Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 06, 2009
The Week In The Wire
Episodes 1 to 5
So, I'm sure most if not all of you have heard of The Wire. The critically acclaimed HBO show which seems to have been everywhere for the last few weeks.
The show actually started in 2002 but was never on terrestrial TV which limited it's audience somewhat. But since the show ended last year it's popularity seems to have gone through the roof.
So the BBC, never shy of a bandwagon, had decided to show the whole thing from the beginning on week nights. Which is great for me as I've never seen it before. So, you'll be getting my thoughts as I goes along as I catch up with TV I should have watched years ago.
Thoughts so far:
1) Wouldn't really want to live in Baltimore
2) When they say explicit language, they ain't kidding. One of my favourite scenes so far was with McNulty and his partner re-visiting a crime scene and swearing like pirates. But it wasn't good just for the fruity language, it was the way you saw them figure out what happened without someone standing there explaining it for you like in CSI or something.
3) Speaking of respecting the audience's intelligence, is it just the BBC version that has no "Previously on The Wire" segments?
4) Initially, it does seem to be a more focused version of Traffic as we're dealing primarily with the drug trade in this series. But what makes it better than Traffic is the rich vein of humor that runs through the show.
5) Lesbians?
Overall, it's great so far and we're barely into it yet. Might have to say third favourite show after Lost and Harry Hill.
So, I'm sure most if not all of you have heard of The Wire. The critically acclaimed HBO show which seems to have been everywhere for the last few weeks.
The show actually started in 2002 but was never on terrestrial TV which limited it's audience somewhat. But since the show ended last year it's popularity seems to have gone through the roof.
So the BBC, never shy of a bandwagon, had decided to show the whole thing from the beginning on week nights. Which is great for me as I've never seen it before. So, you'll be getting my thoughts as I goes along as I catch up with TV I should have watched years ago.
Thoughts so far:
1) Wouldn't really want to live in Baltimore
2) When they say explicit language, they ain't kidding. One of my favourite scenes so far was with McNulty and his partner re-visiting a crime scene and swearing like pirates. But it wasn't good just for the fruity language, it was the way you saw them figure out what happened without someone standing there explaining it for you like in CSI or something.
3) Speaking of respecting the audience's intelligence, is it just the BBC version that has no "Previously on The Wire" segments?
4) Initially, it does seem to be a more focused version of Traffic as we're dealing primarily with the drug trade in this series. But what makes it better than Traffic is the rich vein of humor that runs through the show.
5) Lesbians?
Overall, it's great so far and we're barely into it yet. Might have to say third favourite show after Lost and Harry Hill.
One week in: the iPod Touch
So, it's been a week with my first wholly owned Apple product (the Good Lady Wife had a 2nd Gen iPod Nano but I never used it that much) which means it's tell for an update:
Awesome.
You want more?
Previously my mobile entertainment has been entirely around my PSP. Which was podcasts out and about and games when at home and plugged into a power socket.
Oh boy, have I've I seen a difference. The interface on the PSP, which admittedly came out before the iPhone/iPod Touch, is so antiquated. Using the Internet is a nightmare on the Sony device, connecting to wi-fi takes ages and it feels clunky. It felt clunky before I got my hands on my iPod.
The App store is amazing, syncing it is a dream, it's amazing. And I can really understand why people love the iPhone so much, some of the Apps change the way you think about mobile devices.
Go buy one.
Awesome.
You want more?
Previously my mobile entertainment has been entirely around my PSP. Which was podcasts out and about and games when at home and plugged into a power socket.
Oh boy, have I've I seen a difference. The interface on the PSP, which admittedly came out before the iPhone/iPod Touch, is so antiquated. Using the Internet is a nightmare on the Sony device, connecting to wi-fi takes ages and it feels clunky. It felt clunky before I got my hands on my iPod.
The App store is amazing, syncing it is a dream, it's amazing. And I can really understand why people love the iPhone so much, some of the Apps change the way you think about mobile devices.
Go buy one.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Film review: Know1ng
Know1ng @ IMDB
Oh boy.
Once upon a time, Nic Cage was an edgy respected actor. You only have to look at Leaving Las Vegas and Adaptation to see just how good he really is. So why is it whenever people see a film poster with his face on it do they get so concerned?
Next. Bangkok Dangerous. Ghost Rider.
It is unarguable that Cage needs to get a better agent and he is on the middle of a really bad patch. So why, despite all of the reasons to the contrary, did I love Know1ng so much?
I shouldn't. Cage's hair is one reason to dislike the film. He plays a teacher at MIT who's son is given a letter buried in a 50 year old time capsule that is basically a string of numbers. After deciphering them he discovers them to be a list of disasters that have occurred over the previous 50 years. Including three that have yet to happen.
So far, so Stephen King. And the son is annoying and the setup is a bit forced and why don't I care?
The tent poles in the film are 3 major action sequences that really don't pull any punches. The first is an intense plane crash, the second is even better and the third is crazy.
It is fair to say that the first one drew me in and hooked me. If you get to that point of the film and aren't drawn in then you should probably stop watching. It won't do anything for you.
It it does suck you in, you get a film that really sticks to it's convictions right till the very end and it deserves some respect. With this and The Mist there seems to be a new trend in dark endings that haven't been around in awhile.
I really enjoyed it, was really surprised by it and recommend it wholeheartedly. Won't hear a word against it.
In a word? Shocked.
Oh boy.
Once upon a time, Nic Cage was an edgy respected actor. You only have to look at Leaving Las Vegas and Adaptation to see just how good he really is. So why is it whenever people see a film poster with his face on it do they get so concerned?
Next. Bangkok Dangerous. Ghost Rider.
It is unarguable that Cage needs to get a better agent and he is on the middle of a really bad patch. So why, despite all of the reasons to the contrary, did I love Know1ng so much?
I shouldn't. Cage's hair is one reason to dislike the film. He plays a teacher at MIT who's son is given a letter buried in a 50 year old time capsule that is basically a string of numbers. After deciphering them he discovers them to be a list of disasters that have occurred over the previous 50 years. Including three that have yet to happen.
So far, so Stephen King. And the son is annoying and the setup is a bit forced and why don't I care?
The tent poles in the film are 3 major action sequences that really don't pull any punches. The first is an intense plane crash, the second is even better and the third is crazy.
It is fair to say that the first one drew me in and hooked me. If you get to that point of the film and aren't drawn in then you should probably stop watching. It won't do anything for you.
It it does suck you in, you get a film that really sticks to it's convictions right till the very end and it deserves some respect. With this and The Mist there seems to be a new trend in dark endings that haven't been around in awhile.
I really enjoyed it, was really surprised by it and recommend it wholeheartedly. Won't hear a word against it.
In a word? Shocked.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Film review: Watchmen
Watchmen @ IMDB
This has been a really difficult review for me to approach simply because how close I am to the source material. What source material, I hear some of you cry.
To which I say go away and learn some comic history then we'll talk.
Watchmen the comic is important because it is one of those pieces of work that changes whatever medium it's based in. It's impact on comics is akin to the impact of Jaws on film: when Jaws released it ushered in the summer blockbuster era of cinema, similarly when Watchmen came out it redefined the tone of superhero comics and the themes you could express.
It many ways it was consider unfilmmable despite the attempts that have been made over the years. Now it has been filmed but can it come close to the depths of the comic?
The overall plot of Watchmen is fairly simple: a group of costumed heroes are brought out retirement in the mid eighties following the murder of one of their number. This is set against the backdrop of an escalating cold war where Nixon is still President.
Fairly straightforward, however this allowed the comic lots of space to explore the characters and the alternate world they inhabit. The comic also had 12 issues whilst the movie has two and a bit hours. Hmm.
There are two extremes of adapting comics to films. There is the school that wants to take the comic and put it up on screen word for word, panel for panel (see things like Superman). Then there is the school of take the names and throw the rest away (see Wanted)*.
Watchmen falls firmly in that first camp. It is actually astounding how close it comes to the comic. Panels are put up on the screen that are just like the comic. The overall art direction is amazing, special mention going to Dr. Manhattan who should become on of those iconic screen images.
The performances are great, the standouts being The Comedian and Rorschach.
There are, however, issues.
Whilst seeing the comic replicated so well may tickle my fanboy bones, what works on the page doesn't always work on screen. Some scenes drag and makes it feel every bit of it's long running time.
But that's the tricky thing: as a comic fan I could probably nit pick this all day but is that really helpful for someone who hasn't read the comic? Probably not.
I get the feeling that this will be one of those divisive films that will always be a conversation starter. And as such you should watch it. You may be a fan of the comic and hate it bit you should at least watch it.
It is a very brave film that doesn't quite match it's inspiration but it tries it's hardest. And that's as much as you can ask.
In a word? Almost
* Marvel seems to be plowing a third path with it's recent films like Iron Man and Hulk. They are distilling the characters down to their essence which keeps the fans happy but also changing them enough to bring in the wider audience.
This has been a really difficult review for me to approach simply because how close I am to the source material. What source material, I hear some of you cry.
To which I say go away and learn some comic history then we'll talk.
Watchmen the comic is important because it is one of those pieces of work that changes whatever medium it's based in. It's impact on comics is akin to the impact of Jaws on film: when Jaws released it ushered in the summer blockbuster era of cinema, similarly when Watchmen came out it redefined the tone of superhero comics and the themes you could express.
It many ways it was consider unfilmmable despite the attempts that have been made over the years. Now it has been filmed but can it come close to the depths of the comic?
The overall plot of Watchmen is fairly simple: a group of costumed heroes are brought out retirement in the mid eighties following the murder of one of their number. This is set against the backdrop of an escalating cold war where Nixon is still President.
Fairly straightforward, however this allowed the comic lots of space to explore the characters and the alternate world they inhabit. The comic also had 12 issues whilst the movie has two and a bit hours. Hmm.
There are two extremes of adapting comics to films. There is the school that wants to take the comic and put it up on screen word for word, panel for panel (see things like Superman). Then there is the school of take the names and throw the rest away (see Wanted)*.
Watchmen falls firmly in that first camp. It is actually astounding how close it comes to the comic. Panels are put up on the screen that are just like the comic. The overall art direction is amazing, special mention going to Dr. Manhattan who should become on of those iconic screen images.
The performances are great, the standouts being The Comedian and Rorschach.
There are, however, issues.
Whilst seeing the comic replicated so well may tickle my fanboy bones, what works on the page doesn't always work on screen. Some scenes drag and makes it feel every bit of it's long running time.
But that's the tricky thing: as a comic fan I could probably nit pick this all day but is that really helpful for someone who hasn't read the comic? Probably not.
I get the feeling that this will be one of those divisive films that will always be a conversation starter. And as such you should watch it. You may be a fan of the comic and hate it bit you should at least watch it.
It is a very brave film that doesn't quite match it's inspiration but it tries it's hardest. And that's as much as you can ask.
In a word? Almost
* Marvel seems to be plowing a third path with it's recent films like Iron Man and Hulk. They are distilling the characters down to their essence which keeps the fans happy but also changing them enough to bring in the wider audience.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
I am totally in the 21st Centuary
Typing this on my new iPod Touch. Life is good.
Will get writing some reviews as well at some point.
Will get writing some reviews as well at some point.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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