Doctor Who - Hide

 

 

I wanted to love this, I really did.

A haunted house, a small cast, two really talented guest stars. Perfect.

 

I loved Dougray Scott's weary and wary professor with his secrets; and how his relationship with his assistant (not companion!) echoed the Doctor and his companions.

I loved the Doctor racing through time as Clara came to the realisation that she was just the next companion. A ghost to the Doctor and his time machine.

I loved the sparky dialogue ("toggle").

I loved the cut up, jumpy, blurry shots of the part scene alien.

I loved the gothic folly and lighting.

 

But it just wasn't enough.

 

 The writing on the wall. The bad references to the past all spoiled it. If you are going to reference the past - please do it properly. All these put a damper on it.

 

As for the Doctor's initial belief that there might be a ghost...Even Darling Girl tutted at that. The Doctor doesn't believe in ghosts. But she has just watched "Day of the Daleks" with a cynical Third Doctor.

I also find I am irritated by the constant use of the sonic screwdriver. I was so pleased to see it return in the reboot. But the constant flicking and checking and general overuse is setting my teeth on edge.

Having recently rewatched "Doomsday" the different use of the sonic was so obvious. Maybe its the way Matt Smith waves it about? Plus it is a less elegant design that the older one.

 

Maybe I shouldn't watch a classic Tennant episode on the same day as a Matt Smith story.

 

However, the biggest thing that stopped me loving Hide was the ending. Tacked on and silly. Did the two monsters need to be reunited? Did the second actually need to be there? Wasn't it enough that there was an unexplained presence lurking and watching in the bubble universe; the "Hide" of the title?

 

But I still have hope that the next episode will deliver.

 



The Adventures of Monker

Thanks to my lovely crafty friends I have started scrapping again.
Dear Crafty Auntie let me come and play on Saturday night, and I got some pages completed in an album that I have been meaning to do for years.

 

We have a little stuffed Monkey, who we call Monker. He comes on all our holidays with us. He was  Darling Girl's favourite when she was tiny so Monker came on holiday and so Hub thought it would be funny to take his picture chilling out on the balcony. Well the tradition has stuck. Monker has been to France, to Scotland, round Windsor Castle, to Stonehenge and traipsed all round London!
I have always meant to document his adventures and I have finally started!

 Porthcawl Beach 2007

 

The Forth Bridge, August 2009

 

Anstruther Fish Bar. August 2009

 

 

The papers (and the album) are an old Cosmo Cricket set from at least 3 years ago. But I like the muted colours and the faded palette.

Monker has had so many adventures so this project should keep me going!

Broadchurch

What do you mean "no spoilers"?? You must have seen it already. How could you not bear the suspense? We just had to be there at 9pm last night to finally discover who murdered poor Danny Latimer.
I don't watch crime drama or read much crime fiction, but had to watch for obvious unshaven reasons!
I was hooked almost immediately. Husband took a little convincing as he wasn't sure of the writer's other work (he hated "Law and Order UK") but Chris Chibnall has written some entertaining Doctor Who, which may explain the casting of David Tennant and Arthur Darvill (even if he was Rory the Vicar).
I won't spoil it, but the reveal paid off in glorious slow motion as the tension cranked up.

I had guessed the killer, but thought it was so obvious that I changed my mind and thought it may be someone else. Wrong! It was obvious, especially from all last week's clues.

The acting has been superb. Not just David Tennant in his scottish accent, but Olivia Colman too. She delivered my favourite line in the whole 8 weeks: "I am going to piss in a cup and throw it at you - Sir!" If both of them and Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan, don't win every acting prize going, there's some mistake!

If there has been a mistake, its been the announcement of Broadchurch 2. I think all the characters have been explored. Don't tell me Broadchurch is full of murderers like Midsommer! Plus with that ending ....shhh! Spoilers!

Doctor Who - Cold War

I like BBC3, it means I get to rewatch Doctor Who on a Friday night. Not that I rewatched it properly last week, "The Rings of Whatever" was one of the worst I have seen since 2005 ( and I remember Time Lash *shudder*).

However, the lastest episode was a real improvement. I had read that Mark Gatiss had named it "Dass Boot" and that the Ice Warriors were back.

The episode was clearly written by a fan, harking back to 70s remote-base-under-siege. It channelled the likes of "Fang Rock" and "Ark in Space." In fact, Jon Pertwee would not have been out of place. However, it was also like "Dalek."  Another base under seige, with one lone classic monster /alien trying to escape his human captors and return to his own kind, not counting the bodies piling up around.

I loved the guest cast with "him from Outsiders (why was it cancelled?)" and "him from Sam Wests angels in York being lawyers programme (why was that cancelled?)." Not to mention David Warner as the grizzled old scientist who likes a bit of Ultravox. Being Soviet era submariners, there was a nice bit of "Hunt for Red October" tension.  And a touch of stereotyping, which meant we had to pause the programme on first viewing and try to explain the Cold War to a ten year old.

The reinvention of Ice Warriors as beasties who can creep around without their shells was a great step.Those fingers reaching down for Clara were really spooky. Perhaps a surprise as great as Daleks flying for real!  I still remember the Ice Warriors and Ice Lords being the good guys on Peladon, so not killing everyone at the end was not a great surprise.

But still a great tension-filled story with great asides, mainly provided by David Warner and some by Jenna-Louise Coleman.I have to admit a liking for Clara, she is a Sarah-Jane for the 21st Century. In fact, Clara is named after Elisabeth Sladen, who died two years ago. Clara was her middle name.

ISS

I have been out playing with my camera tonight. 
So pleased with this long exposure shot of the moon. No filters, just cropping. I cannot believe its good enough to see the craters.

 

I was less impressed with my shots of the International Space Station. Trying to photograph it was my reason for going outside to play. Unfortunately, despite going out in plenty of time, and using a tripod, I still made a mistake. In the dark I couldn't see my shutter settings and reduced my shutter speed from 5 seconds to 0.1 second.

Luckily, it was a long pass and I was able to partially correct my mistake and I took this picture on a 2 secon shutter speed (all my other settings were auto).



 

The space station is visible for many dates this month, cloud cover permitting.  If you are interested in giving the astronauts a wave (I think Howard is already home!!) you can check passes, times and directions on this site. April ISS passes

February ARC: "Wonder"

 

 

I downloaded this onto my Kindle last December, as it had some great reviews; and in the Books of 2012 features at Christmas it was regularly being named as a Book of the Year.

 

It is an older child/young adult book and so is an easier read. But the themes are anything but childish and the switching narrator helps to make this book something more.

 

Auggie is an ordinary boy - inside! He loves his pets, fights with his sister and is cherished by his mother. However, he has a facial abnomality which has meant he is not an ordinary boy on the outside. He has been home-schooled throughout his primary years, but now it is time to face school.

Auggie is desperate to fit in, but his looks mean he just can't.

 

The story is told by Auggie, his sister and some of the others he affects in his first year in school.

 

Despite being a book for younger readers it still grips and inspires. It is brutal and truthful and hard and brilliant.

 

I can see why it was rated so highly last year and I thoroughly recommend it

 

 

 



Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

My Good Reads Review

Not usually a reader of thrillers but had seen lots of positive tweets about this book.
The opening is hard to get through, not much to lift it above pedestrian thrillers.
However, I knew there was a twist coming and I wanted to see if I could second guess it.

I didn't.

And I am not going to spoiler it; I'm just going to recommend it. Don't give up on this book. Stick with it.
Then let me know when you have read it as I am desperate to discuss it with someone!!