State of Play (review)
This is probably the best two-hour, 2009 version of that six-hour, 2003 British TV miniseries possible.
BBC
my week at the movies: ‘Monsters vs. Aliens,’ ‘Super Capers,’ ‘Knowing,’ ‘Duplicity,’ ‘I Love You, Man,’ ‘Goodbye Solo,’ ‘Shall We Kiss?,’ ‘Earth’
Cutest monsters ever! At least that seems to be what Monsters vs. Aliens (opens in the U.S. on March 27, and in the U.K. on April 3) is promising. I’m especially thrilled because I’m seeing it in IMAX… real IMAX, not that fake stuff they’re trying to sell us these days with the phony “upgrade” … more…
watch it: “Mamma Mia – Behind the Scenes – Red Nose Day 2009”
It’s Red Nose Day today! And I’ve got lots of videos today in support of Comic Relief. So it seems that two of the funniest of Britain’s funny ladies — Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders — will be performing their last sketch ever on the Comic Relief show on the BBC tonight (which is now … more…
watch it: “Sarah Jane Adventures – Behind the Scenes – Red Nose Day 2009”
It’s Red Nose Day today! And I’ve got lots of videos today in support of Comic Relief. Apparently there’s going to be a Sarah Jane Adventures sketch on the big Comic Relief show airing tonight on the BBC. As soon as it shows up on YouTube, I’ll post that, too: (Please give some cash — … more…
dream cast: (not so) hypothetical ‘Tripods’ movie
It’s Thursday, and that means it’s time to remake an 80s classic TV show or movie with an all-new cast. This week: Tripods, the 1984-85 BBC/Seven Network young adult science fiction series based on the novels by John Christopher [Amazon U.S.] [Amazon U.K.]. (This week’s Dream Cast idea comes courtesy of Ken. If you have … more…
watch it: “Cat Idioms – BBC Learning English (The Teacher)”
Because I’m in England this week, you get a British cat-related video today: Weird. He’s kinda cute, though, in a dorky way. Jude Law would totally play him in the movie.
watch it: “Disasters Emergency Committee Gaza Appeal”
The BBC refused to air this appeal, apparently on the grounds that it would breach the broadcaster’s adherence to impartiality: I’m not sure how there’s anything “partial” in helping children in a war zone. But I post this not to be partial myself, or even to implore you to donate to this cause, but because … more…
raise a glass to ‘Doctor Who’ for his 45th
This Sunday, November 23, marks the 45th anniversary of the debut of Doctor Who, at 5:15pm Greenwich Mean Time, on BBC1. I don’t remember that — I wasn’t born yet, and I would have been living in America anyway, if I had been. Hell, the actor playing the Doctor today wouldn’t be born for another … more…
watch it: “The Theft of 2008”
Greg Palast is an American journalist who had to go to England to do his job. Now he works for that wacko pinko commie outfit known as the BBC. This 14-minute report appeared on BBC Newsnight — it’s the equivalent of your local nightly news, but you try looking for something of this depth on … more…
Fanny Hill (review)
Oh, stop your tittering. All you know is that Fanny Hill is that naughty bawdy 18th-century novel that got its author, John Cleland, into so much trouble so long ago, and has since become a byword for the evils of censorship and the necessity of freedom of expression. But if you’re looking for something pornographic in this BBC adaptation of the novel, forget it, mister.
