tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210110602024-03-17T12:48:16.676+00:00The Silent Hunter"Concentrate on what cannot lie- the evidence".
Gil Grissom, CSI.Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.comBlogger1480125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-50581612729595996512024-03-17T12:47:00.005+00:002024-03-17T12:47:30.542+00:00London Loop Section 18<p style="text-align: justify;">Or [audible squelching], as it would appear on a Netflix show.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday, I made my way to Enfield Lock station in the north of London, intending to cover Sections 18 and 19 of the London Loop. This would entail a walk to Chingford, then another one from there to Chigwell. About 9.5 miles.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now it started off reasonably OK, apart from getting rather lost on the first bit of the walk before I realised I'd turned off one turn too early.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I reached Enfield Lock, not the biggest thing to name an area after by a long chalk.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS35sfJQsEf1jEHyyMD72HR5PvrJOsPgW6c8oWDN8uBgmmD5NxhOKzd_nboNRXcb9edplM-tguv2-7tMfeRWdjefJ669IlKCGwfsT-WRDRRqwFsdX7xwLjViklHcdPmbI9LQ2Ns7T1s8NYDOjosWG_lRFXOjfNL0jyJGavSs702nt59O1pWOKDaA/s4896/P1030295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS35sfJQsEf1jEHyyMD72HR5PvrJOsPgW6c8oWDN8uBgmmD5NxhOKzd_nboNRXcb9edplM-tguv2-7tMfeRWdjefJ669IlKCGwfsT-WRDRRqwFsdX7xwLjViklHcdPmbI9LQ2Ns7T1s8NYDOjosWG_lRFXOjfNL0jyJGavSs702nt59O1pWOKDaA/w640-h480/P1030295.JPG" title="Enfield Lock. Not a massive thing to name a station after but then again, Havering has Upminster Bridge" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I crossed over the River Lee Flood Relief Channel, which marks the boundary between the London Borough of Enfield and Epping Forest, which isn't in London.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So far, so good. Then I crossed Sewardstone Road and the whole thing went to pot. Or rather to mud. The next field I had to cross was <i>very</i> muddy and the grass itself squelched under my boots as I walked along. It hadn't rained that day, but a bunch of rain from previous days and weeks had saturated the ground.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Things didn't get much better condition-wise from there. Several times I was having to step across muddy puddles that were deep enough that you couldn't see the bottom and came dangerously close to the liquid mud ending up <i>inside</i> my boots. They needed extensive cleaning when I got home.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I passed Gilwell Park, home of the Scout Association (I went there when I was in Cubs) and then got some great views towards Central London from Yates Meadow.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlcNS9xXdXyCGjMWMw0eggFrVOZZpB1WKoKiHUY0BtoCWpbNGB7ucryqX2cpWgpVrNO9ejfM3X-IG8zppIdt8S5YdO_ZO6iAHiXaPDq-7AEXC2AyPdg7Hs9BLOSj3EseEWE64HStzo7VpMRu4kYUjkwFE3IdQOpa2uUtaErBBxZ-t5FLo58mkpPQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlcNS9xXdXyCGjMWMw0eggFrVOZZpB1WKoKiHUY0BtoCWpbNGB7ucryqX2cpWgpVrNO9ejfM3X-IG8zppIdt8S5YdO_ZO6iAHiXaPDq-7AEXC2AyPdg7Hs9BLOSj3EseEWE64HStzo7VpMRu4kYUjkwFE3IdQOpa2uUtaErBBxZ-t5FLo58mkpPQ" width="640" /></a></div><br />I eventually reached Chingford, back in the London Borough of Waltham Forest and had lunch in the Holly Trail Café before making a start on Section 19, hoping things would get better.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia4UhihG2v8IV2m-Yxny36wU_r3X17zVbpzY2_9OuAbQGprRUb_vroxKtTORh5OmZzBauttwhjQVf12SBeDlB29LVxTkHLxidiMoFurG1S4nS4zNxFfYxb0yepeKuURIiCbklKs5G6oaxgs30A3C56DW9akjpAuOxgJ7etVlTtOZbzxcGuk1CYtA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia4UhihG2v8IV2m-Yxny36wU_r3X17zVbpzY2_9OuAbQGprRUb_vroxKtTORh5OmZzBauttwhjQVf12SBeDlB29LVxTkHLxidiMoFurG1S4nS4zNxFfYxb0yepeKuURIiCbklKs5G6oaxgs30A3C56DW9akjpAuOxgJ7etVlTtOZbzxcGuk1CYtA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div>I got as far as the Butler's Retreat and seeing the path ahead was still a quagmire, my heart was no longer in it. I wasn't prepared to spend at least two more hours trudging through thick mud, especially as the weather was turning.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, after a look round the Visitor Centre and the Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge (that the Tudor monarch probably never personally used), I headed for home.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I plan to do the next two stages - getting me to Havering-atte-Bower - at some point in April, keeping a careful eye on the weather as usually. Hopefully be less muddy then... </p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-36311445957112328502024-03-13T22:17:00.000+00:002024-03-13T22:17:01.920+00:00Don't mind me. I'm just here for the screaming British woman (Review: 'Damsel')<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="382" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iM150ZWovZM" width="459" youtube-src-id="iM150ZWovZM"></iframe></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Millie Bobby Brown is very much one of the main attractions of Netflix. At least they seem to think so, considering that they make big films centred around her, with <i>The Electric State</i> coming next.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now, I wouldn't call myself a massive fan of the woman in <i>Stranger Things</i> (I prefer other characters in that), but she's pretty charming in <i>Enola Holmes</i> and when I saw this movie was coming out, I decided that there are worse ways to spend two commutes. I watched this on my tablet, so I didn't notice the CGI issues.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So anyway, my thoughts on this:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>The movie takes rather a long time to get going. It's about thirty minutes before Elodie is yeeted into the dragon pit.</li><li>MBB is admittedly one of the common type of "slightly haughty posh British actresses"; or that's the sort of roles she plays outside of <i>Stranger Things</i>. Playing a noble lady therefore comes across as fine, but without a great dialogue coach, she's not going to pass as a shop assistant from Romford, unlike say Michelle Dockery.</li><li>Elodie screams <i>a lot</i>. Like seriously a lot. In fairness, much of it is in circumstances where screaming is to be expected, but MBB is definitely getting the reputation as a scream queen out of this. The actress has a wonderfully expressive face and can do a range of emotions very well; there's a good overall progression to her arc in this movie. A movie openly feminist and released on International Women's Day to boot.</li><li>Another aspect is that this is basically "Millie Bobby Brown does a striptease". Well, part of one. Her dress gets progressively torn to shreds over the course of the movie and by the end, she's gone from "royal ball" to "Romford nightclub and having fallen down the escalator at the Brewery". She gets some fairly nasty injuries, but most of them are healed and nothing ends up detracting from her beauty at the end of it.</li><li>There's some deep horror stuff in all of this, because Elodie isn't the first young woman to have been fed to this particular dragon by a long chalk.</li><li>The plot is a pretty good one, although some of the character motivations at the end are a bit odd and the conclusion of the story leaves some big questions open about the future.</li><li>Shohreh Aghdashloo has exactly the right sort of voice you'd want for a dragon; reminding of the late Sir John Hurt in <i>Merlin</i>.</li><li>Ray Winstone does Ray Winstone, just Ray Winstone with a castle. Now, I say that Pegasus was a one-trick pony, but I get a feeling that he was slightly miscast in this one.</li><li>Robin Wright as an evil queen is arguably the best of the rest of the cast; one notes that one of her early roles was of course in <i>The Princess Bride</i>. None of the others really stand out.</li><li>One can't help but notice the resemblance in names between "Elodie" and "Eleven". No-one makes an "El-o-<i style="text-align: left;">die</i><span style="text-align: left;">" pun, which is a pity.</span></li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Conclusion</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A decent enough film, but not a true great. Definitely saved by Millie Bobby Brown.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>7/10</b></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-92123629707308184512024-03-09T16:52:00.002+00:002024-03-09T16:52:54.263+00:00Scanning old material<p>I've been scanning some of my old notes and am currently finishing off the scan of my <i>Persian Incursion</i> playthrough that I did in 2012-2013. If you look in the November 2012 posts, that's where it starts</p><p>The raw PDF will be uploaded here shortly - minus 10 pages I somehow failed to save before throwing the originals away.</p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-55466082666675084092024-02-21T22:20:00.001+00:002024-02-21T22:20:00.135+00:00Not Skimping on the Skimpy (Review: 'Star Trek' 3.13, "Elaan of Troyius")<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>Biochemical stuff making a woman irresistible to men? I've seen that sort of thing several times before. It's also date rape.</li><li>Elaan wears no less than <i>four</i> revealing outfits in this episode. Some of the other outfits are typical Trek silly ones.</li><li>Diplomacy is about being nice to people that you utterly despise. Jay Robinson does a great job as Petri in this regard, reminding me of the late Alan Rickman.</li><li>Arranged marriages are inherently dubious. That should have been explored in more depth and would have been today.</li><li>France Nuyen, who plays Elaan here worked with William Shatner four times, including on stage in <i>The World of Suzie Wong</i> in 1958-59, where they both won awards.</li><li>I hadn't noticed this until I saw it discussed on Memory Alpha, but the Dragon Lady stereotype is in full force here - with a mixed heritage actress seemingly using brown make-up to make her skin darker.</li><li>This marks the first appearance of the D7 battle cruiser in Klingon use; it previously featured in "The Enterprise Incident" (filmed after this but aired earlier) in Romulan service.</li><li>Engineering clearly isn't very well guarded. One red shirt, who swiftly ends up with a broken neck.</li><li>We're in full "sneaky Russians" mode with the Klingons here. By having the <i>Enterprise</i> blow up and killing Elaan, they'll trigger a war and be able to take over the ruins.</li><li>William Shatner does a very strong performance here, with subtle emotional performances and a strong commanding moment in the climax.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Conclusion</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some of the action in this is pretty good. Some of the gender and ethnic politics less so.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5/10</b></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-84370290203466541242024-02-05T22:34:00.003+00:002024-02-05T22:34:29.041+00:00King Charles III diagnosed with cancer<p> I wish His Majesty all the best at this difficult time for him and his family.</p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-37755520134343797012024-02-05T21:45:00.003+00:002024-02-19T22:20:06.432+00:00Space Saw (Review: 'Star Trek' 3.12, "The Empath")<p style="text-align: justify;">I've never actually seen any of the <i>Saw</i> movies, by the way. Anyway:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>How did the record tape get on the table in the first place when the two people involved were transported away?</li><li>This was one of the four TOS cases where someone sent in a script unsolicited and it actually got made into an episode. I wasn't aware you could actually do that!</li><li>Of course, the lifeform is female!</li><li>Clearly saving on the set construction costs here with the minimalist set construction more akin to a theatrical production. I'm reminded of "Spectre of the Gun", which did similar.</li><li>That's a 1960s haircut if ever I've seen one.</li><li>Having walked ten kilometres today, I can tell you that six is <i>not</i> a short distance to walk.</li><li>Of course, Kirk's shirt comes off again! But McCoy's one gets damaged as well.</li><li>This is all rather <i>Swan Lake</i> with the balletic style movements at times. Not that I've ever seen that.</li><li>The Vians are torturing people. In fact, the BBC didn't air this in the original run and not at all until 1994, although Sky One aired shortly before that.</li><li>There's some very good shots here with injuries fading in and out; remember this was pre-CGI.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Conclusion</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">An alright episode, but not a great one. Clearly a budget saver.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>7/10</b></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-43546771587140939392024-01-20T21:52:00.005+00:002024-01-20T21:54:45.514+00:00A superb theatrical experience (Review: 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow')<p>Went to see this at the Phoenix Theatre today. </p><p>Definitely the most spectacular thing I have ever seen in an actual theatre that does plays; there's some brilliant effects more akin to an actual episode of the television show, where it's hard to tell what's live and what's been pre-recorded.</p><p>The cast are great; remember this is a mostly British cast doing American accents. In particular, the Oliver-nominated Isabella Pappas as Joyce and Louis McCartney as Henry Creel stand out.</p><p>The runtime is very long, but there's an awful lot of plot covered during it and it definitely sets up Season 5 very well.</p><p>Definitely worth £75, although bring your own cold drinks because they're very expensive in the theatre.</p><p><b>10/10</b></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-55726386245130504592023-12-26T12:03:00.007+00:002023-12-26T12:03:55.137+00:00Well, at least it's not Hobgoblins (Review: 'Doctor Who', "The Church on Ruby Road")<p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I get a feeling we're going to see that mysterious woman at the church again.</li><li>The letters in the companion actor's name get out of the way of the TARDIS. They're sensible, I see.</li><li>Ncuti Gatwa has a very different energy about him to David Tennant or the other Doctors. Which is of course a good thing. He's got a strong heroic vibe and is a fast talker as well, which are good Doctor traits to have.</li><li>Millie Gibson as Ruby - bit early to say if I like her. She feels generic RTD companion to me, but she does have the whole "foundling" back story. She does a decent enough job though.</li><li>A new sonic screwdriver and those special gloves. See they're trying to sell more merchandise.</li><li>The Disney budget is clearly displayed on the screen - they'd never have this many goblins in the old days.</li><li>Goblins have fallen rather out of the popular mainstream in the last few decades and I'm not sure this will do much to bring them back; they don't really do that much that makes them a real threat bar "pranks".</li><li>Most of the goblin musical bit was released on YouTube before the episode along with an accompanying single on Spotify. It's a highlight of the episode, which isn't saying a great deal for the overall quality.</li><li>The rules of time travel have never been consistently applied in this show, that's for sure.</li><li>Suspect we'll be seeing Mrs. Flood again.</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Conclusion</b></p><p>A fairly mediocre episode, saved by the quality of its leads.</p><p><b>6/10</b></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-64112877356607548212023-12-25T14:50:00.002+00:002023-12-25T14:50:00.137+00:00Merry Christmas<p style="text-align: justify;">In this rather bleak time for many, especially those in the Middle East and Ukraine, may God's love and grace be with you all at this time.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I wish you all a Merry Christmas.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-12391898587850038492023-12-13T22:21:00.003+00:002023-12-13T22:21:26.609+00:00Andre Braugher 1962-2023<p style="text-align: justify;">I watched all of <i>Brooklyn Nine-Nine</i> and Raymond Holt was one of its greatest characters, brilliantly brought to life by Andre Braugher. He could deadpan like no other. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">He was also great at drama, in that show and the short-lived <i>Last Resort</i> that I watched, in which he played a submarine commander. But that was just part of a highly acclaimed career - he was nominated for 11 Emmys, winning two of them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">His death at 61 comes far too soon and he'll be massively missed.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Rest in Peace.</p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-4271333721721217532023-12-12T20:21:00.013+00:002023-12-12T20:21:00.264+00:00Dutch Angles, Get Your Dutch Angles! (Review: 'Star Trek' 3.11, "Wink of an Eye")<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>Watching this on a modern screen, you can see very clearly that's a photographic backdrop in the opening scene.</li><li>Compton, you're a bit of an idiot for drinking the water without properly testing it. No wonder you ended up a dead red shirt.</li><li>I'm not entirely sure they really thought much about this accelerated time thing. At the rate things are going as perceived in regular time, it would be many days or weeks from Kirk's perspective.</li><li>The use of the Dutch angle in the accelerated time was a clever idea, in retrospect.</li><li>And it's another Theiss classic outfit, seemingly in danger of popping open but never doing so.</li><li>The acting from the guest cast is pretty poor in this.</li><li>So, you're kidnapping people for the purposes of sex. That would be called out a lot more these days.</li><li>These days, you would use digi-doubles for the scenes where people are frozen in place; here you've got the actors standing as still as they can and trying not to blink.</li><li>Kirk is actually quite clever, leaving the message on the tape and swapping it over like that.</li><li>How are we seeing footage from earlier in the episode when there was no in-universe camera present?</li><li>The final scene is pretty poor, even by comedy episode ending standards.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div><b>Conclusion</b></div><div><br /></div><div>An interesting concept, not particularly well executed.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>4/10</b></div><p></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-29463230271708729632023-12-10T19:38:00.040+00:002023-12-10T19:38:00.131+00:00Chris Chibnall, Hold My Beer (Review: 'Doctor Who', "The Giggle")<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>Stooky Bill really existed; I believe he might be in the Science Museum's collection now.</li><li>The current version of the opening theme is a great one and I hope it sticks around for a while.</li><li>I've only seen the surviving episode of "The Celestial Toymaker" - it's not got a great reputation in the fanbase. I will probably check out the animated version though.</li><li>I guess that means "The Nightmare Fair" isn't at all canon, but it's not like this show has ever had a firm canon policy for extra-televisual works.</li><li>When the Doctor tells a companion to go back to the TARDIS, you know that the situation is a serious one.</li><li>Great job from David Tennant and Catherine Tate as usual.</li><li>Neil Patrick Harris makes for a great villain; we might not have seen the last of him, but let's not bring the Toymaker back too quickly.</li><li>Wasn't expecting that long a call back to the Steven Moffat era, that's for sure.</li><li>RTD also allows those who didn't like the Chibnall era a good get-out that can explain it away.</li><li>Very good to see Mel back. Not to mention Kate Stewart and Shirley. I wouldn't be surprised if they all turn up in a spin-off as we know Bad Wolf have created a LLC for one.</li><li>This probably could have done with being about ten minutes longer.</li><li>UNIT has really stopped the secrecy, that's for sure.</li><li>Well, I can't say I saw <i>that</i> coming. [spoiler indeed]</li><li>Where's your trousers?</li><li>The Christmas Special looks to be a lot of fun.</li></ul><div><b>Conclusion</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>RTD has decided that the Timeless Child was something to one-up and gave us this ending. Fortunately, unlike Chris Chibnall, he's got the writing skills to make it work.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>9/10</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><p></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-24111793278095842412023-12-03T19:47:00.001+00:002023-12-03T19:47:00.149+00:00Midnight 2: Electric Donna-loo (Review: 'Doctor Who', "Wild Blue Yonder")<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>The Issac Newton scene at the beginning... wasn't really that great. It could have been dropped entirely and the episode would not have suffered for it.</li><li>Have they added some more piano to the opening titles?</li><li>As an episode fundamentally involving just two actors, this relies heavily on the acting skills of its leads. Lesser leads could have sunk this episode quite badly.</li><li>David Tennant is a superb actor, able to demonstrate subtle nuances in his portrayal i.e. the doubles not getting things quite rate.</li><li>Catherine Tate is also a lot better than many have historically given her credit because of her tendency to do comedic roles. She does a very good job here.</li><li>I was very much reminded of "Midnight" from 2008, which doesn't have very much of Donna in by virtue of the filming lengths at the time.</li><li>Awful lot of corridor action here, that's for sure.</li><li>Even with Disney money, the CGI did look a bit silly.</li><li>Clearly they're saving on the actor budget, throwing that to the other two specials in this particular "season".</li><li>Great final scene, with the much-missed Bernard Cribbins making what would be his final appearance on the show and reminding us how great Wilfred Mott was. Rest in Peace, Mr. Cribbins.</li></ul><div><b>Conclusion</b></div><div> </div><div>Not quite as strong as the previous week, but still very good.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>7/10</b></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;">So, next week brings the regeneration...</span></div><p></p><div><br style="text-align: justify;" /></div>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-88913818699596974992023-11-26T12:33:00.001+00:002023-11-26T12:33:10.240+00:00RTD is back, for good and for ill (Review: 'Doctor Who', "The Star Beast")<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>Having a snazzy Marvel-esque introduction sequence is a bit odd. It's even odder when you know that the Doctor is a Marvel character by virtue of <i>Doctor Who Magazine</i> having been published by Marvel's UK arm - including the 1980 comic this is an adaptation of!</li><li>The title sequence is showing the increased budget that Disney are bringing to the show. It looks spectacular and the new theme is a grower.</li><li>David Tennant has stepped back into the role like he never went away. Of course, he's done Big Finish audio dramas - with Catherine Tate as well - but that's different to a full physical performance.</li><li>Catherine Tate as Donna Noble is a companion you don't forget in a hurry. She's got a big personality, a very expressive face, and a gift for reactions. Her relationship to the Doctor is more a friendship one rather than a potential lover one, like Thirteen and Yaz.</li><li>The resolution of Donna's metacrisis issue was very RTD in style. See "The Last of the Time Lords" for one of the more egregious examples of resolving a plot issue.</li><li>Yasmine Finney as Rose does a particularly good job - there's a great character that really deserves some appearances in audio, because I doubt she'll be getting many in live-action.</li><li>56 scientific advisors? That sounds like an alarmingly high turnover rate, like Spın̈al Tap's drummers.</li><li>Plenty of good gags here, including the psychic paper not updating for the Doctor now being male presenting.</li><li>We've not got any "regeneration crisis" stuff this time - there's already been a comics story with the Daleks that is "canon" as far as you can get here. It wasn't needed in any event. If we get it with Fifteen, it shouldn't be too long.</li><li>Beep the Meep is an adorable villain, but I had more fun with one in <i>Star Trek: Lower Decks</i>.</li></ul><div><b>Conclusion</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>A highly enjoyable story that while not the best story for a new fan to jump on, proves to be a pleasing 60th anniversary tale.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>8/10</b></div><p></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-72959394080963293422023-11-23T17:16:00.000+00:002023-11-23T17:16:00.141+00:0060 Years of Doctor WhoToday marks the 60th anniversary of the first episode of <i>Doctor Who</i>. In terms of longevity and impact on science fiction, only the <i>Star Trek</i> franchise beats it.<div><br></div><div>I haven't seen all the available episodes, but they are all now on iPlayer. I also intend to watch the colour version of "The Daleks", although probably tomorrow. </div><div><br></div><div>Then we have three specials over the next three Saturdays with David Tennant. I will try to watch those as close to live as possible and hopefully review them here.</div><div><br></div><div>Many happy returns to a great show!</div>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-5368137453569298842023-11-21T21:00:00.002+00:002023-11-21T21:00:53.653+00:00Let's Make MST3K Season 14<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://showmaker.mst3k.com/makeseason14?ref=ab_7ZbwhropttB7ZbwhropttB">In case you're not aware, <i>Mystery Science Theater 3000</i> is crowdfunding for a 14th season</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's one of my favourite shows, but it's going to be a challenge to get the money, so they need all the help they can get. Otherwise, there might not be a new season or they'll need corporate backers that might restrict their jokes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Please take a look and hopefully you'll back it.</p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-64278903887102939532023-11-13T22:24:00.005+00:002023-11-13T22:24:00.138+00:00That kiss is a lot darker than people seem to remember (Review: 'Star Trek' 3.10, "Plato's Stepchildren)<ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">That is one clumsy bit of opening exposition. Oof.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">The cold open is badly rushed.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Having the big shadow turn out to be a dwarf is well... I wasn't entirely comfortable with it. Alexander is a good character though.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Psychokinetic delirium is a good concept.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Kirk's statement about Starfleet's views on equality would have resonated particularly strongly at this time, with the backdrop of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and the election of the bigoted Richard Nixon earlier in November 1968.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">This plot wouldn't be out of place in an episode of <i>Lower Decks</i>, but there's a strong element of horror to the story as well. In fact, it was not aired in the UK until 1993 because of the torture elements in the story.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">The wire handlers must have had a field day. Which reminds me, I need to ask a question on Reddit...</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Lot of hamming it up here, even by TOS standards. The cast also get to show off their dancing and singing skills.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">This was not the first interracial kiss on American television. It wasn't even Shatner's first interracial kiss on television. That said, we barely see any lip contact, with the story cutting away very quickly. There's a whole long discussion about that which you can find on Wikipedia. Also, it's not consensual for either party.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">How powerful Parmen actually is varies - sometimes he can control multiple people, sometimes he has difficulty controlling one. Also, how does a population of 38 not suffer massive inbreeding problems.</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Conclusion</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A good overall episode, but there are some logical problems. It does have some memorable moments as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>7/10</b></div>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-54899080034212144772023-11-12T21:57:00.001+00:002023-11-12T21:57:01.389+00:00Walking update<p style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, my plan to do Sections 18 and 19 of the London Loop back on 27 October got frustrated by a tree coming down on the overhead wires at Clapton, followed by weather warnings. I'm not going to walk in a torrential downpour, it's not fun and it's actually dangerous.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, with the light and the weather against me, it will likely be February before I can resume this. Maybe March.</p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-68300349233470325822023-11-11T11:16:00.003+00:002023-11-11T11:16:56.848+00:00Armistice Day 2023<p>Today marks the 105th anniversary of the end of the fighting in the First World War, with the Armistice at Compiègne resulting in a ceasefire, followed by the Treaty of Versailles the following year.</p><p>Events in Gaza and Ukraine in particular have reminded us that war is about destruction. It means the loss of people's homes and businesses, loss of power, food and water. It means unexploded ordnance turning up decades later and entire communities ceasing to exist as anything but memories or photographs.</p><p>Most importantly, it means the loss of people's lives, military and civilian alike. Not that the distinction makes much of a difference to the people left behind and the people themselves. Everyone suffers in war, where morality erodes all too quickly in the name of "victory", whatever that is.</p><p>We have seen all too well what happens when other people are treated as less than us and we will sadly see yet more of it. All I and others can do is work to reduce the suffering.</p><p><b>We will remember them.</b></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-30525284368839128862023-10-30T21:11:00.004+00:002023-10-30T21:11:00.136+00:00Bottle Episode of Ham (Review: 'Star Trek' 3.9, "The Tholian Web")<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><i>Star Trek</i> had two dedicated studios for its use at Desilu's studios - Stage 9 and Stage 10, now Paramount Stages 31 and 32. Stage 9 was used for the <i>Enterprise</i> sets, with Stage 10 used for off-ship scenes. This one used Stage 9 pretty much entirely entirely.</li><li>This is very clearly a budget-saving episode, albeit one with a fairly large number of extras - the most ship personnel in one scene in fact for TOS. The <i>Defiant</i> is clearly a redressed <i>Enterprise</i> bridge, the interior only seen in one scene.</li><li>They seem to have missed a bit explaining why the transporter went down in the first place.</li><li>Chekov's screaming is particularly memorable, that's for sure.</li><li>DeForest Kelley does very good anger.</li><li>Why did they not believe Uhura when she saw Kirk? Are they stupid?</li><li>As Memory Alpha has pointed out, this is not Starfleet's first mutiny. It's not even the first TOS mutiny.</li><li>The environment suits from this actually look pretty decent, although were apparently a real problem when it came to bodily functions. But "MC COY" with a space in the middle.</li><li>The effects on this episode got the show an Emmy nomination. That rather shows how far the VFX industry has come since 1968.</li><li>The Tholian ship comes in rather too slowly for something flying at half the speed of light.</li><li>Injecting someone through a spacesuit? That doesn't seem like it would work.</li></ul><div><b>Conclusion</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>It's a bottle episode, sure, but sometimes those can be among the best a show does. I wouldn't say it's one of the best <i>Star Trek</i> episodes, but it's still pretty good.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>8/10</b></div><div> </div><p></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-68413033910336124872023-10-09T12:35:00.001+01:002023-10-09T12:35:00.137+01:00London Loop Section 17<p style="text-align: justify;">A holiday in September meant that I was unable to do any more of the trail until today. It's quite possible that I won't be able to finish it this year as the nights get longer and the weather gets colder.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We shall see.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Section 17 runs from Cockfosters to just south of Enfield Lock station, taking in Enfield Chase, which was a historical royal hunting ground that is currently undergoing a major restoration process. Nearby Forty Hill Farm has also seen the reintroduction of beavers, but I didn't see any.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWWwUJIqwGt_oCop0Z7iBthe3UUAFuuFVMwR9v3pTnBFUjBcN3C1BVPmbl5PaMy0RKK_pBwMyrbOTQXdukEQpsY75eDvRacEZoJpC4hpevsR_jTEYTaMxt_xpqJagfuyMWkmZnaVx09dVHgVa22JE4IVHDLeMZ4ReK5mZ9mWeDMYoNMwoFRBdUqg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWWwUJIqwGt_oCop0Z7iBthe3UUAFuuFVMwR9v3pTnBFUjBcN3C1BVPmbl5PaMy0RKK_pBwMyrbOTQXdukEQpsY75eDvRacEZoJpC4hpevsR_jTEYTaMxt_xpqJagfuyMWkmZnaVx09dVHgVa22JE4IVHDLeMZ4ReK5mZ9mWeDMYoNMwoFRBdUqg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The paths on this route are of high quality and it being a warm Saturday, there were plenty of people around. Curious Dog count was two.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The section also includes the most northerly part of the entire LOOP, although there is nothing on the ground to mark that. No particular reason there should be, I suppose.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMEkvCGuj10qDO4_z-B-Yf6_8PChyVWheqYEDhvqUlETeJ1XZNlli70SyYKtxROqhOMaP51Sf1sCa2qiTq1vDPjcrawDjxrkA66tgkHfLDWiDGtILT1yx-HlhH6HT4FzSldUpLEHic8gFMoTEhGURDj3iDjXghPP7iAKNETK5OP8da4xiqECzMXQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMEkvCGuj10qDO4_z-B-Yf6_8PChyVWheqYEDhvqUlETeJ1XZNlli70SyYKtxROqhOMaP51Sf1sCa2qiTq1vDPjcrawDjxrkA66tgkHfLDWiDGtILT1yx-HlhH6HT4FzSldUpLEHic8gFMoTEhGURDj3iDjXghPP7iAKNETK5OP8da4xiqECzMXQ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The route also contains Maidens Bridge, supposedly the site where Sir Walter Raleigh laid his cloak down for Elizabeth I to walk on to avoid some mud. The local history sign does a "lost his head" pun, due to his later beheading.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmQPwPFsFYww3NP6eElZGru3HdPgNstE41D_UbwH3XyhEG137yX4KbdkRuQsapExa3itiZGRA6Axu0jCzhuL3alLwHIDQYyvOhkw42Whh30aUgDbxNFYDhSYeSW2131SBSZVQEZVjJqs5adwTX4NmvfUu4xjZA2Yr9ri61cNT55Eopsle4mO_teQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="4896" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmQPwPFsFYww3NP6eElZGru3HdPgNstE41D_UbwH3XyhEG137yX4KbdkRuQsapExa3itiZGRA6Axu0jCzhuL3alLwHIDQYyvOhkw42Whh30aUgDbxNFYDhSYeSW2131SBSZVQEZVjJqs5adwTX4NmvfUu4xjZA2Yr9ri61cNT55Eopsle4mO_teQ" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lunch was at the Rose & Crown, which claims a connection to Dick Turpin via his grandparents owning the place and him possibly hiding out there. The highwayman has a lot of legends attached to him, so we don't know how true that is.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An easy walk overall; I finished the 8.3 miles in just over four holes, including lunch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aim to do Sections 18 and 19 at the end of the month before the clocks go back.</div><p></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-74011993432432238472023-10-04T13:15:00.001+01:002023-10-04T13:15:12.760+01:00HS2Sadly, unless we can bring costs under control, cancelling HS2's Northern leg is the best option.<div><br></div><div>But the money must now be used on genuine improvements elsewhere. I doubt that the Tories will deliver that... for one thing, they might not be in power much longer.</div>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-45420618408277876812023-10-04T00:30:00.007+01:002023-10-04T00:30:00.133+01:00In which Kirk and McCoy get Dalek-zapped (Review: 'Star Trek' 3.8, "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky")<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>Straight into the action here, that's good. Although it's odd that there aren't further attacks on the ship after the initial missile barrage.</li><li>That's an exceedingly long episode title!</li><li>I believe this was still a time when cancer was a very taboo subject. However, any tension is lost because I've seen the TOS movies and know McCoy survives. He also doesn't show any physical deterioration, which would have added to the peril.</li><li>I am sure those rocks have turned up already. Definitely some props were reused. Unfortunately, the fact this is clearly a studio is obvious on modern screens. They should have a 1960s mode on streaming platforms.</li><li>Some pretty decent camerawork in some scenes, especially when they come down the staircase.</li><li>The zapping effect reminds me very much of the one used for Dalek exterminations in <i>Doctor Who</i> at this time - with some modifications i.e. visible skeletons, it's still used today.</li><li>We get another William Ware Theiss skimpy outfit - and a female lead with a ridiculous hairdo. It's 1960s Star Trek, I should really expect that.</li><li>A romance plot for McCoy is an interesting one. It would have worked better had Natira been better acted; it's a very stilted performance and I wrote "Show me more of this Earth thing called kissing" in my notes before crossing it out. At least she survives, unlike some of Kirk's previous love interests.</li><li>How does Spock know the language of a species dead for 10,000 years and where the planet was destroyed?</li><li>The ending is a bit rushed; this might have worked a lot better as a two-parter, to be frank.</li><li>Is that Jan-Michael Vincent as an extra in this? IMDB doesn't list it as one of his early credits, but he was acting at this time.</li><li>The whole concept could make for an interesting mini-series; I'm reminded of <i>Silo</i> myself.</li><li>I noticed the IATSE logo at the end - they've been around since 1893, but I hadn't realised their logo has been around on TV credits for that long. The AMPTP logo is also there.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Conclusion</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There's a lot of interesting ideas here, but they're bogged down in a rather sappy romance plot with a poorly acted female lead.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>6/10</b></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-85177569591632996862023-10-01T21:49:00.006+01:002023-10-01T21:52:22.531+01:00Boiling Point (2021)<p>Watched this film today in anticipation of the new BBC1 series - while not the best thing I've ever seen, it's technically brilliant, being done on in one continuous take (the ad breaks of Film 4 mean that was less obvious). It's also a reflection that many of the big disasters in life happening through no malicious act, just a series of small, inadvertent errors.</p><p>Stephen Graham is a superb actor.</p><p><b>7/10</b></p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21011060.post-20479351123645399302023-08-20T17:29:00.001+01:002023-08-20T17:29:54.813+01:00Spain 1-0 England<p>Watched this today. Despite the massive amount of Spanish simulation going on and a ref making some dodgy decisions, we were definitely outplayed at the end of the day and the result was fair.</p><p>It's good we got this far and this, along with the Euro 2022 win, will do wonders for the women's game in England.</p>Silent Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10137831715628442620noreply@blogger.com0