FlashForward
1x22 Future Shock [series finale]
After spending most of the series not being too fussed about it -- indeed, I've criticised it often enough -- the mystery-packed cliffhanger ending has left me wishing they'd got a second series. Damn you, FlashForward!
That said, I won't miss Mark Benford one bit.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
TV
How I Met Your Mother
5x01 Definitions
Although I only finished watching season four three months ago, it feels an age thanks to having blasted through the first four seasons in one six-month stint. ("Six months" sounds a long time for a "stint", but we're talking 88 episodes here.) So, yes, it's nice to have it back, though slightly odd to return to watching it only weekly rather than whenever.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Stephen Fry on Wagner
Unfailingly interesting, as per usual -- Stephen Fry is consistently proving himself to be a very good documentary maker/host. Which, I suppose, is no surprise.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
5x01 Definitions
Although I only finished watching season four three months ago, it feels an age thanks to having blasted through the first four seasons in one six-month stint. ("Six months" sounds a long time for a "stint", but we're talking 88 episodes here.) So, yes, it's nice to have it back, though slightly odd to return to watching it only weekly rather than whenever.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Stephen Fry on Wagner
Unfailingly interesting, as per usual -- Stephen Fry is consistently proving himself to be a very good documentary maker/host. Which, I suppose, is no surprise.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
A space odyssey of the mind by Jon Kelly
(from BBC News Magazine)
Homer Simpson voted greatest TV character by Morgan Jeffery
(from Digital Spy)
No surprise there, really, though others in the top five -- Buffy, Tony Soprano -- are more surprising/welcome. And Harry Potter's there, of course. Though it's a little depressing that Spongebob Squarepants has made the top ten.
Why the Digital Economy Act simply won't work by Cory Doctorow
(from Digital rights, digital wrongs at guardian.co.uk)
If only the government, etc, would listen, rather than pushing on with this nasty piece of legislation.
(from BBC News Magazine)
Six would-be astronauts will this week begin a 520-day mock space voyage to simulate a mission to Mars. How will they cope with the huge psychological pressures?An intriguing idea, but it will be interesting to see if they can last the full 520 days. Doing something like this in some Russian hangar is very different to actually going to space.
Homer Simpson voted greatest TV character by Morgan Jeffery
(from Digital Spy)
No surprise there, really, though others in the top five -- Buffy, Tony Soprano -- are more surprising/welcome. And Harry Potter's there, of course. Though it's a little depressing that Spongebob Squarepants has made the top ten.
Why the Digital Economy Act simply won't work by Cory Doctorow
(from Digital rights, digital wrongs at guardian.co.uk)
If only the government, etc, would listen, rather than pushing on with this nasty piece of legislation.
Monday, 31 May 2010
TV
The Queen
Part 5 How Do You Solve a Problem Like Camilla? [final episode]
...and today is that day. Felt almost like Part Two of the last episode, this one.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD or SeeSaw.]
You Have Been Watching
2x07 Kids' TV
I was going to mention a couple of quotes from this episode, or maybe add a screencap, but in the end there was just too much hilarity to choose from. So just watch it. All of it. Go on, you've earnt it.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Part 5 How Do You Solve a Problem Like Camilla? [final episode]
...and today is that day. Felt almost like Part Two of the last episode, this one.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD or SeeSaw.]
You Have Been Watching
2x07 Kids' TV
I was going to mention a couple of quotes from this episode, or maybe add a screencap, but in the end there was just too much hilarity to choose from. So just watch it. All of it. Go on, you've earnt it.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Websites
Ultra Culture
Normally this would go under Articles, but this is my new favourite film blog (that I've discovered today) so there's too much to share. Check out the Daily Mail-satirising post on The Killer Inside Me, for example, or the analysis of The Twilight Saga in Promotional Photos and Amanda Seyfried's career in promotional photos.
I was made aware of this blog thanks to Edgar Wright's twitter, where he mentioned the post Our 10 favourite bits from the second Scott Pilgrim trailer. I like numbers 3, 4, 7, 9, and, of course, 8.
Normally this would go under Articles, but this is my new favourite film blog (that I've discovered today) so there's too much to share. Check out the Daily Mail-satirising post on The Killer Inside Me, for example, or the analysis of The Twilight Saga in Promotional Photos and Amanda Seyfried's career in promotional photos.
I was made aware of this blog thanks to Edgar Wright's twitter, where he mentioned the post Our 10 favourite bits from the second Scott Pilgrim trailer. I like numbers 3, 4, 7, 9, and, of course, 8.
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Films
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
[#56 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Read the 100 Films review here.
[#56 in 100 Films in a Year 2010]
Read the 100 Films review here.
this week on 100 Films
3 new feature-film reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
Coraline (2009)
Seraphim Falls (2006)
Taken (2008)
Also this week, 2 reviews of shorts were posted...
Pixels (2010)
The World of Tomorrow (1998)
More next Sunday.
Coraline (2009)
it’s scary. Very scary, in places. For much of the film there’s a beautiful creepy atmosphere, enhanced by drifting fog and skewed camera angles, but towards the end — when the full truth of the Other Mother is revealed — it’s not just kids who are likely to be freaked out. Dark themes and situations abound
Seraphim Falls (2006)
It’s centred neatly around Neeson chasing Brosnan, but the encounters they have along the way are increasingly bizarre. It’s readily apparent that there’s some Meaning and Subtext here, but I’m not sure if one has to process this to appreciate the film — it’s a still a chase movie (of sorts) after all.
Taken (2008)
remember Man On Fire? The Tony Scott/Denzel Washington one. Well, replace Washington with Neeson and Dakota Fanning’s character with “his daughter” and you’ve more or less got it. Taken is practically a remake, only in Europe, with a happier ending, and an hour shorter. It’s also not as good
Also this week, 2 reviews of shorts were posted...
Pixels (2010)
The plot is simple: characters and graphics from old 8-bit computer games escape and run riot over New York City. We’re talking Space Invaders firing on real streets, Tetris blocks crashing onto buildings... For people of A Certain Age it’s an explosion of nostalgia, but everyone can be impressed by the CGI on display.
The World of Tomorrow (1998)
In comparison to its big brother, nearly every shot is exactly duplicated in the final film. Most don’t look much more primitive here. The resolution’s lower, it’s perhaps a bit jagged round the edges, and it’s in deliberately dirtied black and white rather than the glowing sepia-hued colour of the feature, but it shows the concept worked.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 29 May 2010
TV
Doctor Who
31x09 Cold Blood
Well, that was an ignominious end. Even Adric got better than that!
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Eurovision Song Contest: Oslo 2010
The UK's rubbish entry deserved to come last, but Belarus deserved better and Denmark (as well as some others) deserved less.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
31x09 Cold Blood
Well, that was an ignominious end. Even Adric got better than that!
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Eurovision Song Contest: Oslo 2010
The UK's rubbish entry deserved to come last, but Belarus deserved better and Denmark (as well as some others) deserved less.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friday, 28 May 2010
TV
The Mentalist
2x15 Red Herring
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
The Queen
Part 4 The Enemy Within
One day I'll finish watching this series...
[Watch it (again) on 4oD or SeeSaw.]
2x15 Red Herring
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
The Queen
Part 4 The Enemy Within
One day I'll finish watching this series...
[Watch it (again) on 4oD or SeeSaw.]
DVD Extras
Knowing All: The Making of a Futuristic Thriller
Brief but informative making-of featurette from the Knowing Blu-ray. Ironically, I only watched it because it was short, yet it felt like there was lots more to say about the film's production. I suppose that's what the director's commentary is for.
Brief but informative making-of featurette from the Knowing Blu-ray. Ironically, I only watched it because it was short, yet it felt like there was lots more to say about the film's production. I suppose that's what the director's commentary is for.
Articles
FlashForward finale: Did advance planning do more harm than good for the show? by Lynette Rice
(from Hollywood Insider at EW.com)
Steampunks gather for Great Exhibition by Mark Ward
(from BBC News)
It's funny how older stories sometimes turn up in BBC News' "most popular" list, like this rather cool one from the end of March.
(from Hollywood Insider at EW.com)
Steampunks gather for Great Exhibition by Mark Ward
(from BBC News)
It's funny how older stories sometimes turn up in BBC News' "most popular" list, like this rather cool one from the end of March.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Two Complete Series box sets this week mean the usual small changes to title-totals, but big shifts in terms of discs and TV episodes. Lovely.
Number of titles in collection: 1,175 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,088 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 87 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 2,884 [up 40]
Number of films in collection: 1,239 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,045 [up 129]
Statistic of the week:
Number of Masters of Cinema DVDs/BDs in collection:
31
(36% of MoC titles)
Normally I'd tie a stat like this to a new purchase, but, no, I just had the idea. Though I also just ordered Tabu, so that kinda counts.
(Also, note that while MoC have 101 films numbered in their collection, some titles contain multiple numbers (e.g. the Lubitsch box set is #94-99). Re-counting just titles brings their total down to 86, which is the number used above so as to match my other collection stats. Out of their 101 film, I own 41, or 40.6%. In case you cared.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Two Complete Series box sets this week mean the usual small changes to title-totals, but big shifts in terms of discs and TV episodes. Lovely.
Number of titles in collection: 1,175 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,088 [up 2]
Of which Blu-rays: 87 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 2,884 [up 40]
Number of films in collection: 1,239 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,045 [up 129]
Statistic of the week:
Number of Masters of Cinema DVDs/BDs in collection:
31
(36% of MoC titles)
Normally I'd tie a stat like this to a new purchase, but, no, I just had the idea. Though I also just ordered Tabu, so that kinda counts.
(Also, note that while MoC have 101 films numbered in their collection, some titles contain multiple numbers (e.g. the Lubitsch box set is #94-99). Re-counting just titles brings their total down to 86, which is the number used above so as to match my other collection stats. Out of their 101 film, I own 41, or 40.6%. In case you cared.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
TV
The Graham Norton Show
7x07 (24/5/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Luther
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
7x07 (24/5/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Luther
1x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
Evangelion Movie Beats Blu-ray Records in Japan by Juan Calonge
(from Blu-ray.com)
(from Blu-ray.com)
anime feature film Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance sold 195,000 Blu-ray Discs in Japan, easily beating the first-day sales record for a Blu-ray release in that country (which previously belonged to Michael Jackson's This Is It with 122,000 copies). Over 60% of the total disc sales of this title came from the Blu-ray version.Nice news. Now I just hope for a speedy Western release, as the first film was so good.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
TV
FlashForward
1x21 Countdown
It's quite hard to feel any sympathy for the breakdown of Dem & Zoe's engagement, considering she's been an unlikeable pussy-whipping bitch throughout. Good riddance to her, in fact. Indeed, FlashForward routinely fails on all emotional fronts -- the supposedly moving scene between Mark and Charlie was a particularly weak and over-sentimental example in my opinion.
Still, only one more ep to go, and then we'll have all the answers we're ever going to have.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
You Have Been Watching
2x06 (20/5/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
1x21 Countdown
It's quite hard to feel any sympathy for the breakdown of Dem & Zoe's engagement, considering she's been an unlikeable pussy-whipping bitch throughout. Good riddance to her, in fact. Indeed, FlashForward routinely fails on all emotional fronts -- the supposedly moving scene between Mark and Charlie was a particularly weak and over-sentimental example in my opinion.
Still, only one more ep to go, and then we'll have all the answers we're ever going to have.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
You Have Been Watching
2x06 (20/5/10 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
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