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.