Monday 28 February 2011

The Daily Teaser …

Blimey, that’s a thing … !

The King’s Speech seems to have done rather well at last night’s Oscars Ceremony.

Congratulations to them.

(The BBC’s just interviewing Helena Bonham-Carter, by the way, who’s looking both tired … and gutted … )

But it really only goes to show the good work that The UK’s Film Council did in distributing Lottery funds.

I’m just hoping that the Coalition Government’s feeling a little embarrassed about closing it down.

Lets get moving on, shall we … ?

Before I turn into Ben Elton

»»•««

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi, bless her, putting her answers in: and managing to bag 6 out of 6. (Mind my admitting, Debbi … ? I’m just hoping we don’t manage to revise the spelling too much: the American spelling of ‘colourcolor’ looks bizarre enough as it is … :D )

Lets see how she — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we … ? Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video

Q1) 28th February, 2007, saw NASA’s New Horizons probe fly past which planet?

Q2) More to the point, which planet is it heading for … ?

Q3) Even more to the point, the object in Q2 is in — or ,.ipart of — which belt … ?

Q4) While we’re astronomical … 28th February, 1997 saw GRB 970228 strike Earth. What was GRB 970228 … ?

Q5) 28th February, 1939, saw an investigation by Webster’s New English Dictionary after which erroneous word was discovered … ?

Q6) 28th February, 1925, saw the birth of Harry H. Corbett, OBE: in which film did he play Sergeant Sidney Bung?

Q7) And finally … 28th February, 1993, saw who launch a raid on the Branch Davidian sect in Waco, Texas … ?
And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) 27th February, 1700, saw the discovery of New Britain: New Britain is in an archipelago near which country: Papua New Guinea, Australia or the USA … ?
A1) Papua New Guinea.

Q2) 27th February, 1953, saw a bill to simplify what pass its second reading in Parliament … ?
Q2) The spelling of English.

Q3) 27th February, 1900, saw the founding of which British political party … ?
A3) The Labour Party.

Q4) More to the point, who was the most recent British Prime Minister from that party … ?
A4) Gordon Brown, MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

Q5) 27th February, 1963, saw Antoine Argoud charged with the attempted assassination of whom … ?
A5) General Charles DeGaulle.

Q6) And finally … 27th February, 2002, saw the death of comedian, poet and writer, Spike Milligan: what was the title of volume one of his war memoirs … ?
A6) Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall.
Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later …



Sunday 27 February 2011

Outcasts Episode 6: Interesting, but with definite HOLES …

Hmmmm …

Do you remember me saying — was it only on Monday — that episodes 6, 7 and 8 of Outcasts had a lot of work to do … ?

Well, I did.

I know I did.

I’ve just had a another look at the post I did for episode 5.

Which I was definitely impressed by.

Episode 6, on the other hand … ?

Hmmm …

Is very much a case of for me to apply a thoughtfully sceptical ‘Hmmmm’ noise.

Episode 6, you see, caught me with something of a background hole, lets put it like that.

Picky little wossname I am, holes are things I can’t really ignore.

The opening teaser of Episode 6 sees Jack Holt’s expeditionaries out in the wilder parts of Carpathia, trying to track down a three-person XP squad squad that seems to have gone missing.

With the one surviving member that they find, Josie — in the second picture — seriously injured.

Wanting to see her kids.

And claiming to have been attacked by the ACs, the colonists’ genetically modified super-troopers, abandoned to a life in the Carpathian wilds.

»»±««

Not wanting to spoil things too much if you’ve not seen tonight’s episode, the missing Josie that returns to Forthaven at the start of the episode …

Turns out to be a hallucinatory one, akin to the realistic ones that Richard Tate is seeing of his dead children.

Something that Holt’s Expeditionaries — along with Cass and Fleur — find out at the end of the episode.

Nice big climax, there … !

»»±««

But I mentioned holes, at the start of the episode, didn’t I … ?

Oh, boy, yes … !

Let’s get to the obvious one, shall we … ?

One of the sub-plots in tonights episode … ?

Was the fact one of the missing expeditionaries has a wife in Forthaven, named Marie.

Marie spends most of the episode giving birth to the only human child seen on Carpathia in the past five years.

The reason I mention this … ?

Is that Stella — a qualified neurologist, despite being Forthaven’s Chief of Police — seems to be spending a great deal of time going to and from Forthaven’s Maternity unit.

And seems to be the key person responsible for making the decision to save either the baby or the mother, in case the birth goes wrong.

The Chief of Police.

Let me stress that again, the Chief of Police.

Granted, the Hermione Norris character is a qualified doctor: but in neurology, rather than gynæcology or obstetrics*.

And, as I’ve already stated, she’s always the head of Carpathia’s small — three person, seemingly — police-force.

The question I have … ?

Or hole I’ve spotted, I should say … ?

Where the hot-hooting heck is Forthaven’s Chief Medical officer … ?

Oh, there’s medical staff: plenty of ’em … !

But seemingly, no one in charge of those staff: despite the fact that Forthaven has a large expeditionary force that seems to get injured, once a week!

Actually, the other hole I’ve spotted …

Kind of ties into the Expeditionaries.

Well …

Them, and any one venturing outside the town of Forthaven.

You see, in last Monday’s episode, one mild annoyance for me was simply the fact the Fleur and Cass — indeed any of Forthaven’s inhabitants — would go happily tearing off into the Carpathian desert …

Without any signs of a radio.

Or phone.

Or communication device, sat-phone, two tin cans connected by string.

Or some sort of map, come to that matter. Carpathia is, after all, largely unknown: certainly to us, you’d thing President Tate would have a map of the explored areas around Forthaven in his office.

Now, I quite happily suspended disbelieve watching episode 5.

It was the best of the bunch, so far.

But something else occurred to me, watching tonights episode.

Where’s the planes?

Or helicopters … ?

Or — given that I seem to recall a throwaway line in episode 5 about the difficulty of powered flight on Carpathia — some sort of colonial jeep, for heaven’s sake!

Transport, in other words!

Everyone seems to spend a lot of time walking … !

»»±««

Just as a final piece of criticism, here … ?

And this — given the existence of recordable media — isn’t too much of a bother for me personally.

Is the change of place in the schedules.

A nine o’clock start — on whatever day of the week — is one that I find generally acceptable.

But 10•25 on a Sunday evening, for those of us who have to get up for work on a Monday … ?

Well …

I know that in its first two weeks, Outcasts scheduling played merry havoc with the Tuesday Night Movie.

On the other hand … ?

10•25 on a Sunday night … ?

There’s going to be a lot of jammed switchboards!

»»±««

Now, I know there’s probably a few people who are going to disagree with me, about all this.

No, let me rephrase that.

Aren’t going to let the holes or the scheduling bother them.

That’s their choice.

And more power to them.

But, for me personally … ?

Those holes, in particular are like a little piece of Sunday roast beef.

You know the one.

The one that’s got stuck between a couple of back teeth, where you can’t quite get to with just your tongue.

It’s going to niggle.

Episode’s 7 and 8 had better be a bloomin’ long toothpick.


Actor

Rôle

Liam Cunningham

Richard Tate

Hermione Norris

Stella Isen

Daniel Mays

Cass Cromwell

Amy Manson

Fleur Morgan

Ashley Walters

Jack Holt

Eric Mabius

Julius Berger

Langley Kirkwood

Rudi

Michael Legge

Tipper Malone

Jeanne Kietzmann

Lily Isen

Juliet Aubrey

Josie Hunter

Rebekah Nathan

Stacy

Maddy Baskerville

Rona

Dylan Fourie

Dylan

Melissa Haiden

Marie Docherty

Sean Michael

Clark Johnson

Bongo Mbutuma

XP Hartson


Director

Andy Goddard

Producer

Radford Neville

Writer

David Farr




* Says I, hoping I’ve got the correct terms, there … !


The Daily Teaser …

You know, you can tell it’s almost Oscar night, can’t you … ?

You can, trust me.

About the only other time that the BBC News channel gets this obsessed with posh frocks and hairdos — and what the women are wearing, as well — is at a Royal wedding.

No, wait, hang on …

But, if nothing else … ?

It’s ten minutes worth of news that isn’t about Libya or the Six Nations Cup.

Not being a fan of rugby, that’s possibly a good thing.

Let’s get moving on, shall we … ?

Before I get a weird mental image of Lawrence Dallaglio in a little black dress

»»•««

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi Putting in her answers: as well as bagging six out of six, Debbi also managed to offer up extra information about both David Shayler and Levi Strauss.

Lets see how she — and you — do with today’s questions, shall we … ? Here they, along with the ‘How To’, License and video

Q1) 27th February, 1700, saw the discovery of New Britain: New Britain is in an archipelago near which country: Papua New Guinea, Australia or the USA … ?

Q2) 27th February, 1953, saw a bill to simplify what pass its second reading in Parliament … ?

Q3) 27th February, 1900, saw the founding of which British political party … ?

Q4) More to the point, who was the most recent British Prime Minister from that party … ?

Q5) 27th February, 1963, saw Antoine Argoud charged with the attempted assassination of whom … ?

Q6) And finally … 27th February, 2002, saw the death of comedian, poet and writer, Spike Milligan: what was the title of volume one of his war memoirs … ?
And here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …
Q1) 26th February, 2000, saw a gagging order issued against which British spy … ?
A1) David Shayler.

Q2) The Daventry Experiment — carried out by Robert Watson-Watt on 26th February, 1935 — which lead to the UK development of what: television, RADAR or the pocket calculator … ?
Q2) RADAR.

Q3) 26th February, 2004, saw the USA lift a travel ban to which North African country … ?
A3) Libya. (In light of recent events … ? That seems a waste of effort … )

Q4) 26th February, 1826 saw the birth of the man who famously designed the world’s first Jeans: what was his name … ?
A4) Levi Straüß: or Strauss, if you want to be a touch less German about it.

Q5) More to the point, in which US city was that designer’s company based … ?
A5) San Francisco.

Q6) And finally … 26th February, 1914, saw the launch of one of the RMS Titanic’s sister ships: what was its name … ?
A6) The HMHS Britannic.
Enjoy those, everyone: I’ll catch you later … !


Saturday 26 February 2011

Burke And Hare: Blood, Guts and the 19th Century Scottish Enlightenment. With added Liver …

Whooah …

Wowsa …

Says I, desperately trying to think of an opening line … !

Actually …

I’m a’thinking I can do better than that …

Mostly … ?

Mostly by admitting that I’ve just seen Kevin D and Movie Night Adrian — minus a hat — off home, after an evening at my place, watching a film.

Which you’ve probably worked out is some thing of a tradition, by now, haven’t you … ?

At any rate, tonight’s film … ?

Was something Adrian had managed to dig up from Brentwood Library.

The 2010 John Landis film, Burke and Hare, complete with Simon Pegg as William Burke and Andy Serkis as William Hare.

Sound familiar … ?

Well it should, actually: the Burke and Hare killings were rather notorious, back in 19th century Edinburgh.

»»•««

Burke and Hare is a John Landis directed black comedy and follows the careers of the eponymous pair from their early days as con-men, trying to earn their living try to sell cheese mould as ‘Donegal Moss’, something they claim to be a good old fashioned cure-all.

Having been found out … ?

And desperate to help Mrs Hare pay her rent … ?

They soon work out that the recently deceased lodger being delivered not to the local graveyard, but instead to the hand of local anatomist, Dr Robert Knox.

Kevin, Adrian, should I be thinking about throwing in the phrase “With hysterical results” at this stage … ?

Possibly not …

»»•««

At any rate, Burke and Hare got a bit of a mixed reaction from the three of us, tonight.

Personally … ?

Personally, I know I enjoyed it, although I’m very aware that Adrian wasn’t as stunned as he thought he’d be when he picked it up.

Kevin wasn’t best impressed, either.

Here’s Burke and Hare’s details: oh … and what we thought …

Burke and Hare.

Simon Pegg as William Burke
Andy Serkis as William Hare
Isla Fisher as Helen McDougal (Ginny)
Jessica Hynes as Lucky
Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Robert Knox

Paul: Watchable ★★☆☆
Adrian*: “Like a tepid cuppa: drinkable, but … ” ★★½☆☆
Kevin: “It’s ok, for an hour and a half’s entertainment.” ★★☆☆


* I think I’m kind of obliged to mention Adrian enjoyed the end music. He’s got a thing about Swing …