Events in Iran continue to escalate and it's impossible to say what's going to happen next - I just know whose side I'm on. As before, some of the best coverage I've found is on Sullivan's Dish & here's a pretty amazing clip from today,
There was an interesting piece (propaganda?) on Huffpo earlier that I see has been updated since. Also it appears the regime has encouraged their own supporters onto the streets in a show of force I think it's optimistic/foolish to try and flex their muscles now: one revolution will follow another.
Ahh sheet - CIA are looking well shakey now after getting caught napping while a known individual tries to bomb a plane with explosives in his pants.
And on a somewhat lighter note here's a selection of mad Japanese toys, my fave below, He is just as I've always imagined. ta huffpo
Lost Hearts, another of the James adaptations, was fantastic; a nasty, dark twisted tale about an Uncle whose interest in his nephew is less than wholesome. Involves plenty of Hurdy Gurdy.
Breaking Bad, is well worth your time, just finished the 2nd season and I'm already itching for more Think it's currently showing on Five at the moment but in case you haven't seen it the Dad from Malcolm in the Middle has terminal cancer and starts cooking up crystal meth when he's not teaching high school chemistry. It's dark, funny and has two amazing leads, particulary Cranston who is revelatory.
The Ash Tree, wasn't as effective as some of the other James stories but it's got a great ending. The acting didn't quite work for me though the separate time periods were deftly handled. This one is basically about a spooky tree and it's relationship with the owner of a large estate.
A Warning to The Curious is better though, this time it's about a fabled Saxon crown hidden in the Norfolk countryside discovered by a crafty amateur archeologist who soon begins to regret his find. It's creates a real atmosphere in it's own sedate manner but it was the mythos I loved, lost kings and all that. Anyways well acted, scripted and they really make the most from the desolate landscape.
We saved Peep Show 6 instead of watching it as it aired, dunno why though, 'cause as funny as it is I can't cope with the extreme levels of social super-cringe it elicits so two eps in a row max. Still written and acted effortlessly it's bound to come to an end with the arrival of the mini-Mark next season. Shame but I hope Mitchell & Webb can find another vehicle together and maybe one with a spot for Super Hans.
The Stalls of Barchester another fine James tale concerns a historical investigation into the appointment of a new Archdeacon to a church with some unusual furnishings. It's a little dry in comparison to some of the others in the series but it has it's moments and is still heads above tonnes of the dross floating about these days.
In a similar theme is The Treasure of Abbot Thomas, this time two scholars investigate a medieval horde of gold buried on University grounds by an alchemical maverick. Decent performances and plenty of unanswered questions has made it one of my faves so far. Must really try and buy some of these in book form.
The Stewart/Tennant RSC Hamlet was actually not bad, I'm not much of a Shakes afficionado and I've never read or seen it before but it was well worth watching it even though it's a 3hr event. Bet it was better on stage but you can watch it here.
I found a nice little collection of classic ghosty tales just in time for the Festivus feasting. So last night we devoured an excellent Dickens adaptation called The Signalman, Denholm Elliot stars as the titular character who spends his days alone by the side of the track and succumbs to visions of a hooded figure who seems to warn of impending deaths. Classy acting and nicely shot this manages to generate a fair bit of tension from a simple story and is well worth watching.
Next was a M.R. James adapation called Number 13, this was good too just not quite in the league as above. A historian does some digging into a local priestly scandal while staying at an interesting hotel that seems not to have a room 13.
Took me quite a while to find the Nightmare Man and now I'm not sure it was worth all the effort, it's a scifi-slasher set on a remote Scottish island from '83 and must have come from the Who team cause it shares the same super low fi production qualities. The plot is fairly sound I suppose but the acting is well ropey but with a few tweaks it I reckon it could make a decent remake. nb - typical, it's on youtube in ten min chunks, wish I'd thought of that sooner! Misfits, a really funny, grimy Hereos ripoff with some serious attitude has been great. Presumably it's been picked up for a 2nd season but you never know with those chumps at 4.
Trick R Treat was ok, a handful of intertwining Halloween stories stitched together with some nice cinematography but let down by a shonky script and not enough gore.
Planet 51 wasn't up to much either, an animated scifi toon about a human landing on an alien planet that seems to be styled in 50's Americana and where everyone speaks English. There's a slew of classic scifi references but not enough jokes or excitement to stir much enthusiasm and the aliens design is uninspired.
A customer of mine remarked that I should blog my daily recommendations from work so well here goes. Clockwise from top left it's Black Vs Blue, 1st names Vs 2nd names, Days Vs Nights and J's and Directors J.
Beautiful picture of Morning Glory, sad story though, via Atlas Obscura.
Mercury map from Messenger, sure it'll be on Google soon enough. Via Wired & usuals.
Big Space news of the week has gotta be the discovery of a watery Super-earth planet orbiting a red dwarf.
And still space-based there's an interesting bit from Metzger bout some book charting the history of our understanding of the cosmos. Probable future purchase sighted.
Men Who Stare At Goats, not bad suppose, they've slapped a Iraqi kidnapping into it mix I guess to spice it up, the original is still funnier though.
Land of The Lost, wasn't very funny and only mildly entertaining. They'd obviously spent a fair amount of cash on it but the Ferrell-bot wasn't functioning properly.
Rogue, a slice of commendable b-movie fare. Basically a Oz-set jumbo-creature-feature with some tense moments, really nicely shot but maybe a bit light on the chomping
Triangle, interesting time loop thriller ala Timecrimes but instead set at sea and supernaturally based.
The Box, better than the reviews I've read, it's a great set up based on a Matheson short but it's inexplicably set in the 70's and both leads are ropey and the plot a little muddled. Might read the novella though.
Boy And His Dog, first of three rewatches, classic post-apocalyptic scifi with young Don Johnson hoofing around with a telepathic mutt. Cheap but funny and has some good ideas.
Fantastic Voyage, classic shrinking scientists scifi from '66. Bound to get a remake soon.
Naked, excellent but super-grim Leigh feature with Thewlis rambling about London pontificating at strangers while on the run for assault.
Berlusconi & Blair, two giant fuktards, two monsterish lunatic egos have come a cropper in the past few days and in some beautiful irony both incidents involve the Churchyness, mmm it's just doesn't get any better than this. Anyways Silvio The Seducer - official superhero name - was clobbered in his chops with a Cathedral chucked by a bampot apparently & surprisingly not by a Norm and Master Bullshitter Blair announced/pontificated/shitjabbered about how it didn't really matter bout the WMD's after all on some religious show hosted by renowned hardball interviewer Fern Britton. What a pair of tools. Poor old Blair just doesn't appreciate the level of disdain in which he's held, maybe's Gordo should arrange him a trip to the Hague pre-election, would be a vote winner I'm sure.
Oooh we're getting out own little Space Agency, we're so behind the curve it's embarassing.
Suppose it's spacey but there was a little flap caused by some half functioning Russian rocket over Norway. It might have disappointed UFO nuts but it did garner some really amazing pics.
