The Satan Pit.

TV When I was in my first year of school I used to attend bible study meetings. I wasn't a Christian. It was that moment we all go through when we trying work out what we believe in. I also talked to friends from other religions and thought about all of those hymns I'd sung in hundreds of school assemblies and the words of The Lords Prayer. I thought about war and the reasons for war, and eventually I realised or decided that actually no matter how philosophical you want to be about words being handed down from the supernatural as far as I could tell they were the words of men. That's when I parted company with the mono-theists.

Rather than just following the teachings of one religion, in fact, I was best going with my conscience and instinct, that there are bad and good things in the world and that whatever happens, happens and that if you're going to have faith in something, to have faith that it will all turn out ok in the end. If anyone asks what my religion is -- on those rare occasions that people ask now -- that I'll tell them that I'm a non-denominational spiritualist -- and once I've finished saying pretty much what's in these two paragraphs they don't ask any more (and probably remind themselves never to ask me about religion again).

The best writing leads someone to reflect back on these fundamental questions and that's what happened tonight. For the first time in some weeks, as well as being a romp, this was a script that allowed its characters to talk and ask those fundamental questions which bug everybody. The Doctor's rather complex belief systems are forever getting a hammering but I'm not sure that we've actually seen him stop and actually find himself stumped.

Quite rightly, the timelord couldn't conceive of a 'time' before 'time' that the entity, the big brutish Beaslian monster in the pit, couldn't possibly be from there. I mean surely there would need to be some time there for an existence (the Big Finish Divergant Universe Series for endless boring discourse on that subject). But it's pleasing to know that when it came to the crunch, his fundamental belief was yet again in humanity, and in this case Rose (who bless her judging by the beast's prouncement here doesn't seem long for this multiverse).

Just as a contrast, here's what Beyonce Knowles believes in, as discoursed during an interlude from one of her albums...

"I believe that harmonies are colors / Every time I paint it sharpens my harmony / Yesterday I tried to paint you / But they colors weren't beautiful enough / Your love goes beyond what I can say / Love, Beyonce."

Is that a great rhyme or what? Well, no. Anyway ...

What was so pleasing about the episode is that it could be this literate and yet still very exciting. Granted some of the beats will have been quite familiar to fans of the films of Jim Cameron and television of Joss Whedon and the writing of J R R Tolkien but does that matter if its something new to Who and still puts the viewer on the edge of their seat in a cocktail that looks like nothing else being made for and being shown on British television? I mean I know I've been ENTHUSIASTIC in the face of the stiff backlash but really this was great stuff. Even the big beast boss thing looked amazing, brilliantly thought through and ten times more charactersome that Cassandra or the Wolf. Who would have thought that this sort of thing was possible on such a relatively small budget. I think the The Mill are going to get even busier over the next few years. And the music of Mr. Gold didn't intrude nearly as much -- the sound seems to have been worked on. Even the intrusion of the Bad Wolf theme which seems to have mutated into the Doctor & Rose In Lurve theme seemed right in context.

Pretty much everything I said about the performances from last week is carried over to here (as you'd assume it would given they were shot together). Rose's behaviour continues to be a bit oddball though. There has obviously been an upwards confidence curve over the past two years which would indicate that she's being prepared to actually make some ultimate sacrifice. Nice return to the mad editing of Tooth & Claw to visualise the Doctor's through processes and the big heroic talk of The Christmas Invasion. Yet again I say -- it's great to see him saving the day again, even if for a change the division of labour spread to Rose as well. Seriously, I cheered in those final moments.

I'm sure that others will find something to complain about (are those mean spirited posters at Outpost Gallifrey watching the same programme?) but really for me this was as close to a perfect story overall as I think we can get. It had humour, excitment, danger, really wild things, horror, body horror, madness and thought. But look, as it should be, next week's is another change of pace with something that seem like a cross between the novel Who Killed Kennedy? Buffy's The Zeppo and the DC graphic novel, Finest. Amazing.

I still believe in Doctor Who.

Muffin

Life This last couple of days have been spent at a Philosophy of Film conference at Liverpool University. I'm feeling hot and drained so I can't really put into too many words how enjoyable its been. I might not be intelligent enough to have grasped all of the intricacies of everything which was said over the two days and I think I might have over compensated by talking to people a lot and loudly (as usual).

I did have a moment of zen during one of the breaks at the refreshment table on the first day when I began to second guess myself and my own greed.

Should that be a small muffin, or a large muffin?

I chose a small muffin.

I think it was a (tiny) personal victory.

Something which became perfectly clear during the two days is that the filmic experience we're all enjoying through dvd is nothing like that which should be a available at a cinema. Obviously. Even on a large screen tv, the interaction between you and the film is absolutely diminished because of the interuptions and distractions. It seems like the only, perfect way to see something like Tarkovsky's Stalker is in a massive auditorium with an audience that will stay completely still throughout the film just letting themselves be lost in the filmic experience. Anything other than that and the message or idea being projected by the film maker is corrupted.

Although dvd gives us access to many more films in a far better condition than could be conceived of previously the home market totally ruined the repertory secondary presentation system through which most people a few decades older than me saw these films. Although a flick through Time Out shows that these places do still exist in London, regionally, unless a new print has been released by the BFI, there isn't anywhere that someone could go and see an Bergman film in an environment close to that which he intended. There's something very wrong about seeing Persona on dvd. The pacing and rhythms are ruined because the viewer generally has somewhere else to look.

The trouble is, if in Liverpool, for example, someone were to buy up and renovate one of the old cinemas, The Futurist or old ABC on Lime Street and just had a diet of non-new not always commercial films, would there be an audience for them? I saw 8 1/2 at FACT last year and it was a near sell out but that was on the smallest screen. Perhaps a programme akin to that which the new version of the FilmFour channel are proposing might work, of 'popular' classics during the day with more challenging pieces in the evening. The only unknown factor I have is cost -- how much are the prints of these films to source and how big an audience would be required to survive?

Gutters

Journalism "The ongoing Diana saga provides a particularly clear illustration of the way in which the Daily Express constructs it's narratives. The text of the news item describes fairly un-sensational events which, so far as I can tell, really happened in the real world. But this text is surrounded by headlines, sub-headlines, cartoons, captions, phone-in polls, readers letters, and op-ed columns -- all of which tell a completely different, and much more dramatic story." -- Andrew Rilstone

I remember when we started buying the Sunday newspapers -- yes, in the eighties -- I used to love the Express because of the Funday Express comic strip section with Rupert The Bear. Although I didn't ever look at the rest of it, even my young brain liked the identity of the paper with the little red knight. Then it went tabloid and now it seems to have become a parody, not just of itself, but the business of news. I always imagine that Rupert is still in there looking about outside the four corners of his panel and trying to work out his 'Great Escape' style climb up the gutters [via].

Filmed football

Sport No hold on...

Film No erm ...

Whatever. Tonight, ahead of the World Cup (because everything seems to be ahead of the World Cup at the moment) the Cornerhouse in Manchester had a programme of Mitchell and Kenyon's turn of the century footage of random football matches. The films were presented with live commentary from collection curator Vanessa Toulmin and Dave Russell, football expert from the University of Central Lancashire. Pianist Stephen Horne provided a improvised piano accompaniment.

Anyone who saw the Dan Cruckshank presented documentaries will know how mesmerising these films are, literally a chance to look into a past that was visually lost up top a few years ago. Most of the work offered the same routine -- a mass of crowd shots, followed by material of the game. I'm no fan of the 'beautiful' game, but watching these men of the past with their cigarettes and moutaches the size of their faces showing great stamina as they dashed around the dirtiest of pitches seemingly without a break was incredibly moving.

In our post modern world, something of the community has been lost as these films demonstrated. One of the teams had a dwarf as a mascot and his appearance is incongruous but the applause he receives as he comes on to the pitch seemingly just to walk around is warm and welcome. There was a routine to life and men knew were they would be on a Saturday afternoon, at the ground supporting the team. Most of these matches had crowds that todays club's can but dream of.

The commentary added colour to what in some cases is understandable blotchy footage. One ground had a cycle track around its edge because multi-purpose stadiums were already being built -- we were told that it was opened with a monkey on a bicycle riding around the edge. In another incident, a game had obviously become a bit personal because as one team left the pitch they realised that one of their number was lying unconcious having been punched by someone in the opposition.

Good times.

Mark's kept that a secret.

Audio An extraordinary and slightly improbable thing happened tonight.

I've just got back from seeing Simon 'Dickens' Callow give a talk at my local cinema about writing his new book Hello America, which is the second volume of his biography of Orson Welles. As expected he was an extraordinarily brilliant storyteller and although I'm pretty good on Welles arcania there were still a few things I hadn't heard before.

At the end, as everyone left I was stuck halfway up the stairs, I turned around and realised that Callow and his interview were right behind me talking about what they'd had to cut for time. As we walked upwards someone asked him about the film he'd directed and about the footage we'd seen from It's All True one of the Welles' lost masterpieces.

As we walk into the area outside the screen and the crowd waiting for The Da Vinci Code, I realize that I'm the only person actually with Callow.
"Can I just ask you?"
Callow looked at me.
"Have you heard Invaders From Mars?"
Callow's still looking at me and I can tell he thinks I'm a loon. Anticipating a 'What's that?' question, suddenly I get an attack of the nerves but I continue ...
"... the Doctor Who audio play by Mark Gatiss in which Doctor Who* goes back in time and helps Orson Welles to stop a real invasion from Mars."
Callow's surprised. Genuinely surprised.
"No. Mark's kept that a secret."
"He didn't mention it to you?"
He grins.
"No."
By now we can walk forward through the crowd.
"Well a company called Big Finish puts out audio cds and this is the one that Mark wrote before the tv story. It's set on Halloween. Its got people like Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson in it."
"Who plays Orson Welles?"
Aaaah.
"I can't remember. But he enjoyed playing it so much that he took a one man show around the country in which he played Welles."
Callow raises his eye brows.
"A bit like your Charles Dickens." I finish.
Simon gives one of his belly laughs. The interviewer appears.
"Are you ready."
"I am. But I must go to the toilet first." Simon says.
"Pleasure to have met you." I say, but he's ushered away and doesn't hear me.

I would have thought someone might have mentioned it. I mean didn't Doctor Who Magazine ask the question?

* I know. But as I said I was nervous. I couldn't believe I was having the conversation.

You just don't care.

Film "See the problem is that a LOT happens in this film that should have enough of an emotional impact to make you feel like you've been kicked in the gut. Except it doesn't. At all. And that stinks because with the things that happen to characters we know in this film we should leave the movie theater dumbstruck and shaking our heads at the losses." -- ScreenRant puts into words what I somehow couldn't about X-Men 3. I think they were just trying to do the Serenity thing and somehow misunderstood how that was achieved.

Genius(ish).

Film I've just got back from seeing Simon Callow give a talk at my FACT Liverpool about writing his new book 'Hello America', which is the second volume of his biography of Orson Welles. As expected he was an extraordinarily brilliant storyteller and although there was an interviewer, his job was closer to verbal shepherd taking Callow through each section of Welles life than genuinely posing questions. Callow's book covers the years between The Magnificent Amberson and Macbeth to the subsequent exile in Europe. It's this period that fans generally point to as reason that Welles' genius was compromised as he was thrown out of Hollywood and forced to make films in an adhoc way.

The writer's approach is that actually the director himself had something to do with the career problems that ensued because he could never finish a project because he would always become engrossed in something else new and exciting and didn't want to look backwards. He was very slow to take action to save Ambersons because he was in Brazil making a documentary. He actually finished Macbeth but it sat around at Republic Pictures for ages while he pottered about with the editing and redubbing of the accents, which explains much if you've seen the completed film.

I didn't wait around to buy a copy of the book because I wanted to rush home and write about a slightly embarrassing occurrence that happened directly after the talk was over (I've posted it at Behind The Sofa because it fits better there -- no really) but I will be picking up the books because this sounds like a very enjoyable take on one of my heroes. During the talk, scenes from Ambersons, It's All True, The Lady from Shanghai and Macbeth and as soon as I've the time I'm certainly going to revisit his work and look at those items like Shanghai I've previously somehow missed. The man was a flawed genius but at least he seemed to care about his craft.

Updated 16/03/2015

To save you clicking, here's that anecdote in full:

An extraordinary and slightly improbable thing happened tonight.

I've just got back from seeing Simon 'Dickens' Callow give a talk at my local cinema about writing his new book Hello America, which is the second volume of his biography of Orson Welles. As expected he was an extraordinarily brilliant storyteller and although I'm pretty good on Welles arcania there were still a few things I hadn't heard before.

At the end, as everyone left I was stuck halfway up the stairs, I turned around and realised that Callow and his interview were right behind me talking about what they'd had to cut for time. As we walked upwards someone asked him about the film he'd directed and about the footage we'd seen from It's All True one of the Welles' lost masterpieces.

As we walk into the area outside the screen and the crowd waiting for The Da Vinci Code, I realize that I'm the only person actually with Callow.
"Can I just ask you?"
Callow looked at me.
"Have you heard Invaders From Mars?"
Callow's still looking at me and I can tell he thinks I'm a loon. Anticipating a 'What's that?' question, suddenly I get an attack of the nerves but I continue ...
"... the Doctor Who audio play by Mark Gatiss in which Doctor Who* goes back in time and helps Orson Welles to stop a real invasion from Mars."
Callow's surprised. Genuinely surprised.
"No. Mark's kept that a secret."
"He didn't mention it to you?"
He grins.
"No."
By now we can walk forward through the crowd.
"Well a company called Big Finish puts out audio cds and this is the one that Mark wrote before the tv story. It's set on Halloween. Its got people like Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson in it."
"Who plays Orson Welles?"
Aaaah.
"I can't remember. But he enjoyed playing it so much that he took a one man show around the country in which he played Welles."
Callow raises his eye brows.
"A bit like your Charles Dickens." I finish.
Simon gives one of his belly laughs. The interviewer appears.
"Are you ready."
"I am. But I must go to the toilet first." Simon says.
"Pleasure to have met you." I say, but he's ushered away and doesn't hear me.

I would have thought someone might have mentioned it. I mean didn't Doctor Who Magazine ask the question?

* I know. But as I said I was nervous. I couldn't believe I was having the conversation.

Dice

Books "After a generation out of print, the original Choose Your Own Adventure series is back. First published in 1979, the books let readers remix their own stories ? and face the consequences. A quarter-billion copies sold worldwide as kids raced to discover lost civilizations, navigate black holes, and go in search of ? the Yeti. This summer, eight of the original titles return to bookstores, revamped with 21st-century references (cell phones!). Will they become popular again?" -- Michael Reilly for Wired

Clever article written in the style of a Choose Your Own Adventure book. I was a Fighting Fantasy man myself. Oh hell now look what I've done ...

TIRED BLOGGER

Stamina: 2
Strength: 1

Will you defeat me? You can also play FF online here.

Stolen

Politics "In what may be the single most astounding fact from the election, one in every four Ohio citizens who registered to vote in 2004 showed up at the polls only to discover that they were not listed on the rolls, thanks to GOP efforts to stem the unprecedented flood of Democrats eager to cast ballots.(14) And that doesn?t even take into account the troubling evidence of outright fraud, which indicates that upwards of 80,000 votes for Kerry were counted instead for Bush. That alone is a swing of more than 160,000 votes -- enough to have put John Kerry in the White House." -- Rolling Stone

This is horrifying if unsurprising. I'm generally posting this because the meticulousness of the research is astounding as is the care taken to quote sources lest anyone suggests bias.

Assets

Life And so my bewildering dissertation reading programme continues as I plunge into the depths of trying to understand how genres are defined and how I can even attempt to do such a thing. It's actually very exciting, although as I'm discovering it can be done very badly and without recognising the values of the past. All too often a film like The Great Train Robbery is described as the first western and the start of a series that continued with a guilty feminist pleasure like Bad Girls, even though at the time it was actually part of a cycle of films narrating bank jobs and heists.

Actually one of the problems that continues to dog genre criticism is the primacy of old genres that have largely gone away, simply because there are so many of them. A huge chunk of writing follows westerns and musicals around even though there's only been a few of them in recent years (all to do with the life cycle of genres apparently). Horror and sci-fi are still around because they have adaptability on their side.

How am I apart from that? I'm back in existing mode, lurching onward to September and the dissertation handing in date and whatever happens beyond. I still have no idea what I want that to be. Film journalism's a dream but I still have that nagging feeling that my writing still isn't up to scratch (my X-Men 3 review being a new low) and that it's a really unpredictable business. Plus I wouldn't know where to start. Any ideas anyone? Some kind of columnist also sounds perfect. People in the real world keep saying 'You should become film reviewer' and good lord I wish I could -- if only because of the amount of really bad, slanted criticism knocking around.

Too many times now I'll want to find out actually how good a film is and have a bunch of prejudices thrown being tossed out masquerade as a fair opinion, too easily wanting to make the reader laugh. I read Sight & Sound and although sometimes the writing style can be a bit dry at least they give every film a chance. There's a piece about the Kelly Brook staring beach drama Three III which whilst conceding that it's largely a vehicle for Brook, actually talks about problems with editing and scripting and careful justfies why it's not that good a film. I'd rather have that, a situation were you actually learn something, than some gimp simply giving it one star and knocks on about her 'assets'. Err thanks.

We must act quickly...

Theatre "It was widely stated that Jude Law was set to play Withnail in a West End adaptation of the 1987 film, but according to Withnail himself this isn?t the case at all. "Bruce Robinson called me up about this immediately, and he said, ?Do you know anything about this??, and I said, ?No, no, nothing at all,?" says Richard E Grant. "The guy is a producer, I think he has bought the film and he owns the rights to that but he doesn?t own any rights to turn it into a theatre play. So it?s pure fantasy and Bruce Robinson said over his dead body, it?ll never happen. He?ll sue him." -- Empire Online

JUDE LAW!?! You know sometimes you hear about there projects and you can tell that someone's plucked a name out the air. Thank the gods that version isn't going ahead. Although seeing the thing in a theatre with Beckettian styling sounds excellent, especially having the immediacy of what is, after all, a very literate script. That Bruce Robinson continues to live without renumiration is a tragedy.