The Abominable Bride, the next instalment of Sherlock, aired in Australia. Well I say aired. It was available via BBC Worldwide (through proper pay TV) and via subscription streaming TV and it also screened at selected cinemas for about 2.5 seconds. Needless to say, I missed these. It's typical Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, self-referential, messing … Continue reading A review: abominable TV
Sherlock
Doctor Who: Playing Those Mind Games
My immediate thought for Heaven Sent is that the introduction was a statement regarding death. As my high school English teacher was fond of quoting (and I may have mentioned before): we are born astride the grave. This episode turned out to be more literal than the aphorism though. And also extremely amenable to John Lennon song … Continue reading Doctor Who: Playing Those Mind Games
Dealing new illusions?
This is what some people thought about TV in 1976. I quote it because it speaks to me today and I suspect it may to others. You're television incarnate...Indifferent to suffering; insensitive to joy. All of life is reduced to the common rubble of banality. War, murder, death are all the same...And the daily business … Continue reading Dealing new illusions?
Shock of the real
Historically speaking If you leave aside plots, the need to pack events into neatly paced blocks of action, continuity issues, language and location, most of the difficulties to do with depictions of historical events are related to how actors do not generally look like their characters. Take for example The Man Who Would Be Bond … Continue reading Shock of the real
Friends like these
I've been re-watching Sherlock because what the hey and also summer programming in Australia partly consists of repeating Sherlock and little else new or entertaining. Any who, I realised this program was misnamed. Sure it features the rude, scarfed, and cheekboned Holmes with and without the 'ear hat' but the main thing it is not … Continue reading Friends like these
Be the Hero?
The new Hobbit trailer is out, partly because of this, and because of The Hobbit fan competition, and Halloween and 'cons' I've been thinking about the fan phenomenon. As The Doctor explained to Charles Dickens it’s about fanaticism. I was going to say such devotion is usually motivated out of a deep appreciation or love, … Continue reading Be the Hero?
Doctor Who: Clara vs The Doctor
Flatline - Clara's Choice Seems some people are upset with Clara, mainly for not wanting the kids saved in Flatline. I think she spoke as a someone who has seen a bit of the universe and seen how lonely and dangerous it is for survivors. I also think she spoke as someone who has lost … Continue reading Doctor Who: Clara vs The Doctor
Doctor Who: Blue Steal
I was going to write a post about my adventures the other Saturday. And then I was going to review the Doctor Who episode Time Heist. Then everything sat in my brain for a few days. So I'm going to write about both-ish Mainly because they involve heists, bank vaults, rare and precious things in a museum, … Continue reading Doctor Who: Blue Steal
Stories: bigger on the inside
Analyse this? I came across a fairly thorough psychological interpretation of Harry Potter via FB recently. The page linking to it had a lot of comments - people were either upset as it had 'ruined' the books or they were angry that someone had 'bothered'. Whatever the complaint, there was so much entitlement, or ownership. I … Continue reading Stories: bigger on the inside
Doctor Who: Deep Breath of Comedy, Confusion and Action
The first episode after a regeneration sets the tone, but is also a one-off. The Doctor gets the opportunity to be vulnerable in ways he is mostly not the rest of the time. Much of the rest of the cast can be left to drive the narrative given his erratic behaviour, mental confusion and often … Continue reading Doctor Who: Deep Breath of Comedy, Confusion and Action
Writing Bec 