The Sweeney: Abduction

 "One by one they stopped inviting us. One by one the Christmas cards stopped coming. One by one I lost every friend I ever had."

Yes, there are the usual "look it's the '70s" moments here. A Wimpy. An old warm-up television set that I remember from my childhood at Regan's ex's house. Eight year old childsren walking to school alone. But damn... this episode knocks all of its predecessors into a cocked hat. This is a truly compelling bit of drama.

The conceit is simple: Rergan's daughter is kidnapped, and he's warned to take no action about an expected robbery if he wants her to go unharmed. But it's not really about the plot, which ends up being fairly straightforward. It's about character. And my God, Regan is such a nuanced, real character.

Once again we see how George's wife Alison is no fan of Regan's. But we also see that he's divorced, and he doesn't see his daughter as often as he should. And we get the astonishing scene in which his ex really lashes out at him, including the above quote. This, and the companion scene that ends the episode and shows them coming to a reconciliation of sorts, tells us exactly how the marriage unfolded, and how Regan's addiction to his job means he may never find happiness in his relationships.

The final confrontation with Haskins and the Inspector handling the investigation into the kidnapping is similarly dramatic, real... and, in the end, nuanced. The relationship between Regan and Haskins will never be smooth. Yet there's a genuine mutial respect, however grudging.

Extraordinary television. 

As we've come to theend of the first series, I'll be giving The Sweeney a rest for a while. But it'll be back...

Trancers III (1992)

 "Only squids can be tranced!"

Oh yes. Not long after seeing the first two, I'm back, blogging the gloriously awful, straight-to-video, next instalment in the increasingly questionable adventures of Jack Deth.

Mind you, the first two films, while they were silly and they damn well knew it, wewre by no means bad films, quite the contraries. They were just B movies, and of the very best kind. 

But this one... well, Tim Thomerson is good, but it's just basically a slow paced yawn fest. On paper it seems ok- it's 1992, Jack is divorcing Lena so the studio can limit the appearances of the increasingly expensive Helen Hunt, and Jack finds himself in a future with humanity almost overwhelmed by trancers. His only hope is to hop back in time to 2005(!) and the trancers' origins as a creepy military drug injection programme.

Oh, and there's a very rubbish robot that looks sort of like a fish and really does look and sound terrible... but, this being low budget, it's not on screen much. Both cast and setting are visibly very cheap indeed. And, well, naff all happens.

There are bright spots. Andrew Robinson, as the villainous Colonel Mutha, chews the scenery with aplomb. Thomerson is always watchable. But, well... I may have watched one Trancers sequel too far.

Batman: Prophecy of Doom

 "We are but radios for the cosmic transmitter..."

So Heather Locklear plays Lisa! Wow. That's unexpected. And, indeed, possibly the only notable feature about this rather anonymous episode.

I mean, it's not bad, exactly. And it's good to see the animated seroers try to create its own new villains. Not every story can sustainable develop the characters or feature one of the traditional rogues gallery. Everything about this episode is... fine.

We have a fraud of a soothsayer... well, is there any other kind? This one's plot is totrick gullible rich people into giving him loads of money in order to in some way survive a massive economic collapse. Good use is made of Bruce here, and there's a nice little set piece with a lift. But the final set piece with a load of planets hanging on wires just doesn't work.

Filler, then. But necessary filler.

Better Call Saul: Black and Blue

 "You've mistaken my kindness for weakness."

This is, as if it needed to be said, a superb episode, but aren't they all? It feels like the calm before the storm, not least with the ever-present threat from Lalo: there's a certain tension pervading everything. 

The opening sequence is blurred to keep us guessing. It looks at first as though this isa chemistry lab. Could it be...? But no. I'm sure the teasing is deliberate, though.

Lalo hasn't been seen for a long time now, yet his presence pervades everything. Gus is positively paranoid... although Lalo genuinely is about to get him. But he seems to end up with some sort of plan...

Meanwhile, Howard realises what's been going on aftef Cliff confronts him... and he confronts Kimmy and goads him into a boxing match! This is unexpected, and leaves things in an interesting place. Howard, who isno fool, despite his decency, is now no longer just a passive victim but an active player, and he's taking steps to have Jimmy watched...

Another piece clicks into place as"Saul" starts business in his shell of a new office... and has to offer Francesca a lot of money to work for him again.She's visibly shocked by how much has changed over the last year or so, which should really give us pause. Jimmy, and even Kim despite her surface altruism (she's samoking more, which seems to represent her dark side, and indeed her poor choices), are moving to some dark places, and this won't end well.

Finally, we have Lalo, in Germany, turning on his psychopath charm to seduce Werner's widow and find out more about the future meth lab.. the same lab that seems to form part of Gus's own plans. 

Something is going to happen. Something huge. 

The Founder (2016)

 "You know,contracts are like hearts.They're made to be broken."

This is not, by any means, the sort of film I'd naturally gravitate to watching- the origin story of a major corporation. Yet, as a drama, this is quietly brilliant, both in terms of characterisation and what it has to say about business, morality, and the chimera that is the "American dream".

We're introduced to Ray Croc, a struggling salesman, viuaa straight to camera sales pitch, a device that, rather cleverly, gets us rooting for this underdog... only later pulling the rug out from under us and show that hehas, all this time, been not only a deeply driven go-getter but a callous dick with no morals or integrity, a terribe husband and utterly amoral. Michael Keaton, whose career seems to have had a real renaissance over the last decade, captures this superbly.

The contrast with the McDonald brothers is instructive. They are business geniuses, introducing thbe methods of Henry Ford to the burger bar, but still with a core of morals and integrity. And, while Kroc genuinely deserves credit for the success of the franchise model, he turns out to be an amoral parasite.

And there is, I think, something deeper here... the cruel concept of the American dream, that anyone can make it if they work hard enough. This is an ideology that crassly ignores the fact that we do not all start out from the same position- poverty, illness and discrimination exist as barriers for many. Capitalism goes hand in hand with a social safety net, making it safe to take risks. And ethics must be enforced by laws. Without such things... we won't have real, creative entrepreneurs like the McDonald brothers. We'll have the world of Ray Kroc.

Doctor Faustus (1967)

 "Why, this is Hell, nor am I out of it".

I fear that, much though I enjoy the deliciously irreverent work of Christopher Marlowe, I've only read two of his plays (The Jew of Malta and Edward II), and until now had never seen a performance of any kind. One may certainly say that this isan odd place to start- a mostly amateur production from students at Oxford University (including one Ian Marter!), directed by a don, and somehow not only starring Richard Burton but, oddly, featuring Elizabeth Taylor as second billing despite the fact she has no lines and hardly appears.

The play is witty, delicious, but also odd- theologically deep, reflecting an age of alchemy rather than science, where the nature of academia itself was utterly alien to the modern mind. Marlowe is riffing on an existing German tale here, where the eponymous doctor sellshis soul to Lucifer for a mere four and twenty years in return for knowledge and... well, not much else. Not love, power or happiness. This is a version shorn of the comedic scenes, but both the power and irreverence of the play will speak for themselves in any production.

I'll admit this version is no classic. Burton is far too old to play the younger Faustus and his performance, while good, does not inspire. Yet the haunting music and the bizarre Hammer Horror style sort of actually work. The Seven Deadly Sins portion is well handed, with the masks echoing classical Greek theatre. And Andreas Teuber is a genuinely compelling Mephistopheles. This film isa bit mad, yes... but that's rather why I like it.

The Sweeney: Contract Breaker

 "They've made up their mind it was me...."

Once again it's fun to see the world of half a century ago. Prison scenes straight out of Porridge. A retirement presentation at work where the booze flowsfreely and the air is clogged with tobacco smoke. Stock car racing. The clothes. The cars. And yes, people seemily did look much older then.

But this isa genuinely impressive episode, penned by one Robert Bank Stewart, whose work for Doctor Who is well known to me. The conceit is simple: Danny Keever, on day release before his release from prision, is framed for a bank job and it's up to Regan to prove his innocence when everyone else has made their mind up. We know from the start that Danny must be innocent, but the way this plays out, and how it resolves, is nicely done and very clever.

I particularly like the way the sub-plot with the aggrieved member of the gang with his posh car marries up with the rest of the plot. But it's not just the cleverness. As ever, it's the gritty realism of the acting, the dialogue, the direction. You feel utterly immersed in this world.

And wow... Warren Clarke certainly looks young here.

 

Batman: The Animated Series- Beware the Grey Ghost

 "So it wasn't all for nothing..."

Yet another masterpiece this time, and an inspired idea. A pulp style hero, shown in the monochrome past of movie serials and pulp magazines, with a catchphrase ("May those with evil hearts beware") which seems to evoke, if I remember correctly, the Shadow.

Naturally, Bruce was a huge fan. It may be a little overly sentimental to shoew Bruceas being such a massive fanboy that the Batcave itself is modelled off the Grey Ghost's lair... but I don't care. The whole conceit is utterly exquisite, with an old episode of the movie serial being imitated in order to commit exactly the same crimes.... and that's not even taking into account that the aging actor who played the Grey Ghost is played by none other than Adam West. 

Yes, the baddie is a fan and collector, whose villainy stems from his obsession and geekery, a bit of a dodge stereotype... but the whole episode is a thing of great beauty yet. One of the finest episodes yet, a sentiment I appear to expressing rather often at the moment.

Black Sabbath- Paranoid (1970)

It's extraordinary, looking back, how Sabbath could have released this second album so soon after the first. I suppose it was an era where rock band worked, toured and wrote much more quiickly. Killing themselves to live, so to speak.

Paranoid is, of course, brilliant. It must surely be the band's most well-known and popular album and, in "War Pigs", "Iron Man" and the titular track, contains some of the band's most iconic songs. Yet there's zero filler here- even deep cuts such as "Hand of Doom" are magnificent. 

There's still a similarity in style from the album's predecessor with the band's signature heavy riffs that evoke unease and horror. Yet this album branches off into different directions and is less dependent on this feel. There's a variation of styles in thos collection of songs, with the band's signature longer track with their superb transitions, but also shorter songs. Bill Ward's jazz sensibilities are allowed freer rein, lot least with his far from pretentious drum solo in "Rat Salad". The band are, by this point, fully formed- heavy, with their own sound, but announcing that they are by no means limiting themselves and reserve the right to explore.

Carry On Up the Khyber (1968)

 "For the last time, stop calling it a dangler!"

Sometimes conventional opinion is conventional for a reason, and I strongly suspect that's the case here. This is widely regarded as the best Carry On film. I've seen it a number of times during my youth, and always casually thought of it as the best. Having seen it again, now, as part of my slow journey through the Carry On films in order, that opinion is very much confirmed. Carry On Up the Khyber is absolutely superb, easily the best so far. Is this peak Carry On, then? Is it all downhill from here?

I should mention, of course, that there are things in this film- the brownface, the Indian and Afghan stereotypes- that, shall we say, have not aged well, and that there are certainly moments that make the viewer wince in 2025. The world of fifty-seven years ago now looks startlingly alien to our own... although, compared to MAGA morons, they seem positively progressive.

Those issues acknowledged, then, what makes this film so good? Well, firstly, the script is superb. The central conceit- that the security of British rule of the North-West frontier depends on the continued belief that the Third Foot and Mouth wear nothing beneath their kilts is inspired. The scene, towards the end, as Sir Sidney and the other senior British wallahs calmly eat dinner as the residency is attacked, is rightly acknowledged as perhaps the finest Carry On scene ever. But it's more than that. There's a lot of innuendo, and it's so witty. But the film is full of brilliant jokes, such as when the Khazi of Kalabar expresses annoyance at the beating of a gong- "Rank stupidity", indeed.

We also have the full core cast on top form here. Sid James and Kenneth Williams impress, of course. But Charles Hawtrey, too- having seemed to be sidelined in recent films, he's back, on top form, in a prominent role. Joan Sims and Bernard Bresslaw also stand out. But guest stars Roy Castle and Terry Scott are also superb.

I hope I'll see a better Carry On film as my marathon continues... but perhaps I should just hope to get as close as possible.

Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)

 "Let's say it's a kind of magic..."

I'm not saying this film is any good, you understand. I'm just saying that I love it. I mean, how can one not love a film in which Ramirez is on a plane, flying over the Atlantic fresh from a bizarre tailoring montage, and he watches an air safety video which starts with talk of masks dropping from above and ends with stop motion footsge of the plane crashing and fully bursting into flames.

This film is bonkers, and gleefully owns its bonkersness. In 1999, the Earth was almost doomed from the ozone layer (ah, how retro- it wasn't always climate emergency, kids), but McLeod and his mates were able to save humanity by, er, building a huge Dyson sphere thingy. So humanity has no sky and society and technology go backwards for some reason.

Oh, and the immortals are all aliens. But this isn't even the most bonkers thing. 

McLeod puts a Queen song on a jukebox... and it's that one. We have not one but two splendidly moustache-twirling baddies, one of them played by Dr Cox from Scrubs. And... we get quite the performance of Hamlet.

This film isn't a classic, no. It's very silly, with those two assassins from Zeist and all the comical beheadings. But this isn't so-bad-it's good stuff, it's camp humour. The script, co-written by Brian "The Avengers" Clemens, knows damn well how silly it is. 

Ignore the critics. Just watch and enjoy this, preferably with some booze. It's just so much fun.

The Sweeney: Big Spender

 "I found a way of getting a lot of bread for no graft at all."

Intriguing episode, this, where it takes time for the penny to drop about what mild-mannered Wardle is up to, why this harmless little accountant is associating with the notorious Smith brothers and spending so much money, including on his prostitute girlfriend. In the end  it works out satisfyingly enough, although this episode isn't up there withe the best.

There's a lot of good stuff, though, including a satisfyingly '70s car chase- Rolls Royce vs. Ford Cortina. We get a magnificent central performance from Warren Mitchell.. in drag, at one point. Wardle is a truly tragic figure. A respectable, mild-mannered accountant straight out of that Monty Python sketch, who makesa lot of money from a parking scam, gets blackmailed... and clearly knows from the beginning that he can only ride his luck so far.

Haskins, though... as Regan says, he's "on the turn". He's been quite an understanding boss of late- why is he suddenly being so harsh? Or is his Jekyll and Hyde nature just who he is...?

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)

 "Tell them I was murdered by my mathematics tutor!"

This is the first time I've ever seen this rather good film, but I did read Nicholas Meyer's splendid original novel, at least twice, during my youth. And, while much of the plot was familiar to me, albeit with some jogging of the memory, I din't recall the ending, with the uncomfortably Orientalist overtones: an Ottomas pasha, in 1891, would not, I suspect, of being in the habit of kidnapping European red-headed ladies for his harem as they remindeds him of Circassians he'd, er, known. Still, that aside(!), this is a bloody good film despite a moderately low wattage cast and a rather straightforward directorial style.

The sets are sumptuous, the location superb, and to cast a film entirely with character actors is no bad thing. Robert Duvall is a good Watson, Alan Arkin carries the film well as Sigmund Freud, And Nicol Williamson- excellent as Merlin in Excalibur- is a superb but necessarily different Holmes, still the deductive genius but coming to terms with his cocaise addiction and haunted by childhood trauma: untill the end, not recalling exact details from the novel, I was worried that he may have been sexually abused as a child by his maths tutor. Thankfully,and wisely, the story does not take this path.... I was a bit worried, after all that cold turkey montage stuff with that phallic snake from The Speckled Band being so very prominent, in a film featuring Sigmund Freud...

It's not all character stuff, though. It's fun to see Holmes and freud work together and learn from each other, much though it felt a little roo easy for Holmes to fall fr the initial ruse and show so little resentment. There's lots of adventure, a sword fight, a train chase,and lots of deduction. Even better, there are lots of nice little Sherlockian touches- and, in the brief mention of the orang-utan case, an oblique reference to a Poe short story starring Holmes' literary progenitor, Auguste Dupin.  

The hints of romance at the end, though? Very brave! Overall, then, a film which may lack a certain visual flair but has astrong enough story and cast to carry it through.

Batman: The Animated Series- See No Evil

 "All I want is for you to disappear!"

Another excellent episode this time- these one-offs where the villain isn't necessarily from Batman's rogues gallery have a tendency to be strong. This is no exception, and it's extraordinary just how much incident gewts packed into twenty-two minutes.

At first we have an interesting scenario with an invisible jewel thief who seems to double as a little girl's invisible friend for whom he's stealing. But it then takes a tragic turn into a custody battle, with the "villain" ending up back in prison and potentially poisoned by the invisibility suit.

Parts of the episode- the acting and animation- try to portray Ventrix as a straightforward bad guy, but... well, he may be a thief, but is it a bad thing for a father to want to look after his daughter as he should, rather than have the mother take it upon herself to refuse? I don't know how it works in America, but in the absence of a court order (and so such thing, or US equivalent, is implied), surely custody is a civil matter? 

Still, let us just say that I may admittedly have my own reasons for perhaps overthinking that. And that, if one is being prevented from seeing one's child by an unreasonable ex, it's wise not to cause drama but to take them to court instead.

 As far as trivia is converned... wow, a very young Elisabeth Moss. And is this the first appearance of Lucius Fox?

 

 

Better Call Saul: Hit and Run

 "You think we're wicked?"

This is a very artily directed episode by... Rhea Seehorn. Wow! 

There's so much going on here in this typically sublime pieceof television. The ongoing cheap scams may be fun but sordidly seek to destroy Howard's reputation. You laugh, you enjoy, but you feel dirty afterwards. And it's not just Jimmy, it's Kim- even her success in getting Cliff to help with her charitable endeavours is achieved in the course of something reprehensible. Howard is a decent man who deserves better. 

This episode oozes with unease and foreboding. The odd, almost random opening scene turns out to be a glimpse into the extreme lengths to with Gus is going to ensure his persinal safety. Paranoid? Perhaps. But Lalo realy is out to get him, and his hidden presence hangs over everything, paradoxicallyby means of his very absence.

It is he who causes Kim and Mike to interact for the first time, Kim realising she's being followed, despite Jimmy's obliviousness. Lalo is doing nothing, yet as a catalyst he's powerful.

Catalyst? Oh. A chemistry metaphor. For the chemistry teacher feels close, does he not? The Breakimg Bad Easter eggs are coming thick and fast. Yet, even there, Lalo is the catalyst. Jimmy is persona non grata with his now-former colleagues for his unethical if unprovable acts in letting Lalo get away... but, for the same reason, business is suddeny very good for Saul. So he needs a new office. Yes, that one.

The future seems bright. Why, then, is there so much foreboding in the air...?

Ghostbusters II (1989)

 "Being miserable, and treating other people like dirt, is every New Yorker's God given right!"

I hadn't seen this film since its original theatrical release in 1989, when I saw it at the old Cannon cinema in the towncentre. So, yes, it's been a while. Surprisingly, I did remember a few things.

This film, of course, was famously a flop, after which there wouldn't be any more Ghostbusters for a very long time. But... I can't really see why? This seems to me to be every bit as good as the original. This cast was always going to be superb. The script is great, with some very witty lines- I love the moment when a ghostly Titanic finally arrives in New York City and the man at the port says, deadpan, "Better late than never..."

The film is even about something- the threat is, essentially, a metaphor for the negative emotions stirred up in a big city and uses that concept to riff on the stereotypes and reputation of New Yorkers, as embodied by the quote above. It's a film absolutely about New York City, so of course we get a walking Statue of Liberty. It's a pity that Americans of today seem to have abandoned those nobler and old-fashioned values of, you know, welcoming the tired huddled masses and giving fascists the finger instead of voting for them.

So, yeah, the critics are just wrong here. This film is great. Yes, even the sex scene with Janine and Lewis.

Trancers II (1991)

 "I don't want to have my brain vacuumed!"

I was going to watch some art house movie but, well, I was in the mood for a B movie.  And... well, what could be more B movie than not only a cheeky, er, "homage" to Terminator but a straight-to-video sequel to said "homage" that just so happens to be released in the same year as Terminator II?

This is the most gloriously trashy straight-to-video sequel of all time. Jack Deth is back: let there be much rejicing. Tim Thomerson may be visibly older but he still plays our gruff hero with the perfect deadpan campness. Indeed, all the relevant cast members return, which is impressive.

But best of all, we have the most splendidly bonkers timey-wimey love triangle of all time. Yes, Jack may have seen his wife Alice die in his arms at the hands of Trancers, causing his huge grudge against them. Yes, he may now be happy in the past with his new wife Lena... but oh. They plucked Alice from a day before her death and sent her backin time to find Jack, because of course they did.

Naturally, in no way is this played for real drama but as the utter bonkersness that it is, and I love it. Then we have Hap deciding to get drunk and play homeless baseball again. We have a massive fire engine. And the usual hi-jinks with Trancers in unexpected places and yes, the good old long second.

Basically, this film is trashy in the best possible way. And I'm so going to watch the next one.

Batman: The Animated Series- The Cat and the Claw, Part !!

 "So you do care."

"More than you'll ever know."

Hmm. This is ok, I suppose, but doesn't quite match the first part. Plot-wise, it's entertaining and formulaic. The Red Claw and her goons steal a deadly plague virus which the US army is transporting on atrain (very naughty- biological warfare, eh?) and threaten to release it on Gotham if she isn't paid million dollars. Most of the episode is Batman and Catwoman foiling their plans together.

And it's fine. There's a fun little moment when the Red Claw leaves the two of them in a deathtrap that evokes the ols '60s series. It all plays out well enough. The Red Claw is a bit one-note, but I suppose that's what we want: Catwoman is the focus here.

Oh, and the pleasingly evocative dynamic between the two of them, of course. Bruce is genuinely really into her, and she, not knowing his secret identity as the detective knows hers, is in love with Batman. And so the episode ends, inevitably and tragically, with Batman handcuffing the woman who loves him.

That side of things certainly works well. But otherwise? I like Catwoman. But the story overall fails to satisfy.

The Sweeney: Stoppo Driver

 "Who taught you to drive- Evel Knievel?"

Another strong episode this time round as a newlywed copper is forced to act as a getaway driver in order to stop his kidnapped bride from being harmed- an evocative situation which is handled superbly, with a very strong guest performance from Billy Murray in particular.

We're really made to feel for the couple, who at least manage to get their revenge at the end, albeit with Cooney's career in ruins. It's a script that is pacy, taut and lean yet also gives the tragic events the room they need to breathe.

The car chases (with proper '70s cars!) are excellent too, of course, as is the excellently naturalistic yet charistmatic performance from John Thaw. It's interesting to see the growing mutual respect between Haskins and Regan, too- this isn't a one-note, cliched adversarial relationship. But Aubrey Morris pretty much steals the show as an arrogant Swiss diplomat.

As ever, though, the joys lie as much in the sights and social mores of half a century ago as in any of the plot and characters. Towards the end of the season, perhaps, the self-contained nature of each episode, normal for the time, is perhaps starting to grate. But there's no denying that this is good stuff.

Batman: The Animated Series- The Cat and the Claw, Part I

 "A cat at the end of its nine lives..."

At last we meet Catwoman. Of course, those of us who know our Batman will not be surprised by the last minute revelatyion that Selina Kyle and Catwoman are one and the same, but they're just going through the motions with that "reveal"- we're expected to know, I think. Selina's comment, at the prospect of her date with Bruce, that she wishes it was with Batman just drips with dramatic irony.

Some things are just intrinsically Catwoman- the fact that we begin with a little heist from our cat burglar, the exual chemistry between her and Batman, her flirting with and even kissing him while he wants to arrest her. And yet the way they're going with Selina is interesting. She seems to be a well-off woman with a interest in feline conservation, and with a secretary who knows her secret... so why the cat burglary? To fund her mountain lion preserving activities? This isan interesting angle.

As is the fact that Catwoman is not really the villain here but a morally ambiguous romantic foil for the Batman. As baddies, we have the mob, and the mysterious Red Claw...

I'm very interested to see where this is headed...

Better Call Saul: Rock and Hard Place

 "Today you are going to die..."

Obviously this episode is all about Nacho. Jimmy doesn't even appear until sixteen minutes into the episode. Not that things don't happen with him: his and Kim's plans to screw over Howard proceed apace. Yet again we see that she's really into him. Huell, by contrast, sees right through him in a nice little scene. And Kim and Jimmy learn that Lalo is supposedly dead, while Jimmy has an off ramp for his complicity with Lalo... but will he take it?

Still, this episode is not about Jimmy.

My thoughts keep drifting to those opening few seconds as the camera lingers on some flowers that survive, precariously, in the New Mexico desert. This episode consists of Nacho slowly learning that there's no way he ends up surviving this, however much he begins the episode with some optimism, having escaped for now. Yet in order to dodge being immediately caught he has to literally submerge himself in oil. There's only one way his being on the run can end.

The phone call with his dad is heartbreaking: you feel, suddenly, that this is their last goodbye, and his dad is still disappointed at how Nacho's life has gone. Nacho suddenly realises that the cartel could get at his dad.

And so... he, Mike and Gus work out an ending in which his death is with dignity, on his own terms, and protects both his dad and Gus himself. But watching the events play out is gut-wrenching and unforgettable. Nacho getting the satisfaction of telling Hector what he really thinks... and that final shot, with Hector impotently shooting at a dead man.

Wow. This episode will haunt me.

Murder by Decree (1979)

 "I prefer bad manners in the theatre to violence in the streets..."

This film is an odd and intriguing beast. It's very well directed indeed, with the scenes involving the Ripper particularly well-realised. It has a superb cast. It's a very well made film. And yet...

Firstly, the script is somewhat plodding, slow, oddly paced and not quite worthy of the excellent way it's been realised. While James Mason gives us a first rate Watson, Christopher Plummer's generally impressive performance as Holmes suffers from the fact that the script doesn't really get the character- this Holmes is too openly emotional, too "normal".

This isn't the first time that cinema has put Holmes and Watson into the context of the Jack the Ripper murders but... well, SPOILERS, but this film adopts wholesale the then-fashionable theories advanced by Stephen Knight in his unfortunately titled Jack the Ripper:  The Final Solution, theories that woukd later form the basis of both the graphic novel and the film of From Hell..

And this is a problem. Not because such theories have fallen out of fashion (Personally, I don't buy the freemasonry nonsense- it's a very silly organisation but, except in the context discriminating against non-freemasons in their careers, harmless nonsense. I'd suggest borrowing a razor off that nice Mr Occam. The Ripper was probably Charles Lechmere.), but simply because adopting this narrative wholesale means that Holmes and Watson are by definition unable to have much agency or influence over events. 

Still, this is an interesting little curiosity nonetheless.

Torture Garden (1967)

 "Did you know that there are ways to raise the dead...?"

This is, I believe, the only one of the Amicus horror anthologies that I still had to blog until now- do let me know if I'm wrong. The format is much as we'd come to expect, though- four lurid tales of grand guignol with an overarching narrative.

What separates this film from the norm is its more than usually transatlantic cast, with Burgess Meredith chewing the scenery in the best possible way as the delightfully devilish(!) Dr Diabolo. Even the opening titles, with the background of a creepy old amusement park at night, set the scenes superbly, and the framing device does its job to perfection.

Not all the tales are equally good, but all are entertaining. The third, in which a lady's pursuit of a desirable man leads to her death at the, er, hands(?) of a jealous piano, is hilarious. The first two, concerning a black cat and the secret reason why Hollywood stars never seem to age, are nicely and evilly gothic and lurid.

Yet it's the final story, with the unusual pairing of Jack Palance and Peter Cushing, that lingers in the mind, as two men bond over a shared enthusiasm for Edgar Allan Poe. This is a delightfully effective warning of the dangers of the more toxic sides of fandom,with deliciously absurd revelations leading to a perfectly melodramatic ending.

This is grand guignol at its best.

The Sweeney: Golden Boy

 "You're nicked, and I'm not authorised or insured to drive this car!"

I know: all this current telly, especially, means The Sweeney has taken a bit of a back seat lately. But fear not: I'll carry on until the end of the first series,and return after a break to blog the rest.

Anyway, this is another damn good episode, about a heist to nick some gold bullion and haul it to Beirut, and involving some particularly clever jiggery pokery with security cameras. Yet it's also about the personalities involved, the complezities of keeping such a blag secret, and how Regan and George manage to nab them in the end. As ever, it's not a whodunit- we're privy to everything that happens- but it's fun following how the Flying Squad get their men, sometimes by detective work but often by other means.

Plus, of course, there's the usual fun of seeing the UK of fifty years ago. Playing Pong in a pub. Time and motion studies. Everybody always smoking. Half pennies.But it's becoming particularly noticeable how good and how natural John Thaw is as a gruff, laddish, vaguely cynical yet nevertheless likeable Regan.

Squid Game: Friend or Foe

 "We surrender...!"

Well, we weren'rt exactly expecting a happy ending, were we...?

I'm in two minds about this finale. 

One problem is that, while I've no issues with a finale leaving plot threads to be resolved in the following season or even ending on a cliffhanger, we get no sense of closure at all here. The boat captain is a traitor! Young-Il is a traitor! All those who joined in the rebellion against the guards and came close to destroying the whole operatioin are shot... except Ji-hun, who is taunted by Front Man. And then it ends with the promise of Season Three. This feels more like a mid-season "finale" before a short break than a proper finale. As a finale, it fails.

Then there's the fact that so much of the running time is just people shooting each other. a LOT. And it gets very repetitive and dull.

And yet... there's lots of good stuff. The earlier scenes, as the players work out how to survive a night of blatantly licenced free for all killing, are gripping. The announcement of those players who died in the gents' toilet, and the extra money added to the prize total, is a clever psychological moment. But I'm not sure I find it realistic that so many would have agreed to Gi-hun's plan to attack the guards, take their guns and storm the control room because, well, it's completely insane, isn't it...?

And yet... it certainly works very well thematically. The "games" are a blatant metaphor for red-in-tooth-and-claw, unrestrained, free market capitalism with its winners, its losers, its brutality, and its harsh unfairness in such an unequal world. So it feels grimly fitting that there should be the illusion of hope, but only an illusion. And that the enemy should be masked, faceless and limitless.

One thing is truly brilliant, though: the shot from above of the gunfight in that M. C. Escher set...

Batman: The Animated Series- Heart of Ice

 "Think of it, Batman. To never again walk on a summer's day with the hot wind in your face and a warm hand to hold."

Mr Freeze has always, it seemed to me, been a little of an oddity within Batman's usual rogues' galleryt. He first appeared in 1959, as a one off, in the guise of Mr Zero, during a period whan Batman (and Robin) would typically be involved in such science fiction shenanigans. He next appeared, with the name of Mr Freeze, in the 1960s camp TV series, forcing his return to the comics, where the character had always been an awkward fit with the tone of the comics after Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams began a more serious and grimmer tone in 1970 that has more or less remained ever since.

And yet... this episode is an extraordinary, tragic triumph, reinventing the character as a man whose only wish is to avenge his wife. He's a paradox: cold, emotionless, uncaring of his underlings and collateral damage, yet ultimately driven by love. He can never again, in any sense, know warmth. He is, in a sense, dead. Flawed though he is- Ferris Boyle is correct that he's used millions of company equipment illicitly- he is nonetheless genuinely sinned against: it would have cost nothing for Boyle to wait for Fries to hopefully cure his wife before putting a stopo to everything. Batman is right to expose him.

Every beat of this heartrending tragedy is perfect. And yet again I'm enjoying the sardonic dynamic betwen Alfred and Batman and the deliberate ambiguity between whether this is the 1940s or the present day. Yet the tale of this "villain" remains with me in a way few previous episodes have done.

Carry On Doctor (1967)

 "Matron doesn't approve of banging in the ward..."

Agh. I hadn't seen this film for decades, but then last night I watched it... and suddenly it felt very familiar indeed. I suspect I've seen this Carry On more times than any other, albeit early in my life. And that probably shouldn't be surprising- it's one of the most highly regarded. But I probably enjoyed the film less than I should have done because of the memories flooding back as I watched it.

It's strange seeing this while watching all the films in order. After several films set in historical times and other places, here we are again in a contemporary British hospital, in a 1967 of the middle aged, rather different to the Summer of Love that was happening for a few rich young people. This is a time of strict matrons, the trope of the nagging wife, innuendo, "sex maniacs" and cold baths.

Indeed, this feels much like the earlier films in the series, including the style of the opening titles, which allude to Carry On Nurse. Yet we're much firmly into the more innuendo-based humour, with Barbara Windsor's, er, assets playing a large role.

The farcical, very silly plot, as well as some nicely witty lines, make this one of the better Carry Ons. I loved the Invisible Man gag. Frankie Howerd, in his Carry On debut, is excellent in a very prominent role, although the fact that the usual cast is very much present and correct means that some of the regulars are stretched quite thin. Charles Hawtrey, yet again, has a surprisingly small role- off-screen problems?

Excellent film. Although it has me wondering- at what point did we stop referring to "the National Health" and start calling it the NHS, colloquially?

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

 "Ghost in the machine..."

Let's admit it: this isn't exactly the greatest film ever made. But it's a fascinating one. 

This is the most cyberpunk film I've ever seen, from a time when cyberpunk was, at a stretch, still pretty much a thing in its original form, and it's helmed by a director best known for making the music videos for R.E.M, which in itself is pleasingly '90s. Even better, it's an adaptation of a William Gibson short story (I've read it, but we're talking thirty odd years...) with a screenplay by Gibson himself.

It's not exactly great, despite all that- it lacks a certain sparkle in dialogue, direction and performance (although Henry Rollins is great) and, given the cast, I suspect that last flaw is down to the director. Yet this isn't by any means a bad film either, simply promising but flawed. And it shows, perhaps, that the script is by a novelist who isn't used to writing for the screen.

Yet it's fascinating to see this imagined cyberpunk future of 2021 (there's a pandemic!), with corporate rule enforced by Yakuza, intelligent savant dolphins (shades of Halo Jones there), and, er, VCRs! The internet is shown with trippy visuals and imagined in such a quaint, 90s, virtual reality way. It's all so... cyberpunk.

Yet the ideas are often great. Uploading extra memory capacity to one's brain. An electronic virus. A cyborg preacher. This is a flawed film, but I'm glad it exists: a film that is the cinematic epitome of cyberpunk itself.

Squid Game: O X

 "Your money, your girl, your life, they're all mine..."

And with this, the most brutal episode yet, the stakes are even higher.

Next episode is the finale, so naturally Jun-ho and his undeerlings, with the help of a drone, seem to find the island, albeit explosively. But, among the players, there's so much drama and so much anguish.The game of Mingle, which lasts for several rounds, is the most evil yet and, for the first time, we see the death of a non-redshirt. We also see, with this being a game that rewards such things, unexpected moments of weakness and... yes, ruthlessness. We won't see In-ho in the same way again, likeable as he claims to be.

This game evokes cliques and tribes, as in school, and the dynamic is very much that- popularity, ruthlessness and, in the horrifying final round where there's intense competition for a limited number of rooms, ruthlessness. But perhaps the intended metaphor, as ever, is the free market.

Things are no less intense during the vote on whether to continue. After much drama and tension, it's revealed that there will be another vote in the morning... and, as soon as Ji-hun sees they've all been provided with metal forks, he sees the horrifying implication: they need to survive the night. And so arguments turn to violence, leading to atruly shocking final shot...

Inspector Morse: Driven to Distraction

 "I think our friend Chief Inspector Morse could prove to be something of a major pain in the rectum area."

This one is.. well, different. it's the first episode that doesn't feel as though it fits the format. Morse essentially bodges the whole thing, single-mindedly pursuing a suspect on a hunch. There were moments here when I genuinely wondered whether I was watching a Columbo-style "howdunit" where the killer is known but our protagonist just has to prove it... but mostly it was clear that Jeremy Boynton was just the very obvious red herring.

And yes, the reveal of the actual murderer ewas well done, but as a whodunit this episode is much less well- constructed than we'd usually expect from Inspector Morse. And yet... this is still a good piece of television precisely because Morse gets it so wrong, leading to real clashes with both Lewis and Superintendent Strange. At last his unorthodox methods lead him to come a cropper.

Yet he bonds with the rather clever Sergeant Maitland, a true kindred spirit played superbly by Mary Jo Randle- I suspect, sadly, we won't be seeing her again. Indeed, this episode breaks the usual format in nodding towards actual police procedure. Morse doesn't just have Lewis here, but others. There's even an incident room.

So the format has been broken, and it's worked. Could it happern again...?

Squid Game: One More Game

"Only 110 people died? Is that all?"

We begin with the tense resolution of the second game, in which the characters we're following get toshow their character, and loads of redshirts get gunned down, all with so much tension. And we end with the beginning of the third game. But so much happens in=-between in what is yet another extraordinary episode of Squid Game.

Plot threads advance- the search for the island continues, while No-eul is assaulted and threatened by other guards. We get to know some of the characters better- Young-mi, the desperate pregnant girl, and Hyun-ju, the poor trans woman whose life has been destroyed by scum and their vile bigotry. Everyone playing the game has a backstory, a reason to be desperate, and a reason to keep playing. Some have only themselves to blame, but others have been through real tragedy.

Which is what makes the central scene of the episode sopowerful as the players vote again, and more decisevely, to continue, with much tension and must impassionned debate. One more game. For many, the prize money accumulated this far is simply not enough to save them from destruction. And so the brutal, deathly competition needs to continue, despite the horrible risks.

The subtext is powerful: the games stand, I suppose, for the free market. And yes, people vote, so they have a choice, on the surface. But is a choice made from desperation truly a free choice...?

Inspector Morse: The Sins of the Fathers

 "He didn't think Mr Trevor could organise a proverbial. Even in his own brewery."

Last episode was, especially on reflection, utterly superb. And so is this one, full of cleverly interwoven plot threads and nuanced characters played by first rate guest stars... until it isn't. The ending, with its sudden reveal of events back in history which motivated the murderer, doesn't feel earned and, although it doesn't exactly breal Father Knox's traditional rules of detective fiction, it isn't really in the spirit. None of this historical Knox stuff was forewarned to the viewer.

And yet the drama is excellent. Betty Marsden's racist mother, and Lionel Jeffries and Isabel Dean as the horribly snobbish family of the victim, all particularly excel, although we do find ourselves with that age old problem of detective telly, that the most famous guest actors are likely to be the ones whodunit.

The young Alex Jennings, though... wow. I realise he's been ubiquitous on television these last few years, but as a young actor he could exude such nuance and, yes, menace.

A flawed but impressive instalment, though. And, yet again, a remindwr that the world of my early youth is long gone. No more posh old people of that generation, and no more typewriters. But we have real ale still, and long may it persist.

Batman: The Animated Series- I've Got Batman in My Basement

 "Befouled by a couple of fledglings!"

Well, they can't all be good, can they? 

Positives first, though: I like what they've done with the Penguin. The character was, perhaps, looking uncomfortably old fashioned and silly by the early '90s, particularly after Batman Returns where the character was radically re-evaluated. The comics would soon subtly revamp the character as a mob boss, de-emphasising tbe unbrellas and so forth. The Penguin we have here is a fascinating snapshot along that period of transition. Visually, he looks traditional, with only a slight visual nod to Danny Devito's look in trhe darker colours. The unbrellas and the Burgess Meredith mannerisms are subtly different but more or less there. And yet... this is a cultured, snobbish, patronising Penguin, whiuch is interesting. I look forwardto seeing the character in a better episode.

But... well, Batman can encompass all sorts of story styles and there's nothing wrong with telling a story from the point of view of a kid. But an unconscious Batman, a vulture, the kids trying to solve the crime and a Home Alone situation in Sherman's massive basement? Oh dear. The tone here is all wrong.

And... the Batcave is apparently common knowledge. Oh dear. Hopefully this will be a one off dud.

Squid Game: Six Legs

 "I pressed the O button because of you..."

It's a fascinating dynamc as we await the second game, and the paradoxical implications are discussed. Everyone wants Ji-hun to help them through the games and he wants to do so... but if he does, no one is eliminated, and so things just continue. No wonder they end up changing the second game to one where this can't happen. But I get ahead of myself.

There are other sub-plots, of course. In shooting wounded players dead, Noi-eul is deliberately sabotaging the trade in body parts as happened last season. Jun-ho is still wanting to fing the island and the clock is ticking now the games have begun, but he still has his team. And we begin to know more and more about the various plsyers, from the rather nice trans character to several more crypto victims and, indeed, marines. There's a pregnant woman. And... there are a lot of redshirts.

The second game is complex, brutal and unforgiving, as indeed is the process of choosing the teams of five, a nice little character scene. But we see the first two teams panic, fail and get gunned down before the episode ends with it being the turn of some characters we actually care about...

Once again, though, this is a story of inequality, greed, prejudice and morality with a lot going on. Jun-ho has his ethics, but his ethics are meaningfully questioned throughout, not least by himself. Superb telly, as ever.

Mind you, this is episode four of seven, with Jun-ho and his team waiting in the wings, and we're only at the start of the second games. I suspect things will go rather differently this season...

Inspector Morse: The Infernal Serpent

 "It's too warm for lentil soup.

SPOILERS. Be warned....

It's the '90ds now, or it has been for a few days, although, of course, this would have been filmed in 1989, and decades are an artificial thing, amnyway. Not much instantly changes when the year suddenly ends with a zero instead of a nine. This still feels very much the late '80s- a time of payphones, typewriters, nobody under 40 in a t-shirt, and environmentalist only having truly broken through a few years earlier.

And it feels a subtly different time. The open accent snobbery. The fact that environmentalism is not yet particularly about the climate emergency. And yet... the ending packs an enormous punch. Becauseyes, there's a bit of an environmental scandal. And a cover-up, all of which suddenly feels much modern. But throughout, amongst the Copley-Barnes family, there's the constant sense of some hidden secret, something very, very wrong.

The big reveal, at the end, is both effective and devastating. The attitudes to historic child sexual abuse are surprisingly modern, the message right. The Master is able to get away with his crimes because of his social status and Phil, a mere gardener, would never have been believed about his daughter.

Because of snobbery, of class prejudice. I suppose class snobbery always, in its power structures, colludes with paedophilia, which is certainly something to think on.

A superb, well-written bit of telly, this, with a brilliant pay-off. John Thaw, again, is superb in showing both Morse's moral indignation and how bloody difficult he can be. One of the finest episodes yet.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

 I know: it's been a while since I blogged my last novel. And there's a reason for that, albeit slightly embarrassing... I neft the part finished novel in a guest house two hundred miles away, but the landlady kept it for me and even saved my page. Phew.

Anyway, I love a good novel of ideas, and this one throews ideas at you like few other novels. It's my first experience of Neil Stephenson, who I found to be devilishly clever in how he constructs his mindblowing conceits which include, among your usual post-William Gibson riffing on a Cyberpunk future, the concept of language itsewlf as a vrus, the same thing as both biological and computer viruses, with ideas themselves working as a kind of computer program.

You have to pay attention: the concepts are deliciously complex and ingenious, and we aren't spoon fed. The narrative is economical to the point that the novel seems to end rather abruptly, with part of me wishing for an epilogue but the greater of me appreciating the curt narrative structure.

While there's a certain line of absurdity that isn't crossed, the novel is dryly humorous and has a delightfully heretical view of religion as existing in relatiion to its viruses. It's a novel of ideas, not characters, but the book is chock full of entertaining grotesques and our heroes, YT and Hiro Protagonist(!) are nicely drawn.

It's worth awarning: there one icky scene where YT, aged fifteen, has sex with an older man. But, this aside, I enjoyed this very weird and very clever novel very much.

Zodiac (2007)

 "I think he's watching us."

"Well, we're very good looking."

This is an interesting film, to say the least. I suppose I was expecting something more sensational, more focused on the gory details, but instead far more of the run time is dedicated to the puzzle of who the Zodiac was, with all the many little clues, details and complicating factors, not least of which is which crimes, other than the main ones, were genuinely committed by the Zodiac himself.

The whole thing looks beautiful and the directorial style from David Fincher is exquisite. The California of the late '60s up to the early '80s is recreated in convincing and fascinating detail. Indeed, the actual social mores of this time- in which hippes and the like did not loom anything like as large as popular culture may make us imagine- are as fascinating as anything else, not least the detail that Arthur Leigh Allen seems to be let off appallingly lightly for his disgusting child molestation. And the cast is pretty much perfect, although Robert Downey Jr and Mark Ruffalo stand out in particular.

I'm not convinced that Allen was the Zodiac- indeed, I'm not sure any of the usually touted suspects were. But I don't think we can say, despite appearances, that the film does either. It leans into the ambiguity at times, especially with the extraordinary tense scenes where Robert begins to suspect that Bob Vaughn may be the Zodiac, and the two of them are alone in Vaughn's basement.

But the film, I think, is not about solving the mystery: it's about the dangers of obsession with endless if fascinatingrabbit holes such as this, which ruins Robert Graysmith's marriage, Paul Avery's health and career and David Toschi's reputation. Mysteries are fascinating, but they are not more important than our relationships, our children, our lives. And that's a very compelling point from a seriously impressive film.

Follow That Camel (1967)

 "The pill? What do you think they used that for?"

"I can't conceive."

Another Carry On film today, albeit the second of two instalments without the title... and, well, we're in the middle of the peak period here, and this one may possibly be the best yet. 

We have to wince a little at the portrayal of the Algerian characters and the use of brownface in particular, good though Bernard Bresslaw is as antagonist Abdul Abulbul, and all the dodgy Arab stereotypes are out in force. One of the funniest jokes is about suicide. As for the jokes about what happens to Jane when alone with various men, well...

It was 1967, a very different time. But crikey.

Yet this Carry On treatment of Beau Geste and the French Foreign Legion works well. Sid James is absent, but the one-off appearance of the very American and very funny Phil Silvers in this very British comedy franchise works triumphantly. Silvers is magnificent here, as are Jim Dale and especially Angela Douglas. Kenneth Williams is also worthy of particular praise; he's very good and very funny without necessarily being camp here. He has far more range as a comic actor than even his admirers tend to acknowledge.

Yet what elevates this film to top tier status is the script. Yes, Talbot Rothwell gives us a very Carry On text, as he should, but this one is unusually witty as well as being ribald.

Here's hoping for a couple more of this quality before things apparently start to go downhill...

American Greed: James McGill

 "Right from the start he was the kind of lawyer guilty people hire."

Tonight, something a little unusual. I've been assured that, from my perspective, there are no spoilers.

This is, I understand, an episode of a documentary series that usually deals with real life criminals and fraudsters- I had a look and recognised a few names from other episodes, Allen Stanford for one. But this episode deals with our very own Jimmy McGill aka Saul Goodman. And it's a rather good laugh.

The style of the visuals and narration is somewhat overblown, reminding me of The Day Today. But, as one watches this, it becomes clear just how clever it is. Actors from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul appear, most hilariously the Kettlemans, deluded and annoying as ever. It's all played so very straight, which is exactly why it's such fun.

See for yourself... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DC4yenXwx7ao&ved=2ahUKEwjU_t28r_2KAxUAQ0EAHRlJGh8QtwJ6BAgPEAI&usg=AOvVaw01PuO0QN1Lqhn1UxyeKHWl

What If... What If?

 "But... what is the point of just watching?"

This is, in terms of how it's constructed, a masterfjul finale. I'm just not sure it's about anything other than itself, philosophical though it may seem on the surface.

It's vert good though. Lots of pleasing moments. We begin with a flashback to Uatu's accession as a Watcher by the Eminence, but the master ultimately becomes the pupil. Peggy gets a meaningful death, very characteristic of her. Ultron's sacrifice, of course, had to happen. The powers of the Watchers are shown to be truly incredible, able even to erase a given person from ever having existed... in all realities.

And the end being a slightly altered version of the opening monologue, this time by Uatu again, is a particularly nice touch.

Yet the core of it all is the ongoing debate between Uatu and the Eminence... to watch, or also to intervene? To remain neutral, or to nurture the garden that is reality? To watch, or to see? And yes, it's all very philosophical on the surface... but is it really meaningful? This is a purely abstract debate with doubtful relevance to the real world. I suppose one could take it asa plea not to try to be "apolitical", as this just means a passive kind of conservatism. But even that's a stretch.

That said, though, this is very good.

Squid Game: 001

 "Can I just have what you're wearing instead? I like pink."

Wow. And with this the season lights on fire. This is devilishly clever telly in a number of ways.

To begin with, we have twoi narratives- Gi-hun adjust to the fact that he's on the islans again, while in the B plot Jun-ho and the others follow the tracker in his teeth in order to find him. But, in a smart bit of misdirection, it's suddenly revealred that the two sets of scenes don't take place at the same time... and that Gi-hun removed the tracker, that he'd gone to such lengths to get, in advance of the first game. Why?! I'm sure this will be revisited.

We see all the sights and dynamics once again. The Escher staircase; the striking costumes of the guards; another set of interesting characters. We have a mother and son both playing to clear the son's debts- I strongly suspect they'll ultimately be pitted against each other. Then we have a trans character, an old friens of Gi-hun's, an unscrupulous rapper called Thanos(!), and a crypto scammer (all crypto is a scam, people; don't do it) whose justifications for his behaviour suspiciously echo those of Front Man. People have a "choice"...

But the truly delicious bit is the effect of Gi-hun, with his experience, as a catalyst. He wants to help people, but people will be people. He and another lady risk their lives to save number 444... but No-eul shoots him nonetheless. And his warning people, duiring this year'sgame of Red Light, Green Light, that those whio do not remain still will be shot, is met only with mockery. And afterwards he is met with suspicion by many. We liuve in a greedy and conspiracy-addled world today, alas.

It's by one vote, of course: this is television drama. But, although the players will always be free to vote after every game whether to keepplaying or not, the result of the vote is inevitable.

Again, wow.

What If... the Watcher Disappeared?

 "It's definitely a risk."

"But it's to save a friend, and that's worth taking."

So it's nearly all over.

I know I'm always saying this for the episode of any serial (for this season is just that, albeit loosely for most of its run) that comes before the finale, but this episode functions as baasically set-up. What impresses here is how entertainingly the episode does its job of basically exposition and setting up of a cast of heroes to take us through the finale.

The Watcher has been arrrsted and tried by his own people for the crime of, you know, getting of his arse and doing something on occasion. And so, in a brilliant touch, the usual opening monologue is from not the Watcher but his erstwhile boss... and not just the delivery but the wording is more suercilious than we're used to.From the off, we don't like this bloke.

And then we're introduced to our team of desperate heroes who will hopefully save the day... and they all happen to be female, which will annoy all the far right culture warriors. We have the continuing story across realities of Captain Carter; the returning Kahhori; the now grown-up daughter of Darcy and Howard the Duck; and Storm, brilliantly shown as goddess of thunder (isn't this homaging an old limited series from the late '80s with the X-Men visiting Asgard?), yet again gradually pushing the mutants into the MCU.

There characters are introduced with skill, getting us to know and like them. And then there's the concept of Ultron, centuries after destroying all life in his universe, realidsing the enormity of what he did... and there can be "no redemption" for him. Wow.

Sometimes a set-up episode, which has to do so much, can be even more impressive than the actual finale. We'll soon see thether or not that's the case here.

Better Call Saul: Carrot and Stick

 "Lalo Salamanca lives!"

We don't see Lalo in this episode at all. But his influence is seen everywhere. 

We begin with... domino rally! Mike, again, has his moral code, and is trying to protect Nacho's dependents. But for Nacho things look much bleaker. His hiding place is discovered and, in sloooow scenes, we feel the tension deeply on his behalf as he realises his likely fate. In the end, he only just survives in an incredibly tense and dramatic sequence as the Salamancas (including those terrifying twins) arrive looking for him.

It's all devilishly complex: Gus talks to Don Hector who, of course, knows that Lalo is alive... and Gus sees, from Hector's expression, that this is the case. Giancarlo Esposito is exquisite here: he communicates this through facial expression alone.

And sothe way lies open for Mike to point out, according to his principles but also correctly, to Gus that he must lookafter Nacho. Because if thre Salamancas get to him, and get him to talk as they undoubtedly would... Gus is surely finished. Mike is bravely defiant on this: if Nacho hadn't rung, and asked to speak to Gus, I'm not sure what would have happened... but I suspect, in the longer term, Mike is earning even more of Gus' respect.

The other thread of the episode, with Jimmy and Kim putting their plot against Howard into operation, is similarly complex. It not clear what's going on yet, or meant to be, but it's fun to see this unfold, much as it was with the scams of old... much as it's also fun to see the entitled and arrogant Kettlemans get their comeuppance.

But this seems to be a turning point: Kim is turning very dark here, thoroughly corrupted by Jimmy. It's subtly and brilliantly done, and very much feels earned.

Better Call Saul was already exquisite. But we seem, crazy though it sounds, to be moving to another level altogether.

The Delta Force (1986)

 "You don't need beds. You're gonna die tomorrow..."

I seem to be very much in the mood for cheesy '80s action films and this very much seemed to fit the fill- by Cannon, themasters of the genre, and starring Chuck Norris yet featuring a rather impressive-looking cast.

And it is, indeed, a fun watch, slowly going through the events of a hijack based loosely on one from real life the previous year. While there's plenty of action towards the end, there's plenty of tension throughout and the decision to take us through the mechanics of the hijack is in itself highly engrossing.

It helps, too, that we spend time getting to know and like the passengers and crew, many of whom are played by rather high profile character actors. It's very odd indeed to see a young Robert Forster, who I know from Jackie Brown and Mulholland Drive, as the chief hijacker... but he's very good indeed.

The film is, however, of its time. Very gung-ho, and the main flashpoint of the world is of course Beirut. The presentation of Arab characters- not just the hijackers but air traffic control and so forth- is, let us not mince words, quite shockingly racist. And there's a very prominent pro-Israeli subtext throughout the film. It's not crudely overdone, but it's ever-present.

However, there's no denying that, if you're in the mood to switch your brain off and enjoy a proper '80s action film, this very much does the trick.

Trancers (1984)

 "Hey Mom, they shot Santa Claus!"

This is now my favourite Christmas film, and I will die on this hill. Eat your heart out, Die Hard.

This is one of the finest of that splendid genre that is cheekily obvious rip-offs of much bigger action flicks that were so prevalent back in the '80s. In this case we're ripping off... er, homaging Terminator. Oh, the Trancers are sort of zombies, not robots, and the time travel is via a "time drug" that implants your consciousness into the body of an ancestor... but it's very, very blatant. And I for one have zero problem with it, because this film is quite simply awesome.

The ideas are silly but great- the "long second", "Lost Angeles". Jack Deth (I love how every character points out what a ridiculous name this is) is the perfect protagonist played to Adam West-like perfection by Tim Thomerson. Gruff, cynical, but heroic and with a heart of gold- with every line delivered absolutely straight, as camp humour requires.

This film knows damn well how silly it is and there are nice clever touches- Deth may be middle aged, but he's from the far future, so he dances happily to a punk band which, to him, would sound quite old fashioned.

It would be churlish to point out the plot holes- if Jack stays in 1985, what happens to Phil? Why can't the Council just send him another syringe?- because the film is just so damn enjoyable. I may even watch the sequels. Here's hoping they're the right kind of bad.

What If... 1872?

 "In this universe, Ultron was actually programmed for show tunes..." 

Here we reach the wilder shores of What If?, where we move veyond a simple point of divergence from an event we know to the truly wild and wonderful... which, rather nicely, includes a nice little cameo from Frog Thor from the Walt Simonson days. So we go back in time to the OldWest, to the 1872 of the Marvel Universe. I'm not really au fait with much that happened in the comics after about 1993, but perhaps I was expecting at least some reference to the Two Gun Kid or Rawhide Kid or, indeed, the original Ghost Rider.

Instead we get a decent little tale of Shang-Chi and Kate Bishop looking int the mass kidnapping of Chinese immigrant rail workers by the mysterious "Hood". I appreciate the political subtext here, especially as we await the swearing in of Trump, that doddering old fool, and his many moronic policies including mass deportations.

But... well, the climax with the twist and emotional twists and turns with Xialing doesn't quite do it for me, although once again it's fascinating to see such a Shang-Chi heavy episode. But I was entertained, there were some nice ideas, Easter eggs despite a relatively small cast, some fun with Western tropes, and a nice little cameo from John Walker.

It's all about the ending though, as the Watcher is finally in trouble for interfering. About bloody time...

Squid Game: Halloween Party

 "Put me back in the game..."

After an exciting first episiode, this one is quite blatantly about putting the pieces into place and getting Gi-hun back in the game as we knew would happen. It does the job, and is still good television, but it's somewhat functional and hardly up there with the last episode. And the way Choi and Jun-ho are recruitred, alongside a massive paramilitary force, feels a bit too awkwardly easy.

Still, there's good stuff here. It's heartbreaking how Jun-ho's mum feels her other son has deliberately cut her out, but Jun-ho can't tell her the truth. There's a little girl with cancer and a reminder, as per last season, and indeed Breaking Bad, that for a country not to have a public healthcare system is as evil as anything Front Man does, if not more so.

Intriguinly, too, we have another North Korean defector, No-eul, homeless and desperate, who is looking for her daughter and agrees to accept the usual card and meet in the usualplace... but the twist is that she's a guard, not a contestant. Nice twist. I assume we'll be following her throughout the season. The guards are as manipulated as the players.

But the heart of the episode, as Gi-hun (and I don't care about the phone call; he's still a terrible father) and Front Man verbally spar, Gi-hun calling out Front Man's right-wing crap about how the players have a free choice. Of course they don't; inequality exists, and people don't beome desperate and out of options because they enjoy it. And that's Squid Game to a tee: at its root, it's deeply political.

Still, I'm hoping for a return to the usual form next time.

What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?

 "He has broken his oath. Again..."

Interesting episode, this. For a start, the baddie (derspite the lack of Jake Gyllenhaal) is Mysterio, our first Spider-Man villain to appear in any non-Sony related MCU thing. Also interesting is that, although the main character is Riri "Ironheart" Williams, a character from well after my time in the comics whom I don't know well, we're leaning heavily into concepts from Shang-Chi and The Eternals. This season does that a lot, which is interesting.It woukd be rather nice if those films woukld turn out to actually lead to something.

The main conceit is that the Dreaming Celestial has destroyed the Earth early, it's split into little inhanbited fragments that somehow survive, and Mysterio has taken over the Earth using illusions, his control of Stark Industries, and the while version of the Vision. Much as I love Valkyrie, Wong and Ying Nan (yes, that obscure)... yeah, the villains here are B listers. The plot is ok, based around Riri's stubborn determination, but despite a sound if bonkers central premise this is pretty average.

That predictable ending, though... yes, I know it's a cliche from the comics that the Watcher does nothing but interfere. But they're really leaning into it here.The final season, then, surely?

Squid Game: Bread and Lottery

 "Let's play a game..."

At last Squid Game is back... and wow. That was quite the first episode, brilliantly shot and fullof perffectly paced tdension and intrigue. This time both Gi-hun and Jun-ho are searching for the island, the game and the invitation, at first fruitlessly and then with deep drama.

Jun-ho, now being a humble trafficcop and not particularly rich, struggles stoically in his quest to painstakingly locate the island. Gi-hun... well, let us pause firstly to observe what a rubbish dad he is: let ius not forget that. Yet, while his search for the mysterious man at the subway stations seems similarly fruitless, Gi-hun now has resources. And blimey, he's changed: determined, basass and, as we later see, with nerves of steel.

The episode is devilishly clever as it intertwines the two linked quests, although admittedly it's an awfully convenient coincidence that the speeding Ji-hun should be stopped by Jun-ho's colleauge.

When we find the man wigth the suit, though.... wow. First, we see his little trick, offering the desperate a choine of bread (sensible: a certain hope of food) and lottery scratchcard, mocking the irrational yet perhaps inspiring hope of the desperate. But when he catches Gi-hun's two underlings, later Ji-hun himself, and plays those riveting games of Russian roulette... this is gripping television, although of the two musical accompaniments I rather preferred Puccini.

The end confrontation is utterly perfect, with the man losing, yes, but in playing by the rules of the game regardless of the consequences he wins a victory of sorts.

The perfect start. More please.

Better Call Saul: Wine and Roses

"Sounds like the day from Hell."

"It was one of the best days of my life."

And so begins the final season. It seems, at the start of episode one of thirteen, that we're a long way from the events of Breaking Bad. But there can't be far to go. And the pre-toitles is a slow, lingering scene with Saul Goodman's opulent and disgustingly tateless office being examined by the Feds. In the present day, with Saul in Nebraska, the net is closing in. And the episode really lingers on that fact.

And we move directly to the contrast with Nacho, also hunted, desperate, and possibly doomed, with a price from Don Eladio on his head. All the scenes with him are impossibly tense, with us feeling fear on his behalf. Yet he's a pawn. Lalo, wanting everyone to think him dead (although Gus suspects) is out to get him, and plotting with Hector. Mike tries to speak up to Gus about him, but Gus is playing his own inscrutable game. And Lalo has seldom been scarier.

Meanwhile, Kim and Jimmy are the usual contrast- Kim doing good work for the vulnerable and loving it while Jimmy remains a "friend of the cartel". Yet they're both tainted, and Kim is the driving force in their fascinating plot to do over Howard. We're not privy to the details, so it's fun to see the early stages of the scheme play out, reminding us of the scams from earlier seasons... but the stakes are higher. The golf club scene is fascinatingly layered. The golf club stands for the snobbery againstwhich Jimmy has alwayds genuinely struggled... yet Kevin is right to blackball him for being the bounder and the cad that he is. And to play the antisemitism card ("only following orders", ouch!) when he's about as Jewish as my cat... wow.

And plot threads abound. Is Jimmy going to get rumbled in court for the stints he played to get Lalo bail? Is Mike suddenly now not the person on the phone to Nacho? What is Lalo planning? What are Jimmy and Kim planning? And what of that sphinx, Gus? This is a superb start.

Death on the Nile (1978)

 "Mon dieu, how she makes enemies of them all!"

I've read the novel, but it would have been around 1990-ish, so I wasn't expecting to remember much of the plot, and surely enough I didn't. So I was genuinely unspoiled for the big reveal. Nevertheless, I'll try and review this as a film rather than as Agatha Christie's original plot.

It's a very cinematic adaptation, shot on location at all the sights in Egypt as well as in rural England. The whole thing is exquisitely shot- particularly impressive is the first tracking shot of the dramatis personae all at dinner for the first time.

This isn't quite an all-star cast, but the star wattage is nevertheless relatively high, with no less a personage as Bette Davis in a middling sized role. David Niven is solid as the Watson figure, with Colonel Race giving some hilariously off colour views on those characters who deign to speak in a language other than English. Maggie Smith excels as a bitter woman in reduced circumstances, while Angela Lansbury is every bit as good as an amusingly sozzled romance novelist.

However... I'm not sure about Peter Ustinov as Poirot. It's not that there's anything wrong with his performance, he just feels miscast. He doesn't visually convince as Poirot, however well he may play the part. However, the overall performances are strong, and the film works superbly, helped by its awesome locations, in letting events play out dramatically, even if we do spend far too long on Poirot's explanation of how pretty much every character could have seen Jacqui shoot Simon through the window.

There are some fascinating moments here- a brief mention is made to a previous case involving a "decapitated clergyman". There's an unfortunate Indian stereotype. But overall this is a fine adaptation which plays the source material with a straight bat.