Josh: Film: Warm Bodies

2013, directed by Jonathan Levine.

WARNING: May Contain Spoilers (it does)

My main concern before watching 'Warm Bodies' was the possible similarities to the likes of the 'Twilight Saga', which I'm not so fond for a wide variety of reasons mainly concerning the poor quality of writing and acting involved. Alongside some cheesy advertising and lack of knowledge about the story itself, my only optimism revolved around the increasingly popular Nicholas Hoult as 'R'. Labelled as a paranormal romantic zombie comedy, Warm Bodies cleverly mixes these genres to provide an hour and a half of great entertainment. In no way is this film perfect, however, the way in which this absurd concept is delivered deserves some recognition.

     Set in post-apocalyptic America, R, a Corpse saves the daughter of Colonel Grigio (John Malkovich) whose soldiers are determined to kill all zombies. R thinks like a human (as depicted through a deadpan narration by Hoult) and throughout the film develops shared romantic feelings with Julie, Grigio's daughter, which seemingly spreads to the others as a cure, all against the wrath of the further deteriorated; Bonies. Admittedly, the idea of 'love saving all' is one I do not usually agree with but, within context, the idea works. Rather than produce another zombie film where the cure is some sort of medicine needed to be given out to raging undead, Warm Bodies turns it on its head. The human characteristics in the zombies themselves as well as the whole film being told from R's perspective causes audience sympathy with what is usually depicted as the atagonist. Alternatively, the murderous behaviour of the human enclave is scrutinised and the answer to the problem is not to kill the Corpses but to treat them, to love them. Conversely, though the Corpses are treated equally to the humans, the Bonies are not and this is jokingly referred to, despite this, it is understandable as they have lost all humanity and cannot be saved like the Corpses.

     Warm Bodies revitalises the zombie genre somewhat, giving us an alternative outlook on how they are not mindless creatures craving for flesh but possibly pertaining human characteristics, struggling against and hating what they are, something which is never really envisaged in any other zombie fiction. Typical zombie tropes are made humorous with genuine laugh-out-loud moments whereas new ones are introduced like the ability to experience human emotions through eating the brain. Though Warm Bodies defies some logic, the origin of the apocalypse left unexplained and Julie and R's love seemingly somehow affecting every other Corpse, the purpose of the movie is the development of Julie and R's relationship. Again, twisting an iconic concept, this time the one of a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque love story, the film sees a human and zombie falling in love. Though there was excessive use of music which lacked certain subtlety, Hoult and Teresa Palmer have excellent chemistry conveying a cute romance which doesn't venture into the extreme like its associates 'Twilight' and others.

     Infusing the zombie genre with romantic comedy significantly impacts how 'scary' or 'realistic' the zombies are, even the CGI of the Bonies is sketchy, however, their presence is not to be one of intimidation and so this impact is both necessary and acceptable. The light yet effective use of humour and the apocalyptic setting to this primarily romantic fiction is one of uniqueness and brilliance which allows Warm Bodies to be a surprisingly fantastic film. Though full of minor limitations and things which could have been improved or removed, Warm Bodies is a heartwarming piece of cinema which just falls at the last hurdle to become a cult classic.

Thanks, Josh.

Josh: Film: Django Unchained

2012, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Set in the Deep South/Old West, the film follows a freed slave, Django, who, alongside a bounty hunter Dr King Schultz, journeys across America to rescue his wife Brunhilde from a plantation owner; 'Monsieur' Candie.

     'Django Unchained' upon release became an award-winner but its difficult to agree such status is wholly deserved. Quentin Tarantino's absurd vision for film-making continues to provide high-quality entertainment. Usually Tarantino's features do not follow basic chronology, however, Django does progress as such and is all better for it, any mixing with the time-frame would have skewered things. Tarantino's films also pride themselves on the excessive use of blood and gore which Django did not fail to have, it is up to personal opinion whether this is ever necessary within his creations but regardless came into great effect. Nevertheless, controversy has spiked over the use of violence and the word; 'nigger' in the film, as their heavy usage has been deemed by some as inappropriate. This is debatable as the historical aspect to 'Django Unchained' may determine such uses as reasonable, it is, to some extent, a possible oversight by Tarantino. Many also claim the film's central theme is 'kill all the white people', a potentially anti-white bigotry undertone which can be dismissed when considering the motivation of the majority of the Caucasian characters. 

     Foxx's performance as Django is a little jarred in places and so it is to Christoph Waltz, Leonardo di Caprio and to some extent Samuel L Jackson to provide stronger acting. Waltz, as in 'Inglorious Basterds', gives a flawed yet likable characterisation of Schultz. Di Caprio's 'Monsieur' Candie addresses the confusion of why hasn't he won an Oscar yet. Without fault Candie is a complex, cruel character whose conflicting views on slavery make him an interesting antagonist for the film. There is a scene in which Candie flips and di Caprio cut open his hand to bleed. The continued performance and additional improvisation in said scene proves to the audience the sheer brilliance in di Caprio's acting abilities.

     The basis of the film itself on the topic of slavery is one that can be easily criticised from a variety of angles. Though seen as the 'black man's slavery revenge' fantasy it is the white man who helps free Django and give him the opportunity and equipment to complete his task. Violent revenge, as always with Tarantino, especially in 'Basterds', is glorified and can be in places used unnecessarily. At one point, Django kills a trio of men who are actually willing to help him out and at which point I asked myself about Django's motivation. The film, rather than idolising the freedom of a slave shows how freedom actually tarnishes Django's morality and twists his vision. Whether this was the purpose or if this is the correct route for Tarantino to have taken with this character is uncertain. Django misuses the power of freedom he gains and with that we get some insight, an exploration, into an aspect of freedom we would not normally imagine. Though the scripting of Django Unchained is intelligent, witty and dark, at times it can venture too controversially and with some scenes the humour can fall flat (look at for a dancing horse!).

     Django Unchained is an excellent film, the premise is intriguing and overall the plot is delivered with originality and accuracy. Waltz and di Caprio take the carpet from under Foxx's feet and provide stellar performances worthy of accolades, the writing and direction of Tarantino on the otherhand is consistently of high calibre yet lacking something to achieve perfection in order to actually deserve the awards acquired as of late. For entertainment value alone 'Django Unchained' comes highly recommended but for the historical context and the take on such a tender issue in a horrifically realistic way with that aspect of heroism makes it a definite worthwhile watch for the more immersed film-goer.

Thanks, Josh.

Josh: Music: The 2nd Law

Also comes in vinyl edition?!

"A Christian gangsta rap jazz odyssey, with some ambient rebellious dubstep and face melting metal flamenco cowboy psychedelia." Matt Bellamy on 'The 2nd Law'.

Only Muse, the alternative rock band from Devon, could base an album on the second law of thermodynamics. The band's interest in science and willingness to experiment with other musical genres has produced 'The 2nd Law', a possible replacement for my favourite Muse album over 'The Resistance' (which Smith has reviewed previously). Here's some analysis of all thirteen songs on the album;
     1) Supremacy - like something straight out of an action film, perfectly suited for James Bond, we have a exciting, vibrant start to the album that you can't stop yourself from rocking.
     2) Madness - I've adored this song ever since its released. It's obvious attempt to experiment with genres works. It's catchy and generally just an enjoyable song. One of the best by far on the album.
    3) Panic Station - Another different style to Muse that has a great use of guitars and is one of the more upbeat songs. It's riff is funky and easily loveable, its use in the introduction hooks you immediately.
     4) Prelude - a wonderful little piece of music that's pleasantly orchestrated and could be listened to time and time again with a smile on your face.
     5) Survival - uplifting and a truly fantastic joy to the ears. The voices are key here to its brilliance, Matt Bellamy's falsetto is something I continue to love. The riff's excellent, the instrumental mesmerising. Fits nicely after Prelude.
     6) Follow Me - the dubstep bass is a nice surprise after the intriguing slow beginning to the song. Though the said was opening was nicely calm. One of the few that you might forget about though.
     7) Animals - the song feels very much like Muse's original style and doesn't keep in touch with the experimental aspect to the album. Its not a bad song, just its average, slightly disappointing and could be much better. The weird ending is pretentious and ruins the experience.
     8) Explorers - a similar opening to Follow Me but the cute tinkling in the bass puts you into a trance of happiness. I don't have a real stance on this one. Is it trying too hard? Is it just enjoyable?
     9) Big Freeze - its joyous, yes, but it sounds very samey to me. Its definitely not an immediate favourite, nothing really jumps out as really likeable. It's quite an average song for such an album.
     10) Save Me - who knew Chris Wolstenholme (bassist) had such an overwhelming voice. There's great instrumentation and its all very upbeat but the unexpected vocals from Wolsetenholme are steal the show. They're fantastic.
     11) Liquid State - very well written alike Save Me (both by Wolstenholme). More of Wolstenholme's bloody good voice. It's heavy in a cool way. You just want to rave to it.
     12) The 2nd Law: Unsustainable - one of the most experimental and best songs on the album. The beginning might remind you of Resistance's Exogenesis Symphony but the cinematic soundtrack feel with dubstep overtones sees a strange yet beautiful blend of genres.
     13) The 2nd Law: Isolated System - not as good as Unsustainable by a long shot. Still, the use of news broadcast audio bytes is clever and it summarises the album's themes in a reasonably good song.

Breaking the mould of alternative rock

     The 2nd Law is simply just incredible. The beginning and the end of the album dominate the middle in terms of brilliance. It also acts like a yo yo, moving from light, soft and cheery sounds to heavy, bass-filled rock. It's a contender to beat the Resistance in terms of the quality of music. Muse are clever with the themes they use for albums. They use themes that can relate to the world we currently live in. The idea of the 2nd law of thermodynamics (energy is running out) creating fear within the human race is a concept that's believable considering the world we have.  Exploiting and analysing these concepts in wonderful lyrics fitting with higher quality instrumentation is utter brilliance yet something Resistance also brought us. The experimentation in this album is what makes it significantly more adventurous and interesting to listen to than its predecessor. The use of dubstep and other genres is excellently mastered. Matt Bellamy's writing talents and stunning vocals are better than ever. Then, we had the magical experience of meeting Chris Wolstenholme's brave writing about his alcoholism and his glorious voice. That being one of the better, more enjoyable surprises of the 2nd Law. Though its very different in its style to Resistance the middle section of the album feels too familiar. The songs best recommended from myself are; Madness, Survival, Supremacy, Unsustainable and Wolstenholme's two songs. It may take a couple of listens for it grow on you on because of Muse's huge diversion in genre, feel and instrumentation but it's a highly enjoyable album that will probably become my favourite out of all of theirs. An album definitely worth the wait. Intensely innovative and intelligent, the 2nd Law is a triumph that the men from Muse should be proud of.

Genius.
Thanks, Josh.

Josh: Film: The Dark Knight Rises

The cast of 2012's best film?

The Dark Knight Rises, is the third and final instalment of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy which started back in 2005 with the innovative success that was 'Batman Begins'. The film sees the continuation of Bruce Wayne's story this time eight years on since the events in the popular favourite blockbuster; 'The Dark Knight'. Living as a recluse Wayne is Batman no more. He isn't needed during a time of peace that's graced Gotham City due to the Dent Act based on lies about a Harvey Dent who everybody believes that Batman killed. Only Comissioner Jim Gordon knows and carries the burden of the truth. The movie sees a terrorist known only as Bane, who has to breathe through an apparatus, plan to destroy the city. With Bane threatening Gotham and the dark times returning, Batman must come back with the help of his old friends and new ones including a hot-headed police officer, John Blake, and a seductive cat-burglar, Selina Kyle. With an enemy of superior strength and high intellect, Batman faces his most difficult challenge both physically and emotionally in one of the most enjoyable 165 minutes of your cinematic viewing experience.      Without exaggeration I can honestly admit to struggling to form any kind of sentence for about an hour and a half after watching this film. After recovering from my awe I was able to think about the characters of this film considering the fact that this movie relies on its focus on characters. Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle looked promising from the trailers and I think she proved a lot of people wrong with her portrayal. Her character was intriguely complicated and I very much preferred her more loosely sexualised interpretation of Catwoman compared to the innuendo filled Michelle Pfeiffer version that we witnessed in Batman Returns (1992). Though a manipulative criminal, you're able to realise her true intentions through the effortless performance Hathaway gives. Catwoman isn't a superhero and she isn't a villain, she's a blend of both worlds and works independently, the example of strong woman in a male-dominated world in which she is able to outsmart many of them. Though Catwoman's intentions can be selfish she's the mix of personalties you need in the very black and white world Nolan has created. A superb version of the character.

Gotham's finest; Blake and Gordon

     Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake was the unsung hero who had many particularly brilliant moments during the movie. The way in which Gordon-Levitt is able to play this newly invented Nolanverse character sees the audience gain a connection with the character of Blake, meaning we can be sympathetic to him throughout. Marion Cotillard's Miranda Tate's is a rather ridiculous attempt at giving Bruce Wayne some sort of love interest but the true nature of this character is something unexpected and yet rushed too.
     Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox was nicely used for his wit during this very dark film and was used appropriately when his character's skills were required. He featured more than usual here and I'm glad he did. Michael Caine’s Alfred Pennyworth is sadly neglected and used more as a plot device more than anything yet still greatly performed and loveable as usual. However, though a stellar job, Caine's version of Alfred doesn't make a mark on the late Michael Gough who remains an adorable piece in the sometimes grotesque jigsaw that's the original Batman series. Gary Oldman’s Comissioner Gordon features heavily which is something I really appreciate Christopher Nolan for doing with these modern Batman movies. The role Oldman has played has been consistently, without fail, being stunning. Oldman’s performance is just another reminder why he’s referred to as one of the many greats of the Hollywood industry. I’m glad Nolan’s shaped his character similar to his comicbook counterpart. In the original Batman films Gordon, as played by Pat Hingle, was a lame attempt at making the Comissioner a source of humour which failed and I look back at those films and realise how much potential that character has when comparing to the Dark Knight trilogy Comissioner.

Bane versus Batman

     Now, Tom Hardy's Bane. As the main antagonist Bane doesn’t really have a backstory which is something that seems to happen with a lot of villains in the Batman universe. Bane's story is very sketchy and just like Heath Ledger’s Joker (a glorious performance by the way) he’s a very complex character that needed some sort of reasoning behind the motivation he has to destroy Gotham rather than what the script gives us. Bane doesn't fit into the category he's thrown into and its one of the few faults wrong with this film. However, I can admit, without knowing everything it adds to the entertaining mystery surrounding the character. Bane’s highly intelligent and ruthless. He’s not stupidly bulky or dumbed down like in the ridiculous Batman and Robin but a believably intimidating dictator which slots in perfectly with the thematics of this dystopian world we're launched into. Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne, though played well previously, has usually been slightly wooden. However, in the Dark Knight Rises he reflects a multitude of emotions we barely see from that actor. I was actually surprised at how good Bale was here and my respect for him as an actor, though already high, has increased that bit more. I adore characterisation like that used in The Dark Knight Rises because its Bruce Wayne that makes the moral decisions here, not Batman. When it comes down to it, super-hero's have their alter-ego's and their secret identities who act differently to one another. Despite this, Batman and Bruce Wayne, more than ever, are one here. Still, I’m rather disappointed with how the Batman himself was featured because he popped up rarely. In addition, when he did appear he was as marvellous as he could be.

     Now the film itself overall, which there isn’t much I can tell you about because the movie is powered by the fuel of its amazing characters whose reinventions in Nolan's world differ to their comic-book origins in so many ways but in a way that means that when applied to the modern, gritty world of Gotham they work perfectly. Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack is riveting and beautiful in a variety of ways that allows the film to flow smoothly. The regularly occurring Arabic chant is a clever inclusion and used when necessary. Bane and Batman’s themes are memorable and representative of their characters. The music in this film is so important because a lot of the time the film is quiet and so when its featured it pumps up the tension tenfold or enhances a scene in the way it should.

     The cinematography is elegant, the direction is inch-perfect and the writing has so many incredible moments which assists the visuals and the actors on screen creating the possibility of gaining awards look even more likely than ever for this outstanding series. The mix of CGI and real effects are manufactured for high quality viewing and all of the action scenes keep your heart pounding. These and the narrative and your connection to the characters keep everything tense and exciting and on the edge of your seat. It's just a shame about the Bat, the hyped up hover-craft we've been seeing through advertisement. Its overly-used and probably implanted to be used as a critical plot device and reveal for the end of the film. Its flight is too unrealistic which makes this prominent new vehicle disappointing. I'd also like to point out that the Tumbler Batman uses never required the rider to have their backside sticking out until they were Catwoman in pleasing tight black lycra. And also, even during a time when 13 million people need his help desperately, Bruce still sees it fit to apply black makeup when donning the Bat suit.

Batman never had do this but I'm not complaining

     In my heart I’m a Marvel fanboy through and through but the end of this trilogy makes my affection for DC Comics increase. I didn’t used to be such a big Batman fan but Christopher Nolan’s changed that with his dazzlingly dark and realistic approach to this comic book hero. This marks a incredible end to what can be categorised as one of the most popular and successful film trilogies in not just the super-hero film world but general one too. The Dark Knight Rises happily replaces the Avengers as 2012's film of the year in my opinion.

Thanks, Josh.

P.S. I'd just like to share my condolences to the families and friends of those who were unfortunate enough to be killed at the screening of this film in Colorado and that my thoughts are with them.

Josh: Doctor Who Classic: The Daemons

Badly costumed Bok, Three and bloody Jo Grant

Doctor Who - Season 8, Story Five - The Daemons
Written between 2nd and 8th June 2012
"Fancy a dance, Brigadier?"

In the village of Devil's End people are dying without explanation though local 'witch', Olive Hawthorne claims evil is afoot and the deaths are a result of fright. Near the village, BBC Three are covering the excavation of the Devil's Hump with Professor Horner. When the dig begins at the start of the Pagan  festival; Beltane, they expect to find the treasures and tomb of a warrior chieftain. At UNIT, the Doctor and the others watch the television broadcast. Jo speculates the coming of the Age of the Aquarius and the supernatural which the Doctor scoffs at. However, as the dig starts and Olive protests and warns of danger, the Doctor believes her so he and Jo head off to Devil's End. During a sudden gust of wind, Olive is nearly struck down by a police officer under a trance as she goes to visit the vicar. It appears he has been mysteriously replaced by Mr Magister who is really the Master. The Master assures Olive nothing bad will happen but she dismisses him and goes to find someone to believe her. When the Doctor and Jo get lost and end up in a pub, a villager informs the Master of the Doctor who tells the man to prepare the ceremony. As the Doctor and Jo rush to the mound, the Master and 13 acolytes are chanting more and more frenziedly in a ritual in the Church's catacombs as the Master shouts the name of the entity; Azal, as the gargoyle Bok's eyes flash red. As the tomb is opened at the Hump,  icy winds burst out killing Horner and temporarily freezing the Doctor.
     After the village doctor notices the Doctor's two hearts and the latter starts to wake back up, Jo calls a confused Benton and Yates who agree to go to Devil's End the next morning by copter. The Master then prays as the police officer who had been in a trance falls to something gigantic which has risen. When Benton and Yates fly to Devil's End they spot massive burnt footprints on the fields. Yates contacts the Brigadier who calls himself a car to come down also. Benton finds Olive trapped in a cupboard in the Master's verger where a man called Garvin has locked her in. Garvin then appears with a rifle so Benton attempts to disarm him but seizes up on a stone the Master has marked. However, Garvin is soon engulfed in a heat wave that spreads right across the village waking up the Doctor.

Hipster Master was summoning the Devil before it was cool

     Olive and Benton venture to pub where Olive tells the Doctor of the Magister and realises he's up against the Master, again, and that she saw a large horned beast.  The Brigadier's unable to access the village due to a heat barrier as he's briefed. In the Hump, the Doctor and Jo find a small spaceship like the Hump as Bok tries to attack them. The gargoyle's own superstition drives him away when the Doctor talks in a strange language. The Master hypnotises the squire, Winstanley. The Doctor tells that all the horned gods in mythology over thousands of years have been the Daemons from Daemos who arrived 100,000 years ago. The shrinking and growing of their spaceship causes blasts of both cold and hot waves which have created a heat wave dome over the village. The Daemon the Master has summoned was small causing the cold wave but on the third summoning it will be massive causing the end of the world. The Doctor orders UNIT technician Osgood to set up a diathermic energy exchanger to break the heat shield. On the way to the barrier to explain the Doctor is attacked via the helicopter controlled by a hypnotised Tom Girton but the copter is destroyed. The Master summons Azal again who curses the Master for doing so.
     The Master wants Azal's power but he refuses to give it to him. Azal may give the Master control of Earth if he thinks him worthy after meeting the Doctor or he might destroy the planet on third summoning. After explaining the exchanger, the Doctor is captured by hypnotised villagers to be burnt alive. Olive and the Doctor convince the villagers to release him as Benton tricks them with his silenced gun and the Doctor with his remote controlled car; Bessie. Jo and Mike witness the final ritual as Jo fails to prevent it. Azal manifests himself as Jo is offered for sacrifice. The Doctor explains how psychokinetic energy of humans is used to summon the Daemons. The exchanger works so UNIT get through the barrier with it before it explodes. Bok guards the entrance to the catacombs but the exchanger weakens him so the Doctor is able to get into the ritual. As UNIT attacks Bok with all their weapons, Azal goes to kill the Doctor as the former wants humans to be left alone. However, Jo then self-sacrifices herself and the confusion turns Azal into stone before the church blows up. The Master fails to escape in Bessie which is remotely controlled to come back so the Master is arrested under maximum security as UNIT, the Doctor, Jo and Olive celebrate May Day.

The Master rocks out in a ritual

Doctor Who is known to be purely that of science-fiction so when this serial began to deal with more supernatural themes I immediately became a fan. This serial's intelligent script is able to show the diversity between the supernatural and science and how the two can conflict on many occasions depending on the situation. This serial really alienates the Doctor as he appears to be the only person who realises it isn't demons and myths causing everything but science. This therefore just reinforces the idea that we should remember the Doctor is of much higher intelligence than any other character as well as being from a different species and this serial highlights his individualism. This serial is filmed differently and to be honest I love it. The direction excels the previous stories in this season and the many pieces of camera trickery used have worked efficiently such as shaking and obscure angles give the tone of the serial are more quirky, rough edge to it. This serial also sees an entirely different side to the Master. For the previous four stories of the season the Master has been coldly calculating and intelligently intimidating. This serial though exposed his desperation for power and the extremities of things he has to do to claim it even though his normal behaviour would usually defy it. This new side to the Master has helped develop him further as a character and so after a couple of mediocre performances, Roger Delgado is finally back on full form like he was in Terror of the Autons. Though the Master has been in each serial during this season we still haven't been able to explore his back-story and delved properly into his character. Having him arrested by UNIT as a cliffhanger leaves his story unfinished and the possibility that we can go and explore more about him. As a fan of the Master, I can honestly say Delgado's performances are fantastically acted and makes the character so very interesting.
     This has got to be season eight's most creepiest serial of them all. The supernatural rituals, unexplainable (at the time) random events, freaky weather and, though badly costumed, daunting creatures. We've had a variety of moods to this season as we've had the camp frivolity of Terror, the politics of Mind of Evil, the colonisation argument in Colony and the science of Claws and now we have the chilling supernatural of Daemons. I'd like to point out that Damaris Hayman's Olive Hawthorne takes the prize for the most annoying character for the season. Her character could have been potentially interesting if it hadn't of been for the silly over-acting and taking of the stereotype of a believer in mythology and witches but Who has taken that and given it to her and it's awful. Though this isn't a scratch on the previous season finale Inferno, I'm very glad this was the only serial of the season which didn't use any of the recurring plot devices such as group takeovers, extended gun battles. Instead we did have another capturing of Jo Grant, twice, again. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to complain about how I, let's not say hate but majorly dislike her. Jo's got to be one of the clingiest, most annoying companions that the Doctor has had. Though she doesn't meet the standards of Five's Adric, I don't find her too likable. She's supposed to be a scientist yet seems undoubtedly dim-witted and without common sense. She seems to be recycled between the same plot devices of being captured and near death every serial and yet Three isn't sick of her yet. Well, frankly, I am. I don't see why she hangs around when all she does is cause more trouble and complain about it later. Anyway...

COME AT ME BRO! (This-is-awful)

     The action sequence involving the helicopter, the motorbike and the car has got to be the most exciting action sequence of the season. It isn't overlong like all the others and is cleverly well-filmed. The special effects used in this serial are particularly jarring and not spectacular like others we have seen but are used for good effect when needed. I'd also just like to have a fan-boy moment as I spotted two of the most famous Classic Who lines; 'Reverse the polarity' and 'five rounds rapid.' I'd also like to say that its difficult to comprehend how Mike is higher up in the ranks than Benton when there's such a big age gap between them. Also, I'm happy Mike is back here and is featured heavily because as a new character to the show we haven't seen that much of him until now. I'd also like to say how I'm liking the adaption of Benton into a fighting man all of a sudden. Now, something I mentioned earlier was bad costuming. Our aliens, the Daemons, are not very well made even considering its the early Seventies, they could of been such better. Considering Azal is supposed to be this horrid Devil-like beast the voicing doesn't suit the character and I didn't find him that intimidating at all. Still, I like how Who here has tried to explore the effects of mythology on smaller, rural communities which is possibly still occurring today. Though there was a lack of sci-fi in the serial to explain certain things, the use of the supernatural made this story unique. It's humorous (remembering the Grand High Wizard - the Doctor), contains a intelligent script and delivers a visually chilling set of episodes. By far is this the best serial of the season making up for the disaster that was Colony in Space and an excellent finale. Due to it's originality and indifference to previous stories and defying Who's set conventions, Daemons deservedly earns its title as one of the more successfully popular stories of Classic Who. I definitely enjoyed this one.

Thanks, Josh.
P.S. This is my last Classic Who review until further notice, I may or may not resume sometime during the summer holidays, so, stay tuned.

Josh: Doctor Who Classic: Colony in Space

Jo takes her first trip in the TARDIS

Doctor Who - Season 8, Story Four - Colony in Space
Written between 6th and 7th May 2012
"I did a course in escapology...once."


Colony in Space is significant concerning Classic Who's history. It sees the first off-Earth colour narrative with a newly updated TARDIS interior and companion Jo Grant's first trip within it, the first of any companion to travel in it since Season Six's 'War Games'. Michael Briant makes his directorial debut for Who, soon going onto direct popular serials such as; 'The Robots of Death' and 'The Sea Devils'. The science fictional comment in the script by Malcolm Hulke is based on relations between European Settlers and Native Americans. Now let's explore this six part serial;
     The Master has stolen the Time Lord's secret file on the Doomsday Weapon so fix the Doctor's TARDIS so he and Jo materialise on planet Uxarieus in 2472. An excited Doctor free from exile and scared Jo off-world for the first time meet Ashe, the leader of a human colony who are struggling to survive. They have an uneasy truce with the Uxarien primitives, their crops are failing without reason and members are being killed by 'monsters'. They also fear losing their colony in favour of the Interplanetary Mining Corporation who want rid of the colonists so they can take the planet's rich source of duralinium. The humans not wanting to return to their repressive, polluted Earth object to IMC's wish for the much-needed mineral for profit. As Captain Dent from IMC calls for the Adjudicator to make a decision on who has rights to the planet, a man called Norton arrives claiming to be the last survivor of another colony attacked by the same monsters that are killing colony members. The Doctor investigates to find the monsters are actually holographic images produced by an IMC machine and the killings are a result of one of their employees. Norton's revealed to be an IMC agent who kills the colonist's chief scientists and vandalises their power supply as Dent tries to get the Colonists to evacuate.

Before Corrie, Helen Worth could act, and very well!

     As the IMC and the colony engage in armed hostility the Adjudicator, who's really the Master with falsified credentials, arrives secretly in search of the Doomsday Weapon. When Jo is taken hostage by the Primitives, the Doctor discovers the Guardian and the last of the ancient Uxariens. The Doctor, as long as he and Jo do not return to the Primitive city, manages to escape being executed. The Master rules in favour of the IMC which sees Dent threaten Ashe with execution for the colony's crimes unless they all leave. With no other choice, the colonists must leave in their spaceship whose conditions are so poor it explodes in flight before Jo and Caldwell, an IMC employee helping out the colony. Jo is then locked in a chamber in the Master's TARDIS and the Master threatens her death by gas if the Doctor doesn't help him find the Doomsday Weapon. So, the Doctor and the Master go to the Primitive city and in the Guardian's chambers find the Doomsday Weapon. The weapon can turn any sun supernova, and the Master wants universal control and offers the Doctor a partnership but he declines. The Doctor convinces the Guardian the weapon caused the fall of the Uxarien civilisation from greatly scientific to primitively religious. The Guardian lets the Doctor destroy him, the weapon and the city. Jo has been set free by Caldwell and the Master escapes in his TARDIS. Thanks to Ashe flying the ship alone, all of the colonists escaped and overpower the IMC. Confident the real Adjudicator will rule in their favour and the fact the radiation from the weapon caused their crop failure, the colony's future is now secure. The Doctor and Jo return to UNIT seconds after they left unbeknown to the Brigadier
     Colony in Space is one of season eight's more mixed serials. Whereas the previous three stories had the ability to be judged either as good or bad, Colony has some excellent moments balanced by scenes where I sat back thinking; 'Oh no...'. Colony is very clever and grapples with a challenging basis for a storyline excellently. The present day finds the concept of colonisation popular amongst scientists, to be seen as an option of what to do when things go wrong in the future. Though this serial was released in 1971, the script clearly identifies the possible problems humanity could face in the future. This is why I like Colony, because it delivers a brilliant exploration into the human agenda, how normal civilians behave when found in situations that cannot possibly control. Malcolm Hulke's script addresses an everyday, serious issue, merging the fiction of Doctor Who with what's going on in the real world. Colony's exposition of human nature is really what makes it satisfying to watch. Though, I can admit the usage of one of Classic Who's many quarries works well as the backdrop for this more, gloomy serial. Colony's adventurous attempts in CGI are very, well done for the time and because we're on another planet for the first time everything becomes very much more visually interesting.

The Guardian...the only Uxarien to speak...in a silly voice...

     So, though the aesthetics and examination of human nature makes Colony stand out from the previous three stories in this season there are several times where everything isn't going Who's way. Again, we were exposed to multiple use of Three's martial art skills. Yes, this can be acceptable when the character genuinely needs to escape a dangerous situation but several occurrences in this serial saw Pertwee's Doctor use of violence unnecessary on various occasions. His Doctor's violent attitudes to innocent Primitives and people damns his flamboyant image. Along with this, there seems to be a development of recurring ideas within this season. Each serial has seen a senseless array of gun-fights and takeovers from two forces alternately. After such an outstanding ending to season seven and the fantastically characterised introduction of the Time Lord villain the Master, season eight is letting itself down in this area. I'm become a little down-hearted that these stories are becoming to similar to one another and need more differentiation. With repeated storyline ideas all crammed into the same season, serial after serial, Season Eight becomes a little tiresome.
     Though I fully understand the integration of the character is essential, the Master's appearance for the fourth time in a row is becoming too predictable. His motive is usually the same and the coincidence of him and the Doctor meeting regularly is becoming most unlikely. Still, Roger Delgado's Master is great to watch. If there wasn't as many ridiculous moments such as Jo's claim to of done a course in escapology when she's tied up or the portrayal of the Guardian, then Colony could a much more enjoyable serial. I put off watching this for a while and there was a reason why. Colony isn't the most entertaining of Classic Who spectacles but it can be enjoyed in the sense that it's Pertwee's first off-world adventure. Not a very well executed but still a well-performed, gritty serial that leaves the Master available to reappear for the season's finale!

Thanks, Josh.

Josh: Doctor Who Classic: The Claws of Axos

The Time Lord enemies work together

Doctor Who - Season 8, Story Three - The Claws of Axos

The season long Master arc of Season Eight continues with the creators of K-9 and Omega; Bob Baker and Dave Martin writing our four-part instalment. The tag for this one is; 'The Axons promise Earth a golden age of prosperity and big frogs.' Let's hope it isn't as cheesy as it sounds.

     UNIT detect a UFO is heading towards Earth as the Brigadier, the Doctor, Jo, Yates and Benton are holding a conference with a security inspector; Chinn and an American agent; Bill Filer to discuss the threat of the Master. Chinn fails to destroy the craft with a missile, the craft then is detected to have landed nearby a power plant causing freak weather conditions, it then opens to reveal tentacles that bring a homeless man into the ship, scan him and consider him not usable so kill him. They also capture/scan Filer and keep him for further investigation along with fellow captive; the Master. The Doctor, the Brigadier, Chinn and two scientists from the power plant who shot the missiles go into the ship where the Doctor is also scanned but left alone. There they find the Axons whose world was destroyed by solar flares and now they need to refuel on Earth, in return they offer Axonite (a 'thinking' molecule that can replicate any substance). Seeing the possibility of unlimited food and power Chinn and the Nuton scientists are transfixed as they all overhear Jo's screams as she's followed them and met some kind of monster on her way to find Filer. The Axons blame her hearing on hallucinations which the Doctor agrees with, Jo doesn't accept this.
     Chinn accepts the gift of Axonite on behalf of the planet as his men put UNIT under security arrest and take control of the investigation into how Axonite works though the Doctor is allowed to assist one of the scientists; Winser. Elsewhere the Master and Filer fail at escaping and are reimprisoned for reasons unknown. The Doctor then tries to use a particle accelerator to discover Axonite's true meaning. The Master then strikes a deal with the Axons to help them distribute Axonite worldwide in order for his freedom but his TARDIS stays with them. The Axons duplicate Filer as they need a Time Lord and the duplicate goes to capture the Doctor but is killed by the real Filer who has escaped. Winser then interrupts and is killed by radiation from the Axonite which spawns monsters that turn into Axons. Axos, Axonite and Axons seem to be all the same thing as the Doctor and Jo are taken captive as the Master starts to hypnotise Chinn's men.

The Axons in one of their many forms...

     The Axons remove memory blocks the Time Lords put in the Doctor's head to allow him to reveal to them the secrets of space-time travel. The Axons plan to drain Earth and move through the universe for fuel. Meanwhile the Master has no intention of helping the Axons but tries to fix the Doctor's broken TARDIS to escape, he tries hooking it up to the power complex where he's caught by the Brigadier and troops. The latter had arrived as the Brigadier had spotted one of the Axons in monster form making its way there. Chinn has now begun to export Axonite worldwide under the UN's orders. The Axons having control of the power complex have the potential to cause a nuclear explosion but the Brigadier agrees on the Master's freedom if he helps to stop it. The Master plans to reverse the power of the Axonite against the Axons killing the trapped Doctor and Jo in the process. However the plan fails and the Doctor and Jo escape for the Master and the Doctor to work together but the Doctor plans to escape Earth and leave it to it's fate.
     As the Axons attack the power complex the newly fixed TARDIS materialises in the Axos where the Doctor makes a deal with the Axons to link ships and take on the Time Lords. They agree as the Master tries to escape in his own found TARDIS. The Doctor tricks the Axons and traps them in a time loop causing all Axonite to disappear worldwide, the Doctor just manages to break out the loop and escape a detonated power plant. The Master's fate is left unknown.
     With a predictable yet casual entrance for the Master the Claws of Axos delivers a serial with various surprising events. The Master himself isn't our main villain for the first time this season even though he has a moment where he nearly works with the Axons. Instead we're shown a different, interesting side to the Master which sees him willing to do anything to help him escape to freedom even saving UNIT and working with the Doctor. We also saw a different side to the Doctor which disappointedly turned out to be a total charade, or was it? The fact he was willing to let Earth be consumed by the Axons in order to escape for himself showed a selfish, darker side and what appeared to be the need for revenge against the Time Lord High Council who exiled him. This serial is also visually excellent with it's use of sets and costumes for the Axons, the grandeur of the serial in terms of CG work and directory is the best of the season. It also makes me wonder whether the budget had been bumped up considering the firing of the previous serial's director who overspent though compared to this Mind of Evil appears cheap.

...and in another one.

     The script for this serial is clever in many ways with it's multiple twists and turns as you never know really what's going to happen next. It was a shame we never got to see any more productive dialogue between the humans and the Axons as we saw in the first episode. I'm also happy that we've been slowly drawn to new ideas about time travel such as the time loop and the reintroduction of the TARDIS was a successful addition to the resolving of the problem. I also find myself admiring the slight political aspect to this serial that was eventually thrown out of the window with the plentiful amounts of gun-violence as per usual with Pertwee's stories. The fact we had some kind of satire was different to this season's previous two stories and made things much more interesting. The satire studied the human condition which sees the endless possibilities of power overthrow the potential negative outcomes of taking advantage of the opportunities. The Claws of Axos takes it's time to get going and has a brilliant satirical side to it's story which is sadly dwindled to an attack of monsters. However, we explore different aspects to our regular characters in a serial that eventually becomes exciting but fails to beat it's predecessing story in terms of enjoyment and creativity in plot terms.

Thanks, Josh.

Josh: Doctor Who Classic: The Mind of Evil

The Doctor and Jo visit Stangmoor Prison

Doctor Who - Season 8, Story Two - The Mind of Evil

Jon Pertwee's second season as the Doctor becomes serialised as we meet the Master again in one of the darker tales of the Time Lord.
     We find the Doctor and Jo visiting Stangmoor Prison where Professor Kettering, in the absence of the inventor Emil Keller, is experimenting with the Keller Machine to enact the Keller process which removes negative thoughts in order to cure criminality. However, it causes some distress to it's test subject hardened criminal; Barnham whose reverted to a child-like state. At the same time both Kettering and a surveyor of the experiment both die of their fears when near the machine alone though neither were near anything. Jo just manages to save the Doctor when it appears he is enveloped in the memory of the 'Inferno'.
     Elsewhere, the Brigadier is heading security of a World Peace Conference where Captain Chin Lee of the Chinese delegation reports of missing papers, which she secretly burns, and of the Chinese delegate's death 30 minutes late on a secure line. As the Doctor and Brigadier investigate she manages to use the Keller process on Benton who follows her, where it fails, and then the US delegate who survives, before being deconditioned and found to be working for the Master. At Stangmoor a prisoner; Harry Mailer accesses a gun and temporarily takes control of the prison before hostage Jo allows the guards to take control. Then after hearing UNIT discuss the riots at the prison the Master supplies Mailer with gas bombs and takes control of the prison as the Doctor turns up. The Master plans to use the prisoners as a private army to hijack a Thunderbolt missile being transported by UNIT, in order to wipe out the conference and cause World War Three. He takes the Doctor and puts him into the Keller machine to experience his fear of Daleks and fire. However when the Master & the prisoners are affected by the machine too the Master switches it off, leaving the Doctor with Jo in a coma state whilst he experiences his fear of the Doctor and seals off the machine. The machine itself appears to be a life-form who feeds on fear.  When the prisoners hijack the missile Captain Yates is caught in the crossfire and taken hostage as UNIT investigate. The Doctor and Jo escape the cell as the Master leaves & the machine learns to move and starts to kill prisoners and then them.
     The Doctor and Jo are then re imprisoned and the Doctor is forced to try and control the machine by the Master which he succeeds in doing before the Master organises the set up of the missile at an aircraft hangar. Assuming the missile's at the prison the Brigadier comes to the rescue 'Trojan horse' style and UNIT takes back the prison killing Mailer in the process. As the machine becomes out of control the Brigadier heads to hangar after an escaped Yates informs him of the missile's whereabouts. The Doctor, Jo and Barnham are then attacked by the Keller machine however it appears as all the evil in his mind was removed that Barnham is immune to it when close. The Doctor then calls a meeting with the Master where he'll exchange the missile for his dematerialisation circuit from 'Terror of the Autons'. There Barnham and Jo are ready to use the machine on the Master and UNIT are ready to blow up the missile destroying both the Master and the machine. In a struggle the Doctor loses the circuit to an escapee Master who threats to destroy Earth one day and gloats about his freedom of the universe.

Benton goes undercover.

     With identical cliffhangers for parts one, three and four this six-part serial saw particular ideas repeated as the story progressed as well as many gaps. Season Eight already has begun to develop a familiar format just two stories in with recurring shoot-outs between UNIT and the bad-guys as well as the Doctor cancelling the Brigadier's raids just to meet the Master's needs. With this already been done in the previous story it doesn't feel as inventive or entertaining as it did the first time round. Continuity errors and a large hole in the plot of this serial really lets it down which is shame considering the standards it achieves. With the random disappearance of the entire police force and half the prison as well as an absent sonic screwdriver I'm left thinking this has been for plot purposes to the writer's advantage yet it leaves things messy. However, my main problem is the fact that the purpose of the Keller machine is never explained or what the Mind Parasite as it's called really is. It's like we've just been thrown an object that kills people yet as a heavily featuring and presumably important part of all six episodes I'd thought it'd have some significance.
     Nevertheless the story sagged at the beginning but soon picked itself up giving Jo Grant's character something to do and we finally got an exploration into the Doctor and the Master's relationship. It appears the Master isn't all he seems and is genuinely afraid of the Doctor and the Master becoming a regular in the show needs his character examined more and more as we progress as he's an interesting character study. Again for the second time around in the season we've got some brilliant CG work for the time but the thing was it was all well over budget! The great directorial work in this serial will never been seen in again in Classic Who's time as the director was fired and never seen again for his budgetary mistake. On the other hand we warmly welcome back writer Don Houghton who wrote 'Inferno'. Though it was a cop-out to use aspects of that serial we're given a truly chilling tone with a realistic and daunting prison atmosphere. With a jarring musical score that fits with the FX of the machine the Mind of Evil is one of the darker stories of the Pertwee era, clashing with the previous romp of the Autons. Ignoring Pertwee's incessant and pointless martial arts tricks on his fellows there's some superb acting and a cracking storyline to go forth with. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Captain Yates and the Master as I continue my journey of Seventies Who.

Thanks, Josh.
P.S. It's a real shame I couldn't access this in colour. Still, black and white's lovely.

Josh: Doctor Who Classic: Terror of the Autons

After his contribution to my Inferno review, Josh a series with some of his views on Classic Who. So, without any ado, here's Josh's review of Terror of the Autons. Archie.

Farrel surrenders to UNIT as the Master

 Doctor Who - Season 8, Story One - Terror of the Autons

The serial that opened Season 8 and Jon Pertwee's second as the Doctor saw the introduction of three new characters. Mike Yates, a UNIT Captain, Jo Grant, the Doctor's new assistant and the Master his Time-Lord adversary. The latter would become the Doctor's main arch-nemesis who would become a recurring villain in the Classic era and still be one of the show's staples in the present day. For his introductory story the hypnotic psychopath tries to use the Nestene and the Autons for his own use.
     With the help from a hypnotised circus owner Rossini the Master is able to steal the sole surviving Nestene energy unit from the National Space Museum. As the Doctor forcibly is made to accept Jo Grant as his new assistant, the Master then hooks up the unit to a radio telescope after killing the technician and taking the professor in charge under his control. With news of the missing men from the telescope facility the Brigadier, the Doctor and Jo investigate where the Doctor's warned by another Time-Lord that the Master is there to try and kill him. In the meantime the Master posing as 'Colonel Masters' hypnotises Rex Farrel the young owner of a plastics factory to make Autons, his father is suspicious of the Colonel. Jo who is investigating the factory  is caught, the Master wipes her mind of him and hypnotises her to open up a bomb pretending to be the found energy unit in order to kill the Doctor at UNIT. The Doctor throws the bomb away and gets Jo out of her hypnotic state and she's unable to remember the Master's whereabouts. The Master at the same time kills a suspicious Mr McDermott with an inflatable chair and later sends home the elder Farrel with an ugly plastic doll that strangles him to death at his home.
     The Doctor goes looking for Professor Phillips at Rossini's circus, both Rossini and Phillips under the Master's control. Jo, against orders, has followed the Doctor and both are temporarily imprisoned by Rossini who captures them, when free Phillips tries to kill them with a grenade. Appealing to his better nature the Doctor manages to get Phillips to try and rid of the grenade but it kills him. The Doctor and Jo are then attacked by Rossini's circus to be saved by two Autons posing as policeman shortly followed by the Brigadier and Yates. The Doctor and Jo escape the car they're in to witness a firefight between UNIT and the Autons, UNIT win and all return back to base. There the Doctor reveals he's managed to steal the dematerialisation circuit from the Master's TARDIS but it isn't compatible with his and so realises both him and the Master are stuck on Earth. Autons then disguise themselves in carnival outfits handing out plastic daffodils to the public which start to kill people. Investigating the elder Farrel's death the Doctor figures out which company the Master has been working at to produce the Autons and takes back the ugly doll that kill elder Farrel to UNIT. In that time the Master, disguised, has installed a new telephone wire and Jo is then attacked by the doll before its killed by Yates. The Doctor believes heat causes the 'alive' plastic to become sinister but is soon proven wrong. UNIT find out the Autons have chartered a bus with young Farrel and plan an air-strike as the Doctor is nearly killed by the plastic phone wire activated by the Master. It appears radio signals activate the plastic and a plastic film that dissolves in CO2 has been killing people.

Who said telephones weren't dangerous?

     Coming to retrieve his dematerialisation circuit the Master takes the Doctor and Jo hostage when he finds out about the airstrike which is called off. Farrel coming back to normal diverts the Auton bus and the Master sets off to the radio tower to activate the Nestene invasion force. The Doctor and Brigadier follow as the Autons and UNIT battle, the Master then helps the Doctor stop the invasion realises he'd die with the human race too. In the hubbub the Master escapes later to be shot dead by Yates but it turns out it's Farrel in a mask and the Master is somewhere on Earth for the next adventure.
     'Terror of the Autons' is slow and rather mildly entertaining during it's first two parts. Episode three's beginning sequence suddenly picks up the pace of the story. The serial is more or less a parallel and more camp version of Spearhead from Space but with the Master at the helm. There are some brilliant action sequences and very interesting plastic based deaths but characterisation following such events is short-lived. The story in perspective is your generic end-of-ther-world-by-invasion plot but still an interesting concept. The best part of the serial is our introduction to Delgado's magnificent Master who's true nature develops over time but when his character is formed we understand him in a way. TOTA leaves the audience speculating what's next for the Doctor and the Master and leaves things very open-ended about their history and relationship. It's a new dynamic to the mythology of Who at the time and was the inventive thing to do to keep it going strong in it's eighth season. Beginning as a slow-burner season opener radically changes and things become more exciting with a repetitive yet insightful musical score. The special effects and stunts are surprisingly good but the constant bickering between the Doctor and the Brigadier becomes predictable and sometimes time-wasting.
     Still, Terror of the Autons gradually becomes a well-written action romp with only few Autons and an interesting insight to the Doctor's mysterious past. A particularly effective season-opener but with a lot more potential in certain areas. It's a shame more screen-time wasn't available for Pertwee and Delgado's characters to talk or that Katy Manning's performance is a little empty. Still, the Pertwee-Era remains strong.

Thanks, Josh.
P.S. As Archie mentioned; I'm back. And I'm here every week to review Season 8 and onwards through the Seventies era.

Josh: Music: Submarine

Alex Turner promotes 'Submarine'

Submarine is a beautiful film and part of its beauty comes from it's soundtrack. When it came down to music for this British made film, none other than Alex Turner was acquired for the job. The Arctic Monkeys lead vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter managed to produce six original songs for Submarine and the following is my opinions on how effective the album was in relation to the film and in general.
     The Submarine soundtrack is a combination of five unique pieces of music with the exclusion of the dreamy introductory theme. All the songs are consistent in style and all share a woozy feel which fits well with the dewy-eyed romantic sequences of Oliver and Jordana's 'lovemaking'. There is a superb focus on knotty, absurd lyrics that are tailor-made as pathetic fallacy for running events on screen.
     With underplayed, soft sounding instrumentation and the quirky magical tone to Turner's voice there isn't much going wrong for the music of this film. The best songs of the bunch have got to 'Piledriver Waltz' and 'Stuck on the Puzzle' which are colourful, swooning pieces which expose the qualities of Turner's guitar skills and the genius of his lyrics. The lyrics themselves cleverly relate to events on screen and are powerful on their own, the emphasis added with Turner's purr in voice is soothing. Also, Stuck on the Puzzle sticks out compared to the other songs with it's catchy rhythmical beat at the beginning and more modern feel. Whereas the rest of the album feels like one suite of music piled together as the four other tunes are very alike in their melody and exposition.
     Though the songs sound similar when listened in one go they do all still have their mark and are special in their own way. Submarine's soundtrack is a mix of folky, romantic-esque songs that dreamily drift to set the scenes and bring another aspect of vibrancy to this already outstanding piece of art. Alex Turner is a very clever man and deserves to be given all the praise available for such a inventive, colourful collection of brilliantly, unique songs. Job well done.

Thanks, Josh.

P.S. You can see my review of 'Submarine' from last week here.

Josh: Film: Submarine

Craig Roberts as Oliver Tate in a promotional image

'Here's to us and a wonderful night of love-making.'
     Written and directed by E4's 'IT Crowd' star Richard Ayoade, with US comedian Ben Stiller as executive producer and specially recorded music by Artic Monkeys' lead Alex Turner, child stars Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige bring us; 'Submarine'. The coming-of-age romantic comedy set in Wales during the 80's is based on the 2008 novel by Joe Dunthorne,a virtually unknown poet and writer. With such a diverse multitude of persons behind it what can we expect?
     15 year-old Swansea schoolboy Oliver Tate is unpopular, shy and alienated by everyone. He can't hold down a hobby and falls in love with Jordana Bevan. To get back at her cheating boyfriend Jordana gets Oliver to meet her where she kisses him, takes photographs and makes him write a false diary entry. She leaves the evidence of their meeting in school to make her ex jealous but it sees Oliver beaten up for refusing to call Jordana a slut. On the way home from school she kisses him again and Oliver makes Jordana his girlfriend. Meanwhile at home; Oliver's parents Lloyd and Jill's sex life and relationship is falling apart. With Lloyd depressed working as marine biologist after a failed TV career Oliver assumes his mother is having an affair with her ex and new age guru Graham who lives next door.
     Oliver and Jordana's relationship then blossoms until Jordana reveals her mother has a potentially fatal brain tumour. Oliver considers poisoning Jordana's dog in order to stem her grief when her mother dies but the dog is hit by a train. By Christmas time Oliver meets Jordana's parents where her father breaks down and Oliver becomes unsettled in his and Jordana's relationship. Without competent social skills Oliver decides cutting off contact with Jordana will help her. However when Oliver follows his mother and Graham down to the beach at New Year he sees Jordana with a new boyfriend. In response to seeing to seeing his mother get into Graham's van Oliver vandalises the guru's home and finds out his mother did give Graham a hand-job but Oliver's parents begin to reconcile. In the meantime Oliver becomes suicidal about losing Jordana until he makes his point clear and sees her on the beach they spent their time on. The film ends with a hint that the couple have resumed their relationship together as they walk into the sea.


Oliver admits that he feels suicidal.

     For the first time in reviewing anything I'm finding it difficult to find any fault with this film. With no continuity errors, silly moments, bad direction or poor acting we're delivered instead something which is simply mesmerising. Oliver Tate is a remarkably clever character study who is easy to relate to ourselves and yet so vastly different. His characterisation is realistic and pure brilliance and Craig Robert's performance deserves all the praise that he receives for what he does here. Considering this is his first major project outside the BBC and children's television he doesn't make one mistake and instead portrays endless potential and superb acting qualities. To match we have his co-star Yasmin Paige who though is slightly more experienced in the film-world still isn't as well-known and yet, just like Roberts, should have her agent's phone ringing non-stop with job offers. Together their on-screen chemistry, which is potentially the most important thing about this film, is believable and heart-wrenching. I'm struggling to come to terms with the fact that two of my childhood favourites have bonded to expose unlimited potential and this film could be there spring-board to stardom in the film and television industry.      This film is stapled with the label of a comedy about a teenage boy desperate for sex. But that's incorrect. It isn't just comedic but it's a heart-warming sometimes tear-jerking exploration into the world of an ordinary teenage boy. With a perfect examination of recurring problems with the teenage generation this rom-com as it could be called is similar to that of an in-depth documentary. I'm proud of this film for also dealing with potentially difficult subjects such as adultery, suicide and depression which are complex and yet Submarine masters them and portrays them excellently. All of this heavy subject-matter needs to be carried by it's cast and predominantly it is that of Roberts and Paige who pull it off but couldn't be done without the rest. Sally Hawkins, Noah Taylor and Paddy Considine are the unbreakable back bone to this film and are all on their best form.

'You'd be mad not to cast us!'

     Plot-wise the script for Submarine is witty and intelligent at the same time and is easily capable of capturing the imagination and attention of the audience. As a first-time viewer of the film I only paused it when necessary because frankly the story is one of those that you can go around and delay knowing what's going to happen next. Now, with excellent cinematography and memorable imagery this film is bright and colourful with picturesque scenery and touching setting. A vacant effort sees a successful homage to South Wales tipped off with nostalgic uses of the Polaroid and the type writer. Both the score and musical content for Submarine is colourful and loud and helps construct the sheer vibrancy of the film.
     All in all, Submarine is a powerfully moving picturesque romp with an intelligent script and award-winning material acting especially from it's inexperienced teenage leads. With moments that are innocent and hilarious to moments that are courageously mature in content this has got to be one of my new favourites. An excellent piece of what the British film industry are able to achieve. Though I'm still struggling to understand Ben Stiller's involvement as according to his message on the extras he didn't do anything to contribute whatsoever, he didn't even bother to fly over to Cardiff to watch filming. Nevertheless, a must-watch.

Thanks, Josh.

Josh: No Ordinary Family: Episode Eight (recap) & Nine (review)

Last week was my mother's birthday so I was unable to watch or review episode eight and this is late because I was busy last night. Anyway, here's a recap of eight and a quick review of nine.

1.8 - NO ORDINARY ACCIDENT - Recap
Jim's enemy, a group of carjackers, crash into Mr. Litchfield, JJ's math teacher, and pierces Litchfield's aorta, prompting Stephanie and JJ to operate on him. Meanwhile, Jim starts to lose his powers, and Daphne tries to impress Brett by lying about her speaking Japanese (from Wikipedia).

1.9 - NO ORDINARY ANNIVERSARY - Review
On Jim and Steph's eighteenth wedding anniversary a series of arson attacks on random buildings are being undertaken by another super. George persuades Jim with help from Steph to leave their posh dinner to take on the task on tracking down the criminal. They soon do and in the process discover Jim is fire-retardent as he does battle with the serial arsonist who is finally clobbered by Steph. But, the Watcher breaks the arsonist out of a police van but Jim and Steph stop him by crushing him to death. In punishment in his failure to release the genetically modified arsonist, the Watcher does not receive what seems to be a regular dose of 'powers'. Doctor Francis Chiles, who works at Global Tech and has been spying on Steph for Dr King, sees Dr King dispose of the Watcher's injection fluid.
Elsewhere, as the parents are out JJ in a bid to gain money for a stereo, sets up a poker game against the jocks of school. He starts to win with his super-brain but when the rules change he has to ask Daphne's help to win. But, after Katie and new boyfriend Will (secretly the Watcher) visit and Will blocks Daphne's powers, Jim's anniversary present is broken. So, the siblings venture to their school to fix it giving away their prize money to a dim-witted night guard. The gift is repaired and the parents do not find out.

Another example of just how good No Ordinary Family can get with the write dialogue and action. It seems ABC has saved wisely before splashing out on inch-perfect CGI with the arsonist/Steph warehouse chase scene. This episode was jam-packed with superb high octane action which saw Julie Benz's Steph introduced to Jim's crime-fighting ways. Also, it's good to see the heroes aren't so good and perfect as they finally kill the arsonist. Sadly, the sub-plot concerning the siblings was just another repitive storyline where they used their powers for money or greed. If only the pair were put into a proper plot which was the main one and was much more interesting than what they're constantly put in. However, the return of the heavily featured story arc cheered me up as the mysterious Watcher's story is unveiled and Dr King is slowly turning into the dominating villain.
Thanks, Josh,