Jean-Luc Godard once said: ‘It’s not where you take things from, it’s where you take them to.’ Recent episodes of Doctor Who have demonstrated a raft of originality but also embraced much from the show’s past – yet whatever has been appropriated from the old days is always successfully synthesised into something fresh. The gothic … >
An aura of doom hangs over Episode 4 of Peaky Blinders. Or rather, over the characters in it. As a one hour-sized middle finger to your peaceful Thursday night, this show is in rude health. It’s rare that drama can so successfully crash into your living room and tell you to fuck off without courting … >
After a slightly lacklustre opener last week that promised more than it delivered, things are escalated on all levels as we see the consequences of the spreading fire. Having established all the necessary elements that the show will explore in the remaining episodes, we see more of what could make the show a stand out … >
We are now very nearly at the end of this season of Doctor Who; a 12-episode run that has split viewers as divisively as a politically-motivated calypso number. It feels like we have hardly gotten to know Peter Capaldi’s Doctor yet, but soon we’ll be at the two-part finale, having hardly gotten past the waspish … >
Hallowe’en is fast approaching, and as is tradition, cinemas flood themselves with horror films to mark the occasion. Front-runner this season is Australian horror The Babadook. If it sounds like a children’s film, that’s the idea. The plot follows widowed mother Amelia, a nurse who’s struggling to raise her hyperactive, behaviourally challenged six year old … >
From the moment it was announced, there was much speculation surrounding Michael Bay’s big screen take on the turtles. ‘It’s going to be like Transformers, only worse!’, people cried. ‘They’ve got nostrils!’, fans wept. ‘Megan Fox!’, everyone pondered, scratching their heads in confusion. ‘Didn’t she compare to Michael Bay to Hitler?’ A year or so … >
This week’s Glue is a straightforward, finely-scripted, hour of youth angst: a love triangle (usually the most boring of romanti-sexual shapes) made interesting because of our understanding of the characters. Glue hasn’t always been the fastest moving murder mystery on our screens, but in taking its time it has created characters that are easy to … >
Episode 5 opens as Aunt Rosamund arrives to solve Lady Edith’s predicament with “the farmer’s child.” As it happens, she only makes things worse. But we’re left with a glimmer of hope that Lady Edith may finally take matters into her own hands. We’re behind you, Lady Edith. Mrs. Patmore has inherited a bit of … >
As we reach Our Girl’s finale, separate story strands are dealt with in order to create a sense of closure for Army medic Molly (Lacey Turner), but there’s plenty of potential for further stories if a second season is commissioned. Smurf, Molly and Captain James’ scenario is handled with subtlety, yet poignant sadness. Having given … >
There’s nothing flat about this week’s episode of Doctor Who. Occupying the slot, and something of the feel, of the traditional Doctor-lite episode, ‘Flatline’, in the event, proves to be not so light on Doctor. Whether it’s Peter Capaldi delivering a performance that is literally out of the box, or Jenna Coleman’s Clara stepping up … >