Doctor Who Review: The God Complex

I'm going to say to say what we've all been thinking. I like how Doctor Who is going this series. After a lack-luster premiere, every week has been consistantly brilliant and this week is no different. It's a classic Who set-up. The Tardis crew get trapped somewhere creepy with a group of others who are also trapped and they have to get away before a mysterious menace gets them. There's one of these practically every series, which it all the better that this episode feels wholly new and exciting.

Right so, lets go through what works. Plot. Compelling mystery, the minotaur's motivation makes the story more than just a monster of the week affair, idea of the rooms and the way they're used, very effective, the twists and turns good, and the photos at the start very intreguing. Again this week not everything is revealed until the end and it being hidden makes the story far more engaging and the conclusion wasn't a let down either. The episode is well directed and has a very unnerving atmosphere to it, which draws greatly from the setting in the 80s hotel, which is just far away from the norm to make it worrying but not over the top. The main cast bring their a-games with hilarious and heartbreaking performances throughout and the supporting actors are also impressive especially David Walliams as the hilarious Gibbis and Amara Karan as Rita who made me really care about her, so much I was truly upset when she died.

But I think we all know what brought this episode up from just a great story to one of the best of the season. The last 15 minutes involve the Doctor having to make Amy lose her faith in him, and it's just horrifying to see her finally accept him as just a flawed man when the whole time she's worshipped him as a hero. The disappointment in her eyes is so real, and she finally sees what Rory has seen in the Doctor all along. Then comes the ending. The Doctor and his companions part ways. And the heartbreaking thing is it's not because of them being forced or reaching a point where they have to leave, just the Doctor can't bring himself to put them in danger any more. Amy doesn't want to leave and the Doctor doesn't want to leave her either, but he knows if she stays with him, she'll die one day. The lead actors are brilliant in this scene and you can really see the torture in Matt Smith's eyes. It's done with such subtly as well, in contrast to the overblown exits of Rose, Martha and Donna, and I know Amy and Rory will be back, but if this had been the last time we saw them, I'd be glad because their exit is done with such class that it was hard not to enjoy it, but be devastated at the same time.

So, any flaws? None that I can think of. I'm sure if I really tried I could think of something, but I'd need to try, on a casual viewing this seems like a perfect Doctor Who experiance. It's funny, scary, unnerving and heart breaking and I can't think of what more to ask for. Let's just hope this streak of classic stories continues.

5/5

Coming Soon... if you're really that bothered.

Ah! This is more like it. Forget lists and reviews for a minutes and let me just say a few words that really have nothing to do with anything important. Right, so now everyone’s stopped reading, let me continue. Lots of things are going on right now. I’ve moved into my new flat. It’s boiling hot and this chair sits oddly like it’s trying to throw me out of it. But overall it’s not bad. I’ve got a new girl, which is unfortunate, because it might lead to me being not quite as filled with hate for everything, but after a search for a suit that took about 9 years yesterday, I somehow feel that might not be the case. I’ve started at uni, which means I both have more and less time. I have more time in my flat for me to write and that, but I also have to read texts and do actual writing for important things. Oh dear. Hopefully it won’t drain the creative juices. Oh and at the time of writing I’m away to go to the Sensation for the first time. Better be good.

And now for a list of things…. COMING SOON. I know, I know, calm your excitement.

1. My laptop has an inbuilt webcam so now I can again record video of me talking, it can’t be long til the return of Poundcorner, and I definitely have a fair few things to talk about now.
2. I’m in the process of finding a camcorder. Now you might say, why do I need one if I can record vlogs on my laptop. Well, you can’t know yet… well only kidding. I’d gonna make a short film/sketch. It’s written, but you don’t get to see it yet.
3. I have ideas for some new blogs all buzzing about my head, so now I’m settled in the flat, I should be getting them out more often that when I was working 9 days in a row then moving then freshers.
4. For either the 75^th or 100^th post, or even maybe the 5000 view if we’re organized enough, there’s gonna be another podcast. But this time. It’s personal.
And 4. Project Vincent. It’s a plan Lewis Bage and I have hatched. All I can tell you is it’s within the law. That’s it. We’re not revealing any more at this moment. It’s been on hold for about a week and a half, but now we’re back in business, so get ready to hear more of that soon.



And as with all these blogs about nothing I need to make it up to you with a picture of me doing something stupid. So here's me and Mr T. Ish.

Imdb Top 100 Part 5: 40-26

40. American Beauty
This is truly a film not like any other. I mean, what genre is it? I don’t know. It’s not romance, it’s way to creepy and dark for that, it’s not a thriller, the only word I can use is a “psychological” film. It’s about a man who’s attracted to his daughter’s friend and that inspires him to live his life, but everything around eventually falls apart. Really a must-see, you’ll never see anything else like it.
39. North by Northwest
Another Hitchcock thriller, this time about a man mistaken for a spy. It’s not just any 60’s spy film though, there are twists and turns that really surprise and shock you. There’s a brilliant plot and cast, especially the main characters mother, my favourite character. Her scene in the lift is hilarious. Watch and find out what I mean.
38. Citizen Kane
The Citizen Kane of all movies is of course, Citizen Kane. Regarded by many as the greatest film of all time, I can’t really fault it. Not because I’m scared of getting attacked by fans, but because it is actually that good. Well, maybe not the best film ever, but definitely up there. It’s the best film I’ve seen from its time and for years after, and while I don’t worship it, I would definitely say it’s one of the best and most influencial
37. Toy Story 3
The first Toy Story was brilliant, the second was great, but this one really gives us everything it’s got. The toys we’ve grown up with are given away when Andy goes to university. But the nursery they end up in turns out to be a terrible place, and they lose Woody, then things go terribly wrong until the most emotional animated scene ever. If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean, if you haven’t then you won’t believe how moving it is until you do.
36. American History X
A Neo-Nazi, played by Edward Norton, comes out of prison a changed man. Unfortunately his brother is heading down the dark past that put Norton in jail to begin with. The film follows the story of both brothers in the present and in flashback, and it was really an eye opener. I didn’t really understand how such people could still exist even now, but this film really explains the culture and shows the terrible effects it has on families and the community.
35. Apocalypse Now
One of the most brilliant war films of all time. It’s just great to watch and asks many questions, until it reaches my major problem with it. SPOILER WARNING. At the end of the film Martin Sheen meets the crazed Marlon Brando and his cult, but I really can’t understand what it is about Brando that all these people are enthralled by. I work with people with mental problems and I can see lots of their behaviour in his character which really means I can’t see why anyone would think he was wise and not just ill. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s never really sat right.
34. Dr Strangelove or How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
One of the few Stanley Kubrick films I don’t have a problem with. Normally something in the way he directs bugs me, but I really enjoy this film. It’s truly hilarious, but in a really dark way. Every joke works, and by the end you’re both thinking about the implications and still laughing. It’s the perfect example of an intelligent comedy.
33. Leon
I saw this film recently, but I’d wanting to see it for ages. It’s the story of a hitman who adopts a little girl after her family are murdered. That sounds awful, but it’s done really well. All the parts are played really well, subtle Leon, surprising good child actress Natalie Portman isn’t completely annoying, and Gary Oldman... well he’s just fucking insane. It’s brilliant. It’s like a feel bonding tale crossed with a tragedy crossed with an action movie crossed with an art film, and I love it.
32. Sunset Boulevard
There were a lot of films about aging stars back in the 50s, but this is by far the best. It’s classic film noir, with the dark visuals and twisting plot and it really is just a descent into madness. You don’t know whether to feel pity or be repulsed and the things that happen to the main male character, well no-one deserved that. It’s grand and impressive but filled with anger and bitterness, just like the characters.
31. Memento
This is Christopher Nolan at his best. This is a very complex film, but it’s totally worth it. It’s about a man who can’t form short term memories. His memory only lasts about 10,20 minutes. So we see each section of his memory, but we see it in reverse order. Things at the end which he doesn’t understand are revealed to us in the flashbacks and the revelations are truly shocking, and utterly brilliant. Definitely one to watch if you’re wanting to used your head.
30. Forrest Gump
I must be one of the few people not to have seen Forrest Gump years ago. I only saw it a few months ago after people said how shocking it was I’d never seen it. And I can see why it’s a brilliant film now I’ve watched it, but I can’t really see what makes it a much watch over the other films in this list. My only idea is that it’s because of how easy it is to watch. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to it like a dumb action film, it’s just you can sit down, turn it on and the time passes without you even realizing it. At the end you feel happy and relaxed and I can’t really explain why, but it’s a great experience.
29. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
And now we come to our first LOTR film. I used to love LOTR when I was younger, not as much as Star Wars but almost. I think everyone knows what LOTR is, even if you haven’t seen it, so there’s not really much to explain. The reason I think this one gets voted less well than the others is that it’s the middle one. In my opinion they’re all of equal quality, but this one doesn’t really begin or end any stories, so it’s a great watch, but much as there are a number of huge battles, there isn’t the sense of conclusion as you get with ROTK and there’s not the sense of anticipation as you get with FOTR. But it’s still a great film, don’t get me wrong.
28. It’s a Wonderful Life
This is one of my top ten films ever. Really. I love it. I love Jimmy Stewart, I love Clarence, I love the supporting cast and this tragedy of the man’s life and I love the darkness of the world without him. And most of all I love the ending. If you’ve seen it you know why, and if you’ve not, I cried at it, and I don’t cry at anything, so that should give you the impression of the impact it has, it’s just so happy. Look it up now. But watch the B&W version, that just feels better than the computer added colours which seem unnatural.
27. Se7en
It’s a good mystery, great main characters, interesting mode of murder and sinister atmosphere. And now, SPOILER WARNING. At the end of the film it turns out that the murderer has planned a whole situation and before allowing himself to get caught he went to one of the detective’s houses and cut off their wife’s head and put it in a box. This is supposed to be shocking and all that, but I just can’t take it seriously. Like come on, head in a box? He’s not a supervillian off a particularly dark cartoon. It really ruins the movie, because for me it just takes one step over the line of suspending my disbelief and makes the film just seem silly. At least to me. Obviously you can decide yourself.
26. Psycho
Everyone knows the shower scene. But I wonder how many people have actually seen the rest of the film. Because it’s an intriguing mystery and a dark slashed film, with a mad, but brilliant twist at the end. It’s the most perfect slashed film, and very entertaining. But the last scene, with the Doctor is just... awful. I don’t understand why it’s there. But still, great film.

Doctor Who Review: The Girl Who Waited.

Right well… This is a complicated one. It’s very different. Like Lets Kill Hitler this is a story that only really involves the main cast and some under-developed villains. Unlike that episode though, this actually has an interesting story to tell. It’s far too complex to explain in a couple of sentences, so I’m not going to try. Really if you’re reading this, you should have watched the episode because otherwise I will probably spoil it for you. Oh yeah, spoiler alert by the way.

One thing that I really enjoyed about this episode is it centered on the companions Amy and Rory. That’s not to say I haven’t liked the previous stories looking at the Doctor, but the couple haven’t been given a lot to do lately, so it’s good to see them take centre stage. Karen Gillian is brilliant as the two Amys, showing how the years have ruined the older Amy’s life, but still keeping hints of the woman she used to be. I’d say that her two performances were the high point of the episode, but the best part has to be the relationship between Amy and Rory. The scenes where they are together are just brilliant, and it’s great to see that old Amy still loves Rory even after 36 years apart, especially when they started the series on such rocky ground. The visual design, something I don’t comment on a lot, is very striking. When the Tardis doors open to the white room, it’s a shock to the system and the giant magnifying glass communicator looks brilliantly retro as do Rory’s specs.

It isn’t a perfect episode. The mechanics behind the two Amy’s getting to the same time and place aren’t explained at all and the of hundreds of people possibly being trapped like Amy aren’t explored but really that’s nitpicking. Theres only one major problem and that was the robots. I don’t know what it was about them, maybe it was how they were defeated so easily, maybe it was their bland design, but something just really didn’t sit right with me, and I think they brought the episode down a bit.

But let’s end on a cheery note. Something properly introduced in this episode and hinted at before. The Doctor lies and manipulates people. More and more we’re seeing a dark side to him, but it’s in this episode where he tricks old Amy into helping him then refuses to save her, that really brings it to the forefront. The scene where he locks her out of the Tardis is really moving and finally starts to open Rory’s eyes about who the Doctor really is. I definitely hoping for more of this to come, maybe even this is why they part their ways? Who knows? We’ll just have to wait and see. Another very good episode of Doctor Who, and I hope next week keeps up the trend.

4/5

Doctor Who Review: Night Terrors

Now THAT is what I call entertainment. I absolutely loved this episode. I really don't know what to say about it, it really just had everything. It was funny, especially the part at the start where the Tardis crew investigate the council estate, which I partically liked, because it showed up my problem with the Russell T Davies stories, the Doctor fitted too well into the estates in those series. I've always thought that the Doctor would stand out there, I mean he's a 900ish year old alien who dresses like an old man and talks like a manaic, and he never got any hate before?  This was far more like what would really happen if a guy like him turned up in a place like that.

But enough of other series's problems. Back to Night Terrors. Again, more things I liked. The idea of the Doctor coming all the way across the universe to save one scared boy was a sweet one, and although the kid playing George wasn't the best actor, the way they used him, mean you barely noticed. The dolls' house and the dolls themselves were wonderfully inventive and surprisingly creepy and the idea of all the monsters in the cupboard was the stuff of nightmares. The plot was intreguing and I thought it had a rewarding reveal. And the main credit for this story being so good has to go the cast. The regulars were on top form, especially Matt Smith, and his scenes with Daniel Mays shined with brilliant acting from both of them. Even the bit parts, such as the landlord and the old woman were hilarious and unbelievably well developed for the short time they were on screen. And there was even a speech misquoted from the old series to keep me happy. Honestly, I can't find fault in this story, and in fact it's already my favourite Matt Smith episode, and after repeated viewing could be my favourite from the new series. I really can't praise it enough, and I hope we see more of this caliber in years to come.

5/5

Imdb Top 100 Part 4: 55-41

55. The Lives of Others
This is the story of a communist agent who spies on a writer and his girlfriend to try and see whether they are undesirables. He sits in their attic and listens in to their conversations. And as the story goes on he is drawn in by their life and changes his beliefs. It’s the sort of story that been told plenty of times before, but really it’s not been told much better than this. It’s set in a time and place I knew nothing about, but it was still easy to understand and well worth a watch.

54. Double Indemnity
This is the first film noir that I watched. I wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy it. But it’s very entertaining, and shows off the best qualities of the genre. The dark imagery, the gritty characters, the backstabbing and complex plots. This film was a real eye-opener for me, and led me to watch other classic films, so I’d give it a watch and see whether it inspires you as well.

53. M
I don’t like Metropolis, so I didn’t have high hopes watching another German expressionist film by Fritz Lang. However I really liked M. I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s because it’s set in the present day and real world for the time. Maybe it’s because it’s not a silent film any more. Or maybe it’s the strong visuals such as the chalk M on the murderer’s coat. It’s probably a mix of them all, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this film.

52. Wall. E
I’m not sure why this is so high up. I could see if the  film was all like the first half. It’s the story of two robots on a ruined Earth told just by visuals and music, there’s no dialog. It’s like 2001, except not incredibly pretentious. It’s like a work of art. But then it turns into a silly comedy on a spaceship filled with fat people. I mean it’s not bad, but it’s nothing special. It’s a bit of a mixed bag.

51. The Pianist
We all know the terrible things that happened during WW2. However this is the first film that made me truly angry at the Nazis. It really gets you invested in the struggle the characters face. The despair, the horror, the sadness, you feel them all, and really what more can you ask for. Definitely one of the best WW2 films, obviously highly personal due to the director living through events like though shown in the film.

50. Paths of Glory
This film shows the terrible treatment by the men in WW1 by their superior officers. Three men are chosen to be executed because their squadron refused to go on a charge that would have been suicide. We see the reactions of the men as they are chosen and sentenced to death and of the high officers who couldn’t care less, and of the men’s captain who tries everything to save them. Some bits are heartbreaking, some bits are hilarious, it’s a real mix of a film, but it’s still very good.

49. City Lights
Another Charlie Chaplin film. I prefer Modern Times on the whole, but this film has two things that make it a better film. One is a millionaire who when sober hates Chaplin, but loves him when drunk. This guy is one of the funniest things on film, he needs to be seen to be believed. And the other is Chaplin’s love story with a blind girl. I didn’t think it was possibly to get emotionally invested in a silent slapstick comedy, but this film really proved me wrong.

48. The Shining
I can’t say I see why The Shining is supposed to be so good. I liked it, except the part with the psychic black guy, up until the part where Jack gets let out of the freezer by the ghosts. Up until then I could believe that the ghosts where all just in his head and he was being driven insane by the loneliness. I thought that kind of psychological horror would be really interesting, but then, because it’s Stephen King, it turn out he wasn’t just crazy it was ghosts, and I couldn’t  take the film seriously anymore. Also that kid saying “redrum”? He needs a good slap.

47. Amelie
It’s a love story. I can’t think of any love story films that I like except this one. But this really isn’t like any others. It’s quirky and whimsical and it lives in its own magical world. It’s really funny. And moving and sad and happy and... well it just jumps from one thing to another, it’s got the air of a dream almost. So don’t get put off by the romance, even a manly man could enjoy this film.

46. Spirited Away
I don’t like anime. I’m not sure what it is. I tell myself it’s because it doesn’t explain itself, like in this film a little girl ends up in a magical world where lots of really odd things happen and you just have to accept them. But really that can’t be true, because some of myself favourite films are sci-fi or fantasy, which are different sorts of weird but equally strange. So I can’t explain it. But I don’t like anime, so I don’t like this film. If you like anime you might like this, but I’m in no position to judge.

45. Vertigo
The first Hitchcock film we’ve come across on the list. It shows the dark mystery, brilliant characters and unexpected twists that I love in his films. Not to mention, it has Jimmy Stewart, one of my favourite actors in it. This really draws you in, and you really want to know what is going on, but it just keeps getting stranger, until the reveal which isn’t a disappointment.

44. Alien
The original and the best. Forget about the one good sequel, the three mediocre to poor sequels and AVP 2, a film I hate with a passion. This is the one that started the whole series. And it’s brilliant. The alien is just that, an alien. It can’t be reasoned with, it can’t be understood and it can’t be stopped. It’s just a terrifying monster in the shadows that strikes down the crew one by one. The best sci-fi horror film ever.

43. Saving Private Ryan
Much as I hate Braveheart with its historic inaccuracies, this film has enough impact to get away with it. The heart of the soldiers and their struggles makes this film draining, but heart-warming by the end. However the first scene, the D-Day landings are just... incredible. It’s the most impressive war movie scene I’ve ever seen, it leaves such an impact.

42. Taxi Driver
This is a difficult film to explain. It’s the story of a Vietnam veteran suffering in a life he hates. He meets a woman, but things go wrong and spiral out of control until the last act, which is mind-blowing. Of course there’s a lot more to it than that short description, but I really don’t know how to say much about it without ruining it. Watch this film, there’s nothing else quite like it.

41. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
My second favourite sequel of all time, this is the follow-up to a story of a killer robot coming back in time. This time there’s two, but ones on our side. The first film is just an action movie. There are some good parts, so it’s better than average but it’s nothing special. But Judgement Day? It’s got the whole package. The effects are incredible, the acting is great, the story is engaging and it’s got heart too. I really can’t think of anyway this could have been better. In fact if you’re only going to watch one Terminator film, I’d skip the first one and watch this.

Doctor Who Review: Let's Kill Hitler

"Spoilers."              Also. Spoiler Warning.

Wow, this was quick wasn't it? One, Doctor Who being back, it really doesn't feel like that long since the last lot ended, and two, me putting up my review a few hours after the show was on tv. Now there's a reason for it being up this quick. And if you've seen the latest episode Let's Kill Hitler, then you'll understand. But I think it might be hard to put it into words.

Let me say one thing. I liked some of this. I liked the bit with Hitler, "Rory, put Hitler in the cupboard" has to be one of the best lines ever. I liked the bit in the Tardis while the Doctor's dying, funny and touching. I liked the bit where River and the Doctor have both expected each other's actions. And I liked the idea of the Justice Department and them being tiny inside a human sized machine, although it was woefully underused and it reminded me of Meet Dave of all things. Now we've got the good out of the way though...

The problem is it's a disappointment. Like every part. With the title Let's Kill Hitler you'd think they'd spend more than 5 minutes with him, but the only reason he's there is to get a reason to have the Justice Police there. And they're only there to provide exposition and to give a situation to have Amy and Rory in danger in. Really the majority of this episode could be set anywhere and could have been done with anything replacing the Justice Police or JP. And I liked the JP, I thought there were a good idea, but all they do is tell the Tardis crew what they need to know for the plot to work and then leave, leaving Amy and Rory to get chased by their "anti-bodies". Which were also a good idea. But again, they're just "a threat", I liked them, but they could have been replaced by literally anything and the story would have been the same. Also Mels. I had a problem with her before she was even revealed to be anything else. The introduction was awful, just by showing us a couple of flashbacks are we really supposed to accept she's been there the whole time? And for just Amy and Rory's friend she was far too ridiculous to accept as a real person. I'm not saying everyone in Dr Who should be realistic, but she was clearly going to be revealed as something more. Really though, would the Doctor when threatened with a gun and told to go back in time and change history... do it? Because that's what happens. The Doctor wasn't tricking Mels and going somewhere else, he was going to take her to Hitler's office. People have threatened the Doctor to do things like this before and he's either said no or tricked them. It seems somewhat out of character for him to get bullied by one girl with a gun.

And that one girl is the problem. Melody Pond, aka River Song. Because really. Is this how you expected the Doctor and River to first meet? I mean, I dont know how I expected it but it definately wasn't this. I don't say that in a good way. Some random girl, that I already didn't like gets shot and regenerates into River. Maybe if she hadn't only been in the story for about 5 minutes and was obviously a River Song type of character, so it wasn't even a surprise. Then she's a psycopath brainwashed to kill the Doctor. But we only find that out after she's done it, before that she just seems like she's nuts. And after that. You'd think they might do something with her being Amy and Rory's daughter, but they don't really, there's hardly anything to do with it, especially at the end where they seem to just give up looking for her and leave River, so they might not see their daughter ever again. River's apparently brainwashed, but all it takes is the Doctor showing he's a good guy for her to join his side, there was no kind of struggle, it didn't even seem like she was brainwashed at all, just nuts. Oh, River can regenerate so will there be any stories dealing how now there are two Timelords? No, she just uses up all her regenerations to save the Doctor so the audience can forgive her for killing him in the first place. And since when could regeneration stop you getting shot? Maybe that would've been helpful when in 1970's Spearhead From Space where the Doctor gets shot soon after regeneration and it knocks him out for hours. Also, the explanation of the Silence is given far too quickly and just replaces one mystery with an even stupider sounding one.

Really, this episode is a huge disappointment for all the questions being asked all series. Maybe I could have forgiven it slightly if the River Song story had been a subplot, and maybe... the Justice Police were going to kill Hitler but the Doctor has to stop them changing time, even though helping Hitler is against everything he stands for. Wait, I've just written a better idea than the plot of this episode. There's so much more I could say but I'll leav you with this. We've been waiting over a series to see River meet the Doctor, but this episode fails to deliver, and it doesn't have any other story to fall back on, so the flaws are painfully obvious and make a truly uninspired piece of television.

Although it does have Rory punching Hitler so I can't give it 1/5.

 

2/5