@PhaseShift

I too will look forward to your blog.

I watch this fairly recently too (first time for a very long time). I certainly thought it was one of the best ever as a 12 year old first time around, and whilst I think that the story could be improved on today with a remake, I don’t think there is that much you would actually want to change in…[Read more]

@Pedant

would Kidulthood come close to an  answer to your question ? (not exactly gang related, but fringe of  ?).

This list also has some different choices:

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls057689552/

Attack the block is one of the few I have actually seen.

@JimTheFish

re Fantasy – the best I can do is to quote a master:

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

[or paraphrased any person from a sufficiently advanced society is indistinguishable from a magician]

I would argue the best single “label” might be Science Fantasy in any case.

@PhaseShift

I just had to write that I really like your idea and your description of the egg.

@purofilion

There’s another film too : We steal secrets : story of wikileaks, which is more of a documentary style with archive film cut in. I’ve watched chunks of that on TV as well (but wasn’t moved to watch it from the start either).

@purofilion

? The Assange film (Fifth Estate) has been out for a while on DVD (at least in the UK). Assange himself panned it as did most reviewers. I have seen extended parts myself (channel surfing) but it didn’t inspire me to watch the entire film.

Breaker Morant is a great film, although I haven’t seen it for quite a few years. I’m not sure…[Read more]

@Rob

Unfortunately I saw very little of what Brown said on Sky News. I don’t disagree with you about politicians, but there is a difference between giving them a hard time in an interview (for which the journalist needs to be very well briefed on the topic to be able to bring out the facts or counter-arguments) and most interviews we see on TV…[Read more]

@Pedant

I’m not sure what the title Business Editor etc actually means other than as a way of showing seniority. I read Pestons blog relatively frequently (or did when he actually wrote one) and found it to be a mix of news (often based on rumour or unattributable briefings), analysis and opinion. His TV pieces often go the same way, some…[Read more]

e@pedant

Absolutely, but, imo, it too often goes too far. Its the job of the opposition politicians to point up the deficiencies of the governments policies (or vice versa). A journalist job should be to get them to explain it as clearly as possible. This may mean asking them to explain elements which don’t make sense (or runs counter to some…[Read more]

@JimTheFish

I’m sorry to say that. living in Dubai, whilst following the independence debate as close as I could, I missed the BBC lies thing. I’m not sure how serious it was , but I would say Broadcast TV political journalism has changed. Given that professional politicians of all parties are heavily media trained and rarely give straight…[Read more]

@Bluesqueakpip

Thanks for that brilliant fact – I had never come across the idea that some Victorian marriages were so class divided that they had to pretend they weren’t married. I wonder how common they were.

@Pedant

Thanks for that as well. Gay relationships were much more common than we appreciate today in the past. It might have been…[Read more]

@JanetteB @ScaryB

I think there is unreal violence (see most westerns, most war movies from the 60’s/70’s, Leela’s Janis thorn, cartoons, silent era slap stick comedy etc), which doesn’t feel reel to adults or children and (I think mostly) doesn’t really affect them developmentally. Then there is the rest which seems realistic, which is…[Read more]

@Miapatrick

anymore than I think the Vastra-Jenny marriage appears abusive

and yet as Jenny points out, its still depicted as quite an odd relationship. It seems more in keeping with that a Victorian gentleman might have had with his (much poorer) mistress than a modern day couple to me.

@JanetteB

No problem. If I hadn’t been pondering on whether I should comment on your slapgate comment then it would have been the other way round.

On slapgate, I agree with you that this

I think Clara is reacting, not just to the comment but to his attitude overall. It is a “wake up you are the Doctor” call, an expression of her fru…[Read more]

@Devilishrobby @JanetteB

The Invisible Monster is the one you’re thinking of

Bit late I know, but I was on holiday (for a change).

I really like Capaldi’s characterization of this immediate post-regeneration Doctor, who is, I think best characterized as relearning just who and what the Doctor is (as opposed to the TimeLord called the Doctor) @Bluesqueakpip‘s character explanation feels right to me, so far. The character…[Read more]

Well past the sell by date I know.

I finally re-watched this after what must be a 40 year gap (first episode original and final 3 in special edition). I didn’t have any particularly fond memory of this story (even from the novelization), but (apart from the element of padding – eg trike chase) I actually found it much more enjoyable than I had…[Read more]