boggle, goggle

[mockturle06]

Vincent. Not as much of the DCI Driscoll as the trailers led me to believe, alas, in fact there wasn't much of poor Driscoll at all aside from the odd sour look and icy exchange with Vincent, and a lot of grappling atop a railway bridge, which only made our poor chap look foolish, and, worse, he was out of shot for the better part of it. Sigh. Still, some of Phil and his pretty eyes is better than nowt. Driscoll seemed very subdued for the episode. I'm still trying to work out if this was done before or after Life on Mars. Not that it really matters, there was no sign of Gene lurking in there this week.

The Sweeney. Another cracking episode, and damn me, I meant to cap the chip throwing bit, being very much like another chip throwing incident in another 70s cop show. Another downbeat ending, too, as the villain Jack actually wanted to nab, wasn't involved in this second job. Btw, any Brits out there, what did George mean when he said "a bit of ginger"? Sadly, the translator microbes let us down on that bit of slang. Basically, one of a gang of villains responsible for the previous crippling of a Flying Squad copper pops up, with an oh so slimy lawyer (not even a David Kelly lawyer packs this much sleaze) to rob an entire semi-trailer of prime Aberdeen steaks (can't fault them for taste). At this moment I should say hello to whoever was the fresh out of art school camera person. We appreciated the long tracking shots inside the truck and the oh so arty framing everywhere else, but I bet you soon had that beaten out of you (set up, shoot, stop).

Anyway, there's the usual violent interrogation, the slutty missus (it's funny how they all lok the bleedin' same), interference from on high, the lawyers getting in the way of getting the villains off the street (now there's an idea for another LOM episode: Gene versus some poncy lawyer, ridiculous green glasses optional), and a whole lot of near comedy capers, except played darkly this time - phew. I don't mind comedy, but, like I was trying, and failing, to say before, I like the silly, but mixed in with the drama, please, otherwise it's just a sitcom. So I liked this as it mixed the arch with the angst. A very LOM-like episode. Especially the frozen crooks in the truck, and the guy trying to make a break for it, and the lawyer, and the missus. Very Life On Mars indeed.

The Saint. Was set in Instanbul, was Constantinople (arrrgh, don't let me start that again) and involved switching real museum goodies for fake ones. Not the most intriguing Saint plot ever, and really only notable for a very young, sulky and foppish Paul Darrow and Peter Wyngarde, looking very much like he'd tried to open one of those industrial sized tins of International Roast (btw, Peanut Gallery informs me that the tin at his office, tins of International Roast being a part of public service life as much as desks, chairs and paper, with a useby date of 1996, was given a special long service certificate, especially in light of all the restructures, and yes, they were being bitterly ironic. It's bad when the office coffee outlasts the staff). In any case, Peter Wyngarde was disturbingly coffee coloured (really bad and rather non pc makeup) and disturbingly accented and I'm afraid I was just tittering too much to care a jot for what Simon was up to.

Minder. I'm glad the ABC are hanging onto further seasons of New Tricks because if they played it right now I might seriously OD. This is series one, and this somewhat grittier than the seasons to come. People actually want to, and do, hurt Terry and Arthur's dealings are decidely darker than fencing stolen garden gnomes. So I'm actually enjoying it. This week's episode featured poor Terry minding some lunatic, who turned out to be a decoy for the real crim, Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope) no less, who had to throw everyone off his track while he dug up his stolen money, which was all out of date anyway. Which makes me think he should have changed it into coins or silver, etc. And now I'm thinking those three hoardes they found in that field last week in Time Team weren't that unusual, if Brits are still stuffing their loot underground.

Btw: slashiest title song lyrics ever, and so not wanting to go there.

Bleak House. British luvvies being despicable. Delicious.

Strange. Never have crueller words been writ than 'to be continued' followed by 'cycle check redundancy error'. Argh. Now I'll never know. Up until then I was quite delighted by the cheek and conceit of tying in the Balkans War and illegal Eastern European immigrants and Dracula. I'm just so tickled at the idea. Sadly, the execution lacked a little something. Strange really needed to pay more atttention to films like the 1940s Cat People. If you can't afford decent FX, then just hint at it with clever lighting and reaction shots, because otherwise the money shot looks cheap and tacky. OMG, cheap and tacky. I was more in danger of dying from laughter than from fright I'm afraid. Which is a terrible shame because up until then it had been a cracking good episode. Ah well. And just when it looks like some of the heavily hinted at but never discussed back story was finally going to get an airing...I'll never know. Damn cheap nasty cup holders.

Veronica Mars. Bit of a dud episode as we seem to be flailing for arcs again, but never mind. The last few episodes had been seriously addictive, so I needed a dud to let me hit the off button and get some sleep. I was, however, treated to the sight of Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter slanging insults at each other. How very de ja vu. What show am I watching again?

Doctor Who. Or Doctor Who: Adventures In Time And Space as it is being called out here (wtf, does anyone not know what Dr Who is out here, where it's always being repeated?). Anyway, twas School Reunion. I still love this episode. Tony Head was sadly rather under used and pointless as Evil Headmaster (and could I watch any more Buffy folk without actually watching Buffy?) but never mind that because it was all about Sarah Jane. How we've missed her, how we loved to catch up with her, how we felt her heartbreak. Hell, they even made me care about K-9, and I never thought that was possible (I was just getting too old for the Doctor by the time K-9 was introduced, and no, I don't mean thirty five, you rude buggers, it's where the show kinda jumped the shark for me, though obviously, still a fan, just not that craven kiddie love I had for it when I was, well, a wee kid).

Actually, it was kind of funny because I was quoting the episode, "happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones" before it aired because I'd been watching jtv that morning and harping on about what kids dare to call music these days and reeling over chaps with Phil Oakey dos, all the while trying to crack macadamia nuts, harvested from our own tree. And I have the scars to prove it. One really needs a sonic screwdriver, methinks, because the patented nutcracker we bought ain't doing the business. And I have the scars to prove it.

But back to the Doc. Sarah Jane - yay. Angst, heartbreak and cattiness with Rose. And Mickey being the tin dog. There's a lot to love about this episode. Some really nice lines about what happens next, because I'd always wondered about the surviving ex-companions. I always found it very sad to bid them farewell, and I'm glad they kept true to this. And if you've not watched DW before and think us oldies are mental for tearing up and sniffling over Sarah Jane, then maybe you might have felt a pang or two yourself, right about now. Lots of foreshadowing in this episode, which, of course, made it an entirely diffferent viewing experience from the first time I saw it. Which is why I'm so appreciative of being able to see episodes fresh, and not as awash with baggage as they often are when I would normally see them months/years later out here.

Canterbury Tales. The Knight's Tale. Promised to cap this ages ago. So ages ago I forgot it had Bill Paterson in it. Loves Bill. Anyhoo, I've mentioned before my love of Chaucer, he of the Britcom essentials of sex farce and fart jokes, but this was, dsadly, nothing like that. It does, however feature a certain John Simm, being all angsty, vicious, flirty and creepy stalky to varying degrees, often all in one scene, though I've watched him too much this week so it was a bit of a case of 'woe is me expression #27' and 'cheeky chappie grin #5'. Sorry John, but over familiarity does breed a sense of same old, same old.

Not that he isn't brilliant to watch. He grins, he sizzles (literally, in this), he scowls, he flickers with danger, he simpers, he sighs, he cries, he laughs, he prowls, he plays, he fights, he sulks, he festers and he pines. He's always worth watching. He's a real selfish and somewhat disturbngly violent little bunny boiler in this, if you ever want to imagine what stalky Sam would look like. Sadly, the tracky daks are not John's best look, nor the big parka that looked like he'd nicked it off Marc Warren in State of Play.

So yeah, rates highly for Simm angst and slightly scary Simm, but minus points for tracky daks and only a pale resemblance to Chaucer (wot private school pillock thought it'd be cute to turn Chaucer into a tv movie of the week?). And, no, I didn't watch the Dennis episode, that would be over doing it.

RL report: camellia out, one lavender looking poorly, fed magpies and cockatoos, weeded, watered, lazed about in sun reading papers, did not do scanning (tsk), nor clean kitchen.

Nor did I get to see a film tonight, as planned, because it is now past the time I could go (no buses at the end of the next session, alas, and no real desire to be stranded in the city in the middle of winter). Luckily I popped out at lunch time and picked up another D&P book. I'm sure I've read it before, but back then they were all second hand, and returned to the charity shops from wence they came. It'll do though. A police detective novel set in northern Britain in the 70s featuring a rough and ready old school copper and his shiny gay boy science offsider, now why would I want to read that?

And finally:

"Gerard Butler got into acting after watching Krull as a kid." - Empire

Well, that explains a lot of it, then.

http://domeofstars.com/forum/index.php?topic=317.30;topicseen
Life on Mars - scans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_wN4FxZXq4#GU5U2spHI_4
Philip on Top Gear

http://community.livejournal.com/rightclickdrool/264530.html?view=1689426#t1689426
John Simm

http://levenshulme.m-cr.net/2006/07/29/life-on-mars-in-levenshulme/
Life on Mars in Levenshulme

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=VIUJWMBIB01QXQFIQMGSFFOAVCBQWIV0?xml=/arts/2006/07/28/bfmcshane28.xml&menuId=564&sSheet=/arts/2006/07/29/ixfilmmain.html
The monster who changed my life (McShane)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/5223546.stm
Now it's Sod's Law - the formula

http://www.ochef.com/177.htm
How Do You Crack Open a Macadamia Nut?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5228794.stm
Fire wrecks James Bond film stage

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2006-07-30T164322Z_01_L30814909_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-PINEWOOD-FIRE.xml
Fire sweeps through James Bond film studios

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/07/31/1154198040691.html
http://media.theage.com.au/?rid=20756&sy=age&source=theage.com.au%2Farticles%2F2006%2F07%2F31%2F1154198040691.html&t=52JFB1&ie=1&player=wm7&rate=6347&flash=1
Fire breaks out on 007 set

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article1206023.ece
Blaze destroys 'Casino Royale' film set at Pinewood

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5224284.stm
Living under the paparazzi's gaze

http://vardathemessage.livejournal.com/108622.html
Glad I caught you on my view screen, sailor

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lzTxuDUfzzM&search=sabotage
Sabotage - Beastie Boys

http://www.ex-parrot.com/~pete/upside-down-ternet.html
Upside-Down-Ternet

http://www.geekstuff4u.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=404
Self Destruction Button USB

http://theemdash.livejournal.com/432047.html?style=mine
Gate Cakes (Or Cupgate)

http://www.cinematical.com/2006/07/24/so-thats-why-theyre-attached-at-the-hip-jake-to-play-lance/
So That's Why They're Attached at the Hip: Jake to
Play Lance

http://community.livejournal.com/rightclickdrool/261698.html?style=mine#cutid1
Sandro

http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,1827505,00.html
Put it away, Sam ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPtdNzpiAt0
Spiderman 3 : Comic Con Press Conference

http://www.sfx.co.uk/news/i_just_wanted_to_see_topher_grace_naked
I just wanted to see Topher Grace naked

http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls===202249&Source=blml060728
Johnny Depp Stops by "Late Show with David Letterman" - July 27, 2006

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film-reviews/the-libertine/2006/07/28/1153816366118.html
The Libertine

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/pirate-of-the-elizabethan/2006/07/26/1153816257251.html
Pirate of the Elizabethan

http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=GLS====199150&c4nvi=3&str=814&styp=clbi&nbc1=1
"Miami Vice" Press Conference with Colin Farrell

http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/07/28/movies/28vice.html?th&emc=th
‘Miami Vice’: Operatic Passions, Yet Cool in the Heat

http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=GLS====200957&c4nvi=3&str=1354&styp=clbi&nbc1=1
"Miami Vice" London Premiere – Outside Arrivals

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/miami-vice-tops-at-the-box-office/2006/07/31/1154198061486.html
Miami Vice tops at the box office

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,19893096-5006013,00.html
Vice Squad

http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,1826948,00.html
Michael Mann: The criminal mastermind

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/get-real-mann/2006/07/27/1153816306596.html
Get real, Mann

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5225028.stm
Making Miami Vice cool again

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=19218
"Vice" Is Its Own Reward

http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/miami-vice-gets-real/2006/07/28/1153816357038.html
Miami Vice gets real

http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=GLS====202250&c4nvi=3&str=1354&styp=clbi&nbc1=1
"Miami Vice" London Premiere – Inside Arrivals

http://www.thisislondon.com/showbiz/articles/23277979?source=Evening%20Standard
Farrell is Mr Miami Nice

http://www.thisislondon.com/films/articles/23208459?source=Evening%20Standard
Party over for Colin?

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2006/07/28/notes072806.DTL&nl=fix
Dumb People Make Children Cry

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/07/28/DDG2PK62G21.DTL&type=movies
Stylish touches don't add up to much in 'Miami Vice'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5221862.stm
Flying reptile mystery 'solved'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5220784.stm
Australian 'Nessie' fossils found

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article1205976.ece
France's new Stonehenge: Secrets of a neolithic time machine

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19909110-16947,00.html
Bridging cultures (Brown)

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14934-2275362,00.html
Lots more Mr Nice Guy (Dorff)

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14934-2290424,106.html
Fond farewell to all the president's men

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14931-2286576,00.html
Butch and Sundance ride again

http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article1202846.ece
Sky admits its science show faked explosions

http://www.thisislondon.com/showbiz/articles/23282931?source=Evening%20Standard
Sky's 'fraud' blown out of water

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2006-07-30T195834Z_01_L28808766_RTRUKOC_0_UK-LEISURE-TOPOFTHEPOPS.xml
Final countdown for "Top of the Pops"

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1831862,00.html
Tranter lined up for BBC fiction job

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=VIUJWMBIB01QXQFIQMGSFFOAVCBQWIV0?xml=/arts/2006/07/29//bfsnake29.xml&menuId=564&sSheet=/arts/2006/07/29/ixfilmmain.html
The shape of fangs to come

http://www.theage.com.au/news/laptops--desktops/dell-laptop-became-a-flamethrower/2006/07/28/1153816375720.html
Dell laptop became a flamethrower

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/07/29/1153816419535.html
Snack attack (YouTube)