Marty Supreme review

 Does Timothee Chalamet’s latest movie Ping or Pong?

+The film’s remarkable promotional campaign.

 You could say that Timothee Chalamet has been preparing himself for the role of Marty Mauser for some time. I’m not talking about the seven years he’s spent during filming downtime practicing table tennis, more the sort of characters he’s been playing. Mauser, a cocky, self-confident and precocious New Yorker is not really that far removed from the actor’s previous well-known roles. He could be a grown up Elio Perlman, a more earthbound Paul Atriedes. He’s swapped Bob Dylan’s raspy voice and guitar for a paddle and busy feet but the endless self belief is there. And Willy Wonka’s chocolate flavoured obsession is a similar but more family friendly take on someone driven by his belief in his own talent. That’s not to say this role is easy, more the culmination of the actor’s ability to inhabit a character and make you impressed. Marty Supreme is a great film though like it’s protagonist easier to admire than to like.

 

Avatar: Fire and Ash review

Epic series' third instalment goes deeper and darker... 

A lot of online reviews of this third instalment of the Avatar series have been super critical suggesting that it looks the same as the first two which to me is like going to a park and saying “These trees and flowers are the same as last year”. People easily forget how these films have created a sense of wonder, created a world that must surely be one of the most immersive, different places the cinema is ever going to take you. I think Fire and Ash is the best of the Avatar films so far; richer, more exciting and for those who inexplicably find enormous sea creatures and floating mountains boring, there are some new locales and people as well. Though it does have some similarities this is patently not the same storyline as the second film as some have said it is, rather that film was the launchpad for something even bigger. For me this a film whose three and a quarter hours running time never feels overlong and it’s been ages since I saw something this breathtaking and visually inventive in the cinema.

 

Warning- Major Spoilers (and superlatives) after the break!

 

The War Between the Land and the Sea review

 

Doctor Who spin offs are often underrated by fans of the show yet given more generous leeway by those with less concern about canon, lore or continuity. This is the latest in a lineage that includes Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures and Class, each of which had their strong points and strayed to places that the main series either can’t or won’t go. The War Between The Land and the Sea (a title so unwieldy let’s just called it War Between) stakes out similar ground to Torchwood, with whom it shares a less fantastical style yet it feels as if it can’t quite grasp what it is reaching for. There are strongly felt messages and moments that impress but the whole production never quite coalesces. As for the war we don’t really see one; just some skirmishes.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

 A film that cuts deep...

Described as a `Gothic fantasy film`, Edward Scissorhands is one of my favourite movies, definitely in my top 10, of all time. I remember when it came out I went to see it several times at the cinema and since then have re-watched it periodically. Of course it has now been thirty five years since then and time has marched on. Yet the film still weaves a lot of magic for me even if it may not be the overwhelming emotions I felt when I first saw it. I was younger then, less lived. At the time I saw it as a fable for loneliness and not fitting in and while it is those things, now I can appreciate the other aspects more. It’s not just about loneliness or belonging, it’s about generosity, jealousy, misunderstanding and awkwardness. Yeah, it’s still pretty amazing.

Top of the Pops 20 December 1990

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

Bruno Brookes: “Thursday night. Hello. Welcome to Top of the Pops. Here we are in our cuddly studio all over again with the hits. Stay with us, the stereo sound of Radio 1 FM and we're going to kick off with Snap. This is great. Mary Had A Little Boy. Right over there.”

 [8] SNAP: Mary Had A Little Boy. Let's editorialise. This is a poor edition of Top of the Pops. If you are wondering what the Performance of the Week will be, you're watching it. There are no other live studio performances. Video, video, video, video, video, video, repeat, repeat, video. Maybe there are behind the scenes reasons. Maybe everyone was away. Maybe the studio was packed with bands recording songs for Christmas Day. One thing wasn't happening. The production team wasn't preparing any kind of bumper Christmas presence.

 

Love Actually (2003)

Too many characters are all around... 

Though often critically derided Love Actually is an unusually constructed mainstream film. Richard Curtis originally tried to write two screenplays intended as separate films- one about a new Prime Minister, the other about a writer. Instead, he combined them and added a number of other characters to create a loosely linked anthology. It’s something of a bold gambit to ask an audience to follow so many different stories and while it does mean some remain underdeveloped, others have their moments. It’s only near the end that we realise there are connections between all the characters, some quite tenuous, and a wider theme than we might think the title suggests. In the end there is too much content - to properly fulfil the stories it needs to be Avatar length!

Jack Frost (1998)

 A film that definitely had an icy reception...

People do not like this film, that’s for sure. It flopped at the box office, more than one review has described it as the worst films ever made and it only made $34m, less than its budget which oddly sources describe as being between $40- $85m. So poorly was the movie received that it was never considered significant enough for a blu ray release though pops up on streamers around this time of year for obvious reasons.  Yet it’s a Christmas film (not to be mistaken for an identically titled horror movie) starring Michael Keaton who is always good whatever he’s in. So, can it really be that bad? Let’s find out…

Top of the Pops 13 December 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Simon Mayo: “Hello. Welcome to the Pops. If you're sitting at home wondering as to what the Christmas Number One might be, well study the form over the next half hour. We have for you performing tonight Chris Isaak, we have Black Box, and we also have INXS appearing later. First of all, at thirty four, with his thirty fourth hit, Shaky is back.”

 [34] SHAKIN' STEVENS: The Best Christmas Of Them All. I'm not going to let a statistic like that go unchallenged. How are we defining a hit? Let's say, it's a single that gets into the Top 40. Well, starting from Shaky's first Top 40 single, Hot Dog (1980), I make the total twenty nine. The short answer is, I can't really make the numbers work without going all the way out to singles which entered the Top 75. Still, thirty four Top 75 singles is an impressive number. The Beatles only have thirty two Top 75 hits. Conclusive proof that Shaky> The Beatles. Where's his Anthology series?

Jingle Bell Heist (2025)

 Its time for Mooshy Fox...

One of a raft festive films that pop up on streaming platforms each year, Jingle Bell Heist is better than most offering something slightly different from the Crimbo romcom. The title may suggest some kind of elaborate seasonal operation yet the reality is a small film with just enough warmth and surprises to keep you interested. Plus it’s a film whose second half is better than it’s first.

Violent Night (2022)

Tis the season to be bloody...

A knowing cross between Home Alone and Die Hard, this movie manages to have its Christmas cake and eat it. As the title suggests it is as violent as possible yet it also manages to sneak in a soupcon of seasonal magic at the same time. Played by David Harbour, this Santa drinks too much, is bitterly resentful at the way Xmas has turned yet still lights up when he sees a child’s delight opening presents. In relation to the recent online debate as to whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, I can state that Violent Night (a title that made me laugh when I first heard it) most definitely is a Christmas movie only maybe for people who don’t enjoy the season as much.

 

Top of the Pops 6 December 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Mark Goodier: “Good evening if you're watching on BBC1 or if you're listening on Radio 1 in FM stereo. It's the weekly hit countdown. Top of the Pops. Tonight we may well see the song which is the Christmas Number One, so stay tuned. And we start with a song by a band who have been in the top forty twice in the last three months, Twenty Four Seven.”

 [25] TWENTY 4 SEVEN / CAPTAIN HOLLYWOOD: Are You Dreaming? A dynamic start to the show when Twenty 4 Seven/Captain Hollywood march on stage from all points of the compass. Someone comes down the stairs and onto the Triangle Stage. Two come up from the back. And the other one steps out from where they were lurking behind a triangle.

Rod Litherland has taken over Lighting this week and he's using all the colours that Chris Kempton hates, green and yellow mainly. The lighting of the Triangle stage looks very much like how the the Film Strip stage was lit last week for Run-DMC and their prerecorded performance of What's It All About.

Top of the Pops 29 November 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Nicky Campbell: “Good evening. John Major, or no John Major, as music shows go this is the nation's premier. Top. Of. The. Pops. Remember if you make it to number ten here, it's good but it could be better. Here are the Dream Warriors, their definition of a boombastic jazz style.”

 [13] DREAM WARRIORS: My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style. You see, yesterday (1990 Zone) Margaret Thatcher resigned and was replaced by John Major. What you don't get from the text up above are the terrible pauses used by Nicky Campbell for verbal punctuation to emphasise the cleverness of the links he has drawn between UK politics and Top of the Pops.

Deleted several lines of abuse directed at Nicky Campbell.

The Dream Warriors are rapping live on the Main Stage. It's impressive and they do some good crowd work. I still don't much like them. Sorry about that.

Wicked: For Good review

 

Those familiar with the Wicked musical will know that the second half is the flipside of the peppy first act navigating the story towards darker places while lacking in show stopping songs. This sequel follows suit doubling down on the grimmer side of this tale while weaving in familiar Wizard of Oz iconography in what can sometimes prove an awkward storytelling choice. Nonetheless what it does have are the always impressive performances of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo to lift it higher.

 

Top of the Pops 22 November 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

 Anthea Turner: “Hello there! Nice to have you with us! For another edition of Top of the Pops! And a special welcome if you are joining us via the airwaves of Radio 1! In FM Stereo! On tonights show we've got! The Proclaimers! 808 State! But we're going to start off with EMF at number five!”

 [5] EMF: Unbelievable. Check out the way James Atkin treats his microphone. It's been a while since we've seen BBC property so disrespected. The stand is dragged around and the microphone gets frequent slaps as part of the hand gesture punctuation used by James Atkin.

The Ballad of Wallis Island review

 

In 2007 Tom Basden and Tim Key wrote and starred in a short film called The One and Only Herb McGuyer plays Wallis Island directed by James Griffiths in which a reclusive lottery winner Charles Heath pays folk singer Herby McGuyer half a million pounds to play a gig at his remote island home.  Eighteen years later the concept has been adapted by the same team into a full length film with the additional storyline in which Herb had been part of a duo who had split personally and professionally. Both are invited to the island without knowing the other will be present opening up their shared past and present situations. The film is a delight, a whimsical time spend on a mostly wet, windy island that nonetheless will warm your heart.

 

The Running Man review

 

Writing as Richard Bachman, Stephen King’s original novel was actually set in 2025 so it seems appropriate for a new adaptation to emerge this year. The tale envisages a dystopian future in which media is used a means to distract people and is not always as true as it seems– as if that could happen! The lowest strata of society are eager to compete on a whole range of game shows ranging from the cheesy to the lethal which are uncannily recognisable. The biggest show is Running Man in which three carefully selected people try to survive for thirty days while being hunted down by six trained assassins. If they can survive, they win a billion dollars. It may have seemed completely far fetched in 1982  yet in the real 2025 there is actually a programme in which people are hunted across the country. Admittedly they are not summarily executed upon being found but the idea is there. Meanwhile the fact that film or photo footage can be manipulated to devious ends is not alien to us at all. So The Running Man feels not so much of a sci-fi tale but a story of now.

You might run into spoilers after the break

Top of the Pops 15 November 1990

Words: Chris Arnsby

Bruno Brookes: “Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of Top of the Pops. A great studio audience and a lot of fun on tonight's show, that's guaranteed. Now we start off with a song, it was originally a hit back in 1978 for Earth Wind and Fire and got to number fourteen. Now in 1990, Black Box take it to five. Here is, Fantasy.”

 [5] BLACK BOX: Fantasy. BBC VT. A repeat from the 01/11/1990 edition. It's almost unheard of to start the programme with a repeat and there's another one coming up at the end of the show. What's going on?

A lot of songs are going down the chart this week. The ones going up were mostly featured last week; EMF, Del Amitri, The La's, Jimmy Somerville, 808 State, Gazza and Lindisfarne. All the songs used tonight are the remaining climbers and new entries. With one exception. At [38], NWA's 100 Miles And Runnin' is not mentioned. You'd struggle to edit that down to even a 20 second clip for the Breakers with its frequent use of f*ck, sh*t, d*ck, a*s, etc.
With Black Box and Kim Appleby unavailable, Top of the Pops is faced with using repeats for 50% of its studio performances. I have no idea why Black Box get pole position. It might be because Kim Appleby's performance opened the 01/11/1990 programme. It might have been a coin flip. The last time the show started with a repeat performance was also in November. Yazz and Stand Up For Your Love Rights, 17/11/1988.

Batman Films 1989 - 97

 It feels as if Batman is everywhere now but there was a time when he’d been all but forgotten by the mainstream, his eternal development limited to the comic book fraternity. In 1989 however Warner Bros revived the character and started us on a road that arguably has led to the superhero movie era in which we now live. So I thought I’d take a look back at the quartet of Batman movies made in the late Eighties and Nineties. Often forgotten since the Chrstopher Nolan trilogy these four films offered some interesting takes on the legend.

Batman (1989) started it all off, a pivotal movie in changing our perspective on comic book adaptations. Before it was released the character of Batman was viewed differently depending on your media of choice. For comic strip fans the character had been reinvented with darker themes by the likes of The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke yet for the wider public perception was rooted in the camp Sixties tv series with its colourful aesthetic and over the top POW! WHAM! dialogue. In a lot of ways Tim Burton’s 1989 film never quite reconciles these two approaches. Its literally and thematically dark- so much so that the action is sometimes obscured by shadows and smoke – yet it also contains some larger than life performances and a certain garishness associated with the Joker. The most popular theme of more recent iterations- the duality between Bruce Wayne and Batman – is not really explored here. We see Bruce brooding in his bat cave of course but Michael Keaton’s performance is lighter in touch than the sort of Bruce Wayne we’re more familiar with nowadays.

Top of the Pops - 8 November 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Gary Davies: “Hello, a very good evening to you. Welcome to Top of the Pops. A special good evening if you're listening to Top of the Pops in stereo on Radio 1FM. Busy show. In the studio we've got the La's, EMF, and Jimmy Somerville, but we start off at number twenty two in the charts. I'm Doing Fine, Jason Donovan.

 [22] JASON DONOVAN: I'm doing Fine. Jason Donovan has rethought his wardrobe. The nasty trousers are concealed by a jacket, which looks a lot better. I'm not keen on his metallic polo-neck shirt. It has a zip up the front, which makes it look like a coat. A jacket on top of a coat is overkill.

Photo Post- Liverpool River of Light 2025

Some pictures taken at the annual Liverpool light display which took place last week, this year's theme being the Science of Light.  Alot of these look better in live footage and there's some video clips on my Instagram page, johnconnors100 (unfortunately Blogger no longer enables film only photos)

Top of the Pops 1 November 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Simon Mayo: “Hi. Good evening. This is Top of the Pops. Only seven more before Christmas, believe it or not. Before seven thirty we've got some great artists, almost all of them wearing kinky boots. We've got a new Number One and a great return performance at number sixteen. Will you welcome back please, this is great, Kim Appleby. Yeah.”

[16] KIM APPLEBY: Don't Worry. Simon Mayo's kinky boots comment refers to the 1964 single by Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman which he was constantly playing on the Breakfast Show around this time. It's going to get a release at the end of the month and make its way into the charts, so we've got that to look forwards to.

The Lost World (1960)

 

The idea of a hitherto lost place somewhere on Earth where evolution had stopped enabling dinosaurs to stomp about was a popular one in the early twentieth century. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle got there first with The Lost World published in 1912 (sadly he never penned a crossover in which Sherlock Holmes fought dinosaurs) followed six years later by Edgar Rich Burroughs’ Land That Time Forgot. The story beats of both are remarkably similar and having recently watched the Burroughs adaptations it feels like he copied Conan Doyle’s premise not just in the scenario but the characters who undertake the journey and what happens to them after arrival down to the eccentric professor and chauvinism aplenty

 

Top of the Pops 25 October 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Jakki Brambles: “Hello, good evening, and welcome along to Top of the Pops the nation's top music TV show and you can hear us loud and proud in stereo on Radio 1FM. Our first artist this evening broke rehearsals with the reformed Go-Go's especially to join us here tonight. Please will you welcome at number fourteen Belinda Carlisle.

 [14] BELINDA CARLISLE: (We Want) The Same Thing. There's a moment when it looks like Stanley Appel has pulled off a sneaky edit into a pre-recorded performance. The Main Stage behind Jakki Brambles is in darkness and, just as the lights begin to flash, the caption appears in a way that obscures the bottom of the picture where the artists would be. This is followed by an abrupt cut to a close up of the drummer. All this made me suspect I'd just watched an extremely cunning piece of editorial slight of hand. I hadn't, as the end of performance pull-back revealed.

What's going on with the Crows Nest this week? It's empty again and the colour screen has been put behind it. It's the inconsistency I can't stand. (John- Think how the Crows feel)

Leonard and Hungry Paul review

 

Sometimes the most low key dramas can contain a lot more truth than higher profile, more spectacular ones. Leonard and Hungry Paul is a case in point. Its deceptively ordinary premise brings up universal questions and moments that make you stop and think. It might be described as an example of “gentle comedy” even if that phrase is loaded with prejudice. Perhaps its time to claim it back.

 Spoilers after this point

Top of the Pops 11th & 18th October 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

 11/10/1990

 Bruno Brookes: “Good evening. Welcome to all the hits in vision. This is Top of the Pops on a Thursday night. Hope you're well, you've had a good day. There are eleven new entries on the chart this week, and hopefully we will feature as many as we can during this show. Well to start off, with a new entry at twenty one, Sisters of Mercy and this song called More.”

 [21] THE SISTERS OF MERCY: More. Bruno Brookes is wearing a terrible pair of brown trousers. They are pleated in a way that causes a pouch to balloon outwards and down from his crotchal zone. This is matched to a nasty shirt with a brown bit designed to look like he is wearing a waistcoat. At least it does from the front, when Bruno Brookes turns round, the pattern doesn't continue down the back of the shirt which renders it pointless. The ensemble is hideous.

There's a chance to have a nice long look at two of the hand held camera operators doing their thing. It looks great and neither of the pair do the traditional oops-I've-nearly-been-spotted duck and cover move. Clearly Stanley Appel is more relaxed about the technical crew appearing on screen and quite right too. I love being able to see the behind the scenes team.

Peacemaker review

 

I came late to streaming and with one thing and another it took me till this year to watch Peacemaker. Luckily as soon as I’d watched the first season, the second one came along so I’ve been able to see it slightly differently from someone whose waited three years for a follow up. I wasn’t sure at first if I liked it as I often have an aversion to expletive heavy, overly violent, fast paced stuff that just seems not to be made for me in my quiet suburban life. Yet, guess what? This expletive heavy, overly violent, fast paced series turns out to be a multi faceted creature that can give you edge of seat thrills, gasps of laughter and then something really sweet. It’s epic in the best possible way yet also intimate when it wants to be. And it’s got the perfect cast. If you’ve not seen it and like me previously think it might not be for you then I’d give it a go.

Top of the Pops 4 October 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Simon Mayo: “Hello. Good evening. It's great to be back on Top of the Pops. Be... Before 7.30 we have the Pet Shop Boys, Mariah McKee, an outrageous piece of film from Bobby Vincent, and starting at number seven with Twenty Four Seven featuring Captain Hollywood, this is I Can't Stand It... the noise is unbelievable tonight.”

 [7] TWENTY 4 SEVEN Featuring CAPTAIN HOLLYWOOD: I Can't Stand It! What has Simon Mayo been up to? He's not been seen since 31/05/1990. In June he defected to another Thursday night programme called Life On One. “A topical magazine aimed at helping you survive the nineties.” This ran weekly from 28/06/1990 to 13/09/1990 and, along with the  Radio 1 Breakfast Show, presumably left little time for Top of the Pops. Although he did have time to record a Radio 1 series called In My Life, 10 one hour episodes about the life and music of John Lennon. Busy busy busy.

Timothee Chalamet’s weird Instagram live short reviewed

 Is this promo short better than most of this year’s films?

Usually early trailers can be wayward suggesting a film that the movie they are promoting is definitely not but yesterday’s Instagram Live teaser for Marty Supreme might be better than most of this years’ films. It’s certainly odder. You have to watch it at least twice to understand what you’re seeing shot as it was at dusk with a dull sky. All the fuss has been about the full reveal of star Timothee Chalamet’s new shorn barnet but there are a lot of interesting things happening here.

Master of the World (1961)

 

Jules Verne was a popular go-to source for action films in the Fifties and Sixties. The likes of Around the World in 80 Days, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Mysterious Island and 20,000 Leagues Under the sea did their best to interpret Verne’s vivid stories albeit with budgets that were not always large enough and cinematic effects not fully developed to be convincing. Yet you can’t beat a good idea and these movies were not always adaptations intended to necessarily match Verne’s vision but designed to make a lot of money from ground breaking special effects and heroic action. Released in 1961, Master of the World puts together two of the author’s books for a story with an interesting moral dilemma.

 

Top of the Pops 27 Sept 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Anthea Turner: “Well hallo there! We're all raring to go here at Television Centre for another edition of Top of the Pops! Welcome to those of you who are joining us from Radio 1! In FM stereo! Tonight in the studio amongst other's we've Status Quo, and the Wedding Present but to start off it's Monie Love!”

 [21] MONIE LOVE Featuring True Image: It's A Shame (My Sister). The nice long track in to Monie Love gives me a chance to take a proper look at the new colour screen where the Crows Nest used to be.

I wasn't sure what it was for last week. Now I can see the idea is the point a camera at the audience and give the impression the crowd extends up above the Main Stage. The question is, where is that camera? There's a circular thing in the background which looks like one of the round Top of the Pops symbols so we must be seeing at a picture from one of the studio bridges.

It's a clever idea and the illusion is weirdly convincing. The problem, it ties up one of the studio's two camera cranes for a single static image which is frequently not all that visible. It seems like an odd allocation of resources to me, but I'm not a BBC producer. Maybe it's as much about building atmosphere in the studio as it is for the viewer.

Alien: Earth ep 8 review

 

For a series that has undercut expectations and taken unexpected routes, its fitting that this final episode maintains a similar strategy. Rather than pick up straight away from the tense moments at the end of episode seven, The Real Monsters, a little time has passed and while the hunt is on, its not quite the hunt we expected.

 

 

Top of the Pops 20 Sept 1990

20/09/1990

Nicky Campbell: “For seven days and seven nights we have waited, Top of the Pops is here at last. Want you to try at home first of all, clear a space in your living room, kick up the heels, and join in this routine. Copy it precisely. Twenty 4 Seven and Captain Hollywood, shall we dance.”

 [28] TWENTY 4 SEVEN Featuring CAPTAIN HOLLYWOOD: There has been a minor change to the set design for the main stage. The Crow's nest is no more. It has been long abandoned by the programme but, even after the hosts stopped using it, there were normally a few audience members sent up there to have “fun”. From, I think, the first show in September 1990 the Crow's Nest has been removed from above the centre column of the main stage, replaced by another colour projection screens; making a triptych with one of the screens above each of the wings of the Main Stage and the centre.

Orca- Killer Whale (1977)

 

Whilst Orca may have been inspired by the success of Jaws and superficially appears similar (plus Orca was the name of that film’s iconic boat) it is something of a different beast. While the shark in Jaws was simply the creature from the wild that attacked people for no other reason than because that’s what sharks do, the killer whale in this movie is given a motivation. The viewer is encouraged to understand why it is acting as it does and rather than random attacks it's targets are shown to be considered to achieve a certain end. Whether a real killer whale has such cognisance is another thing but what the films writers want us to believe is that this is a personal battle.

 

Alien: Earth ep 7 review

 

Can we say something about the opening titles of the series which gradually form the words Alien Earth over artfully collaged clips from the previous episodes and suggestions as to the tone of the series. It solves that problem of having to front load an episode with a Last Week on… bit and also with the eerie music draws us straight into the dark heart of the show. Right from the start it shows how this is a series determined to be different.

 

Spoilers after the break

 

Top of the Pops 13 Sept 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

Gary Davies: “Hello. Very good evening to you. Welcome to Top of the Pops in stereo on Radio 1FM. In the studio tonight we have Sonia, and KLF, and Bass-O-matic, and Maria McKee but we start off with a new entry at twenty seven, a song that's been number one in Holland for the last three weeks. I've Been Thinking About You. It's Londonbeat.

 [27] LONDONBEAT: I've Been Thinking About You. Londonbeat have a well practiced routine, observe the way the two backing singers move easily from the front of the stage for the chorus to their instruments for the verses (and vise versa). There are times when they appear in shot like magic. It's really well done.

Alien: Earth eps 5 and 6 reviews

 

High praise has been lauded on this episode by many online reviews, with some even describing it as the best the franchise has been since Aliens. As the title `In Space, No-One…` suggests episode five is basically Noah Hawley making his own mini Alien movie. I suppose this is what some people imagined the whole series would be like and some have been critical of the till now differently presented show producing a more standard concept. Yet it is important and I can see why it wasn’t shown first because it would have misled people as to what the series was really like. No wonder they built such a fantastic set; that in itself deserved an encore. The results are fantastically gripping.

Spoilers after the break 

Top of the Pops 30 Aug & 6 Sep 1990

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

 30/08/1990

 The observant among you might be wondering why the last write up confidently asserted it  covered the 16/08/1990 edition, for a second time. It didn't. It was supposed to read 23/08/1990. This was the cat's fault. It has now been banned from jumping on the keyboard. (John- And my fault for not noticing either but it shows we are not A.I)

 Mark Goodier: “Ah! Good evening. Hello. Welcome to Top Of the Pops. Britain's favourite TV and radio pop show. Tonight, the complete top forty. Who's number one? You'll see the number one later and of course we have all the major climbers on the charts and big stars. We start with a band who are always the sound of sunshine. Here's Aswad.

 [25] ASWAD: Next To You. Back to business as usual for Top of the Pops with Paul Ciani credited as the producer and director. It's been just over a year since Asward last appeared, 10/08/1989 with On And On. What have they been doing in the meantime? Shopping for keytars. Three of them, issued to everyone on stage who isn't Brinsley Forde or the drummer.

Wednesday season two eps 5 - 8 reviews

 

The series sometimes burns off plotlines so quickly that sometimes they barely register and part five is a case in point. In stretching to incorporate everything rather than leaving some plots to simmer off screen the end result with episode five is something a little over crowded even for this series. On the other hand, the remaining three episodes are excellent leading to a terrific full blooded gothic as you like finale.

 

Top of the Pops 16th August 1990

 Words: Chris Arnsby

 Nicky Campbell: “Welcome to the most fun you can have in half an hour with your television on. Another rip-roaring rollicking frolic through the nation's favourite sounds. What a show and what a start, one of the great British bands. They are back. The Human League.”

[29] THE HUMAN LEAGUE: Heart Like A Wheel. Paul Ciani is only listed as Producer this week. Tony Newman gets a very carefully worded “Directed by” credit. My best reading of this, he sat in the gallery and directed the recording according to a camera script already worked out by Paul Ciani. Certainly this looks like a Paul Ciani episode, check out the spinning Quantel effect on the “heart like a wheel” chorus; extra bonus points to Dave Jervis (Video Effects) and Hilary Briegel (Vision Mixer).

Alien: Earth eps 3 and 4 reviews

 Episode three, `Metamorphosis` is slower than the opening two, with only one real big action sequence though this doesn’t mean that the threat lessens, rather it allows the production to ramp up those Xenomprph scares. Like the best of this franchise the producers know that you don’t need to show the alien(s) a lot, just insinuate that they are lurking in a shadowy location of just round the corner. Then when they do appear it’s all the more effective.

Spoilers after the break...

The Life of Chuck review

 

With its unusual narrative structure and philosophical story, The Life of Chuck transcends its’ ordinary sounding title to become one of those films a lot of people will treasure though others may not see what all the fuss is about.  It’s a movie that encompasses so much more than the life of one person yet in telling his story becomes a parable for all of us in our different ways. Never over egged or too melodramatic with some charming sequences and a sense of humour as well, this is a quiet triumph.

 

Top of the Pops 9th and 16th August 1990

 

Words: Chris Arnsby

 09/08/1990 

Gary Davies: “Hello. Very good evening to you. Welcome to Top of the Pops we are live tonight on BBC1 and also in stereo on Radio 1FM. In the studio, Craig McGloclan and Check 1-2, Hothouse Flowers, but first we start off with that Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Bombalurina and Timmy Mallett.”

 [11] BOMBALURINA: Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. In the summer, the real hazard for me watching these old episodes of Top of the Pops is, do I close the windows and overheat to death or do I keep the windows open and risk the neighbours thinking I'm some sort of lunatic? Reader, I took the coward's way out. I kept the windows open and turned the sound down.

I didn't think much of this single in 1990. You might be amazed to learn I haven't re-evaluated it. Fair play to Timmy Mallett for turning up to perform the single on a live edition. He seems nervous at first but warms up when he realises the audience isn't going to eat him alive.

The Sandman season two Eps 7- 12 reviews

 

There is something about knowing you are reaching the end that can energise a creative vision and the fact that there won’t be any further seasons appears to up the determination of the writers to fully expand this world. So, the second half of the season doubles down on strangeness, ancient rules and brutality yet also offers something of wonder and change. While it may seem nothing ever does change amongst these Gods and elementals this is proved not to always be the case. It feels as if Dream is facing the combined forces of tradition more than anything; ancient rules that afford no escape. The plotline definitely gives the show a momentum it hasn’t always had as Dream comes to terms with the ramifications of what he has done even if he did it for his son’s sake.

Alien: Earth eps 1 and 2 reviews

 

The thing with long running franchises is that they become increasingly tangled up in lore and continuity so its ultimately best to take each iteration as it comes and judge it on its own merit. Alien Earth is set just before the events of the original film though of course that took place deep in Space, a long way from Earth.  “On Earth everyone can hear you scream” is the cheeky but promising tag line for this eight part series and the opening two episodes certainly fulfil that promise.

 

Spoilers after the break

Wednesday season two eps 1-4 reviews

 It seems such a very long time since we last caught up with Wednesday Addams and her Outcast classmates so much so that the returning cast are clearly older in this second season – which is acknowledged- but the question must be whether the wait has been worth it.  Even some of the promotional material has alluded to it (see below) and anticipation has been building. Netflix have even created a special Thing ident for it. After such a lengthy gap (though admittedly not as long as the wait for season 5 of Stranger Things) can Wednesday match it's early promise and engage with an audience who are also now older?

 

Weapons review

 Quite a buzz has built around this film creating an impact in an otherwise superhero summer and its easy to see why. It’s a genuinely perplexing movie that flits across genres from police procedural to social study to tense mystery thriller and finally outright horror. Each aspect feels fresh even if we have seen many of these things before while director / writer Zach Cregger’s approach is packed with real jump scare moments that send a shiver down the spine. If the denouement is on paper unlikely then the film has by then earned your involvement and it won’t matter. Beware though- this is not for the feint of heart and if you remember Amy Madigan from such Eighties hits as Field of Dreams then you are definitely in for a shock.

Some spoilers after the break... 

The Sandman season two Eps 1 - 6 reviews

 

Continuing at a glacial, lugubrious pace, The Sandman returns for a second, final season. The first season was an acquired taste for sure yet did include one of the most gripping tv episodes I’ve seen in many a year (`24/7`) while conversely meandering towards the end of the season. Three years later what’s not changed is the stately pace at which events unfurl something that may at first be off putting especially for those used to a high number of action beats per minute. Yet once you get used to this and the large cast of characters the story will pull you in even if the first episode does lag a little.

Top of the Pops 2 August 1990

Words: Chris Arnsby

Bruno Brookes: “Good evening. How the devil are you? All this lovely hot weather and of course all these hot hits. Coming up later on we've got Madonna, Duran Duran, and New Kids On The Block. First of all a band making their debut on Top of the Pops with a new entry. Little Angels and She's A Little Angel.”

[21] LITTLE ANGELS: She's A Little Angel. Ron Bristow has been given access to the studio light switches this week and I like the white spotlights he's set up around the main stage. They white out the picture as the camera tracks in from Bruno Brookes. It gives a real stadium-rock feel.