Doctor WhoAfter the promised-much-more-than-it-delivered epic storytelling of the past three weeks, “Doctor Who” comes back down to Earth (well, one planet out) with “Empress Of Mars”, landing firmly in the series’ comfort zone. Visiting NASA on a whim, the Doctor, Bill and Nardole are present to witness the discovery of a message written on the red ..
Doctor WhoSo… six months have elapsed since the end of the last episode and as the Doctor’s clumsily unconvincing hagiography of the Monks’ occupation eludes to they feel like they’ve been there forever. Well, we’ve all had guests like that, haven’t we? Britain is in the grip of a totalitarian regime, with any thought, word or ..
MoviesIt’s hard to remember a movie making its debut under such pressure as “Wonder Woman”. Not just the pressure of expectations for a new superhero movie debut but also the white hot crucible of gender politics, unfair financial expectations and the absolute last-chance saloon necessity to salvage the DCEU from its own self-inflicted tailspin. With ..
MoviesHave you checked your kitchen recently? Chances are the sink might be missing, stolen by Michael Bay to throw into his latest robots-in-disguise extravaganza “Transformers: The Last Knight”. It’s no secret that Paramount Pictures have assembled a writer’s room to spin their Hasbro franchise into an expansive shared universe but “The Last Knight” suggests they ..
Doctor Who*SPOILERS* So…here we are, the calm before the storm; the deep breath before barrelling downhill towards the 12th Doctor’s finish line with only the two-part finale and a Christmas special to go. The last ‘ordinary’ episode of Capaldi’s era. And what better way to honour an era which has shown such reverence to the classic ..
MoviesFor many, the idea of taking their Mum on holiday with them would be traumatic enough but “Snatched”, an aimlessly rowdy comedy, takes that nightmare scenario one step further. After quitting her job and being dumped by her boyfriend, Emily (Amy Schumer) is left holding the tickets to a non-refundable paid vacation in Ecuador. Left ..
MoviesPerhaps stung by the unfairly hostile reception to his “Amazing Spider-Man” movies, Marc Webb returns to cinemas with “Gifted”, a decidedly smaller scale and more intimate movie about a child genius. Frank (Chris Evans) looks after his 7 year old niece Mary (Mckenna Grace), a mathematical prodigy. Frank has cared for her since her mother ..
HorrorReleased in the UK the same day another leader saw plans to increase her power and turn the world to her will falter, “The Mummy” suggests Universal’s “Dark Universe” gambit will meet a similarly ignominious fate. Again. When solider-of-fortune Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) stumbles across an Egyptian tomb after an airstrike, he unwittingly releases the ..
Movies“My Life As A Courgette” is a tiny little movie about great big things. Clocking in at a mere 66 minutes long, you’d be forgiven for expecting something frothy and whimsical to go along with the eye-catchingly colourful character design. In fact, the movie deals with the weightiest and darkest of subject matters with disarming ..
MoviesHello cupcakes, remember me? I know, I know!! It’s been a while. Anyway, now that I’m back I want to talk to you about “Harry Potter”. Twenty years ago today, Bloomsbury published “Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone”, so I thought it would be fun to go back and rewatch that first Potter film once ..
MoviesThere’s a refreshing swagger to Edgar Wright’s latest creation, drifting on to the screen with irresistibly brash confidence, popping the clutch, downshifting the gears and roaring past the sluggish, lumbering summer blockbuster behemoths. Sure, “Baby Driver” could have a smug-off with Ben Wheatley’s “Free Fire”, but “Baby Driver” ultimately earns its sense of self-satisfaction. Baby ..
MoviesAnother summer, another big screen adaptation of a cult favourite TV show. This time, it’s nineties T&A-fest “Baywatch” being dragged in to cinemas with the hope the megawatt star charisma of Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron will be enough to fill up the big screen. When disgraced Olympic champion swimmer Matt Brody (Zac Efron) is ..
Doctor Who*SPOILERS* Okay, we get it. The Twelfth Doctor’s time is coming to an end. DO we really need this many regeneration hints, though? Hang on, though. That snowy landscape looks oddly familiar…and oh, my Doctor…what long hair you have… “World Enough And Time” starts out with a cliff-hanger and doesn’t really let go from there. ..