TV

Would I Lie To You?
9x03 Episode 3
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

End of Watch (2012)
[#111 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

this week on 100 Films

Four brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Leading us into the uniquely bizarre world of the outrageous musician, Soderbergh keeps a sure grasp on the resultant drama/humour balance. If anything, the entertaining and well-received trailer makes the film look more outrageous than it is, distilling most of the best laughs into a two-minute burst. Indeed, some of the jokes play better in that form

Read more here.


Sherlock Holmes (1922), aka Moriarty

The story diverges from the canon so much it’s liable to give any particularly canon-focused Sherlockians a conniption. It begins in Cambridge... There, a student, Prince Alexis, third in line to the throne of somewhere-or-other-in-Europe, has been accused of stealing from the university, but he claims innocence. His friend John Watson recommends he seeks the assistance of a chap in his year, one Sherlock Holmes. Yes, shades of 1985’s Young Sherlock Holmes. I’m sure you’ll be surprised to learn there are fewer CGI stained glass window knights here, though.

Read more here.


The Thing (1982)

At its heart, John Carpenter’s film is a psychological thriller: an alien is in the group’s midst; it has taken on the form of one or more of them; who can you trust? How can you tell? It’s both a dilemma in an abstract “sci-fi concept” sense, and no doubt a parallel from an era when spying and the threat of ‘the other’ infiltrating society were still major issues.

Read more here.


The Thing (2011)

The Thing 2011-variety is not a remake of The Thing 1982-variety because, primarily, it takes place before The Thing ’82, and also because of drastic changes like making the lead character female and having some of the cast speak Norwegian sometimes. Other than that, what unfolds is just a variation on a theme.

Read more here.


The archive review reposts are getting near the end now. This week, multiple shorts and one all-time classic. But first, a literary remake...


Brideshead Revisited (2008)

It’s entertainingly written and performed, firmly in the tradition of the ‘heritage’ films and TV series that Britain churned out through the ’80s and ’90s — it’s the natural successor to the work of Merchant-Ivory, who of course produced the tonally-similar (at least at first) A Room With a View

Read more here.


Gasman (1997)

“Gritty”, “realist” and “indie” are just some of the stock terms that immediately jump to mind when watching this short, which directly enabled director Lynne Ramsay to make her first feature, Ratcatcher. [It] succeeds in using the associated techniques to tell a simple story of complex emotions and meaning for the characters involved.

Read more here.


How Long is a Minute? (2001)

Pummell’s film succeeds by not over-reaching itself. He has a single philosophical thought, conveyed succinctly with a mixture of image and sound. That’s worth 60 seconds, surely.

Read more here.


The Lunch Date (1990)

Short films are paid minimal attention by most people, but a good one can launch a career. Take this, for example, which won the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1990 and the Oscar for Best Live Action Short in 1991. Writer/director Davidson may not have had a significant film career since, but he has directed episodes of Dexter, Deadwood, Grey’s Anatomy, Law & Order, Lie to Me, Lost, Rome, Shark, Six Feet Under, True Blood, and more.

Read more here.


Rashomon (1950)

Justifiably, much has been written about Rashomon, both critically and analytically. As such I’m not going to dig too deeply here, but instead just highlight a couple of reasons why it’s so acclaimed.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Celebrity Fifteen to One
(14/8/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Yonderland
2x05 Nanny La Roo

Films

Interstellar (2014)
[#110 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

There should've been a lovely box set bolstering the numbers this week. Unfortunately, it arrived damaged and has had to go back for a replacement. Next time, then.

As it stands, however, no changes.

Number of titles in collection: 1,784 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 1,208 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 576 [no change]

Number of discs in collection: 4,438 [no change]
Number of films in collection: 1,928 [no change]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,634 [no change]
Number of short films in collection: 448 [no change]

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
2x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Person of Interest
3x20 Death Benefit
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Superman: Red Son
Part 1 News of Superman
The first of a 25-part 'motion comic' adaptation of Mark Millar's acclaimed Elseworlds tale. (It’s commonly bundled into 12 instalments, with each one containing multiple parts.) It has some plus points over previous motion comics (like the Watchmen one) -- namely, that there are multiple voices, so there's not some bloke putting on a squeaky tone to play the female characters. It's still not a proper animation, though, so it feels a bit pointless. I shan't be bothering with the rest of it.
[Watch Part 1 on YouTube (legally, I think).]

Films

Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)
[#109 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

The Last Leg
7x06 (31/7/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Two Tribes
2x39 (26/7/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

The Great British Bake Off
6x02 Biscuits
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

The Last Man on Earth
1x01 Alive in Tucson
1x02 The Elephant in the Room
[Watch Alive in Tucson and The Elephant in the Room (again) on UKTV Play.]

Person of Interest
3x19 Most Likely To...
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Yonderland
2x04 Up the Workers

TV

Castle
5x01 After the Storm
Thanks to the wonders of Amazon Prime, no more waiting for Channel 5 -- hurrah!

Would I Lie To You?
9x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Films

Contagion (2011)
[#108 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

TV

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
9x13 (7/8/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

The Last Leg
7x05 (24/7/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Person of Interest
3x17 /
aka The Episode Channel 5 Skipped For No Discernible Reason. It's an arc-heavy one too, so goodness knows what they were thinking. Perhaps they somehow overlooked it thanks to that damn stupid title...

Two Tribes
2x38 (24/7/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

TV

Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
1x01 The Secret Adversary Part One
1x02 The Secret Adversary Part Two
1x03 The Secret Adversary Part Three
Didn't necessarily intend to watch the entire serial in one sitting, but it was good fun. I guess it'll be three weeks 'til the next for me now, then...
[Watch The Secret Adversary parts one, two and three (again) on iPlayer.]

Cowboy Bebop
1x14 Bohemian Rhapsody
1x15 My Funny Valentine
Sometimes I'm concerned about my ability to monitor the passing of time: it's well over a year since I last watched Cowboy Bebop, and over two since I started it! Here I go again, but hopefully now I'll finish it off in a reasonable timeframe...

this week on 100 Films

Five brand-new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week, and they were...


Life of Pi (2012)

it concerns, literally, the story of a boy stuck on a lifeboat with a tiger, and, figuratively, the very nature of storytelling itself — not to mention the purpose of religion and the existence of God. Never has “from the director of Hulk” seemed less pertinent.

Read more here.


Red Sonja (1985)

From the sword and sorcery ‘boom’ of the ’80s, Red Sonja concerns a warrioress going after the evil queen who slaughtered her family and has now seized a magical MacGuffin that will destroy the world or somesuch. The first remarkable thing is that I don’t think anyone in it can act.

Read more here.


Space Station 76 (2014)

The film’s visual aesthetic is a loving recreation of classic SF, from the set design to the gorgeous model-like CGI exteriors. I don’t think anything in particular was being referenced — at least, not obviously so — but it’s all reminiscent of the likes of the original Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Space: 1999, and so on. It’s been created with such care that it borders on the beautiful.

Read more here.


Videodrome (1983)

even though it’s 32 years old and the tech being depicted is similarly dated, its fears about the influence of the media and the changes it brings to society could’ve been shot yesterday. These thought-provoking themes are in part conveyed through Cronenberg’s familiar stomping ground of body horror, with top-drawer prosthetics giving tangible visual life to nightmarish ideas

Read more here.


Whiplash (2014)

Chazelle’s screenplay is admirable in its psychological complexity here, particularly as it’s contained in a straightforward-seeming master/pupil, abuser/abusee drama that also functions as a surface-level dramatic thriller. The extra levels come from these exact characters and their exact relationship.

Read more here.


Plus five archive reviews were reposted on the new blog...


Cut (2009)

When the violence comes, it’s moderately brutal. And here’s the rub — it’s arguably not brutal enough to cover the horrid reality of what some people have to suffer. It’s been made suitable to be shown on TV in a slot where people will see it — which, for its aims as an awareness advert, is completely appropriate.

Read more here.


Enchanted (2007)

it’s the one that starts out as a traditionally animated Disney film, before The Normal Girl Who Will Marry A Prince is thrown into a Magic Portal by The Evil Stepmother and finds herself in present-day New York. It’s one of those concepts so good it just makes you think, “why haven’t they thought of that before?” Thankfully, they pull it off.

Read more here.


Flushed Away (2006)

Aardman Animations, the Bristol-based company most famous for Wallace & Gromit and Creature Comforts, branch out into CGI for the first time with this tale of rats trying to save the sewers of London. CGI rats? Yes, thoughts of Ratatouille are inevitable. Can Aardman beat Pixar at their own game? You might be surprised…

Read more here.


Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)

For those who’ve never heard of MST3K, it’s a bit like a DVD commentary… except instead of people involved with the film recounting anecdotes or academics offering analysis, we have people taking the piss out of it. I say “people” — one person and two robots. Who are obviously voiced by people. Look, that’s not the point.

Read more here.


Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)

Kim Stanley’s performance is stunning. Initially just a Hyacinth Bucket-esque overbearing wife, as the film continues we learn more about her almost solely from what Stanley brings to the role. By the final scene, when the truth of her character is laid bare, there’s little doubt that she’s given an extraordinary performance.

Read more here.


More next Sunday.

TV

Celebrity Fifteen to One
(7/8/15 edition)
[Watch it (again) on 4oD.]

Ripper Street
3x08 The Peace of Edmund Reid [season finale]
Great finale to a great season. It really feels like a final end, though, so it'll be interesting to see where everyone goes in the next two seasons.
[Watch it now on Amazon Instant Video, or on BBC One (edited) in a few weeks.]

Films

Life of Pi (2012)
[#107 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]

Collection Count

Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.

Only two titles added this week... but it's also the running time update, and that entire TV series I added a couple of weeks back has made its presence felt.

Number of titles in collection: 1,784 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 1,208 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 576 [up 2]

Number of discs in collection: 4,438 [up 2]
Number of films in collection: 1,928 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes in collection: 6,634 [up 2]
Number of short films in collection: 448 [no change]

Total running time of collection (approx.):
320 days, 10 hours, and 57 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 13 hours, and 50 minutes from last month.)

See you next week, faithful reader.

TV

The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice
2x01 Episode 1
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]

Person of Interest
3x18 Allegiance
So, for no apparent reason, Channel 5 chose to skip an entire episode -- and they haven't even tried to hide it by renumbering the episodes on their site. Brazen! Torrents to the rescue it is, then.
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]

Yonderland
2x03 A Vicious Circle

Films

Sherlock Holmes (1922), aka Moriarty
[#106 in 100 Films in a Year 2015]