So this is my current desktop wallpaper:
Beautiful, isn’t it? I love the fact the nymph in the top-left hand corner looks like Kristen Stewart (except she’s smiling – that’s the obvious giveaway).
So should I get it as a mousemat as well? I’m only asking because this is the obvious rival:
Tricky decision, isn’t it?
In the UK: Saturday 3rd April 2010, 6.15pm (or something), BBC1
In the US: Saturday 17th April 2010, 9/8c, BBC America
Stand down everybody. Emergency over. No need to worry. Steven Moffat has arrived and everything’s going to be okay.
Spoilers and review after the trailer for the whole of series 5/season 31.
Continue reading “Review: Doctor Who – 5×1 – The Eleventh Hour”
So we rented Paranormal Activity on Friday night. Actually quite a scary movie. Made for something like $15,000, it’s gone on to make millions – and deservedly so.
The idea is that weird things are happening to a middle class couple, Micah and Katie, who live in San Diego. Katie’s been haunted since she was five by something that’s probably a demon – not a ghost – and has followed her to her new home, now she’s moved in with day-trader Micah. Things move by themselves, she’s seen figures standing at the foot of her bed, and so on.
The weird things happen in the night, so Micah gets himself a camcorder, connects it to a laptop, and tapes everything that goes on.
And we get to see everything that happens to them.
It’s all a bit Blair Witch and uses most of the same techniques – apparent cinema verité, filming at night, largely improvised dialogue, unknown actors – to try to convince you that terrible things are happening. Not much ever happens, but it’s the constant build-up of tension, the failure to use OTT special effects, the general weirdnesses that do happen, etc, that really play with your mind, letting you imagine the worst.
On the whole, not as scary as Ghostwatch, which actually does a better job of things visually, but scary and clever all the same.
In a moment, for those of you who haven’t seen it, the trailer. Then after the jump, let’s those of us who have seen it discuss the ending – and the alternate ones.
Continue reading “The alternate endings of Paranormal Activity”
In the US: Tuesdays, 10pm, FX
In the UK: Starts this month on Five USA
We’re three episodes into Justifed, so time to pass a verdict. Based on one of Ellmore Leonard’s short stories, Justified sees US Marshall Timothy Olyphant return home to his native Kentucky, where he has to face not just criminals but a variety of old memories.
Now, the first episode was really good, filled with sparkly dialogue, intriguing characters and a decent plot to boot. And, of course, Timothy Olyphant is just outstanding. Okay, just about every Southern/Kentucky stereotype possible gets trawled out, but it’s done reasonably subtly (and for all I know that’s exactly what it’s like there).
Trouble is, the next two episodes have been pretty dull. They’ve been "dumb Southern criminal of the week" shows, with Olyphant slow-talking his way through a variety of situations, while his equally slow-talking Southern fellow officers rush out the guns whenever possible. The spark of the dialogue and the zing of the characters have gone, and the plotting has also disappeared in some creek somewhere.
It’s still not bad. It’s still well written and thoughtful, with the characters all served well and nothing dumb and CSI: Miami-ish happening anywhere. It’s just not very interesting any more. You can watch it. If you like The Mentalist, you’ll love this. I’m just not feeling the love as much, so I’m probably going to drop it from my viewing – which is a shame given the quality of the first episode.
Carusometer rating: 2
Rob’s prediction: Give the plummeting ratings, I reckon this is going to last a season at most, but it might be survive longer if it’s given a chance to find its feet.
Stand aside Michael Parkinson with Meg Ryan; step back into the shadows Fearne Cotton and Peaches Geldof – we have a new worst interview ever. It’s Jonathan Ross with Aaron Johnson of Kick Ass, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and Casualty fame. And for once, it’s not Rossie’s fault – he really earns his salary this time.
Anyone else see Tina Fey on Ross as well? My God, that’s woman’s gorgeous. They must give her a make-down for 30 Rock. But what possessed Rossy to start slagging off Hershey bars at the end? That’s just verboten.
© 2022 The Medium is Not Enough
