The main storyline this week involves Sarah going to a UFO convention to pick up any hints of terminator technology. She hears about a mysterious guy who put photos of some advanced drone aircraft (that kind of have a "three dot" design) on a blog and then stopped posting.
A woman with a deep manly voice offers to tell Sarah more about the photos. They go to the mobile home that the woman with the deep manly voice lives in. It turns out that the woman with the deep manly voice is actually a man in disguise and now living off the grid. He worked on the drones for a company but as he was driven there in a van with blacked-out windows he doesn't know where it is.
Sarah takes the man (disguised as a woman with a deep manly voice) to a hypnotherapist to remember what he can about the journey in the van. Sarah records the session using a cell phone. Suddenly there are gunshots. The man and the therapist have both been assassinated. But Sarah has enough information on tape to lead her to a warehouse outside of town.
Inside is a guy who claims no knowledge of what goes on on the warehouse. He says he just rents it out. But when Sarah lowers her gun he produces one and wounds her. In the struggle the man gets killed. Sarah crawls outside and sees a "three dot" drone hovering.
This episode also contains a flashback where Riley and "Kendra" travel back from the future to the present on their mission to stop John depending too much on Cameron. (Why do I think there's more to it than that?) When Riley wants out "Kendra" slaps her and tells her to suck it up.
Ellison plays chess with "John Henry" (Cromartie). He doesn't seem convinced that the machine is benign. Very wise I think...
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Rebecca Hall in Tatler - Scans!
A little bit belated, but here are my scans of Rebecca Hall as she appeared in the February 2009 issue of Tatler magazine.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Red Riding on Radio Times cover
I just picked up the new issue of the Radio Times after spotting the striking Red Riding cover that screams 1970s.
There is quite extensive coverage of the series but no Rebecca Hall content that I can see, despite her presence in the first episode. Most of the focus seems to be on Sean Bean and David Morrissey.
By the way, the magazine describes the series with words such as "strong", "bleak" and "controversial". So we've been warned...
There is quite extensive coverage of the series but no Rebecca Hall content that I can see, despite her presence in the first episode. Most of the focus seems to be on Sean Bean and David Morrissey.By the way, the magazine describes the series with words such as "strong", "bleak" and "controversial". So we've been warned...
Law & Order UK actually quite good shock!
One of my favourite TV shows is Law & Order. I've been watching it since Carey Lowell and Angie Harmon were the ADAs. (Perhaps I should introduce a new time measurement system based on the cast of L&O...)
When a UK version was announced I mentally shrugged and promptly forgot all about it. That is until last night when the first episode was broadcast. I actually recorded it to watch later as I decided to watch the deeply mediocre Heroes. (Sucessfully continuing its mediocre streak in case you're wondering.)
When I did settle down to watch L&O UK I discovered it was not bad. Hey, it was actually quite good. The format actually seemed to work with English accents and shots of Kings Cross train station.
Unfortunately they changed the theme music, but thankfully they retained the "doink doink" sound between scenes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OlCVNn9ZeY) Oh, and there's still the cheesy but essential shot of the grinning cast walking towards the camera at the end of the credits. Wouldn't be the same without it.
Jamie Bamber gets to use his English accent after years playing Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica. Freema Agyeman from Doctor Who was a CPS person. Ben Daniels got the Sam Waterstone part. The excellent Bill Patterson played the equivalent of the DA but didn't get much to do.
I think I recognised Mrs Fairfax from Jane Eyre 2006 playing the unscrupulous landlord.
When a UK version was announced I mentally shrugged and promptly forgot all about it. That is until last night when the first episode was broadcast. I actually recorded it to watch later as I decided to watch the deeply mediocre Heroes. (Sucessfully continuing its mediocre streak in case you're wondering.)
When I did settle down to watch L&O UK I discovered it was not bad. Hey, it was actually quite good. The format actually seemed to work with English accents and shots of Kings Cross train station.
Unfortunately they changed the theme music, but thankfully they retained the "doink doink" sound between scenes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OlCVNn9ZeY) Oh, and there's still the cheesy but essential shot of the grinning cast walking towards the camera at the end of the credits. Wouldn't be the same without it.
Jamie Bamber gets to use his English accent after years playing Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica. Freema Agyeman from Doctor Who was a CPS person. Ben Daniels got the Sam Waterstone part. The excellent Bill Patterson played the equivalent of the DA but didn't get much to do.
I think I recognised Mrs Fairfax from Jane Eyre 2006 playing the unscrupulous landlord.
All in all an enjoyable hours entertainment from ITV. That in itself is something. I shall watch the next episode.
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Rebecca Hall in Observer magazine
Rebecca Hall is on the cover of today's Observer magazine. Inside is a five page article looking at her recent projects including the upcoming Red Riding Trilogy based on books by David Peace. It will be shown on Channel 4 starting 5 March. Rebecca plays the mother of a missing child in the 1970s set story.
Now that my scanner is working here is the cover:
The article can be read at www.guardian.co.uk
Now that my scanner is working here is the cover:
The article can be read at www.guardian.co.uk
There's a number of photos in the magazine but the following one was found on the website:
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Terminator: TSSC Episode 2.12
Three stories for the price of one this week. In the "present" Sarah sends Derek to meet up with a gal who's (soon to be deceased) pregnant mother is injured. Terminators were after the family. Derek remembers the gal in a bio-hazard suit in the future.
"6 months ago" Sarah and Cameron meet the family for the first time. A terminator has targeted the family and they don't know why. At first they think it's because the father has some shady dealings with a firm connected with cybernetics technology. Later Sarah discovers that the wife is pregnant and the machine wants to stop the child from being born.
In the "future" Derek meets "Kendra Shaw" for the first time. (That's the name of the character the actress played in BSG so I'm sticking with it here!) We discover that she arrived on a nuclear sub that the humans use to travel between Perth and LA. The sub uses a "metal" captain.
Derek and "Kendra" are looking for the sole survivor from a terminator bio-warfare attack. One girl called Sydney survived because of a natural immunity. This lets the humans develop an antidote to the bio agent.
It turns out that Sydney is the newborn sister of the woman he's protecting in the present.
In the future "Kendra" also relates the happy story of how bunnies were accidentally introduced to Australia and many attempts were made to wipe them out including using a deadly bunny virus. The bunnies lived on which is perhaps a good omen for humans in the future!
In the present Derek tells the gal and her new baby sister Sydney that they can join the gang, however the gal takes off while he phones Sarah with an update.
"6 months ago" Sarah and Cameron meet the family for the first time. A terminator has targeted the family and they don't know why. At first they think it's because the father has some shady dealings with a firm connected with cybernetics technology. Later Sarah discovers that the wife is pregnant and the machine wants to stop the child from being born.
In the "future" Derek meets "Kendra Shaw" for the first time. (That's the name of the character the actress played in BSG so I'm sticking with it here!) We discover that she arrived on a nuclear sub that the humans use to travel between Perth and LA. The sub uses a "metal" captain.
Derek and "Kendra" are looking for the sole survivor from a terminator bio-warfare attack. One girl called Sydney survived because of a natural immunity. This lets the humans develop an antidote to the bio agent.
It turns out that Sydney is the newborn sister of the woman he's protecting in the present.
In the future "Kendra" also relates the happy story of how bunnies were accidentally introduced to Australia and many attempts were made to wipe them out including using a deadly bunny virus. The bunnies lived on which is perhaps a good omen for humans in the future!
In the present Derek tells the gal and her new baby sister Sydney that they can join the gang, however the gal takes off while he phones Sarah with an update.
New Cussler novel by Justin Scott
I made a nice discovery on Amazon UK last night. Justin Scott, one of my favourite authors, is co-writing a new novel with Clive Cussler called The Wrecker. It's due out later this year but there are no details yet.
It was during the 1990s that I started reading novels by Scott. Among my favourites were A Pride of Kings (A Pride of Royals in the US) set in revolutionary Russia, The Man Who Loved the Normandie (Normandie Triangle in the US) set in New York during the early years of WW2 and The Empty Eye of the Sea, a modern day sea adventure that only seems to have been published in the UK. Scott went on to write some entertaining mysteries set in New England.
Then in 1998 I read a book called Fire and Ice by an author called Paul Garrison. The characters and situations reminded me strongly of characters from a Justin Scott novel called The Shipkiller. It turned out to be Justin Scott writing under a pen-name.
His website can be found at http://www.seastoriesbypaulgarrison.com/
If I find a "blurb" or cover image for The Wrecker I will post it here.
It was during the 1990s that I started reading novels by Scott. Among my favourites were A Pride of Kings (A Pride of Royals in the US) set in revolutionary Russia, The Man Who Loved the Normandie (Normandie Triangle in the US) set in New York during the early years of WW2 and The Empty Eye of the Sea, a modern day sea adventure that only seems to have been published in the UK. Scott went on to write some entertaining mysteries set in New England.
Then in 1998 I read a book called Fire and Ice by an author called Paul Garrison. The characters and situations reminded me strongly of characters from a Justin Scott novel called The Shipkiller. It turned out to be Justin Scott writing under a pen-name.
His website can be found at http://www.seastoriesbypaulgarrison.com/
If I find a "blurb" or cover image for The Wrecker I will post it here.
Emily Blunt in Times Magazine
Emily Blunt is on the cover of the magazine that comes with today's Times newspaper. Here is my attempt to scan the cover. I'm using my new scanner for the first time and it seems to have worked out ok.
You can read the full article at entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
You can read the full article at entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Ruth Wilson in Small Island, another update
The Jamaica Information Service has a piece on the production of Ruth Wilson's new project, Small Island:
You can read the whole article here:
http://www.jis.gov.jm/information/html/20090218T090000-0500_18509_JIS_BBC_BEGINS_PRODUCTION_OF_JAMAICAN_S_NOVEL.asp
The programme will be aired on BBC 1 television as part of its Autumn line- up. Much of the filming will be in Dublin and Belfast, but some 10 days will be spent filming in Jamaica at the end March to the beginning of April.
You can read the whole article here:
http://www.jis.gov.jm/information/html/20090218T090000-0500_18509_JIS_BBC_BEGINS_PRODUCTION_OF_JAMAICAN_S_NOVEL.asp
Friday, 13 February 2009
Lost in Austen on the big screen
Last year ITV broadcast a very enjoyable four part series called Lost in Austen where a modern-day fan of Pride and Prejudice swapped places with Elizabeth Bennett. The first episode was fun enough and was followed by a second that was surprisingly good. I found myself quite looking forward to each subsequent episode.
Now I read with interest that Sony is to make a version for the big screen. There are few details announced so far. You can read what news there is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7887996.stm
Jemima Rooper starred in the TV version. Will she return as Amanda Price?
Gemma Arterton, who would go on to appear in Quantum of Solace and Tess of the d'Urbervilles, played Elizabeth Bennett in the first and last episodes. If there is any justice she should return.
Now I read with interest that Sony is to make a version for the big screen. There are few details announced so far. You can read what news there is here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7887996.stm
Jemima Rooper starred in the TV version. Will she return as Amanda Price?
Gemma Arterton, who would go on to appear in Quantum of Solace and Tess of the d'Urbervilles, played Elizabeth Bennett in the first and last episodes. If there is any justice she should return.
And here's an excuse to mention Christina Cole who played Caroline Bingley. She and Jemima started in Hex together so Lost in Austen must have been a bit of reunion for them.
Future developments are awaited with interest!
Terminator: TSSC Episode 2.11
A change of pace in this week's episode. The story mainly focuses on what Cameron does during nights. (She "doesn't sleep".)
It turns out she has "befriended" a wheelchair-bound guy who works nights in some records office. He lets her in at night to do research in return for glazed donuts.
While there she spots a T-888 model in a photograph taken in the 1920s. Cameron does some research and discovers that the terminator arrived in the 1920s by mistake. His appearance inadvertently caused a speakeasy to burn down and a young architect died. The architect was supposed to design a particular building necessary to the terminator's plans so the machine has to become involved in building it himself!
After the building is completed the terminator disappears from history. Cameron figures it out and goes to the building. She has a flashback to the new years celebrations for 2010 (which obviously hasn't happened yet) and "sees" the Governor get assassinated. She finds the 1920s terminator behind a bricked-up wall clutching a tommy gun. She fights and defeats the other machine.
There are lots of unanswered questions in this eposode. Why do the terminators want the Governor killed? How does Cameron "remember" what happened? Was she there as well?
Along the way she casually mentions to her "friend" that his tumor has returned. The next night he's not at the records office and she quickly befriends his replacement by offering her the donuts.
The B story this week concerns John and Riley doing teenage stuff.
It turns out she has "befriended" a wheelchair-bound guy who works nights in some records office. He lets her in at night to do research in return for glazed donuts.
While there she spots a T-888 model in a photograph taken in the 1920s. Cameron does some research and discovers that the terminator arrived in the 1920s by mistake. His appearance inadvertently caused a speakeasy to burn down and a young architect died. The architect was supposed to design a particular building necessary to the terminator's plans so the machine has to become involved in building it himself!
After the building is completed the terminator disappears from history. Cameron figures it out and goes to the building. She has a flashback to the new years celebrations for 2010 (which obviously hasn't happened yet) and "sees" the Governor get assassinated. She finds the 1920s terminator behind a bricked-up wall clutching a tommy gun. She fights and defeats the other machine.
There are lots of unanswered questions in this eposode. Why do the terminators want the Governor killed? How does Cameron "remember" what happened? Was she there as well?
Along the way she casually mentions to her "friend" that his tumor has returned. The next night he's not at the records office and she quickly befriends his replacement by offering her the donuts.
The B story this week concerns John and Riley doing teenage stuff.
Ruth Wilson in Small Island update
I've posted this on my Ruth Wilson page (http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/chevron/ruthwilson) and I thought I would post it here as well. There is a little bit of news on the Ruth's next TV project, Small Island
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Interesting. That seems to confirm that she's finished work on the remake of The Prisoner, due on ITV later this year.
I work in Belfast. Ruth, I'll buy you a coffee if you want.
Well, it's worth a try!
Watch out for... David Oyelowo, Naomie Harris, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ruth Wilson, who lead the TV drama based on Andrea Levy's novel Small Island. The drama has a series of intertwining tales about Jamaican Gilbert Joseph, who joins the RAF and fights for Britain during WWII. Later, his wife Hortense joins him in the UK. 'Gilbert tries to settle in Britain after the war and it's like: "Oh, are you still here?" That's the sense he gets from the Brits, even though he was in the war,' Mr Oyelowo told me during a break from rehearsals. Filming begins next week on locations in Belfast and London.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Interesting. That seems to confirm that she's finished work on the remake of The Prisoner, due on ITV later this year.
I work in Belfast. Ruth, I'll buy you a coffee if you want.
Well, it's worth a try!
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Kelly Sotherton article in Mail on Sunday
Last weekend's Mail on Sunday newspaper had an article on my favourite heptathalete Kelly Sotherton. In it she describes how another competitor at the Beijing Olympics blatantly took a banned substance.
As always I am happy for any excuse to include a photo of Kelly. I noticed that the photo below had been reversed (the "OREGON" on her top was back to front) so I have 're-reversed' it.
And why have just one photo of Kelly when you can have two...
As always I am happy for any excuse to include a photo of Kelly. I noticed that the photo below had been reversed (the "OREGON" on her top was back to front) so I have 're-reversed' it.
And why have just one photo of Kelly when you can have two...
Friday, 6 February 2009
Terminator TSSC Episode 2.10
And so normal service is resumed. After a long wait Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles returned to Virgin 1 last night.
Ellison dreams about digging up Cromartie. He wakes up to find Cameron checking his garden for the missing terminator.
Sarah has decided that the three dots means something. The gang finds a new company working on AI that use three dots as the logo. John studies the hard drives they steal and says the company has a design but needs money to implement it.
Derek confronts his gal from the future when he finds her surveillance photos of the gang. She tells him that future John is making bad choices because of his close relationship with Cameron. Future gal came back to keep an eye on John. Derek obviously has doubts about Cameron also.
The child physiologist who was helping Weaver with her AI dies in the lab. Ellison questions the AI and decides that it's amoral and doesn't know the difference between right and wrong.
Sarah poses as wealthy "Sarah Gale" and offers money to the three dot company to buy a Japanese chip they need. Eventually she realises that the three dot guy has tricked her and kicks the crap out of him before recovering the money.
(Notice the name "Gale" as in Gale Anne Hurd, the producer of The Terminator movie. I bet "Weaver" is named after Sigourney Weaver from James Cameron's Aliens and "Ellison" is named for Harlan Ellison the SF author. "Cameron" needs no explanation.)
The big shock of the episode its that John's gal Riley is from the future! She came back with Derek's gal to befriend John. Riley seems to be cracking up and wants out. This isn't going to end well.
At the end of the episode Ellison is brought by Weaver to meet "John Henry", the AI. It's Cromartie! Back! I saw it coming, but still... Cromartie! Back!
Ellison dreams about digging up Cromartie. He wakes up to find Cameron checking his garden for the missing terminator.
Sarah has decided that the three dots means something. The gang finds a new company working on AI that use three dots as the logo. John studies the hard drives they steal and says the company has a design but needs money to implement it.
Derek confronts his gal from the future when he finds her surveillance photos of the gang. She tells him that future John is making bad choices because of his close relationship with Cameron. Future gal came back to keep an eye on John. Derek obviously has doubts about Cameron also.
The child physiologist who was helping Weaver with her AI dies in the lab. Ellison questions the AI and decides that it's amoral and doesn't know the difference between right and wrong.
Sarah poses as wealthy "Sarah Gale" and offers money to the three dot company to buy a Japanese chip they need. Eventually she realises that the three dot guy has tricked her and kicks the crap out of him before recovering the money.
(Notice the name "Gale" as in Gale Anne Hurd, the producer of The Terminator movie. I bet "Weaver" is named after Sigourney Weaver from James Cameron's Aliens and "Ellison" is named for Harlan Ellison the SF author. "Cameron" needs no explanation.)
The big shock of the episode its that John's gal Riley is from the future! She came back with Derek's gal to befriend John. Riley seems to be cracking up and wants out. This isn't going to end well.
At the end of the episode Ellison is brought by Weaver to meet "John Henry", the AI. It's Cromartie! Back! I saw it coming, but still... Cromartie! Back!
Rebecca Hall in GQ magazine
I've just bought the new March 2009 issue of GQ, mainly because Eva Green from Casino Royale was on the cover.
Inside I got a pleasant surprise when I found a two-page article about Rebecca Hall. Here are my scans:
As you may have noticed the full page photo is the same one that Empire have used in their current issue, only the GQ one is now in colour.
Inside I got a pleasant surprise when I found a two-page article about Rebecca Hall. Here are my scans:
As you may have noticed the full page photo is the same one that Empire have used in their current issue, only the GQ one is now in colour.
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Emily Blunt in Harper's Bazaar
I spotted Emily Blunt on the cover of the new Harper's Bazaar magazine today so I couldn't resist buying a copy.
I first noticed Emily back in 2003 in ITV's Henry VIII playing the ill-fated wife number five, Catherine Howard.
She's been very busy since then. Next up is another royal role in The Young Victoria as the young queen.
But I'm really excited by the news that she might be playing one of my favourite marvel characters in Iron Man 2, namely the Russian assassin Black Widow.
Now, numerous news stories online suggest she she may have to drop out of Iron Man 2 due to a conflict with a part in an upcoming movie of Gulliver's Travels. I hope that's not the case and Emily will get to put on a red wig and practice her Russian accent very soon.
I first noticed Emily back in 2003 in ITV's Henry VIII playing the ill-fated wife number five, Catherine Howard.
She's been very busy since then. Next up is another royal role in The Young Victoria as the young queen.
But I'm really excited by the news that she might be playing one of my favourite marvel characters in Iron Man 2, namely the Russian assassin Black Widow.
Now, numerous news stories online suggest she she may have to drop out of Iron Man 2 due to a conflict with a part in an upcoming movie of Gulliver's Travels. I hope that's not the case and Emily will get to put on a red wig and practice her Russian accent very soon.
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