Dennis Potter's Lipstick on Your Collar (1993)

Lipstick on Your Collar (1993)

Dir. Renny Rye | 6 episodes, approx 60 mins each.

You've maybe already guessed by the cover art (pictured right) that Lipstick is set in the 1950s, which means music plays an important role.

Potter has a peculiar knack for making existing music and lyrics fit his narrative in unusual ways. He plays with them, opens them up and in doing so changes the intent in an often playfully ironic way. It's so successful that in the future when I hear many of the tracks used in the production I'll be smiling while thinking of the scenes they're attached to.

Of all the Potter TV Plays/Miniseries I've reviewed so far, Lipstick is my favourite for a number of reasons, the first of which is mentioned above.

There's also the top-class characterisation to consider, and the way some of the principals drift into their own fantasy realm when life bores or distresses them. In a few of the author's other works the fiction spills over into the reality, but here the reality becomes a part of the fiction; boring old farts who would rather be dead than caught dancing in their underwear are launched into spotlights to spin and twirl their stuffy stuff in an often ridiculous but hilarious manner.

The Ballad of Halo Jones (2013)

The Ballad of Halo Jones (2013)

Author: Alan Moore | Illustrator: Ian Gibson | Page Count: 208

"I go out and buy a gun, second-hand. I tell myself it’s for self-defence, but that’s not true. It’s because I’m bored. […] I take the gun and go sit by the window."

Halo Jones is an average eighteen-year-old. She likes clothes, shopping and parties. Halo likes to live. The problem is that living in the year 4949 isn't easy, especially in the Hoop, a cramped and dangerous ghetto created to house the unemployed. People of the Hoop have never even seen a tree.

Halo wants to escape, to see the outside. Quite often when someone experiences those kinds of feelings it’s themselves they’re trying to escape from, but that’s just not possible, is it?

The Ballad is split over three Books separated by time and degrees of depth and poignancy. Without having an insight into Moore’s mind I can only guess at the pitch he gave to the comic’s publishers, and his reasoning for structuring the three parts like he did. Whatever it was, I'm glad they fell for it.

The Misanthrope (2007)

The Misanthrope (2007)

Dir. Ted Skjellum

Ted Skjellum is best known as Nocturno Culto, vocalist and lead guitarist of the band Darkthrone. His first release as a filmmaker is something that's part video diary and part documentary. It shows via imagery, without narration, just what it is about the architecture and environment of Norway that was instrumental in creating an atmosphere for Black Metal to emerge and subsequently thrive in.

It's honest, hypnotic, insightful and occasionally inspired. At heart it captures the cold, ancient aspect of the beauty of nature that is, for me at least, what the music is really all about.

You should know within the first few minutes if it's something you can engage with or if it'll leave you as cold as a Norwegian graveyard.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-09)

The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Season 1 (2008)

9 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

I'm not a Terminator fanatic. I enjoyed the first film, thought the second was okay, and turned off the third halfway through the first time I tried to watch it. I did eventually make it to the end of T3 (on a second pained attempt), but I didn't bother with the fourth film at all. So it's fair to say that I wasn't expecting much from The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

It takes place after events in Terminator 2 (1991), so it's essential to have watched it. It also follows a similar template: the machines are hunting the teenage John Connor, so a modified one is sent back from the future to protect him. The biggest difference is in the perspective. In the films the protagonists were mostly on the run. In the series they're no longer running. They're taking the fight to Skynet. That new dynamic makes it a million times more interesting to me than the films ever were.

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 04 (2014)

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 04 (2014)

Author: Alan Grant  |  Illustrators: Steve Sampson / Arthur Ranson  |  Page Count: 304

'Fear is for scaredy cats. I say it to myself ten times. But I sleep with the light on.'

Anything goes (usually illegally) in Mega-City One, but esoteric concerns have always been better suited to Judge Anderson's corner than that of the typical street judges. There's a lot of that kind of thing in Volume 4 and she's at the centre of it.

The first part finishes Steve Sampson's excellent run on art duties. He returns the reins to series regular Arthur Ranson for a multi-part epic that manages to be set present day (for the Meg) and simultaneously be tied into an event that happened prior Necropolis. It could've been a mess but it isn't, it works and it references a lot of history while doing so. It's also bloody and gruesome in places.

Dennis Potter's Visitors (1987)

Dennis Potter's Visitors (1987)

Dir. Piers Haggard

One of only two standalone TV Plays written by Potter for the BBC's Screen Two programme (see NOTE at bottom of page for additional info on Screen Two). Visitors was an adaptation by Potter of his own stage play, titled Sufficient Carbohydrate. There are reportedly a number of changes, such as the setting having been moved from an island of Greece to a place in Italy.

The story revolves around two couples, one of which has a son in his late teens. The couples are Jack and Elizabeth Barker (John Standing, Nicola Pagett) from Britain, and Eddie and Lucy Vosper (Michael Brandon, Glynis Barber) from the United States. It's the US couple who have a son, Clayton Vosper (Robert McNaughton). Eddie is Clayton's father, Lucy is his stepmother.

3D Dot Game Heroes (2009)

3D Dot Game Heroes (2009)

Genre: Action / Adventure / RPG  |  Players: One  |  Developer: Silicon Studio

If I say the words: sword, shield, life meter (red), magic meter (green), bomb bag, bottles, boomerang, magic boots, maze-like puzzles, side quests and fairy companion then there's a high probability that you're going to think of The Legend of Zelda, right? I would too, but now you can add 3D Dot to the list. It has a stupid title, I know, and it would be natural to assume before playing it that the blatant theft makes it deserving of derision, but the opposite is true, it deserves much praise. It takes the classic, honed to perfection, 8-bit LoZ 2D aesthetic and translates it into a homage-filled 3D adventure for PlayStation 3 owners.

I don't mean the LoZ: Ocarina of Time (1998) kind of 3D. It keeps the angled, overhead perspective of an older LoZ title and instead of turning pixels into regular polygons it lovingly builds everything from blocks, keeping it old-school even while it utilises modern tech, imbuing everything with an almost tilt-shift photography vibe (for the technically minded, it uses voxels).

Assassin's Creed: The Fall (2012) + The Chain (2012)

Assassin's Creed: The Fall (2012)

Authors: Cameron Stewart / Karl Kerschl  |  Illustrators: Cameron Stewart / Karl Kerschl  |  Page Count: 96 / 128 (Deluxe)

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted…"

Considering how asinine and clusterfucky the main story of the Assassin's Creed games was, is and likely will become, I didn't have high hopes for The Fall. Shock news: It’s surprisingly good. It's not amazing but it does a better job at balancing two different time periods and making them feel like one cohesive whole than any of the games I've played so far have managed to do.

If you don't know how that works, each instalment has two protagonists, one in the present and one in the past. In the present era, sometime around the turn of the 21st Century, there’s Daniel Cross. The book spends a fair amount of time showing us what kind of guy Daniel is and, perhaps more importantly, what kind of guy he isn't. He’s not a noble champion of the people. He’s quick to anger and full of doubts, dislikes authority, enjoys a drink and is slowly spiralling out of control.

The Terminator: Films (1984-2003)

The Terminator (1984)

Dir. James Cameron

Cameron's sci-fi actioner sits comfortably as the archetype for movies about murderous humanoid machines from the future that travel back in time to kill someone important, thus changing their own present in a favourable way. Linda Hamilton is the target. Schwarzenegger is the instrument.

Playing to the big man's strengths (i.e. he hardly speaks), the role is largely responsible for his career taking off as much as it did. It's clear to see why. He's perfect. His natural ability to be indelibly domineering helped the character seem totally inhuman. His physicality was translated successfully into a show of almost unstoppable force - his unwavering attitude arguably even more memorable than his iconic coat and glasses.

It's not a flawless movie, but by 1984 standards it was certainly a damn good one and is still mostly deserving of the accolades it continues to receive.

The Dead Zone (1983)

The Dead Zone (1983)

Dir. David Cronenberg

After Videodrome (1983) people probably expected another surreal and icky feature from Cronenberg, but instead he gave us an adaptation of a 1979 Stephen King novel called The Dead Zone. It's a not a horror, but nor is it a straightforward drama; it's more of an eerie thriller with a supernatural slant.

Christopher Walken stars as a schoolteacher named Johnny Smith. Johnny is a nice guy; if Fate had allowed him to continue along his preferred path then he'd probably have got married, fathered two or three kids, remained a teacher for the next thirty years before retiring and spending his remaining autumns raking leaves off his perfect lawn, or something equally as mundane. Maybe he'd even use his knowledge of literature to write a book, something academic that would continue his legacy of teaching into the next generation? But Fate didn't allow any of that to happen. Fate introduced Johnny to Tragedy and his life thereafter is drastically changed.

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 03 (2013)

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 03 (2013)

Authors: Alan Grant / Peter Milligan / Dan Abnett / Andy Lanning  |  Illustrators: Arthur Ranson / Steve Sampson / Charles Gillespie / Angel Unzueta / Ian Gibson / Trevor Hairsine / Eddy Cant / Mick Austin / Anthony Williams  |  Page Count: 304

"Funny, though. 'I protest'. That's all he said. But I kinda knew what he meant."

Alan Grant drags Anderson even deeper into the realms of philosophy and religion in Volume 03. Her hitherto discoveries about her past, coupled with a recent changed perception of what 'Justice' is, have opened her consciousness to previously unexplored concerns affecting Mega City One. She begins to experience visions that lead her into the unknown. The iconography used will be familiar to everyone, but the associations are Anderson specific.

There’s quite a lot of Dredd in this one. It’s interesting to see Old Stony in Anderson’s world. It distances him a little from the typically masculine arena he usually embodies. Grant knows that Joe needs to present the appearance of a non-conformist with a controlling influence (because you can take a Judge to water but you can’t make him think), but there’s also an almost parental guiding attitude present. He won’t accept failure from Anderson but he’s more than happy to step aside to let her prove herself, or team-up if the Law permits.

Dennis Potter's Brimstone and Treacle (1976 / 1982)

Brimstone and Treacle (1976)

Dir. Barry Davis

Barry Davis's Play for Today version of Dennis Potter’s controversial B+T was banned by a fearful and controlling BBC before it was even broadcast. The institution eventually relented in 1987 and it’s currently available to purchase on DVD.

Michael Kitchen stars as a wicked confidence trickster named Martin Taylor who worms his way into the home of an older couple, Tom and Amy Bates (Denholm Elliott and Patricia Lawrence).

With an angelic smile on his face Martin causes chaos, all the while pretending to care for Pattie (Michelle Newell), the old couple's sick daughter.

There’s more to the goings on than that but it‘s best if the viewer discovers it by themselves. If you know Potter’s work then you’ll know to prepare for strong views and shocking turns as the layers of consequence are gradually revealed.

Scanner Cop + Scanner Cop 2 (1994-95)

Scanner Cop (1994)

Dir. Pierre David

The opening scene lets us know that the first film in the offshoot of Scanners (1981) isn't going to wimp-out when it comes to delivering practical FX on a budget. It's ridiculous but so damn good!

It then jumps forward fifteen years, following a wet behind the ears police recruit named Samuel Staziak (Daniel Quinn). Sam prefers to keep his Scanner ability secret, but when a spate of brutal cop killings kicks off he feels the pressure to reveal himself and put his unique talents to use.

There's a hasty recap of what the ephemerol drug is and does, but to get the full backstory it'll be necessary to watch the previous trilogy.

The villains are rubbish; it's a major failing, but their agenda is what drives the protagonist and forces him to risk it all, so they at least have some use.

They're also responsible for a large amount of the weird shit that goes down in the finale. The film can support it, so the weird is welcome.

Ritual (1967)

Ritual (1967)

Author: David Pinner  |  Page Count: 224

'Five apple trees stapled their leaves on the sky cloth. And one pear tree, without a single pear, shouldered arms and saluted the sun.'

Horrific things are afoot in the Cornish village of Thorn. Or mayhaps it just appears that way to an outsider? Whatever the case, for English police officer David Hanlin the mystery surrounding the dead girl that initially drew him to Thorn is something that he's determined to figure out, for reasons other than simple job description.

The villagers dislike and take exception to Hanlin's questioning. His religious beliefs aren't theirs. He's Christian. They worship something older. Their unwillingness to help with enquiries seems evasive, which makes Hanlin suspect them all the more.

David Pinner's opening chapter is excellent. The way he moves from one focal point to another is something not seen often in written form, it's more of a visual (film) technique, but it works - it successfully sets the tone, establishes the novel's setting and pulls us directly into the drama.

Assassin's Creed: The American Saga (2012-14)

Assassin's Creed III (2012)  |  Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)  |  Assassin's Creed: Liberation (2014)  |  Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry (2014)  |  Assassin's Creed: Rogue (2014)

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 02 (2012)

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 02 (2012)

Authors: Alan Grant / John Wagner  |  Illustrators: Arthur Ranson / David Roach / Kevin Walker / Mark Wilkinson / Charles Gillespie / Xuasus / Ian Gibson / Enric Romero / Mike Collins / Steve Sampson / Tony Luke  |  Page Count: 304

'Nine years old and already they're learning they're a breed apart. [...] They don't take part in life. They watch it. When they grow up, they'll judge it.'

Volume 2 continues the Judge Anderson stories in (mostly) chronological order, and unlike Volume 1 (2009) the majority of it is now in colour.

Cassandra has proved that she can kick ass if she needs to, but a physical response is just a small part of her repertoire. Her stories tend to deal with subjects that are more emotional, cerebral and far-reaching than Dredd's. Old Stony Face pops up occasionally but it's either as fan-service or simply as a device to keep alive a connection to the judicial system. Everyone's favourite asshole, Judge Goon, also pops his ugly head up when least wanted.

Up until now we've primarily viewed Anderson as something that didn't fit comfortably into the world, she was at cross-purposes with her calling and an affront to the times. The book shifts more to her perspective and shows that it's the world that's gone to hell, and in reality she is perhaps the only free thinker in a sea of oppression.

John Carpenter: Films: Part II (1980-84)

The Fog (1980)

Dir. John Carpenter

The fictional Antonio Bay is the setting for what's basically a traditional ghost story that's been granted a John Carpenter twist.

The plot is pretty simple: as the townspeople prepare to celebrate the centenary of the Bay, a scary fog with an accompanying green light rolls slowly but menacingly in from the sea, bringing with it something aged and angry. It's the atmosphere, the suspense and the overall eerie vibe that raise it above its B-Movie origins.

Trivia fans might like to know that two of the stars, Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis, are real life mother and daughter, both of whom starred in classic horror/suspense films previously. Janet was in Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). Jamie Lee was in Carpenter's Halloween (1978).

Diabolos Rising: Blood, Vampirism, Sadism (1996)

Diabolos Rising: Blood, Vampirism, Sadism (1996)

Dir. David Palser

Within a larger framework of esoteric and religious imagery cut together at seizure-inducing levels, an attempt was made to give each song its own aura. It doesn't always work but was a commendable idea.

The first is the least interesting unless you have strong feelings about Mika Luttinen's moustache.

The video for Ilsa is as you'd expect.

There's one that reminded me of Hellraiser III (1992).

The most unusual is perhaps the gothic period piece that never quite manages to convince; wedged between the sensory overload like it is means it feels like a visitor who arrived at the party a few decades too early.

The final entry had the potential to end with something visually hypnotic and emotionally lasting, but they chose not to go that route. It's as if they'd simply run out of ideas by that stage. Nevertheless, regardless of highs and lows and missed opportunities, that it exists at all is something to be praised.

Scanners Trilogy (1981-92)

Scanners (1981)

Dir. David Cronenberg

The eponymous individuals are able to kill with just a thought, and the film wastes no time in showing us one of them in action.

When a powerful corporation that wishes to control the Scanners no longer can, they need the help of a Scanner to stop the others. Yay for dramatic irony! It's kind of like needing your glasses to find your glasses, with the added danger that your glasses can telepathically kill you any time they like.

Patrick McGoohan is excellent as the fatherly psychopharmacist; Michael Ironside is unquestionably good as a menace; but, I'm sorry to say, while Stephen Lack did okay as a lost soul, he didn't have the acting experience at the time to make the inner conflict of the lead role hit as hard as it needed to.

If you're familiar with Cronenberg's early works, such as Stereo (1969) and Crimes of the Future (1970), you'll recognise trace elements of their structure in the film's settings and concerns, helped along by a budget that frees the production from being tied to an institute environment.

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1793)

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1793)

Author: William Blake | Page Count: approx 48

"As the air to a bird or the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible."

Marriage… is William Blake’s romantic (in the poetic sense) and satiric attack on orthodox religious beliefs presented as a kind of biblical passage, with a socio-political and historical binding holding it together. It describes the poet’s visit to Hell and the knowledge and assumptions he receives whilst there.

It's a short book but one of the most complex pieces of literature I've ever read. I've read it three or four times a year for about five years now and I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface of its esoteric, complex and iconoclastic mysteries. That's why I love it.

Blake reverses the traditional standings of good and evil and the beauty and hideousness of Heaven and Hell, blurring the line between what is perceived good and proper and what is believed to be controlling and bad for the individual. It’s the poet-prophet ideal in its most scathing and reverential form, told from a number of perspectives and in more than one voice. He references Dante and even playfully(?) mocks Milton.

Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth Lyric Poster (2005)

NIN: With Teeth Lyric Poster (2005)

The Lyric Poster (as pictured right) was made available free from NIN.com as both a regular image file and as a higher quality PDF for printing.

However, for whatever reason(s), it's no longer on the official site. So, for those folks that wanted it but missed out, take advantage of the Mediafire link below. I embedded it in the post initially but it was too large and took forever to load.

*** With Teeth Lyric Poster ***

You can take the image from this page if it suits your needs, but it's a resized and scaled down jpeg. The link above will give you the superior quality PDF (size 20.1 mb). The link should remain active for as long as Mediafire continue to host stuff for free. But if for some reason it's not working, tell me in comments and I'll re-upload it when I'm able.

Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Trilogy (2009-11)

Assassin's Creed II (2009)  |  Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2010)  |  Assassin's Creed: Revelations (2011)

Wonder Woman '77: Volume 01 (2016)

Wonder Woman '77: Volume 01 (2016)

Author: Marc Andreyko  |  Illustrators: Drew Johnson / Matt Haley / Richard Ortiz / Jason Badower / Cat Staggs  |  Page Count: 168

"Why don't you pick on someone who can fight back?"

I didn't buy any of the Batman '66 collections because I already have more Batman comics on my overstuffed shelves than any sane person should have, but I'm sure glad that it was a success because it likely had a large part to play in the launch of Wonder Woman '77.

Like the Batman title, WW '77 is based on the TV Series of yesteryear and uses the likenesses of its lead actors, in this instance that's Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner.

Because the characters had been established decades before, the comic can forego introductions and instead jump feet first into the action. By the third page of the first issue DC's finest lady is throwing villains about, the lasso has come into play, a woman is tied up, and the adoration of Steve Trevor is earned. Yes, the tongue is placed in cheek but it's held there lovingly. And since a comic doesn't have the same limitations that a TV production has that love can reach spectacular levels.

Gunsmoke (1953)

Gunsmoke (1953)

Dir. Nathan Juran

Gun for hire Reb Kittredge (Audie Murphy) receives a mostly cold reception when he arrives in town; it's a reaction that turns out to be somewhat warranted when we find out why he's actually there.

But Reb is used to such responses. His no nonsense approach to life extends in all directions. Never faltering, he remains calm and ever-ready even in heated situations. The script gives him ample opportunity to prove it, using both bullets and loaded dialogues as ammunition.

A lot of 1950s westerns were formulaic, repeating what worked before because it was easy and accepted. Gunsmoke shares a lot of the same ingredients as that type, but it keeps pace with the pack leaders, not with the stragglers at the back.

The short running time (79 mins) means everything has to move at a hurried pace, including the characterisation, but it's well-played, with even the most overly-used stock types feeling purposeful during their sometimes brief appearances.

NOTE: it's not related to the long-running TV Series (1955–75) of the same name.

Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1789-94)

Songs of Innocence and of Experience:

Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul (1789-94)

Author: William Blake  |  Page Count: approx 50 

"Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell's despair."

The book, as it’s collected here, was originally written in two parts: Songs of Innocence was published in 1789, with Songs of Experience following in full five years later. The first part is closely tied with the conventions of Romanticism; the second is dependent upon the same but for very different reasons.

It’s unknown if Blake always planned to have Experience follow Innocence or if it was a result of Innocence failing to sufficiently shake the system as much as he'd hoped it would, heightening his need to push further buttons. Either way, the two books work in tandem to express an opposition to each other and to cement an idea.

H.R. Giger Tarot (2000)

H.R. Giger Tarot (2000)

aka: Baphomet: The Tarot of the Underworld

Author: Akron  |  Illustrator: H.R. Giger  |  Page Count: 223

It's the usual type of bundled Tarot package, which means it’s a book giving details of readings and spreads and a deck with which to use.

The individual cards are beautifully presented, large format but totally impractical for use; nor is it a full deck, it’s just the Major Arcana.

Worse, some of them have been changed. The Hanged Man is now The Hanged Woman, to better represent the painting Akron has chosen, and Temperance has become Alchemy.

It doesn't really matter because they weren't painted to commission; like I said, they were simply chosen, the paintings existed before the book was conceived and therefore lack the traditional imagery or symbolism that a serious practitioner of the art might prefer.

The Brood (1979)

The Brood (1979)

Dir. David Cronenberg

A film that explores the manifestations of human rage and the violent impact it has on society, in particular the family unit.

Nothing about the story is conventional, even if on the surface it might seem to be.

It’s a candid blend of autobiographical realism and fantastical psychological horror that turns the intimate into something terrifyingly perverse, as only David Cronenberg can.

Professional drunk Oliver Reed is perfectly cast as a doctor who dabbles in some rather odd therapy techniques. His primary subject, Samantha Eggar, gives a performance that will shock and repulse most viewers.

I shudder to think how Rule 34 might apply.

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 01 (2009)

Judge Anderson: The PSI Files: Volume 01 (2009)

Authors: Alan Grant / John Wagner  |  Illustrators: Brett Ewins / Cliff Robinson / Robin Smith / Barry Kitson / Jeff Anderson / Will Simpson / Mark Farmer / Mick Austin / David Roach / Arthur Ranson / Carlos Ezquerra / Kim Raymond  |  Page Count: 384

'I’m hurting inside, deep down in my mind, in the secret places only the PSIs know.'

When something is considered too weird for the regular Judges of Mega-City One to deal with they’ll often step aside and call in PSI Division. The PSI Judges have abilities that enable them to literally get inside the minds of criminals.

The best of them, Judge Cassandra Anderson, is a psychic and a telepath with some limited precognition powers. Being receptive to the thoughts of others makes her a little eccentric. She’s accountable to the law the same as everyone, but sometimes PSI Judges are granted special dispensations; she's been known to take advantage of such things.

Since Rebellion acquired 2000 AD they’ve been re-releasing some long out of print material in very attractive editions with a large page count that would make any shelf envious. The first Anderson volume collects together her earliest adventures in chronological order (see end of post for full list).

Ulver: The Norwegian National Opera (2010)

Ulver: The Norwegian National Opera (2010)

Dir. Erlend Gjertsen

If you know Ulver then you'll know they play by their own rules, which is exactly what the live concert film presents a viewer with from the outset. Captured at The Norwegian National Opera on 31/07/10, it begins like some kind of bizarre performance art with the music as accompaniment.

The band members eventually appear in front of a projected screen that displays imagery with a power all of its own, being frequently religious, warring and sexually explicit in nature. It's also occasionally horrific and even somewhat questionable. I unwisely watched it before settling down to sleep.

As a live entity they're impressive, which is something you might not expect from a band that until the previous year had worked solely in the studio since their formation in 1993. And while the full oeuvre of the wolves may not get an airing, their experimental/ambient side certainly does.

Planet of the Apes: TV Series (1974)

Planet of the Apes: TV Series (1974)

14 episodes, approx. 47 minutes each.

A spin-off TV series of the popular movie franchise. For info on the five original movies see HERE.

The human population can talk. It's a departure from the norm but it makes sense for dramatic purposes. Before getting upset about such changes, it's worth considering that the first Planet of the Apes film was set in the year 3978. The TV series is set sometime during or after the year 3085 (it's never specifically stated). That leaves a possible 893 years between series and film, ample time for mankind to forget how to speak for any number of reasons.

Alternatively, and this is my own preferred stance, the series can be considered as a separate entity, as simply another telling of the original 1963 Pierre Boulle novel. The reason I feel that approach makes more sense is because it avoids a number of other small inconsistencies with the films.

Judge Dredd: Necropolis (1998)

Judge Dredd: Necropolis (1998)

Author: John Wagner  |  Illustrator: Carlos Ezquerra  |  Page Count: 192

"If you bring them back, th-thousands will die!"

"I disagree. You’re setting your sights too low. All will die. Total annihilation – it’s the best way!"

In light of some poor decisions by the Justice Department, Chief Judge Silver makes another one that leaves the Big Meg vulnerable. Elsewhere, a door is being opened to a place where judgement of the guilty and the innocent returns the same sentence…the Sisters of Death are ready to move.

Ah, Necropolis. There have been bigger and some would say better Dredd epics since then but it remains my favourite for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it's not Dredd specific. The story, by original creators John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra, is much too big for one man to carry on his own, even one with shoulders as broad and solid as Joe Dredd's.

Furthermore, the nature of the invasion means PSI Division plays an important role, which means Judge Anderson's talents are needed.

HAMMER: Mummy Films (1959-71)

The Mummy (1959)

Dir. Terence Fisher

HAMMER had successfully set Lee against Cushing in Dracula (1958) and The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), so it made sense to have the pair return for a third year running with classic horror's third big hitter. But the franchise quickly ran out of steam, reaching only four films, in comparison to Dracula's nine and Frankenstein's seven.

Archaeologists (i.e., sophisticated thieves) forcibly enter the well-lit tomb of an Egyptian high priestess and in so doing invite the wrath of a centuries old curse upon their educated heads. Their transgression was in the name of education not profit, but the distinction is unobserved by certain parties, one of which is a very bandaged Christopher Lee who has every right to be pissed off.

Ultraman: The Next (2004)

Ultraman: The Next (2004)

Dir. Kazuya Konaka

I don’t know much about the Ultraman franchise, so I went to Wikipedia for information about where The Next fits into the overall scheme of things and how it relates to what came before and after.

The article states that the film is part of a three-phase reinvention called the Ultra N Project, an undertaking that was designed to reinvent the hero for an older audience. That seemed like an excellent jumping on point for someone like me.

Prior to it I was watching the awful Ultraman Ginga TV series. The difference is staggering.

The titular hero doesn't appear until approx 40+ minutes into the running time. Until then it focuses mostly on crafting a drama about an F-15 pilot named Shunichi (Tetsuya Bessho) who loves to fly almost as much as he loves his wife and young son.

Monster (2016)

Monster (2016)

Authors: Alan Moore / Alan Grant / John Wagner  |  Illustrators: Heinzl / Jesus Redondo
Page Count: 192

'One metre. Was that enough? Should it be deeper? Kenneth Corman wasn't sure. He was only twelve. He'd never buried anyone before.'

Beneath the 2000 AD logo you used to find the words 'The Galaxy's Greatest Comic.' I can't comment on whether or not that's still the case, but in the mid-nineties I'd have agreed wholeheartedly with the statement. But Monster wasn't a 2000 AD strip, it was from a short-lived British anthology comic named Scream!, so why would Rebellion, current owners of 2000 AD, choose to release it?

I don't know. Perhaps because it was written by three of their greatest writers and has been undeservedly out of print for over thirty years!? Whatever the reason, I'm sure glad it happened.

The Scream! comic lasted just fifteen issues (from 24th March 1984 to 30th June 1984) before mysteriously disappearing from the shelves. I know firsthand the confusion and disappointment felt by readers at the time because I was one.

Nine Inch Nails: The 'Broken' Movie (1993)

Broken (1993)

Dir. Various

NIN's Broken (1992) EP lasts approximately 32 minutes, but it's an emphatic explosion of point-blank hatred and frustration, musically exploring themes of creative and emotional bondage.

As such, it needed a suitably extreme series of images to complement it, but I don't think anyone was expecting what we actually got (or didn't get because it was never officially released, but it was 'leaked' and so bootlegs are available).

Intercut between each of the four official music videos is footage that resembles a snuff film, if such things exist. There's also some bizarre S+M nonsense that's more laughable than shocking.

The uncut video for the song 'Happiness in Slavery' features a naked and willing Bob Flanagan having his fun-bits abused in a visual style that's reminiscent of Japanese auteur Shin'ya Tsukamoto. The graphic nature of it alone will have a lot of people overreacting, but it's fairy cakes compared to what follows.

The video for 'Gave Up' is the most disturbing. It returns the visuals to the amateur home video snuff footage from earlier, but it doesn't hold back like it did before. Be warned, it's not for the squeamish, and if you're not prepared it might even put you off your dinner.

Terror of Godzilla (1988): Comic Miniseries

Terror of Godzilla (1988)

Author and Illustrator: Kazuhisa Iwata  |  Translators: Mike Richardson / Randy Stradley
Page Count: Approx 30 per issue (176 total)

A six-issue miniseries set thirty years after the first Godzilla film (1954). Japan has been free of kaijū trouble since then, but a natural volcanic eruption in the Pacific Ocean changes that. So put down your coffee cups, JSDF, because it's time to suit up!

The first thing you ought to know is that the English language edition published by Darkhorse is the original manga translated, but it's been coloured.

I'd have preferred it was left as it was originally intended, but in all fairness it's not a bad job and the upside is we get it on better paper stock than Japan did. I'm going to take the optimistic stance and say that things could've been much worse, truly.

Artwork is Tezuka-inspired. Issue one is occasionally gruesome, but subsequent issues are less interesting.

Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)

Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)

Dir. Frank Pavich

A documentary in which Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky talks about his ambitious film version of Frank Herbert's epic Dune novel (1965).

You've not seen the finished film because, unfortunately, it never went into production. If it had, it could've been glorious or, at the very least, spectacularly disastrous, perhaps more so even than David Lynch's version that did get made.

Jodorowsky had gathered together a sparkling reservoir of immensely creative people to help him realise his vision, including fantasy artists Chris Foss, HR Giger, and Jean 'Moebius' Giraud. (Giger got the Harkonnen - how perfect is that?!)

It's always fun to see what might have been, and even if you're not a fan of Jodorowsky's style, it's still essential viewing for Dune nuts.

Planet of the Apes: The Original Films (1968-73)

01. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Dir. Franklin J. Schaffner

The original Apes movie that started the hairy ball rolling is the best of the lot.

Charlton Heston is our guide. He's Taylor, the everyman; albeit an everyman who can pilot a spaceship, has a cynical disposition, a will of iron and some well-groomed chest hair.

He and three other crew members are testing a scientific theory about time dilation aboard a US space shuttle. But something goes wrong, and they crash-land on the titular planet.

The story, based on Pierre Boulle's novel La Planète des Singes (1963), isn't just sharp social commentary (including powerful observations on such topics as the crippling consequences of having a government that places science and religion in the same bed, and the murky moral waters that too much pride can place a people in), it's also cold, hard science fiction that holds a mirror up to modern life, showing self-evident truths that, despite having been made in the late 60s, are still a part of how we live today.

Farewell Summer (2006)

Farewell Summer (2006)
Author: Ray Bradbury  |  Page Count: 166

'Just then the great clock across town, an immense moon, a full moon of stunned sound and round illumination, cleared its ratchety throat and let free a midnight sound.'

Almost half a century after Dandelion Wine (1957) was published, Ray returned to his beloved creation to deliver the next phase of young Douglas Spaulding's story.

It's marketed as a sequel novel, but that wording gives a reader false expectations; it's much too short and light to hold the weight of such an honour. Personally, I choose to think of it more as a belated coda or companion piece.

It's a feeling supported by the fact that in his afterword Bradbury tells us that the "novel" is "actually an extension" of its predecessor, the original form having been held back from full publication because of his publisher insisting that the manuscript was too lengthy.

GamesMaster (1992-98)

GamesMaster (1992-98)

126 episodes, approx 25 minutes each.

For the people who saw GamesMaster back in the day, who watched Dominick Diamond in his presenter pants talk straight-faced about waggling his joystick in public, the warm fuzzies of nostalgia that accompany this post are for you.

Rebirth of Mothra: Film Trilogy (1996-98)

Mothra (1996)

Dir. Okihiro Yoneda

The first in a trilogy of Heisei era 'Rebirth' films for the eye-catching winged kaijū known as Mothra.

The cutting down of a forest to provide Japan with paper uncovers an ancient, hidden tomb, which holds an evil just waiting to be released, and not unlike the process that uncovered it it'll suck the life from the planet if it’s not stopped.

It's a children's adventure story with upfront and important messages about the value of a stable family unit and the need for conservation of the environment. If you somehow fail to pick up on the lessons, they're sledge-hammered home at the end.

The bickering mother and father aren't oblivious to the fact that their parenting methods are producing a bickering brother and sister, but they're too wrapped up in their own worries to correct it.

Touching From a Distance (1995)

Touching From a Distance (1995)

Author: Deborah Curtis | Page Count: 212

"...[H]e was reading Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sarte, Hermann Hesse and J. G. Ballard. ...It struck me that all Ian's spare time was spent reading and thinking about human suffering."

Ian Curtis found a way to say the things that the post-punk generation were so badly in need of hearing. It doesn't mean he was a hero. He was gifted, but many of his actions show him to be as much an asshole as the rest of us; I mean that in the kindest way.

The book tells the significant parts of his tale from his wife’s point of view. It also tells her tale, and it’s one that for me was worth reading. Deborah strives to find a balance between the emotional stance of a wife and mother deifying her husband out of love and duty, and the equally emotional dejectedness of a devoted partner left out in the cold during her husband’s greatest triumph. Mostly, it meets both of those goals.

DUNE: Children of Dune: TV Miniseries (2003)

Frank Herbert's Children of Dune (2003)

Dir. Greg Yaitanes | Length: 3 episodes, approx 82 minutes each.

Most of the principal characters return for the continuation of the Dune saga, although not all of them are played by the same actor/actress.

Books II: Dune Messiah (1969) and III: Children of Dune (1976) are merged because it makes sense to do so, Unfortunately, that means it has a lot of story to cover in a short time.

It begins twelve years after the events of the previous miniseries (see Dune (2000)).

The tense political situation is ongoing, and although changed is no less problematic.

The 'abomination' is older and behaving like a Bene Gesserit bitch should, with concerns of her own that have little to do with affairs of state.

The religious beliefs that surround Muad'Dib are beginning to take its toll on the reluctant Messianic figure. His actions will have a direct result on the future of the planet.

The Evil Dead Trilogy (1981-92)

The Evil Dead (1981)

Dir. Sam Raimi

I'll never tire of watching The Evil Dead. It wasn't the first film to use the isolated cabin in the woods scenario, but it remains one of the most successful in the horror genre.

Raimi doesn't waste time with a traditional slow build-up. He goes straight to horror town with the use of low, rushing camera movements. The way it interacts with the environment, even knocking parts of it over, places us as viewers directly into the action.

The point of view shots showing the same scene from different angles, pursuer and pursued, accompanied by subjective audio was a genius idea. It shows that both subjects (or objects) are in the same location but suggests they’re slightly out of sync, like the real and reflected or the breaking of a different kind of fourth wall from the wrong side.

I Am Legend: Filmed Versions (1964-2007)

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Dirs: Sidney Salkow / Ubaldo Ragona

The first filmed adaptation of Richard Matheson's celebrated I Am Legend (1954) novel is more faithful to the book in comparison to what followed. It even has the pit.

Vincent plays the titular man. He walks as if the weight of what's left of the world is on his shoulders, a visible sign that he's a man for whom routine has become a kind of prison.

There's a lengthy flashback to a happier time that could've and should've been emotionally powerful, but some painfully bad dubbing issues leave the scenes feeling cheap and insincere.

Had they been rectified it would've been a better film, because the sense of isolation the story requires is captured well-enough.

The Sisters of Mercy: Official Albums (1985-93)

First and Last and Always (1985)

In my experience, the first TSoM album is a love it or hate it event for most people; indifference is rare.

The nihilistic sounding 80s rock music engulfs the listener, but only really works its magic when played in the right environment. Like Joy Division or Bauhaus it's infused with a gloomy, repetitive atmosphere that can either depress or elate the individual. If you can embrace that, connect with it, it'll never leave you.

It's the album that's most responsible for the 'goth' label that dogged the band for years afterwards, a classification that they hated.

If you buy it new on CD you'll more than likely get the 2006 'Remastered and Expanded' version. That's generally considered a good thing because the previous edition had an inferior sounding mix that was the same as the Japanese vinyl pressing.

Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989)

Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989)

Dir. Wim Wenders

It's very much a filmic essay in the style of French auteur Chris Marker, so much so that I'd have no hesitation in recommending it to fans of Marker.

It's the result of one artist using his chosen art form (Wenders - film) to capture another artist at work on his (Yohji Yamamoto - fashion designer), being both a commentary on the image presented and on the method used to achieve that result. Like in Marker's work, narrated assumptions follow observations but are never unwelcome.

I'm not a follower of the fashion scene, so I didn't know anything about Yohji prior to watching. But it turned out that I did know his work: he designed costumes for Takeshi Kitano's Dolls (2002), which is a recommendation in itself.

He's a fascinating individual whose demeanour and sense of self is the opposite of what I expected them to be. I was wrongly expecting to see someone barking orders and stressing out over late deliveries. Instead, the serenity and inner-peace that we associate with Japanese masters is how Yohji appears.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Light Novels (2004-06)

The Lost Memory (2004)

Author: Junichi Fujisaku | Page Count: 212 Pages 

"We still don’t know what their purpose is but I sense they have an aim of some kind, something different from that of the Laughing Man phenomenon."

In the first of a trilogy of GitS: Stand Alone Complex tie-in novels a group of revolutionaries calling themselves the Good Morning Terrorists are hacking cyberbrains and forcing the hapless victim to carry out acts of terrorism against the State. Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team of experts in Public Security Section 9 intervene to find the perpetrators.

Junichi Fujisaku had previously penned a number of episodes of the TV series, so was a good choice to carry the series into a different medium. There's a list of characters on page one with a brief description of their role, but the text offers little in the way of characterisation, so it helps if you're already familiar with the series. Readers new to the franchise may well be left scratching themselves, however.

Uzumasa Limelight (2014)

Uzumasa Limelight (2014)

Dir. Ken Ochiai.

Kamiyama is an ageing kirareyaku, a bit-part actor whose job is to be killed dramatically by a film's lead, to exist just outside the limelight while helping someone else look good.

The waning popularity of jidaigeki films in his native Japan means Kamiyama's usefulness in the industry to which he's devoted his entire life is destined to soon end.

Having a real life kirareyaku (actor Seizô Fukumoto, who's died onscreen over 50,000 times in a very long career) in the role gives the Kamiyama character an authenticity that cinema rarely manages to capture. It's also extremely fitting that he should be the lead actor in a film centred around people who never are such.

Likewise, even though it's from the opposite angle, that same authenticity can be found in Chihiro Yamamoto, who's starring in her first film, as a fresh-faced actress who fits into the new template preferred by producers.

DUNE: TV Miniseries (2000)

Frank Herbert's Dune (2000)

Dir. John Harrison | Length: 3 episodes, approx 98 minutes each.

There is a substance, a spice, found in only one place in the known universe, on Dune, a desert planet also known as Arrakis. The spice is the most important substance known to man. It prolongs life and enables interstellar travel. Without it interplanetary trade would cease and great empires would fall. That makes people nervous and nervous people often do desperate things.

The Padishah Emperor controls Dune. He's more nervous than most. People he favours are permitted to mine the spice. People that oppose him are quickly silenced and left to die. There are a number of political houses that the Emperor can use to keep the spice flowing. Each house has its own agenda. Each house has its own problems. Each house hates the other.

There's a prophecy that tells of a time when a man will come. A saviour. That time is now.