Infection

I felt that this episode was something of step back, mostly to do with the quality of the production rather than the story which was fine if a little bland. I thought it was a nice touch to pick on Sinclair always putting himself on the line. It have been niggling at me and it was very well explained.

As always a pleasure to see Iliya Kuryakin.

I also thought that it was slightly strange that Babylon 5 was only two years old (although given that it was 10 years since the end of the Minbari war and there were four Babylons before it that makes sense). It does not feel like two years is long enough for a place to develop the seedy corners and the underworld that Babylon 5 has. It feels like an underbelly develops, it doesn't just appear fully developed. Could just be me I guess.

C'mon, its a romp

For those that are interested this is a version of a review that I put up at Amazon UK recently.

I have recently acquired the Fantastic Four double box set. I'm not proud of it. It's a bit like my fried chicken habit, and to be honest it cost less that a maxed out meal at my local takeaway (with many fewer calories). Also, much like fried chicken, even when I was eating/watching it I knew that it's no good for me but I kept going.

The individual films both have a large number of reviews all over the internet already so I'm not going to add too much. They pretty much jump on the bandwagon of the rebirth of superhero films over the last decade or so and there is nothing in them that you won't have seen elsewhere. To be clear, there is also nothing in these films that I found terrible (although some would disagree, and even I found the fall of Ioan 'Hornblower' Gruffudd to be tragic). Unfortunately there's not a lot to love either. Looking back there's no scene that particularly stands out for me from either film and that, for what is billed as an CGI heavy action film, says a lot. However, I did watch it through to the end so it couldn't have been all bad.

As for the boxed set itself, in my set I got, what I imagine are, the two single disk standalone DVDs in separate plastic cases but packaged together in an additional cardboard box. As far as I can tell there are only English subtitles on both. As for extras:

F4: Cast commentary, the Fantastic Tour (i.e. video diaries by and with cast and crew) , two music videos (and an album trailer) and bizarrely a plug for X Men 3
F4RotSS: A bunch of trailers, a couple of commentaries (one from the director and one from the producer + film editors) some extended and deleted scenes, some pre-vis scenes (i.e. very basic animated story boards), a feature on the the 'Fantasticar' and a documentary on some guy's relationship with the Fantastic Four comics.

I can't say that this is going to change your life, but these two films are mildly diverting for a few hours and they are better for your waistline than eating fried chicken...

Soul Hunter

Starting to move into the main series now and finally got to an episode that I have, pretty much, unambiguously enjoyed. Yes arguably it was over acted in parts but it was forgivable, there certainly wasn't any acting that I wanted to switch off for.

Most importantly for me the plot was coherent. The Soul Hunter appeared in his broken ship because he was being chased down by another Soul Hunter which is why the crew found out what was going on and could try to stop him. The Soul Hunter had become warped because he had been thwarted by the Minbari, which then also explained why he wanted Delenn.

Also loving Delenn's propensity to try to solve things with random acts of violence, which, for a Minbari ruler seems rather an unfortunate personality trait.

All in all very enjoyable. Looking forward to more

Big day

Today I finished The Sea by John Banville, and watched the first episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and 30 Rock.

I loved one and liked the other two. Got a splitting headache so will expand anon.

Coffee, Joe, Java...

I like coffee. I like it a lot. If my doctor hadn't told me to stop drinking so much of it I would probably never drink anything else. Today I managed to indulge myself by spending a few hours in a couple of coffee shop chains while trying to get some writing/reading done. A rare respite. It's been a while since I've been in a coffee shop during the working day and it's a revelation. The clientele is entirely different from weekends and there is an ebb and flow during the day.

In the morning you get your office workers wandering in for their morning fix (although I imagine that they are fewer than they were 18 months ago). Most take away, leaving bleary eyed clutching their paper cup. A few, before 9 sit and read the paper, or a chapter of a book before they too leave.

During the morning you get a few workers in an out, but this is more the time of the student and the tourist. Both groups tend to drink in, the students louder, the tourists faster. You also get the occasional mobile worker taking down shots of coffee and tapping on their laptop.

The workers build again around lunchtime with the students and tourist reclaiming ground in the afternoon. They are joined by the mother (rarely father) and baby crowd, the ladies (and it was women not men) of indeterminate age who look like they are in town for the day (running a few errands, having lunch with a friend and possibly catching a show...I am shamelessly stereotyping I know).

I'm sure that the pattern changes again around commuter time and in the evening but I had to leave myself. Fascinating stuff for procrastinators and people watchers though.

You know what, I find coffee so interesting I may even start another blog just about it...Hmm.

Midnight on the Firing Line

Episode 1, Series 1, Midnight on the Firing Line. Now the pilot is over, this is where the excuses stop and you have to start putting up or shutting up. As before detailed synopses etc available elsewhere.

I thought that this was much better than the pilot, there was enough plot going on to keep me interested for the whole episode and the acting was more uniform and generally better (the replacement characters were a great improvement). I also liked the way that the problems on Ragesh 3 were mirrored in microcosm by the relationship between Londo and G'Kar. However for me this episode really came to life during the final scene between Winters and Ivanova where we find out why Ivanova has been rude. That was genuine, character driven tension and beautifully acted. Also quite enjoying the slightly anarchic nature of Babylon 5 where everyone pretty much ignores protocol and chains of command, even the ex-soldiers who you think would know better!

The main plots were mostly good although the episode was somewhat ruined for me by the Deus Ex Machina moment linking two independent story lines when, coincidentally Sinclair found a Narn on the Raiders' command and control ship, which then allowed him to blackmail G'Kar into withdrawing the Narn Forces on Ragesh 3. Put it this way, if the Raiders had started a couple of months earlier or later then this tool wouldn't have been available and the Ragesh 3 situation would not have been sorted out.

I'm also not sure that the Narn would have backed down so easily...in fact I had quite a lot of sympathy for their position. If Ragesh 3 was originally a Narn planet then why shouldn't they have it back? 100 years is no time at all (just look at various former colonies around the world today). Re-invasion/war may not be the right route to take but it doesn't mean that the principle isn't correct.

Libraries ain't what they used to be

I went to a public library for the first time in a while today and it was a revelation. My memories of libraries are mostly of revising for exams amidst stacks of slightly mouldy books. This library had books, but it also had lots of computers, WiFi, a coffee area, sofas, and children's areas that were usefully age specific i.e toys for younger ones and Xbox 360s and PS3's (I know) in the areas for older ones. In addition to books they had a CD and DVD lending areas with a mix of classics and up-to-date releases.

I can imagine that traditionalists would have a problem with the idea that library's aren't just about books, but for me anything that gets people closer to books and reading can only be a good thing. If people find libraries to be useful for more that just books then they might go there more often, and maybe pick up a book or two sometimes.

Did she really say that?

I've been repeatedly amused by the ongoing story of the c. £650,000 per year pension of the former head of RBS, Fred Goodwin. The merits, or otherwise of the pension are not really the point, what is amusing is the hubris of the ministers. However I literally laughed out loud when I saw this story from the BBC quoting Harriet Harman on the issue. Everything that you need to know about the story (and possibly about Harriet Harman) can be summed up by this quote form her:

"...it might be enforceable in a court of law, this contract, but it is not enforceable in the court of public opinion and that is where the government steps in."

It is such a perfectly stupid statment that no further comment is needed