Tag Archives: review

Dating The Aztecs

This post is not about romantic dating, but chronological dating. It’s not about the Aztec culture, but about The Aztecs, the Doctor Who story.

(A story I watched while pursuing my epic attempt to watch all Doctor Who during 2013.  (follow along on twitter: https://twitter.com/WatchingDrWho =)

Within the story, Barbara identifies the body of the ancient high priest Yetaxa as having died around 1430, as all the tomb bling around him is from the Aztec “early period” (Aztec empire formed from an aliance in 1427). She confirms that Aztecs were a specialty of hers – which presumably is why she immediately robs the grave for a shiny new bracelet!

Apart from that though, the story is undated.
http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/15th_century – list the Doctor and Companion’s visit as “Unknown date”.

The novelisation, for what it’s worth, dates it to 1507.

But I was wondering… can we date the episode more accurately than that, from other plot elements?

I think so… Continue reading

TNG: Condensed?

A friend recently noted he was lacking in cultural awareness of Star Trek:TNG, and so struck up a conversation about what eps should be watched.

And I got thinking about that. I watched all of TNG many years ago, and have long held the view that I wont watch it all again. Just not worth it, too many crap episodes. But there are many good episodes too, and so it solidified a thought I’d had for a while – to compile approximately a season worth of episodes from the 7 seasons produced, that would cover the best that TNG had to offer.

Continue reading

And Another Thing… a review

So those that know me should be very well aware that I am a huge Douglas Adams fan, and alongside da Vinci and JDR, consider him a hero. The weekend that he died was one that I count as one of the most horrible in my life (for that and other reasons which coincided)

So I’m wary about extensions to his work.

The movie I enjoyed. I thought it could be better, and some parts truly bothered me, but other parts gave me smiles. I accept it as a HHG movie, but somehow it lacked a vibe.

So this week saw the release of the long-awaited 6th Hitch Hiker’s book, written by Eoin Colfer. I bought it, I have read it. This is my review.

So the first thing I’m going to do is write the positive, but then I’m editing it out to the end of the review, because ultimately, it’s not a book that should be leaving a sour taste in your mouth in reviews.

Mostly spoilerfree review follows

Continue reading

Whatever Works – a big picture

A movie in which the protagonist is a crumpy cynical bastard throughout? That’ll never work! Yet it does. Whatever Works a charming delightful feel-good movie!

It’s the kind of movie where you can see alot of the plot unfold ahead of time, but it doesn’t matter, because it’s not a story which gets it’s power from surprising the audience. Rather, it’s a story which gets it’s power through involving the audience in it. Alot happens, but it never felt rushed

I wont give more away about the movie than that, except to suggest that you go see it when it comes out.

Well, I will say one more thing: it breaks the fourth wall, and I always like that.