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.