Doctor Who
31x03 Victory of the Daleks [2nd watch]
I remember this as being of the fifth series' weakest episodes and, to be honest, it probably is. But that's rather a mark of how excellent the series on the whole is, because Victory of the Daleks has plenty of absolutely great bits -- Ian McNeice's Churchill, for instance (so good I want him back, please), or the Spitfires in space. It's still riddled with niggles and the odd more fundamental flaw -- it's at least five minutes too short, for one, that time being needed to build up some of the subplots; and it does feel rather like just a prelude to whatever the next Dalek story is, existing simply to explain the redesign -- but it's not bad, just not as good as it could be.
On a personal note, when I first thought of re-watching series five in the run up to series six I had plenty of time to do it; when I actually started, I still had enough time; now, I've got 10 episodes left and the new series starts in a week -- oh dear. That said, thanks to the three two-parters, it still averages out at one story per night, more or less -- so maybe, then, eh?
Saturday, 16 April 2011
DVD Extras
Helter-Skelter
Featurette on the DVD of Time and the Rani about the creation of the Seventh Doctor's title sequence, the first for Doctor Who to be created using CGI. It was emerging technology at the time, and this featurette certainly gives one a new appreciation for how cutting-edge and extraordinary the sequence was for the time.
Featurette on the DVD of Time and the Rani about the creation of the Seventh Doctor's title sequence, the first for Doctor Who to be created using CGI. It was emerging technology at the time, and this featurette certainly gives one a new appreciation for how cutting-edge and extraordinary the sequence was for the time.
Articles
85 Authors Protest At The BBC’s Treatment Of Genre Fiction by Dave Golder
(from SFX)
Some of the comments go a bit far, but the original authors do have something of a point.
Stephen Fry prison 'pledge' over 'Twitter joke' trial
(from BBC News)
That's the headline-grabbing bit; more genuinely interesting is the rest of the article, about a benefit gig in support of the defence.
(from SFX)
Some of the comments go a bit far, but the original authors do have something of a point.
Stephen Fry prison 'pledge' over 'Twitter joke' trial
(from BBC News)
That's the headline-grabbing bit; more genuinely interesting is the rest of the article, about a benefit gig in support of the defence.
Friday, 15 April 2011
TV
The Mentalist
3x16 Red Queen
Normally I hate stories that start at the end and then jump "36 Hours Earlier" or whatever -- it's a massively overdone technique now and there's rarely any need for it -- but I'll let this one pass because it was such an effective surprise opening.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
3x16 Red Queen
Normally I hate stories that start at the end and then jump "36 Hours Earlier" or whatever -- it's a massively overdone technique now and there's rarely any need for it -- but I'll let this one pass because it was such an effective surprise opening.
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Articles
BBC Four recommissions hit comedy series Twenty Twelve
(from BBC Press Office)
Didn't really expect that. But I'm glad, because I like it. (Look out particularly from the quote from, not Hugh Bonneville, but Hugh Bonneville's character.)
(from BBC Press Office)
Didn't really expect that. But I'm glad, because I like it. (Look out particularly from the quote from, not Hugh Bonneville, but Hugh Bonneville's character.)
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Everything's still on the up. Which is to be expected, really, because I never go selling stuff off. I ought to, probably. Indeed, I have a huge pile of stuff I've upgraded still waiting to be eBayed...
Number of titles in collection: 1,296 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,103 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 193 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 3,224 [up 8]
Number of films in collection: 1,366 [up 6]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,794 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Everything's still on the up. Which is to be expected, really, because I never go selling stuff off. I ought to, probably. Indeed, I have a huge pile of stuff I've upgraded still waiting to be eBayed...
Number of titles in collection: 1,296 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 1,103 [up 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 193 [up 4]
Number of discs in collection: 3,224 [up 8]
Number of films in collection: 1,366 [up 6]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 4,794 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
TV
10 O'Clock Live
1x12 (7/4/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Friday Night Dinner
1x06 The Date [season finale]
It's already been recommissioned. Which is nice, 'cause it's quite good.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
1x12 (7/4/11 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Friday Night Dinner
1x06 The Date [season finale]
It's already been recommissioned. Which is nice, 'cause it's quite good.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
DVD Extras
Audio commentary by Sidney Lumet on Dog Day Afternoon
Remember I watched this last week? I started listening to the audio commentary then too, just for a bit, and found it rather engrossing, so now I've gone back and listened to the rest.
Lumet: Film Maker
[#43a in 100 Films in a Year 2011]
Vintage documentary short about the making of Dog Day Afternoon, included on the DVD.
The Making of Dog Day Afternoon
A series of four featurettes about... well, obviously. Because they're listed on IMDb separately, they are: The Story, Casting the Controversy, Recreating the Facts and After the Filming.
Remember I watched this last week? I started listening to the audio commentary then too, just for a bit, and found it rather engrossing, so now I've gone back and listened to the rest.
Lumet: Film Maker
[#43a in 100 Films in a Year 2011]
Vintage documentary short about the making of Dog Day Afternoon, included on the DVD.
The Making of Dog Day Afternoon
A series of four featurettes about... well, obviously. Because they're listed on IMDb separately, they are: The Story, Casting the Controversy, Recreating the Facts and After the Filming.
Articles
Blu-ray just gives me the blues by Phelim O'Neill
(from Film Blog at guardian.co.uk)
An interesting (not always entirely factually accurate, I don't think, but interesting) article on the state and potential of the Blu-ray market. Less academic than that makes it sound.
Game Of Thrones by The Numbers by Lesley Goldberg
(from The Hollywood Reporter)
A bunch of stats about HBO's big new fantasy adaptation. How much it costs, how many extras there are, how many beheadings are in the first episode -- that kind of thing.
(from Film Blog at guardian.co.uk)
An interesting (not always entirely factually accurate, I don't think, but interesting) article on the state and potential of the Blu-ray market. Less academic than that makes it sound.
Game Of Thrones by The Numbers by Lesley Goldberg
(from The Hollywood Reporter)
A bunch of stats about HBO's big new fantasy adaptation. How much it costs, how many extras there are, how many beheadings are in the first episode -- that kind of thing.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
TV
The Crimson Petal and the White
Part 1 (of 4)
Absolutely, strikingly magnificent. It's truly gorgeously shot (especially when seen in HD), beautifully designed, marvellously acted (including at least one very surprising performance), beguilingly written... I actually had goosebumps by the final scenes. If you haven't watched it, I urge you to -- it's phenomenal. If it can keep this level up for the remaining three episodes, it'll be a certified classic in my book.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
31x02 The Beast Below [2nd watch]
For the past year (i.e. since it was on) I've been happy to assert that this is the most underrated episode of the 11th Doctor's/Steven Moffat's first series. Having watched it again, I absolutely agree with myself: this is an excellent episode that seems to have been unjustly under-appreciated.
I posit two reasons: one, it followed The Eleventh Hour, which is probably one of the very best Who stories ever; and two, what's so great about it is how (for want of a better word) dark it is. The final 15 minutes (ish) are amongst Who's most hair-raisingly dramatically serious, with the Doctor placed in an impossible moral decision. All credit to Moffat for being willing to take what it is ostensibly a kids' show into such deep territory. It pays dividends, to my mind; and bear in mind that my mind is one that considers Doctor Who's "kids' show" status to be vital to its success in the past and now. The reason such dilemmas and topics work here is because, while they're serious and grown-up, they're serious and grown-up in a way it's appropriate for children to be considering (in my opinion, obviously).
So yes, I love The Beast Below, and anyone who thinks it isn't a good episode is plain Wrong.
Twenty Twelve
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Yes Minister
3x07 The Middle-Class Rip-Off [season finale]
Part 1 (of 4)
Absolutely, strikingly magnificent. It's truly gorgeously shot (especially when seen in HD), beautifully designed, marvellously acted (including at least one very surprising performance), beguilingly written... I actually had goosebumps by the final scenes. If you haven't watched it, I urge you to -- it's phenomenal. If it can keep this level up for the remaining three episodes, it'll be a certified classic in my book.
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who
31x02 The Beast Below [2nd watch]
For the past year (i.e. since it was on) I've been happy to assert that this is the most underrated episode of the 11th Doctor's/Steven Moffat's first series. Having watched it again, I absolutely agree with myself: this is an excellent episode that seems to have been unjustly under-appreciated.
I posit two reasons: one, it followed The Eleventh Hour, which is probably one of the very best Who stories ever; and two, what's so great about it is how (for want of a better word) dark it is. The final 15 minutes (ish) are amongst Who's most hair-raisingly dramatically serious, with the Doctor placed in an impossible moral decision. All credit to Moffat for being willing to take what it is ostensibly a kids' show into such deep territory. It pays dividends, to my mind; and bear in mind that my mind is one that considers Doctor Who's "kids' show" status to be vital to its success in the past and now. The reason such dilemmas and topics work here is because, while they're serious and grown-up, they're serious and grown-up in a way it's appropriate for children to be considering (in my opinion, obviously).
So yes, I love The Beast Below, and anyone who thinks it isn't a good episode is plain Wrong.
Twenty Twelve
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]
Yes Minister
3x07 The Middle-Class Rip-Off [season finale]
Articles
The Crimson Petal and the White: Watching my novel reborn on TV by Michel Faber
(from guardian.co.uk)
As you may guess from the title, the author of the novel responds to the currently-running TV adaptation. It's rather pretentious in places, but still worth a read.
"I've never worked quite as hard as this... but look at the two shows I do. It's absolutely worth it." by Benjamin Cook
(from Doctor Who Magazine #433, p.22-31)
A great interview with Doctor Who's head blokey, Steven Moffat, revealing all sorts of things, from his thinking behind this season's unusual structure to what it's like being in charge of two of TV's biggest dramas at the same time. Insightful and surprisingly candid -- great work, Mr Cook and DWM.
Plus there's all sorts of other great stuff in the issue, as per always... so, y'know, buy it.
(from guardian.co.uk)
As you may guess from the title, the author of the novel responds to the currently-running TV adaptation. It's rather pretentious in places, but still worth a read.
"I've never worked quite as hard as this... but look at the two shows I do. It's absolutely worth it." by Benjamin Cook
(from Doctor Who Magazine #433, p.22-31)
A great interview with Doctor Who's head blokey, Steven Moffat, revealing all sorts of things, from his thinking behind this season's unusual structure to what it's like being in charge of two of TV's biggest dramas at the same time. Insightful and surprisingly candid -- great work, Mr Cook and DWM.
Plus there's all sorts of other great stuff in the issue, as per always... so, y'know, buy it.
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
TV
The Event
1x14 A Message Back
Getting increasingly far behind on this. I'll have to make an effort to catch up.
Extraordinary Dogs
1x10 Instinct: The Sixth Sense 2
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Family Guy
3x15 Ready, Willing, and Disabled
3x16 A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas
3x17 Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows
Monroe
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
$#*! My Dad Says
1x05 Not Without My Jacket
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
1x14 A Message Back
Getting increasingly far behind on this. I'll have to make an effort to catch up.
Extraordinary Dogs
1x10 Instinct: The Sixth Sense 2
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Family Guy
3x15 Ready, Willing, and Disabled
3x16 A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas
3x17 Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows
Monroe
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
$#*! My Dad Says
1x05 Not Without My Jacket
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]
Articles
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair Has Small Changes That Produce Big Results by Germain Lussier
(from /Film)
Seems they've been screening the single-film cut of Kill Bill in LA to celebrate Tarantino's birthday. Any chance of the long-promised DVD/Blu-ray release too, mm?
Peter Jackson Explains Why He’s Shooting The Hobbit at 48 Frames Per Second by Peter Sciretta
(from /Film)
If you're a filmy person like me, this is very interesting. For the layperson, probably not so much.
(from /Film)
Seems they've been screening the single-film cut of Kill Bill in LA to celebrate Tarantino's birthday. Any chance of the long-promised DVD/Blu-ray release too, mm?
Peter Jackson Explains Why He’s Shooting The Hobbit at 48 Frames Per Second by Peter Sciretta
(from /Film)
If you're a filmy person like me, this is very interesting. For the layperson, probably not so much.
Monday, 11 April 2011
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Films
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
[#43 in 100 Films in a Year 2011]
Directed by Sidney Lumet, who sadly died yesterday.
[#43 in 100 Films in a Year 2011]
Directed by Sidney Lumet, who sadly died yesterday.
this week on 100 Films
4 new reviews were posted to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...
Cloak and Dagger (1946)
The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)
Monkey Business (1952)
Monsters (2010)
Plus, later tonight look for my review of the final part of the Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.
More next Sunday.
Cloak and Dagger (1946)
A World War II espionage thriller about the OSS — spies, basically, and the forerunner to the CIA. Despite all the thrills this should elicit, especially when directed by Fritz Lang, I wasn’t particularly impressed... a bit pedestrian and lacklustre; certainly not up to the other Langs I’ve seen from his time in Hollywood.
The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009)
One solution to the sequel problem is to “make it personal”, and that’s exactly what we get. A journalist and his girlfriend working for Mikael are murdered and Lisbeth is suspected of the crime. It’s somewhere around here that the coincidences begin to pile up. It makes perfect sense as a plot in itself, but in bringing Mikael and Lisbeth back together it doesn’t work
Monkey Business (1952)
we see a happily married couple wind up happily married having been through no real strain... the story consists of “Cary Grant behaves like a college boy” followed by “Ginger Rogers behaves like a stroppy newlywed” followed by “Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers behave like 6-year-olds”.
Monsters (2010)
Expecting an epic SF-action movie where soldiers kitted out with futuristic weaponry battle an alien menace? You might be disappointed... this is a science-fiction film that transcends the sci-fi genre. It’s got more in common with Lost in Translation or Before Sunrise than it does with Independence Day or Battle: Los Angeles.
Plus, later tonight look for my review of the final part of the Millennium trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
TV
Britain's Got the Pop Factor ...and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice
[2nd watch]
They repeated this last month to coincide with the new Comic Relief single. It's still remarkably accurate and hilarious funny... but, sadly, it wasn't actually "the talent show to end all talent shows".
[2nd watch]
They repeated this last month to coincide with the new Comic Relief single. It's still remarkably accurate and hilarious funny... but, sadly, it wasn't actually "the talent show to end all talent shows".
Films
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (2009)
[#42 in 100 Films in a Year 2011]
And that concludes my viewing of the Millennium trilogy. You can read my reviews of the first two here and here; my review of this one should be up Sunday night/Monday morning (depending how you look at it).
[#42 in 100 Films in a Year 2011]
And that concludes my viewing of the Millennium trilogy. You can read my reviews of the first two here and here; my review of this one should be up Sunday night/Monday morning (depending how you look at it).
Friday, 8 April 2011
TV
Doctor Who
31x01 The Eleventh Hour [3rd watch]
31x01a Meanwhile in the TARDIS
I've decided to try to re-watch the last series before the new one starts. Once upon a time I was working my way through the relaunched series one a year, but never got round to doing series four or the specials; really ought to go back to that. Anyway, I've got a couple of weeks 'til the sixth run starts; should be enough time for this lot.
Oh, and this time round I'll be watching the two Meanwhile in the TARDIS bits included on the DVD/Blu-rays -- a pair of short scenes that bridge the gap between two stories. This first one plugs the slight gap between The Eleventh Hour and The Beast Below.
Have I Got News For You
41x01 (8/4/11 edition)
Hurrah for HIGNFY being back! Boo for them not showing the extended version thanks to golf. Why is sport always allowed to rule the schedules?
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
House
7x17 Fall From Grace
Helluvan ending on this one...
The Mentalist
3x15 Red Gold
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
31x01 The Eleventh Hour [3rd watch]
31x01a Meanwhile in the TARDIS
I've decided to try to re-watch the last series before the new one starts. Once upon a time I was working my way through the relaunched series one a year, but never got round to doing series four or the specials; really ought to go back to that. Anyway, I've got a couple of weeks 'til the sixth run starts; should be enough time for this lot.
Oh, and this time round I'll be watching the two Meanwhile in the TARDIS bits included on the DVD/Blu-rays -- a pair of short scenes that bridge the gap between two stories. This first one plugs the slight gap between The Eleventh Hour and The Beast Below.
Have I Got News For You
41x01 (8/4/11 edition)
Hurrah for HIGNFY being back! Boo for them not showing the extended version thanks to golf. Why is sport always allowed to rule the schedules?
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
House
7x17 Fall From Grace
Helluvan ending on this one...
The Mentalist
3x15 Red Gold
[Watch it (again) on Demand Five.]
Articles
Behind the scenes of Secret Cinema by Dave Calhoun
(from Time Out London)
Someone in this article describes Secret Cinema as "impressive, if you can put up with a load of Hooray Henrys running around", which is more-or-less how it's always struck me. Despite having no desire to go anywhere near attending one thanks to the latter element, the first is enough to keep it intriguing. Something this article does too -- it refuses to reveal the next film, but has left me dying to know what it is.
(from Time Out London)
Someone in this article describes Secret Cinema as "impressive, if you can put up with a load of Hooray Henrys running around", which is more-or-less how it's always struck me. Despite having no desire to go anywhere near attending one thanks to the latter element, the first is enough to keep it intriguing. Something this article does too -- it refuses to reveal the next film, but has left me dying to know what it is.
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