Reviews
TV Review: Electric Dreams, BBC4, 29/09
"We'll always be together. Together in electric dreams." Or at least that's what renowned fibbers Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey would have us believe. Electric Dreams also happens to be the name of a new three-part series which, combined with some other technology focused programmes, creates the Electric Revolution season on what is the UK's last beacon of hope in this multi-channel revolving pit of despair, BBC Four.
"We'll always be together. Together in electric dreams." Or at least that's what renowned fibbers Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey would have us believe. Electric Dreams also happens to be the name of a new three-part series which, combined with some other technology focused programmes, creates the Electric Revolution season on what is the UK's last beacon of hope in this multi-channel revolving pit of despair, BBC Four.
The Invention of Lying – Movie Review
It’s hard not to feel jealous of Ricky Gervais, since he seems to have Hollywood in the palm of his hand. Not content with appearing in any old cinematic guff swimming out our shores, one cheeky snaggletooth smile and he is whisked away to star in… well, any old guff swimming out of the US. Alas, the man from sunny Reading has managed to attract a whole host of star-wattage toward his latest project - The Invention of Lying. Taking on co-writing and co-directing duties, not to mention starring in the film, you may think that this film is just a rehash of 90’s Jim Carrey vehicle Liar Liar.
It’s hard not to feel jealous of Ricky Gervais, since he seems to have Hollywood in the palm of his hand. Not content with appearing in any old cinematic guff swimming out our shores, one cheeky snaggletooth smile and he is whisked away to star in… well, any old guff swimming out of the US. Alas, the man from sunny Reading has managed to attract a whole host of star-wattage toward his latest project - The Invention of Lying. Taking on co-writing and co-directing duties, not to mention starring in the film, you may think that this film is just a rehash of 90’s Jim Carrey vehicle Liar Liar.
TV Review: FlashForward, Five, 28/09
FlashForward is Channel 5's hot new US TV show that literally some people are talking about. The writers of FlashForward came up with the idea while cleaning their kitchen surfaces and thought to themselves, "Goodness! I wish I could fast-forward this arduous task!" A two minute pause followed. "Hold on...Flash kitchen cleaner, Fast-Forward.....FlashForward!" Handily, that’s also the premise of this new Lost-esque sort of sci-fi, but definitely action/drama, genre series.
FlashForward is Channel 5's hot new US TV show that literally some people are talking about. The writers of FlashForward came up with the idea while cleaning their kitchen surfaces and thought to themselves, "Goodness! I wish I could fast-forward this arduous task!" A two minute pause followed. "Hold on...Flash kitchen cleaner, Fast-Forward.....FlashForward!" Handily, that’s also the premise of this new Lost-esque sort of sci-fi, but definitely action/drama, genre series.
The Simpsons: Season 12 – DVD Review
When America's favourite yellow family The Simpsons (sorry liver-diseased The Johnsons of Massachusets) first appeared on our screens back in the 90s, who could have predicted that they would sustain twelve long seasons (and beyond...)? Yet while this series packs in the laughs, the guest stars and the characters we all know and love, there is something that is starting to smell a bit off in Springfield.
When America's favourite yellow family The Simpsons (sorry liver-diseased The Johnsons of Massachusets) first appeared on our screens back in the 90s, who could have predicted that they would sustain twelve long seasons (and beyond...)? Yet while this series packs in the laughs, the guest stars and the characters we all know and love, there is something that is starting to smell a bit off in Springfield.
Dancing With The Stars: Kelly Osbourne Ballses Everything Up
Getting Kelly Osbourne on Dancing With The Stars this year was nothing short of a masterstroke. We mean that. Someone wins whatever happens. If Kelly Osbourne goes on to win Dancing With The Stars, it'll be an epic display of triumph over adversity. And if Kelly Osbourne does terribly at Dancing With The Stars, clattering around the dancefloor week after week like some kind of epileptic Weeble until the judges do the decent thing and shoot her like a knackered racehorse, then it'll be exactly what everyone expected. Last night Kelly Osbourne did the latter. Which works out best for us, really.
Getting Kelly Osbourne on Dancing With The Stars this year was nothing short of a masterstroke. We mean that. Someone wins whatever happens. If Kelly Osbourne goes on to win Dancing With The Stars, it'll be an epic display of triumph over adversity. And if Kelly Osbourne does terribly at Dancing With The Stars, clattering around the dancefloor week after week like some kind of epileptic Weeble until the judges do the decent thing and shoot her like a knackered racehorse, then it'll be exactly what everyone expected. Last night Kelly Osbourne did the latter. Which works out best for us, really.
X Factor Bootcamp Recap: John & Edward And Other Awful Sods
Hey, did you see X Factor this weekend? You did? Good. Then you won't need a recap, will you? Because recapping X Factor's bootcamp stage is stupidity itself, really. The whole show is just hour after hour of two-second clips of dumpy people going "HUUUUUAGH!" on a stage followed by Cheryl Cole pulling a funny face. It's pointless. But then so are we, so we're going to do it anyway. Here are the X Factor acts who stood out for us this weekend, including Miss Frank, It Takez 2 and, oh heavens, John & Edward...
Hey, did you see X Factor this weekend? You did? Good. Then you won't need a recap, will you? Because recapping X Factor's bootcamp stage is stupidity itself, really. The whole show is just hour after hour of two-second clips of dumpy people going "HUUUUUAGH!" on a stage followed by Cheryl Cole pulling a funny face. It's pointless. But then so are we, so we're going to do it anyway. Here are the X Factor acts who stood out for us this weekend, including Miss Frank, It Takez 2 and, oh heavens, John & Edward...
Word On The Street: Fame Remake Sucks
For anyone who hasn't seen the original 1980 version of Fame, it's not exactly what you'd expect. Because you were expecting a grinning mob of leotard whores prancing around, squealing "feel the music!" to one another, whilst occasionally breaking rank to march silently towards a mirror, caressing their bodies, growling like tigers, weren't you? Weren't you? Go on, admit it. You were. And, for the most part, you'd be right. But, the original film was so much more than that. It was bleak. It was brilliant. And the new one, apparently, is a big sack of turds. So says the Boston Herald and LA Times anyway, and they've SEEN it. In the first outing, a cross section of New York "talent" is thrown together in a strict school for special people, who like singing, dancing and acting. The kids sometimes take time to play a cello in the canteen, or dash into the streets because a man in a taxi left his stereo on, and it's playing loud music.
For anyone who hasn't seen the original 1980 version of Fame, it's not exactly what you'd expect. Because you were expecting a grinning mob of leotard whores prancing around, squealing "feel the music!" to one another, whilst occasionally breaking rank to march silently towards a mirror, caressing their bodies, growling like tigers, weren't you? Weren't you? Go on, admit it. You were. And, for the most part, you'd be right. But, the original film was so much more than that. It was bleak. It was brilliant. And the new one, apparently, is a big sack of turds. So says the Boston Herald and LA Times anyway, and they've SEEN it. In the first outing, a cross section of New York "talent" is thrown together in a strict school for special people, who like singing, dancing and acting. The kids sometimes take time to play a cello in the canteen, or dash into the streets because a man in a taxi left his stereo on, and it's playing loud music.
Enemy Of Chaos: Book Review
Remember the kids’ TV show Knightmare? Where a gawky square-eyed thirteen year old wandered blindly through a Dungeons and Dragons style green-screen environment, with buck-toothed team mates urging him on with instructions like, “two paces left. No, two paces. No, your other left”. Along the way he’d encounter wildly overacting characters who would declare “WELCOME BRAVE KNIGHT ...
Remember the kids’ TV show Knightmare? Where a gawky square-eyed thirteen year old wandered blindly through a Dungeons and Dragons style green-screen environment, with buck-toothed team mates urging him on with instructions like, “two paces left. No, two paces. No, your other left”. Along the way he’d encounter wildly overacting characters who would declare “WELCOME BRAVE KNIGHT ...
