It’s Episode 8 of this ten-part cross-country endurance murderthon and finally we can start to see the light at the end of The Tunnel. It’s about time. We’ve been stumbling around in the dark for what feels like ages.
Frozen, the latest offering from Disney, may not be up there with ‘90s classics such as The Lion King or Pocahontas, but it’s a refreshing and thoroughly modern fairy tale for a new generation to enjoy.
“I’m not sure about the songs but the special effects are supposed to be incredible,” was one friend’s response before heading off to see Ghosts at Brighton’s Theatre Royal. “Um, I think you might be thinking of a different show,” I replied. For, rest assured, there are no musical numbers or sexy encounters at a potter’s wheel in this, Stephen Unwin’s re-imagining of Henrik Ibsen’s 1881 play Ghosts, a miserable reflection on patriarchal society and family secrets.
Roald Dahl’s enduring tale of Charlie Bucket is nearly fifty years old. First published in 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has captivated generations, with two screen versions cementing it in the public’s affections. Adapted by David Greig, with a fresh score from Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Smash) and direction from Skyfall director Sam Mendes, the story has now been re-imagined for the stage.
If the theme of last week’s Ripper Street was love, then this week it was faith.
In another brilliantly sharp and tragic episode, the second series of BBC One’s period crime drama continued to entertain on the one hand, whilst quietly investigating what it means to be human on the other – this time through the lens of religious faith.
Cannibal teddy bears, strangled giant slugs, electrocution, kinky metal bikinis, talking lobsters; it’s fair to say Return of the Jedi certainly has something for everyone!
In this new ‘making of’ book J. W. Rinzler once again goes into microscopic detail about almost every aspect of the making of the 1983 Star Wars classic.
With all the Christmas tat lining the shelves already, the office Secret Santa set to yield increasingly underwhelming results and that wretched John Lewis ad forever on our screens to pound us all into saccharine submission, it seems the season is well and truly upon us. Fittingly, this means it’s time for the belated DVD release of last year’s festive slasher pic, Silent Night.
A slight dip in laughs tonight is counteracted by a slightly darker tone (relatively speaking), with sinister undercurrents afoot in Elf’s behaviour and in the mysterious goings-on in Ennythingos. While there’s still a lot of imagination on display, there’s perhaps more reliance on bawdy humour here than previously.
After a two-week wait, making way for Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary, Atlantis returned with its strongest episode to date.
No sooner had Medusa (Jemima Rooper) begun to respond warmly to Hercules’ romantic overtures, with the big man promising to mend his gambling and womanising ways, one of his creditors came calling. Taking Medusa hostage, Kryos demanded a descent into the underworld to retrieve a mysterious box.
Legacy is one of the centre-pieces of the BBC’s Cold War season, and, after An Adventure In Space And Time, marks the second one-off film in a row that BBC Two have absolutely nailed. Legacy is a wonderful piece of work.