Right here.

This is going to kick considerable amounts of arse. The Dark Knight, a superbly-cast Iron Man and Indiana Jones IV out in the same year. 2008, will you just hurry up and get here, please?

In Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, a character played by Michael Palin expresses the concern that people aren't wearing enough hats. In response a character played by Terry Jones says, "What do you mean 'enough'? Enough for what purpose?"

And now, with The Simpsons Movie, you'll find many reviews stating (as many previews indeed stated) that Matt Groening waited too long to bring the most recognizable television family on the planet to the big screen. So let's take a page from Jones' character and call this into question. Too long for what, exactly?

Continue reading "Review: The Simpsons Movie" »

First tipped off to the film's existence by Michael Lacey and then informed about the trailer by Austin Ross, I demand all the credit for linking to it.

Trailer for Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited (Click if you've ever wondered what Max Fischer would look like with a mustache.)

Anderson is one of the most interesting film-makers alive and it doesn't seem unlikely that this will share the same sort of convincingly awkward sincerity that gave his previous films such distinct personality. I'm looking forward to this. In fact, after the double-punch of The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic, I will be looking forward to everything Wes Anderson does for the rest of his natural life.

Dominion: Tank Police. Some people love it. Some people hate it. Other people loved it, but now hate it. Presumably, there are also some people who hated it, but now love it. For an anime that's almost 20 years old, this is probably to be expected. But what do I, as a relative newcomer to the series, think of it? Read on to find out.

Firstly, I'll make one thing clear. Dominion: Tank Police (and the also-reviewed New Dominion Tank Police) are two OVA's produced in the late-eighties and early-nineties, based around Masamune Shirow's original manga. Due to the age and mixed reception, there isn't a massive amount of information on the 'net about the (numerous) differences between versions (manga vs. Japanese OVA vs. English releases). So rather than try and explain how everything fits together I'll just be sticking with the cold, hard facts - the contents of the three DVDs sat infront of me.

Continue reading "The Excellence of Dominion: Tank Police" »

Has anyone seen this before? I came across it linked to from a message board, stashed away in somebody's Photobucket account...which means I wasn't actually able to trace its origin. But it certainly looks official to me..."read more" to see it.

Continue reading "Futurama teaser poster surfaces" »

Dear Stephen King,

You are a turd.

That is all.

Actually, wait...that's not all...

Continue reading "An open letter to Stephen King" »

After getting the internet all in a tizz with a single photograph of Harrison Ford lounging around in his Indiana Jones costume, Steven Spielberg has released a short video from the set of his forthcoming sequel, for which a title has yet to be revealed. Click here to see a short, but rather exciting clip from the set.

Around a year ago, I reviewed Jeffrey Brown's latest collected work, I am going to be Small. At the time, it occurred to me that I should go back and cover his earlier work for a series of reviews, which I felt needed some additional attention.

Clearly I never got around to it, weighted down, as I was at the time, by my commitment to doing weekly comics reviews in Alternate Cover. The Jeff Brown idea never fully went away, though. What I wanted to do never felt like a proper fit for Alternate Cover, and certainly I was interested in doing something a little different (hence my self-imposed battery-charging semi-hiatus from the column). Then, the other day, Phil's recent post on the Oeuvreblog trend got me thinking...

So, I'll assume you've made the logical leap required, and present you with this link to my new blog: Crudely Drawn Naked People: The work of Jeffrey Brown.

I hope you'll check it out, and be back here in a few days for a new Alternate Cover.

Just thought I'd give a heads up for UK Sky/Virgin viewers about a new US drama that premiered last night on FX, which provides 'uncompromising TV from Fox'. It's a bit confusing, as the series was actually shown on Showtime in the US, a subscription channel.

Continue reading "Dexter" »

Welcome, to the first of an occasional series where I dig into my unashamadly populist tastes and come up with some opinions. Popjustice? Never heard of 'em. First up, I struggle into a tight skirt and sing along to Mutya Buena and Amy Winehouse. #You know that I'm no good...#

Continue reading "Tanya Plays Pop - I Know You Got Soul" »

Back once again to force non-consensual criticism with Douglas Coupland-scripted indie dramedy Everything's Gone Green, NTS favourite Steven Moffats modernised Jekyll, bone-headed blockbuster Transformers, and Adam Sandler's 9/11 dentistry drama, Reign Over Me.

Continue reading "Laceyvision Reborn" »

Continue reading "Booktext, July 07--The Good Soldier" »

The final episode of Series Three may only have aired on Saturday, but already the BBC has clarified casting details about this years Christmas episode, "Voyage Of The Damned" (which will, presumably, follow on directly from this series' 'Titanic' cliffhanger - ho ho!), aswell as the forthcoming series of Who and it's racy, adult, rubbish spin-off Torchwood. If you wish to approach either entirely unspoiled, then don't read on.

Continue reading "Doctor Who / Torchwood Casting Developments" »