In terms of superstar horror movie icons, it’d be fairly safe to say that they just don’t make them like they used to.
To hammer (or Hammer) home the point, this summer sees the release of a whole host of classics (and a few duds) from the annals of time, starring some of the all-time greats, including the likes of Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing.
If last week’s Series 7 opener seemed a little slow to Skins fans, it certainly picked up the pace in the second part of Effy’s two-parter, Skins Fire. Right from the off we see a strangely relaxed Effy; the most human, flawed, approachable we’ve ever seen her, so we know something’s going to go horribly wrong.
With a crash, a bang, and all the wallop of a gigantic sea monster crushing a skyscraper comes Pacific Rim, Guillermo Del Toro’s barmy, charming, cheesy and always entertaining action blockbuster. Time to forget your superheroes, folks. This summer it’s all about massive robots.
New Year’s Eve. Always a letdown. But this December 31st, whether you’re having every atom of your privacy invaded in a club so packed that it resembles a box of sweaty styrofoam peanuts, or you’re sat at home with a sherry, waiting to salute the clock at midnight, think on this: it could be worse. You could be in an underpass, caving in your cannibalistic brother’s head with a crowbar as he tries to eat Catwoman’s pancreas. ‘Should auld acquaintance be forgot’?. Ideally, yes.
Parks and Recreation is a genuine contender for the title of ‘Best Sitcom on Television’. The contents of this boxset were originally broadcast in the US in 2011, while only the first two seasons have seen UK broadcast on BBC Four and a Region 2 DVD release. Like all the best boxsets, it’s remarkable easy to select ‘Play All’ and find yourself watching the whole disc for several hours.
Luther polarises opinion like a Marmite commercial starring Russell Brand. To some, it’s the only home-grown series that can hold its own against European crime heavyweights like Spiral and The Killing. To others, it’s a car crash of cop clichés; only the herculean efforts of Idris Elba in the title role holding together a show which looks stylishly gritty on the surface but lacks substance where it counts – all woolly grey overcoat and no Kickers.
Having been associated with the career-shaping role of Doctor Who‘s Amy Pond for three years, it was always going to be interesting to see what Karen Gillan picked as her first post-TARDIS adventure.
If you turned Episode 4 of The Returned into a drinking game, with the rule of having a shot every time someone discovered a secret, then by the time the credits rolled you’d be lying unconscious on the floor, being eaten by your cats Mme Payet style.
The wonderful thing about the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary is the upsurge in unofficial publications.
Companions by Andy Frankham-Allen takes an in-depth look at the brave souls who have battled at the Doctor’s side, endured the excitement of time travel and crucially, asked the questions on our behalf.
Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters delves into the production design of Guillermo del Toro’s epic new movie with lots of exclusive content not usually seen in a book of this type.