The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
1x06 Episode 6
Having an unrepentant Diana on feels like it's reopened that can of worms just after it had finally died down...
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Last Leg
5x06 (5/9/14 edition) [season finale]
Ending a week too early to cover the Pistorius verdict! Shame. Great episode, though.
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Two Tribes
1x19 (11/9/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Friday, 12 September 2014
Thursday, 11 September 2014
TV
The Great British Bake Off
5x06 European Cakes
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Musketeers
1x09 Knight Takes Queen
Two Tribes
1x18 (10/9/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
5x06 European Cakes
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Musketeers
1x09 Knight Takes Queen
Two Tribes
1x18 (10/9/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
TV
Doctor Who
20x22 The King's Demons Part Two [season finale; 3rd watch]
What an odd ending. Essentially, the Doctor uncovers the Master's plot... and then all the time travellers just leave. There must be some very confused 13th Century nobles left behind, but we never see any of that. The downsides of being only two parts, I guess. You have to wonder if three is the ideal length for a Who story -- two is a bit rushed and unsatisfactory, whereas with four (or more) a good deal of the middle episodes is often spent doing sod all.
Two Tribes
1x16 (8/9/14 edition)
1x17 (9/9/14 edition)
[Watch episodes 16 and 17 (again) on iPlayer.]
20x22 The King's Demons Part Two [season finale; 3rd watch]
What an odd ending. Essentially, the Doctor uncovers the Master's plot... and then all the time travellers just leave. There must be some very confused 13th Century nobles left behind, but we never see any of that. The downsides of being only two parts, I guess. You have to wonder if three is the ideal length for a Who story -- two is a bit rushed and unsatisfactory, whereas with four (or more) a good deal of the middle episodes is often spent doing sod all.
Two Tribes
1x16 (8/9/14 edition)
1x17 (9/9/14 edition)
[Watch episodes 16 and 17 (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 8 September 2014
TV
Doctor Who
20x21 The King's Demons Part One [3rd watch]
Any Doctor Who fans reading this will notice that, despite my stated aim of watching a four-parter after every new Who episode this year, The King's Demons has only two parts. There are a couple of reasons for this: one, it has the best connection to Robot of Sherwood that I could think of (it's set in the same era, with the same king on the throne; and, in the second half, features a robot); two, it has a neat connection to a story we'll be watching later (more on that when we get there); and three, due to a familial invasion we only have time for a two-parter this week anyway -- what serendipity!
Two Tribes
1x15 (5/9/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
20x21 The King's Demons Part One [3rd watch]
Any Doctor Who fans reading this will notice that, despite my stated aim of watching a four-parter after every new Who episode this year, The King's Demons has only two parts. There are a couple of reasons for this: one, it has the best connection to Robot of Sherwood that I could think of (it's set in the same era, with the same king on the throne; and, in the second half, features a robot); two, it has a neat connection to a story we'll be watching later (more on that when we get there); and three, due to a familial invasion we only have time for a two-parter this week anyway -- what serendipity!
Two Tribes
1x15 (5/9/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Sunday, 7 September 2014
TV
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
7x01 (5/9/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Crimes of Passion
1x02 King Lily of the Valley
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
7x01 (5/9/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Crimes of Passion
1x02 King Lily of the Valley
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Articles
WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Jack the Ripper unmasked: How amateur sleuth used DNA breakthrough to identify Britain's most notorious criminal 126 years after string of terrible murders
by Russell Edwards (from Mail Online)
Sorry to link to the Daily Fail, but this is a rather fascinating story, all over Twitter today.
I started reading it with a high degree of scepticism -- surely it wouldn't turn out to be true? It would be someone deluding themselves about some "well, maybe... kinda..." evidence. But it does sound pretty convincing, actually. I'm sure other experts will weigh in and review the evidence over the coming days/weeks/months, and perhaps then we'll know for certain.
by Russell Edwards (from Mail Online)
Sorry to link to the Daily Fail, but this is a rather fascinating story, all over Twitter today.
I started reading it with a high degree of scepticism -- surely it wouldn't turn out to be true? It would be someone deluding themselves about some "well, maybe... kinda..." evidence. But it does sound pretty convincing, actually. I'm sure other experts will weigh in and review the evidence over the coming days/weeks/months, and perhaps then we'll know for certain.
this week on 100 Films
Right back at the start of this week, September started! Which of course means 100 Films in a Year took pause to look back at August. Read all about it here.
Following that, four brand-new reviews were published. They were...
The Battle of the Somme (1916)
Crimes of Passion: Death of a Loved One (2013)
The House of Fear (1945)
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
But just one review was re-posted to the new blog this week (oops).
Clash of the Titans (2010)
More next Sunday.
Following that, four brand-new reviews were published. They were...
The Battle of the Somme (1916)
Arguably the most famous clash of the First World War, the Battle of the Somme lasted four-and-a-half months from July to November 1916 and, with over a million men wounded or killed, is “one of the bloodiest battles in human history.” As the BBC’s History website puts it, although it was “intended to be a decisive breakthrough, the Battle of the Somme instead became a byword for futile and indiscriminate slaughter”. Not that you’d guess it from this contemporary documentary, which is essentially a propaganda piece produced by the British government.Read more here.
Crimes of Passion: Death of a Loved One (2013)
the latest Scandi-crime acquisition for BBC Four, airing in their regular “foreign crime” slot of Saturday nights at 9pm. [This first episode debuted in cinemas in March 2013.] Marketed as “Mad Men meets The Killing”, it would be more accurately be described as “Agatha Christie with subtitles”.Read more here.
The House of Fear (1945)
it felt to me like it wasn’t really going anywhere until Holmes suddenly figured it all out at the end. Certainly he draws on clues encountered along the way, but even then most of those come late on.Read more here.
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
A confused story connects workmanlike action sequences and mediocre CGI... New ideas sporadically rear their head, but Liebesman can’t ring anything interesting from them. Its predecessor’s strong points — creature design; retro-styled gods — are AWOL.Read more here.
But just one review was re-posted to the new blog this week (oops).
Clash of the Titans (2010)
the film is built to provide action sequences, though these are passable and rarely more. They’re fine while they’re happening, but pretty much forgotten after — none of it shows a great deal of inspiration. The history of film is littered with far worse examples, but that’s about the best I can say.Read more here.
More next Sunday.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I half forgot to post this yesterday, half hadn't done all the sums -- so here it is today! Complete with exciting monthly running time update...
Number of titles in collection: 1,694 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,202 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 492 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 4,224 [up 6]
Number of films in collection: 1,829 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,219 [up 5]
Number of short films in collection: 438 [no change]
And the aforementioned running time update tells us...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
304 days, 7 hours, and 50 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 23 hours, and 59 minutes from last month.)
Yep, one minute off exactly two days. Ah well.
See you next week, faithful reader.
I half forgot to post this yesterday, half hadn't done all the sums -- so here it is today! Complete with exciting monthly running time update...
Number of titles in collection: 1,694 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,202 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 492 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 4,224 [up 6]
Number of films in collection: 1,829 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,219 [up 5]
Number of short films in collection: 438 [no change]
And the aforementioned running time update tells us...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
304 days, 7 hours, and 50 minutes.
(Up 1 day, 23 hours, and 59 minutes from last month.)
Yep, one minute off exactly two days. Ah well.
See you next week, faithful reader.
Saturday, 6 September 2014
TV
Doctor Who
34x03 Robot of Sherwood
Really enjoyed that. It aimed to be a fun romp, and it was a fun romp -- what more can you ask? Looks like we're back to Super Seriousness next week, which will please some. Not that it displeases me, but I like the tone of my Who to be varied.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who Extra
1x03 Robot of Sherwood
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Two Tribes
1x13 (3/9/14 edition)
1x14 (4/9/14 edition)
[Watch episodes 13 and 14 (again) on iPlayer.]
34x03 Robot of Sherwood
Really enjoyed that. It aimed to be a fun romp, and it was a fun romp -- what more can you ask? Looks like we're back to Super Seriousness next week, which will please some. Not that it displeases me, but I like the tone of my Who to be varied.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Doctor Who Extra
1x03 Robot of Sherwood
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Two Tribes
1x13 (3/9/14 edition)
1x14 (4/9/14 edition)
[Watch episodes 13 and 14 (again) on iPlayer.]
Friday, 5 September 2014
TV
Crimes of Passion
1x01 Death of a Loved One
BBC Four's latest Scandi crime import, which I'm actually watching when it's on (more or less) rather than just downloading and never quite getting round to. This first episode received a theatrical release in Sweden, making it 100 Films in a Year 2014 #82; I'll have a review up in the morning.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Last Leg
5x05 (29/8/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
1x01 Death of a Loved One
BBC Four's latest Scandi crime import, which I'm actually watching when it's on (more or less) rather than just downloading and never quite getting round to. This first episode received a theatrical release in Sweden, making it 100 Films in a Year 2014 #82; I'll have a review up in the morning.
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
1x05 Episode 5
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
The Last Leg
5x05 (29/8/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]
Thursday, 4 September 2014
TV
Doctor Who
15x08 The Invisible Enemy Part Four
That was that, then. Not a very well-regarded story (it came 196th in DWM's recent poll) and it doesn't particularly deserve to be either. Some good bits though.
Duck Quacks Don't Echo
2x01 Episode 1
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
3x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
15x08 The Invisible Enemy Part Four
That was that, then. Not a very well-regarded story (it came 196th in DWM's recent poll) and it doesn't particularly deserve to be either. Some good bits though.
Duck Quacks Don't Echo
2x01 Episode 1
Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs
3x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on ITV Player.]
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
TV
Doctor Who
15x07 The Invisible Enemy Part Three
Considering this was made in the mid-'70s on a BBC kids' TV budget, I thought the special effects/sets inside the Doctor's brain looked pretty good. The nucleus of the swarm -- aka the giant prawn -- was godawful, though.
The Great British Bake Off
5x05 Pies and Tarts
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tumble
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
15x07 The Invisible Enemy Part Three
Considering this was made in the mid-'70s on a BBC kids' TV budget, I thought the special effects/sets inside the Doctor's brain looked pretty good. The nucleus of the swarm -- aka the giant prawn -- was godawful, though.
The Great British Bake Off
5x05 Pies and Tarts
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tumble
1x04 Episode 4
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
TV
Doctor Who
15x06 The Invisible Enemy Part Two
There's K9, and the miniaturisation! This isn't a very well-regarded story, and it's not all that, it's true. Has its moments though, most of them courtesy of Leela's humour.
The Musketeers
1x08 The Challenge
Two Tribes
1x11 (1/9/14 edition)
1x12 (2/9/14 edition)
[Watch episodes 11 and 12 (again) on iPlayer.]
15x06 The Invisible Enemy Part Two
There's K9, and the miniaturisation! This isn't a very well-regarded story, and it's not all that, it's true. Has its moments though, most of them courtesy of Leela's humour.
The Musketeers
1x08 The Challenge
Two Tribes
1x11 (1/9/14 edition)
1x12 (2/9/14 edition)
[Watch episodes 11 and 12 (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 1 September 2014
TV
Doctor Who
15x05 The Invisible Enemy Part One
This week's selection avoids the obvious choice of a Dalek story for something more conceptually linked: this is the story in which the Doctor is shrunk to enter his own body.
So I've read, anyway -- this is one I've not seen before (bonus!), and it doesn't happen in this episode. It's also the first story with K9... who's also not in this episode. Hey-ho.
15x05 The Invisible Enemy Part One
This week's selection avoids the obvious choice of a Dalek story for something more conceptually linked: this is the story in which the Doctor is shrunk to enter his own body.
So I've read, anyway -- this is one I've not seen before (bonus!), and it doesn't happen in this episode. It's also the first story with K9... who's also not in this episode. Hey-ho.
Sunday, 31 August 2014
TV
Two Tribes
1x10 (29/8/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wallander [Swedish]
3x04 Saknaden (aka The Loss)
1x10 (29/8/14 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Wallander [Swedish]
3x04 Saknaden (aka The Loss)
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