Would I Lie To You?
14x07 Episode 7
14x08 Episode 8
[Watch these episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Friday, 16 April 2021
Wednesday, 14 April 2021
Films
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978)
[#84 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
This being the comedy one starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
[#84 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
This being the comedy one starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
Tuesday, 13 April 2021
Monday, 12 April 2021
Sunday, 11 April 2021
TV
The British Academy Film Awards 2021
Part 1 Opening Night
Part 2 Awards Ceremony
I thought splitting the usual awards in two might be a bit pointless, but the "Opening Night" part was rather good — it took awards that are normally dumped in an “also awarded” montage and did a complete 180 on that, not only presenting them but taking time to discuss them. Nicely done.
[Watch both parts (again) on iPlayer.]
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes
This TV special was made to tie-in to the release of Young Sherlock Holmes in 1985, but nowadays can be found on Arrow's Blu-ray release of the Hammer Hound of the Baskervilles, the link being it's presented by Christopher Lee. Lee is a consummate pro — you feel like the first time he ever saw his script for this was as he read it off cue cards on camera, but he still gives a good go of injecting some personality. The disdain with which he says “Star Trek’s William Shatner” is magnificent.
Sadly, that can’t be said of much else in this perfunctory overview of Holmes on stage and screen, which plays like someone reading out a Wikipedia entry. At times it takes its title too literally, devolving into no more than a list of names. There are some interesting clips from very early and obscure films and TV adaptations, which is nice, but the long section devoted to excerpts from the Basil Rathbone films feels unnecessary nowadays when you can easily watch the whole films (and you should, most of them are really good).
Part 1 Opening Night
Part 2 Awards Ceremony
I thought splitting the usual awards in two might be a bit pointless, but the "Opening Night" part was rather good — it took awards that are normally dumped in an “also awarded” montage and did a complete 180 on that, not only presenting them but taking time to discuss them. Nicely done.
[Watch both parts (again) on iPlayer.]
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes
This TV special was made to tie-in to the release of Young Sherlock Holmes in 1985, but nowadays can be found on Arrow's Blu-ray release of the Hammer Hound of the Baskervilles, the link being it's presented by Christopher Lee. Lee is a consummate pro — you feel like the first time he ever saw his script for this was as he read it off cue cards on camera, but he still gives a good go of injecting some personality. The disdain with which he says “Star Trek’s William Shatner” is magnificent.
Sadly, that can’t be said of much else in this perfunctory overview of Holmes on stage and screen, which plays like someone reading out a Wikipedia entry. At times it takes its title too literally, devolving into no more than a list of names. There are some interesting clips from very early and obscure films and TV adaptations, which is nice, but the long section devoted to excerpts from the Basil Rathbone films feels unnecessary nowadays when you can easily watch the whole films (and you should, most of them are really good).
this week on 100 Films
6 new reviews were published to 100 Films in a Year this week...
King Kong (1933)
Palm Springs (2020)
The 100-Week Roundup XXIX
More next Sunday.
King Kong (1933)
Beauty and the Beast is reimagined as a monster movie in this iconic classic. Obviously some of it has aged (not just the effects, but some broadly racist attitudes around Pacific islanders and the ship’s Chinese cook), although its pre-Code roots allow it some unexpected liberties (from gruesome deaths to an unmistakable sexuality around Fay Wray — all within PG levels, but still). Take all that in your stride, and King Kong absolutely holds up as an adrenaline-fuelled spectacle.Read more here.
Palm Springs (2020)
it’s definitely a funny, likeable, surprisingly romantic (but not twee) film. Indeed, even without the time loop USP, Palm Springs would be welcomed because it hits a really good tone on the romance angle. It doesn’t dive into full romcom cheesiness, but it’s also not that kind of “tacked on love story that the filmmakers clearly wish they didn’t have to bother with”Read more here.
The 100-Week Roundup XXIX
Featuring...Read more here.
- Click
- The Help
- Mortal Engines
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
More next Sunday.
Saturday, 10 April 2021
Films
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
[#82 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
+ the half-hour making-of on Arrow's Blu-ray, Release the Hound!
[#82 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
+ the half-hour making-of on Arrow's Blu-ray, Release the Hound!
Fiction
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Pages 1–41
I normally prefer to log books by chapter numbers, as page numbers can vary between editions, but sometimes books just don’t have chapters. The Midnight Library does... sort of. They’re not numbered, only named, and it looks like most are only a page or two long (there are 14 in these first 41 pages alone), so numbering them myself doesn't seem much use. So, page count it is.
Pages 1–41
I normally prefer to log books by chapter numbers, as page numbers can vary between editions, but sometimes books just don’t have chapters. The Midnight Library does... sort of. They’re not numbered, only named, and it looks like most are only a page or two long (there are 14 in these first 41 pages alone), so numbering them myself doesn't seem much use. So, page count it is.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
This week's three adds come courtest of Arrow's ongoing Easter sale. And talking of sales, next week should see the arrival of a big pile of purchases from Criterion's 2-for-£25 (which ends this weekend, hence the big last-minute grab).
Number of titles in collection: 2,570 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,075 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,495 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 97 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,546 [up 3]
Number of films: 2,985 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 216 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,052 [no change]
Number of short films: 848 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
This week's three adds come courtest of Arrow's ongoing Easter sale. And talking of sales, next week should see the arrival of a big pile of purchases from Criterion's 2-for-£25 (which ends this weekend, hence the big last-minute grab).
Number of titles in collection: 2,570 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 1,075 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 1,495 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 97 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 6,546 [up 3]
Number of films: 2,985 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 216 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 9,052 [no change]
Number of short films: 848 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 9 April 2021
Films
The Fly (1986)
[#81 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
The Frozen Ghost (1945)
[#80 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
The fourth Inner Sanctum Mystery.
[#81 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
The Frozen Ghost (1945)
[#80 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
The fourth Inner Sanctum Mystery.
Thursday, 8 April 2021
Articles
My Heart Belongs to the MonsterVerse
by Matt Zoller Seitz (from Vulture)
An eloquent love letter to / defence of the Godzilla/Kong franchise.
by Matt Zoller Seitz (from Vulture)
An eloquent love letter to / defence of the Godzilla/Kong franchise.
Wednesday, 7 April 2021
Tuesday, 6 April 2021
Films
Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
[#76 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
[#77 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
That's the original Japanese version (on disc 8 in Criterion's Showa set), not the US re-jig (the one on disc 2).
[#76 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
[#77 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
That's the original Japanese version (on disc 8 in Criterion's Showa set), not the US re-jig (the one on disc 2).
Monday, 5 April 2021
Films
Godzilla (1954)
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2021 #12
Sátántangó (1994)
[#74 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
Finally, concluding with parts 10–12.
[2nd watch]
Rewatchathon 2021 #12
Sátántangó (1994)
[#74 in 100 Films in a Year 2021]
Finally, concluding with parts 10–12.
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