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Sherlock – A Study in Pink Review

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‘Sherlock Holmes is introduced to ex-army doctor John Watson who he moves in with and then convinces to help him solve murder mysteries. Their first case together is one that looks, to police, like a case of linked suicides.‘

Sherlock Holmes - A Study in Pink

Sherlock Holmes has been reimagined so many times that it’s hard to imagine anyone could bring something new to the table. But Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ new series Sherlock brings the famous detective into modern times while keeping true to the spirit of the original stories. This series starts with a bang and I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes.

The first episode had a lot to cover with the introductions of all the major characters, Continue reading →

Columbo – A Stitch in Crime Review

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It’s a few days late, but this review is dedicated to my favourite TV detective: Peter Falk, who passed away earlier this week. Sadly, his advanced dementia meant that Peter no longer remembered playing his most famous role: Columbo. Don’t worry Peter, we’ll remember for you. Rest in Peace.

‘A surgeon has an ingenious plan for murdering his partner in a research project, but a nurse catches onto the scheme.‘

Columbo - A Stitch in Crime

The creators of Columbo must have had a hell of a time pitching this show. ‘It’s a whodunnit but we’re going to show you who the murderer is right at the beginning of the episode.‘ It seems bizarre, but thankfully some producer decided to take the gamble and we got one of the best detective shows to ever grace the screen.

In A Stitch in Crime, the murderer is played by Leonard Nimoy, and his character has quite a brilliant way Continue reading →

Paul Review

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‘Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.‘

Paul certainly isn’t going to be winning any awards but it is a lot of fun. The story of a road trip across the U.S. with an alien passenger is ripe for the referential style of humour that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are famous for, and the movie generally doesn’t disappoint. This movie was made for a very specific type of audience member and if you’re not sure that you’re one of them, you should stay away because you’re probably not going to get the joke.

The story is fairly simple: Graeme (Simon Pegg) and Clive (Nick Frost) are following their visit to Comic-Con Continue reading →

The King’s Speech Review

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‘The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.‘

I think this movie was a victim of its own hype. I had heard so many rave reviews about it that I finished the film feeling slightly let down. I still enjoyed the movie, but it wasn’t the amazing piece of cinema that everyone had been raving about. I’m glad that I watched it, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing to see it again anytime soon.

The opening to the movie was brilliant, I really felt for Prince Albert (Colin Firth) as he was standing in front Continue reading →

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Review

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‘A couple undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with.‘

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has been on my must watch list for a number of years, and now that I’ve finally seen it I find myself both happy that it exceeded all my expectations and sad that I won’t get to watch it for the first time again. I think this is a rather appropriate reaction to a movie that deals so well with the nature of memory as both a gift and a curse.

What are we without our memories? Wouldn’t life be so much simpler if we could erase all the painful moments from our lives, those embarrassing Continue reading →

The French Connection Review

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‘A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection.‘

The French Connection is a perfect example of how tension can make a movie. From the very beginning this movie is one big chase, with detectives Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) hounding heroin smuggler Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) at every turn until they can bring him down. The movie never delves too deeply into its characters, it’s all about the chase.

The various chase scenes that make up the majority of the movie are masterfully crafted. Whether it’s Popeye trailing Continue reading →

L.A. Noire Review

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‘Amid the post-war boom of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Cole Phelps is an LAPD detective thrown headfirst into a city drowning in its own success. Corruption is rampant, the drug trade is exploding, and murder rates are at an all-time high. In his fight to climb the ranks and do what’s right, Phelps must unravel the truth behind a string of arson attacks, racketeering conspiracies and brutal murders, battling the L.A. underworld and even members of his own department to uncover a secret that could shake the city to its rotten core.‘

I must admit that I’ve never been the biggest fan of Rockstar Games (although I’ve never played Red Dead: Redemption). While the Grand Theft Auto series can be fun at times I quickly find myself getting bored with them. So it was with mixed feelings that I approached L.A. Noire. Thankfully, L.A. Noire is a very different game, and I hope that we get more like it in the future.

One of the best aspects of the game is the wonderful atmosphere it creates. L.A. in the 40’s is recreated in loving detail and the characters Continue reading →

Mad Men – Marriage of Figaro Review

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‘Pete returns from his honeymoon, excited about his new marriage, but conflicted about his past encounter with Peggy. After his business relationship with Rachel takes an unforeseen turn, Don attends a party which further illuminates his increasing dissatisfaction with his present life.‘

Don and Rachel

This episode opens with some new hints about Don’s mysterious past when a man on the train recognises Don as ‘Dick Whitman’. Rather than correcting the man, Don takes his business card and noncommittally agrees to catch up soon. The writers are doing a great job with dropping bread crumbs on this story, I’m looking forward to discovering what Don is hiding. One thing that he certainly isn’t doing a great job of hiding is his attraction to strong business woman Rachel Menken. These two have a real chemistry and I’m sure that we’re going to see a lot more of this impossible romance in future episodes.

Don Draper wannabe Pete returns in this episode, but the scenes in Continue reading →

Doctor Who – The Doctor’s Wife Review

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‘The Doctor receives a distress signal from an old friend. Could there really be another living Time Lord out there? Hopes raised, he follows the signal to a junkyard planet sitting upon a mysterious asteroid in a Bubble universe, populated by a very strange family.‘

I’d been looking forward to this episode ever since I heard that Neil Gaiman was writing it. Letting that twisted mind play in the universe of Doctor Who is a recipe for brilliance. And Gaiman certainly didn’t disappoint with this episode. This is the best episode of Doctor Who that I have seen in a long time.

From the very beginning, Gaiman’s touch on the episode is obvious – many of the scenes Continue reading →