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Hijack: Brace Brace Brace (2023)
Season One Review
I'd almost certainly have gotten around to Apple TV's series "Hijack" at some point but it's position on the Guardian's top TV of 2023 list certainly sped up that decision. It's a fun, high concept series in the style of maybe something like "Prison Break" with its multiple 'impossible' cliffhangers.
A plane from Dubai to London is hijacked by terrorists. Whist the British Government try to ascertain what has happened; they receive demands to release two high profile criminals from prison. Onboard the plane, Sam (Idris Elba), experienced in high pressure business negotiations tries every trick he can think of to keep everyone on board alive, but he soon learns there are layers to the Hijack and almost nobody has the full information.
So, whilst it's not high art, "Hijack" is a lot of fun. It's forever using the "he can't possible get out of this one" idea, before Elba does indeed talk or run or act his way out of it. The rest of the cast is very interesting. On the plane, for no particular reason it turns out, are Richard Hope and Julia Deakin as a Priest and his wife. There's a family, the matriarch of which is played be Rochenda Sandall - though they do become a bit more pivotal to the plot. Neil Maskell is the lead hijacker and, as always, he's brilliant as is Eve Myles as the air traffic controller. There are also roles for Kevin Eldon, Simon McBurney and Ian Burfield.
It looks really good, there's well done CGI work, particularly in the later episodes as the plane arrives at London.
So, whilst it's all a bit silly, it sort of works well enough because of Elba and those addictive "how will we get out of this one" moments. I'm surprised to learn that they're making a second season though, as whilst not every element of who is behind the attack is wrapped up, it does feel like we reached the natural conclusion to the story. I'm sure I'll watch it though,
The Acolyte: The Acolyte (2024)
Season One Review
This season of "The Acolyte" draws to a close with more reveals, more deaths, and a tie in (or perhaps two) with the wider Star Wars Story.
Mae (Amandla Stenberg) escapes from Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and crashes an escape ship in Brendok, Sol follows her, and they meet at the ruins of the coven's fortress. Osha (Amandla Stenberg) has a vision of Mae's location and, despite having different outcomes in mind, agrees to travel to Brendok with Qimir (Manny Jacinto). Before landing, Sol turns his transponder on allowing Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) to gather another troop of Jedi Knights and head to Brendok as well, hoping to bring the situation to a conclusion before Senator Reyencourt (David Harewood) can convince the senate that the Jedi need oversight. With all the characters in the same location, truths are learned and fates are determined.
Interestingly, I think that how I feel about this particular episode might come down to whether or not there is a second season of the show. It's pacier than the show has been as a whole, and the fight between Sol and Qimir is another great sabre fight, in a series that has ended up having quite a few good ones. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger but does feel to me like it's only the start of the story. I want to know who, if anyone, will rise from the Jedi ranks to oppose Qimir and Osha and how they will continue to keep it quiet.
It's intriguing to consider if that character hiding in the shadows of Qimir's hideout is Darth Plagueis and how that fits into the wider lore. Though again I'd argue in principle that there's a need to get away from the Skywalker Saga to open up Star Wars to new stories, I also have to admit that I had felt a thrill at that moment, and in the very final moment of the series.
It'll be very interesting to see Lucasfilm's appetite for a second season. We don't know much about actual viewing figures and the legitimate criticism of the series hasn't been as glowing as it was for say "Andor" - only time will tell.
Abbott Elementary: Party (2024)
Season Three Review
I've enjoyed the previous two seasons of "Abbott Elementary" and happily dove into season three when it arrived on Disney Plus, in two segments, with the last episodes released this month. Truncated by the writer's strike, the episodes we do get are very good, but I wonder if perhaps the show ends on a pivotal mistake.
Janine (Quinta Brunson) is offered the chance of a temporary secondment to the school district, whilst reluctant to leave her class, she does see the chance to help even more of Philadelphias' students. Gregory (Tyler James Williams) struggles with his feelings for Janine and whether he made the right decision not pursuing a relationship. Jacob (Chris Perfetti) ends his relationship though and ends up moving in with Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter).
As I mentioned, the writers' strike truncated this season, leading it to start much later and be back down to 14 episodes. Fortunately, they ran straight through in the US, which allowed the show to make the season one school year again. That said, there's a bit of a time jump in the first episode, with Janine leaving and us then leaping forward 5 months to see her established at the district and returning to Abbott for one of her incentives.
It's largely more of the same though, with "Abbott Elementary" finding that sweet spot of kind and heartwarming, whilst still being genuinely laugh out loud funny at times. I wonder though if they might come to regret allowing the 'will they / won't they' aspect of their storyline to come to a head in the way they have. I think narratively the show might suffer either way they go, as I don't particularly want to see Janine and Gregory break up, but also, historically shows can lose their spark a bit when potential relationships become actual ones.
Hopefully not. I'd really like to see "Abbott Elementary" can avoid these pitfalls. We'll have to wait and see.
Rick and Morty: Air Force Wong (2023)
Wong Direction.
After a start to this seventh season that feels a bit too safe, this was, for me, the first real misfire of the season.
The President (Keith David) approaches Rick (Ian Cardoni) for help. The state of Virginia appears to have entirely joined a cult promoting love and happiness. Rick identifies that the cult is in fact Unity (Christine Hendricks), the hive mind and his former girlfriend. Having isolated the people from Unity, The President, fearing low approval ratings and rejected by Dr Wong (Susan Sarandon) sees the opportunity to unite the world under him, so takes over the connected people and spreads the infection.
I mean, there's a few elements in which this show fails. It's certainly one that feels like it could have done with a "B" Story, involving the rest of the family that is also resolved by Unity's efforts at the end. The rest of the family are entirely lacking from episode, save for the briefest of inputs from Summer. I'd also say, for the first time, this doesn't really 'feel' like Rick, or where Rick is at this point. He's sadder and less caustic than in the previous episodes. The hunting for Rick Prime is a plot point that was promised but as yet hasn't been touched upon in season seven, which makes Unity's concern not exactly ring true.
Those perhaps are all forgivable flaws to the episode, what is much harder to get past its just not funny. It's not even that it has jokes that fall flat, it's just so bogged down with the plot of the episode that there aren't any that many written and nobody - with the exception of Keith David, who's always the MVP of any episode he's in - can wring anything out of it.
I'm used to having the opposite opinion to the rest of the "Rick and Morty" fanbase, so I'm not surprised to see the "return to form" reviews that others have written. For me though, it's one of the worst episodes the series has ever done.
Invincible: I Thought You Were Stronger (2024)
Season Two Review
A couple of years after the first run, Robert Kirkman's "Invincible" returns for a second season. I liked the first quite a bit, though I wasn't particularly enamoured until the first episode's post-credits twist. This second season continues in a similar, bloody, vein.
As both Mark (Steven Yeun) and his mother Debbie (Sandra Oh) struggle to come to terms with the revelations about Omni-Man (JK Simmons), in his 'Invincible' superhero form Mark is unsure about whether he should continue. Ceceil (Walton Goggins) convinces him to stick with it, but soon after Mark leaves Earth for Thraxa, an alien planet calling for aide. In an alternate universe, where Mark did team with his father to enslave the Earth, Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) has arrived at a complicated and dangerous plan to defeat them but needs the help of the Mauler Twins (Kevin Michael Richardson) to get it done.
As with he first season, I enjoyed this run of "Invincible". The storyline is a little more open ended, as we don't have the ticking timebomb of Omni-Man's reveal this time. Instead, the focus is all on whether or not Mark is going to chose to be himself, at college with Amber and William, or Invincible, using his powers to keep people safe. The level of mistrust in superheroes, following Omni-Man's betrayal is another factor in this series.
Visually I still really like this animation style that the show uses, it's not got an obvious comparison, at least from the shows that I'm watching. Whilst the series has always parodied existing superhero characters, there's a deep vein of Meta-humour in this one - such as when an comics creator explains how to save money and time on an animated show, with the show utilising those tactics at the same time.
Despite not being quite as focused as the first season, I really enjoyed this second run of "Invincible" and I'm looking forward to the third.
Doctor Who: Forest of the Dead (2008)
Moon River wider than a mile.
I know people don't track my reviews, but if you did, you'd notice that there is over two years between my review of the first part of this two-episode story and the conclusion. Much has happened to me in those two years, but much has happened to "Doctor Who" too, with Ncuti Gatwa being announced along with the production deal with Disney and the return of Russel T Davies, as well as the production and broadcast of that first season.
Trapped on a planet sized library, The Doctor (David Tennant) and the exploratory team are trying to escape from the Vashta Nerada, who are slowly devouring the crew one at a time. Donna (Catherine Tate) has been 'saved' by the central computer and is now in a world of its creation, with Dr Moon (Colin Salmon). He tries to help her come to terms with it, and she quickly (too quickly) has a full life in the simulation.
Back here Davies was yet to depart the series, though Steven Moffat has writing duty on these two episodes. Two-part stories are notoriously difficult to land, with a first part often promising more than the follow up can deliver, Moffat had pulled it off before, with the "Empty Child/Doctor Dances" double bill, which actually shares a lot of DNA with this story. The repeating of a line over and over, as a scare tactic, even the "Everybody lives" ending - though perhaps it's not as exuberant this time.
What I did totally forget was Donna's storyline in this, and how she has a full relationship, with kids, only for it to be taken away and never mentioned again. What's more heartbreaking retrospectively is that whilst this is the first time the Doctor meets River Song, it's also the last time that she'll ever see him. Fortunately, we have more adventures with them to come.
Whilst it is fair to say that "Forest of the Dead" isn't perhaps as strong as "Silence in the Library" together they do make a good story overall, and the episodes are taken to the next level by the arrival of River Song.
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
Karls-broke.
Watched as I am listening to the "House of Hammer" podcast. Having found success with "The Curse of Frankenstein" a year previously, Hammer studios returned to the horror well once more with "The Revenge of Frankenstein" - which saw a return for Peter Cushing as the Doctor, but not for Christopher Lee as The Monster. I generally didn't find the film to be as good as it's progenitor.
Doctor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is saved from the guillotine by Karl (Oscar Quitak). They relocate to Carlsbruck where, under the name Doctor Victor Stein, Frankenstein slowly establishes a successful medical practice, to the chagrin of the local guild, that he will not join. A younger Doctor, Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews) puts together who Stein really is, but wants to join him in his experiments, which Frankenstein allows. He eventually reveals his plan to Kleve - Karl saved Frankenstein, because he wants him to make a replacement body, to replace his hunchbacked, twisted one and then swap his brain into it.
We're in a period where Hammer is still switching back and forth on making their films in colour. "The Revenge of Frankenstein" is one such film where they went for colour, though for my money this is a lot less bloody and gory than the previous film in the series and so it's not quite as justified. Generally, it looks good though, we're mostly shooting in Bray studios on sets and the film stock used holds up. The sound recordings are well done also. Aside from the returning Cushing, there are a few other names in the film; Eunice Gayson, from the first two Bond films is in this, though she disappears towards the end with no storyline resolution. There's a memorable role for George Woodbridge as the hospital's Janitor and a quick cameo for Lionel Jeffries as a graverobber. Michael Gwynn plays "the body" which is effectively the films monster. He's fine, but not as visually memorable as Christopher Lee.
The films not particularly good though. The plot is slow and meandering and takes far to long for "The Body" to start killing people. It is an interesting, almost zombie-esque shift in the Frankenstein story though, for the brief time that is explored. The ending sets up another cool idea, though that would then be ignored by the sequel, produced some six years later.
Disappointing missed opportunity, particularly as we're going to leave Horror for the much more hit and miss world for comedy, for the next few films.
The Acolyte: Choice (2024)
Acc-ursed
I've been watching "The Acolyte" one week behind, which has cost me a little bit in terms of the shows most dramatic reveals. So, ahead of the final episode this week, I decide to sneak in episode seven so I can, at least, watch it on the right day.
We return to the events of Brendok and see the rest of the story that we didn't' already know. The Jedi exploration team discover the existence of the Coven and, against the instruction of the Jedi Order, continue to investigate the twins. Coming to believe that the vergence that they are looking for, and eager to get home, Torbin (Dean-Charles Chapman) charges to liberate them, with Sol (Lee Jung-jae) in pursuit. Events take a tragic turn and Sol is left with a difficult choice.
I again don't want to sacrifice too many of my time in arguing against other people's opinions but one of the prevailing ones I saw was that "Jedi are bad now". That seems to me to be a particularly basic reading of what happens here. The Jedi are dealing with a force that they don't really understand and so react with fear, confusion and as a result of some corruption, to what happens. They are not, as I thought might be the case, responsible for the destruction of the temple or the slaughter of all of the witches - in fact I'm less clear on exactly what happened to the rest of the coven. It does now make sense why Mae has targeted the Jedi and why Torbin thought that they perhaps deserved it though. They did, after all, decide to cover up what happened.
It's interesting to see where the show can go from here, if it is going to end this week or run on longer. The intention at least must have been to go on as sure the redemption/descent arcs of Mae and Osha can't be resolved in so little time. Also, David Harewood is listed as being in the cast, but hasn't appeared yet - what's his role in this? Back on Wednesday!
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021)
Canny Omega.
To my eternal shame, I am yet to watch any of the Star Wars Spinoff Cartoons. Given that I have Disney plus though, and that this is the first one I can watch as it airs, I decided that "The Bad Batch" was as good a place to start as any.
When Order 66 signifies the defacto end of the Clone Wars, Clone Force 99, otherwise known as "The Bad Batch" decide that the newly formed Empire will force them to make tactical and morale decisions that they can't agree with. Liberating Omega (Michelle Ang) a young clone girl from Kamino, the team attempt to maintain a low profile whilst undertaking whatever missions they can find. Omega though is a prized asset and several dangerous interested parties make her their target.
It's hard not to start the series with immense praise for Dee Bradley Baker, who plays all the members of Clone force 99 and manages to make each feel like there are both a clone of the others, and a fully realised character in their own right. Michelle Ang manages to keep Omega on the right side of annoying too, even when 'precocious child' is a bit of a trope. There's also a nice turn from Rhea Perlman, as a recurring character Cid. Ming-Na Wen makes two appearances, with her returning "Mandalorian" character Fennec Shand. Sian Clifford appears in one episode, making it a nice little in joke that both the "Fleabag" sisters have played robots in Star Wars.
I said in my review of the second season that perhaps it was the right to end the season at this point, but this season was a different storyline and has shown that perhaps I was wrong to believe that and the show could have kept going. At least I am now freed up to start "Rebels".
Star Wars: The Bad Batch: The Cavalry Has Arrived (2024)
Season three review.
Poor Dave Filoni. Having spent decades crafting an expansive animated world to enhance and deepen the story of the prequel trilogy, someone, in one of the sequel trilogies crafted the immortal line "Somehow Palpatine has returned". At which point I assume he sighed and thought, "right, I'll fix that one too".
Omega (Michelle Ang) is captured and forced to work on the secretive cloning program, overseen by Nala See (Gwendolyn Yeo ) and Director Hemlock (Jimmi Simpson). She is in the same facility as the rest of the retired clone army, including Crosshair (Dee Bradley Baker) who is locked in a prison cell. The rest of Clone Force 99 are searching for Omega's location and utilising whatever contacts they can to get a location. A discover in one of Omega's blood samples suddenly makes her the more valuable to the Empire than they ever imagined.
A key plot point of this season then is the need to be able to clone someone with a high M-Count for something called "operation necromancer" that the Emperor is invested in. Well done Dave for taking another one for the team. Especially as this was already announced as being the final season of "The Bad Batch" and you wonder whether this was really the story he wanted to tell. It's a good story though, threading a fine line between explaining how we might have got to that moment, but also not undermining the rest of the pre-existing canon.
Again, it looks great, I like the art style that is used for the show. Dee Bradley Baker does an excellent job with the various variations on a theme he has to play with. Both Harry Lloyd and Angelica Houston guest star in episodes on this run.
I said in my review of the second season that perhaps it was the right to end the season at this point, but this season was a different storyline and has shown that perhaps I was wrong to believe that and the show could have kept going. At least I am now freed up to start "Rebels".
Family Guy: Stu & Stewie's Excellent Adventure (2006)
Season Four Review
I said in my review of season three of "Family Guy" that I wished I hadn't started reviewing each season of the show, as it's difficult to remember which episodes were in which season and it's all so similar it almost doesn't matter - I'll give it a go through.
Season four sees Quagmire (Seth MacFarlane) have an affair with Cleveland's (Mike Henry) wife Loretta leading to their divorce. Peter (Seth MacFarlane) ends his life as a fisherman, and takes a job at Pawtucket brewery, whilst Lois (Alex Borstein) learns that she has a brother Patrick (Robert Downey Jnr) who has been hidden from her all her life, for quite a good reason. Stewie (Seth MacFarlane) discovers that, due to Peter's clumsiness, Bertram (Wallace Shawn) has now escaped.
Brought back after being cancelled again for a bumper 30-episode season, though it was somewhat remixed in the DVD's that I still have somewhere. Nothing has obviously changed, the animation and writing styles remain the same. This season does include a couple of episodes that I think are considered classics now, such as "The Father, The Son and The Holy Fonz" and "Patriot Games" where Peter joins the New England Patriots and famously celebrates his touchdowns with a full performance of "Shipoopi"
I'm genuinely already running out of things to say in my Family Guy reviews, unless and until there's an obvious downturn in quality in the future, this is still regularly funny - if occasionally with a moment that hasn't aged well.
Shark Attack 3: Megalodon (2002)
She's a (Barrow)man eater!
Another real stinker watched for the "How Did This Get Made" Podcast. There are thousands of terrible shark movies out there and they could easily run the podcast for years on just those, but "Shark Attack 3: Megalodon" has one noteworthy thing about it, an early performance from John Barrowman.
Ben Carpenter (John Barrowman) is a lifeguard at a Mexican coastal resort. He finds a large Shark tooth, whilst diving for Lobster and shares the information online. This brings palaeontologist Cat Stone (Jenny McShane) to the resort, who confirms the tooth belongs to a juvenile Megalodon, a prehistoric shark. Despite mounting evidence, Ben can't convince his boss to close the beach, so heads out with Cat and her team, to try and confirm its existance.
So yes, "Doctor Who's" Captain Jack himself, John Barrowman, plays an unconvincing heterosexual in this one. It's a little hard to judge him, to be fair, as he's almost exclusively acting against stock footage of sharks or Eastern European 'actors' that were on set at the time. The script is, I suspect, largely improvised and then is almost all badly ADR'd due to the background noise. None of this is to suggest that Barrowman is good, only to express some understanding of why he's bad.
That's a concession that you have to make to the whole film really. It's a low budget effort designed to make its money back with a bit of schlocky gore and some nudity. The stock footage of the sharks is hilariously mismatched, both using multiple species of sharks in consecutive moments and at very different depths of water. This 16ft shark also seems to like to kill in about 18 inches of water a lot of the time too, which is convenient for filming on the beach rather than out at sea. There is, I think, a prosthetic fin occasionally welded to the camera at one point and a genuine CGI shark later in the film but it's still not an expensive production.
I mean, I don't know what you're looking for here. It's awful and not even 'Asylum-style" fun awful. You shouldn't waste your time other than for context on the podcast.
Mononoke-hime (1997)
Night Walker Texas Ranger
I have to admit one of the big holes in my cinematic appreciation is for the films of Studio Ghibli. Admittedly I haven't seen a lot of them, largely because the ones I have seen I haven't enjoyed that much. I watched "Princess Mononoke" as it's a DVD that ended up in my collection, and I'm watching them out the door in the direction of the charity shop. It wasn't the one to finally win me over.
Infected by a demon, Ashitaka (Billy Crudup) travels to the West to see if he can find a cure. He becomes embroiled in a battle between in the residents of Iron Town, led by Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver) and San (Clare Danes) a human girl who rides with the pack of the Wolf Goddess Moro (Gillian Anderson). Ashitaka comes to learn that Iron Town has opponents on all side, primarily as they're clearing the forest in order to create iron ore.
It's not like I can't appreciate the effort that goes into making a feature length (mostly) hand drawn animated film, I can. I just can't get on board with this aesthetic, I appreciate that, like all animation, it takes a lot of skill and time - I just don't .... like it. I can't explain it any clearer than that.
Given that I'm sure I've already earned your downvote, I might as well double down on it and say that I also found the film dull, and too long. I understood and appreciated the environmental themes but as the story widened out, I found myself less and less interested in what was taking place. I broke my usual rule and watched the dubbed version too, rather than a subtitled one. The performances from the English dub cast are generally quite flat and lifeless too - perhaps by virtue of picking Hollywood stars for the roles, rather than specific vocal performers - which is why someone like John DiMaggio stands out.
I'm going to have to keep going with them, as it must be me that's the problem - but I've never warmed to Miyazaki's work, and this hasn't changed my mind.
The Acolyte: Teach/Corrupt (2024)
Acclimate
After a major upturn in the last episode, "The Acolyte" settles back down a bit with this sixth episode. Though teasing the reveal of what the Jedi did on Brendok is getting a little tiresome.
Osha (Amandla Stenberg) wakes up at Qimir's (Manny Jacinto) home with her wounds treated. He explains that a long time ago he was a Jedi, betrayed by his master and all he wants now is an apprentice of his own. Osha is free to leave whenever she wants, though she's tempted by his story of experiences at the hands of the order that they both share. Sol (Lee Jung-jae) gets a partial message to the Jedi Temple, getting across that his team have been killed, but not by whom. Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) leads a mission to Khofar but finds only the bodies as Sol, and Mae (Amadla Stenberg) have left to try and rescue Osha.
In my last review, I speculated that perhaps the show was going to do the corruption of Osha and redemption of Mae arc, and it does seem like - from this episode, that is the way we're headed. It was another slower one, which perhaps is due after the non-stop sabre battles of the last episode. We do learn though, about the use of helmets amongst dark side force users and that someone was Qimir's master before he was, literally and metaphorically, stabbed in the back. It's perhaps surprising that Sol couldn't automatically sense that Mae wasn't Osha, using the Force, we can perhaps use his grief as an excuse but fortunately he does cotton on pretty quickly.
There are no more wider links to the "Star Wars" Universe, save the classic 'English character actor appearance', more known for his comedic performances, Harry Trevaldwyn, makes his debut as unusually skittish Jedi apprentice Mog.
Slower and more ponderous after last weeks fireworks, and the tease of the truth about what happened on Brendok is a groan inducing bait, but still pretty good.
Rick and Morty: The Jerrick Trap (2023)
So happy together.
After bringing back a bunch of characters for the opening episode, this time "Rick and Morty" retreads one of its most well explored relationships, that between Rick and Jerry with, I think, limited success.
After arguing about whether Rick (Ian Cardoni) was born with a superior intellect, he and Jerry (Chris Parnell)decide to swap brains. They both die immediately but are painstakingly resurrected by one of Rick's inventions. Their brains, however, are mixed leading to blended personalities. Though initially still at each other's throats, they soon come to realise that they take the edge of each other and are happier for it. They team up and go on adventures together, until a threat to the family brings them back.
I think I'd describe this episode as being the sort of average episode that the elements of the fanbase have been accusing the show of being for years. Fine, but uninspired. Again, we're shorn of the A Story / B Story format with only one plot and the rest of the family playing supporting roles in it. It does have a bigger role for Morty this week though, so we get more of a chance to judge Harry Belden's impression. I think he's actually pretty good, maybe a touch better than Cardoni is at Rick.
I felt like the plot was pretty similar to ones we've seen before and unfortunately took a bit too long to get to the "Burger and Fries" adventures - so that element was cut short. There was only really one gag in the episode that made me laugh and that was in the post-credits scene.
I'm glad that other people seemed to have got more out of this one than I did, but for me this was a middling effort.
The Snorkel (1958)
Black and Decker
Another film watched for the "House of Hammer" Podcast. Despite "Dracula" confirming that Hammer's future was in horror, there were still a number of films in production that weren't strictly in that genre, one of which was "The Snorkel", which is an awful name for a solid, if unspectacular, thriller.
Paul Decker (Peter Van Eyck) murders his wife by drugging and gassing her in their Italian home, framing it as a suicide. To facilitate his alibi, he hides under the floorboards, utilising a snorkel, with piped connections to an outside oxygen source. He later 'returns' to much sympathy, especially from Jean (Betta St. John) a nanny for his late wife's daughter Candy (Mandy Miller). Candy already believed that Paul murdered her father and, despite there being no evidence of it, she believes that somehow, he must have killed her too.
I don't quite know how I feel about this one. Technically it's a cut above some of the films Hammer have produced in the last few years. It's in black and white rather than colour, though the print I saw on Youtube looked really good and the sound quality was there too. They filmed on location, in Italy, which was still unusual for Hammer at the time, but it really adds to the authenticity of the film. The murder plan is relatively clever, though I really didn't think that Decker goes far enough with his efforts to conceal his involvement. He's nearly caught looking out of the windows by the police, and then rocks up again later that evening, when it would have been more plausible to stay in France until the authorities found him.
The problem of the film is that, despite the fact she's totally right from the first moment we see her, I never particularly warmed to Candy. Miller seems physically older than the character ought to be and her decisions to put herself in danger, when she thinks that Paul is a murderer are occasionally baffling. I won't go as far as saying that I hoped Decker would get away with it, Van Eyck's creepy performance is too good for that, but I was on that road. I also thought that the film was going to have a really macabre, dark ending, but unfortunately the film backed away from it at the last moment.
I was never bored by "The Snorkel" which is certainly not the case with a lot of the Hammer films I've watched for the podcast, but I'm not sure it's a missing masterpiece either.
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: The End of the Beginning (2024)
Season One Review
I quite enjoyed "Camp Cretaceous", sticking with it long after my son had got bored of watching it with me. So, I was in the bag for this sequel series, catching up with the Nublar Six a few years later.
With Dinosaurs now loose in mainland America, Darius (Paul-Mikel Williams) is working for the Department of Prehistoric Wildlife. The Nublar Six have drifted apart following the death of Brooklynn at the hands of an Allosaurus. Ben (Sean Giambrone), lost in conspiracy theories about dinosaur movement on the black market, shows up at Darius' cabin and begins to explain his theories, which suddenly seem frighteningly plausible when three raptors are released nearby, with the boys as their quarry.
So, it's the same animation style as with the previous series. The human characters are fairly basic, but expressive enough - thought the dinosaurs are excellent, retaining an almost stop-motion animated feel - even though they are clearly CGI too. Almost all the voice actors are back, though noticeably it's the most high profile two that haven't returned. Kenji is now voiced by Darren Barnet and Brooklynn, in the flashback and video sections she appears in, is voiced by Kiersten Kelly.
So, whilst it looks the same and sounds similar, the storyline is a little more adult than in the Camp Cretaceous years, which is necessary to fit in with the fact that whilst they were middle teens in that series, they're young adults now. This is demonstrated by the death of Brooklynn, which is a catalyst for the series and by the relationship between Taz and Sammy now being a fully-fledged plot point and not just played around the edges of. You also have a potential love triangle between Darius, Kenji and Brooklyn, the guilt about which is a motivation factor for a lot of Darius actions. And, whilst it's not particularly deeply delved into, and dropped pretty quickly, there's also a PTSD angle that calls back to Yaz's time in the previous season.
I mean, on one level, it's more of the same. The kids are attacked by dinosaurs and seem to be in an inescapable situation, only to escape it and carry on, but, whilst I'm not sure I'd recommend it to people who aren't that invested in the wider "Jurassic World" story, it's still an exciting, family friendly series.
We Are Lady Parts: Glass Ceiling Feeling (2024)
Season Two Review
I really liked the first season of "We Are Lady Parts" when I saw it back in 2021. In my review of that season, I said that I thought in a years' time I would either be enjoying a second run, or would have forgotten all about it. Neither of those turned out to be the case as, whilst it's taken more than a year to return, the series stuck with me more than I thought it would and I made sure I caught "Polite Society", Nida Manzoor's feature film, which I also enjoyed.
'Lady Parts' are now touring around the country, taking gigs wherever they can whilst trying to build a fanbase. The next step though is an album, which will require some money to book recording space and a producer. Momtaz (Lucie Shorthouse) is trying desperately to raise the funds, but the arrival of a second Muslim band 'Second Wife' muddies the water. Amina (Anjana Vasan) is enjoying her friendship with Ahsan (Zaqi Ismail) until she meets his colleague, and fellow folk enthusiast Billy (Jack Riddiford).
I liked this second season of the show too. It's funny, which is perhaps the only criteria that a comedy should be judged on. I've talked elsewhere about other sitcoms that are amiable but not really funny, but this is not that. I also like that it's not slow in telling the stories this season. The gap between replacing Montaz as their manager and re-establishing their friendship, is not drawn out too much, with the resolution of that story is also done in barely two episodes.
Again, the season sees them mix cover versions of songs alongside some original music, though unfortunately a bit less than last time, and again, I do think that Lady Parts are really good band that I'd listen to.
This feels like a natural place to end the series to me, though if Manzoor does decide to do more, then I'll be there.
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Something in the Water.
Earlier this year, I saw and really liked "Poor Things". I've dug back over a couple of Yorgos Lanthimos' earlier works since, but was eager to see his new film in cinemas. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but if there's an overall theme to the stories, then I'm afraid it passed me by.
"Kinds of Kindness" is anthology of three short films, with the cast remaining constant but the characters very different. In the first Robert (Jesse Plemons) allows his boss Raymond (Willem Defoe) to control and dictate every aspect of his life, down to the socks he wears. One day he refuses Raymond, and his life comes undone. In the second, Daniel (Jesse Plemons) sees his wife Liz (Emma Stone) whose been missing at sea rescued and returned to him, but due to some changes in her personality, becomes convinced that she is an imposter. Finally, cult members Emily (Emma Stone) and Andrew (Jessie Plemons) are searching for someone prophesied to be able to bring people back to life. Emily is convinced that it's Ruth (Margaret Qualley), but struggles to convince Andrew.
I should say, there is a link between the stories in the form of a character named R. M. F and played by Yorgos Stefanakos but then it's not entirely clear whether he is the same person in all three stories. Aside from the four actors named above, Mamodou Athie, Hong Chau and Joe Alwyn also appear in all three tales, with characters of varying degrees of importance.
All three stories are black comedies chocked full of idiosyncratic characters, though it's not quirky, as its all darker and rather more anxiety inducing than that. It's often genuinely funny within that context though. Despite fantastical elements, the first and third stories can probably be taken literally - whereas the second is clouded in undiagnosed mental health issues and is open to interpretation. The performances from the main cast are universally brilliant, though there are a few supporting actors that I'd assume were chosen for unique delivery choices, rather than particular acting skill.
I'm not sure what it's actually all about though. There doesn't appear, to me anyway, to be any thematic links between the stories - though I'd fully accept that this is likely just me missing it. I enjoyed the film though and would recommend it.
The Acolyte: Night (2024)
Acc-osted
Well, if "The Acolyte" had been pootling along at, what I felt at least, was an acceptable if underwhelming level, episode 5 is quite the bit of a step up.
Osha (Amandla Stenberg) awakens to learn that Mae's (Amandla Stenberg) master has killed most of the Jedis, though the fight continues with Sol (Lee Jung-Jae), Jecki (Dafne Keen) and Yord (Charlie Barnett). All except Sol are hopelessly outmatched by the warrior's skill and unpredictable fighting style and Sol is trying to keep them from killing Mae for her betrayal, as well as stay alive himself. The fight continues until the identity of the masked figure is revealed.
One of the drawbacks of being a week behind with the show, was that the identity of the secret assailant was revealed to me on twitter long before I saw the episode. I'll keep my review spoiler free and just say here that I though it was a genuine surprise when I saw it there and the it way it was revealed was really well done here. Having previously focused on different forms of combat, finally lightsabre battles happen here and they're really cool, innovative and original. I've often wondered why combatants don't target the hilt more, as it's the bit that's the most vulnerable - though even I would never have thought of headbutting them as the best technique for doing it.
I predicted last week that the majority of the Jedi on this mission were "red-shirts" though I couldn't have guessed just how ineffectual they would be, nor the other losses that would feature in this episode. Even given the way the series opened, they came as a surprise. I also predicted last week that the twins had somehow swapped over, at some point in the past, that is probably not the case given what happens towards the end of the episode. Perhaps it's a redemption/downfall story for both sisters from here on out? What is clear is that we still don't have the full picture of what happened on Brendok all those years ago, and what the Jedi did.
Much, much better than what has come previously with this series.
The Happening (2008)
Tree of Woe
I'm not exactly sure why, but I'd never seen this M Night Shyamalan film until this last week, where I watched it for the "How Did This Get Made" Podcast. In retrospect, this is the beginning of the 'wilderness years' for Shyamalan, this would be followed by the disastrous Airbender film and "After Earth" before he'd rehabilitate his career with more independent fare from 2015 onwards.
The inhabitants of Central Park start to kill themselves. The epidemic spreads, causing scientists to speculate that an airborne toxin is behind it. Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) and his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel) head out of central Philadelphia towards the home of Eliot's colleague Julian (John Leguizamo) when news of more suicide outbreaks in other locations hits. A man they meet on the road, hypothesises a different origin for the outbreak.
I understand that, in recent times, "The Happening" has had somewhat of a re-appraisal as an intentional B-Movie parody. I don't buy it personally. I can see the argument, with the premise related to those 50's style pictures - but it's feels like, similar to Tommy Wiseau embracing the reaction to "The Room" as intentional, that you have to be desperately searching to make this argument work.
The visual effects are often good, particularly in the early death and destructions scenes - but they devolve into unintentionally hilarious later on, as a man is eaten by Tigers, and another runs himself over with a lawn mower. The most hilarious aspect though is the performances, particularly from the two leads. Wahlberg is miscast certainly, but Deschanel plays ever scene like she was hit on the head with a hammer before every take. There are aspects of the story, such as her issues with the marriage and the meal she's had with another man that don't go anywhere.
It's not, if I'm honest, close to the worst film I've watched for the podcast, but the performance choices are so bizarre it's almost worth recommending for those alone.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Pizza the action.
I have not felt particularly enthusiastic about the first two "A Quiet Place" films. They're fine, don't get me wrong, but I have to admit that I decided to see this one primarily driven by it being the next film starting when I arrived at the cinema. It's with some surprise then that, despite having a fairly standard zombie apocalypse plot, I enjoyed this one more than the others.
Terminally ill Samira (Lupita Nyong'o) is on a trip to New York on the day the Earth is attacked by alien monsters, attracted by sound. Casualties are high, and immediate - though the survivors quickly learn that being silent is the key to staying safe. Samira meets Eric (Joseph Quinn) an English Law Student struggling with the trauma of the event. Together they head for Harlem, where Samira spent time as a child.
Though we saw the meteors and initial panic of the attack a little in the opening of "A Quiet Place: Part Two" here we see what it was like in a major city. Which was chaos. I suspect part of the reason I liked it was that it reminded me of "Dawn of the Dead", one of my favourite films, where the juxtaposition between the rural experience and the urban one is explored.
I suppose what I enjoyed about this one was the characterisation of the three principal characters. Nyongo'o is great, as always, and her terminal illness gives her the freedom to move towards a goal that might be achievable, in a world we know is going to get much worse. Though Eric immediately looks likes he's just going to be a hinderance, his development across the film takes things another way. He manages to be heroic in this film despite being both English and a Lawyer, which is a minor miracle. He's in it for less time than the others but Alex Wolff also plays a character that is a lesser film would have been rote, but he's likable and earnest too. On top of this, further switching things from the Hollywood norm, the film heavily features a cat, who is hardly ever shown in a negative light - indeed it's the cat that brings them together.
Don't get me wrong, it's not reinventing the wheel but it's about as good example of this sort of film as it could possible be.
The Acolyte: Day (2024)
Acc-ompanied
After some much need context with last weeks flashback story, we're back to (slowly) pushing the story forward again this week.
Sol (Lee Jung-jae) convinces his superiors in the Jedi order to let him go to Khofar, to find Kelnacca (Joonas Suotamo) and hopefully intercept Mae (Amandla Stenberg) before she can kill him. He takes with him Osha (Amandla Stenberg), his usual team and a few extra Jedi. Mae and Qimir (Manny Jacinto) also arrive on Khofar and begin the search, but Mae commitment to her master's mission is wavering, particularly now she knows that Osha is alive.
I was surprised to see Mae was so quick to abandon her master and the mission. It doesn't feel like deciding to kill four Jedi would be a decision so easily reversed, even if you learn that the sister you thought lost was still alive. There's still an element of this bit of the story that doesn't quite add up, why would Mae assume that Osha was dead anyway? She saw Sol catch her before she fell. I'm wondering if, somewhere along the line, they've swapped somehow?
The rest of the Jedi, that Sol has brought on this mission might as well be wearing red shirts, for all the use they look. I'd imagine that the next episode will see them slaughtered by Mae's master. Who could this masked person be? Why would they mask them if they weren't someone we'd recognise. It must be one of the two mothers from the coven or - and this is my wildest theory - it's Indara, and her death was faked in the opening scene to throw off the pursuing Jedi.
I've been critical of Dafne Keen's character in the previous reviews, but she's better here and Jecki sounds more like a person, than a machine. We also get our first, and so far, only real connection to the wider "Star Wars" universe with Ki-Adi-Mundi rocking up, helping keep a secret from the Jedi Council here that one day he'll sit on.
I still wouldn't describe the series and being any better than "fine". Now halfway it feels like we should have been here at the end of the first episode, maybe the back half will pick up speed.
Rocket League (2015)
Ox-Ford United.
Normally I wait until I'm finished with a game before I write my review of it, but I've been playing "Rocket League" off and on (mostly on) for nine years now and don't feel like I'm likely to stop any time soon, so I might as well write this now
A sequel to Psyonix's "Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars", "Rocket League" is essentially football in a car. Either solo, or in a team of up to four players the aim is to knock the ball into the opponent's goal, with your car and outscore them over a five-minute game time. Variations of the game inspired by Ice Hockey, Basketball and Volleyball have followed over the years. The player can collect a boost during the matches, that can be used to launch the cars into the air, or to temporarily destroy opponents if they can hit them whilst travelling at full speed.
There are dozens of base cars available, that are unlocked as progression in the game is achieved and there are hundreds of thousands of variations to the design of said car you can choose from. Crucially, none of these make much of a difference to its performance, it's all about learning how a topper, for example, affects your interaction with the ball. Psyonix do an amazing job of keeping the game as fresh as they can, regularly rotating game modes around, maintaining achievements across a season and regularly mini-runs related to a specific series or I. P with reward items related to it.
If you chose too, you could spend real money on further cosmetic adaptations for your car, but I have to say that one of the truly astonishing things about this game I've been playing for 9 years is that it hasn't cost me a penny. It's just right, I can't put it any better than that - the physics is spot on and, provided the rest of the players on your team are up to it (and stick through the game) then it can be one of the most rewarding gaming experiences I've ever had.
Doctor Who: Empire of Death (2024)
All we are is Dust in the wind.
Almost inevitably, the second segment of this two-part episode, to conclude season one of a softly rebooted "Doctor Who" can't quite cash the cheques that the previous episode wrote. Whilst it was divisive, and I have my own moments of exasperation with it, I do general feel positive about the episode, and the series as a whole.
Sutekh (Gabriel Woolf) the God of Death has been clinging to the Tardis for decades, spreading copies of its Susan Triad (Susan Twist) shaped avatar around the universe and throughout time. Activating them all, and using a dust fatal to the touch, it kills virtually everything except The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa), Ruby (Millie Gibson) and Mel (Bonnie Langford) who escape in the recreated memory of the Tardis. Could the identity of Ruby's mother the key to defeating this old enemy?
OK. No spoiler warning this time so keeping things vague. Yes, I too was disappointed with the reveal of Ruby's lineage and the method of Sutekh's defeat. Only mildly though, again it's more in comparison with last week that the episode suffers, rather than in general. Perhaps it would have been better served if the death of everyone and everything had been the cliffhanger, rather than the reveal of Sutekh and we'd rejoined the Doctor this week in his 'wilderness years'. The scale though of that devastation, mountains of dust enveloping the world and the melting of the human's "Endgame" style, was a great use of the Disney dollars. Sutekh himself was an excellent effect too.
In what has been the most post-modern series the show has done, with this instalment actually using footage of previous episodes as part of the story, the twists related to who Ruby's mother felt to me like an deliberate attempt to circumvent fan theories, at the expense of whether or not that truly made sense. There are several moments across the season that are supposed to feel like red herrings but actually just feel like forgotten moments. Though it should be pointed out that, whilst we know now who her mother was, we don't know for certain that it was actually her in the ridiculously over the top cloak pointing at, what she was pointing at.
The season as a whole has, I think, been really good, recovering strongly after a shaky first episode and whilst I would have preferred to actively see a deeper relationship between Ruby and the Doctor, to make this parting of the ways feel more emotional to us, their performances have been exemplary - and Gatwa is again wonderful in this final episode.
See you at Christmas, I guess. Where, if nothing else, we might find out what's going on with Mrs Flood.