Baking Made Easy
1x05 Bake to Impress
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Yugo the Negotiator
1x01 Negotiator
1x02 Resolve
1x03 Contact
For my thoughts on these episodes, look here.
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Music
I've become lax and listing music again. So much for my good intentions. Anyway, I have mostly been listening to...
Once: Music from the Motion Picture by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
The Social Network by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Plus, today...
The Union by Elton John & Leon Russell
[4th listen]
Once: Music from the Motion Picture by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
The Social Network by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Plus, today...
The Union by Elton John & Leon Russell
[4th listen]
this week on 100 Films
Just 1 new review was posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, rounding off David Fincher Week...
The Social Network (2010)
Talking of rounding off David Fincher Week -- in which I reviewed all eight of David Fincher's films, lest you've forgotten -- I also had a bit of a summary post.
More (though no more Fincher, obviously) next Sunday.
The Social Network (2010)
Reviews have been stuffed with superlatives — again, just look at the DVD cover — and while I agree with the counterpoint that it’s too soon to tell if it’s a classic or generation-defining (it’s about a generation-defining phenomenon, that doesn’t inherently make it a generation-defining film), there’s every chance it will indeed turn out to be both. Even if it doesn’t, it’s still an incredible piece of filmmaking.
Talking of rounding off David Fincher Week -- in which I reviewed all eight of David Fincher's films, lest you've forgotten -- I also had a bit of a summary post.
More (though no more Fincher, obviously) next Sunday.
Yugo the Negotiator, Episodes 1-3
Anime series about a privately-contracted hostage negotiator.
The first three episodes -- Negotiator, Resolve and Contact (ignore the titles at those links, they're incorrect) -- make up the first half of the first storyline. Only 13 episodes and two story arcs were made -- unfortunately, because the series has a lot of promise.
It's unusual for an anime show in its lack of action -- you imagine their usual interpretation of such a scenario would be for the character to go in all guns blazing, probably in a giant robot. (If you think I'm being stereotypical in such a view, read some of the reviews from dedicated anime sites.) Instead, Yugo is slow-paced and somewhat methodical, as the titular hero sets about investigating the situation and treading carefully, all with a very realistic and well-researched style.
It improves as it goes on too, a little like (though, to be frank, not as good as) The Wire -- the accumulation of knowledge and settling into the series' pace and style allows it to improve; later episodes aren't necessarily better in and of themselves, but the whole thing improves as it grows. It's the kind of slow-paced that's addictive: the running time mostly dashes past, but with so little development you long for the next episode to see the story continue.
In these respects it's rather good then, but it's let down by some occasionally woeful dialogue in the English dub. The acting is mostly fine, and they've gone to a lot of trouble to respectfully depict Pakistan (more than the Japanese dub did, it seems), but sometimes a better script is called for. Even worse, though, is the truly dreadful and shockingly inappropriate theme music. It's a jazzy number that doesn't fit the grim, serious, realistic tone of the series at all. I rarely skip title sequences -- they're part of the programme after all -- but here I'm seriously tempted.
On the evidence of these first few episodes I can see why Yugo isn't among the most well-known of anime series -- as those reviews point out, it's an acquired taste for a (Western) fandom more used to straightforward action, humour and romance -- but for those who like this kind of thing (like me) it's a minor gem. If it weren't for the too-often poor screenplay, it'd be the kind of thing you might use to persuade the unconverted to give anime a go, but as it is I'm not convinced it'd work.
The first three episodes -- Negotiator, Resolve and Contact (ignore the titles at those links, they're incorrect) -- make up the first half of the first storyline. Only 13 episodes and two story arcs were made -- unfortunately, because the series has a lot of promise.
It's unusual for an anime show in its lack of action -- you imagine their usual interpretation of such a scenario would be for the character to go in all guns blazing, probably in a giant robot. (If you think I'm being stereotypical in such a view, read some of the reviews from dedicated anime sites.) Instead, Yugo is slow-paced and somewhat methodical, as the titular hero sets about investigating the situation and treading carefully, all with a very realistic and well-researched style.
It improves as it goes on too, a little like (though, to be frank, not as good as) The Wire -- the accumulation of knowledge and settling into the series' pace and style allows it to improve; later episodes aren't necessarily better in and of themselves, but the whole thing improves as it grows. It's the kind of slow-paced that's addictive: the running time mostly dashes past, but with so little development you long for the next episode to see the story continue.
In these respects it's rather good then, but it's let down by some occasionally woeful dialogue in the English dub. The acting is mostly fine, and they've gone to a lot of trouble to respectfully depict Pakistan (more than the Japanese dub did, it seems), but sometimes a better script is called for. Even worse, though, is the truly dreadful and shockingly inappropriate theme music. It's a jazzy number that doesn't fit the grim, serious, realistic tone of the series at all. I rarely skip title sequences -- they're part of the programme after all -- but here I'm seriously tempted.
On the evidence of these first few episodes I can see why Yugo isn't among the most well-known of anime series -- as those reviews point out, it's an acquired taste for a (Western) fandom more used to straightforward action, humour and romance -- but for those who like this kind of thing (like me) it's a minor gem. If it weren't for the too-often poor screenplay, it'd be the kind of thing you might use to persuade the unconverted to give anime a go, but as it is I'm not convinced it'd work.
Saturday, 19 February 2011
TV
Baking Made Easy
1x04 Very Entertaining
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Due South
2x16 The Duel [2nd watch]
Fast and Loose
1x06 Episode 6
I liked the new musicals round at the end -- most amusing. Also, one of the best Interpretive Dance rounds thus far. Handily (and by sheer coincidence -- no, honestly), those are the two clips available independently on the BBC's website.
[Watch the whole episode (again) on iPlayer.]
Faulks on Fiction
Part 2 The Lover
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x04 Very Entertaining
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Due South
2x16 The Duel [2nd watch]
Fast and Loose
1x06 Episode 6
I liked the new musicals round at the end -- most amusing. Also, one of the best Interpretive Dance rounds thus far. Handily (and by sheer coincidence -- no, honestly), those are the two clips available independently on the BBC's website.
[Watch the whole episode (again) on iPlayer.]
Faulks on Fiction
Part 2 The Lover
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Friday, 18 February 2011
TV
Baking Made Easy
1x03 Modern Classics
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Graham Norton Show
8x16 (11/2/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Top Gear
16x04 (13/2/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
1x03 Modern Classics
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Graham Norton Show
8x16 (11/2/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Top Gear
16x04 (13/2/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Articles
Today, three of the most interesting articles I've bothered to share in quite some time (in my opinion, of course).
How Pirates Can Save the Home Movie Industry (And Why Netflix is its Future) by Navneet Alang
(from TECHi)
Despite the big picture of Captain Jack, they don't mean those kinds of pirates. And it's less supposing Internet piracy can save the home video industry -- that's just an obviously inflammatory title -- and more how the lessons learnt from it could do the saving. It seems well-reasoned and
Middle-earth according to Mordor by Laura Miller
(from Salon.com)
"A newly translated Russian novel retells Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings from the perspective of the bad guys," basically. The article goes into a lot more detail on why this is a properly interesting and well-executed concept, not just some quick cash-in. It sounds like a good read... and thanks to potential copyright issues, it's available completely free (in English, as an ebook/PDF file) from here.
Why Chris Nolan’s Batman Isn’t Racist by Mark Hughes
(from Obsessed with Film)
That might sound like a silly or obvious thing to say, but the article has a good point to make -- essentially, that most comics and consequently comic book movies are extremely white-orientated, but Nolan's Batmans really aren't. It goes on a bit, labouring the point (especially toward the end), but it has plenty of examples and clear reasoning.
How Pirates Can Save the Home Movie Industry (And Why Netflix is its Future) by Navneet Alang
(from TECHi)
Despite the big picture of Captain Jack, they don't mean those kinds of pirates. And it's less supposing Internet piracy can save the home video industry -- that's just an obviously inflammatory title -- and more how the lessons learnt from it could do the saving. It seems well-reasoned and
Middle-earth according to Mordor by Laura Miller
(from Salon.com)
"A newly translated Russian novel retells Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings from the perspective of the bad guys," basically. The article goes into a lot more detail on why this is a properly interesting and well-executed concept, not just some quick cash-in. It sounds like a good read... and thanks to potential copyright issues, it's available completely free (in English, as an ebook/PDF file) from here.
Why Chris Nolan’s Batman Isn’t Racist by Mark Hughes
(from Obsessed with Film)
That might sound like a silly or obvious thing to say, but the article has a good point to make -- essentially, that most comics and consequently comic book movies are extremely white-orientated, but Nolan's Batmans really aren't. It goes on a bit, labouring the point (especially toward the end), but it has plenty of examples and clear reasoning.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
A couple of little boosts this week. Should be more next.
Number of titles in collection: 1,267 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,101 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 166 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 3,166 [up 5]
Number of films in collection: 1,341 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,671 [up 11]
See you next week, faithful reader.
A couple of little boosts this week. Should be more next.
Number of titles in collection: 1,267 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,101 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 166 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 3,166 [up 5]
Number of films in collection: 1,341 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,671 [up 11]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
TV
10 O'Clock Live
1x04 (10/2/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Baking Made Easy
1x02 Speed Baking
Normally I couldn't give a flying fig about cooking programmes, but this one is lovely. And yummy. Far too yummy to resist. Too many figs though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Killing [aka Forbrydelsen]
1x08 Day 8
Perhaps surprisingly, I found this episode's rather understated cliffhanger the most engrossing yet. What happens next?! I demand to know!
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
1x04 (10/2/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Baking Made Easy
1x02 Speed Baking
Normally I couldn't give a flying fig about cooking programmes, but this one is lovely. And yummy. Far too yummy to resist. Too many figs though.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Killing [aka Forbrydelsen]
1x08 Day 8
Perhaps surprisingly, I found this episode's rather understated cliffhanger the most engrossing yet. What happens next?! I demand to know!
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Fiction
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Walking Dead by Mathew New
I've never read Scott Pilgrim and I've yet to see the film, but this was rather entertaining. The number of comments saying how similar it is to the originals suggests to me I might actually like them.
(By-the-by, that link is to Edgar Wright's blog. The original is here.)
I've never read Scott Pilgrim and I've yet to see the film, but this was rather entertaining. The number of comments saying how similar it is to the originals suggests to me I might actually like them.
(By-the-by, that link is to Edgar Wright's blog. The original is here.)
Articles
Lords want TV ads cut by 20 percent by Kate Goodacre
(from Digital Spy)
Reader’s Block by Geoff Dyer
(from Work in Progress)
An interesting -- if slightly long and overly academic -- essay on "reader's block", the notion of finding it increasingly difficult to read a book. In possibly the only instance of it on the entire Internet, nearly all the comments are quite interesting too (and most more digestible than the article itself, it must be said).
(from Digital Spy)
The House of Lords Communications Committee has recommended cutting the number of advertisements on television... "our recommendations would encourage both public service and commercial broadcasters to provide their viewers with quality original UK television programmes."What better way to encourage broadcasters to make more programmes than cut the amount of money they earn, eh?
Reader’s Block by Geoff Dyer
(from Work in Progress)
An interesting -- if slightly long and overly academic -- essay on "reader's block", the notion of finding it increasingly difficult to read a book. In possibly the only instance of it on the entire Internet, nearly all the comments are quite interesting too (and most more digestible than the article itself, it must be said).
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
TV
Due South
2x15 Body Language [2nd watch]
Fast and Loose
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Killing [aka Forbrydelsen]
1x07 Day 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
2x15 Body Language [2nd watch]
Fast and Loose
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Killing [aka Forbrydelsen]
1x07 Day 7
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
Holmes sequel gets Game Of Shadows title by Simon Reynolds
(from Digital Spy)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows? I like it. Particularly the inclusion of "A".
Outcasts cast out to Sunday late slot by Tara Conlan
(from guardian.co.uk)
(from Digital Spy)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows? I like it. Particularly the inclusion of "A".
Outcasts cast out to Sunday late slot by Tara Conlan
(from guardian.co.uk)
BBC1 sci-fi drama Outcasts is being moved from 9pm to a Sunday late-night slot after disappointing ratings.Oh dear. However bad things get, British dramas very, very rarely get shunted around in the schedules. Still, that's what happens when you make a flat-out poor show.
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
TV
Baking Made Easy
1x01 So Easy
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
How TV Ruined Your Life
1x03 Aspiration
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Outcasts
1x02 Episode 2
Well, that wasn't any better that the first. Still, at least it's not as unremittingly dire as The Deep.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Yes Minister
2x04 The Greasy Pole
1x01 So Easy
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
How TV Ruined Your Life
1x03 Aspiration
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Outcasts
1x02 Episode 2
Well, that wasn't any better that the first. Still, at least it's not as unremittingly dire as The Deep.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Yes Minister
2x04 The Greasy Pole
Monday, 14 February 2011
TV
Due South
2x14 All the Queen's Horses [2nd watch]
Episodes
1x05 Episode Five
I think I may be saying it every week now, but this just keeps improving. Hurrah!
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Glee
2x05 The Rocky Horror Glee Show
I don't normally watch Glee -- and on the strength of this, I don't intend to start. What a horrible way to ruin an excellent musical; all High School Musical-y and sanitised. Only an X Factor theme week version could possibly have been worse.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Outcasts
1x01 Episode 1
Well that was a bit disappointing. Too much blatant exposition, too much blatant mystery establishing, not to mention all the instances of weak dialogue and weak acting. Plus, of course the mentally ill character turns out to be a villain. Ugh. There's so much potential in the basic idea -- not to mention a fairly good cast and clearly a big budget -- but it looks likely to be squandered here. Shame. Huge shame, actually.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
2x14 All the Queen's Horses [2nd watch]
Episodes
1x05 Episode Five
I think I may be saying it every week now, but this just keeps improving. Hurrah!
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Glee
2x05 The Rocky Horror Glee Show
I don't normally watch Glee -- and on the strength of this, I don't intend to start. What a horrible way to ruin an excellent musical; all High School Musical-y and sanitised. Only an X Factor theme week version could possibly have been worse.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Outcasts
1x01 Episode 1
Well that was a bit disappointing. Too much blatant exposition, too much blatant mystery establishing, not to mention all the instances of weak dialogue and weak acting. Plus, of course the mentally ill character turns out to be a villain. Ugh. There's so much potential in the basic idea -- not to mention a fairly good cast and clearly a big budget -- but it looks likely to be squandered here. Shame. Huge shame, actually.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 13 February 2011
TV
The British Academy Film Awards 2011
In case you didn't fancy totting up the numbers, The King's Speech unsurprisingly dominated this years BAFTAs with 7 wins, followed by The Social Network and Inception with 3 each (the former including two big'uns; latter all technical) and then, would you believe, Alice in Wonderland with 2.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Mentalist
3x12 Bloodhounds
The Tudors
4x02 Sister
In case you didn't fancy totting up the numbers, The King's Speech unsurprisingly dominated this years BAFTAs with 7 wins, followed by The Social Network and Inception with 3 each (the former including two big'uns; latter all technical) and then, would you believe, Alice in Wonderland with 2.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Mentalist
3x12 Bloodhounds
The Tudors
4x02 Sister
Films
Pocahontas (1995)
[2nd watch]
Shame about being massively historically inaccurate, because the songs are quite good (only quite good, mind) and it looks quite beautiful, especially in HD.
[2nd watch]
Shame about being massively historically inaccurate, because the songs are quite good (only quite good, mind) and it looks quite beautiful, especially in HD.
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