Dexter
2x05 The Dark Defender
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
21x07 (3/1/08 edition) [2nd watch]
The Tudors
2x07 Matters of State
Friday, 12 September 2008
Fiction
Double or Die by Charlie Higson
Chapter 17
Trivia time: the events of this chapter are (briefly) referenced in canonical continuation novel Devil May Care.
Chapter 17
Trivia time: the events of this chapter are (briefly) referenced in canonical continuation novel Devil May Care.
Articles
Favreau Talks the Future of Iron Man by Devin Faraci
(from CHUD.com)
Faraci boasts (several times) about his very long interview with Iron Man director Jon Favreau. Handily for those of us only interested in the highlights, he hasn't got round to typing it all up yet, so summarises the best bits. They include:
"Favreau said that he very much wants War Machine in the second film. He said that Rhodey had a smaller than anticipated role in the first movie and that he would like to rectify that."
"The Mandarin is the overarching, behind the scenes villain of Favreau's planned trilogy, but he's very aware of how hard it is to keep a character like that cool. [He] is also 'surrounded by minefields,' specifically the racial aspects and the fact that his powers are arcane in nature."
"Favreau wants to complicate the personal stories in the sequels, not the plot lines. He sort of pointed at The Dark Knight as a movie that had a very complicated plot... To him it's about the characters first and the stories should be simple and fun." (No bad thing -- complex plot-driven stories suit Batman, not so much Downey Jr.'s very light take on Iron Man.)
"Favreau sees his trilogy as almost one long story, comparing it less to the Spider-Man films, which are modular, and more to The Lord of the Rings or even a season of a TV show." Aiming high indeed!
Ray Winstone Joins Edge Of Darkness by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire Online)
Ray Winstone replacing Robert De Niro? Well that's just odd.
Viva Che (Just When It Seemed Dead)
(from Studio Briefing)
"Nearly four months after it was screened at the Cannes Festival to widespread critical acclaim and a best-actor award for its star, Steven Soderbergh's Che has finally landed a distributor... Soderbergh indicated that it was still uncertain whether the film will be released in two parts or as one four-and-a-half hour feature. (At Cannes, it was shown both ways, and Soderbergh had indicated he would like it to be shown that way upon its release, allowing ticket buyers to decide for themselves whether they wish to see it in two installments or in one.)" That'll be fun for IMDb to list, then -- though they must've made a similar decision for Grindhouse at some point, so I guess there's a precedent. That said, in Grindhouse's case the double-feature versions are notably different to the individual releases; if Che is just The Argentine and Guerrilla stuck together, it might be a different matter. Currently they just list them both separately, so what would they do if it was only released as a single feature, eh? Ah the things I think about...
(from CHUD.com)
Faraci boasts (several times) about his very long interview with Iron Man director Jon Favreau. Handily for those of us only interested in the highlights, he hasn't got round to typing it all up yet, so summarises the best bits. They include:
Ray Winstone Joins Edge Of Darkness by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire Online)
Ray Winstone replacing Robert De Niro? Well that's just odd.
Viva Che (Just When It Seemed Dead)
(from Studio Briefing)
"Nearly four months after it was screened at the Cannes Festival to widespread critical acclaim and a best-actor award for its star, Steven Soderbergh's Che has finally landed a distributor... Soderbergh indicated that it was still uncertain whether the film will be released in two parts or as one four-and-a-half hour feature. (At Cannes, it was shown both ways, and Soderbergh had indicated he would like it to be shown that way upon its release, allowing ticket buyers to decide for themselves whether they wish to see it in two installments or in one.)" That'll be fun for IMDb to list, then -- though they must've made a similar decision for Grindhouse at some point, so I guess there's a precedent. That said, in Grindhouse's case the double-feature versions are notably different to the individual releases; if Che is just The Argentine and Guerrilla stuck together, it might be a different matter. Currently they just list them both separately, so what would they do if it was only released as a single feature, eh? Ah the things I think about...
Thursday, 11 September 2008
TV
8 Out of 10 Cats
7x02 (11/9/08 edition)
Dexter
2x04 See-Through
Mock the Week
6x10 (11/9/08 edition)
If only some Americans could see our satire, as opposed to their own pathetically weak attempts at it, they might sensibly rethink who they were voting for. Though if they knew it was satire by Foreigners it would probably just encourage them.
7x02 (11/9/08 edition)
Dexter
2x04 See-Through
Mock the Week
6x10 (11/9/08 edition)
If only some Americans could see our satire, as opposed to their own pathetically weak attempts at it, they might sensibly rethink who they were voting for. Though if they knew it was satire by Foreigners it would probably just encourage them.
Fiction
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth by Grant Morrison & Dave McKean
Arkham Asylum is one of the most acclaimed Batman books ever written -- for one example, it came 4th on IGN's 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels -- and, as the blurb on the 15th anniversary edition proudly proclaims, is still "the most successful graphic novel of all time" (I took that to mean best-selling, but upon re-reading it's obviously completely vague). It's certainly unlike any other Batman book you will ever see; in fact, it's hard to believe something so unusual was ever released by a mainstream publisher; even more so that they allowed it to be about one of their most popular creations. It's very dark, very bleak, very dense, and, despite its wide-spread high acclaim, is surely an acquired taste.
The 15th anniversary edition (it seems like this was only recently released still, but Arkham will be 20 next year!) includes Morrison's complete original script, plus new annotations. It's hard to believe people got by a decade and a half without this, as his comments in the original script explain so much, and his new notes flesh out many bits further. I haven't read it through in full yet, but did refer to it on multiple occasions while reading the graphic novel, and will unquestionably be reading it properly at some point.
Double or Die by Charlie Higson
Chapter 16
Arkham Asylum is one of the most acclaimed Batman books ever written -- for one example, it came 4th on IGN's 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels -- and, as the blurb on the 15th anniversary edition proudly proclaims, is still "the most successful graphic novel of all time" (I took that to mean best-selling, but upon re-reading it's obviously completely vague). It's certainly unlike any other Batman book you will ever see; in fact, it's hard to believe something so unusual was ever released by a mainstream publisher; even more so that they allowed it to be about one of their most popular creations. It's very dark, very bleak, very dense, and, despite its wide-spread high acclaim, is surely an acquired taste.
The 15th anniversary edition (it seems like this was only recently released still, but Arkham will be 20 next year!) includes Morrison's complete original script, plus new annotations. It's hard to believe people got by a decade and a half without this, as his comments in the original script explain so much, and his new notes flesh out many bits further. I haven't read it through in full yet, but did refer to it on multiple occasions while reading the graphic novel, and will unquestionably be reading it properly at some point.
Double or Die by Charlie Higson
Chapter 16
Articles
The Dark Knight Set For Re-Release by Glen Ferris
(from Empire Online)
"Warner Bros. is... planning to re-release the comic-book epic in IMAX cinemas in January, the height of Academy Awards voting season. The move will fuel speculation that the studio hopes to win a posthumous gong for Heath Ledger, as well as attempting to grab all the other big prizes." Hey, if Titanic of all things can take ludicrous amounts of money and win all the Oscars, why can't The Dark Knight?
Paul McGann back as Dr Who by Jen Blackburn
(from The Sun)
I hope to God it's true, but I won't believe it til I see it confirmed somewhere official-like, considering the reliability of The Sun. That said, in the past they've got a surprising number of things right about Who... but they've also been known to print fan speculation from forums as facts and/or 'insider info', and this sounds exactly like that. But in case it isn't, the rumours go as follows: McGann "is expected to begin filming in October or November for one of four feature-length specials to be shown instead of a series in 2009. Flashback scenes will see him battered from the Time War and shorn of the long hair he had in the film. An insider said: “Fans loved Paul's Doctor and feel he was never given the proper chance to shine. Reference is often made to the Time War which wiped out the Time Lords and this will give them a taste of that.”... David Tennant will also appear." Fingers firmly crossed!
Tennant: I'll be movie Doctor by Sara Nathan
(from The Sun)
More from The Sun: "we can now reveal that the star has agreed to make a full fifth series [of Doctor Who] in 2010 if the big screen role can be tagged on to the deal." Considering the source, it's worth taking this with a pinch of salt. Actually, make that a handful. Actually, make that a bucket.
(An amusing postscript: The Sun's confusion over previous Who movies. "Two previous big-screen versions of Dr Who have been made, starring Peter Cushing in 1965 and Paul McGann in 1996." The facts, of course, are that there were two Cushing cinema releases (1965 & 1966) and the McGann effort was just a TV movie.)
Young Bond Loses His Innocence (non-spoiler version) by John Cox
(from The Young Bond Dossier)
Review of the fifth Young Bond novel, By Royal Command. Cox concludes the novel is "a picture perfect landing, touching down cleanly and evenly on every aspect of James Bond’s past and future life... a surprisingly profound and introspective chapter that takes a leap in quality and maturity from all that has come before." The rest of the review merits reading too, and if you want a spoiler-filled version can be read here.
(from Empire Online)
"Warner Bros. is... planning to re-release the comic-book epic in IMAX cinemas in January, the height of Academy Awards voting season. The move will fuel speculation that the studio hopes to win a posthumous gong for Heath Ledger, as well as attempting to grab all the other big prizes." Hey, if Titanic of all things can take ludicrous amounts of money and win all the Oscars, why can't The Dark Knight?
Paul McGann back as Dr Who by Jen Blackburn
(from The Sun)
I hope to God it's true, but I won't believe it til I see it confirmed somewhere official-like, considering the reliability of The Sun. That said, in the past they've got a surprising number of things right about Who... but they've also been known to print fan speculation from forums as facts and/or 'insider info', and this sounds exactly like that. But in case it isn't, the rumours go as follows: McGann "is expected to begin filming in October or November for one of four feature-length specials to be shown instead of a series in 2009. Flashback scenes will see him battered from the Time War and shorn of the long hair he had in the film. An insider said: “Fans loved Paul's Doctor and feel he was never given the proper chance to shine. Reference is often made to the Time War which wiped out the Time Lords and this will give them a taste of that.”... David Tennant will also appear." Fingers firmly crossed!
Tennant: I'll be movie Doctor by Sara Nathan
(from The Sun)
More from The Sun: "we can now reveal that the star has agreed to make a full fifth series [of Doctor Who] in 2010 if the big screen role can be tagged on to the deal." Considering the source, it's worth taking this with a pinch of salt. Actually, make that a handful. Actually, make that a bucket.
(An amusing postscript: The Sun's confusion over previous Who movies. "Two previous big-screen versions of Dr Who have been made, starring Peter Cushing in 1965 and Paul McGann in 1996." The facts, of course, are that there were two Cushing cinema releases (1965 & 1966) and the McGann effort was just a TV movie.)
Young Bond Loses His Innocence (non-spoiler version) by John Cox
(from The Young Bond Dossier)
Review of the fifth Young Bond novel, By Royal Command. Cox concludes the novel is "a picture perfect landing, touching down cleanly and evenly on every aspect of James Bond’s past and future life... a surprisingly profound and introspective chapter that takes a leap in quality and maturity from all that has come before." The rest of the review merits reading too, and if you want a spoiler-filled version can be read here.
Music
C-lebrity (song) by Queen + Paul Rodgers
Not their best work, if I'm honest, but it's a good concept and I wager it'll grow on me. Nonetheless, I still can't wait for the album. Though it's not been dispatched by HMV yet...
Not their best work, if I'm honest, but it's a good concept and I wager it'll grow on me. Nonetheless, I still can't wait for the album. Though it's not been dispatched by HMV yet...
Torchwood on the radio
As some/all readers will surely be aware, yesterday BBC Radio 4 broadcast an exclusive 45-minute full-cast Torchwood audio drama, tied in to all that fuss about "Big Bang Day" (y'know, the CERN thing).
Anyway, the drama -- which I've yet to listen to, typically -- will be released on CD next week (with a bonus feature thingy; Play.com are cheapest), but if you're snappy you can download an MP3 of it free and, importantly, legally, from Radio 4's website. Here's the Torchwood Big Bang Day page, here's a relatively similar page on the Torchwood official site, and here's the file itself.
Anyway, the drama -- which I've yet to listen to, typically -- will be released on CD next week (with a bonus feature thingy; Play.com are cheapest), but if you're snappy you can download an MP3 of it free and, importantly, legally, from Radio 4's website. Here's the Torchwood Big Bang Day page, here's a relatively similar page on the Torchwood official site, and here's the file itself.
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Films
Casino Royale Collector's Edition DVD & Blu-ray Trailer
Finally getting the release it deserved first time round, here's a trail for the great-looking three-disc re-release of Casino Royale (Collector's Edition in the States, Deluxe Edition over here, I believe). Time to flog my 2-disc on eBay, methinks.
Ghost Town Trailer
After a surprisingly long wait, it's The Ricky Gervais Movie. Except it isn't -- that'd be This Side of the Truth, which is completed but not due til sometime in '09 -- but he does star in this one. And he plays the same character he played in The Office, Extras, cameo-size parts in films, his stand-up gigs, and on every chat show interview he's ever done. He can be a very funny guy, but this repetition is as bad as the overuse of catchphrases that he derides so much. Still, the film looks quite funny.
Fast & Furious Teaser Trailer
The third (can you believe it?) sequel to The Fast & the Furious, with a title so different I'm sure it won't cause confusion for anyone. With Vin Diesel (and a couple of others) finally returning to the franchise, and Paul Walker back having skipped a film, I won't be surprised if your average brain dead boy racer -- the film's primary market, surely -- thinks this is a pointless re-release and returns to their DVD of the original. That said, this first trailer -- mostly consisting of one action sequence and little plot detail -- makes it look like it could be as surprisingly entertaining as the first, though hopefully with less reliance on CGI.
Knowing Trailer
An interesting premise, but similar films recently have turned out to be pretty crappy so it's best not to be too hopeful.
Quantum of Solace Trailer [2nd watch]
Following the excellent teaser -- and, of course, the huge level of hype -- this had a lot to live up to. It's a slightly unusual trailer, with minimal use of the iconic Bond theme (it's really in need of it properly at the end) and an odd pace (a slightly lacklustre 'big final montage', for one thing), but it still delivers because everything looks great. Not exactly an exciting trailer in its own right, then, but the movie it promises looks bloody fantastic. Only seven weeks til the UK release!
Sukiyaki Western Django Trailer
Spaghetti Western (or should that be something like 'Sushi Western'?) from "famed Japanese auteur" Takashi Miike. It's hard to tell if it's going to be trashy & cool or just trashy. Whether they were or not, the bits featuring Tarantino look cheaply tacked on for a Western audience.
Finally getting the release it deserved first time round, here's a trail for the great-looking three-disc re-release of Casino Royale (Collector's Edition in the States, Deluxe Edition over here, I believe). Time to flog my 2-disc on eBay, methinks.
Ghost Town Trailer
After a surprisingly long wait, it's The Ricky Gervais Movie. Except it isn't -- that'd be This Side of the Truth, which is completed but not due til sometime in '09 -- but he does star in this one. And he plays the same character he played in The Office, Extras, cameo-size parts in films, his stand-up gigs, and on every chat show interview he's ever done. He can be a very funny guy, but this repetition is as bad as the overuse of catchphrases that he derides so much. Still, the film looks quite funny.
Fast & Furious Teaser Trailer
The third (can you believe it?) sequel to The Fast & the Furious, with a title so different I'm sure it won't cause confusion for anyone. With Vin Diesel (and a couple of others) finally returning to the franchise, and Paul Walker back having skipped a film, I won't be surprised if your average brain dead boy racer -- the film's primary market, surely -- thinks this is a pointless re-release and returns to their DVD of the original. That said, this first trailer -- mostly consisting of one action sequence and little plot detail -- makes it look like it could be as surprisingly entertaining as the first, though hopefully with less reliance on CGI.
Knowing Trailer
An interesting premise, but similar films recently have turned out to be pretty crappy so it's best not to be too hopeful.
Quantum of Solace Trailer [2nd watch]
Following the excellent teaser -- and, of course, the huge level of hype -- this had a lot to live up to. It's a slightly unusual trailer, with minimal use of the iconic Bond theme (it's really in need of it properly at the end) and an odd pace (a slightly lacklustre 'big final montage', for one thing), but it still delivers because everything looks great. Not exactly an exciting trailer in its own right, then, but the movie it promises looks bloody fantastic. Only seven weeks til the UK release!
Sukiyaki Western Django Trailer
Spaghetti Western (or should that be something like 'Sushi Western'?) from "famed Japanese auteur" Takashi Miike. It's hard to tell if it's going to be trashy & cool or just trashy. Whether they were or not, the bits featuring Tarantino look cheaply tacked on for a Western audience.
Articles
Attenborough: "ET Better Than Gandhi" by Dave Golder
(from SFX)
Sir Richard Attenborough, director of acclaimed Oscar-winning movie Gandhi, has said that "his film was honoured partly for its subject matter and that Spielberg's ET was a better movie, cinematically speaking." Bless dear old Dickie. (While I first came across this courtesy of SFX, it's spread wider, including BBC News and IMDb's Daily Poll (permalink for results of the latter).)
More Marvel Films From Fox? by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire Online)
Good news all round, if you ask me. "X-Men Origins: X-Men Mates: Deadpool" -- yep, best title ever. Though, if I'm honest, more Daredevil pleases me more -- I actually really liked the first one; still not seen the director's cut though... Is a reboot a good idea? Well, while I wouldn't mind it being a sequel, there's never any harm in getting rid of Ben Affleck, and as the original hardly captured the public's imagination few will notice if it's just ignored. As for what rebooting can do for quality... the same concept didn't work for The Incredible Hulk at the box office, but it certainly made for a much better film. But Casino Royale and Batman Begins were also reboots, and look what happened there.
Also check out the news about Queen's new album. Yay!
(from SFX)
Sir Richard Attenborough, director of acclaimed Oscar-winning movie Gandhi, has said that "his film was honoured partly for its subject matter and that Spielberg's ET was a better movie, cinematically speaking." Bless dear old Dickie. (While I first came across this courtesy of SFX, it's spread wider, including BBC News and IMDb's Daily Poll (permalink for results of the latter).)
More Marvel Films From Fox? by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire Online)
Good news all round, if you ask me. "X-Men Origins: X-Men Mates: Deadpool" -- yep, best title ever. Though, if I'm honest, more Daredevil pleases me more -- I actually really liked the first one; still not seen the director's cut though... Is a reboot a good idea? Well, while I wouldn't mind it being a sequel, there's never any harm in getting rid of Ben Affleck, and as the original hardly captured the public's imagination few will notice if it's just ignored. As for what rebooting can do for quality... the same concept didn't work for The Incredible Hulk at the box office, but it certainly made for a much better film. But Casino Royale and Batman Begins were also reboots, and look what happened there.
Also check out the news about Queen's new album. Yay!
Queen are back!
Somehow I mostly missed this til today, but Queen's first new studio album for 13 years -- entitled The Cosmos Rocks -- is out next Monday! Yay! I'm thoroughly over-excited, so here's a few bits & bobs about it:
Classic Rock Magazine's review is rather positive, which is obviously a good sign. "The Cosmos Rocks, while characterised by having Rodgers's raw blues in place of Freddie's flamboyance, is undisputedly the work of Queen. Not only can The Cosmos Rocks sit proudly in the Queen canon, it can also do the same alongside Rodgers's work with Free and Bad Company... Overall The Cosmos Rocks has more than enough power to take your breath away. Freddie's legacy is in safe hands."
Freddie's legacy
The lack of Freddie Mercury is understandably something that has concerned many, often leaving uninformed commentators to suggest he'd be spinning in his grave. Really? These comments from the order page for the "Exclusive Queen Online Tour Edition" of the album suggest otherwise:
"Rodgers... can stand assured in the fact that Mercury always rated him as one of the best rock voices of his time. It is public record that Mercury would make a point of dropping into the Marquee or any number of other London venues when Rodgers was performing with his band Free. Mercury often in his past acknowledged Free's Fire and Water as one of the albums to most influence Queen."
So ner to all those Rodgers haters. That page also has these promising snippets of info to impart:
"The first thing you notice... is "all tracks written by Queen and Paul Rodgers"..."produced and performed by Brian May, Paul Rodgers and Roger Taylor" (indicating that between them they played all instruments, including bass - Paul and Brian swapping duties - in case you were going to ask). This is obviously not a case of Rodgers lightly stepping in to fill a vocal gap, as some might have been drawn to assume would be the case when the three of them got into the studio together." (Another ner!)
Old style
"There's a lot of guitar orchestras and some of our old trademarks, but at the core of it you'll hear the three of us playing. People really, truly playing together in the studio - you don't get that much these days. But, you will get it on their new album. Do they still call them 'albums'? I don't even know. But this is really, we believe, an Album in the old sense of the word - something you can put on and listen to all the way through, and it takes you on a journey... the subjects and moods in it are widely spaced - but nevertheless, a challenge to the listener to put his day on hold for an hour or so, be drawn in, make connections, and experience something new."
"These days it has seemed to us that few people have this in mind - CD's by large tend to be a collection of songs, often produced by different teams, assembled in random sequence - with the idea that folks will shuffle the order on their iPods anyway. Of course you always have that option! But our teachers were the Beatles, Hendrix, blues + soul and... you know where we’re going with this."
"'Albums' in the old sense" are certainly preferable to a mere collection of songs as far as I'm concerned, so bring it on.
Buy buy buy
Of course, Queen have pleasingly embraced new technology in other, more fan-friendly ways. As well as being available as a, y'know, CD, the new album can also be had in a CD & DVD edition (featuring a full 15-track live gig on the DVD!), a digital download, and that Queen Online exclusive version, with slipcase and poster. There's even a vinyl version, just to fill out the spread. On top of that there's the Album Club that you can join for £2. For your money, you get three live tracks from the 2008 European Tour; first listen to tracks from The Cosmos Rocks; automatic entry into 12 prize draws to win exclusive prizes; exclusive video and pictures galleries; opportunity to purchase an exclusive ‘Album Club’ T-shirt; an exclusive album club forum; plus the latest tour news, set lists and reviews. Considering three tracks on iTunes would set you back £2.37 anyway, it's not bad really. (Those lucky enough to have joined before 8th September get 15 free tracks, the gits. Look out for them on Torrent sites, then.)
Anyway, that'll do for now. The countdown to release begins now... HMV better get my copy to me for Monday! (Hey, sometimes they get stuff to me the Saturday before release -- fingers crossed!)
Classic Rock Magazine's review is rather positive, which is obviously a good sign. "The Cosmos Rocks, while characterised by having Rodgers's raw blues in place of Freddie's flamboyance, is undisputedly the work of Queen. Not only can The Cosmos Rocks sit proudly in the Queen canon, it can also do the same alongside Rodgers's work with Free and Bad Company... Overall The Cosmos Rocks has more than enough power to take your breath away. Freddie's legacy is in safe hands."
Freddie's legacy
The lack of Freddie Mercury is understandably something that has concerned many, often leaving uninformed commentators to suggest he'd be spinning in his grave. Really? These comments from the order page for the "Exclusive Queen Online Tour Edition" of the album suggest otherwise:
"Rodgers... can stand assured in the fact that Mercury always rated him as one of the best rock voices of his time. It is public record that Mercury would make a point of dropping into the Marquee or any number of other London venues when Rodgers was performing with his band Free. Mercury often in his past acknowledged Free's Fire and Water as one of the albums to most influence Queen."
So ner to all those Rodgers haters. That page also has these promising snippets of info to impart:
"The first thing you notice... is "all tracks written by Queen and Paul Rodgers"..."produced and performed by Brian May, Paul Rodgers and Roger Taylor" (indicating that between them they played all instruments, including bass - Paul and Brian swapping duties - in case you were going to ask). This is obviously not a case of Rodgers lightly stepping in to fill a vocal gap, as some might have been drawn to assume would be the case when the three of them got into the studio together." (Another ner!)
Old style
"There's a lot of guitar orchestras and some of our old trademarks, but at the core of it you'll hear the three of us playing. People really, truly playing together in the studio - you don't get that much these days. But, you will get it on their new album. Do they still call them 'albums'? I don't even know. But this is really, we believe, an Album in the old sense of the word - something you can put on and listen to all the way through, and it takes you on a journey... the subjects and moods in it are widely spaced - but nevertheless, a challenge to the listener to put his day on hold for an hour or so, be drawn in, make connections, and experience something new."
"These days it has seemed to us that few people have this in mind - CD's by large tend to be a collection of songs, often produced by different teams, assembled in random sequence - with the idea that folks will shuffle the order on their iPods anyway. Of course you always have that option! But our teachers were the Beatles, Hendrix, blues + soul and... you know where we’re going with this."
"'Albums' in the old sense" are certainly preferable to a mere collection of songs as far as I'm concerned, so bring it on.
Buy buy buy
Of course, Queen have pleasingly embraced new technology in other, more fan-friendly ways. As well as being available as a, y'know, CD, the new album can also be had in a CD & DVD edition (featuring a full 15-track live gig on the DVD!), a digital download, and that Queen Online exclusive version, with slipcase and poster. There's even a vinyl version, just to fill out the spread. On top of that there's the Album Club that you can join for £2. For your money, you get three live tracks from the 2008 European Tour; first listen to tracks from The Cosmos Rocks; automatic entry into 12 prize draws to win exclusive prizes; exclusive video and pictures galleries; opportunity to purchase an exclusive ‘Album Club’ T-shirt; an exclusive album club forum; plus the latest tour news, set lists and reviews. Considering three tracks on iTunes would set you back £2.37 anyway, it's not bad really. (Those lucky enough to have joined before 8th September get 15 free tracks, the gits. Look out for them on Torrent sites, then.)
Anyway, that'll do for now. The countdown to release begins now... HMV better get my copy to me for Monday! (Hey, sometimes they get stuff to me the Saturday before release -- fingers crossed!)
100 Films makes Top 10!
I just wanted to briefly boast that my other, film-centric blog, 100 Films in a Year, has made it into the list of Top 10 Journals at its host site, FilmJournal.net.
I'd also like to point out that the list is determined by reader/member votes on blogs, not hits or what have you, so is an assessment of quality rather than just counting the number of people who've somehow found my site via a search engine.
A minor achievement, perhaps, but it still feels good.
Reviews Update
While I'm at it, the last time I posted an update on reviews from 100 Films was way back on 26th June, so here's a round-up of what reviews I've posted since then:
Brideshead Revisited (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience (2008)
The Golden Compass (2007)
Hairspray (2007)
Hamlet (1996)
The Happening (2008)
Hard Boiled (1992)
I Am Legend: Alternate Theatrical Version (2007/2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
Presto (2008)
Superhero Movie (2008)
WALL-E (2008)
Wanted (2008)
As always, there's more to come in the future.
I'd also like to point out that the list is determined by reader/member votes on blogs, not hits or what have you, so is an assessment of quality rather than just counting the number of people who've somehow found my site via a search engine.
A minor achievement, perhaps, but it still feels good.
Reviews Update
While I'm at it, the last time I posted an update on reviews from 100 Films was way back on 26th June, so here's a round-up of what reviews I've posted since then:
Brideshead Revisited (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience (2008)
The Golden Compass (2007)
Hairspray (2007)
Hamlet (1996)
The Happening (2008)
Hard Boiled (1992)
I Am Legend: Alternate Theatrical Version (2007/2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
Presto (2008)
Superhero Movie (2008)
WALL-E (2008)
Wanted (2008)
As always, there's more to come in the future.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
TV
Dragons' Den
6x08 (8/9/08 edition) [season finale]
At some point, I watched 6x07 and seem to have completely forgotten to mention it. Oops.
Gilmore Girls
5x05 We Got Us a Pippi Virgin
The National Movie Awards 2008
A surprisingly good celebration of all that's popular in film. Despite a spectacularly weak opening monologue, James Nesbitt developed into a funny and enjoyable host. Though I do rather feel that, as they're British, they should be "Film Awards". Still, Quantum of Solace trailer! Yay! It was a slightly odd one, I thought, but still brilliantly exciting. (As of the end of this programme, the trailer is available online here, including HD options.)
6x08 (8/9/08 edition) [season finale]
At some point, I watched 6x07 and seem to have completely forgotten to mention it. Oops.
Gilmore Girls
5x05 We Got Us a Pippi Virgin
The National Movie Awards 2008
A surprisingly good celebration of all that's popular in film. Despite a spectacularly weak opening monologue, James Nesbitt developed into a funny and enjoyable host. Though I do rather feel that, as they're British, they should be "Film Awards". Still, Quantum of Solace trailer! Yay! It was a slightly odd one, I thought, but still brilliantly exciting. (As of the end of this programme, the trailer is available online here, including HD options.)
Articles
24 Boss Orders Seventh Season Rewrites
(from WENN)
It's good to see they're making a concerted effort to up the quality, after a couple of decidedly poor seasons.
Favorite live-action musical of the 00's (so far)? (poll results)
(from IMDb)
I vote in IMDb's Daily Poll most days, though don't usually mention them. Yesterday's earns one though, due to the extraordinary closeness of the top two: Moulin Rouge edges into first with just 7 more votes than Sweeney Todd. When the total number of votes is 21,523, that's a tiny margin -- 0.03%, in fact. I was one of the 2,735 people who preferred Baz Luhrmann's colourful explosion of joy and sorrow, a film packed with light and shade... whereas Sweeney, while good, was all just shades of grey -- literally.
Knightley Finished With Pirates
(from WENN)
Definitely no more Pirates, or just no more Pirates with Keira? The latter seems more likely.
We Cast Potential Spider-Man 4 Villians
(from Empire Online)
With Spider-Man 4 and 5 seemingly confirmed, Empire has a go at predicting which villain(s) might turn up and who might play them. (Note that they misspelt "villains" in the article's title... and then in the article itself too! Ho ho ho!)
Also check out some bits & bobs about this weekend at the US box office.
(from WENN)
It's good to see they're making a concerted effort to up the quality, after a couple of decidedly poor seasons.
Favorite live-action musical of the 00's (so far)? (poll results)
(from IMDb)
I vote in IMDb's Daily Poll most days, though don't usually mention them. Yesterday's earns one though, due to the extraordinary closeness of the top two: Moulin Rouge edges into first with just 7 more votes than Sweeney Todd. When the total number of votes is 21,523, that's a tiny margin -- 0.03%, in fact. I was one of the 2,735 people who preferred Baz Luhrmann's colourful explosion of joy and sorrow, a film packed with light and shade... whereas Sweeney, while good, was all just shades of grey -- literally.
Knightley Finished With Pirates
(from WENN)
Definitely no more Pirates, or just no more Pirates with Keira? The latter seems more likely.
We Cast Potential Spider-Man 4 Villians
(from Empire Online)
With Spider-Man 4 and 5 seemingly confirmed, Empire has a go at predicting which villain(s) might turn up and who might play them. (Note that they misspelt "villains" in the article's title... and then in the article itself too! Ho ho ho!)
Also check out some bits & bobs about this weekend at the US box office.
Dubya
Empire have a gallery of rather nifty posters for W., Oliver Stone's premature George W. Bush biopic. Most of the posters are amusingly similar (in a good way), so I thought I'd share my three favourites with you. (Click on any to enlarge.)
This is the best one. Brolin looks the most like Bush that I've seen to date here, allowing it to convey exactly what the film's about (W.'s a rather mysterious title, after all), while his looking to the sky conveys a mixture of carefree idiocy and "please help me God", something I'm sure Bush must've thought often.
Again conveying Bush's carefree -- or care-less -- attitude, especially with his boots on the desk like that. He looks too dreamy though, as if he's just come up with some grand plan that will save everything, and only he, with his reckless irreverence, can pull it off. Which is obviously not the case. Not a particularly close second favourite, then -- the top one's far better.
Though there's alway this one...
Monkey see monkey do!
On second thought, that's a lot better than the second. While those are my favourites, the very fact there are six so similar posters works brilliantly -- one hopes cinemas will choose to display all/several of them, in the way they do with different character posters for major releases, rather than just choosing their favourite.
This is the best one. Brolin looks the most like Bush that I've seen to date here, allowing it to convey exactly what the film's about (W.'s a rather mysterious title, after all), while his looking to the sky conveys a mixture of carefree idiocy and "please help me God", something I'm sure Bush must've thought often.
Again conveying Bush's carefree -- or care-less -- attitude, especially with his boots on the desk like that. He looks too dreamy though, as if he's just come up with some grand plan that will save everything, and only he, with his reckless irreverence, can pull it off. Which is obviously not the case. Not a particularly close second favourite, then -- the top one's far better.
Though there's alway this one...
Monkey see monkey do!
On second thought, that's a lot better than the second. While those are my favourites, the very fact there are six so similar posters works brilliantly -- one hopes cinemas will choose to display all/several of them, in the way they do with different character posters for major releases, rather than just choosing their favourite.
This weekend at the US box office
A couple of bits about the past weekend's box office in the US...
Box Office: The Winner Tanks
(from Studio Briefing)
"Although it opened in first-place at the box-office, the Nicolas Cage thriller Bangkok Dangerous was considered an unmitigated flop this weekend as it drew just $7.8 million... This was not a pretty weekend at the box office." Nope, it was a thoroughly shocking one. Total ticket sales were just $51.6 million, "the smallest number of tickets sold in at least five years".
And the reason why?
Movie Reviews: Bangkok Dangerous
(from Studio Briefing)
...And here's the primary reason why, as the critics pan the only new release. And I thought the trailer looked quite good. Oh well.
Additionally, the all-conquering Dark Knight is still sitting pretty in 3rd, taking a further $5.52m -- increasingly thanks to IMAX screenings. It was originally announced as coming 4th this weekend, but actual figures (as opposed to the estimates they publish on Sunday, which are almost always correct about positions) show it beat The House Bunny by $0.01m.
Box Office: The Winner Tanks
(from Studio Briefing)
"Although it opened in first-place at the box-office, the Nicolas Cage thriller Bangkok Dangerous was considered an unmitigated flop this weekend as it drew just $7.8 million... This was not a pretty weekend at the box office." Nope, it was a thoroughly shocking one. Total ticket sales were just $51.6 million, "the smallest number of tickets sold in at least five years".
And the reason why?
Movie Reviews: Bangkok Dangerous
(from Studio Briefing)
...And here's the primary reason why, as the critics pan the only new release. And I thought the trailer looked quite good. Oh well.
Additionally, the all-conquering Dark Knight is still sitting pretty in 3rd, taking a further $5.52m -- increasingly thanks to IMAX screenings. It was originally announced as coming 4th this weekend, but actual figures (as opposed to the estimates they publish on Sunday, which are almost always correct about positions) show it beat The House Bunny by $0.01m.
Monday, 8 September 2008
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