Day 321: Mad Not Max

Not Air Maxes but Roshe Runs…

I knew it was going to be one of those days. I’ve spent far too long on the image – and Photoshopped it to hell – because the photoshoot and the image just refused to merge. I hate the results but I really do need to get in with some work. And I think my failure rate so far this year has been petty low. And I’m knackered after working all weekend. So this is what you’re getting.

(Ironically, though, it’s the second time this years that Nike Roshe Runs – which are great trainers – have resulted in really poor Sole Of Sci-Fi images. I think they must be jinxed.)

Not a lot else to wibble about today. Too much work and not enough play is certainly making this blog a bit dull. I can finally have a day off on Wednesday, though, and I’m going to make the most of it.

But I will say catch Gotham tonight on UK telly if you can – it’s a cracking episode, and should be a blueprint of how the show should be made (with as little James Gordon as possible). Tomorrow’s The Flash is a belter too. I know it’s work, but I’m really enjoying seeing this stuff early for SFX.

See you tomorrow!

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Day 320: The Walker Brothers

Meet Imperial Walker, White Walker and Nike, erm, bleachers, but I do walk in them…

So, Atlantis last night looked the business. Very high production values, with great location work and some impressive fight scenes (it looks like next week we get also a cameo from the flaming flying rocks from Merlin’s battle scenes). Jack Donnelly seems to have had some acting lessons between seasons. Hercules and Pythagoras were as fun as ever. There was even a hint of Atlantis underwater, though sadly the whole gist of the series now seems to be Jason preventing that from happening. If this series ends with Atlantis never sinking, the show be sued under the Trade Descriptions Act.

Sadly, the women were as humourless and two-dimensional as ever. And no mention of the fact that Jason’s from our time. Is that ever going to be a plot point again? After all, he could have mused, “I think I remember this plot from Merlin…” I certainly did.

I do enjoy Atlantis as a piece of Saturday night fluff, I just wish it would try a little harder not to be so shamelessly by-the-numbers. What the show rarely does is surprise you.

Contrast that with Doctor Who for the past two weeks, which kinda induced  state surprise-fatigue in viewers. Maybe this is supposed to be Karmic balance.

Anyway, half-way through my second review book. Fed up with reading the phrases, “a spray of blood” and “the top of his head came off” (the author is not talking about robots). But really looking forward to watching Patema Inverted later. I feel another upside-down image in the offing tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

See you tomorrow!

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Day 319: Atlantis – Swords, Sandals and… Sneakers?

Atlantis returns… And they’ve finally remembered Jason is form the future (I wish)

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m actually pleased to see Atlantis back on the BBC tonight. Sure, there are Doctor Who fans who will explode in apoplexy at that (Gallifrey Base will go into meltdown if it gets better viewing figures) but I like the fact that the Beeb has a variety of these adventure drama airing across the year. I’m quite fond of Musketeers too.

All these shows have their problems, but they’re generally good-natured fun. You only have to red my Atlantis reviews from last series on the SFX website to see that I’m not blind to the show’s shortcomings. But I’d prefer to watch a flawed Atlantis on a Saturday night than some reality show or – even worse – a light entertainment variety show fronted by Michael Mcintyre.

(Admittedly, I’d love to see a comedy show of the quality of The Two Ronnies or The Morecambe And Wise Show, but with today’s paucity of decent comedy writers and performers in the UK at the moment – and what the main channels think count as quality sitcoms at the moment , that’s unlikely to happen – I’ll continue to get my sitcom fix from BBC Three, BBC Four and any cable channel showing US imports, with the exception of The Irritating Bang Theory.)

Anyway, for all its faults, Atlantis has an entertaining trio in its three leads, some amazing CG and a good few battles. On the other hand, based on my reviews from last year, here are five things that would help improve the show this series:

1) Please, writers, remember that Jason is from the future (or an alternate universe). After about three episodes last year this was completely ignored, and it made nonsense of some of the plots. This doesn’t have to take the form of Jason having foreknowledge of Atlantis’s fate (though that’s be okay) but it would be good to see him using 21st century knowledge to help him out of certain tricky situation. Even using a couple of modern colloquialisms  or references would help.

2) Atlantis itself needs to be more of a character in the show, rather than a just dusty backdrop. It was a fairly humdrum city in series one.

3) More monsters! Fewer bulls!

4) Can the women please be in on the action and humour a bit (a lot) more? Last series they were largely just plotting rather humourlessly behind the scenes.

5) A lot more water. This is supposed to be Atlantis!

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, I’m not cheating on the challenge – today’s Cons aren’t another pair of bog standard black high-tops. They’re a weird pair with a double row of eye-holes. Not sure what that’s all about but they’re a pain to lace up.

See you tomorrow.

See you tomorrow!

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Day 318: Halloween, A Bit Late

I’m being stalked!

Many apologies for being so late posting today. If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know how bus my life is at the moment. Yesterday, I got home from working on Procycling, watched and reviewed the episode of Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD that goes live on the (new) SFX website tonight, did some transcribing for a feature I’m doing for Classic Pop then collapsed into bed…

…Then overslept.

Yeah, I know waking up at 5.30am doesn’t sound like oversleeping to any normal person, but I have to leave the house at 7am to get the Procycling (by bike!) so after breakfast and a bath I had little time for Sole Of Sci-Fi. Though I did get the photo done and the image ready.

Or there’s another way you could interpret that first sentence: “Many apologies for being so late posting today.” About two weeks late to be precise. That’s a pic from Halloween! (Or one of its sequels, anyway.)

No rest for the wicked. I’ve got two books and an anime to review this weekend, and I haven’t started any of them yet.

But I’m not complaining. I’ve really enjoyed my week (and two days) on Procycling, and luckily they’ve booked me for another week in December. It’s really refreshing to do something I’m good at – playing with words – on a magazine that isn’t about sci-fi. It makes the work I’m doing for SFX in the evening feel more like a paid hobby.

Atlantis tomorrow! I’m not ashamed to say that I’m actually looking forward to it. If it improves as much as Merlin did, it should be good. And Mark Addy’s always fun.

See you tomorrow!

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Day 317: Stan Trek Into Darkness

Who parked that spaceship?

I seem to be doing a lot of Trek pics at the moment. Will it overtake Doctor Who as my most lampooned franchise in Sole Of Sci-Fi? I’ll have to tally things up in 48 days.

Ahhhhh, it feels nice to be able to say, “In 48 days”. The end really is in sight.

As for Star Trek Into Darkness, I actually had no problem with it being the extended disco remix of Wrath Of Khan. I thought it was a very entertaining action, sci-fi films. Then again, I’m not massive Trek fan. I like Trek, but I don’t have a massive love of it, so I really don’t have a problem with retconning, or the new writers tackling sacred cows . I thought seeing all the parallels between Wrath and Darkness – how they dovetailed and how they deviated – was all part of the fun.

But I can understand why fans would find the film less satisfying. The Khan in Darkness doesn’t have the resonance of the Khan in Wrath, because the dynamic between Kahn and Kirk in Darkness doesn’t have the same exquisite level of personal grudge. Sure. That I’ll accept. But anybody who – as some fans were – claim that Into Darkness is the worst Trek film ever really ought to have their write to go online taken away. And their replica phasers. And they ought to be locked in a room with a VHS copy of Star Trek V and a VHS player until they beg for mercy.

And then the copy of Star Trek V can be swapped for Star Trek Nemesis.

And finally, thanks to contacts in the Sole Of Sci-Fi network, I get to wear a pair of Stan Smith lace-ups. Seems only right since I was singing their praises on a fashion site earlier this year. Have I mentioned that?

See you tomorrow!

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Day 316: 28 Days Later… I’ll Still Be Doing Sole Of Sci-Fi

But at least then it’ll only be 21 days to go!

Okay, I’m getting in the “my socks are biohazards” gag before some wag on Twitter does (Nurse Darry, I’m looking at you).

I would never describe myself as a Danny Boyle fan, but I was surprised recently when after somebody asked in the pub once, “Are there any directors who you’ve seen all their films?” that Danny Boyle is probably the only one in my case (I will add, there was an addendum – the director needed to have directed more than five films, otherwise I could count Joss Whedon and various one-time-only horror directors whose films I’ve had to review).

I mean, I am a massive Hitchcock fan, but there are a few early black and white efforts of his I haven’t seen. With Spielberg I’m missing Amistad, Empire Of The Sun and, would you believe, Saving Private Ryan (I know, I know, how can I have seen War Horse and not Saving Private Ryan? It’s a travesty). I haven’t seen a Tarantino film for years and even if I get to see Interstellar in the next couple of weeks, I have yet to see Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia or Following. I have seen every Ray Harryhausen film, but he’s not a director.

But I have seen every Danny Boyle film (though not all his TV movies), and most of them have been marvellous. Hell, I even genuinely like Sunshine, though I had to listen to the commentary to fully appreciate it (and to realise that the random killer plot wasn’t as random as it seems, though it stills feels a little like HAL in a different guise). The Beach is may be his worst-received film, but even that is far more interesting failure than a lot directors’ best efforts. His attempt to go a bit Nolan with Trance doesn’t quite come off, but it’s still a fine film, and A Life Less Ordinary Is… frankly, I haven’t got a clue what or, indeed, why it is. But as a wonderful, bat’s-arse folly, it kinda fun.

And 28 Days Later gave us speedy zombies. I have no problem with that.

I still haven’t forgotten him for letting the Doctor Who moment get dropped from the Olympics opening ceremony though…

See you tomorrow!

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Day 315: Where No Cons Have Gone Before

Star Trek V: the scene you didn’t see

Oh look, I’ve discovered my anti-gravity Converse so I can join Spock and Kirk for a bit of mountain… erm… well, not exactly climbing. Looking at Kirk’s face, he’s either pissed I’m cheating, or wishing I’d washed my socks.

Not much to report today, as life is pretty much “cycling to ProCycling, working on ProCycling, cycling home, eat, review a TV episode for SFX, try to fit in when to do Sole Of Sci-Fi” at the moment.

I did notice the it’s all kicked off over on Doctor Who forum Gallifrey Base, though, with the revelation that the “Death In Heaven” received a less-than-average AI (Appreciation Index) figure.

It’s amusing seeing all the reasons/excuses they’re giving, but the most bizarre was that the season finale was too depressing and downbeat. Really? What, more than “Dark Water” which was much darker and received a considerably higher AI result? I’d argue that going on that evidence along, “Death In Heaven” needed to be darker… by which I mean no “love conquers all” ending, silly Cyber Brigadiers, and no Mary Poppins moments. But that’s just me*. There’s probably somebody else out there who thought they were the three best bits.

(*The thing is, I did really enjoy the episode, but when I think back on it, these are the three things that I think of first, unfortunately.)

It all makes for very amusing reading, though.

See you tomorrow!

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Day 314: Sinbad And The Eye Of The Onitsuka Tiger

I really love your tiger feet…

Okay, the sabretooth tiger doesn’t quite match the background on today’s pic, but this is a Ray Harryhausen stop motion sabretooth we’re dealing with, so “not matching the background” is actually quite realistic. And I say that fondly as Harryhausen fanatic.

Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger is one of only two Harryhausen films I saw at the cinema, the other being Clash Of The Titans, and even at whatever tender age I was, Eye Of The Tiger was a bit of a disappointment. The tiger was barely in it, and my favourite monster in the film – the Minoton (a kind of gold Minotaur) – never got to have a good fight scene: he acted as an unpaid gondolier for most of the movie then fell off a ledge. Swizz.

On the other hand, the film did provide me with a catchphrase I still occasionally use today (not that anybody has a clue what I’m on about):  “Ish not eeeeee-nuufffffff!” (Hint: this can be used on occasions other than reacting to the fact that you’ve suddenly developed a seagull’s foot.)

Back on Procycling magazine today. Let’s hope I don’t get another puncture.

And many thanks to Jonathan Applet for yesterday’s donation!

See you tomorrow!

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Day 313: Cyberman With A Sole

Cyber-zombie spotted in Bitton…

After watching the Doctor Who series finale, “Death In Heaven”, last night (or more accurately yesterday morning, but you know I hate to boast*) today’s Sole Of Sci-Fi image was a shoe-in (and, yeah, grammar Nazis, I know it’s a shoo-in, but this is Sole Of Sci-Fi).

So I was down at the local church in Bitton this morning at 7am, hoping for some mist and no people. Instead I got no mist and quite a few people. What were they doing in a graveyard as 7am on a Sunday morning? Presumably they weren’t all recreating scenes from Doctor Who.

(* You’ll know from yesterday’s blog that getting to see Doctor Who ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, and the grotty quality of the BBC’s online preview service meant that I missed the change of eyes in the title sequence totally until I saw the episode in HD when it was broadcast last night.)

If you want to know what I thought of the episode, my review is here. I thought it was great fun, but I always have issues with “love conquers all” endings. It’s not that I dislike huge emotional scenes in the show; quite the opposite. I adore exquisitely sad moments like Rose and Doctor’s final scenes in “Doomsday”; the Remembrance Day ending to “Family Of Blood”; Amy Pond’s sacrifice at the end of “Angels In Manhattan”. What I hate is “love” being treated like it’s some quantifiable energy. That’s why I loathed the end of “Closing Time” too. Conversely, I have no problems with the twist in “Hide”, because in that case love was a motivating factor for the alien that made sense of its actions; love wasn’t the means by which it was trapped or escaped.

I also seem to be the only person in the UK not overly excited by Missy. I think having a female Master is great, but Michelle Gomez is just too camp for me. I know other people say that about John Simm’s Master, but he was more like the Joker from Tim Burton’ Batman, while to me Gomez’s Mistress feels like she’s walked out of Emu’s Pink Windmill. But most people seem to love her, so I’m happy she making a good impact in general. And I do hope she comes back (I’m sure she will) because I think there is a lot more potential in the character if she’s toned down slightly.

Loads more freelance today. One day, I’ll have some time to myself again!

See you tomorrow!

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Day 312: Sole In Heaven

Why watching Doctor Who early isn’t the perk you’d think it is

This is me watching tonight’s Doctor Who, but I’ve blurred it for obvious reasons.

Another really late blog today – sorry. Various reasons. One was that I had to go a collect my bike from Bristol. Remember I said I had a puncture on Thursday? Well, my attempts at fixing the puncture were futile, so I had to leave my bike in Bristol, go home on the train in the evening with the wheel, then buy an inner tube yesterday, which I put in position and pumped up last night. Then this morning I got the bus back to Bristol with the wheel, then put the wheel back on, before cycling home in the kind of rain that makes you feel like you’re cycling along the bottom of the ocean. I really need to get some puncture repair training.

And once home I couldn’t get on with the blog as I was doing an emergency review that I was only offered yesterday – the Doctor Who series finale. Which, of course, is on tonight which meant, of course, I had to get the review done really quickly.

Now, it may sound like one of the perks of the job, getting to see Doctor Who early, but really, under circumstances like this, it isn’t. Anything but.

For a start, I like watching the show in HD. The BBC preview site isn’t in HD. It’s not even the quality of SD on iPlayer. It’s blocky, slow and muddy; occasionally it’s tricky to see what’s going on, and judging the quality of the FX and lighting is impossible. Worst still – especially when you’re trying to make notes and you need to pause and rewind all the time – the controls are rubbish.

Secondly, the BBC always put warnings about not revealing plot details next to the viewing window… listing all the major plot points in MASSIVE TYPE. You can switch to full screen, but usually by then, the damage is done.

Thirdly, it just doesn’t feel right watching it in isolation. I like the feeling of learning all the revelations – and going “ooh!” and “ahh!” at the same time as other devoted fans. I know I can’t actually hear them, but I know they’re doing it.

And finally, I’m not just watching it; I’m reviewing it. Maybe some reviewers can just watch something in the same frame of mind, but for me it’s a different discipline, and one that takes some of the fun out of watching a film or TV episode.

Anyway, enough moaning. I still enjoyed it, a lot, with one major reservation. And one thing: keep an eye on the opening credits – something unusual occurs.

And I will be watching again tonight. There’s lots of spectacle I want to see in its full glory.

See you tomorrow!

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