tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99711292011-04-22T00:36:26.296+01:00I hope to share some of my world with the greater, real world over the coming months and years. I don't intend to get overtly political, or environmental. I just intend to share my interests with others. Which means DVDs, video games, comics and more.J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1129588579167940672005-10-17T23:08:00.000+01:002005-10-17T23:42:19.360+01:00

From the opening scene, I was hooked. Like the original Exorcist, Dominion is about faith and lack of faith. It's also a study of the nature of good and evil. Is there a Satan, or is evil simply born of man? Given the bleak opening in Nazi occupied Europe, it would appear the latter. When Father Merrin looses his faith, it's hard for us not to as well.Cleverly, the opening sequence is the

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1129560074615100542005-10-17T15:20:00.000+01:002005-10-17T23:46:19.363+01:00

I've just watched the two part opener Instrument of Destruction and I'm literally speechless. The old Captain Scarlet has been reimagined and redesigned for the twenty-first century, yet remains faithful to the puppet original.Obviously, the biggest difference is the stunning CGI makeover. Now the characters can walk, run and fight. And the animation is stunning too - it doesn't compare to

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1129547524078360932005-10-17T11:39:00.000+01:002005-10-17T23:51:41.260+01:00

New Captain Scarlet Series 1 [R2]The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology [R2]The box boldly proclaims 'NEW', and with good reason. Gerry Anderson's CGI Captain Scarlet is a triumph from start to finish. In fact, it's a more successful revamp than the BBC's 2005 revival of Doctor Who. Sadly, for some unexplained reason that nobody can explain, Captain Scarlet was dumped in the middle of ITV's MoM an

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1129545583964076822005-10-15T11:30:00.000+01:002005-10-17T12:21:42.223+01:00

Alan Bennett. Like him or hate him, you can't deny the man is a genius. He has one of the most accurate ears for language around, and it's these verbal ticks and idioms that make his work so true, funny and touching. The man is a national treasure. (Of course, being as most of his chracters are Northern and his work tends to be set in Northern towns, he is criminally overlooked by Southern art

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128791935449039812005-10-08T18:13:00.000+01:002005-10-08T18:18:55.460+01:00

Well, this is in the same coffee table book format as the BBC's 'League of Gentlemen' scripts. A new innovation to the Who book is that each script has an introduction from the author. And in a surprising move, Russell T. Davies basically says The Long Game is crap. You don't normally get such honestly in offical 'franchise' merchandise. Once again the BBC show how to cash-in on a hot property,

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128761488885841332005-10-08T09:42:00.000+01:002005-10-08T09:51:28.886+01:00

Little Britain S2 [R2]Flash Gordon Silver Anniversary Edition [R2]Well, its finally here. "Yeah, I know." Series 2 of Little Britain, timed to be released on the cusp of the third and final series airing on BBC1.Series two is Matt and David's "difficult second album" phase in the Little Britain project, and at times it shows. Knowing I would be getting the DVD, I've purposely not watched any of

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128760910466535542005-10-05T09:35:00.000+01:002005-10-08T09:41:50.466+01:00

Sadly, vol 6 was the last of the UK He-Man and the Masters of the Universe release - finishing the run after 36 episodes on 6 volumes. I'm happy with 6 volumes, I never could see myself purchasing all the episodes on DVD (were there about 120ish?). Besides, the boxsets are available for £11.99, a steal.Okay, the UK releases may not have the documentries or other supplements of the upcoming R1

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128760339501764702005-10-03T09:12:00.001+01:002005-10-08T09:35:26.890+01:00

Nighty Night S1 [R2]Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures [R1]Mallrats 10th Anniversay Extended Edition [R1]As some readers will know, I've been waiting for Nighty Night on DVD for months. This really is A1 comedy at its darkest, with none of the comfort or formula or sit-coms like The Brady Bunch. The programme is full of events and jokes which are in "bad taste", but really, the

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128241611938955222005-10-02T08:42:00.000+01:002005-10-08T09:12:06.160+01:00

Well, once again the League have performed a miracle. They've confounded everyone's expectations while at the same time created a truly unique and memorable work. However, I have a feeling the catchphrase-quoting brigade won't like this movie, just like the majority of them didn't like the Christmas special or third series on TV (both of which moved on from the catchphrase and repetition based

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128161963298968982005-10-01T11:07:00.000+01:002005-10-01T11:19:23.306+01:00

Kingdom of Heaven 2 Disc [R2]The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse [R2]Teachers Series 4 [R2]Doctor Who: The Web Planet [R2]Kingdom of Heaven comes in the traditional Fox 2-disc slipcase. However, this is annoyingly reflective foil, making it hard to actually read most of the small print. Reading the special features can be a bit of a chore.I'm trying to be open minded until I've seen it, but the

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128161249451700252005-10-01T10:58:00.000+01:002005-10-01T11:21:58.283+01:00

Well, this is the third Evil Dead game (the others being Hail to the King on the Dreamcast - a promising but ultimately disappointing Resident Evil clone - and A Fistful of Boomstick - a much more fluid and fun game, but sadly too repetative). I must be a glutton for punishment, because I just couldn't avoid getting Evil Dead: Regeneration.To be fair, I had played a demo on last month's Official

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128160567155788112005-10-01T10:35:00.000+01:002005-10-01T10:58:09.866+01:00

What I Did on my Christmas Holidays by Sally Sparrow is one of the small text stories in the 2006 Doctor Who Annual. Like all the other text stories in the annual this is written by an established Dr Who author, in this case writer Steven Moffet.I've not really had much contact with Moffet's written work, but this is the man who created Press Gang, Coupling and the stunning 2005 series two-parter

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128158923416422722005-09-27T10:28:00.000+01:002005-10-01T10:35:22.023+01:00

Well, this came a little later than expected from Play, but it was a larger package than normal because I got the Limited "Furry" Packaging version.And the packaging is totally fantastic. I love it to pieces. I've only had a short time to skim the contents of the set, but its another packed package from Liegh and friends, keeping up the tradition of packed DVDs from Bo Selecta series 2 onwards (

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1128158890500966382005-09-26T10:25:00.000+01:002005-10-01T10:28:10.510+01:00

Well, this was waiting for me in the office when I got back to work - it could have arrived anytime since the Wednesday before.I've not had time to look at the discs, but I'm not that impressed with the packaging. Reportedly the transfers are letterboxed 4:3 rather than fully anamorphic 16:9. A huge disappointment if true (and have have no reason to doubt this).

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1127588260880005992005-09-24T19:53:00.000+01:002005-09-24T19:57:40.886+01:00

A quick update this week, as I'm feeling a bit under the weather. Anyhow, here's the arrivals over the past week:The Brady Bunch: Complete Third Season [R1]Lost: The Complate 1st Season [R1]Curb Your Enthusiasm Pack (Seasons 1 - 3) [R1]Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 4 [R1]Tommy Boy: Holy Schnike Edition [R1]Tommy Boy comes with a slipcover, that "opens like a book" so it must be good. Curb Your

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1127035227899097732005-09-18T09:54:00.000+01:002005-09-18T11:07:21.920+01:00

I'm somewhat confused by the title. The Original? As the featurette shows, it's not the original. The original Big Night Out was a weekly 3 hour plus stage show. Also, it's not as if after the two television series of Vic Reeves Big Night Out somebody else took over the show.Anyhow, what we have here is the two series of Vic Reeves Big Night Out, first shown on Channel 4 television in 1990 and

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126962871433605002005-09-17T14:06:00.000+01:002005-09-18T09:52:27.460+01:00

Firstly, you can't watch the theatrical version of Gladiator on the UK Extended Edition release, because Universal/Dreamworks couldn't be arsed to put that feature on the disc (despite it being UK language only, so it's not as if the authoring would be as complicated as the US release). So now, because the other release is "out of print" it's not possible to get the original theatrical cut on DVD

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126951047177190892005-09-17T10:43:00.000+01:002005-09-17T10:59:39.083+01:00

Well, now I'm at home, I went to the local Post Office sorting office and picked up some waiting packages I've been unable to collect during the week.The Ring Two Unrated Edition [R1]Ringu: Anthology of Terror [R1]I'm surprised at how small the box for the Ringu films is. I have these films already (apart from Rasen - or Spiral as it is sometimes known in English speaking countries) but given

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126950213762248012005-09-17T10:30:00.000+01:002005-09-17T10:43:33.770+01:00

Doctor Who: Winner Takes AllJacqueline RaynerBBC Books"Rose and the Doctor return to present-day Earth, and become intrigued by the latest craze - the video game Death to the Mantodeans. Is it as harmless as it seems? And why are so many local people going on holiday and never returning?Meanwhile, on another world, an alien war is raging. The Quevvils need to find a new means of attacking the

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126949420577297432005-09-15T10:18:00.000+01:002005-09-17T10:30:20.586+01:00

Good lord! Is it really 15 years since this was on TV? That's almost half my lifetime ago, and yet it still seems so fresh and funny.In fact, I am a little disappointed with this release. I wanted it so badly, nothing could ever live up to my rose-tinted memories and expectations. And watching the first 2 or 3 epidodes I was shocked to see the programme was much more amaturish and chaotic than I

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126948688688508342005-09-14T10:07:00.000+01:002005-09-17T14:21:57.166+01:00

Well, after some kerfuffle with customs and payments (which looks set to continue for the forseeable future) I finally got one of the parcels waiting for me from America.The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season [R1]Undeclared: The Complete Series [R1]I applaude the imagination of the Simpsons' "Homer's Head" packaging, but I must conceed that in practice it does come off as cheap and tacky. But 10

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126428777869346782005-09-11T09:41:00.000+01:002005-09-11T19:44:37.233+01:00

This month's issue of Total Film magazine in the UK comes with a free DVD with over 2 hours of movie trailers. Yes, they may be dropped when the DVD is released, but trailers are obviously important when it comes to putting bum's on seats (or punters to the shops).The Ultimate Winter Preview disc contains the following:MOVIE TRAILERSBreakfast on PlutoBroken FlowersThe Brothers GrimmThe Chronicles

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126351414761225692005-09-10T12:00:00.000+01:002005-09-10T12:37:04.453+01:00

The Doctor Who Annual 2006Doctor Who: The Clockwise ManDoctor Who: The Monsters InsideDoctor Who: Winner Takes AllDoctor Who: Only HumanDoctor Who: The Deviant StrainDoctor Who: The Stealers of DreamsWith it being approximately 3 months until the Christmas special The Christmas Invasion, and then a further 4 months until the second series starts in earnest, it would appear that those captivated

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126299837228021312005-09-09T21:57:00.000+01:002005-09-09T22:03:57.230+01:00

Well, this is a failed (I suppose, it didn't last half a season on its US tv debut) series about High School made by the producers of the (also 'failed', but critically successful) Freaks and Geeks. Most people will be interest to know that Kelly Osborn has a role in the series.The set comes on 3 discs and includes all 13 episodes filmed (but only 11 were shown on US TV), as well as commentaries,

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126299230524054552005-09-06T21:32:00.000+01:002005-09-09T21:57:18.733+01:00

The final volume of 2005's triumphant revival of Dr Who arrived today, sadly a little later than I was expecting. But it was worth the wait. The final disc contains the rather weak 'filler' BoomTown as well as the series finale the two-parter BadWolf/The Parting of the Ways.Of course, the finale will forever be remembered as 'the one with the army of Daleks' by the great British public, and it's

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1126297895661277222005-09-05T21:13:00.000+01:002005-09-09T21:31:35.670+01:00

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps S5 [R2]Most Haunted Live: Best of Vol 3 [R2]Well, Two Pints isn't as funny as it used to be - series 3 perhaps being it's creative peak, but it's still good enough to raise a few chuckles and the occasional bellylaugh. The highlight of the fifth series has to be 'Fat' with Gaz in a very convincing fat suit.A sticker on the case says "Includes Musical

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1125744172220926992005-09-03T11:19:00.000+01:002005-09-03T11:44:45.180+01:00

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Gift Set [R2]Pom Poko [R1]My Neighbors The Yamadas [R1]Buena Vista UK are an odd bunch of cats. They really don't seem to be able to actually describe and push what they sell, something you would expect to be a vital skill in the retail business. But, then again, what do I know about selling DVDs?I say this, becuase their UK Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1125742626638970402005-09-02T10:47:00.000+01:002005-09-03T11:17:06.646+01:00

This is, by all accounts, the episode of LIVINGtv's Most Haunted that captures more paranormal events than any other episode to date.Recently (from mid-way through the third series I would say) the show does seem to be manufacturing 'events', and reportedly, psychic medium Derek Acorah has been tricked into naming names and events made up by the general public and dropped casually into

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1125740756490921582005-08-30T10:23:00.000+01:002005-09-03T10:47:06.846+01:00

Well, What's New Scooby-Doo? is the best thing that has happened to Scooby-Doo for over 30 years. Here we get the classic Where Are You Scooby-Doo? formula, without annoyances such as Scooby-Dum, The Three Stooges, Scrappy-Doo or Flim Flam. However, the creators know that while the formula works, its now dated and to compensate they throw in post-modern gags and comments, which let the viewer

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1125331860188458522005-08-29T17:03:00.000+01:002005-08-29T17:11:00.193+01:00

Well, I've been away for the week, so when I get back, I'll have lots of DVDs. Right?Well, yes. Another week, another Saturday and the following have arrived.Most Haunted 4.2 [R2]The Mighty Boosh S1 [R2]Pokemon Chronicles Vol 2 and Vol 3 [R2]Yes, that's right. Pokemon Chronicles Vol 2 includes Vol 3 as a free bonus! How cool is that?I've also got a link for a review of The Mighty Boosh as I've

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1123760383300005932005-08-10T12:37:00.000+01:002005-08-11T12:39:43.310+01:00

This arrived in the post this morning. Like the 1st season set, it has a liticular motion cover showing the various family members (and Alice!) looking at each other from their positions in a 3x3 grid. Sadly, unlike the 1st season set, it doesn't come with any supplements.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1123415760752493582005-08-07T12:52:00.000+01:002005-08-07T12:57:02.563+01:00

Remember the post about the super-dooper, all-singing, all-dancing The Comic Strip Presents... boxset being edited? Well, it would appear the edits are intentional and Peter Richardson has "done a Lucas". From an interview in Empire Magazine.Are there any you’re not so keen on? South Atlantic Raiders didn’t really come alive for me. I just felt I wish I hadn’t done that one, the first episode is

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1123417092488567092005-08-06T12:57:00.000+01:002005-08-07T13:18:12.496+01:00

Tarzan Box Set (Tarzan SE and Tarzan II) [R2]Hancock's Half Hour Vol 2 [R2]Gladiatress [R2]I was also lucky enough to receive my replacement Sealab 2021 Season 3 [R1] today as well.I am appalled by one of the sneak peeks on the Tarzan II disc. Disney is once more blatantly lying about their product. In this case, they claim that the new Tarzan Special Edition is the first time the film has been

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1123101078075803042005-08-03T20:45:00.000+01:002005-08-03T21:31:18.090+01:00

Doctor Who Series 1 Vol 2Well, being as I got volume 3 this weekend, I think I can go back to the second DVD volume without being accused of flooding my blog with Doctor Who content.This disc includes the episodes Aliens of London, World War III and Dalek. Needless to say, like the first disc, the picture quality is excellent and the sound is disappointingly Dolby Digital 2.0 only. A 5.1 remix

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1123095440875904992005-08-02T19:52:00.000+01:002005-08-03T19:57:20.880+01:00

Dead Like Me: The Complete Second Season [R1]Ice Princess [R1]A Pup Named Scooby Doo Vol 1 [R1]A Pup Named Scooby Doo Vol 2 [R1]Well - sadly - the excellent Dead Like Me was cancelled at the end of the second series. But there's still almost 12 hours of all-new reaping bliss for me to enjoy with the boxset.I can't even begin to imagine what was going through people's minds when they came up for

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1122714165351088132005-07-30T09:51:00.000+01:002005-07-30T10:37:04.676+01:00

Rock Profile [R2]Doctor Who (2005) vol 3 [R2]Alexander Theatrical Cut 2 Disc Special Edition [R2]Alexander Director's Cut [R2]As expected, Rock Profile has the dreaded "For contractual reasons certain music edits have been made." not so proudly displayed on the back of the box. It will be interesting to see if the music videos have been included on the disc, or if they have simply been removed (

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1122713416887757142005-07-30T09:15:00.000+01:002005-07-30T09:50:16.893+01:00

Tru Calling: The Complete Series [R2]Unlike the American set, the UK release of Tru Calling includes all of the season 1 episode and the filmed season 2 episodes. Being a fan of genre TV in general, as well as Buffy The Vampire Slayer (the series stars Eliza Dushku who played 'rogue' slayer Faith) I decided to pick this up despite not seeing any of the episodes beforehand.Dushku plays a Tru

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1122711322912731482005-07-30T08:42:00.000+01:002005-07-30T09:15:22.920+01:00

Hide and Seek [R2]This film has had poor reviews, both on its theatrical release and its DVD debut. However, I was keen to see the film.It's hard to define what ingredients make a film "scary". The common conception is that the more gore a film has, the scarier it is. A conception that is of course nonsense. What makes a film scary is the basic idea, the acting and - ultimately - it's

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1122709284954877722005-07-30T08:36:00.000+01:002005-07-30T08:41:24.956+01:00

I settled down last night to watch the second disc of Sealab 2021 Vol 3 and was upset to discover it wouldn't play at all on the main DVD player. Examining the disc I could see no scratches, dirtmarks or other defects.I have a large number of DVDs, and until recently I've not really had any problems with discs not playing. Even the Universal DVD18s that seem to cause problems for a lot of people

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1122708988960343332005-07-28T08:27:00.000+01:002005-07-30T08:36:28.966+01:00

Jaws: 30th Anniversary Edition [R1]A Dirty Shame (Theatrical NC-17 Version) [R1]I should have got these sometime ago, but they went missing somewhere between America and England. However, Amazon.Com were (as always) a pleasure to deal with and replacements were sent with no worry or fuss. You may pay a little more to import from Amazon.Com, but the service is worth it.I'm a little annoyed to see

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1122495628279053522005-07-26T21:19:00.000+01:002005-07-27T21:20:28.286+01:00

Today the latest package arrived from those lovely people at Amazon.com.Sealab 2021 Vol 3Hercules: The Ledgendary Journeys Season 6Bill and Ted's Most Excellent CollectionMore thoughts later.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1122110429639408722005-07-23T10:04:00.000+01:002005-07-23T10:21:56.406+01:00

Yes, I've been somewhat lax at updating my blog (again). So here's what's arrived this week:The Daily Show: Indecision 2004 [R1]The Fantastic Four: The Complete 1994-1995 Series [R1]The Magic Roundabout 2-Disc Special Edition [R2]Hide and Seek [R2]The Psycho Collection: I-IV [R2]The Daily Show is top (despite me not understanding a good 40%-50% of the jokes).Well, I knew going in that the first

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1121350209824112812005-07-14T14:49:00.000+01:002005-07-17T17:11:27.456+01:00

I was pursuaded to buy this by a Pete and Pete worshipping friend, who obviously has the same childhood emotional attachment to the series as I do to something like Round the Twist*So how does Pete and Pete stand up for somebody who isn't viewing the shows through rose-tinted glasses? It stands up very well.The Adventures of Pete and Pete reminds me strongly of Malcom in the Middle. It has the

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1121348504594612602005-07-14T14:40:00.000+01:002005-07-14T14:41:44.600+01:00

Well, I picked this up in the local WH Smiths for a staggeringly low £5.99. I've heard good things about it, and it stars everybody's favourite mixed-up red-head Lindsay Lohan. It's so fetch.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1121263119765805722005-07-13T14:56:00.000+01:002005-07-13T14:58:39.770+01:00

Word on the Cookd and Bombd comedy forum is that the recently released The Comic Strip Presents... DVD boxset contains edited episodes.The link is here (but please be aware it contains frequent bad language in the forum posts)

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1121241065571672752005-07-13T08:50:00.000+01:002005-07-14T14:44:55.923+01:00

In the UK, Garfield: The Movie was released as single and double disc sets - the 2 disc set containing lots of supplements not available on the single disc release (or overseas releases).The actual film is average. It's not as bad as many would have you believe, but it's not brilliant either. Murray certainly adds to the appeal, and his presence stops the film from being a total disaster.But can

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1121197193703942582005-07-12T20:16:00.000+01:002005-07-12T20:42:35.173+01:00

Firstly, of course, it isn't. Complete that is. Two of the motion pictures are missing (but by all accounts VCI/C4 did try to negotiate the rights but were unable to secure them). So the set is missing Eat the Rich and The Pope Must Die. The lack of Eat the Rich isn't a major disaster as it simply isn't very good (and is available here). I've never seen The Pope Must Die so it's omission is a

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1121240978397864082005-07-11T08:37:00.000+01:002005-07-13T08:49:38.403+01:00

Now is indeed a good time to be a Doctor Who fan. Not only have we just witnessed a triumphant return to the screen of the show as "series 1" of the 2005 revival (which despite it's numbering is not ignoring the programme's rich history), but we are still getting the supplement packed 'Classic' Who DVD releases, as well as a twin set of releases of the new series.It's good to see work on the '

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1120897117185088222005-07-09T09:12:00.000+01:002005-07-09T09:23:49.700+01:00

This arrived today, and I was surprised to see it comes in a cardboard slipcase - not something I was expecting being as the recent Warners 2 disc release of A Very Long Engagement didn't. What's even more surprising is that the discs actually have disc numbers on too! Now, why couldn't they manage such a simple task for A Very Long Engagement which actually only had a 2 disc release in the UK,

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1120295635557517822005-07-02T10:02:00.000+01:002005-07-02T10:13:55.563+01:00

Words cannot describe how long and how much I have been looking forward to getting this release. Just as the generation who made and produced The Comic Strip... episodes grew up worshipping Monty Python, my generation grew up with The Comic Strip...The tv series was a forbidden pleasure, and I have strong memories of illicity viewing the shows on my black and white bedroom television wearing

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1120294947529416032005-07-02T09:56:00.000+01:002005-07-02T10:02:27.536+01:00

True Calling: The Complete Series [R2]The New Outer Limits Box Set [R1]Well, the UK Tru Calling release contains the six filmed episodes of season two, which weren't included in the US set (and have never before been screened in the UK - not that that means much to me as the series has only been shown on satellite television over here so I've not seen any episodes). I do however have the R1 set,

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1120161743674176122005-06-30T20:33:00.000+01:002005-06-30T21:02:23.686+01:00

I know Pokemon gets a bad rap, often dismissed as being nothing but a just marketing ploy, but I think people are wrong.There is no 'just' about Pokemon. Even the most hardened cynic has to be impressed by the sheer skill and imagination that has gone into creating the Pokemon 'world'. Just like the fictional universes of Marvel and DC comics, Pokemon has evolved from a card game and gameboy

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1120159978067224722005-06-30T20:30:00.000+01:002005-06-30T20:32:58.070+01:00

Well, I picked up the 2 disc Master and Commander set the other day, for no other reason than it was cheap and had the customary 20th Century Fox 2 disc set slipcover.Anyhow, just so you don't think I buy everything, I've been very good this week, repeatedly walking past an Aviator DVD in a local supermarket selling for onl £11.99.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119693251657958672005-06-25T10:35:00.000+01:002005-06-25T10:54:11.663+01:00

I'm not going to even try to explain Peep Show, it will be far too difficult. Instead I'll let Wikipedia to all the hard work:Wikipedia's Peep Show EntryGot that? Good. Now I can talk about the show.Like most current British comedies, Peep Show places great stock in being 'cutting edge', 'explicit' and 'politically incorrect'. However, unlike other successful comedies like Nighty Night or even

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119691934637090272005-06-25T10:13:00.000+01:002005-06-25T10:34:46.136+01:00

Most Haunted 4.1Living TV/VCI [402 mins]Well, technically this is a Mid-Mid-Review, as I'm only reviewing the first quarter of the season (disc 1 from the 2 disc set). A second 2 disc set will be released in the future to conclude the forth season.Over the past 4 years, Most Haunted has morphed from a somewhat-believable and somewhat-scientific series to a circus of improbability.It's a shame the

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119690652024023162005-06-25T10:00:00.000+01:002005-06-25T10:12:15.713+01:00

What's New Scooby Doo? Vol 5 Sports Spooktacular [R1]Battle of the Planets Vol 5 [R4]True Horror With Anthony Head [R2]Well, my Australian Battle of the Planets collection is finally complete now that the final 3 disc set has been released. Madman started well, but later sets failed to impress as much as the first, consisting of bonus matrials recycled from Rhino's R1 Ultimate Collection boxset.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119556373480598272005-06-23T20:46:00.000+01:002005-06-23T20:52:53.480+01:00

Northern Exposure: The Complete 3rd Season [R1]Dodgeball: Extreme Edition [R2]Pokemon Chronicles Volume 1 [R2]Well, the first two don't need much justification (Northern Exposure includes the episode Cicely, perhaps on of the best hours of television comedy/drama ever made, and Dodgeball was picked up cheap in my local supermarket).But I feel I must justify purchasing Pokemon Chronicles. Simply

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119555880098261342005-06-23T20:36:00.000+01:002005-06-23T20:44:40.103+01:00

Yes, I'm well aware that this is turning into nothing more than a Doctor Who blog. So this will be my lost posting on the subject for a while (I'm even holding back on my Series 1 Volume 2 review for now).So, everyone with Realplayer, click on the link below for the BBC's countdown trailer for the Christmas special, a neat "best of" clipshow from the past series.The Christmas CountdownYes Chris.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119217098234132692005-06-19T22:37:00.000+01:002005-06-19T22:43:14.400+01:00

Well, you know something is wrong when "Bad Wolf" in Wikipedia takes you to the Doctor Who episode.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_WolfNow, that's just wrong. Really. It is.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119191849835288192005-06-19T15:17:00.000+01:002005-06-19T22:36:11.870+01:00

Well, the initial series of the 2005 revival of Doctor Who has finished, and the series (and Doctor) was determined to go out on a high. But what did The Parting of the Ways give the viewers?Well, the biggest problem is of course the BAD WOLF subplot resolution as well as the somewhat lame ending. Both were tied to each other. Personally I felt the ending let the whole series down. In a similar

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119084223083673982005-06-18T09:33:00.000+01:002005-06-18T09:43:43.090+01:00

Wonder Woman: Seasons 1-3 [Amazon Package] [R1]Frasier Season 5 [R1]Star Trek: Insurrection SCE [R1]Rock & Rule Collector's Edition [R1]M*A*S*H Season 8 [R1]Superfrields Vol 2 [R1]Catterick [R2]Peep Show Series 1 [R2]Pulp Ultimate Live [R2 - NTSC!]A few comments on some of these arrivals:Wonder Woman S3 comes with the SHAZAM! bonus disc. All in all, its a very good price for the whole Wonder

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1119083479916870822005-06-18T09:28:00.000+01:002005-06-18T09:31:19.920+01:00

I'm posting this a little late, for various reasons. But here's yesterday's daily Parting of the Ways teaser trailer (RealPlayer required)One Day To GoI'm not sure if there will be a daily teaser for Saturday or not. Either way, we have the following threesome to enjoy tonight Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide immediately followed by The Parting of the Ways on BBC1, then change channel to BBC3 for

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118950847012556722005-06-16T20:32:00.000+01:002005-06-16T20:43:10.026+01:00

Here's the latest daily Parting of the Ways teaser trailer (RealPlayer required)Two Days To GoAnother 'teaser' showing mainly scenes taken from the proper episode trailer. Plus, The Sun newspaper had to print a massive spoiler photo today. Still, I'm convinced the subject of the photographic spolier was not the long awaited 'Bad Wolf'. We still have that revelation to look forward to.In other

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118950212131000252005-06-16T20:28:00.000+01:002005-06-16T20:32:34.003+01:00

Well, now I can watch farting aliens on demand. As well as enjoy "Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North".

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118864329516535832005-06-15T20:37:00.000+01:002005-06-15T20:38:49.520+01:00

Well, not much to report today either. But here's the latest daily Parting of the Ways teaser trailer (RealPlayer required)Three Days To GoThis 'teaser' is nothing more than what was shown in the normal episode trailer at the end of last week's programme. Come on BBC, if you want to run daily teasers, then tease us!

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118774479511292942005-06-14T19:38:00.000+01:002005-06-14T19:41:19.516+01:00

Well, not much to report today. But here's todays (rather disappointing) daily Parting of the Ways teaser trailer (RealPlayer required)Four Days To GoIt's just another shot of the Dalek army, and no clues as to the identity of the Dalek's mysterious "God".

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118694860907830012005-06-13T21:29:00.000+01:002005-06-13T21:35:02.566+01:00

Here's the first of the daily weekday trailers leading up to this Saturday's Doctor Who episode - The Parting of the Ways.Five Days To Go... (Requires RealPlayer)"God of all Daleks." eh?. Sounds like the Emperor Dalek to me.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118694422144493742005-06-13T21:13:00.000+01:002005-06-13T21:28:07.760+01:00

Well, I received a package from PLAY.COM this morning. Not knowing what it was, I decided to get "Spiritual Medium" Derek Acorah and professional screamer Yvette Fielding to investigate for 24 hours. Here's what happened.Yvette: Well Derek, here we are. Can you tell us what's in the padded jiffy bag?Derek: I'm sensing... I feel as though the contents of this jiffy bag aren't evil. The soul is not

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118570251104647902005-06-12T10:28:00.000+01:002005-06-13T00:06:21.896+01:00

An outstanding episode tonight. Doubts about the Doctor being an unwilling housemate in a deadly future version of Big Brother were unfounded. However, I'm not so sure the future versions of The Weakest Link and What Not To Wear were handled as well.But this episode had it all. I was surprised that my parents (not your usual sci-fi fans) found it to be the best of the series to date. My father

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118482478143634752005-06-11T10:13:00.000+01:002005-06-12T18:11:06.096+01:00

Seinfeld Volume 3 (Series 4)Sony Home Video [552mins]This is a "mid" review as I'm only now approaching the end of the second disc. But I'm enjoying it so much I feel I must comment on the set.Seinfeld is the popular American comedy that was never properly scheduled on UK television. As a result I only managed to catch odd-episodes, but enjoyed them all enormously. Now thanks to DVD, I can watch

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118481134722679222005-06-11T10:06:00.000+01:002005-06-11T10:12:14.726+01:00

Supplements feature Director's Commentary, The Making of A Very Long Engagement, Paris in the 20's, Before the Explosion featurettes and Deleted Scenes with Director's Commentary.I'm a little surprised the disc features a German soundtrack in addition to it's native French soundtrack. I wasn't expecting (nor would I listen to) an English dub, but I'm surprised the Germans have a dub. Perhaps it

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118431204501445492005-06-10T20:14:00.000+01:002005-06-10T20:20:04.506+01:00

NewsRadio The Complete 1st and 2nd SeasonGet A ClueBatman: The Animated Series Vol 3(all US R1)Well, after a bit of concern over a longer than normal shipping period, my latest parcel from Amazon.Com arrived at the office.The highlight of the three has to be the Batman collection. Sadly, supplements are limited, but approximately a decade ago I would have never dreamed of being able to own the

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118260695315548582005-06-08T20:01:00.000+01:002005-06-12T11:12:21.676+01:00

Doctor Who Series 1 Volume 1BBC Video [133mins]Consisting of the first three episodes of the 1995 revival of Doctor Who this disc presents the viewer with three stories; Rose, The End of the World and The Unquiet Dead with no supplements.Visually, the presentation is flawless. Colours seem brighter and sharper than they were on the recent UK broadcasts, while the definition is crystal clear.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118257290639059102005-06-08T19:57:00.000+01:002005-06-08T20:01:30.643+01:00

Just a quick update on the latest arrival to my happy DVD family, Universal's 2 Disc edition of the popular bio-pic Ray.The specs seem similar to the 2 Disc US version, but I'm pleased to note that the UK release also features an audio descriptive soundtrack for the visually impaired as well as subtitles on the feature and commentary for the hearing impaired - it's good to see more and more UK

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9971129.post-1118174800306276422005-06-07T21:05:00.000+01:002005-06-07T21:06:40.306+01:00

Coming soon. My TV and DVD reviews.

J Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04512428605855768626noreply@blogger.com0