Review: Doctor Who: The Hungry Earth

Chris Chibnall is officially, in my eyes, a bad writer. Former writer of Life On Mars, Chibnall is a Sci-Fi geek, former representative of the Doctor Who Fanclub and scatters all of his work with delightful technobabble. It's just a shame that this comes at the expense of everything else.
      So unless you've managed to ignore all media surrounding Who, you'll know that the Silurians, monsters from Jon Pertwee's era in 1970, have been revamped. This media coverage destroys all tension in the episode, so that you know exactly what's coming.
      Here's the basic synopsis; an archealogical drilling operation (Although I don't know how that works) is working in a small welsh town, where people are dissappearing beneath the ground. The Doctor and Co show up; the drilling down meets some drilling up and the creatures make forcefields and the like to confuse the surface-dwellers. Amy is dragged beneath; The Doctor is angry, takes a creature hostage and then pops down in the TARDIS to take a look.
     There's a lot of dialogue that leans on Moffat principles ("It doesn't do wood!") but the story has all the hallmarks of Chibnall, with a large number of temporary characters hastily introduced and that we don't really care about being pushed aside by self-rightous protagonists who are always generally worried about something in particular. The Silurians have been simplified into lovey-dovey 2010 versions that instead of just being a bit miffed are instead angry bastards that intended on having a full scale massacre but never seemed to get round to it.
     The pacing is terrible; there's some faffing about, a sudden important plot change and then some slow lamentation. There was no sense of tension or purpose. Why? Because for some unfathomable reason, they included a future Amy and Rory waving from a far off cliff-face. Yes, you heard me. In one page of script, they have just destroyed all tension for the entirety of the companion's tenure.
     The episode has some great character moments and despite the simple cliffhanger (There are far many more Silurians than before, woo hoo we'd already guessed that) I have a genuine interest in seeing how this plays out and if in the second half Chibnall can regain some credibility in my eyes.

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Review: The Flight

The Flight, by Brian Malessa

My video on the subject was terrible; and so here I am, with a full written review.
     A chilling, moving book on a rarely touched-upon subject, The Flight is perhaps one of my favourite books. Malessa's debut is ambitious in principle; representing the plight of the population of East Prussia in the early 1940s as they were forced to evacuate, across Nazi Europe. It flips the tables; no longer are the Nazis the evil boogeymen of other fiction. But the true skill soon appears; it doesn't glorify the Nazis, or try to apologise for them. It exposes the humanity on both sides; the cold, steel-edged humanity that drives our protagonists forth.
     Ida is a mother living on the main peninsula in East Prussia. Her husband is a soldier in the German army; her oldest son is in the Hitler Youth. When Operation Barabarossa backfires, the Russian Armies take an early revenge on East Prussia, and Ida and her two other children are forced to flee across Germany.
     The last few chapters of the book deal with the circumstances post-war, with Ida and her husband being stuck on either side of the divide between the Soviet Germany and the Western Allies. The end of the book is truely heartbreaking, for reasons I won't go into, but I think serves to reflect the book's main themes.
     The passage of time is quite interesting. When the atmosphere is light and peaceful, as near the beginning, one can often find that several months go past per paragraph. When the stakes become higher, time seems to slow down and this really improves the effectiveness of the work.
     This book is a well-researched, well-written piece of historical fiction that does justice to the events it describes, and that is perhaps why it is my favourite.

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Opinion: Ashes to Ashes Finale (Spoilers)

That was all a bit odd, wasn't it? So unlike the Mars' finale's proposition of a comatose reality, this is in fact a policeman's limbo, with Nelson's bar as Heaven and a deep administrative department as Hell.


Gene was, as many suspected, the scarred policeman that haunted Alex throughout this series. Killed in 1953 (a date Shaz mentioned last week), he's spent the last thirty years helping police in limbo either to escape or to get through into Nelson's Heaven. It is surprising then that DCI Jim Keats (Daniel Mays), who has been a major character only this series, is positioned as the Devil, tempting Ray, Chris, Chaz and Alex towards Hell.

I thought it was done as well if not as satisfactorally as the Mars finale. The coma theory was a lot easier to swallow in the long term, even if the limbo theory has been orchestrated to explain everything.  I for one would have loved to see at least one more series with the new policeman that has come in to replace Alex, complaining about his iPod and looking for his office.

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Youtube!

Down there near the bottom of my sidebar is a Youtube video spot. I'll keep updating these from my channel, Harrypotterman290, and they'll usually be video reviews or opinions. I'm terrible on camera, so I hope you're ok with it. I will tend to follow up video reviews with written ones; I'm going to review "The Flight" tommorrow.

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Opinion: Life on Mars / Ashes to Ashes

The end for Gene Hunt grows ever nearer. Ever since Phillip Glenister crashed onto our screens in 2006 with his rascist, chauvanistic attitudes and violent temperment, he's become the strong-willed idol of the people's right for justice, which just shows that the people of our great nation are incredibly strange.

We've had 39 hours of Hunt and his fight for justice, with his glorified protaganist sidekicks. The first two series were set in 1973, and Life On Mars (2006-7) was an overnight hit. The story of Sam Tyler (a brilliant John Simm), a modern DCI sent back in time (or, as later revealed, into a deep coma) where he was a downgraded DI in a confused, Bowie-era Britain. Both these series were brilliantly executed, with gripping storylines and a mystery that was not only rivetting but neatly summed up in a satisfying and moving conclusion back in 2007.

And then, after being told that Mars was no more, they decided to vomit on the memory of that finale and commission a three year plan for Ashes to Ashes (2008-10), an 80s romp with the wonderful Keeley Hawes (ex-Lara Croft and Spooks star) as DI Alex Drake. The three series have been exceedingly varied and in some places more shabby than Mars, and in reality the story of Hunt, Tyler and Drake should have ended at the end of 09's stronger series. But, alas, no. And so here we are, on the precipice of the last hour of Gene Hunt's television tenure.

The thing is, do we care? The formula hasn't changed over the past five years, and it's unsure if a mystery actually exists, seeing as it was essentially answered in th stunning Mars finale. We've had 39 hours and the characters along the sides (the ever-present DC/DS/DI Ray Carling and DC Chris Skelton, as well as DC Annie Cartwright in Mars and DC Shaz Granger in Ashes) are only loosely characterised. I for one hope that this Ashes finale manages to match or perhaps beat the Mars fianle, but I don't hold out much hope.

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Review: Lungs

Lungs - Florence + the Machine (2009)

Ballad perfection. One couldn't want more; strong, empowering vocals, vocals that hold their passion and intent movingly. Florence Welche and her crew of backing artists give us this brilliantly mesmerising album that I loathe to find fault with.

The topics covered by Welche range from nights out to pure flights of fantasy; metaphorical observations of reality to human mutilation; bad relationships to pagan sacrifice. And yet each one seems eerily appropriate for its base, and for her style. She makes good use of harps, sometimes chirping cheerfully in the background and sometimes turning into heavy bass.

You may call me a biased reviewer, and I am, so well done. I cannot find flaws in this album, I cannot find anything to which I have a negative word. Maybe it's the floating, hypnotic verse, maybe it's the sheer level of musical talent on which we have here. For example; the album's namesake single, Between Two Lungs, was first formed when Florence, a pure singer, sat down to play the piano, an instrument she had never used before. What results is moving and powerful, while also strangely relaxing and wonderful.

I simply cannot say any more about how much I just love this album. It's creative, innovative and momentous, and I hope that Florence goes on to do more great things.

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Review : The E.N.D

The Energy Never Dies (The E.N.D.) - Black Eyed Peas (2009)

Unlike Calvin Harris, it's clear the BEP are not only richer but treat their party rythems with a tad more effort. This is an album that I feel torn about, because it is so good in some areas but appalling in others.

The Black Eyed Peas move away from their alternative dance to move to some more mainstream techno. And rightfully so, in my opinion, as the results are mostly brilliant. While not particularly meaningful or well lyricised, they seem perfect for their intended audience; people in clubs and bars.

The Energy Never Dies starts awfully with a short voiceover in a deep and highly synthesised voice that warns the end is near, but not to panic because the Energy Never Dies. I want to listen to music, not to your self-absorbed attempts at meaning. The album seems terribly chatty and plot-like; while not having a consistent theme to each song, there are constant little normal voice excerpts that are clearly moulded into the verses. Unneeded, and unnerving. Profanity is of course scattered like punctuation, serving no other purpose than a rhyming aide.

There are some good songs on this album, perfect for purpose and at least somewhat contemplative while still holding the BEP's trademark urban wit and beat. In other places it's perhaps too crude for the purpose of the song, and that sole discrepancy in tone and subject ruins the entire song.

The songs don't seem to end. Listening to the album without looking at the list, one finds it hard to initially tell that one song has ended and another begun; perhaps indicative of the eternal nature of energy, but I'm not buying it.

It's such a shame to have to actually look into the album, as taken on face value it could be regarded as some of their best work. It's clear, despite their faux laid-back attitude in the album, that real work has been put into the album, and this provides even less of an excuse when you listen to the awful songs that seem to have been left behind.

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New Review Timeline!

I've found Music! HURRAH! That and it's nearing the beginning of the Summer Block, so I'll be reviewing some television as well. Here's a rough view of the reviews I'll be writing in the next few weeks:

Wednesday 19/5/10 - The E.N.D. - Black Eyed Peas, The Young Apprentice Overview

Thursday 20/5/10 - Lungs - Florence and the Machine

Friday 21/5/10 - Ashes to Ashes Overview

Sunday 23/5/10 - Doctor Who: The Hungry Earth

Monday 24/5/10 - Hands - Little Boots

Tuesday 25/5/10 - La Roux - La Roux

Saturday 29/5/10 - Eurovision Live Coverage

Sunday 30/5/10 - Doctor Who: Cold Blood

(?July) - Alton Towers Gardens

That should do. I will write opinion pieces now and then as well, and I hope you'll like them.

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Review: Lights

Lights, Ellie Goulding (2010)

Brilliant. Just... brilliant. There was apprehension when Ms. Goulding won the BBC's new artist award at the end of 2009, but I am glad to say that this is misplaced. She quite adequately describes her genre as "Folktronica", a merging of two genres, and while one would expect this to be an eclectic mess, her skill shines through and it works perfectly.

In some places, it's vaguly reminiscent of the strong ballads of previous award winner, Florence and the Machine, and in others it matched the technoballad of La Roux. Goulding equals both of them, mixing the spicy techno with the savoury folk guitars which produces a rather lovely Goulding cupcake.

It certainly helps her cause that she has masterful control over the language. Her lyrics are meaningful and thoughtful, employing beautiful metaphors that leaves it standing on the boundary between pop music and spoken poetry. Her words are never laboured; they are allways perfectly delivered to suit the material.

To be honest I often find it easier to write about something I hate than something I love; Ms. Goulding falls firmly in that latter cateogry. I can see a good future for Ms. Goulding and her bretherin, and I hope that she releases some more material in the forseeable future.

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Review: Ready For The Weekend

Ready For The Weekend, Calvin Harris (2009)

Calvin Harris' Ready For The Weekend is a stereotypically techno album. It can be described most basically as a collection of voice cuts, dots and beeps generally arranged to try and make something meaningful. In this respect, it fails dramatically.

The singles off the album are perhaps the only bearable ones on it; either dull repetition or some basic differentials are their cheif hallmarks, and when one considers this twelve single album has only five bearable singles by Calvin himself, then that doesn't really shine a light on his career.

The only thing in the album's favour is "I'm not Alone", a quite dark but quirky number that stands as the album's most popular Calvin-only track. That and the natural habit of the body to respond positively to a heavy beat. The rest simply fade into insignificance, their lyricisms and beats either too mundane or useless to be of any value.

To steal from Charlie Brooker, this is not music, it is "content". It's music deliberately made to fill a stereotypical niche, and whether it actually wants to be there is out of the question. This form of techno fills the "Repetitive Techno Ballad" niche, and while it fails to stir any emotion whatsoever it gets "repeptitive" and "techno" just right. Not that that's a good thing.

Take another artist of similar ability and genre; La Roux, for instance. Yes, she uses repetitive rythems. Yes she uses synthesisers and CG obsessively. But she makes it work. She manages to find just the right balance between the allure of CG and the emotion-stirring nature of the ballad. She's not only younger than Harris, but has had a lot less time to get her act together.

I give Ready For The Weekend a light 36% rating. Some of the tracks work. There are tracks I love. But on the whole, it's an empty callous of CG and misjointed intention.

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