Batman: The Animated Series- Forgotten

 "Maybe I'll lose my memory and wake up a milliuonaire too."

Surprisingly, this is the third episode in a row without any of Batman's rogue's gallery: indeed, if I'm right, we've only seen the Joker (twice); Poison Ivy, the Scarecrow and Man-Bat, and Harvey Dent is, at this point... one faced.

Yet I'm enjoying these one offs, and this one is no exception- partly, yes, because of the fun of seeing a very nervous Alfred in the Batwing, but also because this is Alfred trying to rescue an amnesiac Bruce. Bruce's uncanny dreams are well done, too.

This one is dark, though: people who won't be missed are kidnapped and put on a chain gang, mining for ore, being put into a sweatbox if they annoy their captors. We never leaern the backstory, but I suppose we don't have to: terrible things can happen at night to the homeless and, indeed, the unwary.

And so we have the satisfying climax as Batman deals with the baddies. But yes indeed... not many of those who endure such horrors will wake up rich the following day.

The Sweeney: Cover Story

 "I think that fish fancies me".

Hmm. Good dialogue, good acting, and it all looks great- not surprising for an episode directed by the great Douglas Camfield. But... for the first time with The Sweeney, I'm not sure about this one.

It's not that the chemistry between John Thaw and Prunella Gee isn't there. It's not that their relationship isn't believable, or that the dilemma isn't real- she genuinely is mysterious: is she in league with this week's villains? And yet... well, the is she / isn't she is driven up to a point of real suspense as the rubbish tip, et, tip she leads them on turns out to be false. But the revelation that she's kosher is just... fairly flat, nothing to it. And her disappearance- leaving because Jack loves his job more thsan her- is the most horrible cliche.

Which isa pity. Great script, characterisation... but the plot just fundamentally doesn't satisfy. Good job, then, that we've got all this '70s-ness to entertain us, the world of half a century ago when journalists mattered.

I'm sure this one is just a blip.

Better Call Saul: JMM

 "No rings. Okey dokey..."

After last episode's deeply dishearening last line, we begin the last line with the world'd least romantic wedding ever, presided over by a very bored and disengaged judge. No rings, no wedding guests, witnesses who are not exactly friends, no celebration... and let's say the two new spouses are not exactly equally invested. Poor Kim. This is the wedding she gets... and this is the wedding she gets. Even worse, she really should know what she's marrying, and gets more reminders later when she realises Jimmy- no, Saul- is being forced to get Lalo out on bail and is quite happy to use this to get money. Oh, Kim...

She isn't in Breaking Bad, of course. I fear for her. Perhaps a fate even worse than ruin awaits. And she's a good, decent person.

Interestingly. Kim, the other lawyers and Kevin all reconcile, after a little brutal honesty on both sides, in a situation of genuine mutual respect. No Jimmy here: these people are all grown-ups.... and that makes the situation worse. Kim is decent, professional, respected. As Kevin says, she could do a LOT better.

Mike is a grown-up too- we see him doing the patient hard work of making amends to his family, and successfully. But the ongoing cold war between Gus and Lalo, with Nacho and his dad in the middle, is getting increasingly complex. Lalo's engaged Jimmy to get him out on bail so he can skedaddle... so why is Mike, on Gus's behalf, handing him the means to do so on a plate? Gus has reason to be furious at Lalo: I suspect the latter is not long for this world, and Gus has plans to kill Lalo in ways thst won't start a "war". The discussions with Lydia and Gus' desperate old German friend is fascinating, pointing ahead to the Madrigal stuff but hinting at quite a long history. Giancarlo Esposito continues to play Gus with such exquisite nuance.

Yet it feels very much as though big things are being set up. Despite this, the episode is as gripping as ever.

Code of Silence (1985)

 "Just like the cops. Just like the Comachos. Nobody talks. Omerta."

This is, surprisingly, the first time I've ever seen or blogged a film starring Chuck Norris, he of all the jokes about how he;s hard as nails... and also of some extremely dodgy political views: bet he voted for the tiny handed orange fascist. I suppose I was expecting some kind of cheesy B movie... but that's not what I got.

Norris' films, this one very much included, tend to be relatively obscure compared to those of his peers Sly and Arnie. Yet Code of Silence is actually a pretty damn good '80s action film. Yes, Norris plays a hard-as-nails character, but not without nuance. He can certainly act. Andrew Davis gives us a stylishly directed thriller with fights, car chases and set pieces before, showing off the Chicago setting superbly.

Yet the plot, character and themes elevate this a little above that,despite the very '80s incidental music and the silly robot,about which the less said than the better. We have a "war" between the local Mafia family and the local Colombian meth lot, both with their own code of silence. Yet into this mix we also have a mildly corrupt police force who protect one of their own who kills a suspect in cold blood, their own code of silence.

Having Norris play a truly incorruptible cop who refuses to goalong with this, therefore meaning he's on his own and his fellow cops won't back him up, is powerful. The plot is clever, satisfying and generally a cut above what one might expect, while the thrills are very much present. An unexpected gem.

The Gorgon (1964)

 "It never ceases to amaze me that the most noble work of God, the human brain, is the most revolting to the human eye.

It's been a while since I've blogged a Hammer horror- partly, I admit, because a lot of the remaining ones are sequels that have to be acquired and seen in the right order, but partly because, well, there are only so many left. 

Still, this is one of the more well-known ones that I hadn't hitherto seen, and it has a stellar cast, from Christopher Lee as the intellectual hero with, er interesting hair to Patrick Troughton as a Prussian policeinspector complete with spiked helmet. But the realstand-out performance is from Barbara Shelley who, despite the many charismatic figures on screen, carries this film.

There's a very nice twist towards the end, and a nicely done red herring. The effects for the Gorgon herself are... well, a bit pants, which is a shame, because the plot is clever and the conclusion highly effective and satisfying aside from that... although surely Professor Meisner ends the film about to be arrested for the apparent murders of Carla and Paul?

It's a melodrama, of course, with all that implies... but that's Hammer for you. With the one excaption of the gorgon itself the film looks superb, the script is captivating and clever, and the cast is one of true Hammer royalty. This is truly one of the highlight's of Hammer's most fertile period in the mid-'60s. Hugely enjoyable.

Agatha All Along: Maiden Mother Crone

 "I do tend to... kill my coven members."

I suppose, in terms of bare plot, and certainly in comparison to recent episodes, what happens in this finale is quite simplle. We see a pregnant Agatha in the 1750s with her son Nicholas Scratch, wandering around killing witches to survive. Yet Death was supposed to take Nicky at birth. She grants Agatha what turns out to be six extra years, but in the end (and, as a parent, on balance I agree) it's more heartbreaking to lose a child of six than a newborn you had never known.

So this is the truth of what happened in the past... although how Agatha came to become Death's lover (like Thanos!) is not explored. Yet, perhaps not surprisingly after last episode... the Witch's Road was a lie, born ofva song she devised for Nicky and turned into a myth intended only as a trap for her witch victims. Agatha was as surprised as anyone when this time the Road appeared... but it was all Billy.

So that's it. Otherwise it's all character- Agatha bonding with her son in 18th century colonial America while cheerfully being a serial killer of witches. How Billy reminds her of her son, hence the fondness. How she would have killed all the witches anyway... but Jen (the only actual comics character!) survives... is she now  going to meet "Ted"?

Not, perhaps, the greatest finale ever, but I enjoyed it. And, as Joss Whedon once did in Buffy, it's brave and iteresting of Jac Schaeffer to allow the penultimate episode the true mantle of finale.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

 "Because I'm Marvel Jesus. Or Spock. Hard to say..."

I knew this was going to be enormous fun, and oooooh, it was. Both the stars are superb, and sooooo many cameos, many of them hidden behind Deadpool masks. I'm not going to talk about the plot because irt's bonkers: I mean (SPOILER ALERT) Deadpool and Wolverine, having saved Deadpool's universe for good, get to survive certain death by anti-matter because, er, they were holding hands to Madonna. That's the kind of cheerfully deliberate middle finger at plot logic we're looking at here. I mean, did you expect anything different?

So we have a rogue element of the TVA trying to recruit Wade to the MCU, while saying a fond farewell to the old Fox mutany universe- I loved that bit in the closing credits. The Big Bad (Emma Corfrin is great) Is Professor X's evil sister, and her goons are the likes of Pyro, Toad and Juggernaut. There's a hilarious appearance by Chris Evans, surely Captain America until he cries "flame on!" and an equally hilarious version of Gambit with Channing Tatum, pulling no punches at how ridiculous the character is.

And ahh, all those Deadpools. Love the unfortunate death of Nicepool, and yes... I did indeed notice the "Welshpool" visual joke.

Naturally we get hard-hitting, fourth wall breaking comments on the MCU, that Deadpool is not coming to the MCU at a good time, and his criticism of the Multiverse Saga. But there's far more than that. The 20th Century Fox logo is there in the void. Wesley Snipes' Blade gets to insist that "There's only ever been one Blade, and there's only ever gonna be one Blade", a delightful little comment on behind-the-scenes discord. Oh, and "Paul Rudd finally aged".

This film is, basically, not about the plot at all. It's just there to be hugely entertaining, and to throw cameos and in-jokes at us... and it works! I love the various alt Wolverines, from the comic book accurate short king to Patch to the Siege Perilous era crucified Wolverine. I love the Henry Cavill cameo and the little rib at DC. And of course Colossus loves The Great British Bake Off.

Basically, best Marvel film ever. And now I'm going to check out all the many Easter eggs I no doubt missed...

Better Call Saul: Wexler v Goodman

 "Because it's cold pizza fondled by community actors..."

For the first time, the pre-credits shows a small episode from Kim's childhood: she refuses to get intothe car with her mother, who's been drinking, and bloody well sticking to her principles, even back then. Not hard to see what the subtext is here. Kim has her strong moral principles. We know that. But alas, she seems to be in love with Jimmy for some reason, and I'm sticking to my own guns: Jimmy will be her ruin and her downfall.

Bizarrely, we then see a young Kevin in an old Mesa Verde commercial, zand get a long montage of Jimmy trying to film stuff in his plot against Mesa Verde, getting stuck in to the writing, the directing, anything but lawyering... and along comes Kim. She wants out, unnerved by Rich's suspicions. It's gone too farand she's even willing togive some of her own money to the old man so there can be compromise. And... Jimmy agrees, so that's that, right? I mean, it's not as though he's the unscrupulous type, right...?

We then shift to Nacho who, like Kim, won't be in Breaking Bad. But with him, I suspect, we're looking at literal death. He simply lives too dangerously, inforning Gus and Mike of what Lalo is up to... and wow, as ever, Gus isquite the presence. It looks as though we'll see a lot of Mike and Nacho together from this point. Lalo may appeal to Mike's morals... but, of course, Gus owns Mike. We're so far into Better Call Saul at this point that the nuances between all the characters are utter perfection.

And so cue another series of scenes where we get to see how Mike operates, this time manipulating a librarian and the local police into dropping Lalo right in it... ending in what looks like Lalo's arrest. Nut this, I suspect, is a mere opening skirmish. I note that Lalo has a pet lawyer... although, of course, on this occasion, I use the word "lawyer" in its loosest possible sense.

Still, yes, there's an interlude of Jimmy being an utter **** to Howard but, as the episode comes to an end, it looks as though Kim's going to get her was with Mesa Verde... and then Jimmy REALLY goes for the kill, harassing Mesa Verde to the max, and Kim is furious, very visibly so, to be thrown under the bus like this. This threatens to have dire consequences for her, despite her very visible and real anger.

Kevin, incidentally, has a very clearidea of exactly what Jimmy is, and he certainly isn't a lawyer.

Finally, we have the confrontation. Kim really laying into Jimmy and there's a sense that even he may now realise that he may have gone too far. Is this it? Kim is beginning to sound like he might dump him, as she should have done long ago....

"Maybe we get married".

Oh Kim....

Obviously, this is televisual perfection. Yet again.

The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)

 "

I wasn't surprised to see that this film is very, very good- the director and the star meant that would always be likely. What did surprise me, however, is how funny it is- and how relatively frank about sex- in a humourous way, yes, but this is hardly picture postcard humour.

Charles Laughton is, of course, definitive as Henry, with both his performance and the acript showing him as merry yet dangerously capricious. Intelligent, cultured, yet the ultimate spoiled brat, self-indulgent and able to turn on a sixpence.

Yet the film plays this largely for black humour, downplaying religious matters entirely, as well as foreign affairs... although Henry is made to say that "If those French and Germans don't stop killing each other then Europe will be in ruins"- hard not to see as a comment on the Europe of 1933, a decade and a half after the Great War and with Hiller yet to burn down the Reichstag.

I laughed out loud as the opening blurb dismissed Catherine of Aragon as being of "no particular interest", the opening scenes set on the day both of Anne Boleyn's execution and Jane Seymour's wedding to Henry, leaving us in no doubt whatsoever what a callous man he is, with scenes of Anne bravely facing her last couple of hours juxtaposed with Henry and Jane being frivolous... and Henry cynically sees Jane as a "stupid woman".

He is, again, callous as Jane dies in childbirth, caring only for his baby son. Yet the film focuses on the contrast between Anne of Cleves, who plays the game cleverly and ends up divorced, alive and rich... and the true tragic focus of the film, Katherine Howard, whose eagerness to court the king and have a crown eventually results in being trapped into a marriage to an old man, followed by her inevitable doom. These moments are dark, although it is not dwelt upon here that young Kate was only nineteen.

A superb, witty, funny, dark and tragic script all in one, and a strong overall cast with Charles Laughton giving the performance of his life. This is one of the triumphs of early historical sound cinema.

Stargate (1994)

 "There can be only one Ra..."

I've never seen any of the subsequent telly series, but I have seen this film before, back in the '90s, hiring it from the local video shop. I enjoyed it then... and I absolutely adore it now.

I'm told there were all sorts of behind-the-scenes headaches for the film, it wasn't expected to do well, and it was a massive surprise when it turned out to be a huge hit. Yet it's simply very good, a very '90s twist on Erik Von Daniken with Egyptian gods as ancient aliens, with a superb and well-placed plot, a brilliant series of concepts and very strong central performances from James Spader and Kurt Russell. 

The visuals, the aesthetics of the gods are awesome. The first sight of Horus is well-shot and effective- and it's a surprise to find him being played by a young Djimon Hounsou. The pyramids, the three moons in the sky... the visuals are as good as the plot.

The whole thing is very much plot-driven, and the conceit of seeing everything through the eyes of Daniel Jackson works well, as we are introduced to the backstory of the Stargate at a point where the authorities are on board and plans already laid.

Yet there is humanity too. Both Daniel and Colonel O'Neill are three-dimensional, flawed but ultimately good people, and the people enslaved by the "gods" manage to seem like real and likeable people despite speaking an unknown language. And the ending is deeply satisfying.

This is simply a great concept, executed superby. That's why it's a great film.

Agatha All Along: Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End

 "So, Agatha's ex is death".

"That also makes sense..."

Wow. So much happens here in forty-odd minutes. Agatha All Along has been a slow burn, but these last episodes, with all the cleverly set up reveals, have been incredible.

So Rio (reference to the River Styx or summat?) literally is Death: we see Alice meeting her at the moment of death, incredulous that she should die now, upon the lifting of the curse, in a scene very reminiscent of similar scenes in Sandman, although we don't talk about Neil Gaiman these days. We also see some very cool subtle skull effects on her face, which is nicely done.

But wow.I mean, Agatha passes the last trialon the Witch's Road- just- but this is almost an afterthought. We discover that it was Agatha who bound Jennifer, and she is thus able to rather dramatically unbind herself. It's hinted that Agatha did not do the terible things to her son Nicky that everyone supposes, but istaking on the opprobrium to avoid something worse- for next episode, no doubt.

Then we have the episode-long  see-sawing of whether or not Agatha will betray Billy. She doesn't, she does... and then she doesn't, seemingly dying for him.

Yet the end- so clever, with all the elements of the Rosad being within Billy's bedroom- seems to hint that bigger and even more fundamental reveals are to come. Wow.

One more to go...

Batman: The Animated Series- P.O.V.

 "I guess Batman must have gotten a second wind after Detective Bullock dragged him out, because he was in rare form!"

I'm increasingly enjoying not only the subtle '40s style of this series but the fact that the titles being shown on screen is clearly intended to evoke movie serialds. There's a lot of clever stylistic touches thatI'm increasingly coming to appreciate, and the animation continueas to be superb.

But... Batman: The Animated Series does Rashomon. In twenty minutes. And it's superb.

I love how Bullock's low level dodginess is contrasted with the earnestness of Montoya and her fellow rookie but, more than that, with the depiction of Batman as he appears to these overawed young cops. At first I wondered whether Batman would get to speak at all but, of course, he does, as he and Montoyatake down the baddies together.

I simply love the mood of this episode- very noir. This is, let's admit it, not a good day- the next American president is going to be a terrifying fascist, not good for Ukraine and by extension Europe, for the climate emergency, for the very notion of the "West", for decency or, indeed, the freedom of the orange fascist's own country. But good art has its consolations and so, in its small way, is the case here.

Agatha All Along: Death's Hand in Mine

 "We can be culturally offended later..."

Yeah, I know. They're all dressed like famous witches from popular culture- Wicked Witch of the West, Maleficent, etc... but they do have the tendency to be the Disney versions, don't they? Gosh, I wonder why that is.

Grumbling about the corporate cultural appropriation of folk culture aside, this episode is a thing of genius from the beginning to that wonderful and highly appropriate Jim Croce song at the end, as Lilia's entire life goes full circle. The little apparent lapses from Lilia suddenly make sense as we follow the conversation from her own, very timey-wimey perspective. It's so sad: she only gets to find fulfilment and purpose just before she dies. But wow, what a triumph, what a character and what a tour de force from Patti LuPone.

Also... Rio is literally Death? As in Thanos' lover Death? And... she's Agatha's ex? Wow. We get a lot of minor answers here- Lilia cast the sigil- but that's quite the reveal. What's her angle, and is she going to be showing up in all sorts of other contexts?

Overall, though, this is near perfection. The superb sets. the gleefully cliched trial. And the funny, tragic and incredibly clever script. Wow.

Raw Deal (1986)

 "You should not drink and bake."

…Or, indeed, shoot and drive. Please, any drivers reading this: keep your eyes on the road (or quarry). Engaging in a gun battle with the goons of an entire Mafia family can impair your driving concentration, even if, like Mark here, you also come armed with prodigious quantities of plot armour.

I must be close as dammit to having blogged all the '80s Arnie action movies, so here's another one. And it's good, it's fun, like all movies of this ilk. It isn't the greatest action film of all time, but it doesn't have to be. The action set pieces are great. Sam Wanamaker is also great as a Chicago Mafia boss, and Robert Davi is exceptionally good, as ever, as Max. But Arnie, in his first real role with lots of proper dialogue, just oozes so much charisma.

The film really showcases Chicago as a city, too, as all the suspense and action takes place. Admittedly the final scene is very Saturday morning cartoon, and the film nicely reminds us that two bottles of champagne in one sitting is perhaps not great for one's sex life. But then, of course, the plot mustn't allow Mark to sleep with the rather lovely Monique, lest he commit adultery with his rather unpleasant, cake throwing wife.

Still, the flaws of this film are all partr of the fun. Highly recommended if you just want to switch off your brain and watch some '80s action with car chases and shooting galore.

The Wild Robot (2024)

 "I do not have the programming to be a mother."

"No one does. We just make it up."

Little Miss Llamastrangler and I toddled off to the cinema so very pleasingly nearby to watch this film today, and a good time was had by both nine year old and forty-seven year old, the main thing. It is, of course, quite the time-jerker. but it's also interesting in more than the obviousways.

The quote sums up the main subtext, of course: the conceit of a robot accidentally ending up as mother to a little gosling allows it to be a metaphor for the reality of parenting- there's n manual, every child is different and not what the books say, you do a lot of improvising and hoping for the best.

And yet... for all the anthromorphism of robots and animals here, the humans, decadent in their robotised sci-fi society, are not shown as "people". We see them only as a decadent other, surrendering their agency to the robots who live their lives for them. For slavery- and that's what this is- is fundamentally decadent. history shows us this. Slave societies have no further reason to advance, or progress. Sooner or later, they will be out-competed.

Yet the animals of the island are free... and they do progress. To them, the robot is not a slave but a beloved friend and member of their community. And so they seem to slowly learn to live together and forswear rugged, predatory individualism.

But, pretension aside, this is a wonderfully animated, richly emotional film... and yes, I cried when she told him that she loved him. Wonderful stuff.

Batman: The Animated Series- The Under-Dwellers

 "Leprechauns and Batmen. What's Gotham coming to?"

For the first time we have a new villain and no Batman lore other than Bruce himself and Alfred, still the mildly sarky early '90s version of the character- I'm still very much enjoying the banter between the two of them.

This is all a bit Dickensian, a bit Fagin, with a creepy "Sewer King", forcing ragged children to steal for him while using the rather enormous sewer gators to intimidate them. It's all rather unpleasant, if the real horror is sensibly downplayed, but it's a nice little tale, very well and subtly told. Michael Pataki, one of those Hollywood character actors who pops up everywhere, does a good job.

Are we going to get more episodes not so focused on the lore, then? This one certainly worked. I'm here for it.

I'm also continuing to enjoythe stylised Animation- of its time, yes, with obvious Japanese influence, but it quite rightl leads into the Tim Burton Gotham aesthetic, and that's how Gotham should look. I also continue to enjoy the clever ambiguity as to time period, with modern features mixed in with very 1940s-looking cars and fashions.

Several episodes in, and we're still slowly exploring what this series can do. I'm impressed.

Agatha All Along: Familiar by My Side

 "Don't you dare feel guilty about your talent!"

And this is where we realise how clever Agatha All Along is, I've no doubt much cleverer than I've grasped,. This episode is, yes, a flashback, to the Teen's background. But it's so awfully clever that we see all thosesame scenes between him and Agatha in the first episode, but this time as part of his narrative.

And the whole flashback is so well handled. We follow William Kaplan, an ordinary teen, living in Westview,  just having had his Bar Mitzvah... and that night he suffers a permanent amnesia. It's hinted throughout that another personality has taken over, nicely laying seeds. He and his boyfriend (Eddie is a very nice kid indeed).

The conspiracy theorist chap reminded me of Clive from Rose in Doctor Who, albeit giving off much stronger nutter vibes... the irony being that everything he's saying is true.And (Easter egg) in a certain light he looks a bit like Quicksilver...

So... Teen, whose words we finally see and hear without the sigil, is Billy Maximoff, and he's looking for his brother, as Agatha so entertainingly works out. It seems the rest of the coven are dead?

The whole episode looks great, delivers bombshells that have really been earned, and both of its two leads are extraordinary. This just keeps getting better and better.

Agatha All Along: Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power

 "We have to ouija."

"It's not a verb!"

At first, this seems like yet another test on the Road and just another episode in what we supposedc to be the series format... but no: this episode pulls the rug out from us and does it superbly. Despite the splendidly meta riffing on broomsticks at the start, with everyone hating how they're both a terrible cliche anda symbol of female domesticity (good point), the humour is much less foregrounded here, despite Agatha's initial witty efforts. Insyead things get surprisingly dark.

The ouija scenes (P-U-N-I-S-H A-G-A-T-H-A) are bloody terrifying... and so is Agatha's mother. But we're reminded that, witty and entertaining protagonist though she is, and capable of what she thinks to be maternal love, is not actually a very nice person simply becaudse she's the main character. She's done terrible things, and is by no means a reformed character.

... Indeed, Teen aside, she has no actual friends among the coven, as we soon discover. All of them are quite happy to let Agatha be punished, and survive.

And then unexpected things happen. Alice dies! Teen turns against Agatha... and all of them. We discover who he is... and he's not Agatha's son, but someone else's entirely.

Wow. Nicely done. Agatha All Along continues to toy with out naive exoectations at every turn of what we may think we're watching.

Army of Darkness (1992)

 "I may be bad, but I feel... good!"

It's October, so time for another suitably Halloween-ish film... although I seem to be in a rather silly mood. 

I'm aware that I'm part way through an enormous number of cinematic horror franchises, but in my defence there are rather a lot of them. Still, it feels good to finally complete Sam Raimi's superb Evil Dead trilogy. 

The film is, of course, hilarious. We know what we're getting- slapstick humour and the parody that the horror genre, with its innate artificiality, so naturally attracts. Once again, Bruce Campbell's performance utterly nails the comedy. Quite rightly historical accuracy is cheerfully ignored in favour of a vague Hollywood version of the Middle Ages. And everything just looks great.

There are so many highlights, not the least of which is the magnificent rudeness of Ash himself. But there are so many set pieces. The evil little mini-mes. The magic words being a nod to The Day the Earth Stood Still. Bad Ash. The three Necronomicons. The gloriously evil ending, riffing on Planet of the Apes... why didn't Ash just stay in 1300? He could have been a somebody!

But yes, the final battle, with all those Harryhausen style stop motion skeletons... that was exquisite. And so was the film, and indeed the whole trilogy.

Agatha All Along: If I Can't Reach You / Let My Song Teach You

 "You don't have to know a person's name to know who they are..."

I've enjoyed Agatha All Along up until now, but this episode is another level. It's superb. Suddenly this is feeling like first class television drama. We've got to know the characters, now we get the deeper drama... alongside the wit we've come to expect. And it all looks amazing, too.

Agatha's callousness about Sharon is hilarious. As it the fact that a new green witch has to be summoned, and it's Rio. Oops. Yet she and Agatha have a truly fascinating and nuances dynamic- lovers, arch enemies, something very deep indeed.

The A story here is Alice and her generational curse, all very cleverly plotted and unveiled. Perfectly, the curse is expunged through rock 'n' roll. A song, as a protection spell... a superb twist.

And then there's the hints as to the teen's identity: is he Agatha's son? Her upset at him being hurt suggests she feels he might be, but Rio says not. The sigil confuses things, but apparently a sigil isvdestroyed once it's no longer needed. I love the ideas in this show.

We also get hints as to Rio's backstory... Agatha is her "scar" and made her hurt someone? Oh, and why does Lilia seem perfectly lucid most of the time but occasionally forget things? So much is going on. I'm loving this.

The Lord of the Rings- The Rings of Power: Shadow and Flame

 "You are their prisoner, Sauron. Lord of the rings..."

I know, this is two blog posts in succession and both on the same show. But I wanted to get this season of The Rings of Power finished. And wow, what a dramativ finale. So much happens, and so much is set up. It's a wild ride.

We begin with the confrontation between the Durins, both father and son, as the King continues to mine, despite the risk of awakening what the subtitles reveal to be indeed the Balrog. His heroic death is nicely done- unexpected, shocking yet appropriate. Durin, I assume, is now king... but it seems his succession is not uncontested? The dwarvesare at last able to assist in the siege, but does civil war await them?

Equally dramatic is the confrontation between the Stranger and the Dark Wizard, who seemingly seeks not to join Sauron but to supplant him. Yet he responds to the Stranger's refusal to join him by destroying the Stoors' village, meaning that they, like the Harfoots, must wander. Yet there's a twist; Bombadil intended him to choose friendship, so he gets his staff after all... and his namre. This, again, is very nicely done. No wonder Gandalf is so fond of Hobbits.

At Numenor things get even worse. Pharazon declares all followers of the Valarto be traitors, and we end the episode with poor, blind Mirielin chains. Yet she orders Elendil to leave, and "reclaim your lordship". Isildur, meanwhile, and the displaced southlanders, also learn of the new regime and its harshness. Yet I sense Numenor, at this point, is irreversibly bound to sink between the waves. Isildur's future lies in Gondor... ad, I'm sure, with Estrid, taken though she is.

Celebrimbor's death, tortured tro death by Sauron, is indeed grimly horrible. He may have been at fault, an eager dupe, but he didn't deserve this. Charles Edwards, though, is again extraordinary.

Adar's death, a horrible twist, also shocks- betrayed by his own Uruks who turn instead to Sauron. He is, perhaps, as tragic an eff as Celebrimbor, noble in his way,and on the cusp of allying with Galadiel.

His flaw was love. He loved ad cared for his orc... and yet they spurned their loving father for an evil master, because evil is what they are. That, to put it mildly, is dark.

Galadriel's combt with Sauron is epic, although perhaps it goes on too long. We end with her barely alive... and, I trust, confined to Lothlorien if she wishes to live?

An extraordiunary episode. And, after a mixed first season... this season has been extraordinary.

The Lord of the Rings- The Rings of Power: Doomed to Die

"Forgive me..."

"Win!"

More than seventy minutes for this penultimate episode, and there's not a Man, Wizard or Harfoot to be seen. It's all an epic chronicle of the siege of Eregion, with all its twists, turns and impressive CGI hill troll(!)... and we end on a very bleak note, with Adar triumphant, and Arondir seemingly dead.

And the dwarves, despite Durin's promise, cannot come to the elves' aid, lest Durin's ring-addled father continue to mine and awaken the beast beneath- the Balrog? The show likes doing these kinds of impossible dilemmas, but they're effective. Can Elrond's friendship with Durin survive? Surely this will cause the enmity between elvesand dwarves; I'd assume so.

The parlet between Elrond and Adar is nicely done too, with Elrond refusing Adar's terms even at the apparent cost of Galadriel's life... and that parting kiss. For this show, usually all about the epic scale and not the humanfor once we have a lot of effective character drama here.

Most horrifying of all, though, is the full force gaslighting of Celebrimbor by Sauron. Yes, he wins, sort of, by entrusting the nine rings to an escaping Galadriel, but what he suffers is truly horrid. Charles Edwards is simply extraordinary here.

The Rings of Power has at times been inconsistent, but this extra-long episode is a trimph of both visuals- it looks amazing, cinematic- and storytelling. I have high hopes for the finale.

Better Call Saul: Dedicado a Max

 "You never told me that he was a side sitter!"

Another gripping episode this time, one that may well spell doom for Kim. Of course, Jimmy's antics trying to impede the seizure of Old Man Acker's house provide the main amusement this time round, but rather av lot happens.

Interestingly, once more we havean A plot and a B plot, with many characters- chrefly Nocho and Lalo- not appearing for the time being. The B plot is Mike, who is in rock bottom receiving medical care across the border... provided by Gus, thus indebting Mike to him.Gradually, throughoutbthe episode, Mike realises, with increasing injury to his pride, that Gus does indeed own him... and the moment where Gus puts the phone down with a terse "not now" is a brutal reminder of that.

Even so, Gus's interactions with Mike at the end make sense- Mike was indeed washed up, without purpose, drinking heavily and starting to alienate himself frpm a family whom he hasn't even told where he is. Much though he hates to admit it, he may well need Gus. It's just that, well, we know where this leads.

But Kim, oh Kim. It may feel like fun with here and Jimmy on opposite sides, but this is no game, whatever Jimmy may think, casually dismissing another call from Howard about a job offer we know he won't take. And... the gambit fails: Kevin simply doubles down. Worse, Rick seems to be on to Kim. She absolutely needs to back down, she's done what she can for the old man... but she doesn't.

I've been certain for a long time that Jimmy's baleful influence is going to end up ruining Kim's professional reputation. I'm increasingly worries that this may be the start of her fall.

As if it needed saying... superb bit of telly.

Relative Values by Noel Coward at the Little Theatre in Leicester

 Alas, it was the final performance when I saw the play last night, so this blog post won't be of any use in plugging any future performance, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

It's fair to say, I think, that Noel Coward hasn't been fashionable in recent decades, but there comes a point where suffiiuent time has passed such that "dated" becomes "period". Such is the case with thisfairly late Noel Coward comedy on the little nuances of social class from 1951. It an enormously entertaining and very funny play, with wit reminiscent of Oscar Wilde, but also a fascinating glimpse into attitudes from the middle of the laast century, a time that suddenly feel a lot more distant than it did a couple of decades ago.,

The cast, of course, were superb, utterly inhabiting their parts while letting the wit shine through. The set desigh was also excellent, the entire play taking part within the confines of a single room.

Alas, I cannot plug this play. But, for those who live locally, I can certainly plug the venue. This is the third play I've seen there now, all of which were brilliant.

Carry On Screaming (1966)

 "May I blow it?"

It's October. The month of Halloween. The month of ghouls and ghost and things that go bump in the night... and the next film in my slow, chronological meanderings through the Carry On series turns out to be rather appropriate. Who'd have thunk it?

Just as recent films have been genre pastiches, this time we get a glorious taste on the British horror films from the likes of Hammer and Amicus, very much in their heyday at this point. The look of the film is perfect, as are the opening titles and song. Yet, as ever, the success of this film lies in the superb performances and the gloriously crap jokes... and yes, the innuendo about the whistle is absolutely the best thing in it.

No Sid James this time, but Harry H. Corbett is a more than adequate replacement in what is more or less a starring role. Fenella Fielding, too, is a wonderful new addition with perfect timing. But best of all, as so very often, is Kenneth Williams, hamming it up in the best possible way as the dastardly Doctor Watt (Doctor Who is his uncle, apparently...!).

Everything about this film is wonderful and utterly unafraid to be silly. Charles Hawtrey gets a surprisingly small role (was his personal life more than usually chaotic at this point?), but it says a lot that the absence of the great Sid James is hardly noticeable here.

The Lord of the Rings- The Rings of Power: Where Is He?

 "Your friend or your destiny? The choice is yours."

Perhaps the finest scene in this excellent episode is the two hander between Adar and Galadriel about how Sauron manipulates. Yes so much else happens... not least Celebrimbor whinging in iambic pentameter. 

What else? We see Sauron'sincreasing manipulation of a Celebrimbor coming apart at the seams... yet not only him. Yes, Adar and Galadriel ally against him, using the elven ring and Mordoth's crown, or hoping to. Yet, as Galadriel realises, even this is exactly what Sauron wants- the thought in the viewer's mind as the siege of Eregion begins in Earnest.

Our two Harfoots begin to learn the meaning of home as peril awaits, while Tom Bombadil would have the Stranger choose a staff, a test he MUST pass . And yet, the situation parallels that of Luke now in The Empire Strikes Back, with Nori and Poppy in danger. If he leaves now, help them he could but... well. The scene is a cliche, it must be said, but it works dramatically.

Then we have Elendil, accused of treason for his loyalty to his old faith and queen, and having to face an ancient form of trial by CGI sea serpent. And... with Miriel risking her life for him so beautifully, this scene is damn good. Miriel 1, Pharazon 0, as the crowd cheers her. And it seems she and Elendil are falling in love, does it not? Even as Elendil and his daughter grow further apart.

Then there's King Durn, his greed, and the ring. Brrr. This is good stuff. Yet what lingers in the mind is the true manipulative power of Sauron, which is so very well done indeed.

Agatha All Along: Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials

" He's not in the coven. And he's underage..."

Once again, this episode is filled with wit, fun, and four witch characters we're a;ready getting to know and enjoy... although, as ever, Kathryn Hahn's performance is utterly wonderful. And we get a possible hint of the format: four types of witch- divination, green, potion and whatever Agatha is- and four trials from the Road.

But, simple though the format is- a posh house, a timer, poisoned wine ("Ugh! Cheap!"), and a race against the clock for Jennifer to make a suitable potion- it's so much more than that. Each character has a weird flashback, possibly telling us something. Jen is seemingly drowned by a man in early 20th century clothing. Alice seems to be facing a curse passed through generations from mother to daughter. And... did Agatha give her son to Mephisto (first MCU mention?) for a magical book?

Oh, and who is the Teen?

Yet it all looks brilliant, and the conceit works perfectly not only in entertaining us but in making us feel that wealready know all of these characters. But... Sharon is dead? There has to be more to her, surely? Regardless, I'm loving this.

The Lord of the Rings- The Rings of Power: Halls of Stone

 "It will open with a password known only to friends..."

This episode is, perhaps, the most exciting yet to those of us who have read only The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, pointing strongly towards the future we know. We have Durin's gate of course, but we see Sauron to continue manipulating Celebrimbor to makerings not only for Dwarves but also for Men... nine rings for the kind of the nive noble realms. We know well where this is leading.

We also have hints of the doom that awaits Khadad-Dum. Oh, King Durin III may have saved his realm in the short term, but he shows signs of the greed and the ring addiction that we shall soon come to know so well,charging a "ring tax" and forcing the other sixdwarven kings to make a tribute in return for their own rings. Worst of all, he wants to dig, despite the fact that ancient evil lies beneath.

Then there's Gil-Galad's dilemma between Sauron and Adar. Adar seeking an alliance with Galadriel. And the darkness beginning to envelop Numenor. Pharazon already threatens to be a tyrant, and his son seems worse. Elendil is not having a good time, and nor are his many friends. Even his daughter has betrayed him.

And yet... despite this series being more about epic events than character, what shines here is the detail of Sauron's manipulation of the proud but gullible Celebrimbor. The Rings of Power is on fire as never before.

Agatha All Along: Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate

 "Witches like you are the reason people think we poison apples, and steal children, and eat babies."

"Babies are delicious..."

This is, of course, a wnderful piece of television. Agatha is a glorious protagonist- a baddie, and unashamedly so. Witty, humorous, amoral and delightfully free wit all the meta humour.

I've no idea where this is going, of course, but it's fun. The only characters I know from the comics are Agatha herself and a version of Jennifer Kale, not that I have in fact read Steve Gerber's Man-Thing issues. I suspect the fact we (and Agatha) are censored so very diegetically as to who the teen is means he's someone we may have heard of. But otherwise this is continuity-lite. Oh, and it's an almost entirely female cast with one gay boy. This is going to annoy all the right people. Good.

This episode is a fun riff on a kind of dark fairytale structure, which is of course enormous fun... and they all get into the road just before Agatha's hooded assassins arrive. Our motley crew is now on the road, and I have no idreawhere this is going, or who or what all those animals are. But I'm proper hooked.

Elizabeth (1998)

 "It is no easy thing to be loved by the Queen. It would corrupt the heart of any man".

Before I praise this wonderful film, I'll get a few criticisms out of the way. 

So... the opening text- in a terrible font, incidentally- misspells the word "fervent"and has "halfsister" with no hyphen. And the closing text has England as "the richest and most powerful country in Europe"... er, no. Pre-industrial England, indeed pre-agricultural revolution England, was a middling country whose population was never going to be as big as a France or a Spain- England, I suppose, was more of a Netherlands or a Portugal.

Also, a lot of history is telescoped into a short time and the chronology is inevitably off. William Cecil is shown asan old man in the 1550s and dismissed early in Elizabeth's reign. Francis Walsingham is spymaster and Machiavel from day one. And did the future King Henri III of France really wear dresses and have sex with his aunt, the Queen Regent of Scotland?

And yet, I think, we have to accept this as a creative necessity. History is not easily crammed into two hours of screen time without being adjusted to fit. And this film, text aside, is magnificent.

Too often, history in cinema is shot in a dull, staid, Merchant Ivory way. Not here. Shekhar Kapur uses light, colour, claustrophobia and perspective wonderfully. We open with a truly shocking scene of three martyrs being burned at the stake, the sheer horror of it all being emphasised. Mary's court is dark and without joy, Kathy Burke giving us a Mary who has always been the underdog, and even as queen is humiliated by her neglectful husband and the nature of the cancer that kills her. She is bitter, resentful... yet cannot sign her sister's death warrant.

Elizabeth's accession is symbolised by two flashes of white light. We see the aftermath of the bloody battle in Scotland via the camera panning across the River Tweed running with blood. The look of the film is exquisite. Yet so are the performances. Cate Blanchett is, of course, a revelation, but the performances of Joseph Fiennes, Christopher Eccleston and Geoffrey Rush are equally superb.

This film is a triumph. Just try and ignore the text.

The Lord of the Rings- The Rings of Power: Eldest

 "Harfoots, living in holes! It doesn't feel natural."

This seasoin has already kicked up a gear... but now this. We have Tom Bombadil, and he;s Rory Kinnear! Barrow Wights, which look amazing! ENTS!!!

But mostly we focus on a party of elves which foreshadow the Fellowship: we also have a Caradhras moment. And we end with Galadriel, foreshadowing Boromir, using herself as bait so Elrond and the others can escape from the orcs and warn Gil-Galad that Adar's orcs are coming.

Except... that means their mission to Celebrimbor is delayed, leaving plenty of time for the forging of rings...

And then we have the Stranger finding Bombadid, about whom we learn a few things- he is the "eldest", older that the stars, yet he can only offer wisdom, not act. The Stranger is rapt with respect for him, realising his own purpose: to defeat both Sauron and this Dark Wizard, who could simply never be allowed to join forces.

And then we have Nori and Poppy who discover more halflings, the Stoor. And they discover tragedy: the Harfoots once split from the Stoors looking for some non-existent Eden... and are wandering still. Ouch! One day, I hope they find their Shire. All this is beautiful, fairy tale stuff.

But then we have Isildur, Estrid and Arondir. Isildur and Estrid draw closer... until Arondir discovers the truth: despite their real attraction, she is one of the Wild Men. We have a brilliant moment with a CGI swamp monster... but the drama is palpable. We share Isildur's disappointment when she finds her betrothed.

And yet... ENTS!!!

This season gets better and better

Batman: The Animated Series- Pretty Poison

 "She's not right for you..."

This is, perhaps, a simple episode: Harvey Dent is poisoned by his girlfriend, one Pamela Isley, the poison administered by a kiss, and all done in revenge for the flowers made extinct by the building of Gotham's new prison, Harvey's dream. And so we have some detective work and a showdown involving a splendid Venus flyutrap.

That's it.

Except... there are so many little things, so many nuances. I'm loving how we're starting with Dent back in the days when he used be more, er, singular, and Harvey's rapport with his friend Bruce Wayne is fun. I also like the script's wry commentary- what kind of man has a prison as his dream? The caption "A better, safer, Gotham" as we fast forward to the finished prison is delicious.

Then we have the juxtapostion of Batman recapturing an escaped prisoner to Harvey's description of rich businessman Bruce, who has, er, no secrets from Harvey. Incidentally, are they going for businessman Bruce, 70s style, with Lucius Fox, back in the days when Steve Engelhart did his run, as opposed to Bruce the playboy? We'll see.

Bullocks and the donuts is a delicious touch, though. As is the plot, the revelation, Poison Isley's personality and the conclusion. Even if, like me, you know who Pamela Isley is from the start, this episode is particularly good.

Agatha All Along: Seekest Thou the Road

 "Did you know that it's a universally acknowledged truth that a lasy cop cannot be good at her job and have a happy home life at the same time"

Just one episode... and, yeah, on present evidence this is going to be as good as WandaVision. Jac Schaeffer, at this point, can seemingly do no wrong.

We 're in Westview, and Agatha is apparently a maverick detective in a cop show, which allows for all sorts of fun with the genre and winys to the fourth wall, from assaulting a suspect to a boss who boss who appears to be the very person for whom the word "lugubrious" was coined. Best of all, of course, is the spoof opening titles proclaiming the show to be based on a Danish original, a nice genre touch.

Of course, we don't see the face of the mudrdered woman... but, of course, it's Wanda. And hints of both Wanda and the Darkhold slowly penetrate through the layers of Agatha's reality in time for a showdown with the rather awesome Rio Vidal.I have no idea where this is going, but it's awesome. The closing titles themselves, with Donovan and every witch in popular culture to which Disney has access, are a thing of wonder. More please.

Inspector Morse: The Secret of Bay 5B

 "We were just saying you look very, um, off duty tonight..."

Inspector Morse, somehow more than any television programme of the era, beautifully evokes the many little nuances of the UK in the late 1980s. The cars. The telephones. The fact that middle aged people, the age I am now, would never be seen in jeans and t-shirt. The casual sexism. The existence of the stay-at-home housewife. Middle aged people speaking a kind of received pronunciation that these days is the preserve only of the very old. And, indeed, the lack of CCTV in multi-storey car parks.

The story, perhaps more than most in this third series, is nicely and subtly done. We build a picture of the murdered man- successful, arrogant, a womniser with no poetry in his soul- the polar opposite of Morse who, curmudgeon that he is, continues to pursue a rather sweet romance with Dr Russell, very much not the sort of thing one may expect of the cruder Morse of the novels.

The twists at the end, just at the point where it seems we may have run out of road, are very clever indeed- and it's nice that certain points are made subtly, with no need to force feed the viewer. Sex, greed, blackmail, fury, passion... it's all here. Life is messy, complicated, often dark... yet there is also art, music and good real ale. Morse's is a melancholy world, but not one without its comforts. Much like our own, perhaps.

The Lord of the Rings- The Rings of Power: The Eagle and the Sceptre

 "You're not my father..."

More good stuff here as Sauron's dark persuasive powers continue to bear rotting fruit. He convinces Celebrimbor to lie to Gil-Galad about the rings, but convincingly, playing on Celebrimbor's artistic pride like a lute, or whatever stringed instrument elves prefer to use. And the rings are the reason Durin finally makes himself apologise to his father. We end with the five Dwarven rings about to be forged- no doubt to save Khazad-Dum from the volcano. Yet at what cost?

We also return to Isildur. His adventures are many, not least with a convincingly horrible Shelob-like arachnid. Yet he meets a girl and connects with her- future wife, from whom Aragorn will, surely, be descended?

He also meets Arondir, who struggles to connect with the orphaned young Theo... unlike Isildure, who also lost hs mother at a young age. And the circumstances of how this happened tell us much about his drive to greatness. All of this is very good writing.

Yet the true drama is in Numenor, where we return for the first time this season. All episode we hear rumours about the unpopular, blind, Queen Regent, only for uproar and revelations to derail the coronation... and for the traditional eagle (why does it not speak?) to choose Pharazon instead. 

As with every episode this season so far, this is exciting, dramatic writing, and it's about a series of character who are all flawed in their own way. Compared to the first season, a lot seems to be happening, amd fast...

Carry On Cowboy (1965)

 "I know a horse backfiring when I hear one!"

When I first saw this film many years ago I was, perhaps, more impressed than I was this time around, but it's still one of the better Carry Ons. The sets, locations and costumes genuinely look great: everything truly looks like the Old West. Although...well, the accents? Let's not go there.

We've settled into the cast we know from the peak of Carry On. Kenneth Williams really shines in a role that allows him to give a different but superb comic performance as the strait-laced yet hypocritical judge. Jim Dale is perfect as the hapless hero, and Sid James is strangely perfect as the baddie. Angela Douglas, though,is superb as the daughter seeking revenge for her father's murder. Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butterworth now seem to be core cast members, with Kenneth Connors no longer a mainstay.

Charles Hawtrey as the chief of the "Indians"... yeah, that's weird, but they he was a somewhat weird man so that's not surprising. The stereotypes are, naturally, all wheeled out- smoke signals, "how", scalping, "firewater".

The jokes land well, as ever, the best being when the Rumpo Kid goes to "get" some money from the bank: we know what to expect from a Talbot Rothwell script. But both the production values and the performances serve to make this, if not right up with the best, one of the better Carry Ons.

Batman: The Animated Series- The Last Laugh

 "The only things gaining now are the laughing stocks..."

A second Joker episode in quick succession, and... it's a rather straightforward tale in which Batman foils the Clown Prince of Crime's very basic plan to use laughing gas as a cober for a spree of robberies. Indeed, this is all action in a way that, plot-wise, it would have worked well as an episode of the '60s series.

There's a nice bit of rapport between Bruce and the wonderfully sardonic Alfred here, though, as well as the dramatic moment where we're told that the laughing gas can eventually lead to permanent insanity, immediately before Alfred is revealed to have been affected,

There's a nice bit of peril, too, in which Batman is chucked into a barrel which is thrown down to the bottom of the river. It's fun seeing his Houdini act, although a utility belt and boat-cum-submarine are perhaps not the methods Harry would have used.

Overall, then, a basic episode, but an entertaining one. The early 90s are a long time ago, though. The newscaster speaks of people "turning into lunactics" and a "wave of foolish hysteria". Attitudes to mental health are... not quite the same now, which is very much for the best.

The Lord of the Rings- The Rings of Power: Where the Stars Are Strange

 "I'm going to open a First Age bottle!"

Another fascinating episode here, which makes it very clear, seemingly, where the main narrative thread is going. Galadriel is, of course, right that Sauron will seek out Celebrimbor and make more rings- we even get THAT rhyme about seven rings for the dwarves- next on the list- and the nine, those nine, for men.

Yet Gil-Galad is right that Galadriel is vulnerable to Sauron's deceptions. Perhaps Elrond is right about the elves taking the rings,perhaps Cirdan is. We shall see. But poor Celebrimbor comes across asso very naive and gullible here.

Elsewhere, things look bleak for the dwarves of Khazad-Dun, struggling to maintain their home amongsta changing environment- perhaps their seven rings will save them for a while, as did the three rings of the elves. And I'm sure Durin and his royal father, both right stubborn gits, will reconcile... eventually. Durin's being bullied in the mine issad to see.

... And then there's the wandering wizard, who knows not his own name. Yet he explains to his very patient Harfoot friends that he cannot just be given a name: it is his already, and he'll know it when he hears it. This, it seems to me, would not have been said if his name were not known to us.

These scenes in the desert, with bounty hunters searching for them on behalf of some evil widard, feel very Mandalorian, but they're fun.

As, indeed, is the episode. Compared to the first season, a lot is now happening, and the characters are likeable. I hope this streak continues.

Better Call Saul: Namaste

 "It is... acceptable."

Three episodes in, and Jimmy's slow paced morphing into "Saul Goodman isbeing handled well indeed. The scene where he has dinner with Howard is instructive- Howard asks full on why he's changed his professional name, and suggests it's to avoid associations with the name "McGill", Chuck and Howard's very firm.

He's right.

And yet... Howard, ever-gracious and actually pretty decent underneath, offers Jimmy a job. And what does Jimmy do? He uses those bowling balls he bought in the pre-titles to damage Howard's car. Jimmy is now committed to the Saul Goodman path- defending petty, druggy criminals while having links with dodgy people and using dodgy methods, as we (and Kim) see in court. He's far from a decent man, unprincipled, but has found a niche where he can use his actual, salesman type skills as a "lawyer".

Meanwhile, Kim is having actual moral scruples (something Jimmy would never understand) with that man whose home Mesa Verde is going to take. The solution? Jimmy. Ouch.

Elsewhere, it's ten dimensional chess between Hank, who knows games are being played but, well, we've seen over five seasons of Breaking Bad how skilled he is at working stuff out... and a very scary Gus. Giancarlo Esposito once again gives an acting masterclass.

And then there's mike, still not quite trusted after his outburst to Kaylee and clearly upset. And then there's that ending, with him seeming to wake up in an old Spanish mission...

It's exciting seeing the pieces gradually move into Breaking Bad territory, but in the short term I've no clue what's going to happen. And the key to it all is the characters. We know them so well, and they're all so real.

Martin (1977)

 "I shouldn't have friends, even for the sexy stuff."

This is a relatively obscure little curiosity from Geotrge A Romero, with no stars and little budget. No zombies either: this is a vampire film, sort of. And yet, as ever with Romero, it's really about the subtext.

Because there's nothing supernatural about Martin, whatever his elderly cousin, mind addled by religious conservatism and obsession with the supposed family history of vampirism. And yet... this is a self fulfilling prophecy. The disturbed Martin thinks he's a vampire, so he is.

His attacks are horrifying to watch. He doesn't wish to kill his victims, only to drink some blood, but his frenzies have the visual grammar of sexual assault. And the whole look and texture of the film adds to the sense of the disturbed. Low budget, hand held camerawork, naturalistic acting- for what is ostensibly a horror film this is full of realism.... except those monochrome dream sequences from the point of view of Martin's mind,which play with vampite iconography in clever ways.

Of course, the film ends in tragedy. Martin finds human connection in the form of sex, but the lady in question is depressed. She slits her wrists in the bath, and Martin's own elderly cousin blames and kills him. Martin may be disturbed, but is he not a victim too? A victim of backward superstition? And is his elderly cousin, and the old stupidities he represents, the true monster?

A cheap film, yes, but an engrossing and important one. Note to self: watch more Romero...

The Boys: Season Four Finale

 "I used to freak out whenever I saw blood. Now I barely blink at it."

Wow. That's how you do a season finale. Deeply satisfying, emotionally deep, devilishly clever and with the mother of all twists at the end. And, of course, it's about something. Far right skulduggery while certifyuing a US presidential election on January 6th, plus all the horrible Vought propaganda... yeah, this is not too far removed from realty. Indeed, that scene where Homelander is disgusted at Firecracker's coughing and humilates her for it, despite the fact it's a side effect of harmful drugs she's taking so that he can, er, you know... that total, cold ingratitude: he's Trump, isn't he?

The way this plays out is brilliantly done. Before the devastating endfing we have moments of hope. Yes, Annie is disgusted at Hughie for sleeping with her doppelganger, but she doesn't dump him. And Hughie's speech about forgiving a repentant Victoria Neuman persuades Frenchie and Kimiko to forgive themselves- and, at last, kiss!

But this is bleak, and seems to be leading inexorably to a dystopia, with Homelander's puppet as president. Billy Butcher is dying. The anti-supe virus isn't ready. And yet... the assassin is defeated. And Butcher reveals the power he's unknowingly had... and uses it to kill Neuman, a horrible, yet perhaps necessary act from a man who may be opposed to the baddies, but could never be called a hero. And the failure to persuade Ryan- and his casual slaying of Mallory- is horrible. As is Homelander's casual order to kill everyone on staff who knows too much.

So the ending, with Homelander thinking he's lost until Sage turns up and reveals it's all gone according to her plan, is inspired. Dystopia achieved, and Homelander has a newfound awe of Sage.And... most of the Boys are caught, no doubt destined for internment camps. Annie escapes though. And A-Train is out there somewhere. And then there's Ashley, last seen having taken V and undergoing ba horrifying transformation...

This is utter, utter genius telly.

The Lord of the Rings- The Rings of Power: Elven Kings Under the Sky

 "If, as you say, these rings have so quickly turned elf against elf, it would seem he has succeeded".

The first season of The Rings of Power was not always perfect- episodes were overlong, which is a worry here (77 minutes???!), and the season dragged at poinrs. Yet I enjoyed it overall and feel the critics were somewhat harsh. While Amazon Prime dropping three episodes at once(!), just as with The Boys, again plays havoc with my schedule, I'm glad it's back.

And this is an intriguing start. One subplot involves Nuri and the Stranger on their travels, as it becomes clear that the Stranger is indeed a wizard ("But perhaps wizards are not always fair") of some kind, memories or at least impressions beginning to return. I'm sure we shall learn more as the season goes on. Gandalf? Perhaps too obvious. A young, uncorrupted Saruman? We shall see.

We also have the beginning of what promises to be a protracted power struggle between Adar and the being he knows not to be Sauron... yet Sauron, despite his apparent humbling, is ever weaving his webs, from Mordor to the halls of the elves. For we see conflict between Gil-Galad, Galadriel and Elrond, none of whom are quite in harmony. And we see, of course, the three elven rings being finally worn- including, as we would later see in the films, by Galadriel. And, if we did not already know that rings mean temptation, we see a scene in which it literally proves impossible for even the wisest of elves to destroy them....

This episode is superb, visually gorgeous... and deeply ominous. Things are beginning to move towards a Second Age of which we have heard glimpses...

Better Call Saul: The Guy for This

 "It's not about what you want. When you're in... you're in...!"

I often note the artiness of the openings to these episodes, but the one here, with the fire ants climbing last time's ice cream cone as though it were Everest and, eventually, incrementally, disposing of it... wow. That's superb.No sure what it's supposed to conver- the transience of human existence in the wider context of nature?- but wow.

The "a" plot here, with Jimmy, is superbly exciting. Firstly, we get to meet, er, a "younger"(!) Hank and Steve Gomez, but they're just patsies in a plot by Lalo and Nacho (it's short for Ignatio, the penny drops!) to screw over Gus... and, of coutrse, this involves using Jimmy (Saul?) as a lawyer. It look as though this is just the first of many times too. Yet, despite the ethics, Jimmy's lack of real choice and, worst of all, Nacho's truly terrible car interior decor, this is a lucratiuve day for him, pointing towards the future. It's nicely done.

Kim's "b" plot is very different. She seems displeased at having to work for Mesa Verde these days: her heart is in her criminal work, morals above money. And yet, given a morally dodgy job to do- helping evist a man from his house- her attempts to do good are rejected. Is she becoming more Jimmy-like? Is her arc one of eventual corruption and darkness?

Meanwhile, we see very little of Mike... but he's not in a good way. What happened to Werner is REALLY getting to him.

This is a very impressive episode, more so even than usual. Yet I can sort of see where Jimmy's arc is going. Kim's, and Mike's, less so...

Die Another Day (2002)

 "What are you? CIA?

"NSA..."

I was spoilt for choice for quotes. This may not be the best Bond film ever, but it's one of the very best for double entendres.

Yes, I know, it's reputation isn't great. And yes, it's flawed. I sisliked it back in 2002. And yet, on today's second viewing... is it really that bad?

Yes, we have the invisible car and really quite out there sci-fi elements. But I wasn't as bothered about that this time for some reason. And yes, the plot doesn't quite make sense. And it's a bit harsh for Bond to be in the doghouse for supposedly cracking under torture!!!

But I was entertained. Even the universally panned theme song... well, the production is truly horrible, and it's a waste of Madonna to use her in a song like this, but if you look past the horrible autotune and production issues, the song itself is fundamentally good.

Yet we have a good villain, however preposterous his backstory. Halle Berry is... well, adequate as a Bond girl, and gets a nice little scene involving a laser beam that's a nice little homage to Goldfinger. There are some nice locations in Cuba, although by the time we get to Iceland there's far too much CGI. That becomes a problem during the car chase action sequences, too.

And it's all very, very early 2000s, all waterboarding torture and conflict diamonds and smoking at work.

But fundamentally, this film is far from terrible. Perhaps the bad reception was because of everyone now having seen Austin Powers, meaning the format needed to become more serious to survive, and this film is gloriously silly?

The Boys: The Insider

 "Necessity is the MILF of invention!"

Brr. That fascist puppet show is the creepiest thing ever. But it's a sign, yet again, of just how on-the-nose The Boys is on the truly terrifying fascism of Trump and all the other MAGA terrorists.

So much happens in this penultimate episode. There's a shapeshifting baddie. A-Train comes good... and reveals himself as the leak: no going back now. Is this a redemption arc? It's chilling, though, when Starlight says he was "born uppity", just before a distraught Homelander fires Sage, who is . But a depressed Homelander is a dangerous Homelander, especially once he sees what Ryan's done on national TV. All this is at once clever plotting and good characterisation.

Then there's Butcher's collapse, Kimiko's connection with Frenchie over their scared guilt for past murders... and her near death. There's MM coming close to leaving for Belize with his family... but deciding to fight the good fight anyway. This seems ominous. Is he going to die in the finale? Alongside, surely, Butcher?

Then there's Webweaver's humiliating death, harsh even for someone as deeply masochistic as him.... and oh, the Deep. It's almost tragic how his octopus lover gently confronts him about Sage, only for him to instictively end up killing her, her last words being that she loves him... and later on he finds out that Sage has also been doing it with Black Noir. Ouch. The Deep has to be quite the most impressive charcterisation of a truly pathetic, contemptible man I've seen pretty much anywhere.

Gulp. Here comes the finale. It promises to be good...

Update

 I’d hoped to be posting as normal tonight but, alas, I’m utterly knackered after a more than usually long drive.

But the usual schedule will resume from Wednesday- The Boys; Batman:The Animated Series; The Sweeney; Better Call Saul… and the new season of The Rings of Power. 

The Tuxedo (2002)

 "The name's Tong, James Tong."

So I know I'm not blogging much this past fortnight while I'm in full on dad mode and focussing fully on Little Miss Llamastrangler- back to normal sort of schedule from Monday or thereabouts. But last night I happened to see this Jackie Chan film, pleasingly undemanding to my mind which this week is perhaps less prone to being a pretentious git than usual.

This is basically a comedy-cum-action thing where Jackie Chan does his comedy thing of playing an ostensibly hapless protagonist but having a pretext- in this case, basically a magic tuxedo that confers awrsome martial arts abilities on its subject by means of fancy CGI nanobots- and there's basically an action story riffing loosely off James Bond tropes, with a bit of sparks with Jennifer Love Hewitt's Del Blaine which inevitably ends in them getting together.

In short, this is a by-the-book action film of its time, entertaining enough with its CGI insects and James Brown cameo. I enjoyed it... but, well, as action films of the period go, it's fairly anonymous. Interestring, though, to see Chan for the first time in his later, Hollywood iteration.

But what's more interesting, perhaps, is that this film was made just two decades ago... and these sorts of generic, original action films marketed via a star rather than being a sequel or using existing IP are sort of, well, dead.

An Inspector Calls (1954)

 "I don't know anything, not any more..."

I saw the original J.B. Priestley play in the West End, many moons ago, and it made a big impression on me. So much so that, having seen the play once, I was able to recall a surprising amount after a couple of decades, and predict what would happen next.

That is not, of course, to criticise the play, a trenchant commentary on the entitled and sometimes murderous arrogance of those who take their privilege for granted. The world, even in 2024, is full of Eva Smiths, and of Birlings who need taking down a peg or two.

The play suits adaptation to film well, with a number of flashbacks, and the largely character actor cast is solid, with Jane Wenham being particularly impressive. Yet Alastair Sim owns this film. He is menacing, magnetic, charisma itself: the quiet, otherwordly centre upon whom all things revolve. This is a career defining performance.

Guy Hamilton helms the film in a straightforward, unshowy manner, perhaps. Yet that is exactly what is needed here: directorial restraint. Simply using the words and the performances to carry the devastating story is exactly what is needed here. 

After this performance from Sim... it would surely take extreme bravery for anyone else to portray this part on film.It's a rare film which is elevated to greatness by one performance... but this is certainly one of them.

Scanners (1981)

 "You murdered the future!"

Before I get into it... yes, I haven't blogged for about a week and there won't be much for the next week either. Nothing bad, just life stuff.

It's been a while since I blogged a Cronenberg, hasn't it? Don't get me wrong: all his stuff is bloody good. But the early body horror films are particularly delightful... if that's the word.

This film is a masterpiece. The use of the camera and of music, as ever, creates a uniquely Cronenberg atmosphere. Interior spaces always seem so very liminal. And then we have the subject matter... psychic nutters who can read your mind while making you feel ill, move objects with their mind... and make your head explode. There are some deeply effective body horror moments, not least with the duel at the end. Those pulsing veins... brr!

The performances... well, they're generally bland, Michael Ironside and the ever-superb Patrick McGoohan being very much the exception, but it doesn't matter. This isn't a film about characters, about people. It's about themes, the horror, the ongoing mystery and the visuals.

The big reveal at the end, about what's really been going on, is clever, satisfying and topical. Big Pharma can indeed be a bad thing. Just, y'know, don't let that lead you down the rabbit holes of anti-vaxxer nonsense or "alternative" medicine.

Do you feel a nosebleed coming on...?

Batman: The Animated Series- Nothing to Fear

 "I am vengeance. I am the night.I am Batman".

Three episodes in. No Robin this time. We've had Man-Bat. We've had the Joker. Now it's the Scarecrow... and his introduction is excellent, certainly the finest episode so far.

It helps that the animation style used to depict the Scarecrow- less realistic, genuinely using the grammer of horrow, slightly cartoonish- is perfect. Yet the script gives us a perfect introduction to the character. Batman's greatest fear is fitting- the disappointment of his father in the playboy/vigilante he's become- and is perfectly set up.

The rapport between Gordon and Bullock is fun, and I love the early-'90s, mildly sardonic Alfred.

It's also fun to explore the series' visual style, not quite realistic, very much influenced by the Tim Burton aesthetic of the movies. And I was amused at both the airship and the Scarecrow's underlings looking like hoods from the '40s, complete with homburg hats and tommy guns, in a deliberate ambiguity as to the time period.

This episode is a real step up. I'm hoping and expecting now to see just what the hype is about...

The Sweeney: The Placer

 "Jack Regan, this is your life..."

I'm still so behind with The Boys, plus there are only two episodes left... it can take it's natural place in the order in which I'm blogging my varioius shows. So tonight it's back to The Sweeney. 

Anyway, this is a well done episode with Regan undercover trying to sniff out the big boss of a loads of villains, full of twists and turns as Regan takes increasing risks to try and incriminate Harry. It's a fascinating type of episode, at once... well, no so much a woodunit as a "provedunit", and filled with peril as Harry risks exposure at every turn. The scenes where he's caught, yet distracts Harry with his girl's unfaithfulness, are gripping.The conclusion is horrifying and satisfying in equal measure.

Oddly enough, despite fleshing out Regan a fair bit, this is quite narrowly plot,plot, plot compared to many episodes. And Haskins is... well, almost supportive here!

A good episode, then, but not one with much subtext or depth beyond the obvious. John Thaw certainly rocks that moustache, though....

Better Call Saul: 50% Off

 "Dude, that's almosthalf!"

I love these kinds of episodes- slow, building up to something, lots of character stuff, lots of room to breathe.

We're fainly fcusing on Jimmy- busy busy busy with his new, Saul Goodman, type of criminal law stuff, and having to juggle things- proper con man stuff. And, of course, his massive discount sparks off a minor drime wave... but hey, it's all about Jimmy, as ever. Never mind the little people who get hurt.

The relationshiop between him and Kim... well, she's busy and blows off a movie night. Are they drifting apart, with their obvious ethical differences, and that nonsense with the big house being obvious pie in the sky? Well, yes... but we still see him charming her as ever.

It's an interwsting scene with Mike, too. At first we see his wholesome grandad side... but then he lashes out angrily at Kaylee when she asks too many questions about her dad being a police officer. This is a fascinating scene... but I'm sure, too, that it's leading somewhere.

But most fascinatingly, perhaps, we have Nacho. His father threatened by Gus, he has to gain Lalo's trust in order to relay thingsback to Gus... and does so in pretty much the most badass and hugely entertaining fashion possible, in a sequence that has to be the highlight of the episode... but what does he want with Jimmy....

Superb stuff, as ever.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

 "That's it, then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans.No more merciful beheadings. And cancel Christmas."

I've seen this film many times, but not since the turn of the millennium. It is, of course, a highly entertaining Hollywood blockbuster, perhaps the most popular celluloid version of the Robin Hood myth. Yes, Kevin Costner is... well, adequate, but we all know the real star is the late Alan Rickman. Was ever scenery chewed with such aplomb? This is one of the finest bits of moustache twirling villainy in cinematic history, and perhaps the performance for which Rickman will be best remembered. 

And it's a fun film, lots of set pieces. It's good. And yet... it drags a bit in places, doesn't it? And... we need to talk about Robin of Sherwood.

Yes, Azeem, the character played superbly by the always excellent Morgan Freeman, is clearly based on Nasir, and no previous version of the legend had included such a character: the film was lucky not to get sued. Yet the overall plot, the feel, and especially the climax feels suspiciously similar to the TV series, right down to the mild fantasy elements in the person of the witch character.

The geography is, of course, hilarious, and not only the start of the film where the White Cliffs of Dover are apparently within easy walking distance of Hadrian's Wall. The implication throughout is that Nottingham is in some way close to London, and that the Sheriff is in some way a figure of national imporance.

The revelation about Will Scarlet is hilarious too. And doesn't quite feel plausible how Little John's merry band so easily accept Robin as their leader.

Despite all that, though... ah, it's fun watch, and what more do we want?

Carry On Cleo (1964)

" Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!"

Yeah, like any other quote had the remotest chance of being chosen...

We know the format by now- the Carry Ons are six years in at this point, hugely popular... and this is the third instalment in 1964 alone. We know what territory the films can explore- this is the second to be set in the past. The cast is set- although this time Jim Dale is promoted to a more major role and we get a delightful cameo from Jon Pertwee.

We get a load of delightfully awful jokes (a soothsayer who says "sooth, sooth"!) and more fascinating little time capsule nuggets revealing the way things were in 1964- Caesar has difficulties in the senate when talking about the "winds of change" and is heard to protest that "You've never had it so good!" And, well, the less said about Cleopatra's blacked up bodyguard the better. It was another time...

On paper, this should have everything. But, for me, something doesn't quite click here, and I can't really say why. It's not the gleefully deliberate historical inaccuracies. The script may not, perhaps, be as good as other Carry Ons but it's perfectly good. The performances are excellent as ever.

Could it be, perhaps, that while Kenneth Williams is excellent as ever he may be a little miscast as Julius Caesar? Whether so or not, for me this one does,'t quite come off on the whole.

Who on Earth Is Tom Baker?

 "My mother beat me up many times, of course. Things were different in those days, before penicillin."

I last saw this in the '90s at some point, as a teenager. I enjoyed it, certainly, but was looking at it very much through the prism of Doctor Who fandom... which is, of course, a wonderful thing and a big part of my life. And yet... one should see Doctor Who, like everything, in its social and cultural context, and see Tom Baker for who he is: an actor... and a human being. All of which is to say that I thoroughly enyoyed this the second time round.

This is, of course, a thing of joy. Far more than the Dickens and the graveyards and that anecdote about the taxi driver, this is a fascinating look into the mind of a thoughtful, philosophical, cultured and highly intelligent man whose upbringing in such poverty and ignorance gives him a certain understated wisdom and eloquent, hinting at deeper things while deliberately refraining from forthright statements. This is a man who loves ambiguity, to be playful with ideas, who is wary of those wity too much certainty.

His musings on his upbringing, the interlude asa monk, the omnipresence of God, the quality of the bottle of red with which the video ends, the inferiority of sunsets to Turner...one can understand why this man was considered, in his heyday, to be the sort of with who would regularly spar verbally with the likes of Jeffrey Barnard and Francis Bacon after a pint or twelve.

If you can track this down- and there is, ahem, a very obvious place- and you're a fan of Tom, see if you can watch this. It's a thing of wonder.

Alas, it also shows the passage of time. Tom is ninety now. In this he's a fit man in his fifties, and surely 1991 can't be all that long ago...

Douglas Is Cancelled: Episode 4

 "I'm an avenging angel of dearth, from Newsnight. And you're Prince Andrew."

Wow. This episode is a tour de force of television scriptwriting and performance, and surely the extraordinary highlight of Karen Gillan's career so far. She truly is superb as Madeline here, as she finally and cleverly takes down Douglas, an unstoppable righteous force in an episode that brilliantly examines all of the issues arising from #MeToo. Wow.

So many elements here compliment the core message personally. We have the hapless, thick, casually misogynisic "comedian", tasked with coming up with "family friendly misogyny from a happier time". We have Douglas's increasing panic, followed by misplaced confidence. We have the slow destruction of Claudia's faith in her father. We have that gloeious confrontation between Madeline and Sheila in the ladies'.

And yes, we have Douglas cancelled, hot unfairly, because of a joke that truly was awful. There's nothing really unjust about that, despite the twist that his career ends because of an entirely separate joke for which he bears no real blame: the joke he did tell was inexcusable. And yet... Toby gets away with far worse, because Madeline, in a world of double standards, woukd bring herself down with him. And perhaps the point, the real point, as Madeline says, is that we men who are not like Toby really do need to step up.