The Spectre Trailer

Last night saw the release of the Spectre trailer. It resembles the first one for Skyfall in that it emphasises the plot over action and there is no humour.

The trailer opens with a shot of the MI6 building, which is still in a damaged state after the events of Skyfall. We then see Moneypenny appearing to leave 007 some evidence from the ruins of Skyfall lodge. Making it obvious that the film is carrying on where the previous one left off.  We also get to see what appears to be Bond's apartment as he inspects documents and a certain picture.

Bond's parentage is called into the question. Who is the person who's face is obscured in the picture? Could it be his mother or is it perhaps an older sibling we never knew about?

Anyway, we then cut to a figure in the middle of a misty lake, presumably Bond. It's a beautifully shot image. The last time 007 visited an icy location was Die Another Day so it'll be interesting to see Daniel Craig's Bond in this kind of environment. Over the images, a voice suggests he thinks Bond is here to kill him,

A quick cut to a funeral. Whose it is nobody knows. We get a glimpse of the female protagonist. What her link is to the funeral or to Bond's mission is as yet unknown. We also see a shot of Bond's nice looking new car before cutting back to the mountain cabin.

Bond shows off a Spectre ring. A nice little call back to the ones used by the organisation back in the 60s films.

 

Finally we see the face of the man Bond is talking to and it is Mr White. The rumours that Jesper Christensen was returning to the series have been proven correct. He looks rougher this time. Probably because he's been in hiding since Quantum of Solace.This character's fate is a loose end glad that I'm glad we're going back to. It's always good to see some semblance of continuity between the James Bond films. What will events of this meeting entail and will it be the last between Bond and White?

 

Finally, we get to see what looks like a conference between Spectre members. In the shot we see a character's whose appearance is hidden in the shadows. Could this be because he's Blofeld? Bond's brother? Perhaps he's both! Or maybe neither. Finally we get the gunshot forming the SPECTRE log.

All in all, this new trailer has succeeded in making me excited for the upcoming film. Whether or not it will be as good as, or even better than, Skyfall remains to be seen. The success of the Batman film The Dark Knight led to the next film The Dark Knight Rises getting a huge amount of hype which is possibly why it was ultimately received less well.  But Spectre  certainly looks interesting so far and I hope I get a chance to see it at some point.

10 Years Since The Doctor Returned

It’s hard to believe that ten years have passed since Doctor Who returned to our screens. Time goes so quickly. In that time we’ve had five different Doctors, a multitude of companions and a variety of new and old allies and enemies. The episode Rose must look as old to the young audience of today as An Unearthly Child did to the younger audience of 1973!

Back when the new series was first announced in 2003 I was ambivalent. I was just as happy for the show to keep going through spin off media such as the BBC books and the Big Finish audios. I always knew that a series of Doctor Who could work. I grew up in the 90s and I still became a fan of it. But whether it actually would work was another matter. If the revival failed then this would probably be the show's last chance. I'd followed the development of the new series, though not too closely in fear of getting too many spoilers. I knew who Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper were although I'd never actually seen them in anything. There was nothing I was really worried about, but nothing I was particularly enthusiastic about either.

Finally, on Saturday 26th March 2005, I sat down to watch Rose. It was brilliant. No episode since then has been able to evoke quite the same excitement that I felt that night. This was the first time, unless you count The Curse of Fatal Death, that I'd watched an episode of Doctor Who going out on transmission. Just hearing the theme tune was exciting enough. Not even the interference of Graham Norton could hamper this joy.

The episode proved to be exactly the kind of first episode that Doctor Who needed. Just as An Unearthly Child guided us into the world of science fiction with Ian and Barbara's viewpoint, Rose allowed us to follow the progress of he title character as she discovered the Doctor and the Autons. The use of Autons as villains was exactly right. They are based in mundane objects made of plastic. The world of modern day London was one that viewers would be familiar with. The use of a sunny council estate strangely mirrored its appearance in the last BBC episode, Survival, whether that was intentional or not. The science fiction aspects were kept to a minimum and the word "Time Lord" was only uttered once.It was also great to see Doctor Who finally employing modern filming techniques like the montage to tell a story and strange to see things like mobile phones and internet search engines appearing in the story itself.

The show needed good lead actors and Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper were exactly that.
Billie Piper was superb as the audience viewpoint character, Rose, guiding us into the strange new world of Doctor Who. She instantly proved wrong all the people who thought she was just a pop star trying to act.

Christopher Eccleston's short haired, leather jacket wearing Doctor was one of the freshest takes on the character ever. I had my doubts about his look in the months before,
since I'd got used to the notion of the Doctor as a frock coat wearing posh adventurer, but Chris' performance convinced me otherwise. It dusted away the cobwebs in my mind and made me look at the character of the Doctor anew. He was funny in the scenes in Rose's flat and fascinating in his "turn of the Earth" speech. To this day, Christopher Eccleston is one of my favourite Doctors, regardless of his perceived attitude towards the show.

The months following Rose were exciting. Just as the Doctor sees the joys of the universe through the eyes of his companions, I was seeing the joy of Doctor Who again through the eyes of young audiences who were getting acquainted with the show. Childrens drawings were appearing in Doctor Who magazine. The show felt fresh and exciting again. I was sad to see Christopher Eccleston bow out in the superb Parting of the Ways but just as excited to see David Tennant’s triumphant debut in The Christmas Invasion.

In the following years, producer Russell T Davies and his successor Steven Moffat continued to produce brilliant characters, stories and moments. Highlights for me include Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, one of my favourite companions. The unexpected return of the Master in Utopia, the joys of Blink. The fantastic debut of Matt Smith's Doctor in The Eleventh Hour, The Tardis gaining human form in The Doctor's Wife. The wonderful team of the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory. A regeneration scene featuring Paul McGann that I thought would only exist as fan fiction. Then, just as we though there would never be an older Doctor again, Peter Capaldi was announced as the Doctor.

I could go on about all the brilliant things we've had and it’s all thanks to everyone who works on the show. Those who brought it back as well as those who have kept it going for so long. From the catering staff to the executive producers. Nothing is guaranteed a future, but I hope we can get another ten years of this program, at least!

TV Watch: Gotham Episode 13: Welcome Back, Jim Gordon

After dealing with a kind of super-villain last week, the latest episode of Gotham saw Gordon dealing with a more banal and real kind of villainy: police corruption. After a suspect is killed in interrogation, Gordon uncovers a ring of corruption led by Flass, based on the character from Frank Miller's Year One. Facing resistance from the cops, Gordon is forced to turn to Oswald Cobblepot, who now runs Fish Mooney's bar, for help. Oswald has his own problems when Fish is freed from captivity by Butch and the two seek Oswald out for revenge.

While I still think it was too soon to put Gordon back on the force, it was interesting to see how the character's zeal in bringing down criminals could cause problems. Had he moved more slowly and strategically, he may have saved himself a beating and not had to resort to getting help from a criminal. I loved the look on Gordon's face at the end of the episode, when a corrupt cop begs Jim for mercy and he realises what his deal with the Penguin has led to.

Gordon himself has only just returned to the force and is full of zeal at bringing down the cops. I have to admit that I agreed more with Harvey Bullock, who felt that Jim was moving too quickly. Although it was important that those criminals should be brought down, it might have been  The ending, with the corrupt cop begging to Gordon for mercy was a great scene. Ben McKenzie expressed well Gordon's feelings about having to turn to criminals for help.

Oswald Cobblepot was over confident at taking over the Bar, so when Fish returned to the bar for revenge it was an important for him that things could still go sour at any moment. Although he was grovelling at Fish's feet at first, I liked that Oswald eventually stood up to her, gloating that he had outfoxed her at every turn. Fortunately for him, Victor Zsazz showed up and captured Butch while Fish got away.

The sub plot of this episode revolved around Fish Mooney who is rescued from torture by Butch.  We're used to seeing her as a woman in charge so it was interesting to see her in same position as Oswald was at the beginning of the series, with few friends and relying mostly on herself. Even then she is bold enough to go back to her bar to confront Oswald.

Butch is becoming a surprisingly interesting character as he seems genuinely loyal to Fish, even when they are both in low positions. I'd like to know more about where that trust comes from but I'm not sure the show will ever make viewers privy to this, which is a shame. He is taken away by Victor Zsazz and his crew, so who knows what will happen.

Another person loyal to Fish was Harvey Bullock. For most of the episode he was the voice of caution to Gordon, but it was good to see him helping Fish as it was nice to get a reminder of his relationship with her. Which has stayed strong despite her attempt to kill him.

With Gordon owing a debt to Oswald, and Fish on the run, things are looking interesting. I for one am certainly looking forward to seeing where the show goes from here.

TV Watch: Gotham Episode 11: Rogue's Gallery/12: What the Little Bird Told Him

Gotham is back on Channel 5. The channel wisely decided to open with a double bill of episodes which somewhat made up for the long wait and hopefully gave the show enough publicity to draw back viewers after the long absence. I didn't really review this show properly when it was last long. So I'm going to be making up for that with more detailed reviews now.

Last time we saw Gordon he was walking through the gates of Arkham Asylum after being demoted by the Mayor. This seemed a brave move by the show writers. As Episode 12 opens we see Gordon struggling with the low morale. Fortunately, there is a glimmer of light when he starts getting close to Doctor Leslie Thompkins. These two characters had good chemistry.

It['s not all fun though as shock patients soon show up. It transpires that it is the work of a villain who becomes known by the moniker 'The Electrocutioner'. It's good to see a more traditional kind of supervillain in the show.

The Penguin did little in Episode 11, but was able to tip Falcone about Fish's betrayal in 12. He also accidentally revealed his involvement with Falcone to Maroni and it is unlikely that Maroni believed him.

Falcone's killing of Liza was a great moment. Fish is down for the moment but I have no doubt she will be back at some point.

With Gordon and Thompkins developing an interesting relationship, I didn't care if we never saw Barbara again. Of course she does feature in these episodes. In Episode 12 broke up with Montoya, making their whole relationship appear pointless. We then got to see her with her family, which at least made her seem somewhat sympathetic by comparison, but I just can't see what direction they could take this character to make her interesting.

Overall a good two parter. I kind of wish Gordon could have stayed in Arkham longer, but what we got was okay. Hopefully Leslie Thompkins will reappear at some point.

Cucumber, Banana & Tofu Episode 8

It was sad to reach the end of Cucumber, but this episode ended the show on a good note. Last week's episode on a positive note. This week, Henry tries to keep that positivism going by having everyone stay with him as part of a collective. Russell T Davies has always had communities in his stories, like everyone gathering in Jackie's flat in Aliens of London or the L.I.N.D.A group get together from  Love and Monsters. This one is just as fun to watch.

Of course, good things never last forever, in life or fiction. Freddie came to realise that Henry was turning him into Lance so he ran away. The fast forward through Henry's life was good. The wordless scene where he, Cleo and Marie are waiting for news of Daniel's conviction is great to watch. You believe all three of the actors. Likewise, the scene where Henry shouts at the cold caller, breaks down into tears and then we see him eating dinner and watching tv a few hours later. Life goes on. The reunion with Freddie was good, both a bit older and wiser than when they first met. It all ends perfectly, with Henry admitting he still hasn't come to terms with being gay.

Banana also ended on a great note this week, with a fantastic two-hander between Vanessa, the cleaning lady and Zara, an illegal immigrant working for Vanessa. Zara's dialogue is entirely in untranslated Yoruba, causing misunderstandings between the two. Yet as a viewer, we are always clear what is going on. Zara admits that she has been raped by Jonjo and Vanessa's reaction is interesting. It's a far cry from the predominantly middle class issues of previous episodes. It all concludes with a music number which is both hilarious as a concept and hard hitting in its actual subject matter. I always think the best shows aren't trapped in any particular genre, and its great to see this bending of rules. It all ends with Vanessa planning to poison Jonjo. This is definitely one of the better episodes of the series.

Tofu was also pretty funny dealing with sex. The stories from the dominatrix were funny to listen to. Overall, we've had a good range of different experiences of sex, and it's been fascinating to watch.

All in all, these three series have each had their highs and lows, and the highs have been some of the best television of 2015 so far. Cucumber is probably the best show, but I personally preferred some of the Banana episodes. Maybe I just prefer more optimistic television, who knows.
It's been a great run of series and it's sad that it has to end. Highly recommended to anyone, regardless of their sexuality.

RIP Sir Terry Pratchett

Sad news today as Terry Pratchett died. I was eleven years old, when I first read a story of his. This was his short story, Turntables of the Night. After that I began to crave more, and started buying his Discworld books. I devoured almost the whole series during my early teens.

His books weren't just funny, they were also filled with insightful comments about human nature. His television documentary about Alzheimer's was interesting and poignant.

I never got a chance to meet the man at any conventions and, annoyingly, I graduated too late to see him receive his doctorate from the University of Winchester. But I am grateful for his writing the books that kept me amused during my early teens.

Goodbye Terry. You were great.

Cucumber, Banana & Tofu: Episode 7

After the haunting tone and shocking conclusion of the previous episode of Cucumber, this has a bit of a calmer pace and a more light hearted tone, so it might feel like a bit of a let down, but it really isn't. There were plenty of memorable moments. Lance's funeral was interesting to watch, starting with the sombre greeting of guests, to the hilarious scene of everyone heading to the toilet to check for hairs on their cocks, and finally with Henry breaking down into tears over Lance. Then there was the scene in the car, which started out as a comedy with Henry, Dean and Freddie chasing after Aiden and ended with Henry and Dean confessing about their sexual problems while we find out that Freddie is uncomfortable talking about his brother Christopher. At the end we finally find out what was wrong with the flat as they are all kicked out. Fortunately, everyone uses Lance and Henry's old house. The final scene with the cast of Cucumber and Banana all coming together was heart warming. Of course there's still one more episode to go, and there are still bound to be troubles ahead.

In terms of tone, Cucumber and Banana swapped places this week, and it was Banana's turn to be downbeat. This one focused on the good looking but arrogant Aiden who is pursued  by the weedier, not so good looking, Frank, after a threesome. Aiden might seem harsh to Frank, but he is also being honest. Frank was nice and funny in some ways you could understand why Aiden wouldn't want to stay with him. This was a sad but realistic view of life.  Good looking people and average looking people don't mix. At the end of the day, if you're not good looking, chances are you will have to settle for second best in life.

This week's Tofu, was all about grindr and meeting up, the building of profiles.  The black and white sketch with the old people talking in grindr conversation was funny, even if similar things have been done by various other sources.

Only one more episode for each show. It'll be sad to say goodbye to these three shows. I've enjoyed them all and hopefully they'll all go out on a high.