Tom Baker was my doctor, right up until David Tennant came along. Of all the actors that played the part, these were the two who spoke to me, who became the Ideal Doctor. I don’t know how the new one will do, but I will be watching. This is all old news, but I felt the need to post these videos again since there is now a New Doctor 12 trailer online. And then I posted the others because I couldn’t help myself.
One of the best movies of 2009 (certainly in the top 5) is coming out on Tuesday: Cold Souls. This one isn’t an action/adventure tale with Sci-Fi special effects wallpaper like so many others, but the core premise of the story is science fiction, and the rest of the film explores the consequences spinning off from that premise. Because it was in such limited release in the theaters a lot of folks didn’t get the chance to see this on the big screen. Do not miss it now; the acting is amazing, and the story itself is wonderfully presented.
The other movie worth noting is Zombieland, yet another comedy about the living dead; at this rate, they could become almost as numerous as TV shows about Vampire Cops/Detectives.
Speaking of TV, also this week are the final David Tennant Doctor Who episodes, >Dr. Who: End of Time Parts 1 & 2 and Doctor Who: The Water of Mars. If you haven’t already acquired the other two Who Specials, Doctor Who: The Complete Specials box set gets released Tuesday as well.
the only new Anime I found coming out this week is Skull Man: Complete Collection, which looks like it would make a good double feature with Red Garden (if you have 12 hours to watch a double feature). I just wanted to mention last weeks Sands of Destruction again, because they have a great tag line: Destroying the world solves everything.
There are a few new TV shows beginning in the US that I wanted to mention. Hopefully you already know about them, but if not this will be timely.
First, there are two programs from the UK. Demons started a few weeks ago on BBC America (if you missed the first few episodes, they are still available on Video On Demand). The politically incorrect chief detective from Life on Mars stars as the American trainer of the teenage heir of the Van Helsing dynasty. Terry Nation, inventor of the Daleks and Blakes 7, also created a series in the ’70s called Survivors, about the handful of people left in England after a biologic disaster. Just like Doctor Who, the series has been revived by the BBC, and rolls out on BBC America on February 13th.
In the US but Brit-related, it seems Fox Broadcasting is once again looking to create locally something Whoish; this time around it is a US pilot for Torchwood. Or almost US; Russel T. Davies would be writing the script (at least for the first one), Julie Gardner and the team from BBC Worldwide would be doing the production, even the surviving original actors could be involved. It sound more like tangential episodes to the series than a remake, which is again much like Fox’s one venture into the world of Doctor Who.
Finally, Caprica kicks off tonight on Syfy. This prequel to Battlestar Galactica has been anticipated for a while, and it is finally here. The VoD Caprica pilot they have been running for the last few weeks ends today; it will be interesting to see if it is the same as the one they broadcast, or different.
The The 7th London Short Film Festival began on the 8th and runs through the 17th. There are some wonderful little film here, including Alienated (you can find the link to watch it on the creators website), the Black Hole, and Pandora’s Inbox, to name just a few.
No new film fests again this week, but if you haven’t seen it yet, let me point you to Bobby Llewellyn’s LlewTube web site. This site is where he keeps his Car Pool programs, a unique format in which he drives around with his guest and interviews them. He isn’t wearing the Kryten head gear, but his trademark humor shines through.
For those who haven’t seen Amanda Palmer’s Gaga, Palmer, Madonna, here it is… be sure to comment on YouTube, and join your voice to over a thousand others.
No new SciFi movies this week (that I can find, at least), but the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus goes wide next week, opening beyond NY and LA to how up just about everywhere. In the meantime, Sherlock Holmes is worth seeing more than once…