Noise To Signal

Doctor Who - The Sontaran Stratagem

Thu, 01 May 2008 01:22:03 +0000

Review: Flight of the Conchords

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:56:20 +0000

There's a valid question lurking at the heart of this release, and it's just begging to be asked: what is it? Is it an album in its own right? A collection? A soundtrack to the television program? Well, it's all of those things...which is part of the problem. Oh, okay...it's the entire problem, because if you disregard its severe lack of cohesiveness and direction, it's everything you hoped it'd be: an almost-perfect mix of great comedy and excellent musicianship.

Humphrey Lyttelton RIP

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:04:31 +0000

"...and so, as the moose of time is blasted by the marksman of eternity, and the manager of the dairy department goes to get a mop, it's time to say goodbye..."

Razor-sharp. Brilliant. Irreplaceable.

Thank you for everything, Humph. The world is a much poorer place without you.

Doctor Who - Planet of the Ood

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:20:54 +0000

The Good Old Days? - Watch Out!

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:09:22 +0000

Crime. One unfortunate side-effect of human society is the desire of some humans to harm others. Societies throughout the ages have devised ways to cope with this, and it probably tells us everything we need to know about today's society that most PIFs concern themselves with crime against property.

Why? Dear God, WHY?

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:32:23 +0000

Now, I know remixing is a well established part of dance music, and there are cases where a remix can breathe life into a song (the remix of 'Beautiful Liar' is a case in point), but there's been a couple of cases lately where I've thought "Why?". Take the Utah Saints, who have taken their classic Something Good, which still has the power to make me leap up and down with joy, and turned it into Something Good '08, which, erm, doesn't, because it's covered with a pointless and intrusive bassline.

Doctor Who - Fires of Pompeii

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:45:01 +0000

Series 4 of New Who continues apace, with what seems to be almost universally considered a vast improvement on last week's opener. That's not to say it was without its problems, though, so this week Julian Hazeldine and Michael Lacey both take a look at James Moran's first Who effort in this week's double review.

Doctor Who - Partners In Crime

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:12:12 +0000

Torchwood: Exit Wounds

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:13:29 +0000

The positive mainstream reaction to this episode is unsurprising. With major changes to the series’ status quo, and the return of a popular guest star, Chris Chibnall’s swan song is a textbook crowd-pleaser. Yet, rather curiously, the consensus in describing this episode reaches for one particular word: shocking. This seems a rather strange verdict. Gripping? Yes. Eventful? Certainly. Shocking? It’s hard to see how. In sharp contrast to End Of Days, the story that unfolds here is the utterly logical conclusion of the events and themes of this series.

Torchwood: Fragments

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:35:33 +0000

Previously, on Torchwood...

Return To Planet Laceyvision

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:48:51 +0000

It's a while since I've done one of these, so I'm playing catch-up with a number of reviews. Here we have Across The Universe, Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story, There Will Be Blood, Margot At The Wedding, I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With, Gone Baby Gone, Juno and No Country For Old Men choking down globules of warm criticism.

Torchwood: From Out of the Rain & Adrift

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:11:16 +0000

We've got a special double edition of this week's Torchwood review, due to the BBC's 'wise' decision to move the show to a Friday timeslot and show two episodes last week.

The Good Old Days? - Play Safe

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:24:03 +0000

Ah, the joys of parenthood. There's no shortage of literature and broadcast media exclaiming the happiness and satisfaction that a child can bring. But parenting has a dark side. With the joy comes responsibility, and, in most cases, a intense desire to protect the child in your care. It's a tough job, which is why the COI were happy to help. Here are PIFs that either gave warnings to children themselves (often played in school assemblies), or their carers.

Torchwood: Something Borrowed

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:42:24 +0000

Gwen Cooper’s engagement is a perfect case study for the changes made to Torchwood since its first series. What would have undoubtedly been a fraught element, with the big day drawing closer as her job ate away at Gwen’s once-normal life, has instead been left in the background, quietly getting ready for its moment in the sun. Unfortunately, while Phil Ford’s script makes no real mistakes, it doesn’t allow the story to fulfil its full potential.

TedFest '08 - It's Great Being a Priest Reprise

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:21:41 +0000

John and I decided to attend this year's TedFest because we'd missed TedFest '07, due to only learning about it at the last minute. We knew there'd be fun when emails from the organisers ended with 'Careful Now'. But just how much? Read on...