TV

24
7x23 6:00AM - 7:00AM
7x24 7:00AM - 8:00AM
Well, that's that then. Quite a nice ending in places -- mainly, the very-end endings. It's been a mixed season, though at least that's an improvement on some more recent ones. I've heard talk of season eight being a return to early-years form... but then they said that about this season, so we'll see.

The Comic Strip Presents...
1x01 Five Go Mad in Dorset

The Mentalist
2x02 The Scarlet Letter
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

Articles

Prison drama A Prophet sweeps French Oscars
(from BBC News)
It's funny, really -- the BAFTAs must be the only non-American awards that are criticised for resolutely rewarding their own cinema. Maybe it's because British cinema is so lacking (we think only America produces films, but that's because we don't see so much of the low-key foreign output), maybe it's because we're so desperate to position ourselves as an Oscar predictor, or maybe it's just because we speak English and so American movies are equally (nay, more) important than our own (whereas in non-English-speaking countries, local cinema can equal or best the big American movies at the box office as well as in critics' eyes). And if you happen to be thinking that the French film won and all/most of the other big nominees were the English-language films we're used to seeing at every other ceremony this year... nope.

TV

24
7x22 5:00AM - 6:00AM

How I Met Your Mother
4x23 As Fast As She Can
[Watch it on 4oD from 13th May (probably).]

Mo
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Films

Juno (2007)
[#25 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Finally seen all the Best Picture Oscar nominees for 2007! It's only taken three years (more if you count from when they were actually released, not just announced); and it's been over a year since I set about seeing most of them for one big 100 Films post. That should now be coming within the week... hopefully...

Also, as you can see, I've now reached 25 films in my 2010 collection. I've posted a bit on this subject here.

Articles

Jolie departure kills Wanted sequel by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
My first reaction to seeing this story was, "why?" She was hardly the biggest draw of the first film, which was also self-contained and not needing of a sequel... until it made a lot of money. So I was thoroughly unsurprised to see this story the very next day:
Wanted 2 going ahead without Jolie by Paul Millar
(from Digital Spy)
And this points out just what I said: that it was self-contained, the big-name stars die at the end, and then it made a fortune at the box office and they wanted a sequel. Essentially, then, there was no truth to Jolie's departure killing the sequel -- the news reports just made it up/assumed it. Which just goes to remind us why you can't trust the media. Especially Digital Spy.

Real-Life Buzz Lightyear by Peter Sciretta
(from /film)
Not real-real life, but a realistic CGI version. It's rather impressive and consequently disconcerting (certainly more so than ones done for other cartoon characters like Mario or Jessica Rabbit, which just look like their originals with more realistic skin-tone. Or, worst of all, a freaky puffy Homer Simpson, looking like someone with a horrible disease.)

this week on 100 Films

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

Batman (1966)

it has a real feel for what comics were like at the time — the vibrant colours, silliness, larger-than-life characters, nonsensical plots, plus there’s a nice line in risque humour, keeping the adults happy in what’s really a kid-focused film.

Deja Vu (2006)

kinda nonsense, albeit nonsense that some people have put a lot of thought into trying to explain. In spite of this, I quite enjoyed it

Exiled (2006)

features several impressive action scenes. They’re Leone-like in the way there’s often an extended pause, the threat of violence hanging in the air — then a sudden burst, over quickly. But within this style there’s a lot of visual flair

Frankenstein (2004)

this is what Dean Koontz would like viewers/readers to believe: that the novels are his undiluted vision, while the film most certainly is not. Well, don’t believe him. Watching the film having read the book (a couple of years ago), this feels like a faithful adaptation.

M (1931)

a film of immense significance, not least because of its place on numerous Best Ever lists... near-endless essays and articles and whole books have been penned discussing every notable aspect, it’s unlikely I’m going to have much either new or significant to say after one viewing. Just so you know

Paths of Glory (1957)

Kubrick’s depiction of war is excellent, from long tracking shots through the trenches, to the nighttime wilderness of No Man’s Land, lit only by flares that reveal it’s strewn with bodies, to an epic and perfectly-staged battle that is a visual and aural assault.

Zum Beispiel: Fritz Lang (1968)

A slightly odd little documentary, in which Erwin Leiser ‘interviews’ Lang about his early directing career.

More next Sunday.

TV

The Bubble
1x02 (26/2/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Let's Dance for Sport Relief
Episode 2 (of 4)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Mock the Week
8x06 (25/2/10 edition) [season finale]
Often Mock the Week's Best Of/Outtakes shows are more the former than the latter, but this achieved a nice mix with plenty of new material. Hurrah!
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Tinga Tinga Tales
1x08 Why Vulture is Bald
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

24
7x21 4:00AM - 5:00AM

Archer
1x01 Mole Hunt
1x02 Training Day
A relatively speedy UK debut for this animated spy-com, albeit buried on Fiver.
Strictly adults-only, it's funnier than your average sitcom manages these days, particularly benefitting from a fast pace and near-constant stream of gags, and not quite as vulgar as some can be (though it certainly pushes toward those limits). Better than I'd hoped for, then, especially considering its inconspicuous scheduling. Plus there's a lot more to look forward to as it's recently been picked up for a longer second season.
(Five have a minisite with clips and character profiles (and not much else) for the interested.)
[Watch Mole Hunt and Training Day (again) on Demand Five.]

Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
18x06 (19/2/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

How I Met Your Mother
4x22 Right Place Right Time
[Watch it on 4oD from 6th May (probably).]

Films

No Country For Old Men (2007)
[2nd watch]
This was #5 in 100 Films 2009. I first watched it 13 months ago and I've still not posted a review! Soon though...

Articles

Skins Effy, Freddie praised for episode by Dan French
(from Digital Spy)
By critics for an exceptional storyline, you might presume... but no. The article doesn't mention what the episode was about to garner this praise, but it does tell us who it came from: one of their co-stars, and her boyfriend. On twitter. Seriously.
And so the award for "crap non-news story of the week" goes to...

Survivors Season Two - The Verdict by Ben Rawson-Jones
(from Digital Spy)
Look at the comments -- hardly anyone ever seems to agree with Rawson-Jones' reviews. Why they let him keep going is a mystery.
[This isn't the "crap non-news story of the week". That's the Skins one. Just in case you were confused.]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week. Little to report again this week though.

Number of titles in collection: 1,148 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,078 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 70 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 2,801 [up 3]
Number of films in collection: 1,213 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 3,874 [no change]

Statistic of the week:

Titles with films over 100 years old:
3
(0.3% of the total)

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
10x07 The Lost Girls
aka CSI Trilogy Part Three. See here for my thoughts on these episodes.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

CSI: Miami
8x07 Bone Voyage
aka CSI Trilogy Part One. See here for my thoughts on these episodes.

CSI: NY
6x07 Hammer Down
aka CSI Trilogy Part Two. See here for my thoughts on these episodes.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]

How I Met Your Mother
4x21 The Three Days Rule
[Watch it on 4oD from 29th April (probably).]

Articles

Odeon makes U-turn on Alice boycott by Alex Fletcher
(from Digital Spy)
So much for that, then. I wonder what incentives/bribes they were offered to give in...

CSI Trilogy

CSI Trilogy

Part 1 CSI: Miami 8x07 Bone Voyage
Part 2 CSI: NY 6x07 Hammer Down
Part 3 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 10x07 The Lost Girls

I don't normally watch any of the CSIs (as regular readers of this blog could deduce), but I've seen the odd episode before and usually quite enjoyed it. So, as the idea of doing a three-part story spread across all of the series is the kind of thing that appeals to me (I have no idea why, but it's the kind of notion that does), I decided to watch them. And the advantage of V+ is getting to watch all three back-to-back.

I still have no intention of watching any of the series regularly, but that goes especially for Miami. Over-directed, over-edited, over-acted, over-technologised (a giant hologram screen with Minority Report-style controls? Seriously?), and full of bits that are meant to be Deadly Serious but push it too far (far too far) and are just unintentionally hilarious. How this show has lasted to its eighth season is beyond me.

Despite my memories from episodes I saw several years ago (of it being the worst of the bunch), NY is nothing like as bad. Which isn't to say it's great, but there's no one quite as po-faced-edly embarrassing/irritating as Horatio Caine and the show itself is more sensibly shot and edited. Thank goodness.

The original Vegas-set series is still the best, though this is far from the best episode I've seen. Don't know if it's gone off the boil after ten seasons or if it's just this episode, but it's still OK. Apart from a rather twee ending.

As a whole, the trilogy is quite neatly linked: sort of three standalone episodes with vaguelly related plots, but with one that distinctly develops under/alongside all of them. Some would've preferred a full-on three-parter with all teams, I'm sure, but with the strictures of finding a plot to believably bring three totally different departments together and the practicalities of the US network TV production style, it seems unlikely that would ever have happened.

It's not the "TV event of the year" that Five were trying to claim, then -- not even close, actually -- but it wasn't bad. Well, not that bad. Except Miami.

[Watch parts two and three (again) on Demand Five. No idea why the first one's not there.]

TV

24
7x20 3:00AM - 4:00AM

Argumental
3x04 (23/2/10 edition)

Tinga Tinga Tales
1x06 Why Hen Pecks at the Ground
1x07 Why Spider Has a Tiny Waist
[Watch episodes six and seven (again) on iPlayer.]

Magazines

Vworp Vworp! Vol.1

Excellent Doctor Who fanzine that sets its sights on Doctor Who Magazine and, by extension, Who comics. If your image of a fanzine is still an A5 black-and-white photocopy you might be in for a surprise -- full-size, perfect-bound and in glorious colour throughout, the design and content of Vworp Vworp! puts many professional magazines to shame. Torchwood's official mag, with it's consistently huge text and simple layouts, has nothing on this.

Features in this first issue are numerous, but include an interview with DWM's creator/first editor; a feature on the magazine's first comic strip (including an interview with its artist, the legendary Dave Gibbons); a behind-the-scenes look at the final Eighth Doctor strip, The Flood; a look at DWM's regular comedy illustrations/strips; plus three all-new adventures comic strip adventures for the Doctor, friends and foes; and several more features that I've entirely forgotten to mention. Plus, free transfers! No, really.

It's a brilliant magazine for anyone who's a fan of DWM or Who comics and, as I said, much better put-together than numerous pro mags you'll find on shelves in your local newsagent. Despite what might look like a high asking price for a magazine, all things considered -- from it design quality to its superlative content -- it's well worth every penny.

You can still order volume one from the fanzine's website. There's a second volume promised, and I for one can't wait.

Articles

Major SFX Doctor Who Exclusive by Dave Golder
(from SFX)
The next issue of SFX has a specially-shot 3D cover. Cool.

Serial Boxes by Jason Mittell
(from Just TV)
A rather academic (but very readable) essay about how the advent of DVD box sets has changed the way we perceive and consume television, as well as the way it's changed scholarly study of the medium. Very interesting, I thought, with lots of agreeable assertions.

TV

Mad Men
3x05 The Fog
[Watch it again in HD on iPlayer.]

Tinga Tinga Tales
1x05 Why Lizard Always Hides Under Rocks
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Articles

Alice in Wonderland will not be shown in Odeon cinemas
(from BBC News)
Hurrah to Odeon for sticking to their guns and standing up to Disney (unlike the other major cinema chains). On the other hand, Disney's attempted new model (which has been in the offing for a while) may indeed be the first steps toward the future of film distribution. With piracy on the increase something clearly has to change, and a shorter cinema-to-home window is one way to do this -- when there's no legal way to see a film (that period when it's not in cinemas and not out on DVD), people still have an excuse for obtaining content illegally. You'll never get rid of people who want something for nothing regardless of whether they should pay, but the music industry has shown that by providing viable ways to access content (in their case, downloads; movies may still want to pay attention to DVD and Blu-ray) you can significantly change the culture of how people acquire their content.

iPhone developers angry as Apple purges adult apps
(from BBC News)
For all their amazing hardware and fully-integrated software, sometimes Apple really suck. It's not so much that they have removed the adult content as the way they've gone about it -- no warnings to companies that rely on the business; excluding some stuff because it's 'well known' (or bribed, perhaps?); and all while they could just implement parental controls, which they surely must have a system for already as they sell explicit-branded music and 12/15/18-rated (or R-, in the US) films?
Poor show, Apple.

Worm Hunter makes shortlist for oddest title award
(from BBC News)

Afterthoughts Of A Worm Hunter and Collectible Spoons of the Third Reich have been shortlisted for this year's oddest book title award.

By its inclusion in the article title, ...Worm Hunter has clearly been deemed the oddest (at least by the press, and by extension their anticipated readers) and so should surely win.
The article also mentions that it "has not sold a single copy in the UK or US" -- bet that changes now!

new reviews at 100 Films

It's been an awfully long time since I last posted a notification of a new review at 100 Films to this blog. Mainly, it's a bit tiring posting a whole update here having done a whole review there, especially as I've been churning them out almost daily for weeks.

From now on, then, every Sunday will see a "this week on 100 Films"-style update. Yes, I know today's Tuesday -- starting next Sunday it'll be weekly, this is just everything since the last review.

So, since Avatar I've posted 24 reviews (24!), and they are...

Air Force One (1997)

An American in Paris (1951)

Anna Boleyn (1920)

Die Austernprinzessin (1919)

Die Bergkatze (1921)

Children of Heaven (1997)

Cinderella (1965)

Copycat (1995)

Culloden (1964)

Ernst Lubitsch in Berlin: From Schönhauser Allee to Hollywood (2006)

The Gruffalo (2009)

Hamlet (2009)

Hard Candy (2005)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Ich möchte kein Mann sein (1918)

Jumper (2008)

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Die Puppe (1919)

Rage (2009)

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Sumurun (1920)

Wallander: Mastermind (2005)

Wallander: The Secret (2006)

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

As I said, more on Sunday...