August 2008
End of the Conchords / 31.08.08
It would appear that Jemaine Clement and Brett McKenzie are planning to end their HBO show after two seasons. I, for one, am disappointed. I suppose I should be used to this sort of thing, what with Fawlty Towers or The Office only having two series. Let’s hope that they have a long string of albums, at least.
Geoffrey Perkins RIP / 29.08.08
An amazing producer with an incredible track record, but a wonderful writer and performer as well - his performances in Radio Active and KYTV pretty much sum up what comedy IS to me.
Thank you, Mr. Miner / 27.08.08
Just a heads up for a new specialist music blog that is already probably the Best I’ve Seen.
It’s Mr. Miner’s Phish Thoughts, which, as you might guess, is dedicated to the music of Phish. Each post features extended (and quite intelligent) ruminations on the mp3s posted for download. Sometimes you’ll get an entire show, sometimes you’ll get several very different versions of the same song, sometimes you’ll get jam-only edits, and sometimes you’ll get side-projects.
Frost/Nixon. Warning: May Contain Brilliance / 21.08.08
It’s leaked out like…oh, just make up your own tasteless metaphor. The Frost/Nixon trailer has popped up on Cinema Blend and, frankly, it’s far more exciting than it has any right to be.
Sure, it may have its original Broadway cast of Frank Langella and Michael Sheen. Sure, it has a screenplay by original playwright Peter Morgan. But, come on, it’s directed by Ron “Da Vinci Code” Howard, a hit and miss talent who already turned facts inside out to nab an Oscar for A Beautiful Mind. We had no good reason to assume anything but a mangled mess.
But…blimey that’s a good trailer, despite the overused music choices. You get a real flavour of the tone, the era, and the present-day echoes. “I’m saying that when the President does it, that means it’s not illegal.” Wicked.
UPDATE: Bah, it’s been taken down. Try here instead.
UPDATE UPDATE: Now in proper quality and without subtitles in that there foreign! Right here.
Quite clearly the best advert ever made / 20.08.08
That moment 20 seconds in makes me... well, hard, frankly.
Back From The (House Of The) Dead / 19.08.08
It looks like the Wii conversions of House of the Dead 2 & 3 sold well enough to bring the zombie lightgun series shambling back to life in an original title. Ditching the environmentalist angle of the core titles, HotD: Overkill seems to be aiming for a 70s pulp atmosphere:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKUD2sLE5rM
Not sure how successful the implementation will be, but the phrase “Slo-Mofo Time” has me grinning…
4PooShit / 17.08.08
Since Friday gone digital TV across the board has been ‘enjoying’ the morphing of The Hits [insert your own hilarious play on name here] into 4Music. So far it definitely feels like a better channel, with a much better mix of the genres, individually themed shows to add some much needed structure and actual presenters in an attempt to give the channel an identity and some personality. However…
"The Dark Knight Returns" poster / 15.08.08
I wouldn’t normally post fanart, but this is completely excellent. Very in keeping with TDK’s marketing campaign (although you’d expect something completely different next time out, naturally), and absolutely beautifully put together - I can’t tell which bits are photographed and which are simply photoshopped.
And as it happens, I’m with those who think the Riddler is really the only viable existing villain left that can (a) convincingly carry an entire movie, and (b) fit convincingly into the world that the Nolans have created, so if a third film does ever come our way, I’d say he’s a decent bet for villain duties. But I’d strongly doubt that any future Bat-flick would be called The Dark Knight Returns unless it was a direct adaptation of Miller’s book. The Dark Knight Strikes Back or Again might work, though (the latter, of course, is also a Miller book - but a rather less celebrated and, hence, not as “untouchable”).
Picture after the jump, anyway.
Black Cab Sessions / 14.08.08
http://www.blackcabsessions.com/
I want you to imagine, just for a moment, that you’re in London. Well, some of you already are, but the rest of you will have to use your imaginations. You try to hail one of those nifty-cool black cabs that Stephen Fry drives, but the one you tried to hail just drove past - but you notice two things about it as it passes you by: a) Stephen Fry was not driving (boo!), and b) was that really The New Pornographers in the back seat, rocking out?
Isaac Hayes, dead at 65 / 10.08.08
Found dead at his home today.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080810/ap_en_mu/obit_…
Details are sparse at this point, and Hayes is one of those rare figures it’s almost unnecessary to eulogize. Suffice it to say he was an enormous force in popular music and a surprisingly gifted comic actor as well. Goodnight, sweet prince.
Moffat gets the hat-trick... / 10.08.08
… winning the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form for an absolutely staggering third year in a row. It’s hard to disagree with the award, given that “Blink” is not only the best episode of New Who, but quite probably the best thing that’s been on telly in years if not decades; but on the other hand, there’s a nagging feeling that maybe, just maybe, it should have been Paul Cornell’s turn this time out, given that - all things considered - “Human Nature” is perhaps a deeper and more substantial piece of work (and because he’s already lost out to Moff once, although once again you couldn’t really argue with the “Empty Child” win).
Anyway, congratulations to Moffat (and indeed to all the other Hugo winners), and the win once again shows that the programme really is falling into the absolute best possible hands in 2010…
Joker concepts / 09.08.08
Cor! Those samples are certainly very different to what we ended up with (and the top two are also far more horrific) but then I reckon we got something MUCH better than this in the finished product. I can’t say I can totally blame the model, who is clearly and hilariously NOT The Joker, because the hair and suit shown in those pictures just don’t look right at all, either, despite being quite faithful to the comic look. Anyway, that aside, I am TOTALLY getting this book.
My Friend Flicker / 07.08.08
“Good” news, everyone: the upcoming Mega Man 9, which is a Wii-Ware exclusive, will be rediscovering the series’ roots in more ways than is actually sane.
Yes, I really think you're that stupid... / 06.08.08
Another corker from Reuters News’ ‘Good, Bad and Ugly’ blog.
Just…hunh? Again, it shows how one high profile mistake can mean that some readers are simply aching to find another, even at the risk of making themselves look REALLY stupid in the process…
The most intelligent assessment of the Barry George acquittal I've heard so far... / 03.08.08
http://www.myspace.com/kuntandthegang (NSFW)
I’m sorry.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe / 03.08.08
I’ve been, tragically, stuck (mostly) internetless in Ireland for the weekend/week during which all manner of exciting comics and movie news and tidbits have come out of the annual San Diego Comic-Con… but upon my return, something I was eager to pounce upon immediately was the anticipated unveiling of the title and cover art for book five of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s masterpiece Scott Pilgrim…
PC Gamer Top 100 / 01.08.08
The yearly BIG LIST of their 100 most loved games has been released by PC Gamer (you can see the full list in the latest issue, or check out the first half here), but what you should really check out is their excellent special podcast detailing the reasoning behind their Top 10.
