Foggy on Doctor Who - Closing Time

The James Corden Show returns...

Before I really get under this episode, I have to give some background check on The Lodger, the episode that introduced us to the character of Craig, played by comedian James Corden. So quickly, I hate it.

Airing at the same time as the World Cup, which Mr. Corden did a World Cup song for England with Dizzy Rascal, and being a well known football fanatic. The exact moment where I knew the episode was a piece of crap is when they had The Doctor get involved into a Pub football match, with tons of wacky hijinks's.

The episode failed where it was more excited in it's guest star over the main character, in a time where we were just around the corner from a huge finale, where we were eager for answers. Instead we got the story of a guy struggling with his humble mundane life and The Doctor comes, stuff comes a muck, lights flicker and people start disappearing, and they have to work together to sort it out. The scene where The Doctor headbutts information into Craig is one of the worst in the revival of Doctor Who, and that includes the Lard Monsters.

So coming into Closing Time, I had little in the terms of hopes for a great episode. So, coming out of Closing Time, I was pretty entertained, for a throw away episode, it's just a nice entertaining episode, similar to Vampires of Venice last series, coming off from a few great episodes, that episode was just an adventure episode, but people didn't take to it too kindly. However, this episode is coming off from 4 fantastic standalone episode, and there is nothing that makes this episode purposeful. Except some people liked James Cordon.

Basically, this episode is about The Doctor going around doing things he wants to do before he dies, which we are consistantly told is tomorrow (although he's a time traveller, he can hold it back for as much as he wants really) as he decides to visit his old friend (although they've only really had one episode together) in the form of Craig, who is being left alone for the weekend with his new born child called Alfie, in which zero members of his family think he will be able to cope.

So, basically, guy struggling with his humble mundane life and The Doctor comes, stuff comes a muck, people go missing and lights are a flickering and they have to work together to sort it out.

Not the most inventive of episodes, as it is the exact same plot as the original Corden episode, just swap a flat to a shopping center and strange Tardis to Cybermen and hey presto, new episode.

Good news is that it cuts most the rubbish out of The Lodger, there is still silly humour, like gay jokes and more baby talk from A Good Man Goes To War, but slapstick is gone, and there is a bit of charm to be had between the two, although it really wants to shove the fact that the two are good friends although there was only one episode between the two.

The episode can be narrowed down to two problems, it's cliched and filler. There is nothing inventive in terms of plot in the episode, Cybermen add nothing to the story, and really had little point in the episode, and pose little threat. And the biggest question of all, Why is The Doctor wasting his time with this dude? All we hear is this is The Doctors last journey, and this is what he chooses to do, visit James Cordon and shoot the shit. You'd think for his final Adventure, he'd be doing something bigger, over helping Craig become more dependant, heck, he uses his final hours cleaning up his house.

And the episode knows it's filler, not a lot of money was spent on it, and lame CGI provides unintentional laughs. And this makes it really hard to stand up for, when its got this many problems, and the only comeback is "it's fun", it really doesn't look good.

But it's the truth. I got into a few arguments about Curse of the Black Spot earlier this year, that episode isn't nearly as flawed in the writing as this one, but that episode offers nothing, it's boring, people walking around a boat complaining. This at least shows Amy and Rory, and reveals what they got up to after the Doctor left them, and the ending clearly leads up to a fantastic finale.

So, final thoughts, it's fun, sue me!

6/10

Foggy on Doctor Who - The God Complex

Possibly one of the weakest episodes of Part 2 is like saying it's the worst piece of gold I've ever found.

A lot of my friends disagreed with me on The Girl Who Waited, saying it was boring. Hopefully they have more than shit for brains now that this episode has aired and the themes underlying the episodes have come clear.

But here is me digressing from a well-written, although obnoxiously executed episode.

First things first, The God Complex is probably the most mature episode written for Doctor Who this season, if not on par with The Girl Who Waited. A lot of stuff on faith and religion is played upon here, and it's interesting to see the show take on these matters. The episode is written by the head behind Being Human, so you can see a similar style in modern characters added into a strange situation, I don't think Doctor Who has ever touched upon Muslims before, and of course, those ever superstitious Bloggers (I hate those guys, don't you?)

Add in a lot of strange visuals, like the laughing dolls, a man in a gorilla suit and a sad looking clown, as well as the return of the weeping angels to vamp up the creepy/surreal element of the show, making this one of the more surreal episodes of the series, everything should point to gold.

Sadly, none of these things seem to go anywhere, or make sense in any way or form. Especially when you look back upon the episode and some of the plot details and reveals make some of the earlier stuff less sense. Like what was the police woman's faith? And what did the girls in the room have to do with the bloggers conspiracy theories? And what was with the Clown?

And the big ambiguous question, that I'm a bit sad they never answered, What was in the Doctor's Room? And will it actually be revealed?

Of course, I like the homages to Tron and The Shining (the latter being both key, and very well done). But my god, was the director behind this episode on a major sugar rush, kept having cameras woosh down hallways, none stop dutch angles, wide angle shots of peoples sweaty faces. The episode was more like a showreel or music video than a damn Doctor Who episode.

The acting in the episode wasn't much to be blown away from for the most part (excluding the ending). The episode guest starred David Walliams as some weird cowardly dude who did nothing much but be David Walliams in alien make up. The other guests in the hotel had a little more to work with, in the sense I didn't know who they were, and they often stole the limelight from the time traveling trio.

However, once we get the shocking ending, where we find out that the Doctor is leaving Amy and Rory to live out there lives over dying one day at the hands of the Doctor due to his dangerous travels was both very abrupt (which is as it would feel for the characters, so it's a good point) and very poignant and moving, as well as a very natural ending to the episode, without just being tagged on (Like Rory's death at the end of Cold Blood).

The Girl Who Waited and The God Complex could almost be a two parter (which is lacking in this half of the series), in terms of themes and style (both take part in one place, start of with the Doctor promising a grand adventure, but somethings wrong) and I guess that's what makes it work, for the most part. The God Complex is a well written but amateurishly filmed episode, it's like the director got a cool camera trick guide and used every single page from that book. However, The God Complex does not soil the 4:4 quality ratio of the Part 2...

7.5/10

...although, it looks like the shows producers are putting this too the test with next weeks episode, with the return of the evil Cybermen (Wooh!) and the evil James Corden (Boooooo!), returning from last years lame ass filler episode "The Lodger" (which I hate, with a passion), next week should be interesting, hopefully I won't be spewing up too much hate next week...hopefully...

Foggy Reviews: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - "It's going to take 5 hours to get drunk on the monkey piss"

Why did I post that quote from the film in my heading, well that's easy. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is long, really, goddamn long.

It relentlessly punishes the ill-patient, and hangs the people who fail to follow the plot. It's the very definition of an anti-mainstream film, any typical part-time filmgoers are going to be tortured non-stop for the 2 hours 10 minutes the film goes on for. But, maybe, just maybe, I underestimate everyone, and they will enjoy the film as much as me, and my two friends. (Because out of a large group of 50 or so close friends, only 1 wanted to watch it, and out of his 50 or so close friends, only one wanted to watch it, you see my doubts)

Hopefully, the salvation of these people who might struggle to follow the film is the huge fact that it is visually hypnotising, I often found myself in awe at how well framed the film was, I can't think of a single shot that didn't look great in the entire film. It is a film which has each frame of it tailor made (haha!) to both look eerie, dark and gloomy, while also looking beautiful, and this is all while staying restrictive to look like a product of 1960's spy thrillers, and not a modern day film (excluding a few parts of mediocre CGI).

Once you get past it visually, you look at it intellectually, you will see a fantastically structured multi-layered plot, that does zero pandering to the audience, and forces them to look into the subtleties of the screen, causing you to be once again, hypnotised. I'll come clean and I will say I did get a few characters names mixed up, which caused a bit of confusion between dialogue and actions on screen, but if anything this only makes me want to watch it again, especially considering that ending.

All throughout the film, I kept seeing my friend whip out his phone to check the time, now although he said he found the film amazing, he was still having to check how much longer the film has to go for. I had a similar feeling, although the film is amazing, and sitting there I was being wowed by it. There was a thought that entered my brain half an hour towards the end that said, ok, pull out your big guns and blow me away film, or else you are not worth my time. The more you sit there, the more you think that the climax better impress you. The good news is that the film doesn't change pace, it doesn't loose it's way, it does it ending it's way and it does it terrifically. It seals the deal as a piece of terrific filmmaking, and sets the bar very high for the Oscars next year.

Icing on the cake, the acting.

This is a film that is choke full of great actors, all doing great acting work. I think they would all deserve to be nominated, but the star that come through the best to me is Mark Strong, for the very powerful emotions he has to deal with throughout the film, and a far deeper mystery behind his character that is not really shown, but heavily implied. However everyone is fantastic, Tom Hardy comes a close second.

And Gary Oldman has that Best Actor nod in the bag, to early to tell if he has got the award, but at the moment, he's a safe bet. He plays Smiley, a mild-mannered although very drained retired MI6 agent who is a part of the circus (the people who deal with foreign intelligence, for those not in the know, which you will need to be), his acting, like most the film, is very subtle, and you can tell that he is very much effected by the revelation that one of his colleges is a spy, and the fact that he was believed to be as well.

Thomas Alfredson is quickly become one of the great modern directors with one of the most fresh and distinctive styles in cinema, comparisons between this and his debut film, Let The Right One In, are through his style. Ironically enough, one of the problems I had with Let The Right One In is that you focus so much on the subtitles, you miss all the fantastic visuals and cinematography.

So I'll say it again, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is hypnotising to watch, you literally can not take your eyes of the screen throughout it's entire runtime. You can not zone out for a second for the fear that you will be prosecuted by the film for doing so. Tinker Tailor knows it's for adults, for film lovers, and for people who just generally want to see it, and by doing that it rewards them for treating them that very way, you just better get ready and expect that once it hits, or else your going to fell that arse get numb on that seat for an extremely long 2 hours 10 mins.

Foggy on Doctor Who - The Girl Who Waited

Doctor Who has been on quite a roll at the moment, can this episode make it 3 for 3.

Well from the offset, it's a Doctor-lite episode, meaning a lot less of the titular character, and more with either the companions or a new character completely. These types of episodes have great track records, with Blink being a particular favorite of mine and many others, and still holds as one of the scariest and most intense 45 mins on TV for a long time, to other like Left Turn, which I remember very little of, except the huge return of an old character, and someone turning left in a car. But I do know the general conscience around it is very positive. And of course, the odd one out, the one that started it all off, Love and Monsters. The less said on that one the better (because Doctor Who should need more blow job dispensing pieces of pavement, I'm glad that episode filled that gap)

Good news is that The Girl Who Waited follows the good trend of the latter episodes of the Doctor-lite. It allows us to see more of a development between Amy and Rory, and leaves The Doctor very much at bay, acting more as a guide to get the plot along. The story is ambitious, and with a lot of emotional dilemma to play upon, with the ending of the episode becoming both harrowing and very moving.

The performances are center stage in the episode, Arthur Duvall particularly having to stand up to the center stage as the hero of the episode, although it's all a bit redundant since he seems to be continually getting bossed and directed around by either The Doctor or older Amy, but to the more quiet and moving moments, you can see how heart breaking it is to see all the stuff he sees.

However, for once, I can finally see how great of an actress Karen Gillian, she effectively has to play to different characters, who are both very similar, and show their differences very subtly, whilst also showing that the two are both the same. There is a moment half way through the episode where she has to talk to herself, to convince her to save herself, and it's done fantastically, where both are telling the same story, but you see an older and a younger version of one another communicating, I think that's a fantastic achievement. Credit due also to the make-up team, puts Potter and his pals to shame!

I can only say the episodes biggest flaw is it's lack of fun, it all gets a little heavy handed for an episode about robots who kill you with kindness. And when ever something random and fun is implicated, there just a lack of point that just makes it feel like it shrugging it of its shoulders. Although, the macarena is always necessary...

Plus it takes a good 10-15 mins to really get up to speed, that isn't very good for a 45 min show.

The Girl Who Waited is one of the series best so far, although not topping the greatness of The Doctor's Wife, and not the most memorable episodes, and probably one of the weakest Doctor Lite episode (while that's not much of a complaint) The Girl Who Waited is just plain and simply put well written and well acted, and that's all you really need to love the episode, sure it lacks mystery and adventure (although it's nice to see the show try a very ambitious action sequences, which I will say doesn't fully work) it's moving, and it shows how the show can be very dramatic when it needs to be. And dramatic it does well!
8/10

Foggy Reviews: Fright Night - Enter Twilight Pun Here!

Fright Night is a rare surprise you should not miss, a remake that actually is able to stand aside the original and deliver the same amount of fun as it, without sharply copying it. Fright Night is just a strong blast of horror fun at a time where films tend to drag their feet in the mud and get more "serious".

The film kicks off with a fantastic opening scene, which genuinely sets up a scary creature, an actually menacing bad guy. And the good thing about the vampires are that they are full on old school, but feel like they have adapted to the modern world. Garlic keeps them away, stakes through the heart are a killer, and they love the taste of that goddamn blood. They are monsters, not shitty love pesks.

But after that first scene, the film goes from the top of it's game to the absolute bottom. We are introduced to the protagonist, Charlie, a dweeb teenager who just so happens to have gotten lucky and found popularity, at a loss of his old best friend Ed. Within two seconds of his dialogue, he is a forced hip teenager, written with the biggest crock load of Diablo Cody wannabe bullshit. Random quirks about mochaccinos and shoes are thrown in there to be charming, and obviously fall straight on there obscure face. The film could of almost of lost me if it continued down the road, luckily, after a good 10 mins of mindless quirky crap, the film actually jacks it in and jumps straight into the plot, almost a little too quick.

I know that when you are walking into the film, you have the premises of the film already in your head, but the film leaves little mystery, within 10 mins it is already said by McLovin that the next door neighbour is a vampire. Well great, but we then know we have another 30 mins of "I don't believe you" which comes ala typical with horror films. The problem is that it persists with this. There is a 10 min segment where Jerry the vampire blows up the families house, throws a motorbike into a moving vehicle, gets ran over, pokes his hand through the car floor, and it's only till then that this dumbass mother realises that he is a vampire. And then the mother falls unconscious for the rest of the film, so I'm glad that all came down to an excellent pay off *SARCASM*

But then, once you hit that 45 minute mark, the film seems to just lets go, it stops holding itself back and just lets itself got with the flow. There's very little Diablo Cody turd markings, there's a lack of story that stops it from bogging down and it quits with the very goofy camera tricks (It worked in Children of Men because they actually did that stuff, they didn't rely on CGI)

The film just becomes loose and fun, and while I may still be able to have problems with the CGI gore and effects. I can't really judge it when I ultimately got swept into the action myself, I was just sat there have a hell of a time watching a fun horror comedy. It rarely slowed down, a lot of moments are very scary and very tension filled. Heck it doesn't take long until you forget the awful first impressions Anton Yelchin leaves on you and you start to root for the character.

The film has it most fun however, when Colin Farrell and David Tennant are on screen. David Tennant is one of those few actors, who when given the right role, can do chew scenery while adding a sense of legitimacy to the character. This is perfectly portrayed through Peter Vincent, he's an alcoholic loser who just so happens to be famous and spoiled, he has many times where he comically shouts out his assistant, but pulls it off in a natural way where it feels like he just has everyone running around after him. I really hope the films lack of success won't hold against him in his future career, as he manges to say the cheesiest of lines in a way where it isn't cheesy at all, almost making him some sort of ideal action star.

However, when David Tennant isn't chewing the scenery, Colin Farrell is busy looking like he's about to have sex with it. This is Colin Farrell, if they squeezed every single drop of sleazy out of him, poured it back in, shook him up and threw him on to the set. He's very sinister and very intense, the film would be far lesser without him, as he really does escalate the film to a high level of horror, making him far scarier than anything the film really deserves, but it does, and we thank him for it.

Heck, even McLovin is given a bit of a sinister scene, and he's fun to watch.

Fright Night is almost a classic return of everything I want in a horror film, the daft lunacy and campiness of a fun blast at the cinema, equally matched up with genuine scares, so you never really know if your going to laugh or jump, or more than likely both. Very much in the vain as the original. Fright Night started of as a simple decent rental with beer and pizza, but by the end, I was left with a strong smile on my face as it was plain and simply put, A hell of a good time at the cinemas!