Masters of Horror: Series 02 (2006)

Masters of Horror: Series 02 (2006) [Complete]

Dirs: Various (See Below) | Episodes: 13 (Total), 55 minutes each, approx.

More of the same kind of hit and miss anthology stories from many of the same people that were involved in Series One. This first half contains the first seven episodes. There may be a difference in running order between the Region 1 and Region 2 editions. I'm using the UK Region 2 editions. As with Series One, NA also got a full series box (Vols 01 + 02).

Masters of Horror: Series 01 (2006)

Masters of Horror: Series 01 (2006) [Complete]

Dirs: Various (See Below) | Episodes: 13 (Total), 55 minutes each, approx.

Mick Garris, filmmaker, friend and critic of horror cinema assembled thirteen of the genre's most celebrated directors together for the first series of Masters of Horror. Each director was given one episode. The results aren't always what you'd probably expect, given each person's previous filmic history, but there's an occasional gem to be found amongst the mostly uneven murkiness.

You can find some very brief thoughts below the cut. The listed order reflects the UK Region 2 DVD editions. The US Region 1 running order is different. The UK versions were split into two parts per series, which is four box sets in total. NA also got a full series box (Vols 01 + 02).

The Omen: Films (1976-06)

The Omen: Films (1976-06)

Dirs. Various

01. The film that single-handedly caused kids named Damien to get targeted by bullies at school throughout the 80s (and beyond?), The Omen (1976 / Dir. Richard Donner) is a 1970s suspense / horror film that relies on mood and pace to elicit a progressive sense of dread in the viewer.

Gregory Peck is utterly believable as the American Senator with an evil little shit for a son (Harvey Stephens). Throw in some horror convention, a creepy nanny, a house that lacks life, and a biblical poem and you have a classic that looks dated but still manages to shock and entertain.

In lesser roles are David Warner, Billie Whitelaw, and Patrick Troughton, all of whom are equally great. Prolific composer Jerry Goldsmith's musical score adds an extra layer of palpable eeriness.

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of TWotW: Alive on Stage (2006)

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of TWotW: Alive on Stage (2006)

Dir. David Mallet | Filmed at Wembley Arena, 25th April, 2006.

A live stage production of Wayne's adaptation, featuring actors / performers, a full band, and a small orchestra conducted by Wayne himself.

It begins with a v/o by the Martians, all of whom are fluent in the English language. It'll be helpful to anyone not already familiar with the album or original story, but it's not something that I enjoyed, personally. For me, the true beginning is when the Richard Burton narration comes in:

"No one would have believed, in the last years of the 19th Century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space..."

Speaking of Burton, the production features a weird, disembodied projection of the actor's head, floating high above the 'stage right' side.

Torchwood: TV Series (2006-11)

Torchwood (2006-11)

Dirs: various | 4 Seasons | 41 episodes, approx 44-57 mins each.

A Doctor Who offshoot that was targeted at a more mature audience than its parent series. In theory that's an interesting prospect, but in reality the definition of 'mature' seems to have been derived from a yobbish, vulgar, and sex-obsessed teenager's personal diary.

Season 01 is particularly bad in that regard, as if the show's writers believed that profanity and multiple references to casual sex were compensation for a well-written script. [1]

Consequently, most of its episodes are a dismal and joyless slog through predominantly bland storytelling, populated with unlikable characters whose traits are more often than not reprehensible and shameful.

I suspect it's more due to blind luck than any kind of skilful plan that it managed not to turn the group's leader, Doctor Who's Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), into the same. [2]

The Legend of Zelda Manga: Legendary Ed. Vol. 04 (2017)

The Minish Cap (2006) / Phantom Hourglass (2009)

Author and Illustrator: Akira Himekawa | Page Count: 374

"The road you travel will be dangerous. Take this."

Series protagonist Link is always recognisable in his green duds and pointy hat, but he's not always the same Link. There are exceptions, of course, such as the one in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, but mostly the character is different in each game. It's not a drastic change; it's more of a variation on a theme.

Akira Himekawa applies the same principle to each of her Links in the mangas. In The Minish Cap's case the artwork is one-hundred percent chibi. It would've made sense to draw certain parts of it that way, but unfortunately it's used from beginning to end.

I'm not a fan of the exaggerated art style, but judging by the level of excellence shown in the previous books I'm guessing that it's at least good chibi?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rocky: Films (1976-2006)

Rocky: Films (1976-2006)

The Hood Trilogy (2006-16)

KiDULTHOOD (2006)

Dir. Menhaj Huda

A hard-hitting drama set in the suburbs of west London exploring what daily life is like for a small number of teenagers in mid-2000s era Britain, most of whom are approximately fifteen-years-old. Many folks, especially parents, will be offended or even outraged by the use of language, violence, drugs and sex in the film, but that doesn't mean it isn't an accurate reflection of what's actually happening on the streets outside their front door.

The activities and friends are spread out over a small area and a few short days, culminating in the kind of unsupervised teenage house-party that rarely goes off without a hitch.

For at least two of the youths it's a build-up and event that's nothing short of life-changing, in the most unforgettable ways.

Real Lies (2006)

Real Lies (2006)

Author + Illustrator: Lee SiYoung  |  Page Count: 230

"I want to share a drink with her at a street bar and talk about life..."

Stylised as ReaLies on the cover but referred to as Real Lies inside, it's a Korean manhua with three short tales about human interaction. It's labelled as Volume 1, but to date there hasn't been a Volume 2, at least not one translated into English.

The first story is the longest of the three, How Martians Conquer the Earth. The title makes it sound straightforward enough, but it's not like that at all. It's really quite unusual and I admit that I didn't grasp all of it until afterwards, when I read the short author's note at the end of the book that clarifies a little of what the aim of the work was.

It's partly because I wasn't yet attuned to Lee SiYoung's methods and partly because those same methods are structurally messy. It's something that's perhaps exacerbated by the translation, but the confusion itself is very much there, in the presentation, in words spoken and even in timing.

Supernatural: Season 01 (2006)

Supernatural: Season 01 (2006)

22 episodes, approx 42 mins each

The excellent pilot episode kicks off with an unforgettably dramatic event that sets a precedent for the whole season to follow.

It effectively lays the groundwork for an intriguing story arc that resurfaces from time to time - in about 8 of the 22 episodes.

It could be argued that its influence is ever-present because it's the reason that the Winchester family are driven to do what they do (i.e. battle supernatural forces, hunt and kill demons, banish evil spirits, etc), but in reality it gets pushed so far into the background that it's often forgotten about.

Even Ep 02 is a disappointing drop in quality, chiefly little more than another X-Files clone but with male leads that can actually act.

Death Note: Films (2006-08)

Death Note (2006)

Dir. Shûsuke Kaneko

The Death Note is a notebook that causes the death of anyone whose name is written on one of its pages. Any fool can use it, but it takes a sharp mind to exploit it fully; such a mind belongs to college student Light Yagami.

The film isn't as good as the original manga or the 37-episode anime series that preceded it, but for a TV production it does okay.

The shorter running time means it lacks the depth or complexity inherent in the source, but the biggest problem is with the Shinigami (Death God). Ryuk could've been amazing, but he's rendered in a cartoonish CGI that doesn't fit with the realistic aesthetic of the rest of the film. The argument that he's supposed to appear otherworldly won’t change my mind about that.

The first film is the first half of the story only, ending with a cliff-hanger that gets resolved in its sequel, The Last Name (see below).

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Dirs. Ronald Neame / Irwin Allen (uncredited)

Revellers on board the luxury cruise liner Poseidon enjoy their New Year's Eve party oblivious to the giant party-pooping wave that's thundering toward them... until it hits!

Produced by master of disaster flicks Irwin Allen, Poseidon is a thoroughly enjoyable but admittedly pretty awful journey from the bowels of hell to the light of day for a small and varied collection of individuals who realise that they must band together if they're to have any hope of escape.

With plenty of rationalising and moralising along the way the ensemble cast do their best with the material, and by the end we know exactly why each character was included and what basic emotion they were required to appeal to, a task that most of them do rather well, I'm happy to say.

I know that it's basically trash given the big screen treatment, but I love it. Ernest Borgnine, Gene Hackman, Shelley Winters and Roddy McDowall all together on a sinking ship? Hell, yes.

Farewell Summer (2006)

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lost Memory (2004)

Author: Junichi Fujisaku | Page Count: 212 Pages 

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

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

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