Doctor WHo 039: The Ice Warriors written by Brian Hayles, directed by Derek Martinus (1967)
An enjoyable adventure and the first appearance of the Ice Warriors an ancient race from Mars that have not been used enough. This has 2 missing episodes that had a reconstruction made from the audio and stills for VHS, but exists other than that, but has not been released on DVD as of yet.
Earth of the future at Brittanicus Base they are trying to slow the progress of glaciers that are rolling over Britain. Leader Clent (Peter Barkworth) says they will be able to stop the ice age, but the others including technician Jan Garrett (Wendy Gifford) know they are close to being forced to leave and losing Britain to the new Ice Age. Clent is pissed at a maverick scientist named Penley (Peter Sallis) who left the team. The remaining scientist Arden (George Waring) is searching for archeological finds in the glaciers and he finds an armored warrior in a block of ice. Arden doesn’t listen to Clent’s appeals to come back and help with the ioniser and instead works on digging out the man from the ice. They are watched by Penley and Storr (Angus Lennie) who have given up on Technology. When their is an avalanche, Storr has his arm badly broken.
The Doctor (Patrick Troughton), Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines) and Victoria Waterfield (Deborah Watling) arrive in the TARDIS outside the base, and the Doctor offers to help Clent with the Ioniser. The Doctor manages to stabilize the Ioniser, realizing the Ice Age is caused by a drop in CO2 levels after all the plant life has died.
Arden and Walters (Malcolm Taylor) arrive with the frozen man, and he realizes it is n Ice Warrior from Mars entombed since the last Ice Age. An emergency meeting is called, and no one notices that the ice on the Warrior has started to melt.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Cashback written, produced and directed by Sean Ellis (2006)
I recently saw the trailer for this film and was quite impressed, so I decided I had to see it, and was not at all disappointed. This is a lush and impressive film, shot in sumptuous 2.35 and really showing a cool view of the artists view of the world, and of the naked female form, and being able to see beauty wherever it is. Amazingly this is literally an expansion of an 2004 academy award nominated and Tribecca film festival winning short film, which he basically made a new first and third act for and then reworked the original short for the entire cast (the original short is also included on the disc as well as a documentary on the making of it). This is certainly an art house film with a cast of quirky characters and enough bared breasts to be almost softcore, but it shows them in the context of an artist who is is using them as inspiration. A wonderful film about art and inspiration. This is a must see film.
Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) is in his fourth year of art college, when he screws up and breaks up with his beautiful girlfriend Suzy (Michelle Ryan, now the Bionic Women, actually going downhill in the class of films she is in) and goes into a severe depression where he no longer sleeps, and is in a bit of a daze, only hanging out with his friend Sean Higgins (Shuan Evans) who has known since 5th grade and is a total hound dog. Ben takes a job in a night shift at a grocery store with an interesting cast of characters. The beautiful Sharon Pintey (Emilia Fox) trying to make money and pass time while she takes spanish classes so she can move to South America. The tone who things he is a stunt man Barry (Michael Dixon) and his best friend Matt (Michael Lambourne) who goes out to a movie with Sharon but pretends that he slept with her. And their strange boss Jenkins (Stuart Goodwin). All of them are finding ways to pass the time, Sharon hating to look at the clock, and Ben has his own unique way. He stops time. He stops time and wanders around the store, stripping the women naked and drawing them, using them as inspiration. passing his time by stopping time.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Hot Fuzz by Edgar Wright (2007)
These guys are absolutely brilliant, and some of the funniest guys in film period. Simon Pegg and Edward Wright are brilliant writers, and the on screen team of Pegg and Nick Frost are brilliant. You can tell these 3 are best friends, and are also some of the best filmmakers around today. SHAUN OF THE DEAD is absolutely brilliant, and they have kept their end up with this film, which is absolutely outstanding. I think I might have enjoyed Shaun better, but this is certainly a close second. This is one of the most enjoyable films of the year, and an absolute must see. I picked up the HD DVD just before the format died, and I have to say it looks fantastic. Damn it makes me never want to watch DVD again.
Seargant Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the ultimate cop in London, kicking ass and taking no beef. He has more colors by a factor of 10 than any other cop on the force, so his boss, and all the higher ups, Net Sergeant (Martin Freeman), Inspector (Steve Coogan) and Metropolitan Chief Inspector Kenneth (Bill Nighy) decide to transfer him to the smallest and safest town in England. Angel shows up in town, and before he even reports for duty, he arrests a local drunk Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) and cleans out the local bar of it’s underage drinkers. The next day at work he meets the chief, Inspector Frank Butterman (Jim Broadbent) and his son, Angel’s new partner, Danny Butterman. Angel doesn’t fit in, he can never turn off, which is also the reason his ex gave up on him, and he is left with only his plant. The thing is their seem to be a lot of accidents in this award winning little town. And Nicholas has to try to fit in with the strange gang of local cops that he has to deal with every day.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…