable skepticism by his colleagues, rather than being some magic semi-mystical solution.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

The Wire
1x11 The Hunt
Following the shooting of a cop in the previous episode, the police -- as usual -- seriously mobilise their forces. One of the series' best episodes yet, for all kinds of reasons -- there's plenty of room for character, plot, subplots, themes, tropes, and more. Plus, a brief silent scene centered on a pen stain on a sofa exemplifies all that is so clever and so praised about this series.

Films

AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
[#18 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
Nearly done...

Articles

First Look At Tintin by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire)
It's Empire's 20th birthday soon, and the celebratory issue is guest-edited by Steven Spielberg. Fancy-pants, ain't it. And from that forthcoming issue, here's a couple of world exclusives. Firstly, a brief look behind the scenes of Tintin...

Jackson/Del Toro Talk Hobbit by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire)
...and secondly, news that the Guillermo del Toro-directed Hobbit films will now both adapt the titular book, and not in fact tell two different stories. Shame.

Review: State of Play by Mick LaSalle
(from the San Francisco Chronicle at SFGate)
As a huge fan of the original TV series, I'll be very interested to see if this much-lambasted ending is the same one that had, or some new mistake grafted on the end.

new review at 100 Films

The Kite Runner (2007)

the story seems to be more about its themes than its characters: bravery, cowardice, and the difference between the two; friendship, and the lengths (or not) it will go to; truth and lies, and what underhand things people — especially children — will do to cover up their own shortcomings and failings.

There are currently 15 new films in the review pipeline at 100 Films, not to mention two shorts, two films I've previously seen, and an alternate cut review. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

The Speaker
1x04 Episode 4
The sooner Duncan goes the better, if you ask me.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Magazines

SFX #182
So packed with interesting things that I actually read most of it! Shocking, I know. Amongst the goodness in this Star Trek-bedecked issue there's...

a good interview with Alan Moore, as the new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is out in the next week or two;

a retrospective on Babylon 5 (I wonder if Straczynski still hates SFX?);

a decent feature on Ashes to Ashes series two, complete with hints at series three and an exclusive, amusing comic;

a look back at the acclaimed 1981 BBC radio adaptation of Lord of the Rings, which I keep meaning to listen to;

a fairly large feature on sci-fi-related computer games, which includes The Secret of Monkey Island at a very respectable #6 in a Top 20 count-up, plus a look at worthwhile forthcomers;

a reviews section that means I now have a whole lot more stuff I want toread/watch/hear;

plus a very good news section. I'm not going to go summarising it here, but it took ages to get through so it must've been interesting.

Oh, and some big exclusive feature on that Star Trek thing, if you're interested.

Nursing Council don't care about patients' wellbeing

Shocking and slightly untruthful title got your attention? Good. Now read this:

A nurse who secretly filmed for the BBC to reveal the neglect of elderly patients at a hospital has been struck off for misconduct...

She was struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council which said she failed to "follow her obligations as a nurse". Ms Haywood, a nurse for over 20 years, said she thought she had been treated harshly and had put patients first... The chair of the panel, Linda Read, said Ms Haywood had prioritised the filming, which in the view of the panel "was a major breach of the code of conduct"...

Elizabeth Bloor, the BBC programme's producer, told the hearing there had been "an over-arching public interest" to produce the Undercover Nurse documentary because Panorama had received up to 5,000 complaints about conditions. She also said that questions had been asked in the House of Commons about the issues investigated, and the Royal College of Nursing conducted research into patient dignity on hospital wards in the wake of its broadcast...

The decision was criticised by Joyce Robins, co-director of Patient Concern. She said: "This just demonstrates the priorities of the regulators - rules come before patients every time. The message that goes out to nurses is: however badly you see patients treated, keep your face shut. This makes total nonsense of all the talk about openness and transparency in the NHS. Cover-up is the order of the game."

Ms Haywood's actions were also defended by Gary Fitzgerald, chief executive of Action on Elder Abuse. He said: "We know that we're seeing older people suffering the most appalling care and neglect too often in our care environments. In that context I believe what Margaret Haywood did and what Panorama did was right and proper. She said the public needs to be aware of what exactly's going on in these places, in these wards, we didn't have any other way of telling them and I think that's the point".

Read the full story here.