And so, after the intensity of pretty much the rest of this semi-season so far, we needed a calmer episode.
This was an hilarious change in pace.
Just like last year, I warmed to James Corden's character, despite the fact that I don't seem to enjoy his performances in anything else I've seen him in bar The History Boys.
It makes delicious sense that the 11th Doctor would, in this time of crisis, call in on his only other new friend this regeneration. (Yeah, the inner geek would think he would probably really try to see if Susan, his granddaughter, was really alive but also this Doctor is trying to avoid the guilt, which would preclude visiting pretty much any of his travelling companions. And he's never shown any indication of trying to track down his cloned daughter Jenny from the 10th Doctor's era - curiously wiki suggests that Steven Moffatt requested that Jenny survive her episode so maybe she may reappear yet.)
Matt Smith does odd so very well. And Corden plays a wonderful straight man (in every sense as it turns out).
Yes, the story's not the most substantial.
However we see the Doctor grieving for himself and preparing to meet his death, which prepares us nicely for the finale.
And also I think this is easily the best use of the Cybermen since the revival.
So, erm, next week.
How unearth can the Doctor's death arc get resolved satisfactorially after all this build-up?
I'll be somewhat disappointed if they get out of it using a Ganger.
I wonder if maybe just maybe we see the Tardis sacrifice herself to revive him. We've seen the Doctor leave Colchester in a Tardis but I don't think we see that Doctor's Tardis in The Impossible Astronaut. So back in April, did we see the Tardis be killed instead?
And we could then have a year sans Tardis until the 50th anniversary in 2013 when he recovers/regrows the old girl.
It's a theory anyway....
Sunday 25 September 2011
Doctor Who : The Book of Shadows
As mentioned in my review, The Girl Who Waited reminded me of Jim Mortimore's The Book Of Shadows, a 1st Doctor short story published in Decalog, Virgin's inaugural Dr Who short story collection.
And whilst pottering about today, I stumbled across my copy. (Somewhat depressingly, it is now of driving age).
So I dove in.
And The Book Of Shadows still is a brilliant time-travel story about a couple divided by fate.
In those days, the Doctor travelled with Susan, his granddaughter (how true that is depends upon your views), and two of her teachers, Ian and Barbara. The latter over time become a couple (though this is more clearly stated in the spin-off books than the show ever did).
The story starts with Ian the wrong side of a cave-in in ancient Egypt.
And two Barbaras, one eight years further back in the past.
This isn't so much an exploration of Ian and Barbara's relationship as The Girl Who Waited (but there is a bit of that and exclusively from Barbara's point of view).
Instead it looks at the rules of interference in time, as well as showing the havoc and horror that the Doctor can unwittingly cause.
Seeing Barbara become married to Ptolemy and become queen and a mother is a shock.
We know that it'll be undone by timey-wimey but, as well as the strength of writing, it's the richness of the historical backdrop that lifts this, certainly in comparison to The Girl Who Waited IMHO.
And whilst pottering about today, I stumbled across my copy. (Somewhat depressingly, it is now of driving age).
So I dove in.
And The Book Of Shadows still is a brilliant time-travel story about a couple divided by fate.
In those days, the Doctor travelled with Susan, his granddaughter (how true that is depends upon your views), and two of her teachers, Ian and Barbara. The latter over time become a couple (though this is more clearly stated in the spin-off books than the show ever did).
The story starts with Ian the wrong side of a cave-in in ancient Egypt.
And two Barbaras, one eight years further back in the past.
This isn't so much an exploration of Ian and Barbara's relationship as The Girl Who Waited (but there is a bit of that and exclusively from Barbara's point of view).
Instead it looks at the rules of interference in time, as well as showing the havoc and horror that the Doctor can unwittingly cause.
Seeing Barbara become married to Ptolemy and become queen and a mother is a shock.
We know that it'll be undone by timey-wimey but, as well as the strength of writing, it's the richness of the historical backdrop that lifts this, certainly in comparison to The Girl Who Waited IMHO.
Wednesday 14 September 2011
DC : thoughts on the first full week of the new 52
As mentioned elsewhere the real star was Animal Man, very low-key heroics combined with horror.
The other horror title Swamp Thing suffered a little from having to explain the exact status quo of Swampy. And also it features Batman and Superman. Ok, I know Swamp Thing has been away from mainstream comics for a couple of decades and so it pleases some of his fanbase to see him mixing with the big guns but for me I find their presence snaps me out. Scott Snyder is an excellent author though so no doubt we will go interesting places.
Action Comics is the latest rework of Superman. I thought he had been changed a lot in the 80s after the first major revamp.
This Supes though is dressed in jeans and shirt, living in the rough part of town and fighting a war against corporate corruption.
Yeah, the plot isn't complex but it's exciting. And Luthor is uber-cunning.
Men of War was surprisingly good, depicting a troop of humans in super powered conflicts. It is an interesting premise well-executed.
The first Batgirl issue struggles from having to explain (or at least acknowledge) the fact that Barbara has regained control of her legs.
Gren Arrow has had just as dramatic changes to his status quo. He is now seeinbgly Mark Zuckerberg but fighting crime in-between or during board meetings. This character always needs differentiating from Batman and as he has been on Smallville as a young man, it does make sense. That said even as a kid I enjoyed this book's political dimensions which are now absent.
Detective Comics gave us the first look at a Batnan title in this brave new world. It us a feast of unsubtle imagery. And that cliffhanger annoys me because we all know it isn't going to stick.
So all told, a mixed bag but there are some definite nuggets of awesomeness.
The other horror title Swamp Thing suffered a little from having to explain the exact status quo of Swampy. And also it features Batman and Superman. Ok, I know Swamp Thing has been away from mainstream comics for a couple of decades and so it pleases some of his fanbase to see him mixing with the big guns but for me I find their presence snaps me out. Scott Snyder is an excellent author though so no doubt we will go interesting places.
Action Comics is the latest rework of Superman. I thought he had been changed a lot in the 80s after the first major revamp.
This Supes though is dressed in jeans and shirt, living in the rough part of town and fighting a war against corporate corruption.
Yeah, the plot isn't complex but it's exciting. And Luthor is uber-cunning.
Men of War was surprisingly good, depicting a troop of humans in super powered conflicts. It is an interesting premise well-executed.
The first Batgirl issue struggles from having to explain (or at least acknowledge) the fact that Barbara has regained control of her legs.
Gren Arrow has had just as dramatic changes to his status quo. He is now seeinbgly Mark Zuckerberg but fighting crime in-between or during board meetings. This character always needs differentiating from Batman and as he has been on Smallville as a young man, it does make sense. That said even as a kid I enjoyed this book's political dimensions which are now absent.
Detective Comics gave us the first look at a Batnan title in this brave new world. It us a feast of unsubtle imagery. And that cliffhanger annoys me because we all know it isn't going to stick.
So all told, a mixed bag but there are some definite nuggets of awesomeness.
Sunday 11 September 2011
Animal Man 1
For me this was the stand-out of the first full week of DC's new 52.
Decidedly off-kilter, it shows a C-list hero living his life in the burbs with his family.
The only other Animal Man issues I have read have been Grant Morrison ones and this reminds me enormously of Morrison's first issue.
Showing us the family. Weirdness in a hospital. Super-heroics kept firmly in check.
However Morrison's first story arc feigns horror before becoming a battle with z-lister B'wana-Beast.
Jeff Lemire though steers this incarnation into creepy horror. Nightmare visions. Grieving father holding a children's ward hostage because his daughter had died of cancer.
And an incredibly sinister last page.
Yeah, he lays on the foreboding and foreshadowing something chronic but it's amazingly atmospheric and should attract people new to comics or lure the Sandman crowd back.
Which was the point of this whole new 52 malarkey....
Decidedly off-kilter, it shows a C-list hero living his life in the burbs with his family.
The only other Animal Man issues I have read have been Grant Morrison ones and this reminds me enormously of Morrison's first issue.
Showing us the family. Weirdness in a hospital. Super-heroics kept firmly in check.
However Morrison's first story arc feigns horror before becoming a battle with z-lister B'wana-Beast.
Jeff Lemire though steers this incarnation into creepy horror. Nightmare visions. Grieving father holding a children's ward hostage because his daughter had died of cancer.
And an incredibly sinister last page.
Yeah, he lays on the foreboding and foreshadowing something chronic but it's amazingly atmospheric and should attract people new to comics or lure the Sandman crowd back.
Which was the point of this whole new 52 malarkey....
Doctor Who : The Girl Who Waited
A real mixed bag this one.
That first ten minutes is, well, dull is one word for it.
It reminded me of Terminus, Nyssa's exit story in which she finds herself in a space leper colony and that experience was as painful for the audience as it was for her.
Whilst the ending of this one is powerful, it reminds me too much of other things without especially entertaining. Jim Mortimore's The Book Of Shadows did a fairly similar story (first Doctor companions Ian and Barbara are separated in ancient Efypt and Ian finds her ten years older). Though that had the benefit of an interesting setting, which this didn't.
Thank goodness, Karen Gillan can act as she really sells Amy's fate.
But yeah, not the strongest episode for me.
That first ten minutes is, well, dull is one word for it.
It reminded me of Terminus, Nyssa's exit story in which she finds herself in a space leper colony and that experience was as painful for the audience as it was for her.
Whilst the ending of this one is powerful, it reminds me too much of other things without especially entertaining. Jim Mortimore's The Book Of Shadows did a fairly similar story (first Doctor companions Ian and Barbara are separated in ancient Efypt and Ian finds her ten years older). Though that had the benefit of an interesting setting, which this didn't.
Thank goodness, Karen Gillan can act as she really sells Amy's fate.
But yeah, not the strongest episode for me.
Saturday 10 September 2011
Doctor Who : Night Terrors
The late Jon Pertwee once said that there's nothing more scary than coming home and finding a yeti sitting on your loo in Tooting Bec.
Which, whilst quite the mental image, is true and so therefore it's a bit of a shame that televised Doctor Who has only in this millenium got round to spending serious energy in showing the fantastical in recogonisable real-life settings. (Yeah, I know 7th Doctor companion Ace was grittier but in a middle-class-writer's view of grittiness)
And Night Terrors is a very solid example of how effective the show can be when things are pared down and it's just the Tardis crew in our world.
Yeah, you can predict the twists. A fellow Caravanner worked out where Rory and Amy were pretty quickly.
But it was the humour (Rory wondering if he was dead again) and the strength of the acting that really made this.
It reminded me an AWFUL lot of RTD's Dr Who novel Damaged Goods, set on a Thatcherian council estate beset with drug-dealers. Which is a compliment.
There was much brow-beating about things being hidden in plain sight. And before we get too excited about that as any kind of clue to this year's story-arc, we need to remember that this was originally going to be shown in the first half of the season when Amy was a Ganger.
All told, rather good, which is what we've come to expect from writer Mark Gatiss.
Which, whilst quite the mental image, is true and so therefore it's a bit of a shame that televised Doctor Who has only in this millenium got round to spending serious energy in showing the fantastical in recogonisable real-life settings. (Yeah, I know 7th Doctor companion Ace was grittier but in a middle-class-writer's view of grittiness)
And Night Terrors is a very solid example of how effective the show can be when things are pared down and it's just the Tardis crew in our world.
Yeah, you can predict the twists. A fellow Caravanner worked out where Rory and Amy were pretty quickly.
But it was the humour (Rory wondering if he was dead again) and the strength of the acting that really made this.
It reminded me an AWFUL lot of RTD's Dr Who novel Damaged Goods, set on a Thatcherian council estate beset with drug-dealers. Which is a compliment.
There was much brow-beating about things being hidden in plain sight. And before we get too excited about that as any kind of clue to this year's story-arc, we need to remember that this was originally going to be shown in the first half of the season when Amy was a Ganger.
All told, rather good, which is what we've come to expect from writer Mark Gatiss.
Doctor Who - Let's Kill Hitler
Upon rewatch, this stands up so much better than I had imagined.
You see, with any program, big event episodes tend to crumble a bit once you know what's coming.
Take 5th Doctor story Earthshock. When that was first broadcast, apparently there was no advance publicity that there were Cybermen involved and certainly no hint that companion Adric was about to snuff it. With that knowledge it is a lot of grim action in search of a plot. (though it can still shock as I found out when a casual fan I know watching on UKGold decades afterward berated me for not warning him that Adric dies)
So, yeah, Let's Kill Hitler is none of that.
While it does resolve the River mystery once and for all, there is much joy to be had, especially in the flashbacks to Amy, Rory and Mels.
The plot itself is a tad slight though it allows Alex Kingston to have a whale of a time. And Matt Smith to produce one of his most stunning performances as a dying Doctor.
But yeah, River. I do kind of think we need to rest this one a bit however we know from the midseason trailer that she will pop up again soon, this time with eyepatch.
Some folks don't care for the overly cryptic arc-plotting of the 11th Doctor's tenure but I do kind of enjoy the mysteries (even if they're not subtly presented at all).
Mewonders if the question that when asked dooms everything has nothing to do with the Doctor's name or lineage. And possibly everything to do with what exactly Rory is.
Time will tell. It usually does....
You see, with any program, big event episodes tend to crumble a bit once you know what's coming.
Take 5th Doctor story Earthshock. When that was first broadcast, apparently there was no advance publicity that there were Cybermen involved and certainly no hint that companion Adric was about to snuff it. With that knowledge it is a lot of grim action in search of a plot. (though it can still shock as I found out when a casual fan I know watching on UKGold decades afterward berated me for not warning him that Adric dies)
So, yeah, Let's Kill Hitler is none of that.
While it does resolve the River mystery once and for all, there is much joy to be had, especially in the flashbacks to Amy, Rory and Mels.
The plot itself is a tad slight though it allows Alex Kingston to have a whale of a time. And Matt Smith to produce one of his most stunning performances as a dying Doctor.
But yeah, River. I do kind of think we need to rest this one a bit however we know from the midseason trailer that she will pop up again soon, this time with eyepatch.
Some folks don't care for the overly cryptic arc-plotting of the 11th Doctor's tenure but I do kind of enjoy the mysteries (even if they're not subtly presented at all).
Mewonders if the question that when asked dooms everything has nothing to do with the Doctor's name or lineage. And possibly everything to do with what exactly Rory is.
Time will tell. It usually does....
Sunday 4 September 2011
Justice League 1
I remember as a teenager going somewhat out of my way to get my hands on JLA 1 (Grant Morrison edition) at the height of my Morrison obession and being thorougly entertained by a) the storyline and b) the notion that DC's premier team actually had the company's iconic characters in it. Don't get me wrong I loved the JLI bunch of also-rans and the humour that emerged.
But it felt proper that the League had the big stars in it.
Which brings us onto this week's relaunch of not just this title but the entire DC comics universe.
I am not a huge fan of Jim Lee's art and it did kind of prompt memories of the horrors of Heroes Reborn, Marvel's mid 90s small-scale precusor to what DC are now doing.
And like, the HR characters, I do find it hard to like the new younger "edgier" heroes. Hal Jordan comes off as too much of a cocky sod.
Batman's greener than normal but entertaining enough. And Supes is barely in it.
I know this is relaunching the DCU and comics as a medium but personally I would hope that out of seven coverstars we get more than four in the actual book.
Going from the preview I have seen of Morrison's edgier man-of-the-people take on Superman maybe DC should have started with that. Or at least shown more than a page of him in this issue of Justice League. When Marvel started the New Avengers seven years or so ago, the first issue had the full roster. They weren't a team as yet but they were all in the book and it was a stronger story than this...
'Tis selling well though and it's available for download on Comixology so it's giving a shot in the arm to the industry. Time will tell if it succeeds.
But it felt proper that the League had the big stars in it.
Which brings us onto this week's relaunch of not just this title but the entire DC comics universe.
I am not a huge fan of Jim Lee's art and it did kind of prompt memories of the horrors of Heroes Reborn, Marvel's mid 90s small-scale precusor to what DC are now doing.
And like, the HR characters, I do find it hard to like the new younger "edgier" heroes. Hal Jordan comes off as too much of a cocky sod.
Batman's greener than normal but entertaining enough. And Supes is barely in it.
I know this is relaunching the DCU and comics as a medium but personally I would hope that out of seven coverstars we get more than four in the actual book.
Going from the preview I have seen of Morrison's edgier man-of-the-people take on Superman maybe DC should have started with that. Or at least shown more than a page of him in this issue of Justice League. When Marvel started the New Avengers seven years or so ago, the first issue had the full roster. They weren't a team as yet but they were all in the book and it was a stronger story than this...
'Tis selling well though and it's available for download on Comixology so it's giving a shot in the arm to the industry. Time will tell if it succeeds.
Tuesday 16 August 2011
Doctor Who - Lets Kill Hitler prelude
Usually the preludes give an indication of the plot but this, well this doesn't tell us much about what is likely to happen in the mid-season opener.
Though the mood....
It's almost like the search for Melody's taken a tragic turn.
Or Amy's dead / made a desperate but bad decision.
Which brings me onto my suspicions that, comics style, we're going to have a major shock to the status quo which will be restored just in time for 2013 and the big 5-0 anniversary.
Or a war with the Timelords (who might well be Madame Kovarian's backers - certainly it's got to be someone worth all this build-up).
Bring on the second half of the season....
Though the mood....
It's almost like the search for Melody's taken a tragic turn.
Or Amy's dead / made a desperate but bad decision.
Which brings me onto my suspicions that, comics style, we're going to have a major shock to the status quo which will be restored just in time for 2013 and the big 5-0 anniversary.
Or a war with the Timelords (who might well be Madame Kovarian's backers - certainly it's got to be someone worth all this build-up).
Bring on the second half of the season....
Saturday 6 August 2011
Ben Folds - an appreciation
'Twas recently announced that Ben Folds is going to release a retrospective album in the autumn.
Note retrospective rather than hits album as, in the UK at least, he's always been a bit of a cult figure only really troubling the charts in the late 90s with Battle of Who Could Care Less.
Here in Britain it was probably a case of bad timing. Ben Folds Five were competing with Britpop, which obsessed the media so.
Also, whilst they were championed by Simon Mayo on Radio 1, I think today's Radio 2 and 6Music would have allowed BFF to make more of an impact.
So, why is Ben so great?
He's an excellent pianist. There isn't enough indie-piano.
The lyrics are offbeat as well as incredibly sad (witness ballad Brick - about an abortion, such an emotional start to an emotional song). There's also Army, the upbeat music underlying a bleak song about crushed ambitions.
There's an emotional core to his work as well as a playfulness. Few other performers would do improv songs to strangers on Chatroulette (and in the unlikely event that it's starting to get samey, stick with it to the 3:30 mark when it becomes AWESOME).
When last we saw him play in London, on his Lonely Avenue tour, he vowed to do a cover of the at-the-time iTunes #1 song... it happened to be a Ke$ha track. He made it wonderful.
Epic sing-a-longs like Annie Waits, moving expressions of love like The Luckiest and wonderful-ness like Adelaide : Ben Folds has a great range. It is for that reason, he is awesome.
Note retrospective rather than hits album as, in the UK at least, he's always been a bit of a cult figure only really troubling the charts in the late 90s with Battle of Who Could Care Less.
Here in Britain it was probably a case of bad timing. Ben Folds Five were competing with Britpop, which obsessed the media so.
Also, whilst they were championed by Simon Mayo on Radio 1, I think today's Radio 2 and 6Music would have allowed BFF to make more of an impact.
So, why is Ben so great?
He's an excellent pianist. There isn't enough indie-piano.
The lyrics are offbeat as well as incredibly sad (witness ballad Brick - about an abortion, such an emotional start to an emotional song). There's also Army, the upbeat music underlying a bleak song about crushed ambitions.
There's an emotional core to his work as well as a playfulness. Few other performers would do improv songs to strangers on Chatroulette (and in the unlikely event that it's starting to get samey, stick with it to the 3:30 mark when it becomes AWESOME).
When last we saw him play in London, on his Lonely Avenue tour, he vowed to do a cover of the at-the-time iTunes #1 song... it happened to be a Ke$ha track. He made it wonderful.
Epic sing-a-longs like Annie Waits, moving expressions of love like The Luckiest and wonderful-ness like Adelaide : Ben Folds has a great range. It is for that reason, he is awesome.
Thursday 28 July 2011
Latitude Thoughts : all 80s special
There was a noticeable skew to more mature fare at this year's Latitude, possibly to ward off the criminal elements that cast a shadow over the 2010 edition.
And this was somewhat underlined by booking Adam Ant and OMD.
Me, I am just too young to remember these acts the first time round. Sometimes this can feel like you're intruding on a private party.
Which was emphatically not the case with either act.
Firstly, we will touch on OMD. For their first UK festival show in 25 years, they were clearly moved by the crowd's love. And wonderfully self-deprecating. Brilliant versions of their classics and bravely opening with uber-hit Enola Gay, which had the crowds racing in.
Next: Prince Charming. Adam Ant clearly relished being back. His energy was infectious and this was the biggest crowd we saw in the tent all festival long (though 'twere lunchtime and wet).
My personal theory is that without Adam Ant we wouldn't have had a Jarvis. Here was a man standing up for the geeks, the outcasts. Ridicule is nothing to be scared of.
And given what the papers have said about his mental health, there is an extra poignancy.
Now, having seemingly emerged victorious, he is a hero twice over. Bless you Adam Ant.
And this was somewhat underlined by booking Adam Ant and OMD.
Me, I am just too young to remember these acts the first time round. Sometimes this can feel like you're intruding on a private party.
Which was emphatically not the case with either act.
Firstly, we will touch on OMD. For their first UK festival show in 25 years, they were clearly moved by the crowd's love. And wonderfully self-deprecating. Brilliant versions of their classics and bravely opening with uber-hit Enola Gay, which had the crowds racing in.
Next: Prince Charming. Adam Ant clearly relished being back. His energy was infectious and this was the biggest crowd we saw in the tent all festival long (though 'twere lunchtime and wet).
My personal theory is that without Adam Ant we wouldn't have had a Jarvis. Here was a man standing up for the geeks, the outcasts. Ridicule is nothing to be scared of.
And given what the papers have said about his mental health, there is an extra poignancy.
Now, having seemingly emerged victorious, he is a hero twice over. Bless you Adam Ant.
Wednesday 27 July 2011
Latitude Thoughts : They Might Be Giants
On these shores They Might Be Giants (TMBG) are kinda thought of as one-hit wonders due to the mega-success of Birdhouse In Your Soul (possibly one of the best songs by anyone in the 90s).
Despite the worst rain of the festival punctuating their set, TMBG showed why they're so much more than that.
They are one of the funniest live acts I've seen of any genre.
The set started with a song dedicated to an "absent friend", the sun.
And after a bravely early airing of Birdhouse we were introduced to the awesomely crazy edutainment tunes including the Alphabet of Nations which is simple in concept but wonderfully entertaining even in midsummer downpours.
Also as well as the best ever song about city nomenclature there was a duet by sock puppets claiming to be Rupert Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks and nobody else at Latitude came anywhere close to that level of crazy (and this includes KT Tunstall having an interpretative dancer providing sign language).
There was a real warmth and humour to their banter. So much so I found myself drifting into a lovely little NYC fantasy in which we would all meet up at Casa TMBG's local pizzeria, get involved in Seinfeld-ian escapades and then together with Spidey writer Dan Slott we would go watch some off-Broadway gem.
Which is an odd way of saying to hear these guys is to fall ever so slightly in love with them even in bad weather.
Despite the worst rain of the festival punctuating their set, TMBG showed why they're so much more than that.
They are one of the funniest live acts I've seen of any genre.
The set started with a song dedicated to an "absent friend", the sun.
And after a bravely early airing of Birdhouse we were introduced to the awesomely crazy edutainment tunes including the Alphabet of Nations which is simple in concept but wonderfully entertaining even in midsummer downpours.
Also as well as the best ever song about city nomenclature there was a duet by sock puppets claiming to be Rupert Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks and nobody else at Latitude came anywhere close to that level of crazy (and this includes KT Tunstall having an interpretative dancer providing sign language).
There was a real warmth and humour to their banter. So much so I found myself drifting into a lovely little NYC fantasy in which we would all meet up at Casa TMBG's local pizzeria, get involved in Seinfeld-ian escapades and then together with Spidey writer Dan Slott we would go watch some off-Broadway gem.
Which is an odd way of saying to hear these guys is to fall ever so slightly in love with them even in bad weather.
Tuesday 26 July 2011
Latitude thoughts : The Vaccines
The caravan has been doing its' summer tour of festivals and general awesomeness.
To catch up, we'll do a few posts on acts wot caught our eyes.
So, The Vaccines.
I have a slightly complicated relationship with these guys as I ADORED Jay Jay Pistolet (frontman Justin Young's previous venture). Jay Jay Pistolet is very folksy and the tunes are stunning in a nu-folk Noah and The Whale or Johnny Flynn way.
The music's thoughtful but not navel-gazing.
And, well, The Vaccines are closer to The Strokes (or actually The Ramones). Listen to this - it's great but utterly unrecognisable from the Pistolet material.
Which means Justin Young's a very talented man (even if I don't care for the ubiquitous Post Break-up Sex).
Live, though, they won me over.
There was incredible excitement in the audience (the most we'd seen at a fairly laidback and wet Latitude).
And an understated cockiness to the band (it's like they think "Yeah, we're awesome, we don't have to prove anything") but not a laziness. The tunes back this up.
For the next week, we woke up with The Vaccines providing our internal soundtrack.
Which isn't bad seeing we saw them on the first day of a three day festival.
To catch up, we'll do a few posts on acts wot caught our eyes.
So, The Vaccines.
I have a slightly complicated relationship with these guys as I ADORED Jay Jay Pistolet (frontman Justin Young's previous venture). Jay Jay Pistolet is very folksy and the tunes are stunning in a nu-folk Noah and The Whale or Johnny Flynn way.
The music's thoughtful but not navel-gazing.
And, well, The Vaccines are closer to The Strokes (or actually The Ramones). Listen to this - it's great but utterly unrecognisable from the Pistolet material.
Which means Justin Young's a very talented man (even if I don't care for the ubiquitous Post Break-up Sex).
Live, though, they won me over.
There was incredible excitement in the audience (the most we'd seen at a fairly laidback and wet Latitude).
And an understated cockiness to the band (it's like they think "Yeah, we're awesome, we don't have to prove anything") but not a laziness. The tunes back this up.
For the next week, we woke up with The Vaccines providing our internal soundtrack.
Which isn't bad seeing we saw them on the first day of a three day festival.
Thursday 7 July 2011
Mass Effect
Last week I finished the first Mass Effect.
It was brilliantly absorbing, strong plot, well paced.
There was one thing that bugged me. The side-missions would often take you to research labs on planets and they were all kinda samey.
I thought it was slightly lazy design but understandable given the scale of the game.
Until I was finding myself walking down the stairs at Bank tube station. In the staircase there are at least five separate sections, all clearly numbered and assembled in some kind of train station Ikea style.
And I thought maybe those identikit research stations on Mass Effect aren't as unrealistic as all that.
It was brilliantly absorbing, strong plot, well paced.
There was one thing that bugged me. The side-missions would often take you to research labs on planets and they were all kinda samey.
I thought it was slightly lazy design but understandable given the scale of the game.
Until I was finding myself walking down the stairs at Bank tube station. In the staircase there are at least five separate sections, all clearly numbered and assembled in some kind of train station Ikea style.
And I thought maybe those identikit research stations on Mass Effect aren't as unrealistic as all that.
Saturday 2 July 2011
Eden sessions : Flaming Lips
The Eden project is a wonderful place.
Biodomes containing tropical rainforests. Statues made out of recycled waste. Giant bees.
All very trippy and very fitting for Wayne Coyne et al.
In fact this is probably the best marriage of performer and venue.
And Coyne certainly seemed to agree.
Yeah, the Lips didn't play all of their wellknown songs. No "The Test" or "Waiting for a Superman".
But I really didn't care.
It was the first time I'd seen them and as first support act OK Go had warned, my brain burst out of its brain socket.
We managed to find ourselves against the barrier and, erm, I did kind of get carried away with punching giant balloons back into the crowd.
All the dancing Dorothys were excited, as were the security guards, one of whom was giddily talking about what was to happen.
Also, most crucially, the Lips were so thrilled to be there. Wayne Coyne had clearly fallen for the place (and rightly so because Eden is magical and inspiring).
This was an absolute coup for the Eden project. I remember being a teenager in Plymouth and, INXS and Oasis aside, we didn't get big acts. In 1997 the biggest was The Lighthouse Family and, well, that's wrong and a quick Google suggests things haven't changed too much.
So I felt a bit sad for the region's indie kids that Morrisey was making his Plymouth debut that night.
A brief bit on the supports. We saw a surprise (to us) appearance by Badly Drawn Boy (saw but didn't hear as his sound check took forever and OK Go were about to go onto the main stage). One of the nice things about the sessions is that even Eden visitors without concert tickets can watch the performances that aren't on the main stage (and there were a lot of acts on the two non-main stages), as it acted as tasters for not only the acts concerned but also the sessions as a whole.
And OK Go were fantastic. I'd loved their videos (if unfamiliar, try this, this and this and we'll see you when emerge from your YouTube black hole) and I wondered how they were going to be live.
Their version of White Knuckles was brilliant and the handbell edition of Return is stunning, both moving and entertaining.
All told, it was a fantastic evening.
And you MUST see this image of Wayne and the bubble and the bubbles
Sunday 26 June 2011
The thousand autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (not that one)
I had read Cloud Atlas, an earlier Booker-nominated novel by Mitchell.
Though I was slightly anxious about this book.
For starters, Cloud Atlas was a series of stories of a variety of genres and while Mitchell was clearly able to capture a variety of styles, at times they bordered on pastiches. And I seldom warmed to the characters.
But, no, this is an extraordinary book.
It depicts a Dutch East India Company settlement on the island of Dejima off Nagasaki, with the Dutch folk forbidden to step foot on any other Japanese land.
We see the culture clashes. Humorous misunderstandings as well as attempts to screw each other over.
We have seemingly ill-starred romance.
But it's fresh.
While the story is rooted in history and is inspired by real events, it almost feels like a fantasy novel, so alien does Dejima feel. This is meant as a compliment. And it's backed up that wonderfully mysterious title.
The title character, Jacob de Zoet, is a pastor's son and has been told by his fiancee's father to go and make his fortune in the east. So, unlike most of his compatriots on Dejima, he is not an out-and-out mercenary. He can be a bit holier-than-thou but he is a very sympathetic character to modern audiences. And, there is a rebellious streak as evidenced even in the early chapters by his smuggling scripture for his own personal use onto the island, in a time when Christianity was outlawed in Japan. That helps make him feel more human.
In many ways, it's a trilogy in one book with a strong story arc. An arc that twists and turns.
Also it's refreshing that the novel focuses on Dutch colonists. I've found myself reading too much historical fiction focussing on dodgy British colonial adventures, even if they're excellent like English Passengers.
We see the savagery and cruelty of the Dutch and Japanese and you know we'll go dark places though these are stunningly dark.
And yet, it's a very easy read. There's a lightness of touch but, good god, is it gripping.
Tuesday 21 June 2011
Revamp : Thor
J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) has received a fair old amount of stick lately, particularly for starting two epic DC storylines and then bailing. I haven't read Grounded but the idea of a non-flying Superman reconnecting with America by walking across it reminds me very much of the crazy conditions imposed on Kevin Smith when he was working on a Superman film script in the 90s.
But JMS can create likeable characters that you can relate to as well as stories with depth.
Look at the start of his Amazing Spiderman run. It is a class above preceding writer Howard Mackie's material (though I also get the sense that JMS wasn't having to shoehorn in editorially mandated references to other characters/storylines)
When JMS took over Thor, the character had been out of use for three years, killed in the fan-fic-esque Norse god slaughter-thon that was Ragnarok.
Instead of just reviving all the gods and Asgard, JMS has Thor reappear in the sleepy town of Broxton, Oklahoma. This cuts away at some of the aloofness of the deity concept. Through vignettes we see the long-term residents' sense of wonder as they encounter the gods in town, especially when local lad Bill meets the enchanting Kelda in a run-down carpark. It also doesn't cheapen the Norse gods. We do see them in townhall meetings but we don't see them, say, take human jobs. When we see Hogun walking back from Texas, boar on his back, he refuses lifts as he tries to be Asgardian in this new framework.
There is almost a lyrical quality. (And a debt to Neil Gaiman's Sandman superficially at least)
Yes, there are pacing issues. That first issue has Thor in limbo wrestling with demons and not an awful lot happens. I bought it at the time but was underimpressed until reading the following issues a while later.
There is also litle interaction with the rest of the Marvel world in the first few issues bar a very personal fight with Iron Man. Whilst other characters' fans won't be brought into the book, this is wise as it enables Thor's new readers to learn their way through all the new (to them) characters as well as get to know the locals.
It is a refreshing more poetic take. I was particularly moved by the story of Thor's father Odin and its' theme of paternal responsibility, especially when you see the flashbacks to Odin succeeding his own father Bor.
JMS's dialogue is also mercifully free of the cod-Shakespeare that Thor has been associated with.
All told, it's a solid reimagining.
But JMS can create likeable characters that you can relate to as well as stories with depth.
Look at the start of his Amazing Spiderman run. It is a class above preceding writer Howard Mackie's material (though I also get the sense that JMS wasn't having to shoehorn in editorially mandated references to other characters/storylines)
When JMS took over Thor, the character had been out of use for three years, killed in the fan-fic-esque Norse god slaughter-thon that was Ragnarok.
Instead of just reviving all the gods and Asgard, JMS has Thor reappear in the sleepy town of Broxton, Oklahoma. This cuts away at some of the aloofness of the deity concept. Through vignettes we see the long-term residents' sense of wonder as they encounter the gods in town, especially when local lad Bill meets the enchanting Kelda in a run-down carpark. It also doesn't cheapen the Norse gods. We do see them in townhall meetings but we don't see them, say, take human jobs. When we see Hogun walking back from Texas, boar on his back, he refuses lifts as he tries to be Asgardian in this new framework.
There is almost a lyrical quality. (And a debt to Neil Gaiman's Sandman superficially at least)
Yes, there are pacing issues. That first issue has Thor in limbo wrestling with demons and not an awful lot happens. I bought it at the time but was underimpressed until reading the following issues a while later.
There is also litle interaction with the rest of the Marvel world in the first few issues bar a very personal fight with Iron Man. Whilst other characters' fans won't be brought into the book, this is wise as it enables Thor's new readers to learn their way through all the new (to them) characters as well as get to know the locals.
It is a refreshing more poetic take. I was particularly moved by the story of Thor's father Odin and its' theme of paternal responsibility, especially when you see the flashbacks to Odin succeeding his own father Bor.
JMS's dialogue is also mercifully free of the cod-Shakespeare that Thor has been associated with.
All told, it's a solid reimagining.
Thursday 16 June 2011
Revamp : Doctor Who
 |
| Ninth Doctor |
 |
| Eighth Doctor and Grace in a cathedral-esque Tardis |
I do love Doctor Who.
From reading this blog, you may have noticed this.
So with all the revamping elsewhere, I thought I would cast my mind back to the two relaunches of the show.
As much as I adore all the mythology, continuity and campness, I kind of knew they would have to strip back. You don't want to swamp the audience.
This is what the 1996 Paul McGann TV movie ends up doing but in the wrong moments. Leaving aside the inherent risk of Fox deciding on commissioning a series based purely on ratings for a pilot (and therefore relying on the strength of marketing rather than audience reaction once they had seen the actual product), the show needed to hook in anyone who had channel surfed. So starting it by focussing on the outgoing middle aged Doctor in the Tardis - not a great choice. The interior looks lavish but we need to explore the Doctor from a newcomer's perspective. It would make more sense to introduce your actual lead actor. Which is one of the smart moves of the 2005 relaunch, featuring a Doctor who has just regenerated off screen.
Another oddity of Who 96 is how it shows (in shadow) the Master being executed for his crimes by the Daleks. We don't know what the crimes are or, crucially, how come the Daleks seem to have evolved legal structures of any sort. This not only disorientates fans, it'll throw casual viewers as well especially as the tinpots and their genocidal rampages are part of popular culture in their own right.
Compare to the 2005 episode Dalek in which we see just the one Dalek. We feel, wonderfully, pity for it as it is tied up in an underground base, the last of its kind. And we also feel fear as we see it take on Henry van Statten's private army, especially the scene in which it electrocutes a squad using sprinklers.
This wonderfully sells the menace of Daleks to the new audience. And we learn more about the Time War and why this Doctor seems so grim in comparison to most other regenerations.
The show needed to have a slight departure from the upper-middle class eccentricity associated with the Doctor. What made sense in the 60s and 70s would have seemed very out of place in 05, especially coming out of Eccleston's mouth. The ninth also looks hard and street-wise with his close cropped hair and leather jacket. It doesn't take too long to get used to, mostly because it suits the character.
McGann's Doctor though is a Greatest Hits, but with a tendency towards Tom Baker, jelly babies, big hair and all. He's charming but not distinctive. Maybe that would have come in time.
However, one crucial mis-step of Who 96 isn't the Doctor kissing or single-serving companion Grace swearing but the revelation that his mother is human. Me, I don't have a HUGE problem with it but I just feel that we don't need it to relate to the character. Nor does it help the greater mythology any. (I adored all the Gallifreyan-ness of the novels, especially the time-looms from which Time Lords were grown. I didn't expect it to be referenced on-air but some wiggle room would have been nice.) Tony Lee, in his Doctor Who : The Forgotten story for IDW, rather wonderfully has the tenth Doctor pass all this off as a practical joke his eighth incarnation played on the Master.
Which is something that actually the TV Movie gets to work. I loved Eric Roberts's portrayal. Very High Gallifrey and very evil. Desperate to survive. Though it's a shame that the story descends to having two aliens wrestling with each other.
For all the talk of the Doctor's half-human side, this isn't a very human production. You don't get much of a flavour of Grace or of the threat.
Whereas Rose's focus is, well, it's there in the title. We meet her loved ones, explore her world first. It's this that the original show needed at times not car chases through the streets of San Francisco.
It also helps that Rose (pays homage to /rips-off ) the Auton invasion of Ealing Broadway, one of the more iconic moments of early 70s Who. It tells the older/more knowledgeable members of the audience that the production crew know the show's history, how it works and that there'll be more of this. (It's also good that the program doesn't continue re-telling classic stories though bar those that originally appeared in audio/novel form).
Crucially that first season is written by fans, who gave their a-game. Who knew that if this failed, the show would be dead forever.
So slowly introduce us to your lead. And re-think. Give an edge by all means (the loss of Gallifrey and the Time War was a shock but explains the dourness - and most rumoured revivals had involved Gallifrey's destruction so it was nothing that new to fans and, besides, the novels had alreaady done it).
Though make sure you're adding, not subtracting from the franchise's appeal (hello 80s Biggles time-travel movie). Yes, you need to pick up new fans but don't assume that you'll forever have the good will of the old ones.
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Revamp : the late 80s Superman
So, those of us that care (and some that don't) know that in September DC is relaunching their universe.
Books by new creative teams (mostly) and a general desire to freshen things up.
Clearly it's too early to tell if it'll be any good. Whether we have Heroes Reborn (dire) or Ultimates (somewhat better but not flawless).
Though it's made me think back to the DC of the late 80s. In the UK, London Editions reprinted recent DC stories, often with articles explaining characters and storylines. It was through these that I first learnt of Crisis On Infinite Earths. Crisis (just in case you didn't know) was an epic story arc that allowed DC to tweak characters and their history in an effort to make the comic universe more accessible.
And few were more tweaked about with than Superman.
You know what? It excited me to know that I was reading about a fairly new Superman. (I did find myself looking down the nose at some pre-Crisis material as, for Supes, most of that stuff now hadn't happened.)
DC had entrusted John Byrne with reinventing the Man of Steel. And his version was very much of its time. Luthor was a corporate crook with underworld connections as opposed to a mad scientist. The sillier trappings like the Fortress of Solitude and Krypto the superdog were gone. And Supes was not all powerful. Also stripped back was a lot of the Kryptonianess. Supergirl no longer existed. Clark was on his own. And all the various different non-green colours of Kryptonite (and their different effects) were gone too.
Probably one of the strongest ideas was the doing away with Clark's time as Superboy (seriously, any crook with a brain would compare Smallville phonebooks of the Superboy era with those from Metropolis - yeah, it would take a while then but the rewards would pay dividends.)
Another strong idea was having Superman and Batman not get on. The grudging respect they showed made more sense given their vastly different attitudes and approaches.
But possibly the most crucial change was the overall grounding of Clark in his humanity. Ma and Pa Kent were now still alive, allowing us to see his human side. (Some of my favourite scenes were Clark hanging out back home.) Yes, this was a powerful being but he was relatable. See the issue of Man Of Steel when Clark comes home after his first heroic feat, saving a space-plane. He is overcome by the public reaction. "They all wanted a piece of me, Ma".
Byrne and fellow writer Marv Wolfman had modelled a fair bit on the Christopher Reeves films, to be sure. Though the paring back paid dividends. We were allowed to discover a hero who whilst morally strong could fail. And that could make for interesting reading.
The first issue of anything that I definitely remember having is Superman 9. It features the Joker attacking Metropolis. The Joker-smiles on his gassed victims scared my 8 year-old self but what really terrified me was the Joker's response when ultimately asked why he'd attacked another city. "Why ever not?"
That isn't the best part of that issue. The best part is a back-up story featuring Luthor appearing in a diner 900 miles from Metropolis. This is small-scale evil. He asks his waitress if she wants to give up her life, her husband and come with him for a month. She has ten minutes to decide.
There's no super-heroics at all. Just a moral dilemma and a great character-piece.
It's the characterisation that makes this era.
At the same time, over in Adventures of Superman, Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway created two of the more interesting recent additions to the supporting cast. Cat Grant (a bolshy single mother colleague of Clark's, who had designs on him) and Jose Delgado. Yeah, Jose's got a bit of a stereotypical name but his introductory storyline was great. Gang Wars focussed on turf wars between gangs and Superman's realisation that this was a problem that couldn't be punched into submission. Jose eventually becomes Gangbuster in an effort to help police his neighbourhood. Which led to another issue that I adored, Adventures of Superman 437. There are two narrators, on facing pages. Lois Lane and Luthor. Lois is discussing her date with Jose and how it is interrupted by a hired thug called Combattor. Luthor (who has funded said thug) tells his dinner-date of a hypothetical fight between Combattor and Superman and how neither are really the good guys. It's narratively daring (for a comic) and I remember being shocked that Combattor crippled Jose. It also made me hate Luthor even more.
To conclude, yes, this brave new world of 1986 had a few mis-steps in its first 2-3 years but it entertained the hell out of my kiddy self. And took risks when doing it.
Books by new creative teams (mostly) and a general desire to freshen things up.
Clearly it's too early to tell if it'll be any good. Whether we have Heroes Reborn (dire) or Ultimates (somewhat better but not flawless).
Though it's made me think back to the DC of the late 80s. In the UK, London Editions reprinted recent DC stories, often with articles explaining characters and storylines. It was through these that I first learnt of Crisis On Infinite Earths. Crisis (just in case you didn't know) was an epic story arc that allowed DC to tweak characters and their history in an effort to make the comic universe more accessible.
And few were more tweaked about with than Superman.
You know what? It excited me to know that I was reading about a fairly new Superman. (I did find myself looking down the nose at some pre-Crisis material as, for Supes, most of that stuff now hadn't happened.)
DC had entrusted John Byrne with reinventing the Man of Steel. And his version was very much of its time. Luthor was a corporate crook with underworld connections as opposed to a mad scientist. The sillier trappings like the Fortress of Solitude and Krypto the superdog were gone. And Supes was not all powerful. Also stripped back was a lot of the Kryptonianess. Supergirl no longer existed. Clark was on his own. And all the various different non-green colours of Kryptonite (and their different effects) were gone too.
Probably one of the strongest ideas was the doing away with Clark's time as Superboy (seriously, any crook with a brain would compare Smallville phonebooks of the Superboy era with those from Metropolis - yeah, it would take a while then but the rewards would pay dividends.)
Another strong idea was having Superman and Batman not get on. The grudging respect they showed made more sense given their vastly different attitudes and approaches.
But possibly the most crucial change was the overall grounding of Clark in his humanity. Ma and Pa Kent were now still alive, allowing us to see his human side. (Some of my favourite scenes were Clark hanging out back home.) Yes, this was a powerful being but he was relatable. See the issue of Man Of Steel when Clark comes home after his first heroic feat, saving a space-plane. He is overcome by the public reaction. "They all wanted a piece of me, Ma".
Byrne and fellow writer Marv Wolfman had modelled a fair bit on the Christopher Reeves films, to be sure. Though the paring back paid dividends. We were allowed to discover a hero who whilst morally strong could fail. And that could make for interesting reading.
The first issue of anything that I definitely remember having is Superman 9. It features the Joker attacking Metropolis. The Joker-smiles on his gassed victims scared my 8 year-old self but what really terrified me was the Joker's response when ultimately asked why he'd attacked another city. "Why ever not?"
That isn't the best part of that issue. The best part is a back-up story featuring Luthor appearing in a diner 900 miles from Metropolis. This is small-scale evil. He asks his waitress if she wants to give up her life, her husband and come with him for a month. She has ten minutes to decide.
There's no super-heroics at all. Just a moral dilemma and a great character-piece.
It's the characterisation that makes this era.
At the same time, over in Adventures of Superman, Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway created two of the more interesting recent additions to the supporting cast. Cat Grant (a bolshy single mother colleague of Clark's, who had designs on him) and Jose Delgado. Yeah, Jose's got a bit of a stereotypical name but his introductory storyline was great. Gang Wars focussed on turf wars between gangs and Superman's realisation that this was a problem that couldn't be punched into submission. Jose eventually becomes Gangbuster in an effort to help police his neighbourhood. Which led to another issue that I adored, Adventures of Superman 437. There are two narrators, on facing pages. Lois Lane and Luthor. Lois is discussing her date with Jose and how it is interrupted by a hired thug called Combattor. Luthor (who has funded said thug) tells his dinner-date of a hypothetical fight between Combattor and Superman and how neither are really the good guys. It's narratively daring (for a comic) and I remember being shocked that Combattor crippled Jose. It also made me hate Luthor even more.
To conclude, yes, this brave new world of 1986 had a few mis-steps in its first 2-3 years but it entertained the hell out of my kiddy self. And took risks when doing it.
Sunday 12 June 2011
Doctor Who and another split season
Another week, another press release from the Dr Who office.
This time, as reported by the Guardian, the show next year will start in the autumn.
I kinda predicted this. There's a school of thought that the programme works best in the long winter nights. (My personal feeling is that the weather outside's completely irrelevant - I fell love with the show whilst having a break from playing about in 36 degree heat).
However what the BBC seems to be wanting to do is not air all of next season's episodes in 2012. And instead stagger it around Christmas.
Some folks think this helps make the books balance a little easier (the show ain't cheap after all). The BBC denies this and instead cite narrative reasons.
But whatever the cause, I wonder if this action'll hurt sales abroad. Won't it be more helpful for schedulers to have whole seasons rather than piecemeal ones? (Hence why most UK broadcasters, Sky excepted, wait for an American import to complete its season rather than showing it close to transmission in case they have to have breaks for Labor Day, Christmas etc.)
I guess we'll see what the UK ratings are like this autumn.....
This time, as reported by the Guardian, the show next year will start in the autumn.
I kinda predicted this. There's a school of thought that the programme works best in the long winter nights. (My personal feeling is that the weather outside's completely irrelevant - I fell love with the show whilst having a break from playing about in 36 degree heat).
However what the BBC seems to be wanting to do is not air all of next season's episodes in 2012. And instead stagger it around Christmas.
Some folks think this helps make the books balance a little easier (the show ain't cheap after all). The BBC denies this and instead cite narrative reasons.
But whatever the cause, I wonder if this action'll hurt sales abroad. Won't it be more helpful for schedulers to have whole seasons rather than piecemeal ones? (Hence why most UK broadcasters, Sky excepted, wait for an American import to complete its season rather than showing it close to transmission in case they have to have breaks for Labor Day, Christmas etc.)
I guess we'll see what the UK ratings are like this autumn.....
Saturday 11 June 2011
Graham Linehan v the Today programme
Graham Linehan's media profile has been steadily increasing recently.
I was surprised but delighted to see him on BBC 1's Have I Got News For You.
This week just gone, the Father Ted and IT Crowd creator has complained about his treatment by Radio 4's Today programme.
He believed that they wanted him to discuss the difficulties of transferring Ealing comedy film classic The Ladykillers to stage. (And also allow him to plug said West End production).
Instead it became what he feels to have been an ambush. Here's his version of events and here's the audio.
He has claimed it happens all too often on Today.
Sure for the politicians, bankers and other bogeymen, yes.
Though I haven't heard it happen too often to civilians.
Listening to the debate, yes, Justin Webb, the presenter is a tiny bit confrontational. And he does get it back on track once Linehan expresses his displeasure.
And Michael Billington (the Guardian critic) does have a point that there's an awful lot of West End shows based on movies. (Also, it's an interesting theory that The Ladykillers' gang of crooks are an analogy for the Labour post-war government)
As for the political debates on Today, well they sometimes talk over each other. But Today hasn't reached the aggressive heights of news parody The Day Today
Nor is the show a home to the rigid partisan shouting matches of say Crossfire, the show memorably demolished by Jon Stewart whilst on it. Within a few months, Crossfire was dead (though last time I checked in on American news TV, Crossfire's spirit could still be felt).
But, this. Well what happened to Linehan must have been awkward and upsetting but it ain't a Crossfire moment.
Maybe Michael Billington just needed to go lighter on Linehan and his play. Maybe it was just that.
But I don't think this should change Today.
I was surprised but delighted to see him on BBC 1's Have I Got News For You.
This week just gone, the Father Ted and IT Crowd creator has complained about his treatment by Radio 4's Today programme.
He believed that they wanted him to discuss the difficulties of transferring Ealing comedy film classic The Ladykillers to stage. (And also allow him to plug said West End production).
Instead it became what he feels to have been an ambush. Here's his version of events and here's the audio.
He has claimed it happens all too often on Today.
Sure for the politicians, bankers and other bogeymen, yes.
Though I haven't heard it happen too often to civilians.
Listening to the debate, yes, Justin Webb, the presenter is a tiny bit confrontational. And he does get it back on track once Linehan expresses his displeasure.
And Michael Billington (the Guardian critic) does have a point that there's an awful lot of West End shows based on movies. (Also, it's an interesting theory that The Ladykillers' gang of crooks are an analogy for the Labour post-war government)
As for the political debates on Today, well they sometimes talk over each other. But Today hasn't reached the aggressive heights of news parody The Day Today
Nor is the show a home to the rigid partisan shouting matches of say Crossfire, the show memorably demolished by Jon Stewart whilst on it. Within a few months, Crossfire was dead (though last time I checked in on American news TV, Crossfire's spirit could still be felt).
But, this. Well what happened to Linehan must have been awkward and upsetting but it ain't a Crossfire moment.
Maybe Michael Billington just needed to go lighter on Linehan and his play. Maybe it was just that.
But I don't think this should change Today.
Thursday 9 June 2011
DC's revamp and the Oracle question
So DC are relaunching their universe.
This was always going to bring in some changes.
Most probably Clark Kent becoming unmarried (kinda like Spidey but without the whole deal with the devil).
Bruce Wayne being the sole Batman wasn't a surprise. Sad but not a surprise.
Though I was stunned by Oracle-gate.
In the 80s Barbara Gordon was shot by the Joker, crippling her. Whilst this meant she couldn't be Batgirl anymore, it wasn't the end of her as a character. Instead she became a tactician, showing that wheelchair bound characters can be just as heroic. And also be romantic.
Yes, deaths get undone but there was no way Babs would suddenly get better. That would be too tacky.
Erm, well.
We've got a new Batgirl series starting in September, starring a Babs able to swing over rooftops and all that jazz.
At least it's being written by Gail Simone who did such a good job writing Oracle in Birds of Prey. And maybe it will be good.
Change will always upset some and geeks can be conservative with a small c. And change can be beneficial.
But this particular change doesn't seem the smartest of moves by DC, especially when they have publicly stated that they are trying to make their universe more diverse.
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Doctor Who : A Good Man Goes To War
This is an exceptional season finale.
Last year's didn't stick the landing but, yeah, this delivers.
And going from some friends, it can be enjoyed without having seen much of this season.
And now we delve into
spoilers
Sunday 5 June 2011
Kaiser Chiefs - The future is web-driven
So you are an indie band that has slipped off the radar.
Suppose you think that you need to reach beyond the 6music daytime crowd.
Do you go into the jungle? Appear on the lottery?
Or do something innovative.
Now I am not saying Ricky Wilson and the boys were consciously thinking of this but Kaiser Chiefs have managed to pull off a masterstroke.
They have made their new album, the awesomely titled The Future Is Medieval, completely customisable online. You can choose ten out of twenty tracks, the running order and the artwork.
It is also a darker sounding album than I expected (but I only really paid attention to the first two albums)
The website let's you listen to sizeable samples of each track and the site is quite lively as you would expect from them.
So go and have a mosey....
It'll probably be quite a commonplace practice before long but I don't think it'll often be done with as much panache.
And it's a very fitting step for a band that has been so much about fun and youth...
Wednesday 1 June 2011
Flashpoint : DC's bold gamble
DC comics is currently going through one of its universe shaking storylines as is its wont.
To be honest, I was only paying a little bit of attention as it is an alternative universe story and those are a hard sell for me as I find it hard to care if the giant reset button is going to be pushed.
Which is slightly ironic given one part of DC's announcement yesterday.
They are apparently relaunching all their titles with an issue one. (I say apparently as I doubt they'll reset the numbering on Detective or Action Comics which have run uninterrupted since the 30s - Action is 8 years off an issue 1000)
This is said to boost sales. It certainly acts as a jump-on point to buyers in the store.
They are also reworking some if not all of the characters. Clearing out some of the clutter will help. It worked a treat for Wonder Woman and Superman in the 80s who were controversially but brilliantly reinvented. It hasn't been done on this sort of scale before though.
And you have to be so careful with this. Witness the varied attempts to relaunch Hawkman in the 80s/90s with vastly different interpretations, turning the concept into a bit of a mess. Also if you lose some developments, in a bid to simplify the saga, it reinforces the notion that DC resets all too often back to the 1970s. It removes any sense of growth and also puts off those who grew up with the next-generation heroes. For me, The Flash is Wally West, who was the 80s/90s incarnation, rather than Barry Allen who was, ahem, dead but recently revived (Barry always seemed to be a more interesting character dead than alive and I've yet to change my opinion on that).
And it'll be an absolute shame if Dick Grayson is stripped of his joint-Batman-hood. (That depends on the whim of current Bat-writer Grant Morrison).
Another announcement of note was the creators, or specifically what has been announced for Superman. That Morrison man again.
Why so thrilled? Morrison wrote All Star Superman, an out-of-continuity tale of Kal-El that was stunning in both spectacle and emotional power. You must go sample it on Comixology now.
I am waiting to see where they put Paul Cornell though... And Chris Roberson.
The biggest thing though is that new issues will be available to buy online on the same day they reach the store. This is a bold move. Great for consumers but damaging for retainers. Especially British ones given that digital is cheaper than paying for printed copies to be shipping over. It was only this year that UK retailers got issues on the same day as the states. DC govern and DC gaiety away.
Yes the convenience could increase sales.
But, crucially, the new issues need to be good and genuinely feel fresh.
Here's hoping....
To be honest, I was only paying a little bit of attention as it is an alternative universe story and those are a hard sell for me as I find it hard to care if the giant reset button is going to be pushed.
Which is slightly ironic given one part of DC's announcement yesterday.
They are apparently relaunching all their titles with an issue one. (I say apparently as I doubt they'll reset the numbering on Detective or Action Comics which have run uninterrupted since the 30s - Action is 8 years off an issue 1000)
This is said to boost sales. It certainly acts as a jump-on point to buyers in the store.
They are also reworking some if not all of the characters. Clearing out some of the clutter will help. It worked a treat for Wonder Woman and Superman in the 80s who were controversially but brilliantly reinvented. It hasn't been done on this sort of scale before though.
And you have to be so careful with this. Witness the varied attempts to relaunch Hawkman in the 80s/90s with vastly different interpretations, turning the concept into a bit of a mess. Also if you lose some developments, in a bid to simplify the saga, it reinforces the notion that DC resets all too often back to the 1970s. It removes any sense of growth and also puts off those who grew up with the next-generation heroes. For me, The Flash is Wally West, who was the 80s/90s incarnation, rather than Barry Allen who was, ahem, dead but recently revived (Barry always seemed to be a more interesting character dead than alive and I've yet to change my opinion on that).
And it'll be an absolute shame if Dick Grayson is stripped of his joint-Batman-hood. (That depends on the whim of current Bat-writer Grant Morrison).
Another announcement of note was the creators, or specifically what has been announced for Superman. That Morrison man again.
Why so thrilled? Morrison wrote All Star Superman, an out-of-continuity tale of Kal-El that was stunning in both spectacle and emotional power. You must go sample it on Comixology now.
I am waiting to see where they put Paul Cornell though... And Chris Roberson.
The biggest thing though is that new issues will be available to buy online on the same day they reach the store. This is a bold move. Great for consumers but damaging for retainers. Especially British ones given that digital is cheaper than paying for printed copies to be shipping over. It was only this year that UK retailers got issues on the same day as the states. DC govern and DC gaiety away.
Yes the convenience could increase sales.
But, crucially, the new issues need to be good and genuinely feel fresh.
Here's hoping....
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Misc. including a mildly spoilery Doctor Who remark and the Radio 4 pips
Two things slightly odd crossed my radar today.
Firstly was the revelation that Radio 4 generates its pips live. You may wonder what I'm warbling about.
They announce the hour and that the news is coming. (You also hear it on, amongst others radios 1 and 2 but 4 does it without any sort of musical bed.) Here they are in all their glory.
And tonight their pip machine wasn't working. So Eddie Mair, the wonderfully quirky evening broadcaster, did an impromptu piece and yes, these things are generated live.
I'd assumed that nowadays it was a sample played at a precise time. Instead it seems that there's a pip generator and a back-up pip generator that both weren't working.
You would have thought it would be pre-recorded samples triggered at precise times but apparently not.
Next up is Doctor Who.
Mr. Moffat's been talking to the press again and what he's had to say is interesting. It's spoilery in that it rules something out so, well you've been warned,
Firstly was the revelation that Radio 4 generates its pips live. You may wonder what I'm warbling about.
They announce the hour and that the news is coming. (You also hear it on, amongst others radios 1 and 2 but 4 does it without any sort of musical bed.) Here they are in all their glory.
And tonight their pip machine wasn't working. So Eddie Mair, the wonderfully quirky evening broadcaster, did an impromptu piece and yes, these things are generated live.
I'd assumed that nowadays it was a sample played at a precise time. Instead it seems that there's a pip generator and a back-up pip generator that both weren't working.
You would have thought it would be pre-recorded samples triggered at precise times but apparently not.
Next up is Doctor Who.
Mr. Moffat's been talking to the press again and what he's had to say is interesting. It's spoilery in that it rules something out so, well you've been warned,
spoilery talk here
Sunday 29 May 2011
The Hangover Part 2 - review
As a rule, I don't care for blokey comedies, particularly ones of the gross-out variety.
But I was persuaded to see the original Hangover and was pleasantly surprised. There were three plus points:
1. Filming on location, giving the proceedings a veracity
2. Solid comic acting by Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper
3. Alan.
In fact, Alan's character, and Zach Galifanakis's portrayal, took the film into both darker places and, due to his naivete, also more innocent places. Sometimes simultaneously.
This sequel has all 3 points but it's not as good.
Partly the issue is the long-winded intro (if you thought this review had a laborious start, it's nothing trust me).
The other main problem is that Alan's plain unlikeable for the opening third. Yes, it makes sense that he would be possessive of the members of the Wolfpack.
The direction is, as with the first one, very good at capturing a sense of place. Bangkok looks both gorgeous and, at times, menacing. It's also not quite as cliched a view of Thailand as you might think (one of the big cliches is shown comparatively briefly but the other is mercifully ducked).
Methinks, another issue is structure. Cooper and Helms have said they didn't feel they had earned the right to make any drastic changes to the narrative framework.
Which doesn't help to be honest as you can see the mechanics quite clearly in some places (particularly as I watched the original the night before).
And, if there's a third offering (which seems likely), can we move away from wedding plots? I suspect a christening of Doug's kid would be the most plausible (with a missing baby).
It's fun, don't get me wrong. Helms and Cooper are charming as ever. It's just I won't want to buy this installment on DVD for posterity.
But I was persuaded to see the original Hangover and was pleasantly surprised. There were three plus points:
1. Filming on location, giving the proceedings a veracity
2. Solid comic acting by Ed Helms and Bradley Cooper
3. Alan.
In fact, Alan's character, and Zach Galifanakis's portrayal, took the film into both darker places and, due to his naivete, also more innocent places. Sometimes simultaneously.
This sequel has all 3 points but it's not as good.
Partly the issue is the long-winded intro (if you thought this review had a laborious start, it's nothing trust me).
The other main problem is that Alan's plain unlikeable for the opening third. Yes, it makes sense that he would be possessive of the members of the Wolfpack.
The direction is, as with the first one, very good at capturing a sense of place. Bangkok looks both gorgeous and, at times, menacing. It's also not quite as cliched a view of Thailand as you might think (one of the big cliches is shown comparatively briefly but the other is mercifully ducked).
Methinks, another issue is structure. Cooper and Helms have said they didn't feel they had earned the right to make any drastic changes to the narrative framework.
Which doesn't help to be honest as you can see the mechanics quite clearly in some places (particularly as I watched the original the night before).
And, if there's a third offering (which seems likely), can we move away from wedding plots? I suspect a christening of Doug's kid would be the most plausible (with a missing baby).
It's fun, don't get me wrong. Helms and Cooper are charming as ever. It's just I won't want to buy this installment on DVD for posterity.
Saturday 28 May 2011
Doctor Who - The Almost People (spoilers)
Well, that was a lot stronger than the first episode.
It went darker places.Solid acting all-round help finally bring this to life, a minor miracle given how unimpressed I was by the first part.
And also, in retrospect, last week's offering had a lot of water-treading to do to conclude with that cliffhanger.
So, free of that burden, this installment explored the dilemmas of having clones wandering about and the inherent questions of identity and what it means to be human.
Mucho spoilers
Alicia Keys v ticket touts
Next month Alicia Keys is in town to play the Royal Albert Hall in a one-off gig to mark a decade since the release of "Songs in A minor"
Yes, ten years already....
But that's not the remarkable thing.
What is very interesting is the ticketing arrangement (yes, I know I have banging on about Olympic tickets recently and I'll resume to normal non-ticket non-sport service soon).
To gain admission to the RAH, you need not only your ticket but someone in your party needs photo ID to show that they're the buyer of the ticket. Here's the RAH announcement on it.
I'm in favour of this in principle. It'll reduce touts. (It can't stop it as you'll always get unscrupulous touts and desperate fans wanting to chance it)
But it'll be interesting to see if the Albert Hall follow through on this.
I remember in the build up to the France 98 world cup seeing much UK government-funded TV ads saying that fans will be turned away at the gates if they come with tickets in someone else's name. This, to the best of my knowledge, didn't actually happen.
But it does happen at Glasto.
Yes, the Alicia Keys fans might need to be a bit patient in the queue in case someone is there sans ID. And, yes, there may well be some, if not ugly then sad, scenes.
Though, if this becomes the norm for big gigs in London, it'll eat away at the touts and their habits of bulk-buying anything at sizeable venues even if they've never heard of the acts concerned (thus reducing access to real fans).
So, Alicia and management, more power to your elbows.....
Yes, ten years already....
But that's not the remarkable thing.
What is very interesting is the ticketing arrangement (yes, I know I have banging on about Olympic tickets recently and I'll resume to normal non-ticket non-sport service soon).
To gain admission to the RAH, you need not only your ticket but someone in your party needs photo ID to show that they're the buyer of the ticket. Here's the RAH announcement on it.
I'm in favour of this in principle. It'll reduce touts. (It can't stop it as you'll always get unscrupulous touts and desperate fans wanting to chance it)
But it'll be interesting to see if the Albert Hall follow through on this.
I remember in the build up to the France 98 world cup seeing much UK government-funded TV ads saying that fans will be turned away at the gates if they come with tickets in someone else's name. This, to the best of my knowledge, didn't actually happen.
But it does happen at Glasto.
Yes, the Alicia Keys fans might need to be a bit patient in the queue in case someone is there sans ID. And, yes, there may well be some, if not ugly then sad, scenes.
Though, if this becomes the norm for big gigs in London, it'll eat away at the touts and their habits of bulk-buying anything at sizeable venues even if they've never heard of the acts concerned (thus reducing access to real fans).
So, Alicia and management, more power to your elbows.....
Wednesday 25 May 2011
On Olympic tickets
The Olympics are coming to London.
You may have heard.
Last month we completed our application for the ballot.
In June we find out what tickets we are getting for London 2012.
And this month, well, this month they take the money out. Despite us not knowing what we've got yet.
It is an odd system but apparently how other Olympics do it.
Though the thing that bugs me is that they keep on switching the day the money comes out.
Yes we are still within May but it had been suggested money would be withdrawn at the start of the month.
Delay it by a week or two until a date when you are sure you will be ready. Not this shifting timescale. I appreciate there are bigger things in life to fret about though as an Olympic consumer, I am a tad hacked off right now....
You may have heard.
Last month we completed our application for the ballot.
In June we find out what tickets we are getting for London 2012.
And this month, well, this month they take the money out. Despite us not knowing what we've got yet.
It is an odd system but apparently how other Olympics do it.
Though the thing that bugs me is that they keep on switching the day the money comes out.
Yes we are still within May but it had been suggested money would be withdrawn at the start of the month.
Delay it by a week or two until a date when you are sure you will be ready. Not this shifting timescale. I appreciate there are bigger things in life to fret about though as an Olympic consumer, I am a tad hacked off right now....
Tuesday 24 May 2011
Peter Reid - you're awesome
We're straying a bit here from the usual geeky fare.
However, I just want to give genuine thanks to Peter Reid, the current (at time of writing) manager of my football club Plymouth Argyle.
This time last year we hired him, having been relegated into League One.
Now, we have fallen into League Two and my respect for him is immense.
On the face of it, this might seem very odd. However, the club have had severe financial problems.
Our most important away fixtures have been in the Royal Courts of Justice, pleading against winding-up orders for unpaid tax bills.
Players and backroom staff alike have not been paid.
The majority shareholder has been disinterested in stepping in to help protect his investment.
Some managers would have jumped ship.
Not Peter Reid. Instead he's been paying the heating bills out of his own pocket and seemingly doing everything he can to keep the club afloat.
He has no connection to the region that I'm aware of so this isn't part of any boyhood love for the club. This is his professionalism. His desire to the job he's been hired to do (even when he hasn't been paid for it).
There is some speculation that he might be lured away. And, if he does, I'm ok with that because when the club needed a solid friend, a rock, he was there.
God bless you, Peter Reid.
Monday 23 May 2011
Faulks on Fiction
Or are too reliant on your having seen the original show thus giving a feeling of someone blathering on about a great party you missed.
This however is a solid primer.
Sebastian Faulks, author of Charlotte Gray and Birdsong amongst others, groups together characters from British novels and uses them to explore not only the novel and their function in it but, sometimes, the genre.
Now I'm nowhere near as widely read as Faulks so I don't know how contentious some of his essays are. Whilst I found Chanu Ahmed's character in Brick Lane so off-putting that I gave up on the book, I can see why Faulks files him under the Snob category. Certainly Faulks's pieces on Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Heathcliff were spot-on.
And I've since started reading Vanity Fair on the strength of this.
He doesn't out-right spoil but gives you enough of a taster for you to want to read the novel.
Also, in the James Bond chapter, there's a glimpse into his writing process as he describes how he wrote his Bond novel Devil May Care. Admittedly I haven't read that novel but his analysis of Bond is interesting.
The Sherlock Holmes section is also a somewhat affectionate look into the difficulties of writing genre fiction. (And there's an observation about Watson that I won't spoil here, but it is absolutely hilarious).
Once or twice, I feel that I'm not part of Faulks's target audience. He compares one character to an Archers character (suggesting to me we're aiming for middle-aged middle class readers here). However these are only fleeting.
All told, it's thought-provoking and made me want to explore (some of) the books covered that I hadn't read.
These can only be good things.
Sunday 22 May 2011
Doctor Who - Rebel Flesh (spoilers)
Two part stories can be a risk.
If the first episode's weak, then you're probably not looking forward to the next installment.
This is particularly true when this story is going to be the penultimate taste of new TV Dr Who until the autumn.
As with The Curse Of The Black Spot, the supporting cast are unlikeable.
Yes, there's a knotty moral dilemma that it looks like the show will deal with head-on. In that way it reminds me very much of Malcolm Hulke's Silurian stories from Pertwee's era.
Unfortunately the plot hasn't caught alight and instead feels like an ethical debate over 90 minutes.
So, yeah, I'm hoping that next week's will be somewhat better.
Spoilery thoughts and speculation follow this photo of Rory and Amy
I genuinely can't see how we can get another episode out of this.
So is something going to come in from left-field?
Like the eye-patch lady making more than a fleeting appearance...
I also hope that the Ganger Doctor won't end up being the one we see get killed in The Impossible Astronaut. This must be a red herring, surely?
Discounting Tennant's hand-Doctor, it's been a very long time since we've had a character resemble the Doctor. (Which seemed to happen with such frequency in the 60s and 70s that the companions must have established safety words)
Also, is this the start of the Nestene Consciousness or at least their Auton-ising process?
Might we get final resolution as to whether Rory is still an Auton?
And is his friendship with Jennifer going to cause a rift between him and Amy? Methinks yes, even if it's just temporary.
Whatever happens next week, it needs to be more interesting than the first part and also not resolve the dead Doctor story-thread (because if it does, that will be the biggest disappointment in the show since the revelation of what Bad Wolf was all about)
If the first episode's weak, then you're probably not looking forward to the next installment.
This is particularly true when this story is going to be the penultimate taste of new TV Dr Who until the autumn.
As with The Curse Of The Black Spot, the supporting cast are unlikeable.
Yes, there's a knotty moral dilemma that it looks like the show will deal with head-on. In that way it reminds me very much of Malcolm Hulke's Silurian stories from Pertwee's era.
Unfortunately the plot hasn't caught alight and instead feels like an ethical debate over 90 minutes.
So, yeah, I'm hoping that next week's will be somewhat better.
Spoilery thoughts and speculation follow this photo of Rory and Amy
I genuinely can't see how we can get another episode out of this.
So is something going to come in from left-field?
Like the eye-patch lady making more than a fleeting appearance...
I also hope that the Ganger Doctor won't end up being the one we see get killed in The Impossible Astronaut. This must be a red herring, surely?
Discounting Tennant's hand-Doctor, it's been a very long time since we've had a character resemble the Doctor. (Which seemed to happen with such frequency in the 60s and 70s that the companions must have established safety words)
Also, is this the start of the Nestene Consciousness or at least their Auton-ising process?
Might we get final resolution as to whether Rory is still an Auton?
And is his friendship with Jennifer going to cause a rift between him and Amy? Methinks yes, even if it's just temporary.
Whatever happens next week, it needs to be more interesting than the first part and also not resolve the dead Doctor story-thread (because if it does, that will be the biggest disappointment in the show since the revelation of what Bad Wolf was all about)
Saturday 21 May 2011
The Long Now
Last week, I was cooped up in a hotel up north with work.
Little bits of news reached me like Chris Huhne and Ken Clarke's respective difficulties (UK politics for those not in the know). And that the route of the Olympic torch relay may or may not include Norwich. (Relax East Anglia, it does)
It wasn't until I was back home that I learnt that there was a belief that the Rapture was about to happen (an hour from now apparently as I write this).
Now I'm not going to comment on this too much (other than it reminds me somewhat of the start of Zadie Smith's novel White Teeth when a similar prediction fails to come off).
Though it did cause me to think back to the millennium and the fact that the generation growing up now doesn't really have a huge cultural date to look forward to, like the year 2000. Nowadays we just have people who cite specific dates based on bible-driven numerology or Mayan prophecies.
And those don't begin to have the symbolism of the year 2000. (I remember at the age of 9 being asked what I thought I would be up to. My prediction of being on an African desert island beach resort didn't quite come to pass. Instead I had a pleasant evening with my family in rural-ish Netherlands. )
2000 AD, Australia's science program Beyond 2000, Pulp's Disco 2000 - all eloquent reminders of how that year would signify the future.
And in early January of that year, I first heard of The Long Now. The idea that we had hit this landmark date but now we need to think what we should do for the rest of this new millennium. It resonated with me at the time as I was about to start my final year at uni and have my own Long Now.
One of their pet projects, supported by Brian Eno no less, was to have a clock that could carry on for centuries. Potentially long after humanity.
It was going to be made out of cheap materials that future generations won't want to salvage.
A location has been chosen (Mount Washington) and prototypes are on display in the Science Museum in London as well as in San Francisco.
It just seems a shame that, for whatever reason, such an elegant idea seems to have slipped from the public consciousness. And that notion of popularising long-term thinking seems to have faded with it......
Little bits of news reached me like Chris Huhne and Ken Clarke's respective difficulties (UK politics for those not in the know). And that the route of the Olympic torch relay may or may not include Norwich. (Relax East Anglia, it does)
It wasn't until I was back home that I learnt that there was a belief that the Rapture was about to happen (an hour from now apparently as I write this).
Now I'm not going to comment on this too much (other than it reminds me somewhat of the start of Zadie Smith's novel White Teeth when a similar prediction fails to come off).
Though it did cause me to think back to the millennium and the fact that the generation growing up now doesn't really have a huge cultural date to look forward to, like the year 2000. Nowadays we just have people who cite specific dates based on bible-driven numerology or Mayan prophecies.
And those don't begin to have the symbolism of the year 2000. (I remember at the age of 9 being asked what I thought I would be up to. My prediction of being on an African desert island beach resort didn't quite come to pass. Instead I had a pleasant evening with my family in rural-ish Netherlands. )
2000 AD, Australia's science program Beyond 2000, Pulp's Disco 2000 - all eloquent reminders of how that year would signify the future.
And in early January of that year, I first heard of The Long Now. The idea that we had hit this landmark date but now we need to think what we should do for the rest of this new millennium. It resonated with me at the time as I was about to start my final year at uni and have my own Long Now.
One of their pet projects, supported by Brian Eno no less, was to have a clock that could carry on for centuries. Potentially long after humanity.
It was going to be made out of cheap materials that future generations won't want to salvage.
A location has been chosen (Mount Washington) and prototypes are on display in the Science Museum in London as well as in San Francisco.
It just seems a shame that, for whatever reason, such an elegant idea seems to have slipped from the public consciousness. And that notion of popularising long-term thinking seems to have faded with it......
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Doctor Who : The Doctor's Wife
A Neil Gaiman-penned script was always going to be highly anticipated.
Fortunately this delivered in spades. The Moffat era has become increasingly like a fairy tale, especially when you think of the original aliens we've encountered.
This episode was like something from the darker reaches of the Brothers Grimm, equal measures terrifying and hilarious. The cast is top notch, especially Suranne Jones.
And crucially the plot just couldn't have happened in any other series, unlike last year's megastar-written episode from Richard Curtis.
It is dripping in the show's mythology but has a strong story to tell in it's own right. The show is at its best when it is a feast for the imagination and, yup, this episode is up there.
It's clearly an act of love by Gaiman and it is probably Matt Smith's best episode to date.
Monday 16 May 2011
Now Eurovision's over for another year
The quality of entries this year was remarkably high.
So I was delighted that Azerbaijan and Italy came first and second, respectively. I had loved both those tunes since I heard them a few weeks back.
Italy's success in particular shattered the notion that there is a "Eurovision" song. If there is a place for exceptional jazz piano, there is a place for anything.
Take note UK.
Sure, 11th place was respectable given last year.
We need to carry on with tried and tested performers. And also having them sing songs tailored to them. So farewell to audience voting.
Yeah, in Eastern Europe, they still vote for who will represent them at Eurovision.
However, this is often the sole route for Polish/Hungarian etc. acts to generate an international following.
Acts over here will try to get onto X Factor first.
So, fairly established acts for us. It will be great to have ones that are still fresh.
Problem is that the Jessie J's will not want to do all the publicity all over Europe.
We either go for someone so big that it's not strictly necessary or someone who's prepared to put in the hours.
Of the giants, who would bite? Me, I think the BBC should ask Muse. It doesn't seem completely out of the question and they would write something powerful and fun. If that seems a bit too rocky for a BBC convinced that the Eurovision's camp (despite all the evidence), try Lily Allen.
If it has to be an up-and-comer, get Mark Ronson to produce.
But please don't make it a ballad as, shown time and time again recently, that don't get the votes.
So I was delighted that Azerbaijan and Italy came first and second, respectively. I had loved both those tunes since I heard them a few weeks back.
Italy's success in particular shattered the notion that there is a "Eurovision" song. If there is a place for exceptional jazz piano, there is a place for anything.
Take note UK.
Sure, 11th place was respectable given last year.
We need to carry on with tried and tested performers. And also having them sing songs tailored to them. So farewell to audience voting.
Yeah, in Eastern Europe, they still vote for who will represent them at Eurovision.
However, this is often the sole route for Polish/Hungarian etc. acts to generate an international following.
Acts over here will try to get onto X Factor first.
So, fairly established acts for us. It will be great to have ones that are still fresh.
Problem is that the Jessie J's will not want to do all the publicity all over Europe.
We either go for someone so big that it's not strictly necessary or someone who's prepared to put in the hours.
Of the giants, who would bite? Me, I think the BBC should ask Muse. It doesn't seem completely out of the question and they would write something powerful and fun. If that seems a bit too rocky for a BBC convinced that the Eurovision's camp (despite all the evidence), try Lily Allen.
If it has to be an up-and-comer, get Mark Ronson to produce.
But please don't make it a ballad as, shown time and time again recently, that don't get the votes.
Saturday 14 May 2011
Eurovision preview
Normally my televisual highlight of an evening would definitely be a Neil Gaiman-scripted Doctor Who episode. And it still probably will be. Even if they bring the Rani back tonight as rumoured.
However it'll be the warm-up act to Eurovision and, well, this looks like a vintage year.
Not for pointing and laughing (Jedward aside, few of the krazies have reached the final).
As has been the trend, there are a fair few credible efforts.
The Italian jazz piano entry is an excellent example of the genre.
Me fears though the classy vote will be split between that and the French tenor.
Georgia, Denmark and Moldova (once you get over the millinery) are all good altie efforts. They may not place highly but show that the competition isn't the camp festival of yore.
EU politics will probably rule out Germany (also Lina's song will be a difficult sell in the more religious nations).
Blue have been getting ominously big cheers on the floor. The song is just OK but I think their popularity will get the UK top 5.
My gut says that, unless Azerbaijan put on a better performance than they did in the semi, it will be a straight fight between Sweden's decidedly camp entry and Estonia's mix of Broadway-esque visual feast and catchy tune.
However it'll be the warm-up act to Eurovision and, well, this looks like a vintage year.
Not for pointing and laughing (Jedward aside, few of the krazies have reached the final).
As has been the trend, there are a fair few credible efforts.
The Italian jazz piano entry is an excellent example of the genre.
Me fears though the classy vote will be split between that and the French tenor.
Georgia, Denmark and Moldova (once you get over the millinery) are all good altie efforts. They may not place highly but show that the competition isn't the camp festival of yore.
EU politics will probably rule out Germany (also Lina's song will be a difficult sell in the more religious nations).
Blue have been getting ominously big cheers on the floor. The song is just OK but I think their popularity will get the UK top 5.
My gut says that, unless Azerbaijan put on a better performance than they did in the semi, it will be a straight fight between Sweden's decidedly camp entry and Estonia's mix of Broadway-esque visual feast and catchy tune.
Friday 13 May 2011
Classical music v Kissy Sell Out
(Apologies - this is a repost as the original seems to have fallen behind the Blogger sofa during their "difficulties" last night)
Radio 4 has been branching out, trying to shake off its fusty image a bit (whilst keeping The Archers, afternoon plays and other schedule staples for, well, mostly grandma).
But I was more than a bit surprised to hear Kissy Sell Out on the Today programme this morning. Listen here wherever you are on the globe (It starts shortly after the 2h20 mark)
Kissy is one of Radio 1's hidden treasures. Given Chris Moyles's comments during his Comic Relief marathon, Kissy doesn't seem to be known amongst all of his Radio 1 colleagues.
He is very music-focussed and is wonderfully eclectic in his musical choice. He's also clearly passionate, infectiously so.
So, erm, what was he doing on big old serious Today?
He and Stephen Fry were giving a taste of a forthcoming gig at the Cambridge Union Society (the student union in less-Hogwartian terms).
The CSU are having them debate whether classical music is relevant to the youth of today. Fry was pro the Bach crowd's relevancy. Kissy is on the anti-s.
And me, I am inclined to agree with Kissy's points.
Classical music can be beautiful. And stirring. That's probably why so many riffs are nicked from it.
But it's the packaging, the branding.
Kissy has a point that the titles are off-puttingly ridiculous (but it'll be hard to get past that as renaming will enrage the old guard). There is an appetite for instrumentals. You don't need words to interest new audiences.
However, the way to bring in people, to change the image, is to do what happened at Latitude last year. On the eve of the festival, they had Nigel Kennedy energising the crowd. (Yeah, Latitude is a bit middle class, but it is indie-folk and hardly the Proms) If you're not familiar with Kennedy, go have a listen
That breaks down barriers. It shows people that this is music for them. ITV did the same trick by having Pavarotti sing Nessun Dorma for their coverage of the Italia 90 World Cup.
And less emphasis of the "difficulty" of listening to chewier music. That wins few friends and is frankly elitist.
So play it in festivals. Play it on the tube. (I have a recollection they have done this in Newcastle in an effort to reduce violence and it worked). Like any genre, (which is what it is, sorry) you need to catch people unawares.
But in any outreach program, don't rely on playing tiny snippets. You can't count the Champions League anthem, based on Zadok The Priest.
Rather like Radio 4, I think classical music is something that you experience the influence of from an early age but you tend to discover it for yourself as you get older. To grow into.
In praise of The Greatest Show In The Galaxy
Mccoy's second season of Doctor Who was when things started to slot into place. With ratings still poor, it was a real backs-against-the-wall job and so the show would be brave. As well as nostalgic excursions (it was the 25th season, after all), there was The Happiness Patrol with its barely veiled attack on Thatcherism and, to close the season, The Greatest Show In the Galaxy.
Yeah, not the scariest title but the story itself was a kaleidoscope of fear and wonder.A travelling circus has set up shop on the desert planet Segonax and said circus is the self-titled "The Greatest Show In The Galaxy"
The clowns are wonderfully creepy. We're treated to some back-story that Ace had a childhood fear of the circus but that's needed. These are proper sinister.
Especially a pre-Corrie Ian Reddington as the Chief Clown. The fear comes from their movements as much as the make-up.
Also there's the audience. The Family sit there for every performance. Their coldness is wonderfully theatrical.Watching. Judging. And sentencing to death acts that bore them.Yes, to adult eyes, strewn throughout there's meta-commentary on the future of Doctor Who. It's future was uncertain due to low ratings. And a fanboy arrives who is still tragically devoted to the show despite being aware that its best days were behind it.
That is smuggled in amongst a dazzling display of images. Buses in a desert (years before Tennant) policed by a murderous bus conductor. The Gods of Ragnarok. Werewolves. And an utterly desperate gang of characters who can turn at any time on anyone. That last point really struck my nine year-old self. It's not remotely cosy.
Yes, there's pacing problems from time to time.
But it's a real high point of late 80s Who and could have served as a fitting but bittersweet last story (that honour, for almost seven years, fell instead to Survival and its puss-in-boots-i-ness.
Sunday 8 May 2011
Some signs illustrate erm... something
I don't think anything more can be added to this one...
Saturday 7 May 2011
Doctor Who - The Curse of The Black Spot (mild spoilers)
So, I had some preconceptions going into tonight's offering.
Also it's brave steering the TARDIS into Pirates of The Caribbean territory and, well, this episode's not the weakest but certainly not the strongest.
Lily Cole is remarkably creepy as a siren preying on the ship's crew. Then again she's a model so looking menacing and ethereal isn't too huge a leap for her.
But the main issue is the characterisation, particularly of the pirates. It's just flat. There's an attempt to add human interest to Hugh Bonneville's captain but it's just too contrived.
<< Seriously.... >>
This episode just feels like a first draft and the plot holes are gaping, particularly in the reveal.
A supernatural pirate piece will risk comparisons with PoTC and, yeah, there's no contest.
Next week is the Neil Gaiman episode so hopefully the show will return to awesomeness.
<< And here's some arc points >>
Friday 6 May 2011
The Shadow Line : initial thoughts
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Christopher Eccleston.
Together.
In a thriller.
Ejiofor and Eccleston are cop and gangland figure, respectively, both investigating the murder of a possible snitch in a world that evokes, for me, Ian Rankin's novels.
On the strength of the first episode, it's a little patchy though.
The acting is solid. In fact, Eccleston is terrific, inspiring both fear and sympathy. His sarcasm is a joy to behold as is his being a paternal figure. You can see why people want to work for him.
Rafe Spall is magnificent as a sinister (somewhat effette) nephew of the murder victim.
But there's a weird abstract nature to the piece.
Yeah, you're not supposed to figure out what's going on in the first episode though too much distance can bring its own problems.
And it feels very abstract when the focus is on the cops. It's the dialogue, peppered with oblique references to unrevealed past events. One case in point is when the mother of a dead cop tells Ejiofor that the bullet that killed her son sometime ago is in the room with them. Just as you're thinking she has a goulish choice in momentoes, Ejiofor's character reveals that the bullet is embedded in his skull.
The dialogue feels Pinter-esque and would work in a claustrophobic setting where everyone knows each other. Here it seems odd.
Less importantly, author Hugo Blick has said he's deliberately kept the city vague so that it's an Anywhere UK. Personal choice but this also snaps me out a bit. (It's always affected my enjoyment of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct).
It's well-written. There's some intriguing themes, particularly memory and the nature of self (Ejiofor's clearly lost some of his memory and Eccleston's wife is suffering from Alzheimer's).
Though that overly cryptic dialogue....
Will I watch more?
Most likely, but mainly for Spall and Eccleston's performances.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)