Not as good as Mr Plow, but what is?

After several recent seasons of nearly laugh-free Simpsons where the lead voice artists deathlessly intone non-sequiturs, I really thought that it was time the show was put out of its misery. And then, we get the movie, and it's really quite nice. The writers seem to have remembered that the characters have to be sympathetic and relatable, so that we actually see them showing personality traits beyond being ridiculously glib about everything and hideously selfish. The film finally puts the family back in the Simpsons.

And it is really funny. The stuff with the pig is good, but the opening with Bart and Homer on the roof and Bart's nudie skateboard run sets a good pace. And the animation is really good, so that they do feel like the whole thing is being expanded for the big screen and makes good use of the longer running time and wider screen size.

Some people keep saying it's just like an extended series episode. Well yeah, what were you expecting? The good news is that it's an extended series episode from when the series was worth watching.

BBC drama needs an overhaul!

A couple of years ago Spooks & Hustle (by the same production team) were a credit to the BBC and the best British television dramas in years. Sadly both shows jumped the shark about 2 years ago. This series is very dull and unintentionally funny (`Adam's break down is a hoot!). Some of the plots seem very politically biased, with an episode about Israeli spy's pretending to be Islamic terrorists on UK soil causing a lot of upset when first broadcast in 2006.
24 blows Spooks out of the water and makes it all look rather dull. Whilst American TV shows have a much bigger budget then the BBC, the real strength of shows like 24 are the characters. This is where Spooks falls flat on it's face. This season sees the departure of the last likeable character (Ruth) and what's left just isn't worth watching. The remaining characters lack charm or depth and the shows format seems very tired.

Puhleeeaasee gimme a break

Ya know with every Simpsons Box that comes out someone inevitably dubs it the"last great season" and proclaims everything since has gone downhill. Sure the recent dependency on"celebrity" appearances is a little worriesome, but I get these old moaners are a little like the comic book guy!

Three things to remember

1) It's a cartoon
2) It's not life or death
3) It's funny

So if you wanna laugh buy it, if you want to moan about it...don't!

Depends On Your Attention Span

The simple fact is if you have a short attention span/enjoy things blowing up/people getting killed then this film is not for you.
I have watched this film about 7 times. It is really long, but I always find it interesting. It is full of detail, shows exactly how a police investigation goes on, and has some really tense moments.
This film is not supposed to be like Se7en.

Boring

I just found this film boring. Judi Dench is supposed to be a sinister evil spinster but I just found the film progressed too slowly. I simply lost patience before we even reached the half way mark.

For me, sadly disappointing...........

I expected more from this film. Having read the book, I found huge chunks of the storyline were missed out such as Nazneen's struggle to cope with the language barrier, settle into her life in East London, and the dynamics of her relationship with the other Bangladeshi women in the area. Parts of the story laboured on unnecessarily, such as the affair. That could have been shortened to make room for more comparison between Nazneen's life in London and her sister's life in Bangladesh.

On a more positive note, the cinematography was excellent and the film is worth a second watching just for that alone.

The best season yet......

I recently got hooked on Spooks after catching re-runs on tv. I have just finished season 4 and my biggest complaint is that there isn't enough episodes of Spooks per series!

Each episode in season 4 was fantastic from 1-10. Martine McCutcheon was a brilliant addition to episode 1 but the best episode as you'd expect was episode 10. Season 4 sees the usual betrayals, backstabbing, power-struggles, terrorists and conspiracies that we're used to seeing with Spooks but the finale to season 4 is by far the best finale yet! I wish they'd hurry up and get season 5 on dvd as I'm getting withdrawal symptoms already!

Hooked from the get-go

Season 2 of Spooks starts off in explosive fashion as you'd expect. The first episode sees Tom struggle to keep his work life separate from his home life and when one blurs into the other Tom's girlfriend Ellie and her daughter Maisie are caught in the middle.

Season 2 of Spooks is a round-robin of terrorists, hacking, robberies, suspicion and lies......basically it has it all. Each episode is gripping in its own right but episode 10 (the finale) is of course the one that leaves you begging to know what happened next. Infuriating isn't it? I won't spoil the surprise but will suggest that if you enjoyed the painfully short first season of Spooks then you should order season 2 and get your Spooks fix pronto.

Spooks Series 3

I thought these episodes were better than most of series 1 and 2, generally more interesting. Exception: The rock star child kidnap episode was truly dreadful.
Rupert Penry-Jones as Adam Carter is ; in my opinion, better than Mat MacFadayen ever was.

Well worth watching

Having caught only a few episodes on TV the first time round, I was pleased to have the opportunity to catch up with what I'd missed. The stories are cleverly put together, with plenty of surprises, and enough personal background on the main characters to make you feel that you cae what happens to them next.

The introductory menu is clever, but gets a little wearing after watching a few episodes, and I was very disappointed that there are no subtitles on these DVD's at all. At times the action and dialogue are very fast and it is frustrating to miss bits of dialogue due to lack of subtitling - I am fairly sure the BBC had subtitles when it was originally broadcast!

The PIMPS & CHUDS

LEt me start by saying that the new Simpsons arent as funny as the old ones, and this series and the previous two have really high lighted this to me.

Anyway, I have only watched half of this DVD so far but from what i have seen this is hilarious.

The best episode has to the episode in New York, and thankfully this episode has not been cut. Season 9 introduces some new characters to the programme such as Gil & Manjula, and expands on some previous character like Ralph Wiggum.

Overall if your a fan of the simspsons this is the set for you, it also includes a sneak peek at the upcoming movie. Enjoy.

The Naked Truth? This Trilogy is Brilliant!

Leslie Nielsen is a god in the world of spoof movies and in these he is on top form. The Naked Guns are brilliant examples of visual gags along with laughout loud dialogue which you don't expect such as"Bingo! (picks up a bingo card from inside a draw), and a gun battle between Drebin and a terrorist, separated by a metre... This is top comedy which is well worth a look. 1 and 2 1/2 are class but 33 1/3 is poor when compared with the first two, on it's own it would be very good. Shame about some of the people who have starred in the movies though...

A fable of two men

A fable of two men and a hollow existence. Cold, barren landscapes being eeked-out by western ways. A hunted man and a haunted man oblivious to 'civilisation.' And the devil never looked so good as Anjelica Huston. Wonderful film. The good book suitably trodden in the sand.

Great, save the last 20 minutes!

Being a politics junkie and great fan of the West Wing, and having heard positive references to this series on Front Row many times, I thought it was time to see what the fuss was about. And largely I was not disappointed. It is taught, superbly written, well directed, and believable, until the last 20 minutes, when the wrap up/finale is completely implausible, and so ultimately a let down. It left me wondering if Paul Abbott actually wrote this ending at the outset, or if he was strong armed by the producer to alter it before it was commissioned, that said, the rest of it is well worth a watch - just manage your expectations for the ending!

KABLAMMO! Ooo excuse me...

This is my favourite season of Simpsons, so many classic episodes, particular favourites being"You only move twice" (with the Globex Corporation, Hank Scorpio is an excellent character),"El Viaje Misterioso De Nuestro Jomer" (Homer eating the guatamalen insanity peppers) and"Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment" (Homer the Beer Baron).

The commentary is entertaining, the episodes are fabulous, I'd highly recommend this box set! Even the menus are entertaining :)

A fascinating tale of survival in the face of impossible hardship

Barcode: 6867449009599

This film paints an intruiging picture. I'd call it a documentary as largely, it focuses around Joe and Simon's narration - yet at the same time we have the reconstructions to serve as a stunning visual backdrop and reall hammer the message of their story home. This film is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, from the initial sense of triumph and youthful ambition as they set out on the expedition up Peruvian mountain Siula Grande and reach the summit to the sense of upmost horror as things start to go wrong.

What makes it all the more poignant to the viewer is that Joe and Simon come across as such the everymen - they are normal men with ambitions just the same as any of us and their charisma at conveying their story and the skill at which the reconstructions are shot really puts us in their place. And of course, as the tale progresses we realise just how courageous they are, having never expected really expected things to go quite so horrendously wrong, the terror is palpable and i can only marvel at how they kept going through it all - the cold, the altitude, the sheer enormity of it all is terrifying.

That is in essence the heart of Touching The Void, the tale of two ordinary men from Britain who prevailed against all odds to emerge as mountaineering legends. A brilliant film that holds appeal for anyone, this version also comes with an insightful behind the scenes documentary which shows as the two travelled back to the site for the first time in 20 years, that there is still a great deal of mixed emotions associated with the event.

A all-round ace film - check it out!

Thought-provoking and Important Drama

This 1970's Television drama was incredibly popular when it first emerged. It tells the story of an African slave, Kunta Kinte, who is kidnapped in his homeland and ferried across the Atlantic Ocean in a filthy slave ship, along with hundreds of other slaves.

Not only does it tell the story of Kunta, but it moves on from there and tells the story of Kunta's children, Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren, all of which is based on the facts in the book version of Roots, written by Alex Haley. Haley traced his family tree back and wrote his family history; a history which is steeped in great historical, social and political importance, and this DVD version also engages viewers on a personal level.

From the incredibly brave and caring Kunta, to his inspirational and strong daughter, Kizzy, to her good-natured and spirited son 'Chicken' George, all of the acting here is moving. There are many sad moments which will bring a tear to the eye, not least of all the scenes of horrific predjudice and oppression. When watching the scenes in which several characters are whipped, or families are cruelly torn apart without any thought whatsoever, or so-called 'good' white folks betray their black friends without a second thought, I couldn't help but find it remarkable that black people in the twenty-first century even manage to pass the time of day with white people. I don't think I could be so forgiving.

This is an important examination of some of the most disgraceful and unashamed human rights abuses in history. The events of 'Roots' must NEVER be forgotten.

brilliant and harrowing

In 1985 two young mountaineers - Joe Simpson and Simon Yates decided to climb the so far unclimbed West Face of Siula Grande, a remote peak of 21,000 ft. in the Peruvian Andes. So remote is this mountain that it could only be approached on horseback and then by walking the rest of the way that is unpassable to horses or donkeys...
Using"the Alpine technique" of literally just packing everything into a rucksack and doing the climb in one hit, instead, of the more conventional method of doing the climb in stages and using various camps along the way, they make it to the top of the previously unclimbed Siula Grande.
On the way down, tragedy strikes when Simon falls and horribly smashes his lower leg through his knee cap. Joe then tries to lower the injured Simon down from the mountain. However, when Simon is left hanging over a ravine and dragging Joe inexorably towards a 300ft drop, Joe makes the decision to cut the rope and Simon falls 150ft into a ravine. Joe believing Simon to be dead then makes his way back down the mountain.

Miraculously, Simon survived the fall and despite his shattered leg, slowly and painfully crawled back down the mountain becoming ever weaker and going into delirium. Against all the odds he made it down to be found by Joe at the bottom and rescued.
Both returned to the UK and Joe faced considerable hostility from many within the UK climbing community including leading climbers for cutting the rope on his climbing partner.
Simon however backed Joe's decision and both climbers maintain to this day that they would have both died, if that rope had not been cut....

This is a superb reconstruction of that fateful climb and is shot on location at Siula Grande which is one of the most beautiful, desolate, and terrifying places on Earth.
The climb is incredible in its reconstruction and the Andean scenery is simply stunning. Throughout the re-enactment, the real Joe and Simon tell their stories via interviews.
Watching this film is excruciating at times because of its harrowing subject. Simon's descent into delirium is underlined by the sound in his head of the Boney M song"Brown Girl In The Ring" which replays over and over for hours, all the time making him more determined not to die to the music of Boney M!

This is an HD DVD film but because much of the mountain footage was presumably shot on small climbing helmet mounted cameras, the resolution on these scenes is very grainy and in sharp contrast to the pristine real time interviews with Joe and Simon. To overcome this, I lowered the resolution on my HD DVD player to 720p and this worked very well, almost completely obliterating the graininess from the mountain shots that was too prominent in both 1080p and 1080i.
Sound is DTS-HD and is absolutely superb. All channels are beautifully balanced and clear on a home cinema set up, particularly if your receiver can decode DTS-HD.
Extras include:
- Return to Siula Grande
- What happened next
- Trailer
There is also an HDi trailer at the start of the disc that gives the old speakers a pretty robust workout.

Summing up, this film is a must have and I recommend it unreservedly.

Zulu - with werewolves!

Dog Soldiers starts off as Southern Comfort with werewolves before turning into something much better - Zulu with werewolves, as a group of British squaddies are trapped in a Scottish farmhouse by a family of hungry hairies. It doesn't play nearly as well on the small screen as the big, but it's still a lot of fun and head and shoulders over most recent British horror. Kevin McKidd gives a surprisingly excellent performance in the lead, which helps raise the bar considerably, although considering the strong results director Neil Marshall got with his female leads in The Descent it's surprising just how poor leading lady Emma Cleasby is here.

Great fun and with a strong selection of extras too.

The 'Golden Era' has begun

Season Five is a brilliant season of the Simpsons, although it is not my favourite season, that honour goes to Season Seven. The very first episode of the season is my favourite: 'Homer's Babershop Quartet', and is my top five Simspsons episodes, as is many flashback episodes. Another favourite of mine in this season is 'Burns' Heir', the thought of Bart becoming Mr. Burns' 'son' makes me laugh everytime and the episode has the best couch gag of the season. Overall, Season Five is a must have.