Monthly Archives: October 2011

Rio (Blu-ray)

Rio is another film on the seemingly never-ending production line of family friendly CGI-animated films that seem to arrive at cinemas every few weeks. In terms of plot, there is absolutely nothing new here whatsoever. It sticks so rigidly to … Continue reading

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Death in Paradise E1 (BBC1)

Cosy murder mystery seeks exotic new setting, and ends up with an ‘Englishman out of his comfort zone in the laid-back heat of the Caribbean’ concept. I have to say, the basic premise of this new BBC series didn’t exactly … Continue reading

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Spartacus (1960) [Blu-ray]

Spartacus is the type of film they don’t make any more: when Gladiator came along and was hailed as a return to the days of Hollywood’s best swords-and-sandals epics, it was this film – along with Ben-Hur and Cleopatra – … Continue reading

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Quatermass and the Pit (1967) (Blu-ray)

It’s a little known fact that Hammer Films had their first success with The Quatermass Xperiment in the mid-1950s, an adaptation of a hugely successful BBC TV science fiction series. Toward the end of Hammer’s successful times after years of … Continue reading

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Terra Nova S1 (Sky One)

Possibly the leading contender for “biggest disappointment of the new fall TV season”, this Steven-Spielberg-produced show feels staggeringly tired and uninspired. It’s meant to be “the next Lost” but instead feels more like its great, great granddaddy and already on … Continue reading

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The Walking Dead S2 E1 “What Lies Ahead”

When you find yourself with a stunning and wholly unexpected break-out hit on your hands – as American cable TV channel AMC did with the six-part The Walking Dead mini-series in 2010 – the big question mark and headache hanging … Continue reading

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Hidden E1

Conspiracy thrillers seem to be all the rage on TV at the moment, and hot on the heels of Exiles, The Hour and The Shadow Line on the BBC comes this four-part Philip Glenister drama. It goes out of its … Continue reading

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House S8 E1 “Twenty Vicodin”

So, Dr Gregory House is back for an eighth season. Has he got the legs (or leg, perhaps) to last another full year at the top of the TV tree? The opening episode picks up on the events at the … Continue reading

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Ringer S1 E1/2 “Pilot”/”She’s Ruining Everything”

Sarah Michelle Gellar is back on regular series TV for the first time since Buffy The Vampire Slayer in this story about two twin sisters – one rich and successful, the other poor and on the run from the police. … Continue reading

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The Sarah Jane Adventures S5 E1/2 – “Sky”

The Sarah Jane Adventures is back this week on the Children’s BBC channel, and is well worth catching up with on the BBC iPlayer if you’re not around for the 5.15pm airing on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Although unashamedly – … Continue reading

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The Shadow Over Innsmouth (BBC Radio 4 Extra / Ladbroke Productions)

Regular readers of this blog will know that I’ve waxed lyrical on a number of occasions now about a BBC Radio 4 Extra version of HP Lovecraft’s At The Mountains of Madness (ATMOM) last year. I was very excited therefore … Continue reading

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Dr Who S6 E13 – “The Wedding of River Song”

Some spoilers for the unwary “The Wedding of River Song” turned out to be a fun, entertaining episode to round out the sixth season of Doctor Who. But strangely, what it wasn’t was a resounding season finale spectacular, or a … Continue reading

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