Big Cat Live
1x04 (8/10/08 edition)
Heroes
3x02 The Butterfly Effect
Heroes Unmasked
3x02 New Heroes on the Block
The Sandbaggers
1x01 First Principles
See here for my thoughts on this episode.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Fiction
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller & Lynn Varley
Top Cop Pops by Vicki Vale
Book One
Frank Miller is a helluva writer, but his opaque introductions (which that Vicki Vale thing is one of, believe it or not) leave something to be desired in my opinion.
Anyhow, this is the follow up to Miller's truly seminal Dark Knight Returns, probably the best Batman book ever written -- so no pressure following it up 15 years later then! It was largely poorly reviewed on release, and I can see why -- Miller's art is too sparse, coming across as rushed more than intentionally sketchy; the large amount of dead space (often only two or three panels on a page, undetailed splash pages for no reason) smacks of padding, especially as the story feels rather slight; plus, despite the room and apparent simplicity, it can be damn hard to follow at times.
It's not all bad -- the basics of the story are a decent idea, and do follow thematically from DKR plus, Superman gets thoroughly smashed at the end of Book One. That's something I always like to see.
Top Cop Pops by Vicki Vale
Book One
Frank Miller is a helluva writer, but his opaque introductions (which that Vicki Vale thing is one of, believe it or not) leave something to be desired in my opinion.
Anyhow, this is the follow up to Miller's truly seminal Dark Knight Returns, probably the best Batman book ever written -- so no pressure following it up 15 years later then! It was largely poorly reviewed on release, and I can see why -- Miller's art is too sparse, coming across as rushed more than intentionally sketchy; the large amount of dead space (often only two or three panels on a page, undetailed splash pages for no reason) smacks of padding, especially as the story feels rather slight; plus, despite the room and apparent simplicity, it can be damn hard to follow at times.
It's not all bad -- the basics of the story are a decent idea, and do follow thematically from DKR plus, Superman gets thoroughly smashed at the end of Book One. That's something I always like to see.
Articles
The Dark Knight Screenwriter David Goyer On Batman 3 Rumors: ‘It’s All B.S.’ by Shawn Adler
(from MTV Splash Page)
"“It’s all B.S.,” he said. “ALL of it.”" Sums it up!
Exclusive: Watchmen Video Journal
(from Sci Fi Wire)
"The video, Blue Monday, offers a look behind the scenes at how director Zack Snyder and his team brought the indestructible Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) to life." Includes some previously-unseen clips from the film. I really ought to watch the rest of these video journals...
M. Night Shyamalan Further Ponders Unbreakable Sequel by Rick Marshall
(from MTV Splash Page)
Please please please please please!
Review of The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Jason Sanford
(from Flak Magazine)
"then the public actually read DK2. Reviewers called Miller's minimalist artwork "hastily drawn." Lynn Varley's super-bright digital colors were described as "green, flavored mouthwash." Worse, readers didn't like how Miller mocked the very mythology of superheroes that made his original book so powerful... Which is a shame, because in between the hype and the hate, DK2 makes as revolutionary a take on what troubles the comic books industry as Miller's original novel did... Just as The Dark Knight Returns opened a comic book door to the darker aspects of human life, so does DK2 show how to return fun to comics. It also makes a kind of tangled sense. In a world where Sept. 11 happens and the Justice Department wants postal workers to monitor un-American activity, perhaps the only way a superhero can save the day is to look around, have fun and laugh."
(from MTV Splash Page)
"“It’s all B.S.,” he said. “ALL of it.”" Sums it up!
Exclusive: Watchmen Video Journal
(from Sci Fi Wire)
"The video, Blue Monday, offers a look behind the scenes at how director Zack Snyder and his team brought the indestructible Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup) to life." Includes some previously-unseen clips from the film. I really ought to watch the rest of these video journals...
M. Night Shyamalan Further Ponders Unbreakable Sequel by Rick Marshall
(from MTV Splash Page)
Please please please please please!
Review of The Dark Knight Strikes Again by Jason Sanford
(from Flak Magazine)
"then the public actually read DK2. Reviewers called Miller's minimalist artwork "hastily drawn." Lynn Varley's super-bright digital colors were described as "green, flavored mouthwash." Worse, readers didn't like how Miller mocked the very mythology of superheroes that made his original book so powerful... Which is a shame, because in between the hype and the hate, DK2 makes as revolutionary a take on what troubles the comic books industry as Miller's original novel did... Just as The Dark Knight Returns opened a comic book door to the darker aspects of human life, so does DK2 show how to return fun to comics. It also makes a kind of tangled sense. In a world where Sept. 11 happens and the Justice Department wants postal workers to monitor un-American activity, perhaps the only way a superhero can save the day is to look around, have fun and laugh."
Articles: Dracula 2
Dracula Sequel Headed To Screens? by Helen O'Hara
(from Empire Online)
"The Stoker clan have banded together and authorised Dracula: The Un-Dead to follow Bram Stoker's original novel -- and have also sold the film rights... It is, perhaps, no surprise that the Stoker family are so keen on the plan, given that Bram's great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker has written the book along with Dracula historian [Ian] Holt."
"The story picks up 25 years after the original, as the heroes of the original novel are being stalked by... someone. Holt and Stoker used Bram Stoker's original notes and found characters and plot threads written by him but cut from the original novel. Even the title of this one is Bram's original title, so with a bit of luck it will feel like a real sequel and not just another spin on the myth."
"A screenplay for the book was written by Holt with Alexander Galant, and the plan is for that to shoot next June, just before the book is released in October 2009."
There's information to be found on Wikipedia about cast and crew, but it cites no sources and no other articles mention it, so it would seem to be groundless speculation. That said, there are some odd names in there, so it might be worth tracking down if you're interested.
(from Empire Online)
"The Stoker clan have banded together and authorised Dracula: The Un-Dead to follow Bram Stoker's original novel -- and have also sold the film rights... It is, perhaps, no surprise that the Stoker family are so keen on the plan, given that Bram's great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker has written the book along with Dracula historian [Ian] Holt."
"The story picks up 25 years after the original, as the heroes of the original novel are being stalked by... someone. Holt and Stoker used Bram Stoker's original notes and found characters and plot threads written by him but cut from the original novel. Even the title of this one is Bram's original title, so with a bit of luck it will feel like a real sequel and not just another spin on the myth."
"A screenplay for the book was written by Holt with Alexander Galant, and the plan is for that to shoot next June, just before the book is released in October 2009."
There's information to be found on Wikipedia about cast and crew, but it cites no sources and no other articles mention it, so it would seem to be groundless speculation. That said, there are some odd names in there, so it might be worth tracking down if you're interested.
The Sandbaggers: First Principles
The New York Times once described this late '70s drama as "the best spy series in television history", and on the evidence of this first episode I can see where they're coming from.
Unlike modern-day equivalents such as Spooks, The Sandbaggers concerns itself more with the planning and Whitehall political machinations than with the action on the ground. As such it's slower paced and wordier, but also much more intelligent. Even at the time this would have been unusual -- spy genre pedigree is the likes of James Bond and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., after all -- and episode one does a fantastic job of justifying its style.
When a Norwegian spy plane crashes behind enemy lines, they enlist the help of the British services -- specifically, the elite Sandbaggers division -- to rescue the scientists who were on board. When the British take their time planning the dangerous operation, the Norwegians get nervous and run off to the CIA... who rush in without a decent plan and consequently get themselves captured. This, as lead character and Sandbaggers director Neil Burnside points out to his Norwegian counterpart at the end, is why planning and forethought are even more important than the mission on the ground.
The other advantage Sandbaggers has over modern-day British series in this ilk is its setting. It's the height of the Cold War, when Britain was still just about a big enough world power, with a strong enough secret service, for all this to conceivable. These days, the lengths MI5 go to in Spooks often seems a bit... silly.
It's a shame they don't make programmes like Sandbaggers any more, as its change of pace and genuinely complex plotting would be welcome in the current TV landscape. As it is, at least we can enjoy it on DVD.
Unlike modern-day equivalents such as Spooks, The Sandbaggers concerns itself more with the planning and Whitehall political machinations than with the action on the ground. As such it's slower paced and wordier, but also much more intelligent. Even at the time this would have been unusual -- spy genre pedigree is the likes of James Bond and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., after all -- and episode one does a fantastic job of justifying its style.
When a Norwegian spy plane crashes behind enemy lines, they enlist the help of the British services -- specifically, the elite Sandbaggers division -- to rescue the scientists who were on board. When the British take their time planning the dangerous operation, the Norwegians get nervous and run off to the CIA... who rush in without a decent plan and consequently get themselves captured. This, as lead character and Sandbaggers director Neil Burnside points out to his Norwegian counterpart at the end, is why planning and forethought are even more important than the mission on the ground.
The other advantage Sandbaggers has over modern-day British series in this ilk is its setting. It's the height of the Cold War, when Britain was still just about a big enough world power, with a strong enough secret service, for all this to conceivable. These days, the lengths MI5 go to in Spooks often seems a bit... silly.
It's a shame they don't make programmes like Sandbaggers any more, as its change of pace and genuinely complex plotting would be welcome in the current TV landscape. As it is, at least we can enjoy it on DVD.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Articles
Fan Made: Dark Knight Sequel Poster by Erik Davis
(from Cinematical)
Personally, I don't want the Riddler in the next Batman film -- I think he'd be too much like the Joker, unless they have some damn good ideas -- but this is one mighty cool poster. So cool, in fact, that I'd accept having the Riddler just to see this plastered around the place. Click to see it in its full-sized glory.
On a related note...
Knowledge of fonts
(from BBC News)
"We see film posters every day. But have you ever stopped to think about the lettering they use? Sebastian Lester has. As a typeface designer... he's a literal font of knowledge. Many posters... use custom lettering. As Lester explains, though, others employ fonts in common everyday usage." Interesting picture-article.
(from Cinematical)
Personally, I don't want the Riddler in the next Batman film -- I think he'd be too much like the Joker, unless they have some damn good ideas -- but this is one mighty cool poster. So cool, in fact, that I'd accept having the Riddler just to see this plastered around the place. Click to see it in its full-sized glory.
On a related note...
Knowledge of fonts
(from BBC News)
"We see film posters every day. But have you ever stopped to think about the lettering they use? Sebastian Lester has. As a typeface designer... he's a literal font of knowledge. Many posters... use custom lettering. As Lester explains, though, others employ fonts in common everyday usage." Interesting picture-article.
Monday, 6 October 2008
TV
Big Cat Live
1x02 (6/10/08 edition)
No Heroics
1x01 Supergroupie
Sex obsessed, yes, but still pretty funny. So it's that rarest of things: a half-decent comedy on ITV!
Place of Execution
Part 3 (of 3)
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x02 The Last Sontaran Part Two
A great conclusion. Hurrah for SJA being so good!
1x02 (6/10/08 edition)
No Heroics
1x01 Supergroupie
Sex obsessed, yes, but still pretty funny. So it's that rarest of things: a half-decent comedy on ITV!
Place of Execution
Part 3 (of 3)
The Sarah Jane Adventures
2x02 The Last Sontaran Part Two
A great conclusion. Hurrah for SJA being so good!
Films
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
[#65 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
My quest-within-a-quest: to watch one film a night for at least the next week (as in, seven days). This is, therefore, the first. Let's see how I do...
[#65 in 100 Films in a Year 2008]
My quest-within-a-quest: to watch one film a night for at least the next week (as in, seven days). This is, therefore, the first. Let's see how I do...
Articles
No Heroics: Geek detail
(from ITV.com)
A gallery of some of the inside jokes from No Heroics. Some are lacklustre, some very good. Here's the best:
Review of Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic DVD by Eamonn McCusker
(from DVD Times)
Scathing!
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 20-1.
So, that was that. Nothing greatly surprising in the final run, though the order is undoubtedly intriguing. Nice to see some reach such giddy heights; others should be considerably lower, in my opinion.
(from ITV.com)
A gallery of some of the inside jokes from No Heroics. Some are lacklustre, some very good. Here's the best:
Review of Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic DVD by Eamonn McCusker
(from DVD Times)
Scathing!
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 20-1.
So, that was that. Nothing greatly surprising in the final run, though the order is undoubtedly intriguing. Nice to see some reach such giddy heights; others should be considerably lower, in my opinion.
The Tudors has episode titles!
Turns out, despite the listings on TV.com, The Tudors has episode titles! It's true, they're on the iTunes Store. (Season One has titles too, but I watched them long before this blog began.)
So, hurrah -- titles are much better than plain numbers, if you ask me.
It's a minor point, I know, but I'll be going back and editing all my posts to add in their actual titles now. Bloody TV.com.
So, hurrah -- titles are much better than plain numbers, if you ask me.
It's a minor point, I know, but I'll be going back and editing all my posts to add in their actual titles now. Bloody TV.com.
I'm blue!
Da-ba-dee da-ba-die!
This colour scheme -- which I've just noticed -- seems to suit the site and/or me better. So here it is!
This colour scheme -- which I've just noticed -- seems to suit the site and/or me better. So here it is!
Sunday, 5 October 2008
TV
Big Cat Live
1x01 (5/10/08 edition)
The latest iteration of the BBC's long-running Big Cat... series. (I've just started from 1 with the numbering, 'cause that sorting got too much.)
By Any Means
Part 5 (of 6)
The Riches
2x07 The Lying King [series finale]
With the series now unfortunately cancelled, this is how it disappointingly ends -- not with a whimper, but with a multi-cliffhangered bang. Just as it gets really good, everything is frustratingly left hanging. I'm annoyed.
Secret Policeman's Ball '08
The blog had a live update of what was going on as it happened (the event itself was last night, Channel 4's TV broadcast tonight). Quite a bizarre idea for a gig of this nature, if you ask me. As for the content... Mitchell and Webb made a poor effort of their own, originally excellent sketch; Tim Minchin's song was very funny; but Eddie Izzard, closing the show, was comedy gold as ever -- the stand-out stand-up by a country mile.
1x01 (5/10/08 edition)
The latest iteration of the BBC's long-running Big Cat... series. (I've just started from 1 with the numbering, 'cause that sorting got too much.)
By Any Means
Part 5 (of 6)
The Riches
2x07 The Lying King [series finale]
With the series now unfortunately cancelled, this is how it disappointingly ends -- not with a whimper, but with a multi-cliffhangered bang. Just as it gets really good, everything is frustratingly left hanging. I'm annoyed.
Secret Policeman's Ball '08
The blog had a live update of what was going on as it happened (the event itself was last night, Channel 4's TV broadcast tonight). Quite a bizarre idea for a gig of this nature, if you ask me. As for the content... Mitchell and Webb made a poor effort of their own, originally excellent sketch; Tim Minchin's song was very funny; but Eddie Izzard, closing the show, was comedy gold as ever -- the stand-out stand-up by a country mile.
Articles
The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time by Simon Braund, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O'Hara, Olly Richards & Owen Willams
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 50-21. More surprised -- primarily, the original Star Wars and all three Lord of the Rings films are outside the Top 20! No sign yet of the overrated Empire Strikes Back though...
(from Empire #233, p.88-172)
Today: 50-21. More surprised -- primarily, the original Star Wars and all three Lord of the Rings films are outside the Top 20! No sign yet of the overrated Empire Strikes Back though...
Saturday, 4 October 2008
TV
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
15x05 (3/10/08 edition)
Parky! Yay!
Little Britain USA
1x01 Episode 1
Lucas and Walliams take some of their old character over the pond, and find some new ones there too. Despite the new setting and HBO funding (it airs nearly a week later over here, fact-fans), the style (and quality) of humour is unchanged.
Merlin
1x03 The Mark of Nimueh
I have to wonder if there's something in Nimueh and Morgana looking as if they could be twins...
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
2x04 (4/10/08 edition)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Part 3 (of 4)
Ah, Hardy -- as unrelentingly depressing as ever.
15x05 (3/10/08 edition)
Parky! Yay!
Little Britain USA
1x01 Episode 1
Lucas and Walliams take some of their old character over the pond, and find some new ones there too. Despite the new setting and HBO funding (it airs nearly a week later over here, fact-fans), the style (and quality) of humour is unchanged.
Merlin
1x03 The Mark of Nimueh
I have to wonder if there's something in Nimueh and Morgana looking as if they could be twins...
The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins
2x04 (4/10/08 edition)
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Part 3 (of 4)
Ah, Hardy -- as unrelentingly depressing as ever.
Friday, 3 October 2008
Music
Another Way to Die (video) by Jack White & Alicia Keys
OK, so it's been floating around on the net for days (especially after it received its US premiere on Monday), but rather than watching it in some crappy blocky streaming window I've held out til now to catch it on TV (where it premiered on Channel 4 under an hour ago). I say "held out" -- I'm hardly good at getting round to watching things. But still... It's all rather uninspired, to be honest, and feels like it could do with some clips from the film to give it a good kick up the arse. More so than any other theme, this one seems designed to fit with a title sequence, so it's a bit odd when attached to such a lacklustre video. I still like the song mind.
OK, so it's been floating around on the net for days (especially after it received its US premiere on Monday), but rather than watching it in some crappy blocky streaming window I've held out til now to catch it on TV (where it premiered on Channel 4 under an hour ago). I say "held out" -- I'm hardly good at getting round to watching things. But still... It's all rather uninspired, to be honest, and feels like it could do with some clips from the film to give it a good kick up the arse. More so than any other theme, this one seems designed to fit with a title sequence, so it's a bit odd when attached to such a lacklustre video. I still like the song mind.
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