Miscellaneous Miscellany

[angelophile]

I'm remembering why I rarely drink any more. I'm still feeling rough two days later. Have no sympathy.

Apart from working today, I've not been entirely preoccupied this weekend. Spent yesterday with family, keeping my neice amused in the garden while my sister and brother-in-law got on with jobs. My sister worked in the evening, so I ended up watching 30 Days of Night with my brother-in-law.



It actually worked a little better as an adaptation on some levels than I thought, while failing on others. I don't know if everyone's familiar with the graphic novel, but it basically deals with the invasion of a town called Barrow in Alaska by a horde of vampires who realize that far north, during the thirty days of night of the movie's title, it's an all you can eat buffet. Obviously the source material has been padded quite extensively and the addition of other characters to act as vampire fodder was not a bad thing, although few few did anything to stand out.

When the movie worked - amping up the tension as the sherrif and his wife attempt to lead the surviving townsfolk to safety, it works well. It's a terrific premise (ripped off a story by Grant Morrison, truth be told), but its weaknesses are also many. Apparently the thirty days pass through the course of the movie, but it seems like one or two at most. The introduction of an estrangement between the two leads and a kid brother for the sherrif actually weaks that central realationship rather than deepening it - the loving relationship between the couple in the comic was a highlight. The trouble is with the action sequences it's all or nothing. The pacing seems off so there's a terrific scene with a JCB, then vast swathes of very little happening and Hartnell's charisma, which should keep the movie going at these junctures, is practically nill.

There's a nice sense of design, though, nicely dark, filled with blacks, greys and splashes of blood which is never going to recreate Ben Templesmith's wonderfully rantic art style, but works better than expected. But while the vampires are visually arresting, they lose a lot by stripping out the internal politics of the clan, dressing them all as Marylin Manson clones and having them talk in a silly pretendy language which deprives the audience of a lot of the reasons for why they're doing the things they are. The vicious taunting was a highlight of the book - on screen they're just monsters and not original ones at that.

And the less said about the sun lamp the better.

But, not a complete failure as a horror movie. Just a disappointingly average one coming from such a great premise.



Then there's last night's Doctor Who. It's no secret that this episode saw both the return of classic Who villains the Sontarans and classic allies, U.N.I.T.

Christopher Ryan plays the Sontaran leader and does so wonderfully. They seem to be playing the Sontarans a little more tongue-in-cheek, without ever being campy and it made his appearances with wonderful prosthetics and stomping military precision thoroughly entertaining. All the necessary boxes got ticked for the Sontaran return: the love of war, the references to their height, the probic vent and even one “he looks like a talking potato” quote.

Possibly less successful is the return of U.N.I.T., who seem to be hiring a lesser class of soldiers these days. I was hoping for a Lethbridge-Stewart and instead got the idiot twins and a sycophant. At least Jenkins showed a little bottom, but he's no Yates or Benton. No wonder the Doctor seemed less than impressed to see them. Couldn't they have brought Brigadier Winifred Bambera out of mothballs? She definitely had the required bottom.

Also back, Dr. Martha Jones, although since she only went as far as Torchwood it's less of an event. Particularly as she's becoming a bit of a one trick pony as she turns up, acts cocky and gets strapped to a table once again. She'll be developing a complex at this rate. Although this time I sensed the birth of a hundred adult-themed fanfics as events unfolded.

I also had a problem with the plot, which is starting to feel a bit samey. How many times are they going to use the old "bad guys infiltrate/find a way to control humans by using their over-reliance on tech" story? It's getting a little repetitive, particularly in this case, when the cliffhanger of the episode relies on practically everyone on the planet being too idiotic to pick up a blunt instrument.

However, issues with suspensions of disbelief aside, it wasnt as bad an episode as my criticisms might suggest and Donna continues to be enjoyable, there's some good gags, the villains are suitably entertaining and the plot bounces along quite happily. Another solid episode, if not a great one.



I have, however, been reminded just how brilliant the BBC can be when they put their minds to it by watching House of Cards on DVD. Probably one of the finest pieces of British TV ever made, I'd forgotten JUSt how wonderful it was. As a novel, not that great, but Andrew Davis' adaptation of the Michael Dobbs book makes for one of the finest political thrillers ever. I know in the past plenty have pulled out the Shakespearean references to describe the machinations of Francis Urquhart, the devilish pretender to the political throne in the fictional power vacuum after Thatcher's downfall, but it's hard to avoid them. Urquhart's a modern Macbeth, scheming more devilishly than Iago and even Machiavelli would a run for his money to keep up with his methods: any and every act, up to and including including murder.

The show's so brilliant because of two things - firstly the mesmerizing performance by Ian Richardson. He pulls on all his years of stage work, but its the wonderful, sly looks to the camera, the ease at which he slides through the political storyline, the gleeful ruthlessness, cold blooded genius. Urquhart's a character in a league of his own - as one other review put it: "He's playing chess while every other person he is surrounded by is playing checkers." And it's Richardson who adds the glee, the layers and layers of wickedness. Watching him in this role is to watch a master at work.

The second thing is the script, which boils down the novels into something sweet and wicked. The political thriller becomes something much more thanks to the sharpness of the lines but most of all, the wonderful device which sees Richardson address the camera directly, providing narration with little asides and by doing so, makes the audience a co-conspiritor in this numerous plots. You're drawn into his wickedness and you'd have to be an angel not to delight with his devilish charm and wit. Even when he's not speaking, the odd raised eyebrow, slight glance or tiniest of gestures to the camera let the audience know they're not forgotten and they're in on this plot too and are encouraged to take the same delight from his wry contempt and inward glee at his sly destruction of his enemies.

Never bettered.

Comments

[uncanny-rman.livejournal.com]

I loves me some Sontarans. Staal kneecapping the random UNIT grunts was instant badass.

The Brig was sorely missed. Nombody could possibly compete with the sheer badassery of Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart. He punched out the Master, for crying out loud!

Hell, the new UNIT couldn't even compete with Benton.

[savage-hulk.livejournal.com]

Hulk kinda liked the sun lamp.

[savage-hulk.livejournal.com]

Which episode of Doctor Who was that?

[angelophile.livejournal.com]

The one that showed this Staurday in the UK.

[savage-hulk.livejournal.com]

Hulk want name of episode!

[angelophile.livejournal.com]

The Sontaran Stratagem