Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Doctor Who and the Repeated Meme Toywatch: How Did We Do?

The Name of the Doctor: Predicted Whispermen. Didn't get so much as a Richard E. Grant in a tophat, let alone John Frakking Hurt.

Nightmare in Silver: I correctly predicted the new-look Cybermen. What I failed to predict was the sheer amount of Hedgewick's World merchandise, presumably so fans can pretend they were there as if it were a real theme park and all that. However, given how terribly naff the whole thing was, I don't think they want to be reminded.

The Crimson Horror: Still waiting for my Madame Vastra and Jenny Dress-Up Playset.

Journey to the Centre of the Tardis: I predicted ash-zombies, but no. You could always make your own by taking a Doctor and a Clara figure and subjecting them to intense heat.

Hide: Well, I sure didn't see this coming. Kudos for surprising me!

Cold War: Ice Warrior, though that was an easy one as they'd already released the prototype by the time the episode aired. This is unexpectedly neat, though.

The Rings of Akhaten: I suggested the grill-mouthed stalking thingies. But no.

The Bells of St John: Clara. Albeit strangely flat-headed and yellow of skin.

The Snowmen: Neither Snowmen, nor Great Intelligence Novelty Snowglobe, have manifested. Do they just not do merchandise for Christmas episodes anymore?

The Angels Take Manhattan: I predicted new Weeping Angel variants; we get that, and, more interestingly, this. This is also amusing.

The Power of Three: I said Character Options would be missing a trick if they didn't release novelty desktop Cubes. They didn't.

A Town called Mercy: I said this was one for the action-figure customisers, and, well, it was. You'll have to make your own cyber-cowboys.

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship: Likewise. Go buy your own triceratops (PS, isn't he adorable?).

Asylum of the Daleks: Daleks.You were maybe expecting something else?

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe: I predicted Tree People. We didn't get them, so you'll just have to carve your own.

Sunday, October 06, 2013

Alien Nation

Hancock: Starts off as a comedy based around the idea that superheroes, if they existed in real life, would not be a good thing to have around-- which is not exactly original (coughWatchmencough) but is well done here, with a showily heroic stunt by the eponymous superhero being followed by a newscast in which the mayor bemoans the cost of the property damage. About halfway through, though, it completely forgets about that and becomes again a much more conventional superhero movie, even down to ignoring the abovementioned cost of the damage. Will Smith deserves a better vehicle.

Paul: Alien mythology gets the Shaun of the Dead treatment. Should get way more notice than it does; it's witty, knowing, funny about nerd culture without being nasty, there's a nice bait-and-switch at the climax, and the CGI alien's got brilliantly rendered eyes.

Brick: Raymond Chandler story set in a high school, as a teenager sets out to wreak revenge for his ex-girlfriend's death. The experiment was interesting, but I found it a bit too hard to suspend my disbelief to actually enjoy it.

Scott Pilgrim Versus the World: Didn't expect to love this one, but I did. It was funny, postmodern, and cute, with characters I universally enjoyed, and set in Toronto. A feel-good flick, but one you don't have to feel guilty about watching.

The Birds: Flighty socialite makes a play for cute man, only to be attacked by birds representing the unbridled id of his mother. Seriously, it's true.

Movie count for 2013: 58