Categories
Film TV

No country for old captains

A few quick reviews. No Country for Old Men — great stuff from the Coens. Gripping. Quite violent though; bits of it almost gave me nightmares. Is it trying to make a point at the end? Ummm… probably. Burn After Reading — more Coen brothers. Some very funny characters, and genuine surprises along the way.  ... [More]

Categories
Net TV

Nicknames

Flashback to a post I wrote about personal branding, in particular your name. I suspect it’s something that happens as you get older, but sometimes I roll my eyes at people who persist in using nicknames on the Interwebs. If it’s a nickname you’ve had In Real Life, then fair enough. But otherwise? Why use  ... [More]

Categories
News and events TV

How not to carry an overseas news feed

So I’m working from home today, and (while getting some work done) keeping an eye on the vote. I hope any Americans reading made the effort to vote. How is it that ABC1 can screw-up their CNN feed? First they were blocking half the vital latest figures (the electoral college count) with a stock banner.  ... [More]

Categories
TV

The Friday night Hitler documentary

So seriously, do we really need SBS’s weekly Friday Night Hitler Documentary? I mean, almost every single Friday night, or so it seems. Don’t get me wrong: I know it’s vitally important for the human race remember and learn from the terrible deeds of the past, but don’t people get sick of this stuff? Okay,  ... [More]

Categories
Doctor Who

Regeneration coming

10th Doctor David Tennant is moving on after the 2009 special episodes. I wonder Who’s next? Anybody want to speculate? (via Tony) Oh dear. Maybe he’ll never meet River Song after all? PS. Video of DT talking about it … and his live announcement to fans.

Categories
News and events TV

Hung parliamant

There must have been cutbacks at the ABC. Apparently they can’t afford a dictionary anymore. Or maybe host Virginia Haussegger can’t spell. (Not that I’d be having a go at her, oh no.) It flashed up a few times during the ACT election coverage on Saturday night. (For some reason it seems a version of  ... [More]

Categories
Doctor Who

Doctor Who 2008

I enjoyed this season. I know I’ve loved the show for decades, but they do seem to keep coming up with new, clever stuff. Voyage of the Damned: A little over-long and plodding in places. I suppose it was a Christmas episode. Partners in Crime: Got the shock of my life at the end when  ... [More]

Categories
Consumerism Doctor Who

That show

That cult show, the one I’ve liked for 30+ years. I think it’s really gone mainstream. Nice touch the ads being on phone booths, too. Not quite as well done as the Get Smart ones though.

Categories
Doctor Who

Stephen Fry, on the Doctor

The week before we moved, the BBC started a new drama, starring William Hartnell. An old man, whose name appeared to be Grandfather or the Doctor, had a police phone box of the kind we saw in the street all the time in those days. It turned out to be a magical and unimaginably wonderful  ... [More]

Categories
Doctor Who

Are you my mummy?

Doctor Who fans, rejoice. Acclaimed writer Steven Moffat, who wrote some of the most memorable (and Hugo-award-winning) recent stories such as Blink and The Empty Child, has been appointed the next Lead Writer and Executive Producer of the show, taking over from sometimes-loved, sometimes-loathed Russell T Davies. “My entire career has been a Secret Plan  ... [More]

Categories
books Film TV

Books and TV and movies and stuff

I used to give either thumbs up or thumbs down. I’m switching to thumbs up, thumbs down, or neither. Microserfs — This is the kind of book I should just lap up, isn’t it? A geek novel? But I didn’t. It dragged. J-Pod — More enjoyable than Microserfs. Douglas Coupland’s self-referential bits were a bit  ... [More]

Categories
Consumerism music TV

The scheme

How’s this for a scheme? 1. Buy discounted Kit Kat Chunky chocolate bars for $1.29 at Safeway. (On special only until closing time tonight; normal price $1.88) 2. Eat bar. 3. Use code inside wrapper that gets me a $1.69 song from iTunes. 4. Profit! I like chocolate, and I already have an iTunes account.  ... [More]