Lords of Chaos (2018)

Lords of Chaos (2018)

Dir. Jonas Åkerlund

As a long-time fan of early Norwegian Black Metal, I didn't know what to expect from LoC. Would it be parody, satire, mockery, or bullshit sensationalism? Wikipedia describes it as a 'horror-thriller film', which was worrying.

The answer, as I see it, is that the film is none of those things entirely, but it does lose its way as the narrative goes on. Before that, however, for about an hour of its runtime it's a pleasingly straightforward presentation with a comfortable amount of black humour and a half-decent (but mostly surface deep) depiction of the lifestyle that informed the music, and vice-versa.

It's based on the book Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground (1998) by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind. I've not read the text, but am familiar with how the stories were reported across Europe, firstly by having been a reader of the UK music presses at the time of the happenings — which might seem like too peripherally a connection, but is itself something that the film alludes to, in one of its most daft scenes — and later through personal research on the internet.

Godzilla: Reiwa Era Films (2016—)

29. Shin Godzilla (2016)

Dirs. Hideaki Anno + Shinji Higuchi

NOTE: numbering continues sequentially from the Millennium Era. For simplicity I've used English titles, but it's always the Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

Another hard reset of the franchise, with a new creature design and new origin story behind it.

The majority of the film involves politicians, bureaucrats, military leaders, etc, talking about how to deal with the irradiated daikaijū threat.

It utilises fast cuts to give the impression that things being discussed hurriedly is some kind of compensation for things being uninteresting - but it's really not. The first hour in particular is dense with such dry, ponderous dialogue.

Godzilla, referred to as male more than once in the English subs, is mostly CGI, mo-capped so that it moves kind of like a man in a suit. It gets points for good intentions, but ultimately it's just another CGI creature with zero personality. If I wanted that I'd watch the American films.

God Save the Queen (2007)

God Save the Queen (2007)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrator: John Bolton | Page Count: 96

"Okay, these are the rules. We run fast, we dance like animals — and we say yes to everything."

An adult tale filled with visceral imagery and harsh realities that merge the aesthetic of British Punk with the magical but equally fearful nature of the cautionary tale / fairy story. Those two things on the surface would seem to have nothing in common, but author Mike Carey somehow makes the pairing work.

You'll meet characters from other well-known DC Vertigo titles, namely The Sandman, The Dreaming, and The Books of Magic, but the book exists on the fringes of all three titles, so you don't need to have read any of them prior to settling down with God Save the Queen.

The story revolves around Linda, a bored, alienated, self-absorbed and self-destructive young adult. If trouble doesn't find her, then she'll actively seek out and embrace it. The rebellion of the individual against society and family is concurrent with the catastrophic repercussions that follow when Titania, the Queen of Faerie, receives an unwelcome visitor to her realm.

Stargate: Continuum (2008)

Stargate: Continuum (2008)

Dir. Martin Wood

The Ark of Truth (2008) had a fairly pleasing final scene, the kind that draws a line under what came before while acknowledging the role of an unwritten future in franchise-land, so there was no real need for a second TV Movie. But one could argue that the villain of Continuum was a loose end from the TV series that needed tying up, I suppose. Whatever the case, Continuum is definitely not as good as the previous TV Movie. I've watched it twice and grew bored both times.

Among other things, it's a story of the Stargate itself, before it got transported to the US to become the central part of the Stargate program at SGC. Well, it's kind of that, but in a more science-fictiony way. It connects an event on the Tok'ra homeworld to a ship carrying a special cargo in the Atlantic Ocean in the year 1939.

It's good that it doesn't introduce a new 'one time only' big-bad, but what I enjoyed most was seeing some cast members from yesteryear alongside the regular ones. Fan-service it may be, but it's also complementary to the plot.

Lucifer: Volume 11 (2007)

Evensong (2007)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston / John J. Muth / Zander Cannon / Aaron Alexovich | Page Count: 216

"If mercy's your aim, be relentless in your mercy. Be absolute. Be yourself, until you bleed."

The final volume. It's time for Lucifer to put his affairs in order before taking what he feels is the best course of action. Carey wraps up the series with some single issue stories that pick up the pieces and suggest potential futures of many of the main characters and a few of the more memorable secondary ones.

In many ways the women of the series made the toughest choices and underwent the greatest change. Their growth is explored beautifully. In a perfect world that story would never end. It's a bitter-sweet experience; particularly for my favourite character.

On first reading it surprised me to find that I'd miss the Lucifer cast just as much (and in some cases even more) than I had missed the Sandman cast, but having gone through both series more than once now, I think I favour Lucifer, even if it's not as ground-breaking as its predecessor, objectively speaking.

Godzilla: Millennium Era Films (2000-04)

23. Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)

Dir. Takao Okawara

NOTE: numbering continues sequentially from the Heisei Era. I've used English titles, but it's Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

Unlike the previous eras, i.e. Shōwa and Heisei, which had their own continuity within their respective timelines, the Millennium era films are mostly standalone stories, functioning as alternative sequels to the original 1954 film. As such, the only Godzilla film one needs to have seen prior to Godzilla 2000: Millennium is the aforementioned 1954 original.

In G 2000 the military want to kill the kaijū with their modern day bad-ass weaponry. Meanwhile, a father and daughter team (Takehiro Murata and Mayu Suzuki) want to study Godzilla. But not just from afar, like storm chasers they dare to get up close and personal as it heavy-foots through the city.

Nine Inch Nails: The Slip (2008)

Nine Inch Nails: The Slip (2008)

The Slip does what many of the post millennium NIN albums basically do: it mixes the angry and the serene, and after repeated listens it's the serene tracks that prove to have the most depth musically and emotionally.

It was reportedly created in just three weeks, being an experiment in 'working with a compressed timeline'. It adheres to a mostly paint-by-numbers formula, but at least none of those numbers are (Year) Zero.

The end result does sound kind of rushed, but the enthusiasm for both the music and the project is definitely evident in the compositions and there are some quality tracks to be found.

It was FREE from the official site, released under a creative commons license (although a physical release did follow). Curiously, it no longer seems to be on the official website, at time of writing, but is still available from the Internet Archive in both lossy and lossless formats.

Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008)

Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008)

Dir. Robert C. Cooper

The weekly SG-1 series ended with Season 10, but the story of the Ori didn't - there was some ambiguity over whether or not the Tau'ri's plan to destroy the aggressors was entirely successful or not. TV Movie Ark of Truth remedies that. I don't know why it drops the SG-1 designation from the title, but it's SG-1 in every way.

There's an optional catch-up prelude (approx nine mins) to refresh the memory of anyone who may need it, but seeing as how I went from S10 to TAoT in less than 24 hours, I didn't watch it. 

The opening music turns much more dramatic as it leads into the opening scene, which was a nice touch, familiar but different at the same time.

After a short scene set many, many years before present day, we catch up with some members of the team as they hunt for the titular ark. The location is clearly a soundstage pretending to be an outdoor location, but it looks pretty.

Lucifer: Volume 10 (2006)

Morningstar (2006)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Colleen Doran / Michael Kaluta | Page Count: 192

"Fight. Win, or be defeated. Die. Make your own arrangements. I'm not your keeper."

Volume 10 of 11 in the Lucifer series. After an emotional opening, picking up a thread that may have seemed done and dusted in one of the earlier books, the apocalyptic conclusion to the shit-storm that has built around the Lightbringer for the past few books gets underway. What follows is conflict on a grand scale - chaos unleashed in a place unprepared for it... again.

While some fight for victory, some for honour, and some simply for the joy of fighting, Lucifer knows that to craft the New he must first destroy the Old, and not just in the physical sense. The victor may win the battle but it's not just Above and Below any longer; the whole of Creation itself is at stake. So what if the collateral damage is a few billion souls? In such a crusade, his rules are the only rules that matter.

Godzilla: Heisei Era Films (1984-95)

16. The Return of Godzilla (1984)

Dir. Koji Hashimoto

NOTE: numbering continues sequentially from the Shōwa Era. For simplicity's sake I've used English language titles for each of my Godzilla reviews, but it's always the original Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

The Heisei Era is almost exclusively a case of Godzilla vs [ANOTHER] kaijū; the exception is the first film, which is a reboot of sorts, being a sequel to the original 1954 film that ignores the other fifteen Shōwa films. It was a deliberate attempt to return the series to its origins. It successfully made Godzilla scary again. No longer something to be mocked, Godzilla is total fucking destruction.

The first proper reveal of the rejuvenated beast is impressive, with newly added facial animatronics that enabled it to have nuances like never before.

AER: Memories of Old (2017)

AER: Memories of Old (2017)

Genre: Adventure | Players: 1 | Developer: Forgotten Key

AER: MoO deserves praise for a number of things, but perhaps not so much as an actual game. That doesn't mean it's a joyless experience, though. I enjoyed much of it, for the brief time that it lasts.

Its biggest influences are Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda, specifically Skyward Sword (2011), which is the least fun I've ever had with a LoZ game, and Thatgamecompany's majestic Journey (2012).

It has a similar setting and makeup as SS, (i.e. set upon floating land masses in the sky, with a few dungeons/temples that must be visitied in order to progress) and attempts the same kind of soulful pilgrimage that Journey handled so perfectly.

Both the aforementioned games feature a wordless protagonist, as does AER. Her name is Auk.

Auk is a shifter, able to transform at will into a large bird, enabling her to traverse from one floating island to another with ease. The actual transformation is fluid and pleasing to do, performed by a single button-press, both ways.

Stargate SG-1: Season 10 (2006-07)

Stargate SG-1: Season 10 (2006-07)

Dirs. Various | 20 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Ten years is a heck of a long time to be watching a weekly TV show. Luckily, with shiny disc media (or stream or DL) it can take just a fraction of that to watch it at home from beginning to end.

I scheduled one post per month for ten months, but I finished the series in about half of that time. Binge-watching is a double-edged activity, but ultimately it allows one to better evaluate how a show changed over time; having to wait a decade between the first and last episodes would make that difficult. For my purposes, the binge-watch positives outweighed the negatives.

Stargate changed quite a bit over the years, in scope and in cast, but its greatest strength was always in its team dynamic, which is something that it remained largely true to throughout.

The individual members would clash often in their beliefs, particularly Jack (Richard Dean Anderson) and Daniel (Michael Shanks), but at the end of the day each of them was elevated and heartened by having the other at their side.

Lucifer: Volume 09 (2006)

Crux (2006)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Marc Hempel / Ronald Wimberly | Page Count: 168

"I walked on into chaos, and the earth beat like a heart beneath my feet."

Volume 09 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The dictionary definition of a 'crux' is 'a vital or decisive stage, point, etc. / a baffling problem or difficulty'. The Lucifer book embodies both of those things, for sure.

The first story kicks off with the politics of Hell once again in disarray. The current Duke of Gly plays a pivotal role in what direction it'll take. I didn't think Marc Hempel's art on the work was a good match for Mike Carey's words. The illustrator's cartoon styling lessens the severity of the situation. I liked his version of Gaudium, though, but I'd probably like Gaudium even if he was drawn by a five-year-old wearing a blindfold.

After that single issue the regular team of Gross and Kelly take over for the titular tale. Carey's ability to drop little things into the plot, things that through causality will escalate into giant things if left unchecked, makes the book more than exciting. While it's true that characters should be left to grow at their own pace, sometimes they need a little push.

Godzilla: Shōwa Era Films (1954-74)

01. Godzilla (1954) 

Dir. Ishirō Honda

NOTE: for simplicity's sake I've used English language titles for each of my Godzilla reviews, but it's always the original Japanese language versions of the films that I refer to.

The monstrous growl that's heard over the film's opening credits foreshadows what's to come, which can be summed up as the Japanese people facing a monstrous terror that the rest of the world has never seen. It begins at sea and then moves inland.

The creature responsible for the inhuman roar — the monarch of kaijū eiga — is a force to be reckoned with, for sure, and is more than just an excuse to have a guy in a rubber suit trash tiny models. You don't need to be a history scholar to pick out the many wartime parallels: nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific, irradiated wells, air raid sirens, and footfalls that sound like distant bombs impacting and exploding are all highlighted.

The Ring Virus (1999)

The Ring Virus (1999)

Dir. Kim Dong-bin

TRV is (to date) one of four 'film' versions of Japanese author Koji Suzuki's Ring (1991) novel. It's South Korea's attempt at capturing the horrors, although Wikipedia mentions that's it's a 'joint project' with Japan - but what that means specifically, I don't know.*

I'll go quickly over the story again in case some folks aren't familiar with it. A journalist (Shin Eun-kyung) investigates, for reasons both personal and professional, the mystery of a cursed video tape that supposedly heralds the death one week later of anyone who watches it. The hunt for the truth puts her onto paths that lead to supernatural happenings and alleged psychic phenomenon.

Like in Hideo Nakata's version of the story, the protagonist is changed to female, but otherwise TRV more closely follows the plot of the novel. The 'virus' part of the title is alluded to directly, and there's references to cloning, identity, and gender early on.

Perhaps unwisely, it also also recreates (i.e. steals, sometimes almost verbatim) some of the other film's more recognisable original scenes, which blurs the line between it being a new adaptation of the novel or a semi-deferential remake, ultimately lessening its distinctiveness.

Stargate SG-1: Season 09 (2005-06)

Stargate SG-1: Season 09 (2005-06)

Dirs. Various | 20 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Year nine begins with another new opening credits sequence, but that's the least of the changes. Three new cast members are added to the home team, and there's an entirely new non-Goa'uld threat that's intent on forcing the whole universe to follow a new system of beliefs.

That's arguably the goal of many organised religions, but the threat in question has the means to destroy entire planets if the inhabitants refuse to convert. Mercifully, none of Earth's actual world religions are able to do that.

The new cast members include Gen. Hank Landry (Beau Bridges) and Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder). Landry is bland, but he has the lesser role. Mitchell, on the other hand, is to the fore as he tries to reassemble the original SG-1 team after the events of Season 08.

Lucifer: Volume 08 (2005)

The Wolf Beneath the Tree (2005)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / P. Craig Russell / Ted Naifeh | Page Count: 160

"To read aloud from the book makes the book an element in the story it tells."

Volume 08 of 11 in the Lucifer series opens with the 50th issue, pencilled by P. Craig Russell. He did The Sandman 50th issue, so it's pleasing that he got to do Lucifer, too. The art is of his usual high standard, full of open splendour or intimate moments when needed.

It's titled Lilith. If you've followed the series from the beginning, you may be able to guess how that ties in with events thus far and what it means for one or more of the supporting characters. But what we weren't told previously is how large a part it played in other events.

A gathering puts the Lightbringer face to face with the embodiment of the thing that he despises most.

Readers who've been paying attention to what they've been reading up to now will notice that it's the very thing that the former ruler of Hell has spent the previous seven books trying to escape.

Sorceress (1982)

Sorceress (1982)

Dir. Jack Hill (credited as Brian Stuart)

It's not a phenomenon exclusive to the Sword and Sorcery genre, but in a great many cases the quality of such a film can be measured by the frequency and rapidity by which it feels the need to have its female characters strip naked. In short, the quality tends to be inversely proportional to the tit-count. Sorceress (1982) is very much at the wrong end of that scale.

The plot, such as it is, involves an evil wizard's (Roberto Ballesteros) pledge to kill his first born child in service of his god, and the resultant quest of vengeance undertaken by blessed twin sisters Mira and Mara (Leigh and Lynette Harris, respectively). 

Eraldo Carugati's poster art makes it look fantastic, but the reality is very different. The twins clearly weren't hired for their acting or combat skills, but the weak overdubbing of them — and everyone else — ruins any atmosphere that may have been possible during dialogue scenes. It could've been easier to tolerate that if Jack Hill's direction was any good, but for the most part it's terrible, too.

Critters: Films (1986–)

Critters: Films (1986–)

Of the shovel-load of horror B-Movies that the industry shat out during the 1980s, Critters (1986) directed Stephen Herek was one of the more entertaining ones. It arguably still is. It's basically a sci-fi/horror hybrid with some accidental laughs and some purposeful laughs.

The creatures are like vicious little bastard cousins of the Gremlins. They wreak havoc, as you'd expect, but what makes the film work so well is that the family is at the heart of it. The bitey things don't kill off dumb, screaming, sex-crazed teenagers one by one - they threaten something important, something that's worth fighting for. That makes all the difference.

Critters 2: The Main Course (1988) directed by Mick Garris is set two years after the fuzzy feckers went wild in Kansas. Life goes on for the survivors, but nothing's peaceful for long in B-Movie Land. The space porcupines are back for more, and their numbers have increased

Stargate SG-1: Season 08 (2004-05)

SG-1: Season 08 (2004-05)

Dirs. Various | 20 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Most of the science-fiction television series that I'm a fan of ended either before or at their seventh season. In fact, I think now might be the first time that I've featured an eighth season of something sci-fi on the blog. In that respect, if nothing else, SG-1 Series 08 is an exception to me. It was reduced to just 20 episodes, but eight years is still a heck of an achievement.

As if to mark the occasion, it has another new opening credits sequence. I don't know if what I write next will be considered spoiler by many folks, but I'll give a warning now, just in case.

Amid the action scenes in the opening sequence, the most notable thing is that Carter isn't the only one with a new hairstyle - Teal'c has one, or rather Teal'c now has some actual hair!

It's a little odd at first, but he's the same dependable ex-Jaffa as he always was, and it even plays a role, of sorts, in one of the episodes.

Lucifer: Volume 07 (2005)

 Exodus (2005)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly | Page Count: 168

"I served our Father faithfully, and my reward was to be chastised for not being you."

Volume 07 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The Morningstar is forced to take preventative measures to ensure the safety of his property. After the effort expelled to create and then to keep it, to leave it open to God's whim now would be folly. The duty forces him into a position with the Heavenly Host that he'd rather avoid, but sometimes circumstance force the hand of even angels.

Elsewhere, the secondary characters are given more to do, in a more thought-out and interesting storyline than last time. And while that leaves Lucifer absent a lot of the time, it really didn't matter because the parallel storylines kept my attention diverted.

There's a lot of humour in Exodus. It was unexpected but not unwelcome after the drawn-out nature of the previous book. The fugly little fallen Cherub Gaudium gets a chance to shine. He and his sister could sustain an off-shoot of their own, about the domestic problems of two incompetent siblings. I’d buy it.

Rodan (1956)

Rodan (1956)

Dir. Ishirō Honda

If you were to list the events of Rodan as a simple flowchart, it'll read just like many of the less inventive kaijū eiga from the era:

Human story

|

Creature(s) awaken(s) + atomic power is mentioned

|

Creature(s) rampage during last 30 mins + JSDF shoot weapons repeatedly to no avail

|

Quick fix

|

End.

What sets it apart is that the human story it offers up is better than most. There’s a feeling of genuine concern between the folks of the small coal mining village, while the terror they experience is shared among the workers and the usually distant decision makers.

Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream (2018)

Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream (2018)

Author: Yoshikazu Takeuchi | Translator: Nathan A. Collins | Page Count: 196

'The screen glowed in monochrome static, the snow-like pattern punctuated by pulsing flashes in the signal, each flash accompanied by an abrasive noise like a cicada's call.'

The blurb on the back cover describes it as a 'sequel' to Yoshikazu Takeuchi's Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis (2018), but it isn't that at all. And unlike CM, it's not a novel, but rather three separate short stories, similarly set in the pop-idol world.

I didn't enjoy the previous novel, but I'd foolishly bought Awaken from a Dream before reading the other, so I read it too, but with much lower expectations than I had for CM. I won't go into detail about each one because it would require giving the collection more time than I feel it warrants.

Takeuchi's basic template for a story is as follows:

Stargate SG-1: Season 07 (2003-04)

SG-1: Season 07 (2003-04)

Dirs. Various | 22 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Like the previous year, a significant personnel change had a dramatic impact on the core team.

It limits what I can say without diving into spoiler territory. To do the job properly, therefore, I'll need to drop some broad SPOILERS hereafter.

Unfortunately, even for those who stopped reading before now, the opening credits give the game away before the first episode has even begun, revealing the 'new' member of SG-1.

For a time it works well as a five-man team, but the writers chose instead to push out Jonas Quin (Corin Nemec), who spent much of the previous year finding and establishing his unique role.

Thereafter things progress steadily, with the search for new alliances and advanced technology that can be used and/or adapted to combat the diabolical Goa'uld System Lords, who remain the primary threat for the Tau'ri.

Lucifer: Volume 06 (2004)

Mansions of the Silence (2004)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston / David Hahn | Page Count: 144

"You are the King of contrivance and manipulation, my Samael. But in that, as in all things, you learned from your Father."

Volume 06 of 11 in the Lucifer series. Seeing as how it's clearly visible on the cover, I can say without crossing into spoiler territory that the Morningstar has got himself a medium sized ship, but why or where he intends to sail it will be revealed if you read the book.

Sadly, the story is formulaic. After an intro that can leave a reader wondering what happened between the previous book's ending and the beginning of this one, something that Carey has been careful to address up until now, the premise gets underway.

In the tradition of Jason and the Argonauts, all manner of mythical creatures that exist merely to interfere and harm are encountered during the long and arduous voyage. Such a setting is a workable literary device to show how characters react when in permanent proximity to others; e,g. the crew bicker and fight amongst themselves and against the nasties, but that's basically all there is to it.

A History of Violence (2005)

A History of Violence (2005)

Dir. David Cronenberg

An adaptation of John Wagner and Vince Locke's 1997 comic book of the same name, which I've not read, at time of writing.

It's a slow burning drama about what happens to an Indiana family unit when one member's violent past catches up with them, despite a sincere attempt to leave it behind.

Themes of identity and safety are also explored, as the family discover that once a door to such behaviour is unwillingly opened, there's no reliable way to control the route it takes or the people that it touches.

Viggo Mortensen is excellent in his role as a small town diner owner who must respond to something bigger. It marked a turning point in his career - or maybe just in how I saw him. Prior to working with Cronenberg, he had nothing special, to speak of. Thereafter, he delivered a string of strong performances.

The Mindscape of Alan Moore (2005)

The Mindscape of Alan Moore (2005)

Dirs. Dez Vylenz + Moritz Winkler

Alan Moore, author, magician and worthy apostle of gravy-sopping beards speaks directly to the viewer.

His words are accompanied by reflective imagery that helps illustrate the feelings and social consciousness of Britain of the era about which he speaks.

When juxtaposed with selective comic panels from his most famous collected works, such as Watchmen (1987) and V for Vendetta (1990), and some of his lesser-known ones (e.g., D.R. & Quinch), a deeper understanding of his methodology and strongly-felt philosophies and motivations is unearthed and is, to say the least, inspiring food for thought.

The cogs of Hollywood have tried but always failed to capture the essence of Moore onscreen; Mindscape will help you to understand why that is.

Stargate SG-1: Season 06 (2002-03)

SG-1: Season 06 (2002-03)

Dirs. Various | 22 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

The redesigned opening credits sequence that kicks things off isn't the only change since Season 05; there's a personnel shake-up, too.

It'll be difficult to talk about what that means for the team without dropping spoilers. I'll keep them to a minimum, but be forewarned: there will be some for S5 + S6 below this paragraph.

With their Egyptologist gone, SG-1 are reduced to three members. I mentioned previously that the person in question often functioned as the conscience and moral compass, so without him they're diminished in more than just number.

And while the three remaining members have personalities strong enough to keep going as they are, there's something comfortable about having four primaries, least of all because it allows for a convenient equal split, such as when a military presence is needed in two places at once. Having a companion at those times gives each person someone to bounce ideas off; someone to rescue or be rescued by, etc.

The Beastmaster: Films (1982-96)

The Beastmaster (1982)

Dir. Don Coscarelli

Many of the elements that made a successful sword and sorcery movie in the 80s are in place, including a wicked high priest (Rip Torn) who uses magic and religion to keep a position of power, a banishment, a trio of scrying hags with a dangerous prophecy, a cool bladed weapon or two, a peaceful village burned to the ground, and a sympathetic hero on a quest for revenge / redemption, but The Beastmaster isn't the genre classic that as a youth I used to think it was.

It's still mostly entertaining, however, with a neat ingredient that separates it from the pack, namely the hero's ability to communicate with animals like some kind of barbarian Dolittle. Inevitably, he makes friends and allies as he journeys toward his ultimate goal, but the most memorable of them all are arguably the smallest ones.

Lucifer: Volume 05 (2004)

Inferno (2004)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston / Craig Hamilton | Page Count: 166

"It was an irony very much to his taste, that he could no longer live without her."

Volume 05 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The four-part storyline that opens proceedings closes a deal that was made in Volume 02: Children and Monsters (2001); Lucifer and Amanadiel meet at the arranged place and time in an attempt to resolve their differences.

Some secondary characters find the event fortuitous, believing it the perfect opportunity to gain favour with one side or the other. It gives writer Mike Carey a chance to further develop threads from previous books and once more stress that Lucifer can rely just as well on his wits as on his powers; for power is useless without the knowledge of when to best use it.

Dredd: Original Film Soundtrack (2012)

Dredd: OFS (2012)

by Paul Leonard-Morgan

Paul Leonard-Morgan's score to the film is evocative of the gritty, dirty underbelly of Dredd's violent world.

In that respect, it's a roaring success; but a repetitive, noisy and abrasive electronic punch in the face that flirts with dark ambient and industrial soundscapes is the kind of work that can alienate many casual listeners.

If your musical tastes include the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Front Line Assembly, and John Carpenter's film scores, there's a good chance you'll like Leonard-Morgan's work, too.

There's an occasional frail, textured wave of hope attempting to break through the overabundant distortion, but the thick bass keeps it cruelly subdued. Nevertheless, its presence is beneficial to the whole.

Stargate SG-1: Season 05 (2001–02)

SG-1: Season 05 (2001–02)

Dirs. Various | 22 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

I was planning to write more about Teal'c of Chulak (Christopher Judge) than I have previously, but he doesn't get very much to do in Season 05, so it'll be more general praise.

It's fair to say that without the former First Prime of Goa'uld System Lord Apophis the SG-1 team simply wouldn't exist as they do – they'd have died on Abydos (in the Pilot episode).

The team owe Teal'c their lives, and he in turn owes them for giving him the means to follow his heart. In the eyes of most other Jaffa he's a traitor, but to all who oppose the Goa'uld he's a pillar of strength and proof that their enforced thrall can be broken. In short, he's an inspiration.

And like Colonel Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) he can be extremely funny, but in a very different way. It's a dry wit, enhanced by his being a man of few words who sometimes 'helpfully' states the obvious for his teammates.

Upstart Crow (2016–)

Upstart Crow (2016–)

18 episodes, approx 29 mins each + 3 Christmas Specials, approx 49 mins each.

In the simplest terms, if you like Shakespeare and enjoyed the format of the Blackadder TV series, then Upstart Crow is probably for you.

Written by comedian Ben Elton, it portrays the bard as a playwright struggling for inspiration and unappreciated by his family and friends.

David Mitchell is wonderful in the title role, as is Liza Tarbuck as his wife Anne Hathaway, the only one of his group that truly understands him.

To get the most from the series you'll need some pretty sizeable knowledge of Shakespeare's written works and of events in his personal life, including that of his contemporaries (e.g. Kit Marlowe and Robert Greene) and be aware of the various theories regarding authorship.

That's an unusually high level of prerequisite for a sitcom to ask of its audience, but if you have it, then you're going to have a lot more fun.

Lucifer: Volume 04 (2003)

The Divine Comedy (2003)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston | Page Count: 190

"Grace and perfection and eternity were her heritage. […] And a soul so bright it could be seen from Hell."

Volume 04 of 11 in the Lucifer series. The many consequences of things unseen would be a simple way to describe the book. To elaborate on that will be hard to do without giving anything away because almost everyone of any significance in the previous books is gathered in Carey's playground (nestled still within a fractured part of Gaiman's wider Sandman universe).

It's a five pointed star with all the points pointing inwards. No one is safe when everyone wants the same thing and most of them are prepared to do anything to obtain it. It's as powerful as a series finale, and yet it's not even close to the end. Nevertheless, not everyone is lucky enough to make it out unscathed.

Dredd (2012)

Dredd (2012)

Dir. Pete Travis / Alex Garland (uncredited)

The Dredd film deserved more success than it got. It drew comparisons to Dir. Gareth Evans' The Raid (2011), with both films set inside of a single tower block, but I've not seen The Raid, so for me Dredd felt fresh and interesting.

The filmmakers made some minor changes to the comic's aesthetic, (e.g. the Lawmaster, Lawgiver, and iconic Judge costume each got a slight redesign, mostly for practical purposes), but crucially it remained faithful to the essence and core values of its esteemed comic source.

Even the poster art (pic right) takes inspiration from the page - recreating the stance of a towering Judge statue, a symbolic reminder for the citizens of Mega-City One that Judges are the ultimate law, perhaps most notably used to that effect in the classic America (2008) story.

Stargate SG-1: Season 04 (2000-01)

SG-1: Season 04 (2000-01)

Dirs. Various | 22 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Unlike the first female soldier that we saw in the SG-1 series (in the pilot episode), who single-handedly reinforced the blonde stereotype, Major Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) is the most comprehensively educated member of the team, with a range of unsurprisingly handy skills.

Not characterised as non-feminine, Sam still has compassion and a motherly instinct (kind of like Jack's paternal one), but it's not to the detriment of her role as a respected authority figure.

Now seems like a good time to mention my respect for the show's only other regular female cast member, Dr. Janet Fraiser (Teryl Rothery). When the teams get battered, bruised, or taken over by an alien intelligence, etc, it's the quick response of Dr. Fraiser that more often than not saves the day - ofttimes working alongside Sam.

Lucifer: Volume 03 (2002)

A Dalliance With the Damned (2002)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston | Page Count: 160

"I think you should stop talking to the snake. These things he tells you are making you unhappy."

Volume 03 of 11 in the Eisner award winning Lucifer series. Things unfold at a more leisurely pace this time as writer Mike Carey shifts the focus away from the charismatic anti-hero. Instead, he explores the virtues and vices of some of the other inhabitants of the realm.

In the first half of the book are three shorter episodes that have a self-contained beginning / middle / end structure but are themselves interconnected and still manage to tie in with the series arc.

Story number one offers readers a chance to sympathise with Mazikeen as she embarks on a personal mission that'll have consequences for more than just herself.

Judge Dredd (1995)

Judge Dredd (1995)

Dir. Danny Cannon

Stallone appears with jutting chin and less than nine minutes later the helmet comes off. It ceases to be a Judge Dredd film and instead becomes a Sly film with a comedy sidekick. There's a decent amount of plot squeezed into the running time (96 mins), but it's full of inconsistencies and stupid one-liners.

To be fair, it's not all bad. Mega-City One was interesting, some of the Council of Chief Judges were good (especially McGruder) and the addition of Hershey was a nice touch, or it would've been if she'd not been there simply to hang some hurried plot advancements on.

If you somehow make it to the end of the movie you'll witness the worst part. Even Walter the Wobot would be appalled.

A Scene at the Sea (1991)

A Scene at the Sea (1991)

Dir. Takeshi Kitano

Garbage collector Shigeru finds a damaged surfboard by the side of the road. He takes it home and thereafter a story develops slowly over a short but magical summer in which simplicity is beauty and the mundane is remodelled as something deadpan hilarious.

Both Shigeru (Claude Maki) and his girlfriend Takako (Hiroko Ôshima) are deaf, so there's not much spoken dialogue in the film, but the silence in no way diminishes the relationship or our understanding of it because the 'voice' of the piece is very much Kitano's and he orchestrates it masterfully; the bond between the couple has a rhythm that can be heard over the sound of wind and waves.

It was the first of many times that the director had composer Joe Hisaishi provide the score. The music and image are so seamlessly matched emotionally that it's as if the pair had been working together for decades.

Stargate SG-1: Season 03 (1999-00)

SG-1: Season 03 (1999-00)

Dirs. Various | 22 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

The Season 02 finale didn't have an actual 'To be Continued...' ending, but the first episode of Season 03 continues the story as if it had done, and it almost manages to make up for the first half being a disappointing clips-show.

Thereafter things progress steadily, with the search for new alliances and technology that can be used and/or adapted to combat the diabolical Goa'uld System Lords being the primary driving force for most of the Tau'ri (humans from Earth).

Well, that's true for the higher-ups. But for Egyptologist Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), the non-military member of SG-1, the member that typically serves as conscience and compass in times of moral conflict, his primary goal is to find his wife Sha're (Vaitiare Bandera), who was taken by Apophis in the Season 01 Pilot episode.

Lucifer: Volume 02 (2001)

Children and Monsters (2001)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Peter Gross / Ryan Kelly / Dean Ormston | Page Count: 208

"You know how it is. You put things away for a rainy day [...] then you look up one day and it's raining Angels."

Volume 02 of 11 in the Lucifer series contains two distinct but interconnected parts.

Lucifer owns a Los Angeles piano bar named Lux; the irony of the location and naming amuses him because he's not without a Machiavellian sense of humour. 

In the four part The House of Windowless Rooms he leaves his precious bar behind for a time to pursue the next part in his great work, which requires him to speak with Izanami-no-Mikoto, the Japanese Goddess of creation and death. He'll be powerless in her realm, so must rely on his wits and his cunning to be his weapon and his armour. Shit hits the Japanese fan.

Boiling Point (1990)

Boiling Point (1990)

Dir. Takeshi Kitano

Baseball is a popular sport in Japan. Masaki (Yūrei Yanagi) is a batter, but he isn't any good and his level of enthusiasm for the role appears to match his level in almost all things, which is visibly nil. A chance encounter at his place of employment leads to him drifting into Yakuza company, specifically an impulsive man named Uehara (Takeshi Kitano) and his two companions.

Dir. Kitano's second film saw his style evolve: a method of humour that's deadpan funny without seeming to have any actual jokes - although the loose construction can feel a little like tactically placed skits, so may be off-putting to some folks. It's not an ideal first Kitano film, but if you've seen and enjoyed any of his later (middle period) works, it can be a rewarding experience. 

NOTE: the poster art used above has the film's original Japanese title, San tai Yon ekkusu Jugatsu (3-4x10月), which translates to 3 to 4x October (according to Wikipedia).

Let It Snow (2008)

Let It Snow (2008)

Authors: Maureen Johnson / John Green / Lauren Myracle  |  Page Count: 368

'It's such a disaster, whenever, in the course of human relationships, someone begins to chisel away at the wall of separation...'

A collection of three novellas, one from each of the authors mentioned above, with a different take on the theme of 'holiday romance'. The holiday, which you've likely already guessed, is Christmas. The individual stories are linked by location and certain events overlap more than once, so it's more like a novel with changing authors as opposed to a traditional anthology.

Appropriately, snow blanketed the ground on the three days that I'd set aside to read the book. My windows were closed tight and the curtains purposefully drawn to lessen the chill, but I knew it was there and I'd been caught in it a few times whilst out walking.

It may sound ridiculous, but I believe that being cold helped me better appreciate the situations that the characters found themselves in. I'd hoped for some emotional warmth from the text to counteract the chilly settings, and in all three cases it was delivered; although the levels at which it was apparent did vary from one to the next.

Stargate SG-1: Season 02 (1998-99)

SG-1: Season 02 (1998-99)

Dirs. Various | 22 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Season 02 continues the alien world-hopping adventures, but it also points its lens more at home soil than Season 01 did. We get to see the SG-1 team outside the base's walls. Whereas inside it receives a few unwelcome visitors.

The entire venture seems to have had a sizeable cash-injection, enabling a number of new sets and some slightly better FX than before. Of the new sets, the most visited makes much use of the 'corridor with corners' trick, but as a longtime Star Trek fan I'm well-used to that kind of thing.

There's a lot of new technology on display, too, some of which becomes a regular feature.

Now that the team is fully established, I can talk a little about their personalities, beginning with Colonel Jack O'Neil (Richard Dean Anderson).

Mayhem: Deathcrush (1987)

Mayhem: Deathcrush (1987)

Owing a huge debt to early Bathory albums, the first Mayhem E.P. has gone down in history as being the first commercial release from the Norwegian Black Metal scene. The eerie production makes it sound like hell is opening up in your front room.

It's full of screeching voice, fuzzy guitars, brutal bass and some early Black/Thrash motifs that would be put to better use on their first full studio album. Drums are by Kjetil Manheim, because Hellhammer hadn't yet joined. It's a classic and if you've any interest in the genesis and evolution of the Black Metal genre, then it's definitely worth your time.

Lucifer: Volume 01 (2001)

Devil in the Gateway (2001)

Author: Mike Carey | Illustrators: Scott Hampton / Chris Weston / James Hodgkins / Warren Pleece / Dean Ormston  | Page Count: 160

"Every time I try to improvise I find my moves were right there in the script all along."

Volume 01 of 11 in the Lucifer series. It'll help your introduction into the titular character's world if you've read The Sandman: Volume IV: Season of Mists (1992) previously; it's not an essential requirement, but it's recommended because Carey's version of the Miltonian anti-hero follows on from events therein.

The Dream King tried to find a balance but the Morningstar wants to upset the balance because he knows the balance is a lie. He wants to tear it away and leave a naked truth, one that's free to explore its own workings. But like the saying goes: as one door closes…

Violent Cop (1989)

Violent Cop (1989)

Dir. Takeshi Kitano

In Takeshi Kitano's début feature film as director he stars as Azuma, a pissed-off detective with some unorthodox methods. Azuma uses violence often because he knows it gets results. It's administered methodically but can sometimes appear casual. He'll bitch-slap and humiliate anyone he feels deserves it, but when events turn personal, when his role as protector is compromised, the level increases and is sustained for longer.

Hisashi Nozawa is credited as sole writer but Kitano made such significant script revisions that in the end his persona dominates all parts of it. The transposition of honed comedy timing into filmmaking style make the changes in tone swift and unexpected, like a good joke or a cutting remark.