Doctor Who: Series 7 Catch-up

If anyone out there is still reading the ludicrously infrequent postings on this 'ere blog, they'll have noticed that I'm waaaay behind with my Doctor Who reviews.
( As well as everything else, to be fair. ) It's not that I'm losing interest in the show or, indeed, the reviewing process but I've been very short on energy recently, due to my recent return to work. I'm only working half-days at the moment but even that is sapping all my strength  -  so much so that I tend to come home in the afternoons and go straight to bed. Not much time for blogging, then! Hopefully this will improve as I make a fuller return to what we laughingly call "real life"...but it may take some time. I also have some film and gig reviews to post on here too when I can get sorted. But, for now, just a few thoughts on some recent Doctor Who episodes, ahead of tonight's series finale, and presented ( in my usual, annoying manner ) in reverse order...

Nightmare In Silver:
Neil Gaiman's much-anticipated follow-up to the multi-award-winning The Doctor's Wife turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag. It was certainly good to see the Cybermen return as a far more credible threat than they've been in recent years  -  their pathetic appearance in Closing Time probably being their all-time low point. The sleek, new design was a definite success, harking back to some classic 1960s Cyber-looks while boasting some cool new elements  -  the built-in gun, the exposed steel spine. However, they weren't on screen enough for my liking, being reduced to tin soldiers while the Doctor played mind-games with the Cyber-Planner infesting his consciousness. And... weren't they supposed to be silent killers in this story? After all the pre-show talking-up of that point it was disappointing to hear the old pneumatic hiss and stomping of the Cybus model return.
There were some genuinely successful elements to this story: the Cybermen emerging from their tomb, Matt Smith's turning-on-a-sixpence acting as he flipped between dual roles, the well-realised delapidated theme park setting. But that was almost balanced out by the virtually-pointless inclusion of Clara's two young charges, the lack of suspense and the criminal misuse of the guest cast... except for Warwick Davis who was quietly affecting as Porridge. I'll give this...

Three 1/2 Out Of Five Bow Ties ( or discarded Cybermites )




The Crimson Horror:
Mark Gatiss' second script this series and the one presumably closest to his heart as it features some very League Of Gentlemen-style black humour as well as Victorian grotesqueries reminiscent of his Lucifer Box novels. This episode was just pure fun, from the incongruities of Strax and co, to the Carry On Screaming vibe of the Crimson Horror itself, from Matt Smith's Frankenstein Monster impression, to the icky revelation of Mr. Sweet's true nature. The cast gave it their all with Smith's "Northern" accent being a delight and the overly-cheerful mortuary attendant standing out amongst the guest actors. The episode belonged, of course, to mother and daughter duo Diana Rigg and Rachel Stirling as insane factory-owner Mrs. Gillyflower and her blind, unloved daughter. They were clearly having a ball playing these characters and that was communicated to the audience.
( On a purely personal note I was interested to see one of the characters was called Mr. Thursday. Possibly a reference to this blog's "patron saint" GK Chesterton and his Victorian fantasy/horror novel The Man Who Was Thursday? I'm sure Mr. Gatiss would be aware of Mr. Thursday... )

Four Out Of Five Bow Ties ( or prehistoric blood-slugs )



Journey To The Centre Of The Tardis:
TBH I was concerned when I realised this episode was written by Stephen Thompson, the man behind Series 6's damp pirate story The Curse Of The Black Spot. He has also worked with The Moff on Sherlock, writing last season's The Reichenbach Fall, which was, by contrast, an intricately-plotted, shocking cliffhanger. Could he replicate that success for Nu Who? Unfortunately, no...

This tale of the Doctor and an unscrupulous gang of outer-space salvage merchants hunting through the disabled Tardis for a missing Clara should have been so much better. As it was, we endured interminable wanderings through corridors ( which didn't really have any Time Lord uniqueness about them ) with only the occasional view at anything more interesting within the Tardis' depths. A quick view of a swimming-pool here... a few seconds in a library there. The chance to finally see more of the modern day Tardis than just the console room should really have been a magical trip into the underworld. Instead it was more like a trudge through a muddy underpass. The revelation of the Eye Of Harmony and the exploding Tardis engines were fine moments, but they weren't enough. If only we could have seen something like the MC Esher inspired poster above...
There were some lovely moments between Matt and Jenna Louise which certainly helped ease the pain, and the "time zombies" lurking in the Tardis were very creepy, if poorly-rationalised. Just don't start me on the intergalactic rag 'n' bone men... old man Steptoe must be turning in his grave...
"Haaaarooold!!"

Three Out Of Five Bow Ties ( or Plot Reset Buttons )

So, that's almost it for an alarmingly patchy second half of the series. Here's hoping tonight's finale The Name Of The Doctor can live up to its hype...

Sudeley Castle

Taking advantage of the recent, beautiful weather, Sarah and I went for a drive around the Cotswolds on Bank Holiday Monday, with no real destination in mind. We thought we might go to one of the tourist-trap towns up there like Bourton-On-The-Water or Stow-On-The-Wold but instead headed back down the hill to Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle. Here are just a few photos from Sudeley, taken with my phone because I'd stupidly forgotten the camera. It's a lovely place, a mixture of stately home, old ruins and beautiful gardens. Well worth a visit.




Soundtrack: Light Up Gold by Parquet Courts
( A cracking NYC Punk album which I picked up on impulse the other day. A mixture of Television, The Strokes and The Modern Lovers, with even a hint of the Dead Kennedys too... )

Dexy's at Gloucester Guildhall 13/04/13

A few weeks back I finally saw one of my favourite bands of all time play live at my favourite venue  -  the mighty Kevin Rowland and his revitalised Dexy's ( minus the "Midnight Runners" ) at Gloucester's Guildhall Arts Centre. This was the first gig I'd been to after finishing my radiotherapy and, even though I was still feeling under the weather, I was determined to go. I'd already missed a couple of gigs I had booked tickets for  -  local boys Chinese Burn and Noise Agents supporting Stiff Little Fingers at the Guildhall, and The Gaslight Anthem at the Bristol O2 Academy  -  which was annoying, but couldn't be helped. Dexy's, however, were a special case. Their music had meant so much to me over the last 30 years and I'd never had the chance to see them until now.

All things considered, I did pretty well. I dragged Sarah and my mate Kev along as well for moral support. Kev isn't a great live music fan but had a good time and I'm certainly glad he came along.
Dexy's were amazing! A highly theatrical performance of recent album One Day I'm Going To Soar, packed with the patented Dexy's brand of emotionally-charged Soul and Folk music. Main man Kevin Rowland ( it was all about the Kevins! ) was wonderful  -  still a totally unique, passionate frontman with his fantastic voice as powerful and moving as ever. After playing the album in its entirety Dexy's came back for an oldies set which, I have to admit, left me a bit emotional. I never thought I'd see Dexy's play live and to hear such awesome songs as Until I Believe In My Soul and This Is What She's Like played so beautifully... well, I was overwhelmed.

Apart from our seemingly never-ending PC problems ( I'm typing this on Sophie's Netbook ) the main reason this review's taken so long to appear is that I was waiting for my full report on the gig to be published on the Louder Than War website. They've been having their own technical difficulties but things seem to be sorted now. I also have two other gig reviews in the pipeline for the site which I will post here when they're running at LTW.
My full Dexy's review can be read ( should you want to, of course... ) here:
http://louderthanwar.com/dexys-at-gloucester-guildhall-arts-centre-130413/

Doctor Who: Cold War / Hide ( Reviews )

OK, two ridiculously late Doctor Who episode reviews are herein combined as one mini-review for your perusing pleasure. I've omitted the usual "reviews with spoilers" description since, surely, anyone who wanted to watch these stories has watched them by now.

Cold War:

This has to be the best Doctor Who script Mark Gatiss has written since The Unquiet Dead, way back in Series One. A tense, claustrophobic story with some great lines and a fascinating new slant on an old enemy. The Doctor and Clara are heading for Las Vegas but somehow end up on a sinking Russian nuclear sub at the height of the Cold War. Also on board is Grand Marshall Skaldak, an Ice Warrior recently thawed from a 5000-year sleep who is not happy to be there, seemingly abandoned by his people. Once Skaldak learns about the '80s concept of Mutually-Assured Destruction he's on a collision course with the Doctor to decide the fate of the Earth.

With many nods towards such films as The Thing and Alien, this is a beautifully-directed, atmospheric episode which pushes the boundaries of Saturday tea-time, family-friendly horror as far as they can go. The lumbering, hissing Ice Warrior is a perfectly-judged updating of a classic Who "monster" and there are some fine guest performances from submarine commander Liam Cunningham and scientist and Duran Duran fan David Warner. I was particularly glad to see Warner's character survive the story: it would be great to see that ever-wonderful actor in Doctor Who again. Another great showcase for Jenna-Louise in this episode  -  convincingly scared but brave in her confrontations with Skaldak and sharing a real warmth with David Warner's Grisenko.

Four Out Of Five Bow Ties ( or Model Subs )

Hide:

After the relative misfire of Neil Cross' last episode, The Rings Of Akhaten, this story is a vast improvement and obviously a subject closer to the writer's heart. The Doctor and Clara arrive at Caliburn House in the beige days of 1974 where former war hero turned ghost hunter Major Alec Palmer ( Dougray Scott ) is searching for the ghost known as The Witch Of The Well, with the assistance of the empathic Emma Grayling ( Jessica Raine ). The Doctor blusters his way into the investigation, posing as "the man from the Ministry", but  -  of course  -  he has an ulterior motive for being there. And, this being Doctor Who, the "ghost" isn't quite what she seems...

Hide is a cracking good yarn ( as no-one says any more... ) again rich in atmosphere and detail. It's a case of "spot the references" here as time and again the story reminds the ghost story fans amongst us of classic tales such as The Haunting, The Innocents and, especially, Nigel Kneale's The Stone Tape. There's some beautiful cinematography as the characters stalk the gloomy, Gothic corridors of Caliburn House and the even gloomier woods where something strange and twisted lurks. Director Jamie Payne conjures up some wonderful glimpses of the "ghost" and the "hider", often just outside of the characters' vision, illuminated by candle light or lightning flashes. The hesitant, touching relationship between Alec and Emma is skillfully communicated by stumbling conversations and brief glances  -  a masterclass from Scott and Raine in how to suggest so much with so little. This is probably my favourite episode of the series so far with many subtle and clever touches, from Clara's "conversation" with the Tardis to the final realisation that this was a love story ( or two ) and not a ghost story. And this story is one of those elite examples of Doctor Who where not one single character dies... which is nice because, again, the show has given us two memorable characters in Alec and Emma who I'd love to see return some day.

Four Out Of Five Bow Ties ( or Pale, Ghostly Faces... )

Happy St. George's Day!

St. George he was for England

And before he killed the dragon

He drank a pint of English ale

Out of an English flagon.

For though he fast right readily

In hair shirt or in mail,

It isn't safe to give him cakes

Unless you give him ale.

St. George he was for England

And right gallantly set free

The lady left for dragon's meat

And tied up to a tree;

But since he stood for England

And knew what England means,

Unless you give him bacon

You mustn't give him beans.

St. George he is for England

And shall wear the shield he wore

When we go out in armour

With battle-cross before.

But though is jolly company

And very pleased to dine,

It isn't safe to give him nuts

Unless you give him wine.

 

This witty insight into the English character, heroic or not, comes courtesy of this blog's patron "saint", the mighty GK Chesterton, author of The Glass Walking-Stick ( the original, that is ), The Man Who Was Thursday, The Flying Inn and many, many more works of wonder.

Oh, and the painting is St. George Slays The Dragon by Fortunino Matania from the cover of a 1962 issue of that fondly-remembered magazine, Look & Learn...

 

A Doctor by any other name...

The BBC have announced today that the final episode of Series 7 of Doctor Who ( or Series 7b if you prefer... ) is titled The Name Of The Doctor. And apparently us viewers need to "stand by for something that you might always have believed to be impossible..."
Steven Moffatt's been dropping hints for a couple of years now that the Doctor's "greatest secret" would soon be revealed. But... do we need to know his real name? Won't it take away the essential mystery of the character? It's been hinted that Time Lords choose their names ( eg The Master or The Corsair ) to suit their personalities or ideals, so the Doctor must have had a name once, instead of just a title. But, whatever it might be  -  Theta Sigma? John Smith? Matt Smith?  -  wouldn't it prove to be a massive let-down once the cat's out of the bag? You can almost guarantee you'll be disappointed: it'll be too mundane, it'll be too exotic, it'll be too obvious etc. etc.
Personally, I think this will prove to be yet another piece of misdirection along the lines of The Doctor's Daughter or The Doctor's Wife. They didn't actually, really, truthfully turn out to be his real daughter or wife, did they? Moffat likes his "slutty" episode titles, like Let's Kill Hitler, which draw people in and guarantee hype and press coverage... and this particular title will certainly do that. Of course, this series finale will also lead into the 50th Anniversary special, so I wouldn't expect too many secrets to be revealed just yet...

( Oh yeah... due to various technical hitches my review of last Saturday's Cold War is even later than usual. I'll probably combine it with the review of this week's episode, Hide. Slapped wrists all round. )

Soundtrack: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd ( RIP Storm Thorgerson )

Gloucester Guildhall 25th Anniversary

It's not very often I get invited to Black Tie events. In fact, I'd never been invited to a Black Tie event until I was asked to join in with the 25th anniversary celebrations of my favourite venue, Gloucester's Guildhall Arts Centre. So what else could I do but hire a tux? Here are Sarah and I getting in the party mood...

It was only through my membership of the Guildhall cinema's Film Focus Group and Film Club that I received the invitation ( thanks Chloe! ) but it was certainly a pleasure to support the venue that I've been going to for so long  -  25 years to be specific. Just a quick run down of some of the bands I've seen there over two and a half decades reminds me of how many great times I've had in that building:
Ash, S*M*A*S*H, The Damned, The UK Subs, The Supernaturals, Catatonia, Carter USM, Goldblade, Six By Seven, Lambchop, Symposium, Primal Scream, Antiproduct & Marky Ramone, Chinese Burn ( of course! ), Carbon/Silicon, Cud... and the latest gig being last Saturday's epic show by the awesome Dexy's!!! ( Review to follow... )

Here are Sarah and my good friend Tom ( of The Sensitive Bore fame ) enjoying some purely medicinal champagne...

And here's me, only pretending to drink the champagne. I was still on quite a lot of medication at the time so drinking wasn't really an option. I couldn't taste anything anyway so it would have been like drinking fizzy water. I think I had about four sips for appearance's sake. This was my first night out since finishing my radiotherapy and we were unsure how I'd cope with it, but I think I did quite well. We were out for a couple of hours and I didn't get too tired. Every day I'm getting stronger, eating more ( after losing two stone in weight! ) and needing less sleep...which is all good...

The entertainment in the main hall was slightly more civilized than the usual Guildhall gig: a Swing Jazz band, average age approx. 93, who were pretty cool and got plenty of feet  a' tappin' with some smooth standards, including an ultra-slow rendition of Mack The Knife.

As we were all decked out in tuxes it was compulsory for us blokes to act out our James Bond fantasies. Above are world's greatest Sean Connery fan Ross, Tom and myself posing with a very reluctant young lady, whose name I have embarrassingly forgotten. ( I'll just refer to her as "Lucia's daughter" 'cos that's her mum's name. Sorry. )

And here are Lucia herself ( on the right ) and Film Focus Group head honcho
( honchette? ) the lovely Chloe. Chloe has worked tirelessly to build up the Guildhall's cinema from a loss-making exercise to a successful, profitable asset to the City. She's leaving soon to have her first baby so there's plenty more hard work to come :-)

More posing  -  Ross and I obviously enjoying our time in the spotlight...

And Tom's amazing socks which were the highlight of the evening :-)

Seriously, we all had a great time and it was indeed a joy to support the Guildhall and all the hard-working staff. There were some local dignitaries present, basking in the reflected glory, but I couldn't care less about them. The success of the venue is down to the bands, the artists, the dance instructors, the projectionists, the staff and all the punters who make this tiny jewel in Gloucester's crown my favourite venue...

Old Movie Of The Week: Singin' In The Rain ( 1952 )

Old movie of this week... or any other week, to be honest, is Gene Kelly's classic musical love-letter to old Hollywood. I'll just state for the record that I'm not ordinarily a great fan of musicals. In fact, until I was well into my late twenties, the only musicals I had any time for were The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Grease. ( Open-minded or what? ) But my opinion altered as time went by and I became more receptive to "Hey kids! Let's do the show right here!" stuff. I watched the definitive documentary on Hollywood musicals, That's Entertainment, and thought maybe there was something in this "hoofing" business after all...
I still can't handle the Gilbert & Sullivan ilk or the thigh-slappin' likes of Oklahoma or Showboat  though...

For those who don't know ( there must be some out there ) Singin' In The Rain is a story set during the late 1920s when people looked to Hollywood for glamour and escapism from their humdrum lives. Movie star Don Lockwood ( Gene Kelly ) is one of the biggest box office draws of the silent era, especially when playing opposite starlet Lina Lamont ( Jean Hagen ). They're seen as a golden couple by the public and gossip columnists... although Don secretly loathes the self-obsessed, manipulative Lina. Without warning Hollywood is hit by the bombshell that is the first "talkie", The Jazz Singer. Suddenly all the studios need talking pictures and the Lockwood/Lamont movie, The Duelling Cavalier, is a flop waiting to happen. With the help of his best buddy and fellow ex-Vaudevillian Cosmo Brown ( Donald O'Connor ) and new-found love Kathy Selden ( Debbie Reynolds ) Don has to revive his career and extricate himself from the clutches of Lina. But first, there's the matter of Lina's voice which is far too shrill and shrewish for the new-fangled medium of talking pictures...

Singin' In The Rain was actually a cynical attempt by MGM to build a movie around a pile of old Arthur Freed songs from previous films. That changed when star Gene Kelly came on board and single-mindedly turned the movie into the vibrant, post-modern classic that defined his career. He hired actors ( O'Connor ), harrassed others when they couldn't live up to his demanding perfectionism ( Reynolds ), antagonised studio bosses, and generally did whatever was necessary to realise his vision. Happily, the finished product became recognised as the most beloved musical ever.

This movie endures whilst contemporaries have been forgotten for a variety of reasons, not least for the sharp and witty screenplay, cheekily referencing the realities behind the Hollywood facade. Gene Kelly himself once said "Everything in Singin' In The Rain springs from the truth. It is a conglomeration of bits of movie lore." Sometimes biting the hand that feeds you pays off!
The breezy charm of the three leads is also a delight to behold. You can easily believe that Don and Cosmo are old pals who have slogged their guts out to rise above the speakeasys and pool-halls of their youth to become Tinseltown players. And the romance between Don and wannabe starlet Kathy is surprisingly touching for what is basically a light-hearted comedy.
And then there's the dancing...

All the leads bring an exuberance and joie de vivre to their dance numbers but Kelly, of course, is the star of the show and dances his socks off. His effortless, manly style is strong and sinuous, a mile away from the gliding, High Society hoofing of Fred Astaire. That famous scene where Don splashes about in the surprisingly "damp" LA weather is rightfully one of the most iconic moments in movie history -  good news for Kelly, who was fighting a flu-induced fever at the time and was dancing in "rain" laced with milk to make it stand out in Technicolor.
The "Broadway Melody" section of the movie takes up a good 15 minutes of the film and is a dazzling showcase for Freed's songs, Kelly's talents and the absolutely eye-popping visuals by cinematographer Harold Rosson. It's also a fantastic showcase for Cyd Charisse, bringing a real sass and sensuality to her role as an idealised gangster's moll. And she gets to blow smoke out of her nose into Kelly's face!
This section of the film also brings us the beautiful dream sequence below where Kelly pursues Charisse across a sound-stage turned soft-focus Dali landscape. Stunning!

So, Singin' In The Rain is without doubt in my mind a five-star, all-time classic... even if it is a musical :-)

Sarah and I were lucky enough to see the film at Gloucester Guildhall Arts Centre last weekend, shown as part of the venue's season of classic movies. The print was slightly dark and scratchy
( one of Kelly's lines disappeared altogether ) but it was great to see it in 35mm as originally intended. One of my favourite movies... in my favourite venue? Perfect!

Doctor Who: The Rings Of Akhaten ( Review with spoilers )

Due to space/time dilutions in the causal nexus ( and my laziness ) this review is unfashionably late. But then, dear hypothetical reader, you're used to that, aren't you?

The Rings Of Akhaten sees The Doctor taking Clara for her first trip off-world. And where does she want to go? "Somewhere awesome..."
This turns out to be a bustling marketplace on a lump of orbiting rock, which is itself part of the inhabited rings of the star Akhaten. Here, the newbie Tardis traveller meets Merry, the Queen Of Years, a young girl who is the repository of her society's entire knowledge, with an important part to play in the ages-old Festival Of Offerings. Her role in the ritual is to sing a lullaby to the Old God of Akhaten who must be kept in perpetual slumber, unless he consumes the entire system. Merry is frightened she will make a mistake and so cause a disaster, but Clara reassures her that she will be fine. Oops...

 Of course, things go badly wrong. The Old God awakens and our time travellers have to save both young Merry and all the other races gathered here for the Festival.

This episode is very much focused on Clara  -  and rightly so. We see her here showing compassion, resourcefulness and a steely confidence. We also see a worryingly creepy sequence of the Doctor
( in slightly stalker-ish mode ) checking out Clara's past for further clues to her mystery, as well as a strange moment when the Tardis seems to disapprove of Ms. Oswald  -  which doesn't bode well for an upcoming episode when Clara will become trapped in the depths of the time machine. ( The Tardis, of course, wasn't too keen on Jack Harkness either, due to his wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey nature. Interesting... ) It's a great showcase for Jenna-Louise Coleman and her rapport with Matt Smith is lovely to watch. I'm hoping that the Eleven / Clara relationship will be more adult and less confrontational than the Eleven / Amy one ever was. They should enjoy each other's company and adventures... even when in deadly danger...

There's been a lot of criticism of this episode on the net ( what's new? ) but I enjoyed it for its attempt at doing something slightly different. I love the vistas of the Akhaten system and the cornucopia of creatures in the alien marketplace. The Doctor's speech at the climax about how much he has lost and how many terrible things he has seen over the centuries is a fine moment for Matt Smith and Clara's sacrificing of "the most important leaf in the universe" is a lovely little touch.

Apart from a few moments when the show's ambition outstrips its budget ( that "moped" ) my biggest problem with this episode is a familiar gripe: the threat. The alien mummy and its attendant servants, The Vigil, which were so prevalent in the pre-publicity material, look great but don't actually do a lot. The twist that the Old God isn't the mummy but actually a parasitical creature living in the star is a good one ( although reminiscent of Season Three episode 42 ) but it does leave Matt Smith yet again ranting at a very nebulous enemy. I often wonder if a lot of this hesitation to produce truly threatening villains stems from the BBC's constant pussy-footing around what is acceptable for tea-time TV ( the so-called "compliances" )... or is it just a lack of thorough script-editing? Neil Cross, the writer of this episode, comes from such shows as Luther and Spooks so may be suited to more down-to-earth fare. His next Who episode, Hide, is a ghost story so that may turn out better. We'll see.

Three Out Of Five Bow Ties ( or Red Leaves )

Soundtrack: Don't Stand Me Down by Dexy's Midnight Runners
                     ( I'm going to see them on Saturday night! Yay! )

The Scarlet Speedster

There are so many wonderful, heartfelt tributes to the late, great Carmine Infantino on the net today 

( including this one from our pal, Cal ) that I have nothing more to add... except to say "Just look at the amazing artwork..."

RIP Carmine Infantino ( 24th May 1925 - 4th April 2013 )

Time to smile

After the necessarily sad tone of yesterday's post, I thought it would be a good idea to try and cheer up a bit...