Marduk: Fuck Me Jesus (1991 / 1995)

Marduk: Fuck Me Jesus (1991 / 1995)

Wrapped in what's surely a strong contender for BM cover art of the Century, the boldly named FMJ was an early demo release from the 'most blasphemous band in the world'.

It's a hell of a lot better than I'd anticipated it would be, given what I'd read in other media. It's an interesting blend of down-tuned Black and Death Metal with a cluster of unexpected tempo changes that keep things fresh. There's even some creeping Doom influences in there.

It was originally released on cassette in '91, but the version you're likely to find if you go shopping — and the one that I've been referring to — is the '95 Osmose reissue. That version had an additional three tracks, two of which are Bathory covers. If you're paying tribute to any artist in the genre that Marduk are best known for, then early Bathory is a logical choice.

Prey: Series Two (2015)

Prey: Series Two (2015)

Dir. Lewis Arnold | 3 episodes, approx 45 mins each.

Like Series 1 it begins in the thick of it and then skips back (eighteen hours this time) to show how the 'prey' got to be in their current situation. Most of the characters are new, as is the story, so you don't need to have seen the previous miniseries beforehand.

There's some minor continuity, but it's with one cast member only. Not having seen the previous episodes won't have any major impact on your viewing.

Alas, the person in question is DS Susan Reinhart (Rosie Cavaliero), the officer in charge of both cases and who was, for me, the weakest aspect of both. 

Everyone has their strengths — she'd maybe be well-cast as a scullery maid in a BBC period drama — but she's not convincing as a leader and driving force.

The duo she's chasing fare much better. David Murdoch and Jules Hope, played by Philip Glenister and MyAnna Buring, respectively, are on the run together but they aren't friends.

A.D. Kingdom and Empire (2015)

A.D. Kingdom and Empire (2015)

Dirs. Ciaran Donnelly (Eps 01, 02, 03) / Tony Mitchell (Eps 04, 05, 06) / Brian Kelly (Eps 07, 08) / Rob Evans (09, 10) / Paul Wilmshurst (11, 12)  | 12 episodes, approx 45 mins each.

Also known as A.D. The Bible Continues, it's a continuation of The Bible: Miniseries (2013) with the same dramatic stylings as before, but lacks the v/o narration this time.

It begins by retelling the crucifixion story and then moves onto the fifth book of The New Testament, the Acts of the Apostles, showing how the religious message outlives the man who was sent to deliver it.

The vast jumps through differing eras that made up the first half of the previous miniseries aren't an issue this time - it's now one lengthy multi-part story with the same characters in the closing episode as were in the opening one, but it suffers from the same belief system 'promotion' that I feel weakened the latter half of the earlier series.

Tremors: The Series (2003)

Tremors: The Series (2003)

13 episodes, approx 43 minutes each.

The short-lived series takes place after the events of Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001), so it's advisable to watch T3 first. I'm going to proceed under the assumption that you already have. If not, then any SPOILERS that you encounter for the first three films from this point onward are encountered at your own discretion.

Were back in Perfection Valley, Nevada, home of gun-loving Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) and his very own Moby Dick, the state protected Graboid known as El Blanco. The small community refuse to move and the indigenous El Blanco is unable to move because of the mountainous regions that are located on either side, so a co-existence between man and beast is the only viable answer.

Luckily, for us viewers but not for the residents, Perfection Valley has other secrets under its sands, so there's more than just El Blanco to keep the watchful eye and trigger-finger of Burt Gummer twitching.

Prey: Series One (2014)

Prey: Series One (2014)

Dir. Nick Murphy | 3 episodes, approx 47 mins each.

It kicks off with an overturned police vehicle on a public road and a subsequent prisoner escape, but that event isn't the start of the story. After the damage is assessed there, it jumps back three days to the life of DC Marcus Farrow (John Simm) of the Manchester Metropolitan Police, characterising him through his job, his friendships, and his relationship with his ex-wife and their two young children.

Of the three things mentioned, the most notable for the viewer seems to be the job, specifically regarding the discovery of a body on the moors. But things thereafter don't go the way that most investigative TV procedural dramas usually do, it takes a left turn into a man-on-the-run conspiracy thriller. The body is important, but the main drive of the series is that of an innocent man (the 'prey' of the title) trying desperately to find the real killer so he can clear his name - all the while unsure of who he can trust.

Solaris (2002)

Solaris (2002)

Dir. Steven Soderbergh

A thought-provoking work based on Stanisław Lem's 1961 novel of the same name, with a sombre tone that even in its most doleful moments somehow shines with an aura that's supportive of the whole. It explores a great many themes, but its broadest focus is arguably on relationships and the multifaceted nature of detachment and emotional engagement.

It's the human story with telltale foibles and failings laid bare, made all the more poignant by an enveloping unknown; i.e. the titular planet, which functions as a catalyst that seems to exist as something both observable and observing. It appears to create a bubble-reality in which certain feelings are able to think for themselves. In a way it makes the unreal real, which is both a blessing and a curse for the crew of the research station that sits in the swirling planet's orbit.

Deadwood: Season Two (2005)

Deadwood: Season Two (2005)

12 episodes, approx 45-55 minutes each.

With characters and motivations already well-established in the first season, all that was really needed to keep fans happy was to further increase the levels of antagonism and the uneasy alliances between disparate parties. A new arc picking up on something that loomed at the end of S1 gave the writers the foundation they needed to do so.

In theory it works perfectly. However, partway through there's a slow but obvious slide into the dirtiest of words: 'soap' and 'opera.' A large portion of the middle of the second season feels like a soap opera with small stories of residents that aren't as crucial to the drama as they’d like to be. They’re shuffled around so as not to interfere too much but still be sympathetic to the larger issue of annexation that threatens to tear the camp from the grip of saloon owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane).

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

Dir. Scott Derrickson

A remake of the The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) wasn't needed, but the underlying message is still pertinent, so there's some justification for updating and presenting it anew to a generation of science-fiction fans that may have missed out on the previous film.

Many of the same elements are in place, but most are approached from a different perspective; some are even inverted. The changes in the first hour were good, taking into account the progressions in technology and giving the film more urgency than its predecessor.

I was expecting scenes of a CGI Gort laying waste to over-familiar parts of America, but, mercifully, Gort's used only when needed. The focus is on Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) and his relationship with his surroundings, as it ought to be. I know that Keanu isn't the best actor in the world, but the remoteness that often characterises his style is, I feel, beneficial to the character this time around. In context, he's as suited as Michael Rennie was to the 1951 version.

He-Man and the MotU Minicomic Collection (2015)

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Minicomic Collection (2015)

Authors: Various | Illustrators: Various | Page Count: 1232

"He-Man?! Don't you know how to knock?"

Before it was a successful cartoon series, the Masters of the Universe franchise was a toy line, which is the reverse of how such things tend to operate. With no existing media franchise to draw from and no pre-existing visual world for their new creations to have adventures in, toy makers Mattel had to get creative. They approached DC Comics with an idea, and the Masters of the Universe minicomic format was born.

Included with each toy was a small paperback book (approx 4.25 x 5.5 inches), perfect for tiny hands to hold, that gave the characters some much-needed backstory. Their world was fleshed out, too, as a vibrant Conan-esque setting but with vehicles and technology that was pure sci-fiction. As a kid who was enamoured by all things Sword and Sorcery and loved to read, the pairing felt tailor-made for me.

For Future Me

In September 2020 Blogger forced a complete dashboard overhaul upon all users of its service. As a desktop PC user, the new phone + tablet style interface has greatly soured the joy I'd usually feel at composing, creating, and editing posts for online publication.

In response, I'm lessening my Blogger activities, which means there'll likely be less posts from this point onwards because the dashboard is so damn ugly and awkward that I can't stand to look at it for long. I'll still write — because I need to — but most of it will remain offline, unless I can find an alternative way to operate.

As stated above, this post is a marker for future me. I know it's pretty boring otherwise.

Renaissance (2006)

Renaissance (2006)

aka Paris 2054: Renaissance

Dir. Christian Volckman

Dir. Volckman's first feature-length film is a stylised mystery/thriller set in a futuristic Paris, the majority of which is rendered in stark black and white, with occasional grey colour values.

Backgrounds are computer generated, while characters are animated mo-cap, which sounds like a disaster, but the result is really quite striking - like Frank Miller's Sin City comic brought to life better than the actual Sin City films managed it.

Given the difficulty that some viewers will have with the presentation, you'd think the film-makers would've gone for an easily accessible noir script, but that too is somewhat alienating, with the threads of scientific experimentation, corporate conspiracy and the hunt for a woman's missing sister only really peaking in the story's final third.

Until then, it's an involved but slow crawl that may not be enough to hold a casual viewer's attention. On the flip side, the creators deserve genuine respect for not compromising the integrity of their vision in order to appeal to a wider audience.

Deadwood: Season One (2004)

Deadwood: Season One (2004)

12 episodes, approx 55 minutes each.

A violent Western set in 1870s South Dakota, home to prospectors and traders. Being situated in Indian territory means the law has yet to take a foothold, so the location also attracts the criminal, the corrupt and the trigger-happy outlaw.

Most of the cast are exceptional, not just some of the principal actors. Ian McShane plays foul-mouthed saloon owner Al Swearengen, the show’s main villain; although nothing is really that black and white in Deadwood. It's undoubtedly the role that McShane was born to play. All thoughts of antique dealer Lovejoy will cleanly wash away.

Although it's Brad Dourif as Doc Cochran that over time became my favourite part of the show. If you’re familiar with Dourif from his film work, then you'll know the power he can bring to a scene.

I want to also mention Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane; she steals most scenes she stumbles into with a lashing tongue and a wicked humour.

Goedam (2020)

Goedam (2020)

Dir. Hong Won-ki | 8 episodes, various lengths (approx 74 mins total)

A Korean horror anthology based around the idea of urban myths, with episodes of various lengths, the shortest being approx seven minutes and the longest around fifteen minutes. The individual incidents aren't connected to each other, but a few of them do take place in the same location.

It's an interesting experiment, but the result is only 12.5% successful. That might seem like an odd figure to have choosen, but it’s exact and easy to calculate: seven of the eight episodes are dire.

The only exception is the final episode, Birth, which is the most complete, the most beautiful, the most terrifying (i.e. the kidnappings), and the best edited short of them all. The picture that I've chosen to accompany this post is taken from that episode.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Dir. Robert Wise

Amid giant irradiated crabs and attacking UFOs, American post-war science-fiction cinema in the 1950s produced some genuine classics. The Day the Earth Stood Still is one of the very best.

The intelligent script covers a wide spectrum of social concerns, while the contrasts between the military response to an alien visitation and the scientific response (i.e. between men of war and men of reasoning + logic) couldn't be clearer.

Alongside that are more subtle but no less powerful parallels, including an evil among us that looks like us and a determined saviour with a powerful message for the entire world.

Bernard Herrmann's futuristic-sounding score, using electric strings and the wacky theremin, conceptualises the eeriness of another world.

Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I – IV (2008)

Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I – IV (2008)

The sixth NIN studio album is almost entirely instrumental. It's a work that needs abstract analogies to define it.

I'm respectfully not going to attempt to provide any such things because they'll likely be different for everyone who hears it. Whether intentional or not, the music is like a soundtrack to whatever fleeting thought a subject's mind conjures when it's given free rein to do so. As you listen to it play, you'll create the meaning yourself.

It's split into four parts with nine tracks apiece. There's a specific mood to each of the four parts but they're malleable and can be made to fit the listener's own ideals and anxieties.

The A-Team: War Stories (2010)

The A-Team: War Stories (2010)

Authors: Chuck Dixon / Erik Burnham | Illustrators: Hugo Petrus / Casey Maloney / Guiu Vilanova / Alberto Muriel | Page Count: 104

"And, no I don't see it as unrealistic. Maybe impractical. but impractical just takes a little longer..."

Four individual stories, one for each member of The A-Team, collected together into a handy TPB. It's a prequel, so they aren't technically The A-Team herein, but the essence of each character as we'll come to know them later in their life is present and identifiable.

They're all set during the Gulf War but aren't connected in any way, and there's no crossover shenanigans, so you're free to read them in whichever order you choose.

I started with Hannibal's, then moved onto B.A, then Murdock, and finally Face. Structurally, they give each man a single objective or goal, which in three of the four cases is to retrieve/extract something from a potential war zone. The fourth is similar, except it's to procure something, an item that's almost impossible to find at short notice. Neither operation goes exactly to plan, of course, but thanks to the participants' skills and ingenuity things tend to work out in the end.

Jeffrey Lewis: 12 Crass Songs (2007)

Jeffrey Lewis: 12 Crass Songs (2007)

Anarchic British punk band CRASS covered by an American in a mostly acoustic indie (anti)folk style. It's an odd paring but it works well, probably in part because punk is a feeling as much as a genre of music. Acoustic guitar, vocals, bongo drums and piano married to punk sensibilities and scathing lyrics make it one of the more unique albums in my collection.

There are times when it reminds me of primary school sing-a-longs, but that just adds to the experience - picturing the songs in an educational setting makes a kind of sense, and suggests an extra layer of unity.

The songs are the same, you'll recognise them instantly if you're at all familiar with the originals. There's an occasional lyric change but nothing disrespectful.

The Incredible Hulk: Original Movie Collection (2018)

The Incredible Hulk:
Original Movie Collection (2018)

Dirs. Nicholas Corea / Bill Bixby | 3 Films, approx 272 mins (total)

The 2008 date given above refers to the three-disc DVD box-set released by Fabulous Films in that year, but the three films themselves are from much earlier (1988-90). They're set after The Incredible Hulk TV series (1977-82) that starred Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as scientist David Banner and his alter-ego, respectively.

The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988)

Dir. Nicholas Corea

It's been two years since David Banner burst his shirt and trousers in a green rage. He's in a stable relationship and working on a gamma transponder that could potentially rid him of his alter ego forever, but a face from his past upsets the apple cart, and pesky reporter Jack McGee (Jack Colvin) is back on Banner's trail again.

Life on Mars: The Complete Collection (2006–07)

Life on Mars: The Complete Collection (2006–07)

Dirs: Various | Seasons: 2 (16 episodes, approx 60 mins each)

While it does fit comfortably into the wider science fiction genre, Life on Mars isn't set on the red planet. It's set in Manchester, North West England in the years 2006 and 1973.

Present in both times is DCI Sam Tyler (John Simm). Sam gets injured in the line of duty, knocked unconscious while chasing a suspect in 2006, he wakes up in 1973, discombobulated and dressed in period clothes, but with his instincts intact - he's still a detective.

There's a level of ambiguity, so we're never really sure if Sam has jumped back in time thirty-three years or if his consciousness is inventing the scenario, perhaps as a means to work though some personal issues or trauma while his real self lies unconscious in 2006.

Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero (2007)

Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero (2007)

Year Zero is dark, like peering through a smoky looking glass. It's also dense and overly-layered, but not always in a beneficial way.

Interestingly, it lacks the introspective musings that NIN usually offer up. Instead, it's a concept album… religious / political nonsense… America…year 2022, etc. Boring.

It's noisy and frustrating; you could argue that so was Broken (1992) and I'd 100% agree with you, but Broken was more focussed and knew when to stop. Whereas Year Zero feels like it goes on too long, dragging me down into a state of sensory ennui.

The A-Team (2010)

The A-Team (2010)

Dir. Joe Carnahan

It goes without saying that you can't replace the actors from the original TV series and hope to please everyone — people WILL be upset — so let's forego that and get on with what we actually do get from the reboot.

The introduction of each character sets the tone: fun, punchy and slightly tongue-in-cheek. As a starting point in a venture that aims to replace a much-loved team, it's genuinely okay. I'm not going to single any particular actor out and say they were unequivocally the worst, but I will say that I feel Liam Neeson as Hannibal was the most successful. He'd the air of experience and confidence that the role needed.

For a time I enjoyed the lightheartedness of it, but after it had used up all its potential it seemed as if the filmmakers had stopped caring about both the relationships of the characters and the sense of fun it had successfully established at the beginning, perhaps assuming that by then we'd have forgotten, too.

Ulver: Themes from William Blake's... (1998)

Ulver: Themes from William Blake's
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1998)

Themes from… presents the entire text of William Blake's masterpiece set to music. It took me many listens to fully appreciate what Ulver were attempting to do. The experimental fusion of Avant-garde, Metal, Industrial, Progressive Ambience and Spoken Word mirrors the infusion of conflicting and progressive thinking that Blake offered in his writing.

I don't feel that it's the masterpiece that the band were probably hoping it would be, but it's a worthy attempt.

And if it inspires any music fans to seek out more of Blake's work, then it's a success in more ways than one.

The Mighty Boosh: TV Series (2004-07)

The Mighty Boosh: TV Series (2004-07)

Three Series | 20 episodes, approx 28 minutes each.

TMB is an alternative British comedy series that's just plain weird. I can't even think of an easy comparison to make this review go any quicker.

The show revolves primarily around two main characters, namely Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) and Vince Noir (Noel Fielding), both of whom in Series One are zookeepers at England's shittiest Zoo, The Zooniverse, a dilapidated and mostly empty crappy little hovel with bored animals.

Howard resembles the guy from your local supermarket who hovers in the bread aisle. He agonises over every decision, loves jazz funk and wants desperately to sleep with Mrs Gideon (Victoria Wicks), the Reptile House lady.

Vince resembles a Dr Doolittle and Rod Stewart love child. He has perfect hair, a love of electro-pop and a laid back attitude to life. The less he tries the more he succeeds. Mrs Gideon, the Reptile House lady, wants to sleep with him.

Star Trek: Spock Reflections (2010)

Star Trek: Spock Reflections (2010)

Authors: Scott + David Tipton | Illustrator: David Messina | Page Count: 104

"Your path will be one similar to mine, lieutenant. Learning how to incorporate logic into your relationships and decisions is not merely a matter of Starfleet training — it will be a lifelong journey."

Being promoted as a 'follow-up' to the 'smash hit Star Trek: Countdown (2009) movie prequel' kept me from reading the Spock Reflections TPB for a long time. But it was in my possession and I thought I should at least give it a try before deciding whether to keep it or not. It tuned out there was no need for lowered expectations; the story stands apart and is genuinely quite good.

It could be considered a 'follow-up' to the previous embarrassment in that it came out afterwards, but none of what happened in Countdown has any major bearing on what you get in the newer collection.

It does, however, reference a significant portion of Spock's life before the reboot happened, so readers with knowledge of both TOS and TNG continuity will have an advantage over those without it.

Jonathan Creek: Daemons' Roost (2016)

Jonathan Creek: Daemons' Roost (2016)

Dir. Sandy Johnson | 1 episode, approx 89 minutes.

The overly dramatic opening of Daemons' Roost is a loving nod to the classic British horror films made by Hammer Studios in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

It seems odd in some ways, but also carries through into the main story; e.g. the taxi driver who's unwilling to drive up to the large house, like a movie coachman who's afraid to take travellers to the castle's gates.

When the "...tale of terror" ends the modem day mystery takes over, and for a time the story is significantly better than anything in series five.

Having not spoken to her stepfather (Ken Bones) in fifteen years, at his behest Alison (Georgie Lord) returns to the family home to finally discover what caused the deaths of her mother and sisters. But things go awry and Jonathan's talents are needed.

Nine Inch Nails: With Teeth (2005)

NIN: [WITH_TEETH] (2005)

NIN's fourth full-length studio album is the most accessible, radio-friendly work that Reznor had made to date. Lyrically it takes the familiar dip into waters of self-loathing existentialism, but parts of its production are bright and airy, with happy sounding drums and inoffensive instrument distortion.

After repeated spins a large part of it can get tiresome to listen to, but there are just enough moments of beauty and strength rising above the safety net to make a purchase worthwhile. The songs Every Day is Exactly the Same and Sunspots are especially notable. Overall, it's like a NIN starter kit for the kids.

The A-Team Comic (1984)

The A-Team (1984)

Authors: Jim Salicrup / Marie Severin / Alan Kupperberg | Illustrators: Marie Severin / Jim Mooney / Joe Giella / Alan Kupperberg | No. of Issues: 03 | Page Count 24 x 3

"I ain't flyin' with no cowboy!! You hear me, fool!"

It lasted just three issues (March - May 1984), but The A-Team comic was a respectful tie-in to the TV series.

The characters mostly acted (and reacted) in a similar manner to how their TV counterparts might do in the same situation; e.g. B.A. hates to fly and makes a big deal out of things that annoy him - mostly that's Murdock, who gets stuck on a single crazy thread for the entire story-line; Face gets distracted from the business at hand by any lady that he wants to romance; and Hannibal leads, meets potential employers while disguised, and loves successful plans and cigars.

Aiding the tight-knit quartet is reporter Amy Amanda Allen, who blackmailed the team into letting her tag along during Seasons 1 and 2 of the TV series. She's as 'useful' in comic book form as she was onscreen.

Ulver: Teachings in Silence (2002)

Teachings in Silence (2002)

Collects Silence Teaches You How to Sing (2001) and Silencing the Singing (2001)

Ulver continued to erode their musical barriers with two minimalist/ambient EPs that were collected together the following year due to their exploring similar themes. The new release was renamed Teachings In Silence.

It's a dark and strangely compelling work that teases a listener with some beautiful haunting melodies beneath the pops, crackles and ambient glitch. The sounds have a very definite sense of timing and purpose; there's nothing random about their occurrences.

If you're a fan of ambient, you'll know that sifting through the sheer volume of crap that's available can sometimes unearth a gem. Teachings sparkles.

Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days (1999)

Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days (1999)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Stephen R. Bissette / John Totleben / Dave McKean / Teddy Kristiansen / Sergio Aragones / Mike Mignola / Richard Piers Rayner / Mike Hoffman / Kim DeMulder | Page Count: 176

'In her dreams her fingers had become tiny snakes. When she awoke she could not feel her hands; but she could hear her fingers, slithering over the sheets and away from her in the darkness.'

Midnight Days collects together some of Gaiman's earliest works for DC. It's not of his usual comic book standard, and it's certainly not the place to start if you've not read any of his works before. He admits in the introduction that he was still finding his feet.

But it's not all bad news. Some parts of it are worthy of praise. A short piece featuring the wonderful John Constantine is creepy and unnerving, and is without a doubt the highlight of the whole endeavour.

The collection contains six stories in all, one of which came from an unused Swamp Thing script; it was illustrated specifically for the book. It's interesting.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045: Season One (2020)

GitS: SAC_2045: Season One (2020)

Dirs: Shinji Aramaki + Kenji Kamiyama | Eps: 24, approx 25 mins each.

At first glance SAC_2045 seems to have many favourable ingredients in place: it's co-produced by Production I.G; has Kenji Kamiyama onboard as co-director; it features many of the original Japanese and English language voice cast; and continues the Stand Alone Complex continuity.

Alas, in reality the continuation fails to live up to its positives. It's a soulless venture with little to offer beyond its superficial 'on paper' credentials.

Viewers who are relatively new to the franchise, perhaps having advanced from the live-action movie, may understandably surmise that such weak plotting is the norm, but I suspect that many longtime fans will be wondering why the lofty concepts and aspirations of the SAC series have been abandoned and the characters disrespected.

Doctor Who: Christopher Eccleston (2005)

Doctor Who: Christopher Eccleston (2005)

The Ninth Doctor | 13 episodes, approx 45 mins each.

After a nine year hiatus the time-travelling Doctor Who returned to TV screens in what was the beginning of a new extended run for the show. It got a new lead actor, too, in the form of Christopher Eccleston, whose tenure as the Ninth Doctor lasted just one series.

Without meaning to detract from the creative team behind the scenes that got the show moving again, many of whom surely deserve equal credit and praise, on the surface (i.e., onscreen) Eccleston revitalised the character.

His short cropped hair, well-worn leather coat and carefree walk made him recognisable, but it was the personality that made him stand out. The buoyant devil-may-care attitude projected an outward confidence, but every now and again there'd be a crack in the armour and we'd glimpse a deep sadness, underpinned by a feeling of loss and culpability. In the TARDIS time-machine he could go anywhere and see anything, but in the long term he was a lone traveller who was very, very far from home.

Natural Born Killers: Soundtrack (1994)

Natural Born Killers:

A Soundtrack for an Oliver Stone Film (1994)

The majority of film soundtracks (as opposed to film score albums) are little more than a collection of new or existing songs from different artists bundled together onto one disc.

Natural Born Killers' soundtrack is essentially the same. The biggest difference is that there was some actual thought and care put into structuring them, with custom edits and audio clips from the film itself used to connect the tracks into a more story-style structure.

It was compiled by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who referred to it as a "collage of sound," which I guess is as good a description as any. It's the kind of thing that many of us used to do back when all we had was a double tape-deck, a VHS collection and plenty of patience.

The A-Team: Complete Series (1983–87)

The A-Team: The Ultimate Collection (2007)

98 episodes (5 Seasons), approx 47 minutes each, split over 27 DVD discs.

I discovered some years back that being asked "Why do you watch that crap?" makes me less inclined to validate the reasons for my choices, and instead wonder at the agenda of the person who's asking the question. Sometimes it's not a genuine inquiry, but a thinly disguised insult.

With that in mind, my heartfelt sympathies go out to any individual who didn't have weekly episodes of The A-Team to entertain and inspire them as a youth. I'm not being melodramatic. I really do mean it.

Not having Sergeant First Class 'B.A.' Baracus, Colonel John 'Hannibal' Smith, Lieutenant Templeton 'Face' Peck and Captain 'Howling Mad' Murdock to provide escapism and feed the imagination is like having an integral part of a happy childhood denied you. It's like having never played with LEGO, or having never tasted strawberry sherbets.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Films (1984-2003)

01. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Dir. Wes Craven

Prior to re-watching the first of the Elm Street movies recently, it had been well over a decade — perhaps even closer to two — since I'd last seen it, but I remembered almost every scene as if it was yesterday. It's because I'd watched it many times on an ex-rental VHS as a teenager. In all honesty, and accounting for nostalgia, it holds up rather well.

If you're not familiar with the set-up, it's the story of a group of teenagers, all of whom reside on the titular Elm Street, whose dreams are haunted by a killer with blades on one gloved hand. The killer's reasons for doing what he does are part of the film's plot, so I won't delve any deeper than that.

One of the movie's strengths is its atmosphere, and by polluting the safety net of the unconscious, by turning a place of retreat into a realm of pure terror for the story's protagonists, it sticks in the mind.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Dir. Isao Takahata

The first animation that Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata directed for the studio is based on a 1967 semi-autobiographical short story of the same name by Japanse author Akiyuki Nosaka.

I've not read the original short, but the film is an immensely powerful story of two siblings, a teenager named Seita and his baby sister Setsuko, as they struggle to survive during the attacks on Japan during World War II.

Their relationship is the heart of the work; it's a heart that beats in defiance of adversity because it's fuelled by love and family values.

The responsibility placed on Seita could crush even the strongest adult, but his feelings for his sister keep him focussed and determined.

For a narrative that's built around heartbreaking tragedy and conflict, there's a lot of joy and beauty to be found in the subtext.

Jonathan Creek: Series V (2014)

Jonathan Creek: Series V (2014)

3 episodes, approx 58 minutes each.

Note: the following review contains spoilers for the previous JC outing, The Clue of the Savant's Thumb (2013). If you're as sensitive to spoilers as I am and haven’t watched the Savant's Thumb episode, it would be advisable to not read beyond this sentence.

The fifth series of the show is unusual for a number of reasons. Firstly, while there are a significant number of minor mysteries in need of solving, there's no mysterious deaths in any of the episodes, in a locked room or otherwise. Speaking of episodes, there's only three of them, not the usual six. And finally, at no point does Jonathan wear his trademark duffel coat, which is like asking us to accept Columbo without his raincoat, or Sherlock without his pipe.

If all of that wasn't bad enough, he's married still to Polly (Sarah Alexander). Not only does Polly's pissy attitude stand in the way of his doing what he does best, but the duo have zero chemistry. One wonders why they're together at all. There's no feeling of love or even affection. It's like a marriage of convenience, most of which is hers. When the character interjects it's usually to belittle or dissuade Jonathan (Alan Davies) from getting involved. She deadens the narrative flat.

Food, Inc. (2008)

Food, Inc. (2008)

Director: Robert Kenner

Most adults are aware that the burger they're holding, or the steak they're carving, was once part of a cow, likely mistreated before being violently killed. But the majority of consumers can put that out of mind as they bite down.

If the things that people do know don't bother them, then what about the things they don't know? Food, Inc exposes the ugly truths.

It's not a documentary about animal rights, it's about giant food corporations that no longer pay American farmers to simply 'raise' chickens for them. Instead, they pay businessmen to 'grow' chickens on factory farms, because fat birds = fat wallets. It's not just live animals; the story of corn and soy beans is just as terrifying.

The film's light on statistics, opting more for something akin to scare tactics, but the hidden camera footage speaks for itself without needing diagrams, if you've got the stomach for it.

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Fifth Season (2012)

The Sarah Jane Adventures:

The Complete Fifth Season (2012)

Dirs: Various | Episodes: 6 episodes, approx 27 mins each.

NOTE: THIS SECTION CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FOR SEASON FOUR.

The fifth season of TSJA is both the shortest and the last of them - not because it was losing its appeal, but because the actress that played the title character, Elisabeth Sladen, sadly passed away. Of the planned twelve episodes, six were finished.

Luke (Tommy Knight) is still away at university, but Sky (Sinead Michael), the young girl that Sarah Jane and her team rescued at the end of Season Four, is still around, bringing the number of human helpers the reporter has back up to a comfortable three.

Well, four, if we count the times when Luke is back on Bannerman Road. He gets paired with Sky in the season's best two-parter (Eps 5+6); they're both Sarah Jane's 'adopted children', so it seems logical.

Nine Inch Nails: The Fragile (1999)

NIN: The Fragile (1999)

Five long years after The Downward Spiral (1994), its successor appeared, a double album of two distinct halves.

Disc 01 (labelled as LEFT) feels like another concept album. It's moody and seems initially impenetrable, but rewards repeated listens; like a winter retreat it reveals hidden beauty to those that choose to explore (if you can accept the notion that personal demons are a kind of beauty).

It embraces the fuzzy guitar sound that people associate with NIN, but there's much more to it - it's layered throughout with hooks and a deep resonating bass that pumps like a meticulously slow, pained heartbeat.

The Box of Delights (1984)

The Box of Delights (1984)

Dir. Renny Rye | 6 episodes, approx 30 minutes each.

In Britain TBoD is much-loved by many people, both young and old. I suspect that at least some part of the warm feelings that accompany such thoughts are to do with similar feelings toward the holiday season in which it's typically shown on television; i.e. the lead up to Christmas.

I'm not implying that to love the series you need also to love Christmas, but there's a definite correlation there. As such, while I sincerely enjoy what the production does on a technical level, its 'seasonal magic' is merely perfunctory for me.

And I apologise if it seems like I'm treading cruelly on someone's childhood memories when I say that the story is frequently uneven, losing ground in the middle section before pulling it back for an exciting ending that was itself followed by what I'd consider a clichéd cop-out if it wasn't for the slight ambiguity that lingers as the credits roll. Not meant to be unkind, it's simply a true refection of one person's feelings.

RoboCop: Prime Directives (2001)

RoboCop: Prime Directives (2001)

4 episodes, approx 90 mins each.

A miniseries made up of four feature-length TV movies: 01. Dark Justice; 02. Meltdown; 03. Resurrection; 04. Crash and Burn. It's important to watch them in the correct order because there's continuity. It takes place ten years after the original Paul Verhoven film, which is referenced briefly. Had they been allowed to use it more, they surely would've.

Like the short lived TV Series (1995) it ignores the original film sequels, but goes even further by ignoring the TV Series as well. It's odd that it would do that, because it feels like a middle ground between the two. It's less violent than the original film but much more so than the kid-friendly series. So much so that I lost count of the number of dead cops that piled up in the streets.

Arcturus: La Masquerade Infernale (1997)

Arcturus: La Masquerade Infernale (1997)

Listening to Arcturus' second album conjures images of a theatrical, costumed ball taking place during a lunar eclipse, populated with people in grotesque animal masks who indulge in all kinds of icky vices at the drop of a hat (or a mask).

It's an almost vaudevillian exploration of what 'metal' can be. In plainer terms, the words 'avant-garde' and 'Norway' will maybe be helpful. The dissonance and semi-operatic vocal style might alienate some traditional metal fans, but folks that connect to the madness may love it - even after seeing through the veil and becoming familiar with its inner workings.

Revelations (2005)

Revelations (2005)

Dir. Lili Fini Zanuck / 6 episodes, approx 41 mins each

A respected Harvard astrophysicist and author named Richard Massey (Bill Pullman) hops around America and Europe with Sister Josepha Montafiore (Natascha McElhone), a nun who observes and records unexplained phenomena, but her ultimate goal is stopping the 'End of Days' as prophesied in the Christian Bible.

Massey's agenda is less ambitious but equally personal; he wants to see a powerful Satanist (Michael Massee) pay for his murderous crimes.

The egotistical Satanist is the leader of a fanatical Satanic cult, a group who coincidentally want to see the anti-Christ born on Earth.

United by tragedy and a shit-ton of serendipity, the astrophysicist and the nun must solve ancient mysteries while the Armageddon clock ticks.

Written by David Seltzer, screenwriter of The Omen (1976), it sounds ridiculous, and it is.

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Fourth Season (2011)

The Sarah Jane Adventures:

The Complete Fourth Season (2011)

Dirs: Various | Episodes: 12 episodes, approx 27 mins each.

Sarah Jane's whiz-kid son Luke (Tommy Knight) features prominently on the cover, but the character is only in the fourth Season occasionally, and mostly it's from the other side of a webcam chat window.

His absence is used to highlight the kind of feelings that a parent experiences when a child leaves the nest, and the sense of abandonment and fear of further separation that a close-knit group can feel when one of their members is no longer present.

In one of the two-part stories, within a dream scenario (the subject's first, incidentally) lurks an Elm Street / Pennywise-esque creature that preys upon self-doubts and anxiety, which is something that the school-age youths have much of at that time. It has a creepy nursery rhyme jingle, too, which is often a plus in that kind of scenario.

Additionally, looking at the same situation from a different angle, it shows also how we can draw courage and strength from trusted friends.

Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral (1994)

NIN: The Downward Spiral (1994)

For me, The Downward Spiral is one of the greatest albums of the 90s. It's noisy but it's beautiful. It's textured, multifaceted and multilayered, so you may be hearing things on your fiftieth listen that you hadn't heard before.

It's a concept album in which each song is like a piece of jigsaw puzzle; some of the pieces are more revealing of the whole than others, but when the picture is complete it becomes a darkened mirror that both entices and frightens. It has insect noises. It has film samples. It's the perfect example of creativity born from negativity given form. The production sounds like it was recorded yesterday.

Knights of God (1987)

Knights of God (1987)

13 episodes, approx 26 minutes each.

Dirs. Andrew Morgan (7 eps) and Michael Kerrigan (6 eps)

The fists and crossed swords symbol used by the Knights is a simple but striking and highly evocative design, wordlessly communicating to a viewer that the guiding credo of the order isn't benevolent preservation or protection, it's one of militaristic strength and aggression nestled within the colours that are historically associated with fascism.

In post-civil war Britain (the year 2020 AD) the self-proclaimed Knights rule with force, guns and border patrols, killing any who dare resist their control. It's a children's TV show but the killing doesn't happen off-screen. There's more hard-hitting acts of violence shown than you'd expect to see in a production with such a classification.

In today's culturally sensitive climate it would probably be either heavily cut or labelled as YA.

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters (2009)

The Sandman: The Dream Hunters (2009)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrator: P. Craig Russell | Page Count: 144

"In the flickering light ... the monk experienced a strange illusion – it occurred to him that a scrap of his shadow was missing, gone as if it had been torn away."

For the 20th anniversary of Sandman, Gaiman permitted an adaptation of his 1999 novella of the same name into a comic format. I didn't buy it at the time because it seemed unnecessary; the original was perfect, so why bother making it into something it wasn't meant to be? It smelt like an easy cash grab.

I relented (after three years!) and bought it because it was on sale. It turns out it's equally as good — and in places even better — than the novella and actually feels like it could be a part of the original comic book series.

It could easily be included in one of the stand-alone collections and it wouldn't feel out of place.

RoboCop: The TV Series (1994)

RoboCop: The TV Series (1994)

Feature-length pilot and 21 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Wisely ignoring the existence of RoboCop 2 and 3 (like many people tend to do), the cheapo TV series is set two years after the events of the first film.

It feels like something I'd have sat down to watch on a Saturday evening as a kid after The A-Team had ended and before the crap variety show with Jimmy bloody Tarbuck came on. If you stumble upon the series while channel-hopping you may give it little more than five minutes before hopping some place else. That's because it takes a couple of episodes before the show begins to justify its existence.

There's a lot of attempted humour; not quite slapstick and certainly not sophisticated, it sits somewhere between the two and ends up mostly face-palm bad.

The aspect that stayed me from pressing the stop button is the relationships. When it finds the human element that's buried within the machine parts it becomes mildly entertaining and raises itself out of the shit-bin for a time. It's still bad, but it has measurable heart beneath the clumsy scripts and the awful villains.

Star Trek: The Return (1996)

Star Trek: The Return (1996)

Authors: William Shatner / Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens  | Page Count: 371

'For a silent moment after, even the rain stopped. When it began again, it felt gentle. Warm. Slow as tears.'

Like The Ashes of Eden (1995) did before it, The Return opens on Veridian III and continues the story of the Star Trek: Generations (1994) film. It's not a flashback narrative this time, though, it's the real deal, an actual continuation of current events.

It engineers a ridiculous scenario that brings together aspects and crew of TOS, TNG and DS9 for a ret-conning adventure that's thick with melodrama and action movie clichés. Some of the connections made are mind-blowing and may have fans either happy-clapping or furiously fighting. Either way, some of the reveals in the last quarter are extremely memorable. It's unfortunate that a large portion of the remainder of the book is such a damned chore to get through.

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Third Season (2010)

The Sarah Jane Adventures:

The Complete Third Season (2010)

Dirs: Various | Episodes: 12 episodes, approx 27 mins each.

Bannerman Road's most famous resident continues the good fight. With the aid of an extraterrestrial super-computer housed in the attic, Sarah Jane Smith and her three young companions hold the line against all kinds of alien nasties that want to inhabit earth for various nefarious or profitable reasons.

The term 'alien' has negative connotations, so while it can be prudent to keep in mind Virgil's 'Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes,' saying, it's unwise to judge on appearances, and the idiom 'don't tar all with the same brush,' is an equally relevant one.

Events in season three go back as far as 1665 and forward to 2059, with the immediate present playing a crucial role in one of the more notable two-parters, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith (Dir. Joss Agnew), which has a very special guest star.

Nine Inch Nails: Broken / Fixed (1992)

NIN: Broken E.P. (1992)

Broken is an angry, audible 'F**k You!' to the stifling conventions and contrivances of the music business, conceived, written, performed and co-produced by Trent Reznor. It's the sound of Reznor the 'commodity' hating on the people that want him to be marketable and make them money.

Ironically, it went on to make a lot of money, but it also saw NIN turn from being syth-pop-friendly to kicking it with the Industrial big league.

It wasn't just a Pretty Hate Machine (1989) retread with distortion, it was a whole new NIN sound that two years later, once the anger had subsided, would further develop into something altogether more mature, resulting in one of the best albums the genre ever produced: The Downward Spiral.

To promote the release a short film was made (but not officially released). It complemented the music in an intentionally non-media-friendly way. See The 'Broken' Movie (1993) for details.