Collection Count

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

Absolutely nothing to report this week. Oh well. Next week maybe, but it depends on how quickly various places get pre-orders to me...

Number of titles in collection: 1,395 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,141 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 254 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 3,469 [no change]
Number of films in collection: 1,482 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 5,270 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

Joanna Lumley's Greek Odyssey
Episode 3 (of 4)
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Pointless
3x30 (25/10/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
[2nd watch]

Like Wolverine, I haven't watched this since the cinema -- never mind 2½ years ago, that's 5½ years ago!

Consensus has it as ruining the franchise, but I don't think it's that bad. Flawed, certainly, and not as good as the first two, but all things considered it's not that bad. It's easy to lay the blame at the door of director Brett Ratner... and it's probably right, too. Shame Singer went off to make an unsuccessful Superman movie instead.

There's talk now of an X4. This one does a lot of wrapping up while still leaving the door open for more. With a strong story, script and director it would certainly be welcome, but equally a lot of time has passed: as I said, this is 5½ years old already -- how many of the cast would want to return now? And how do you cope with an X-Men film that's lost several of its most famous characters? Could be a chance for second-string heroes to shine...

...or they could just make First Class 2. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Comics

A week & a day late, but my comics from last week are finally here! Hurrah!

All Star Western #2 by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti & Moritat

The first issue of All Star was one of the absolute highlights of The New 52's first month, so I suppose it's not too surprising that #2 doesn't quite reach the same heights. It's not as long as that bumper-length first part, for one thing, meaning there's less room for the story to continue. It's not bad by any means -- there's a great multi-page shoot-out for one thing -- but it's a bit short, and with too many splash pages.

There's also a six-page back-up strip, El Diablo, written by Gray & Palmiotti and drawn by Jordi Bernet. It's very pulpy and a bit trashy, particularly the dialogue, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume this is a style choice.


Batman: The Dark Knight #2 by David Finch & Paul Jenkins

You may remember I thought this was easily the weakest of the New 52 Batman books last issue... and, sadly, this issue does little to change that. It is better -- I don't almost hate it -- but it's kinda uninspiring. It feels like someone trying to build The Ultimate Batman story by roping everyone in (this issue we get cameos from almost all the other Bat-characters currently in the DCU, plus a pile of villains), but by including so much it's a bit unfocused and I just don't care about the central idea. Plus, it essentially recycles #1's cliffhanger -- boo. Finch's art is good, but that's about all I'm really enjoying.

Also, while there was a lot of talk about the effort that's gone into making the costumes match across books etc etc, the writers & artists don't seem to have put much effort into tying things other ways. I'm glad they don't have stories flowing across 4 or 5 or 6 or more different titles, but surely things like the Batmobile should look at least similar? And where do all the stories fit in -- is Batman conducting the four different investigations in his four different books simultaneously? And what about his appearance in dozens of other books?

I guess you're not meant to think about it too much...

Articles

James Bond 23 Is Skyfall by Phil de Semlyen
(from Empire)
In case you missed it, all the details from today's Bond 23 press conference -- well, most: few more bits & bobs here. It all sounds very exciting, though I'm disappointed they won't be continuing the storyline of the Quantum organisation from the previous two films.

TV

The Case
Part 1 (of 5)
New issue-driven daytime drama, about the trial of a man who helped his lover commit suicide -- or did he just kill her?
It's quite good in places -- Dean Andrews' performance as the accused in particular, as well as Ruthie Henshall against type as a bitchy barrister -- but it's also very daytime. The direction, writing, editing, most performances… you just couldn't show it at 9pm on BBC One, it doesn't feel right.
Very good title sequence though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Frozen Planet
Part 1 To the Ends of the Earth
As if you need me to tell you, this is properly incredible.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Perfect Couples
1x08 Perfect Job
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Pointless
3x29 (22/10/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Sofie Grabol spills the secrets on Sarah Lund and The Killing II by David Brown
(from Radio Times)
I wouldn't call it secrets exactly, but here's a little preview before the second series starts on BBC Four soon-ish.

TV

Ask Rhod Gilbert
2x06 Episode 6
The lab bits have always been silly and fairly pointless, but this week's teleporter really takes the biscuit.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson
3x01 Episode 1
I'm always pleasantly surprised to see this back -- for some reason I keep assuming they'll've cancelled it.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Pointless
3x28 (21/10/10 edition)
So, the repeat run just skipped an episode. Why? Not a clue.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

X2 (2003)
[4th or so watch]

The critical consensus at the time, which has been upheld by audiences since, is that while X-Men was very good, X2 trounced it -- look on IMDb now and you'll see X2 still has the highest score of the trilogy (First Class tops it for the franchise though). I wasn't convinced in the cinema and I haven't been convinced re-watching it on DVD -- X2 is very good, but I love X-Men.

I'm not sure if being older (it must be half a decade since I last watched it) or watching Blu-ray made any difference to my appreciation of the film, but it did remind that it's a damn fine movie. Certainly, taken together, I believe the first two X films are among the absolute finest the superhero genre has to offer.

It'll be interesting to see The Last Stand again, hopefully tomorrow: I've always thought it was flawed, but I never hated it with the same vitriol as other fans. Maybe watching it immediately after these, however, I'll have a change of heart.

Articles

Around-the-World Roundup: 'Tintin' Animates Overseas Box Office by Ray Subers
(from Box Office Mojo)

Despite the Guardian campaigning against it for goodness knows what reason, it seems Tintin has been massively popular, especially in France. I ought to make the effort to see it really...

Best. Video. Ever.

The Ballad of Russell & Julie

from the David Tennant-era wrap party

TV

Death in Paradise
1x01 Episode 1
That was really rather good. Nice Agatha Christie vibe, which I don't think you get too often these days. Also, genuinely surprising ending that I didn't see coming in the slightest. Well done, don't see that often/ever.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

Never Mind the Buzzcocks
25x04 Episode 4
Loved the fill-in-the-blank YouTube comment round! More please.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Pointless
3x26 (19/10/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

X-Men (2000)
[5th or so watch]

This was the first film I ever saw twice in the cinema -- I've loved X-Men ever since the early '90s animated series captured my imagination, and this was everything I'd wanted from a long-hoped-for movie version. I don't think it'd be too wrong to credit its success with kicking off the huge popularity of superhero movies that we're still very much living through.

Over a decade on from its original release, I still think the first movie is brilliant, though First Class may've supplanted it as my favourite of the series now. I never loved X2 quite as much as everyone else, so I'm very interested to see what I think tomorrow -- it's been a good few years (five or six) since I watched any of the first trilogy, so re-evaluation is a real possibility.

Comics

Nightwing #2 by Kyle Higgins & Eddy Barrows
The plot thickens... which is always good for a second issue! Glad I followed the reviews to pick this series up, it's a good solid superhero book.

Articles

Jack The Ripper in the 23rd century: 21-plus unexpectedly scary episodes of not-so-scary TV shows by Erik Adams, Meredith Blake, Marah Eakin, Zack Handlen, Will Harris, Noel Murray, Phil Nugent, Sean O'Neal, Carrie Raisler, Tasha Robinson, John Semley, David Sims & Todd VanDerWerff
(from A.V. Club)
That is, to clarify, scary episodes of series that aren't usually scary. Not sure I've even heard of most of them, but interesting nonetheless. Plus, Doctor Who's Blink is in there. (Presumably it's quite a long list because all those writers wanted their say...)

Mark Millar: I want my films to do for Scotland what Lord Of The Rings did for New Zealand by Matt Bendoris
(from The Scottish Sun)
Key point: comic book writer Mark Millar is launching his own production company, aiming to adapt some more of his own comics, largely set in Scotland. Many more details at the link -- it's a surprisingly long and involved article considering it's from The Sun.

TV

Have I Got News For You
42x02 (21/10/11 edition; extended repeat)
The coincidence of which editions Alexander Armstrong has hosted in the past few years is quite incredible.

Pointless
3x25 (18/10/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Spooks
10x06 Episode 6 [series finale]
So here we are -- after 10 years, 86 episodes, and almost every main character dying (seriously, although two of the original three leads escaped alive, almost every other main character has been killed off), Spooks comes to an end. It long ago fell from the heights of its realism-based early years, if you ask me -- anyone remember the whole episode Danny spent mulling over whether it was OK to assassinate someone? They did that kind of thing in a heartbeat in later years -- it remained a decent enough spy thriller/action series to the end.
Indeed, the final episode was one of the best for a while, with a genuinely tense climax -- the benefit of it being the last-ever episode I suppose, in which Anything Can Happen more readily than in a regular episode. Great cameo in the closing moments too, though it's a shame they didn't use him a bit more. I also think it ended on pretty much the right note at the very end. Job well done, Kudos.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
[2nd watch]
Probably the most-derided of the X-Men films, I actually quite liked this. In part, I'd already heard all the dreadful reviews before I went in, so my expectations were probably suitably lowered. I haven't watched it since that first cinema viewing (two-and-a-half years ago, when it was #23 in 100 Films 2009), and seeing it again on Blu-ray I still don't think it's too bad. OK, it has some awful CGI, a miscast Gambit, bastardised Deadpool, and a pile of clichés, but despite that...

Comics

Nightwing #1 by Kyle Higgins & Eddy Barrows
The final addition to my regular reads from DC's New 52, because apparently it's very good -- well, it is -- and apparently is going to be quite closely connected to what's going on in Batman. Don't know about the latter yet, but as one features someone out to kill Bruce Wayne (not Batman) and this features someone out to kill Dick Grayson (not Nightwing), I can see the potential for a link. Mind you, if they're not connected then these writers ought to talk to each other more.

Articles

The Lists: Top 10 scary PG-rated films by Guy Lodge
(from HitFix)
Rather than the regular "greatest horror movie" Halloween list, HitFix instead takes a look at the ten most frightening family 'friendly' movies. And some of them are properly scary too.

Halloween treats from the Ebert Club! by Roger Ebert
(from Roger Ebert's Journal)
That title's completely irrelevant, but still, that's what it's called. Anyway, this is about sweded films -- that's no-budget home-made abridged/parody versions of well-known movies. The term comes from Be Kind Rewind, as I'm sure you'll know if you've seen it (I rather liked it, incidentally), and it's gone on to be quite a big cult -- there's a Swede Fest, for instance, which is what this article is about. There's a very impressive swede of The Avengers trailer there as an example, and you can see just how good it is on the side-by-side comparison.

this week on 100 Films

2 new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...

The Damned (1963)

an interesting film, but one that is perhaps somewhat undercut by its age; a kind of ’60s SF that would probably require a distinctly different approach if you were to attempt to make it today. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it has that kind of disconnect from reality that’s markedly ’60s.

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Many other Disney films have stand-out sequences; things to latch an appreciation on to. The best often have several of these stacked up, in some cases non-stop from start to finish. The Princess and the Frog is missing anything like that, but what it has instead is a very consistent tone, where the musical numbers fit effortlessly into the flow of the story rather than stopping the film for a showpiece.

Plus, as it's Halloween tomorrow, a review of the final Saw film will be available after midnight here.

More next Sunday.