TV

Top Gear
13x01 (21/6/09 edition)
It's always nice to welcome Top Gear back onto our screens, and in these depressing times it is indeed welcome.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Film first-looks, anti-American websites, and a freakin' spaceport! Today is a good day...

Bay slams Transformers ad campaign by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
"Website TMZ has published an email (dated May 4) from Bay to executives, among them CEO Brad Grey and Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, in which the director blasts the studio for not spending enough money publicising the robot sequel's summer release." And there's details of what he said, if you want them.

Crazy Cancellations by Ben Rawson-Jones
(from Digital Spy)
Parts of this article about prematurely cancelled TV series are interesting, parts aren't. Primarily, it uses the modern misappropriated definition of "cult TV" -- i.e. "sci-fi/fantasy/unusual" -- rather than the appropriate origin of its meaning -- i.e. anything with a small but dedicated following, which most often happened to be SF/F. Fools.

Creator: New Scrubs not set in hospital by Lara Martin
(from Digital Spy)
A bold reinvention for the sitcom, making it part continuation, part spin-off and part reboot. Cunning.

First Look: Tim Burton's Trippy New Alice in Wonderland by Alex Billington
(from FirstShowing.net)
Stunning, but mad. Can't wait to see this.

question of the day: Are sites like Hulu and YouTube “anti-consumer, anti-media employees, and even anti-America”?
(from FlickFilosopher)
It always amuses me when someone trots out "anti-American" as if it's the be-all-and-end-all of what is good and right. Bless 'em. Still, that aside, this article has some good points about the future of all media.

Real life spaceport under construction
(from Live For Films)
So far beyond cool it hurts. A freakin' spaceport!

Wicker Man 2 - Holy Cowboys for Christ! Ewar WooWar indeed.
(from Live For Films)
They're making a sequel to the original Wicker Man. By all rights this should be appalling news, but it actually looks and sounds quite good...

TV

Stephen Tompkinson's African Balloon Adventure
Part 3 (of 3)
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]

Music

Back from the Dead by Spinal Tap

It's 25 years since This is Spinal Tap hit cinemas and a pop culture legend was born, and now they're back with this new double-disc release -- in the most ludicrous packaging you've ever seen.

The CD part of the set firstly contains 11 re-recorded classic Tap songs (a cover sticker says 13, but they've done their maths wrong). This might sound a little pointless, but it turns out not so. Some songs have been re-interpreted -- (Funky) Sex Fam and (Listen to the) Flower People (Reggae Stylee), for example -- while those that are essentially the same have been beefed up, sounding much meatier than the versions on the original soundtrack CD -- Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight, Heavy Duty and Big Bottom all particularly benefit from this. All of these songs are taken from the original film soundtrack, completely ignoring 1992's Break Like the Wind. I guess someone thought (not necessarily incorrectly) that these wouldn't be familiar to casual fans and so weren't worth bothering with. Personally, I quite like that CD, and certainly miss Christmas With the Devil.

Additionally, the CD also holds 6 brand-new tracks. While the three-part Jazz Oddyssey (sic) and Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare may not immediately stick in your mind, the rest of the new stuff more than makes up for it. Title track Back from the Dead is a brilliant spoof of aging rock bands' "we're back!" songs, while Celtic Blues sets its sights on folksy music with Tap's typical accuracy. Short and Sweet primarily relies on the joke that it's the longest track on the album, while Warmer Than Hell is about the Devil visiting Earth in the midst of global warming. It begins with the instant-classic line "The Devil went to Devon" and doesn't let up.

The DVD portion is a 59-minute track-by-track interview with the band (in character, as always) that I haven't watched yet. Nor have I assembled the packaging, which is kind of neat but actually more awkward -- it doesn't look like you can easily take it down once put up, but it is clearly designed to be assembled as it's tricky to use in its default state.

The reason for Tap's enduring success may be that they do everything so well: not only are the lyrics highly amusing, but they have the musical ability to back them up in a way that is almost unnervingly convincing -- some of these tracks could be slipped on to certain genuine bands' albums and no one would notice the difference. If they weren't funny they'd just be a band; if they weren't good musicians they'd just be a comedy film. But they're both, and this set is easily the best available version of their music.

(Additionally, re-recordings in the original style for (Listen to the) Flower People and Sex Farm are available from Amazon MP3 and iTunes respectively. Apparently there was a third extra track available on their official site, though I'll be damned if I can find it.)

Articles

'Cheeky' Oasis fans demand refund
(from BBC News)
Oasis gig blighted by technical problems; on stage, Noel Gallagher tells fans they can have a refund; then when some actually try to claim it he criticises them for it. Think before you speak, eh Noel?

Marvel got “three-hour one-man show” from Thor director Kenneth Branagh by Liam
(from Filmonic)
Bodes well, methinks. I couldn't care less about a Thor movie before, and while I'm still far from straining at my leash to see it, Branagh's passioned involvement makes it massively more intriguing. Almost appealing, in fact.

Schools to rethink 'i before e'
(from BBC News)
What a silly plan. "But it's sometimes wrong!" Oh boo hoo.

This Year One Review Doesn’t Bode Well For Ghostbusters 3 by Dave
(from Filmonic)
The title offers commentary on their own review! Oh dear. Still, in amongst an awful lot of repetition and other ticks of poor writing, they make some good points... though the title really sums them all up.

Transfomers: Revenge Of The Fallen - Designed With 14-Year Old Boys In Mind by Owen Nicholls
(from The Projector at NME)
You've gotta love a review that contains the following quotes:
"the robots get as much characterisation as Megan Fox's cleavage."
"never have I seen a film that portrays anything with a vagina quite as insatiable for cock as the girls in this movie. As for Megan herself, I'm unsure whether Bay thinks he's her director or her gynaecologist."
"lets not get carried away thinking this is exploitation, it's just stupid. So forget the brain, switch off pain receptors and go and enjoy two-and-a-half hours of fun."
It has some intelligent points to make too (believe it or not), but while they're equally well-observed they're not half as funny.

new review at 100 Films

Lethal Weapon (1987)

the plot is full of holes, especially as it heads towards the climax. There’s also no mystery — the investigation is just an excuse to string together action set pieces and comedic buddy scenes, neither of which are much cop, and most of the story is conveyed in a couple of info-dumps that supporting characters volunteer for no reason.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 17 new films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

TV

Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow
1x03 Birmingham
Including a brilliant bit on the stupidity of political correctness. And another excellent bit too, but I can't remember it at all now.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
[#37 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]
Really enjoyed this. I do like film noir and have seen a few, but I really ought to make a great effort to see more.

Music

Live in Ukraine by Queen + Paul Rodgers

Despite touring as Queen + Paul Rodgers for a number of years now, this is the first time I've bothered to listen to them doing primarily classic Queen material. This particular gig is notable as much for its technical achievement and huge audience (both live and on TV) as it is for the material being performed: "Over 350,000 Ukrainians came to see them play and more than 10 million homes watched the show live on television. In all, more than 20 million took part."

Rodgers unsurprisingly makes for a very different sound to former frontman Freddie Mercury, wisely choosing to do the classic material in his own way rather than imitate the inimitable. This means some tracks sound like semi-covers -- drastically different vocals over familiar musical arrangements, with Brian May's equally inimitable guitar shining through as ever. Again unsurprisingly, Rodgers' versions aren't as good as Mercury's -- these songs were made for Freddie's distinctive voice, and its telling some songs have been deliberately avoided because Rodgers simply can't do them.

Rodgers is more than competent and I don't mean to criticise him too strongly, but its undeniable that where Freddie was irreplaceably unique, Rodgers is simply very good. On his own material and the new Queen + Paul Rodgers songs he fares better through the lack of comparison, while some of the classic material do make for reasonable (though, yes, still inferior) alternatives. The standout track is a heartfelt and moving rendition of AIDS anthem Say It's Not True. (As well as the 28 tracks available on the CD and DVD, two come only as online exclusives: A Kind of Magic from Amazon MP3 and Radio Ga Ga from iTunes.)

I hear the Queen + Paul Rodgers act has now ceased, an amicable split because it was only every meant to be temporary arrangement. Hopefully this means May and Roger Taylor will continue to find new frontmen and go on touring and producing new albums, because there's certainly life in this old Queen yet.

Articles

From Our Own Correspondent: Iran police clash with protesters - Analysis by John Simpson
(from BBC News)
"After a week of unprecedented mass protests in Iran over the presidential election results, the BBC's John Simpson reflects on the parallels between the 1979 revolution and current events."
A very informative and interesting perspective on the current events in Iran.

On a completely different note...

Review of Spinal Tap, Back from the Dead by Andy Gill
(from The Independent)
I find it impossible to tell if Gill gets the joke (and doesn't care for it), or has just missed it entirely.

TV

The Sandbaggers
3x01 All in a Good Cause
It feels a long while since I last watched any Sandbaggers (it's been almost five months, in fact), but now's rather appropriate timing: it's 29 years to the month since these episodes originally aired. The plot of this episode is astoundingly complicated, even for The Sandbaggers, but in the modern climate of simplistic and over-explained drama it remains a refreshing change of pace. Even when not at its best, it's certainly one of my favourite TV series ever.

That Mitchell and Webb Look
3x01 Episode 1
3x02 Episode 2
As with any sketch show, the quality of Mitchell and Webb can be variable -- or, indeed, hit and miss. That said, their hit rate is well above average. Their self-referential sketches and TV spoofs are particularly good, including an Apprentice-related one that I sincerely hope many Apprentice fans saw.
Incidentally, I missed the second series of Mitchell and Webb because it clashed with something (I guess in pre-iPlayer-on-TV days) -- I still have it all downloaded somewhere. Ought to actually watch it really...
[Watch both episode one and episode two on iPlayer.]

Articles

Angelina Wanted Again by Owen Williams
(from Empire)
"reports are coming in that wunderkind Russian director Timur Bekmabetov is planning to bring Angelina Jolie back for Wanted 2." For anyone who saw the first film, this will undoubtedly provoke a bit of a "hm" reaction.
More worryingly, in fact: "No mention of James McAvoy". Oh.

Bruno gets 18 certificate by Mayer Nissim
(from Digital Spy)
Though to enjoy it you'll need a much lower mental age.

Comparing cameras: iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S by Eric Steil III
(from betanews)
The 3G S's camera is a massive improvement -- it's like comparing a phone camera to a real camera. But, as far as I'm concerned, the thing's still a phone -- if I wanted a great camera, I'd buy a camera. So I'm not one for the upgrade, no.

Fans cause Pattinson cab accident
(from BBC News)
"Twilight star Robert Pattinson was hit by a taxi in New York as he tried to run away from a crowd of teenage fans... The actor's security guards were... heard shouting: "You see what you did, you almost killed him.""
Ah, Twilight fans. Lovely people.

Indy 5 Is A Go! by Phil de Semlyen
(from Empire)
Producer Frank Marshall expands on Shia LaBeouf's comments. Note: there's not even a script yet.

Shyamalan still keen on Unbreakable sequel by Tim Parks
(from Digital Spy)
He keeps saying that -- I wish he'd just get on and make it!
Incidentally, the original is now 9 years old; and with Airbender keeping Shyamalan busy 'til 2010, presumably no Unbreakable 2 before about 2012 -- when it will, obviously, be 12 years old. Crikey.

Stephen Fry: How I lost six stones in just six months by Tim Oglethorpe
(from Mail Online)
In spite of the nastily tabloid title, this is actually an interview with Mr Fry, and therefore of course has some bits of interest.

new review at 100 Films

Glory (1989)

it would be easy to slide into Issue of the Week melodrama in handling such a tale, but Zwick manages it without undue sentiment — there’s an appropriate realisation of the importance of events, perhaps even occasional reverence, but time is taken to show doubts and prejudices.

Read the full review at 100 Films.

There are currently 17 new films in the review pipeline at 100 Films. As ever, updates here as and when they're posted.

Poem of the Week: Sonnet 130

by William Shakespeare

I don't think I've included any Shakespeare in Poem of the Week before. Here's his debut then, as something of a break from all the modern comic poetry of recent weeks -- though the Bard's not necessarily at his most serious as he "mocks the conventions of the garish and flowery courtly sonnets in its realistic portrayal of his mistress."

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red, than her lips red:
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound:
I grant I never saw a goddess go,—
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
      And yet by heaven, I think my love as rare,
      As any she belied with false compare.

For more information on this sonnet, try Wikipedia and its associated links.

TV

Dexter
3x01 Our Father
Welcome back, Dexter Morgan, you have been missed! And I'm only starting it 8 weeks later than FX, but at least they were speedy on picking up from the US this year (only seven months since season two ended) so it's not been as long in total. I don't get FX, but the advantage of having acquired this season via, uh, other means is that I'm watching it in HD. Oo-ooh.
Not the show's greatest-ever episode, but a solid start to a new story. I admire Dexter's ability to come up with a new primary narrative while also managing ongoing character-based plots, something even the almighty Wire fumbled with in its second season.

Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
1x03 Our Bounties Ourselves
Not as good as the first two, but it had its moments.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Mentalist
1x13 Paint it Red
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

Films

The Apartment (1960)
[#36 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Articles

Ghostbusters 3 to avoid Indy problems by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
"...they hope" ends that headline, because it's not like they have a specific plan.

House movie heads up season six by Dan French
(from Digital Spy)
Be warned: huge spoilers for UK-pace viewers.

Mission: Impossible IV confirmed for 2011 by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
For all their faults I like the Mission: Impossible films, so I welcome this news.

Nolan 'won't return for more Batman'
and
Nolan 'may still direct Batman 3'
by Tim Parks (from Digital Spy)
"Chris Nolan probably isn't directing another Batman!"
"He might be!"
Proof you can spin many news stories out of... well, nothing.

Films

The Call of Cthulhu Trailer
Just received this on DVD and it looks great -- a faithful H.P. Lovecraft adaptation (a rare thing, I'm told) done in the style of early silent cinema by a group of die-hard fans. You can watch the trailer online here, or read more about it from this very site.

The Knack ...And How to Get It (1965)
[#34 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Son of Rambow (2007)
[#35 in 100 Films in a Year 2009]

Articles

Brand New Inglourious Basterds Poster by Emily Phillips
(from Empire)
That is cool. Click to see it super-large.

Is Michael Sheen Blofeld In Bond 23? by Chris Hewitt
(from Empire)
"No," basically, but it amazes me how many people went around reporting it as fact -- it originated in a tabloid for crying out loud!

TV

Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
16x19 (12/6/09 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]