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lgreatoreau
Reviews
Zomboat! (2019)
Hidden gem!
What a show! I don't usually watch much on ITV2 but the adverts for Zomboat intrigued me. As a fan of horror and horror-comedies, it appealed as it seemed to give off similar vibes to the humour of Shaun Of The dead so I watched with baited breath. I was not wrong. What a joy this little show is. I wish it was better known that what it is. It should be a big hit. It should be a s big as The Inbetweeners (my closest reference to the age demographic it is aimed at). I sure hope that we will get a follow up season to the show but I think with the pandemic the chances are slim now. I think it will just be killed off sadly, which is tragic as it was one of the best new shows to come out in years, in particular comedy show in the U. K. which for years have been retreads of topics already done, but this was something new for comedy-drama.
The 4 regular cast are great, as is George Kerr as the ever-present lead Zombie, Jude.
Some good guests parts turn up in various episodes, such as in the supermarket and and the gentlemen still trying to sell diesel to the escaping boatees, despite their being an apocalypse.
The creative use of colour-grading makes the show have the fell of a graphic novel, which I think is the purpose as the title sequence has the same style as a graphic novel.
It is nice to see Birmingham appearing as Birmingham for a change,, rather than being a stand-in for London or elsewhere which has what happened for several years now, despite Birmingham formally being a major centre for tv production for the BBC and ITV company Central.
It is nice to see a nerdy character being the saviour of the day. Whose knowledge of of Horror films and computer games gets the group of many a close call.
Blue Murder (2000)
Loved It!
Only saw it once on it's original transmission in the U.K. but thought iot was excellent and still think about it regularly wishing I had recorded it., as it was great. the always reliable Emma Cunniffe was great as the detective who slowly realizes that her detective partner could be the killer and the grieving widow, played by Gemma Redgrave, is not so ....grieving.
Gary Mavers was smooth enough in the part to make you see why Gemma Redgrave would have an affair with him (plus the fact that Gary Mavers was a hot property at the time from his role in the long-running, highly-popular but now virtually forgotten, Peak Practice).
Made when ITV had their "ITV drama premiere" strand, which also produced the excellent HOT MONEY, with Caroline Quentin and Diamond Geezer with David Jason.
The Take (1974)
Great watch
A great, sometimes confusing action drama, featuring Billy Dee Williams, later to find fame as Star Wars Lando, as a corrupt cop from San Francisco, who relocates to New Mexico to help a Police Chief who is struggling with the organized crime in the city.
From a novel by british writer G.F. Newman (Law And Order, Judge John Deed) and directed by cult director Robert Hartford-Davies, best known for his horror thrillers (The Fiend, Incense Of The Damned), it has some strong quite brutal action scenes as was usual for the era i.e. Dirty Harry, The Stone Killer etc. A great supporting cast helps it along. Eddie Albert as the under pressure police chief, A Martinez as the young cop, Vic Morrow, former 1950's heartthrob singer Frankie Avalon, as a gang member recruited as an informer, who does a great job in a scene where he breaks down under fear of a beating from BIlly D.W's cop.
Tracy Reed, a british beauty who left fro America in the 1970's provides the vague love interest in the movie. She is the ex of Billy D.W.'s cop and tries to shake him off as she is not interested but still shows him dome compassion when he turns up at her house after a beating from the gang.
Good music score and action scenes, including a very good car chase and a great Courtroom bust near the beginning. Sorrell Booke also turns up in a fairly small role as a helper to Billy's cop.
Great idea, having a corrupt cop trying to take down corrupt cops.
Kopiya verna (2016)
Superb Short Sci-fi Thriller
A superb short sci-fi thriller from Russia. The lead character is first seen played by Nikolay Machulskiy. A remarkable performance (as are all the other s who play the character of Igor). Great cinematography and music help build the tension and there are some great moments. It feels like full-length movie, and I don't mean in a bad way. A lot of story and drama are packed into 12 minutes. The lead character is a unwitting shapeshifter, who, at times, gets into awkward situations because of it. I first saw it via Youtube, but without English subtitles, and yet, as I watched it, although not understanding exactly what was being spoken, I could understand exactly what was happening and the meaning of what was being said That is a sign of a good production. Now I have seen it with subtitles too but it made no difference, as you cannot get better than perfection already. Superb.Nikolay Machulskiy gives a hypnotic performance. You can tell what the character is thinking , even when he isn't speaking for most of it. It is just through looks that he gives. Superb film short.
The Burn with Jeff Ross (2012)
FUN
What a relief to see a show in Politically Correct modern world that doesn't care and says what it likes about any subject. Jeff Ross is a brilliant caustic host and the guests are highly enjoyable, especially Natasha Leggero, who is in hysterics almost all of the show.
Pity the show got cancelled.
Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle (2016)
Not for The Sensitive
Superb comedy show from the U.S., from the Comedy Central network.
hosted by Jeff Ross, who takes up as the position of head Judge, comedians known and unknown, face each other and let the the roasting begin. It can be brutal,, which would greatly offend some people but not a heartless cynic like me. I can't get enough of the show after discovering when trying to find more of the Comedy Central Roasts to watch, which I adore. I would say that some of the Roast Battles are more brutal than the Celebrity Roasts.
Anyway, the battles are compared by the lovely Brian Moses and Jeff, as Head Judge, is helped by a different Celebrity guest panel each show.
The show is also the home of THE WAVE, a hybrid sketch/prop comedy troupe, who pop up on stage during the roast battle, either if the comedians roast has gone well or sucked. They do some remarkably quick costume changes and are lead by the brilliant and utterly gorgeous Jamar Neighbors.
I hope there is a third season and it doesn't get cut short like Jeff Ross' other show 'The Burn'.
Midsomer Murders: Blood Will Out (1999)
Great, but not the best episode
I won't retell the plot as it is already available, so I will just concentrate on the actual production. I saw this episode again, on DVD, last month, for the first time since it's original ITV broadcast.
What a treat. It was like a new episode (only when the show was still any good).
Besides John Nettles and Daniel Casey (an underused actor),the cast is to die for (no pun intended). Kevin McNally, Phylidda Law, Rowena Cooper-a face you know but can never remember the name, Nick Moran-of Lock Stock fame, Ian Thompson-another regular face (and another underused actor in the industry), the delightful Paul Jesson (who recently reappeared as a suspect in 'Vera'), who here plays as a repellent character, which is a sharp contrast to his character in 'A Touch Of Frost' around the same time, Honeysuckle Weeks (get well soon!) who you may recognize from her regular role in 'Foyle's War', and Tricia George, a charming performer, who I grew up watching in the 'Uncle Jack...' CBBC series. Special mention must go to the late and lovely Jerome Willis, much missed. Nice photography of the Chilterns. The home of Hector Bridges in this episode also played the base of a terrorist cell in Ultimate Force. Some nice efficient direction by old-hand Moira Armstrong but the episode does sag slightly and could have done with losing ten minutes or so. Could have done with Jeremy Silbertson at the helm, like other episodes of the early seasons of the show, but that would have been impossible due to overlapping production times.
Night of the Red Hunter (1989)
At Last!
After years of remembering a programme with this title and vague flashes of memory about it, I have now been able to re-watch this after a quarter of a century, which makes me sound ancient but I was only about six or seven at the most when this was last on British TV. It was shown on CBBC and was one of those great Australian (or in this case New Zealand) imports we had at the time like 'Round The Twist', 'The Girl From Tomorrow' or 'Gladrags'. I remember being very frightened of this show, although I can't really remember why. It had the same sinister menacing feeling, that you don't get in modern children's science-fiction/fantasy TV, as the British-made shows around the same time, such as 'Dark Season', 'Century Falls' and 'Earthfasts'.
For years I have mentioned the title, which I was sure to be the right title for the programme and the odd piece I could remember to people of the same age or SF/Fantasy specialists and neither group could remember it or would give me a look as if I had just defacated in front of them. Internet searches proved fruitless for any information on the show. Now trying a search again after several years since the last search I have found quite a bit about it and an upload of the programme, so I will watch it again and hopefully still enjoy it.
Dad's Army (1971)
Classic British!
Based on the BBC comedy that began in 1968 and ran for nine years, this feature released by Cloumbia Pictures is basically a retelling of a few of the early episodes of the series but with a new ending. The TV cast recreate their roles for the big-screen, and as other reviewers have said, it is the best of the spin-off films of British TV comedies of that era. The regular cast are ably supported by some great guests actors, such as the late,great, beloved Bernard Archard as General Fullard, Michael Knowles-who had appeared in the series as military officers, Fred Griffiths as a cheeky steeplejack, Liz Frazer replacing Janet Davies of the TV series, as Mrs Pike and a small but nice role for John Baskcomb as the Mayor of Warmington. Dr Who will remember him for his role in Terror Of The Autons. A lovely recreation of the period is created by Terry Knight art department work and the period feel is enhanced by a wonderful music score from the under-rated Wilfred Burns, who as well as capturing the sound of late 30's/40's dance band also provides dramatic cues and a delightful 'dusk' theme as (SPOILER ALERT) as the Captain, Wilson and Jones ride the General's horse back to camp. The cue is a mixture of the period's slow dance/jazz band and woodwind to evoke a 'Crossing the prairie' feel. There are some beautiful nighttime and day-for-night shots courtesy of Terry Maher's photography. What a shame he did not move into major features.
Fast and Loose (2011)
Fun
This show, which quickly disappeared, not to be repeated,was great fun. From the same team as 'mock the week', with MTW regular Hugh Dennis as presenter, the show which combined the best of mock the week and whose line is it anyway? was a nice laugh on a Thursday night. The regulars especially the wonderfully oddball Marek Larwood (not really helping with the whole 'inbred Norfolk' thing) and Laura Solon and Humphrey Ker. AN appearance or two from 'whose line is it anyway' regular Wayne Brady spiced things up a bit but sadly the show was not recommissioned. Another great comedy that the executives cancelled that could have built up a following, just like the more recent 'the geordie, the geek and the ginge. Shame on you BBC2.