Articles

Affleck 'was Nolan's choice for Superman' by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Ben Affleck as Superman? Really?
No. Nolan wanted him to direct. Yup, really.

Zack Snyder Will Direct Superman by Russ Fischer
(from /Film)
And here's the just-revealed actual choice, apparently. Not who I'd've expected -- he actually has a track record for this kind of film, whereas studios tend to choose initially-surprising directors for their big comic book films (look at the pre-superhero-movie careers of, say, Tim Burton, Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi and Chris Nolan).

TV

Downton Abbey
1x02 Episode Two
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

QI
8x03 Hoaxes (extended repeat)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
[#102 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]

Road to Rio (1947)
[#101 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]

this week on 100 Films

Just 1 new review was posted to 100 Films in a Year this week...

Angels & Demons: Extended Version (2009)

This version is 7½ minutes longer than the theatrical version... There are changes, but most are barely noticeable. While watching I wondered if the violence had been extended (I was right), and there was one line I found particularly funny which I thought I’d've remembered (indeed, it’s new), but other than that if you’d told me this was the cut I watched in cinemas I’d believe you.

I seem to have been too busy watching films to post much about them this week, but there is at least the September update, discussing how I've reached 100. Yay!

More next Sunday. Hopefully.

TV

Merlin
3x04 Gwaine
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Persuaders!
1x21 A Death in the Family
In tribute to Tony Curtis, who sadly passed away a few days ago, I watched the only episode of this series that I have on DVD (part of the ITC 50 collection. And great fun it was too. I think I might buy the whole series.

Films

Angels & Demons: Extended Version (2009)
[#100b in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
You may recall I've seen Angels & Demons before, but this is the Blu-ray extended cut. It's around 8 minutes longer, but I can't say I noticed any of the changes, hence why it doesn't get a new number.

TV

8 Out of 10 Cats
10x05 (24/9/10 edition)
I suppose it's not that good a sign when you watch a comedy show and are surprised by how funny it is. But yes, good edition this (well, last) week, chaps.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Cheetah Kingdom
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

How I Met Your Mother
5x19 Zoo or False
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Law & Order: UK
3x04 Confession
L&O has more than its fair share of clichéd dialogue and general predictability
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Mock the Week
9x10 (30/9/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Tales of the Black Freighter (2009)
[#100a in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Watchmen's comic-within-a-comic becomes a... cartoon-within-a-film... Yeah, I bet it doesn't work as well as the original in context. Standalone, it's OK.

Articles

Bon anniversaire! 25 facts about Les Mis by Tim Masters
(from BBC News)

To mark the Silver Jubilee, here are 25 facts about the world's longest-running musical

Start at the top and work your way down by Roger Ebert
(from Roger Ebert's Journal)
The introduction to Ebert's new book (available on his blog; the introduction, that is, though I'm sure you can order the book there too). He's always worth a read, particularly when he's being evangelical about the wonders of film, but one bit in particular caught my attention -- because it's all truth:

I ruffled some feathers after Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was released... It was so stupid it was almost criminal. Noting that some of its fans considered it one of the greatest films ever made, I suggested perhaps they were not "sufficiently evolved." Oh, did that make people angry. What snobbery! Who did I think I was?

I was indeed a snob, if you agree with this definition: "A person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people." I do believe that. Not superior to all other people, but to some, most probably including those who think Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a great film. That is not simply ego on my part. It is a faith that after writing and teaching about films for more than 40 years, my tastes are more evolved than those of a fanboy... to argue I am a snob for not liking T2RF as much as "everybody does" devalues thought and experience.

Have to agree with Ebert on this one: 'T2RF' was an unentertaining mess (and, note, I really enjoyed the first live-action Transformers film). Personally, I think it's perfectly correct to wonder if those who truly think the second is a great film are sufficiently evolved.

Moore’s Law: Apple, 2000—2010

from Colt + Rane / Singularity Hub

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Absolutely nothing new this week. Which is a shame, because I have several releases out on Monday on pre-order and they're usually here by today. Ho hum.

Number of titles in collection: 1,220 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,105 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 115 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 2,979 [no change]
Number of films in collection: 1,283 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,195 [no change]

Statistic of the week:

Number of titles rated PG:
219
(17.95% of the total)

It's been a little while since I've done a stat on classifications -- the previous ones were Us, 15s, 18s and unrated titles -- so it's as good a time as any to continue. PGs are currently my second-largest group, behind 15s (by quite some way, actually).

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Ask Rhod Gilbert
1x01 Episode 1
Well that was... bizarre...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Story of England
Part 1 Romans to Normans
Or Michael Wood's Story of England, as everywhere except the programme itself calls it. It's an interesting idea -- the whole of English history presented via the microcosm of one (well, three, technically) village -- but I'm not yet convinced of how well it works as a format for genuinely looking at history.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Films

The Hurt Locker (2009)
[#100 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]

Yep, 100! Hurrah!

Now, my previous best was 129...

Music

The Social Network: Five Track Sampler by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Being (a sampler of) the soundtrack to David Fincher's new film. I liked it, though not sure if I liked it enough to buy the whole thing. Though having it in 5.1 on Blu-ray is appealing...
You can download the sampler, or pre-order from a choice of four formats, here. Not sure if the ordering bit is available outside the US, but the sampler is.

Articles

Hearing Voices by Clayton Hickman & Benjamin Cook
(from Doctor Who Magazine #426, p.18-24)
A surprisingly candid interview with Nick Briggs, voice of the Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon and so on in the revived Doctor Who. It seems to suggest that the super-lovely-dovely behind-the-scenes world of nuWho that we're usually presented with isn't quite the truth -- as many have suspected, I'm sure.
As time rolls on we're sure to see more interviews that reveal more of the nasty (or, at lease, less-perfect) truth about what it was like to work on the show -- it certainly happened with the classic series. Personally, I'm quite looking forward to those.

Remembering 7 Quintessential Clips From the Quentin Tarantino/Sally Menke Canon by S.T. Vanairsdale
(from Movie|Line)
Following the sad news of Sally Menke's death, this is the most appropriate way to pay tribute: a selection of the excellent sequences that she should be best remembered for.

TV

Mad Men
4x03 The Good News
Words fail me for how good this was -- particularly Don and Lane's night out, and especially the scene in the cinema. Hilarious.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Articles

Jared Harris to Play Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes 2 by Matt Goldberg
(from Collider)
Following the announcement of Stephen Fry as Mycroft, this is another great bit of casting. Such a notion hadn't occurred to me -- in part because they were bandying around Big Star Names for the role -- but Harris could fit it like a glove. He's an excellent actor, as much as anything. Can't wait.

Virgin Media brings 3D TV to UK living rooms
(from Virgin Media Press Office)
And there's nothing worth watching on it! It looks to be, quite literally, one film a month, and they're all pretty poor. I suppose no one will notice -- hardly anyone has a 3D TV, and I bet those that do have got Sky for their 3D channel.

TV

Law & Order: UK
3x03 Defence
Another strong and thought-provoking episode, though it might be nice to have an uncompromised happy ending sometime, just for once.
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

The Rob Brydon Show
1x02 (24/9/10 edition)
No, I didn't forget to mention episode one, I just missed it because it wasn't put on Virgin's version of iPlayer (I have downloaded it though, so just need to get round to watching it now).
As for this edition... well, I like the programme in general, but it also confirmed that Mark Ronson is still irritating and largely devoid of discernible talent.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Colin Baker: 'I'll never forget Doctor Who' by Justin Harp
(from Digital Spy)

"I've enjoyed immensely watching it [since the revival]. However when I left, the ratings were exactly the same, 5 to 6 million, as they are now... I know the television landscape has changed but it's ironic nonetheless."

Going Up River: Inside Apocalypse Now by Bill Hunt
(from The Digital Bits)
An interview with four of the people involved in the Blu-ray release of Apocalypse Now, which is out in a couple of weeks in the US (not seen a UK date mentioned yet). Page 1 is mainly about the remastering of the feature, while page 2 covers the extras, old & new. Interesting details for those who are interested.

SFX Whedon Special Previews by Dave Golder (from SFX)
Exploring Book’s Backstory
and
Serenity 2 Painful To Think About, Says Joss
and
Ripper
SFX have a Joss Whedon-centric special out this Thursday, and their website is currently littered with previews of it. Here are the three that interested me most: some details on the next Firefly/Serenity graphic novel, which finally explores the mystery of Shepherd Book; Joss' thoughts on a Serenity sequel; and Anthony Head on the proposed British Buffy spin-off, Ripper, and why it still hasn't happened.