TV

I didn't watch Question Time -- unlike most of twitter, it would seem -- but I did watch these:

The Graham Norton Show
5x10 (14/5/09 edition, uncut repeat)
Very surprised how much I liked Lily Allen on this. Amused that she could say the controversial lyrics from her song but wasn't allowed to sing them -- presumably the bit where she spelt it out was cut from the first broadcast (which has an earlier timeslot).
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Mentalist
1x09 Flame Red
Although the actual plot was a little light, it was thematically significant. Nice to see Jane's steely side too. I'm really enjoying this show -- very glad it's actually been a hit in America and isn't faced with cancellation, as so many of the best shows often are.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

The Omid Djalili Show
2x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

At the risk of getting dreadfully behind, for various personal reasons The Wire will now return next week.

Articles

C’est Magnifique - The Red Shoes Wows Cannes by John Hodson
(from From the Cheap Seats)
"The Red Shoes has been meticulously restored and [received] a special screening at the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival... 'I had never seen The Red Shoes on the big screen, leave alone like this. The restoration is stupendous... The colours absolutely leap from the screen.'"
The restored Red Shoes hits UK DVD and Blu-ray on June 29th.

Details on next-gen iPhone leaked? by Mark Langshaw
(from Digital Spy)
"Consistent with past rumours, the system will allegedly include a digital compass and video recorder. A built-in FM transmitter and an OLED screen to improve battery life will also be incorporated, while the RAM and processing power are double that of the current iPhone. The system’s digital camera will be significantly more powerful than its predecessor's, and users will also be able to send photographs and video material via text message."
True or not, there's definitely a software update coming for existing iPhones this summer, and some of that could be incorporated there too.

Film review: Inglourious Basterds by Emma Jones
(from BBC News)
BBC News' balanced opinion on Tarantino's new film (see yesterday and further down for more).

The new 1982 by primus
(from The Ark)
An interesting theory (that 1982 is remembered as a classic year for genre cinema, but has there been one as good since?) and intriguingly argued, though I'm not convinced he's found a genuinely viable alternative.

The Next Dimension: Does 3D Really Work? by Dan Jolin
(from the Empire Blog)
Some valuable 3D skepticism.

We've Seen Inglourious Basterds! by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire)
And finally, a glowing report/review of That Tarantino Film.

TV

Damages
2x13 Trust Me [season finale]
And so Damages' highly variable second season toddles to its conclusion. It's a twisty windy episode of twists and counter-twists, which rather relies on the audience just going along with it as much as genuinely understanding it. Hidden within all that are some bits that make sense and some that really don't. By the end, I wasn't sure if it was brilliantly done and amazingly written, or a total mess and dreadfully written.
Either way, season two's plot was fully wrapped up, and everything left hanging from season one was finished off too. Fresh start for season three? That's what I'm hoping for...

The Wire
2x07 Backwash
Well I never thought I'd see The Wire sink to a clichéd and predictable subplot! (I speak of the Tennis Ball Bug bits.) Much of it's still great, of course, and the plot's finally moving forward. Still not a patch on season one though.

Poetry

Hoping It Might Be So: Poems 1974-2000 by Kit Wright
Bump-Starting the Hearse (1984) (pages 120-151)
That's the end of that 'chapter' (each chapter in this volume is a book in its own right, collected here). Now I must read some other poets, because I have an essay to write that should ideally refer to lots of them.

Articles

Movie Reviews: Inglourious Basterds
(from Studio Briefing)
Tarantino's new film has premiered at Cannes, and the critics weren't impressed.

Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus trailer

Apparently this has been the talk of the Internet recently. I've rather missed that, so clearly I need to pay more attention.

Anyway, I heard about it a little while ago but finally got round to watching the trailer. Looks like suitably B-movie-esque fun. Here it is for your benefit:

DVD Extras

Commentary! The Musical
(from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog)
[#26a in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

This is utterly brilliant, and worth every cent of the Amazon.com-exclusive $10.49 (+ p&p) asking price all by itself (the DVD is Region Free). I'll post a full review at 100 Films sometime, so will leave the rest of my thoughts 'til then, but this really is worth hearing for any film fan. And if you liked Dr. Horrible, it's essential.

Some more info about it can be found here.

Magazines

Radio Times 23-29 May 2009
The RT's new 'Point of View' column (which began when they relaunched the mag at Easter), with its roster of ten (mostly-)famous writers ready to offer up their opinions, has produced some excellent articles so far. The stand out is still Xander Armstrong's take on Sundays, but this week's piece comes close:
Michael Parkinson bemoans ITV's cancellation of The South Bank Show, something all us intelligent TV viewers can get on board with, and also the amount of drivel that particular network broadcasts generally.
It's on page 12; you should read it.

Articles

Battlestar Galactica - Disc-by-Disc Bonus Material Listings, Specs for Blu-ray & DVD Complete Series
and
Battlestar Galactica - Awesome New Images of Packaging for Season 4.5 Blu & Complete Series
by David Lambert
(from TVShowsOnDVD.com)
I've never seen any of the relaunched Battlestar Galactica, simply because I missed the original miniseries -- I think it clashed with something, and when the DVD came out the UK release was so inferior to the US one I refused to buy it. Later, I moved to Uni, thereby missing out on Sky and making it even harder to see -- and so even less incentive to watch.
But it's one of the most praised shows of the past few years, if not ever, and this rather beautiful and extras-packed Blu-ray set looks like a nice way to get caught up.

Also, see today's Magazines section.

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes trailer

Follow links for larger versions.

Any thoughts?

For my money, it's not really Sherlock Holmes, but it does look like an awful lot of fun as a Victorian era action/adventure movie. The final gag is especially reminiscent of the Iron Man trailer, which I feel may be the broad tone being aimed at here. At the very least, Downey Jr. has absolutely nailed the accent and should be nothing short of magnificent.

new review at 100 Films

Marnie (1964)

Marnie is a film grounded in the field of psychoanalysis, though that word is never used and none of the characters are a therapist. Instead, it just concerns itself with a main character suffering under the strain of repressed childhood memories... Unfortunately, psychoanalysis was only an emerging area at the time, and the price Marnie pays for being ahead of the pack in the mid ’60s is that it looks dated and inaccurate now.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 14 new films in the review pipeline at 100 Films, not to mention three shorts, a film I've previously seen, and an alternate cut. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Have I Got News For You
37x04 (15/5/09 edition; uncut repeat)
An excellent edition of the topical news quiz. The current poor state of our politics is wonderful fodder for this series, which when it's on form is among the very best things on TV. Plus, guest host Rolf Harris was super -- a lovely guy and clearly game for a laugh.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Robin Hood
3x07 Too Hot to Handle
Prince John is still brilliant, but this episode wasn't -- there were several plot holes big enough for Little John to fit through. A pair of excellent fight scenes though, which does go some way toward making up for it.
From the trailer, the next episode looks oddly like a season finale. Most strange...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Non-Fiction / Art

Jack Vettriano by Jack Vettriano & Anthony Quinn
Lovers and Other Strangers: 1997 - 2000 (p102-145)
Affairs of the Heart: 2001 - 2004 (p146-183) [the end]
As I said yesterday, I like Vettriano's style, but it can become a bit samey when viewed in so concentrated a way.

Articles

Are You Watching Closely? The Hidden Details We Often Miss In Movie Trailers! by Ron Henriques
(from LatinoReview.com)
A fairly long article that you might get bored with -- especially as it's a few weeks old and so contains speculation about all sorts of things we now know -- but it's worth it for the G.I. Joe/Team America comparison alone.

BFI wows with Watchmen, stuns with Star Trek by Matt Chapman
(from DVD & Blu-ray Review)
I'm a bit late in mentioning this, but still: "The BFI has revealed that its IMAX cinema in London has taken more money at the box office for Watchmen than any other cinema in the entire world, (that's all cinemas, not just IMAX!)." Impressive. Follow the link for all sorts of numbers, plus whatever it was the article had to say about Star Trek.

First Thor, Now Loki. More Thor Casting News! by George 'El Guapo' Roush
(from LatinoReview.com)
Or, "Branagh casts Wallander co-star as Thor villain".

Norton 'would take BBC pay cut' by Adam Silverstein
(from Digital Spy)
"Graham Norton has admitted that he would happily take a pay cut to stay at the BBC."
After he did a great job hosting Eurovision, another reason to like him.

TV

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency
1x05 Beauty and Integrity
An unusually downbeat episode, with even BK being remorseful at one point. This series has hidden depths.

Non-Fiction / Art

Jack Vettriano by Jack Vettriano & Anthony Quinn
Tales of Love and Other Stories: 1987 - 1993 (p12-45)
The Passion and the Pain: 1994 - 1996 (p46-101)
I like Vettriano's art -- not necessarily the stuff you see plastered all over cards, but his darker, noir-ish pieces. Every painting tells a story, has a world outside its edges. His style reminds of Edward Hopper, another favourite.

Articles

Peter Moffat's BAFTA award-winning Criminal Justice returns to BBC One and stars Maxine Peake as a woman in desperate trouble
(from BBC Press Office)
The first series was excellent, and this second one -- which tells a brand-new story with all-new characters -- has attracted an equally starry cast (more so, perhaps) and sounds totally different but just as promising.

TV

Eurovision Song Contest: Moscow 2009

A year of real change for Eurovision, with a new voting system designed to eradicate the bloc voting that has plagued the contest for the past few years, and popular host Terry Wogan being replaced by (obvious choice) Graham Norton. On top of that, the UK actually took it seriously this year...

and was rewarded with 5th place, a phenomenal achievement after consistently placing last for most of the past decade. This year, our score was up by an incredibly 1,236% on last year! Graham made for a great host too -- he was clearly nervous at the start, but once he settled into it he was brilliant. A bit too chatty for some, and not quite as cynical as old Tel, but very funny nonetheless. Musically it was a relatively strong year too.

That said, I honestly don't see the appeal of winners Norway -- what could possibly beat the Ukraine's entry, an even gayer version of 300?

Films

Dark Floors (2008)
[#26 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
In honour of Eurovision, this is the horror movie starring 2006's winners, Lordi.

Articles

Anthony Hopkins to reprise Lecter role by Tim Parks
(from Digital Spy)
Considering the only Hannibal Lecter film that's considered to be much cop is Silence of the Lambs -- and there have been three since then -- is this really a good idea? I suppose if they make money no one cares...
(In case anyone points out Manhunter, that's technically a Lecktor film.)

Primeval movie confirmed by Dan French
(from Digital Spy)
So the rumours were true. But will it be a continuation of the series, a reboot of some kind, or a US-set spin off? All viable options, though I'd imagine the second two are most likely.

Rome might not be history, series creator says by James Hibberd
(from Reuters)
I liked Rome, though never got round to the second season. Just bought the whole lot on DVD, so will aim to soon. Anyway, this sounds promising... if it gets made.