Childrens TV died with this.

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 19 April 2008 05:22 (A review of Muppet Babies)

This show had a lot of imagination in it, much like some episodes of Rugrats today i guess (except better) Coupled with the immensely brilliant characters of the muppets you have one hell of a cartoon.
The muppet babies mainly told each other stories and re-enacted famous stories/films/plays etc, it was fun and innocent and much better than watching the teletubbies and the tweenies! Much more can be taught by watching a baby frog and a baby pig re-enact romeo and julliet than by watching a fat purple alien ponse around with his handbag going "et oooh"
If you are a new parent, forget the bull you find on television now. Go on the internet and download this, Thomas the Tank Engine (Ringo Star only) and other old classics like that. They didn't do you any harm, but your kids stand no chance with todays crap!

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way too long

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 19 April 2008 06:33 (A review of Dinotopia)

Two half-brothers and their father in a plane, crash in the sea. The brothers survive and enter the world of Dinotopia, a world in which dinosaurs live with humans... David will try to become one of the Dinotopians, while Carl wants to go back to his world.

This is quite fun - at times - though I found the CGI was not that great; the acting isn't the best either; and the dinosaurs are... well... entertaining at best.

My problem with this tv movie is that it is way too long. Those five hours could easily have been crammed into a regular feature of two hours; there was just too many scenes that weren't needed.

Enjoyable for the family. Most kids would love this!


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Dog the Bounty Hunter review

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 18 April 2008 07:32 (A review of Dog the Bounty Hunter)

Dog the Bounty Hunter is something of a cult figure nowadays. He's a tongue-in-cheek hero amongst my family and to see that he is satirised in cartoons is a sign of his increasing stature.

The format of the show is simple. Some dude will come to Dog's HQ with the latest felon who has skipped bail or missed a court date for a really meagre offence, and DOG WILL THEN HUNT HIM DOWN AND MAKE HIM PAY. I can't ever remember seeing him take down a serious criminal, it's always people who have been caught in the possession of drugs, or ran a stop sign in the middle of the night. But that's what makes the take downs all the more sweet.

They'll spend a whole day thundering through sleepy Hawaiian towns in their huge conspicuous black off-roaders and then finally surround the criminal in his home while he's asleep, half-naked and harmless before storming in with CS gas and non-lethal guns to make the arrest. The Chapman family then makes the most of the drive back to the courthouse by practically reforming the criminal in the back-seat before they throw him into jail. Sometimes it just makes for beautiful television. Other times, it makes for a great drinking game.


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Eurotrash review

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 18 April 2008 07:13 (A review of Eurotrash)

One of those shows that reminds me of channel hoping while lying in bed at night desperate for something entertaining to come on. Eurotrash never always filled that requirement, but due to the absurdity of some of the stories and segments they had on there, you couldn't help yourself but watch.

When it wasn't featuring a bunch of naked Germans frolicking in a field worshipping a long-dead wiccan god, they'd often feature some of the world's most beautiful women. The presenter is utterly detestable, but I'll never forget the day I first laid eyes on Monica Bellucci on his show!

Not something I ever watched religiously, the programme was saturated with too many vibrant colours and sets, flamboyant presenters, wacky presenters and general lameness for me to ever seriously care for, but sometimes they'd have something to make you laugh.

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Tell me what you like about me.

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 18 April 2008 06:37 (A review of Nip/Tuck)

On a Sky One catch up, I managed to see the Season Two Finale which was very intriguing. I knew the show was about a pair of hot-shot surgeons sorting out peoples phyiscal dilemnas but to see so many issues and soap-like dramatic moments was too much!

I managed to catch up with all the current episodes before Season 3 aired and it was quite a journey. The stories were similar at points but Sean and Christian would always struggle to a point where money could be the cure.

Each season had a standard villain aswell. Although the surgeons would face various forms of conflict, it would always lead back an Individual in particular who was the Puppet Master. The series was therefore defined by the Intro-Rise-Fall of these villains who were all cultivated for that purpose. Whether its a drug-lord, a she-male, a psychopath or a midget; there was always someone who the boyos didn't get on with.

Not to mention, it has a very twisted and dark humour about it that I find quite appealing. It also added that mystery clause in the narrative with the Carver Storyline which I am all for.

Sadly Season 4 didn't do it for me. It felt so washed up and outageously shallow that I started to hate it toward the end.

Season 5, although in a different locale with EVERYONE along for the ride, was a saving grace. It felt fresh and new, I doubt we've seen the last of it for at least another season.

Vanity, Greed, Image, Betrayal are all heavily stitched into this tapestry so if you are a fan of any. You'll be a fan of this!

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If I'm the thief, you are the joker.

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 18 April 2008 04:05 (A review of Battlestar Galactica)

Let me be the first to write an English review (that also isn't a synopsis!) on the best remake of any television show on our screens.

The old series was dated and by far a cosmic fantasy. It didn't hold any form of realism that I could relate too. It was too far out there. It was more or less appealing to my innocence and naivety. The reimagined BSG does not.

It was pure chance that I started watching the show. I saw a teaser trailer for the second season which depicted the mystery of the cylons. My natural curiosity overwhelmed me to make more sense of it! I knew from the original that they were aliens hellbent on human extinction but the whole human dimension that RDM has introduced gave the villains a more soulful depth and geunine motivation which really has achieved wonders.

As RDM put it, the cylons studied humanity and said "You know what? There's really only 12 of you." So by that they created 12 distinct humanoid models as archetypes and mockeries of our species. This categorisation allured me to the mystery of who these 12 models are and how obvious their 'archetypes' were. It isn't as easy as you think!

Essentially:

God(s) created humans.
Humans created cylons.
Cylons rebelled against humans.
Also, humans rebelling against God (due to atheism and polytheism etc.)

Its a story about finding your true path and that you shouldn't be defined by who made you. This story runs deeper than first glance.

The survivors of humanity are on their way to find the legendary lost planet, Earth. So unlike other sci-fi where Earth is just around the next asteroid belt, this is a journey to it! We don't know when the Colonials will arrive but thats why the show it so enticing to watch.

The characters also bring a magnificent parallel to the story. Even though they should be working to meet the same ends, their own prejudices and consciences just conflict every step of the way.

I have only seen Olmos in Blade Runner which was a minimal role at that but he literally couldn't have been second-guessed as the Admiral of the Fleet. His lack of enthusiasm and optimism really screams home to me. Overjoyed characters are overrated and usually piss everyone off. Although he isn't particular dark, he has that deepness that only a true leader can manifest.

His right hand man, Colonel Tigh, also creates a darker side to the fold through his addiction to vices and sometimes merciless quips. His and Adama's companionship reminds me of a Professor X-Magneto style connection that has the and my utmost respect.

The overly large cast also aids to the enjoyment of the show. The majority of background characters generally have a name and at the very least a personality. Each one usually ends up with a story which is integral to the major storylines of the series. Appreciating the little guys gives the show more life. You can't keep recycling stories for the main 7 characters! That has been done too many times in the past for any TV Series. Gradually introducing and expanding on minor/recurring characters is one of my favourite aspects of television shows. Because they are usually the better ones!

The show covers too many themes to go into but each episode is heavily layered with digs at Americanisms and western soceity. I personally like it for its portrayal and not its sardonic messages. You can take it or leave it mate!

The show will be finished by the end of the year (2008) with the Colonials and Cylons struggle coming to a prolific and monumentous end! It really is going to be a big finish. I can feel it. Catch up now before its too late.

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My Super Sweet 16 review

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 18 April 2008 04:03 (A review of My Super Sweet 16)

MTV continues its fine tradition of only making inane programmes that flaunt the wealth of complete strangers. This show is a pox on TV. The gist is, some completely spoiled bitch is thrown a 16th birthday party by her parents - the cost of which rises into the thousands/millions of dollars - before we see it go down at the end of the show.

In the run up to said party, the superficial brats will be shown to be completely ungrateful, rude, insensitive and completely detestable to their parents who - rather than putting their foot down, growing a spine and instilling some discipline in their children - allow themselves to be walked all over and fix any disagreement by throwing more money at their precious daughter.

Lowest common denominator television. It's horrible.

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Unintelligent facts

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 17 April 2008 03:32 (A review of Ripley's Believe It or Not!)

I've never forgotten this show. It has dwelled within the recess of my childhood memories and been recalled in a warped nostalgic manner tinged with fear.
What I do recall is it had an awful format of a weird man in the middle of a hypnotic whirlpool asking ridiculous T and F questions. The only one of which I remember is this:

-True or False. A man once got a baked bean stuck behind his eye which couldn't be removed.

The very nature of such a thing filled me with terror but the question was obviously false any kid with a brain knows that!
But not so, not according to Ripley!
Standing corrected I excitedly retold this tale to my mum (a nurse) thinking I'd knock her socks off my intelligence. I went to bed that night humiliated, with her remark ringing in my ears 'Don't be so gullible child that's simply impossible.'

Maybe a slightly personal and biased review but a lame attempt at psychedelic education.
The version I watched as a child wasn't presented by superman though....


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Summary/preview found online

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 16 April 2008 09:07 (A review of Dame de Monsoreau, La)

I have not seen this movie, as it is now out yet, but here is a summary I found online:

En tournage dès demain jusque mi décembre, une fiction en deux parties de 90 minutes destinée à France 2.


La dame de Monsoreau. Une libre adaptation du roman d'Alexandre Dumas, réalisée par Michel Hassan.


Les deux parties : "La couleur du sang", et "La mort d'un juste".


Synopsis :


La jeune baronne Diane de Méridor ( Esther Nubiola), orpheline de mère, éveille pour son malheur l'amour du comte de Monsoreau (Frédéric Van Den Driessche), nouvel homme puissant de la cour d'Henri III (Patrick Fierry).


La belle innocente doit lutter contre cet homme devenu son mari alors qu'elle même s'éprend de l'audacieux comte Bussy d'Amboise (Thomas Jouannet), jeune protestant rallié au duc d'Anjou (Frédéric Quiring), frère du Roi, par réalisme plus que par conviction.


Or, Bussy arrache au même moment un édit royal redonnant aux Protestants leur liberté de culte.


Cet acte de réconciliation consenti par le roi Henri III déclenche aussitôt un complot orchestré par les ennemis jurés du monarque, le duc et la duchesse de Guise (Anne Caillon), soutenus par les ligueurs ultra catholiques.


Ces derniers s'appuient sur la haine farouche que porte le duc d'Anjou à son frère le roi pour le renverser.


Pris entre deux feux, Bussy se retrouve au coeur d'une intrigue politique qui va l'obliger à choisir son camp. Malheureusement pour lui, son engagement le met en porte à faux dans la lutte qu'il mène en parallèle, pour arracher Diane, devenue la femme de son coeur, aux griffes du comte de Monsoreau...

Plus d'informations ici: http://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/dossiers/cinema/index.php?aff=4&num=52990&PHPSESSID=.#


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Brilliant and hopelessly underrated

Posted : 4 months, 3 weeks ago on 16 April 2008 06:31 (A review of Firefly)

When Firefly came out I was put off at the thought of watching a space western. I guess a lot of people felt that way because the series only lasted half a season.

But after watching it on DVD, I was amazed by the great mix of humor, action, drama that Joss Whedon packed into these 13 or so episodes. It's not like anything you've ever seen on television and probably nothing you'll see in the forseeable future.

I dare you not to fall in love with each of the characters in Firefly. A fantastic show that should have been given a chance to bloom.

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