Reviews – Page 17 – The Bad Wilf Network

Review-Special Correspondents

Ricky Gervais’ first foray, into Netflix filmmaking is a remake of the 2009 French film ‘Envoyés Très Spéciaux’.

Radio anchorman, Frank Bonneville (Eric Bana) is tasked with reporting on a rebel uprising in Quito, alongside radio technician Ian Finch (Ricky Gervais). On the way to the airport, the pair lose their passports and end up stuck in New York. They have two options. Own up and lose their jobs, or fake it. So, from the Spanish resturant opposite the radio station, they use Ian’s audio expertise to falsify the report. Unbeknownst to Ian, Frank slept with his wife. The day before she dumped him. As the lies grow bigger, the duo actually find themselves in Ecuador.

The film is meant to be a satire about mass media manipulation, but Gervais’ wimps out about half-way through. However, the biggest problem with special correspondents is the characters. None of them come across as real humans.

Gervais acts as writer/director, as well as co-star. But, he is woefully miscast as Ian. What we get is a clitche ridden caricature of a geek. He speaks about video games and comics. Given that it’s well-known that Gervais despises geek culture, it’s hard to take him seriously. Ben Whishaw or Rafe Spall would have been outsanding in this role.

Bana’s character is just bland. I think we’re meant to hate the guy, but also be impressed by him in a ‘loveable bastard’ type way. But he doesn’t do anything appalling enough to be hated or nice enough to endear him.

America Ferrera and Raúl Castillo play a nice couple, who give Ian and Frank shelter. But the pair are unrealistically stupid, they could never run a successful business in the real world.

As bad as the other characters are, nobody has it worse than Vera Farmiga, as Ian’s wife, Eleanor. She’s a one-dimensional-fame hungry harpy, who takes to the talk show circuit to sell her “charity single”. She doesn’t have a single redeeming quality.

This is Gervais’ first feature without a co-director. With the invention of lying, he had Matthew Robinson. With Cemetery Junction, he had former creative partner, Stephen Merchant. Special Correspodents proves that Gervais isn’t a natural filmmaker, the film relies too heavily on musical montages, clitches and leaps in time to tell the story.

Review-Ninth Doctor #1

Following last year’s successful five-part mini-series. Titan Comics and writer Cavan Scott have brought back the ninth Doctor for an ongoing series.

Eccleston’s Doctor is easily the most tragic incarnation in Doctor Who’s history. War-torn and holding the belief that he wiped out his entire species, he finds comfort and solace in the friendship with an Earth-woman, Rose Tyler and, another mysterious time traveller named Captain Jack Harkness. I’ve always felt there’s a romantic aspect to Eccleston’s portrayal, as he was “one and done”.

The story takes place sometime after Jack joined the team.

After escaping a giant worm, the TARDIS trio soon picks up a transmission from a past version of Captain Jack-sent before he had his memories erased. They then land on a planet where the Doctor is hailed as a celebrity, on this planet he is the star of a show called ‘Doctor Who’ (No, really) as soon as the trio step out the TARDIS, the Doctor is mobbed by people wanting selfies-much like Eccleston would have been at a Doctor Who convention in 2005.

“Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor” #1 could easily fit in the 2005 series. The story is fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled and filled with humour. It’s as if Cavan Scott spent an entire week watching and re-watching series 1. He gets the characterisation of 9, Rose, and Jack down so well. You’ll wish even more, that Eccleston had done another series.

This is essential reading for fans of the ninth Doctor.

Ninth Doctor #1 is out tomorrow, from Titan comics.

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Review:Torchwood-Zone 10

Big Finish Productions is a company that produces audio dramas based on popular television series, such as Doctor Who, Torchwood, and The Sarah Jane Adventures, among others. They are well-known for their ability to delve deeper into the lives of characters that may have been underdeveloped in the original show. This is particularly true of Toshiko Sato, who was a beloved character on Torchwood but did not always receive as much screen time or attention as some of the other members of the team.

Zone 10 is a Big Finish audio drama that features Toshiko Sato as the central character. In this story, she is investigating a mysterious radio signal known as “The Pulse,” which has been puzzling scientists for over forty years. Her search takes her to Russia, where she meets Maxim Ivanov, a member of the KVI (Russia’s equivalent of Torchwood). Together, they explore the restricted area known as “Zone 10” in an attempt to decipher the signal.

David Llewellyn is the writer responsible for this excellent drama, and his ability to further explore Toshiko’s character without undermining her portrayal on television is truly impressive. The story is both bleak and emotionally powerful, with many gripping moments that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats.

The performances in “Zone 10” are also noteworthy. Naoko Mori, who portrays Toshiko Sato, delivers a standout performance, perfectly capturing the character’s intelligence, vulnerability, and determination. Krystian Godlewski is equally impressive as Maxim Ivanov, and the chemistry between the two actors is palpable.

The direction and soundscape are also excellent, with the audio drama immersing listeners in the world of Torchwood and Zone 10.

Overall, Zone 10 is a fantastic addition to the Torchwood universe and a must-listen for fans of the series.

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Review-The last man on the moon

In December 1972, Captain Cernan became the last man to step foot on the moon. He did so with excitement and pride, but so few of us know his story. However, Captain Eugene Cernan has decided to share his epic and, deeply personal story with the world. The Last Man On The Moon tells his trials and tribulations, his love and loss and how he overcame all this, to walk on the surface of the moon.

This is documentary filmmaking at its finest, the film was five years in the making. Every single piece of information has been meticulously investigated, sourced and double-checked to corroborate the narrative being told.

This is a made with love and passion. Cernan knows how to tell a story, the nostalgia and pride in the astronaut’s face, whilst he reflects quickly draws you into the vacuum of space. At times, I felt like I was there with him.

That feeling of excitement has never left Cernan. He described the experience of seeing Earth, from the lunar surface as “sitting on God’s front porch.”

I felt ignorant going in to this, as I didn’t know much, if anything about Captain Cernan. After watching the documentary I would love to meet him, I have so many questions I would like to ask.

I highly recommend this film. In my eyes, Cernan stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Neil Armstrong.
The Last Man on the Moon is in cinemas from 8 April with a special Nationwide Live Q&A in cinemas with Captain Eugene Cernan only on 11 April hosted by Sir Jackie Stewart.

Click here for tickets.

For further information on THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON please visit:

http://thelastmanonthemoon.com/

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Running Time: 96mins Cert: PG

Episode 153:Talkin’ Daredevil

In which Martyn and Gerrod stay sober, yes, really. They bring you a mostly spoiler-free reaction to series 2 of Daredevil.

Daredevil, is a web television series created for Netflix by Drew Goddard, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name.

It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is the first in a series of shows that lead to The Defenders crossover miniseries.

The series is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios, with DeKnight Productions for the first season and Goddard Textiles for the first and second. Steven S. DeKnight serves as showrunner on the first season, with Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez taking over for the second.

To Check out Gerrod’s Vlog click here.

Check out the official Bad Wilf Vlog.

The podcast can be accessed via different places, including Audioboom, Tunein, Miro, Stiticher, Blubrry, Player fm and Itunes.

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We’re working on getting the three of us together again, I promise.

Review-Rivers of London: Night Witch

Drawn from Ben Aaronovitch’s novel Rivers of London, this serialised comic is co-written by Andrew Cartmel, who was Aaronovitch’s script editor on the Doctor Who television series.

Chapter one, page one we’re sat in a van with a trio conversing urgently in Russian. Balaclavas are pulled on, shotguns grabbed and then it’s out into a London morning for a meeting with The Night Witch.

Issue 1 is rich in the back story, much of it set in Russia. Politics and power, money and migrants and military women practising the Old Religion.

Varvara Sidorovna is doing time at HM Prison Holloway but her army past is causing trouble in her London present. This hasn’t escaped the attention of police constable Peter Grant, who spots the mysterious Faceless Man behind recent events just as the Russians have turned their attention to him as well.

Artist Lee Sullivan is also no stranger to the Doctor Who franchise. Here he shows his talent for pushing a lot of character out of the faces in his panels without resorting to outlandish facial features. He’s got a good exchange going with his colourist, Luis Guerrero; a reflective laptop screen and the ‘golden hour’ before dusk come to mind particularly.

During one flashback, an actual Russian stock certificate fills the page behind the panels, bringing a sense of high-def to the necessarily bold shapes of comic art. The technique was a good choice here; the last time I was so delighted by it was long ago in an adaptation of The Vampire Lestat.

The trickiest part of the read was that the visual focus of issue 1 is relatively even; main story and back story are interlaced but the transitions between the two aren’t very marked.

As a newcomer to The Rivers of London, I found the story stood alone quite well but after some research, it seems like this chapter puts PC Grant – the main character – into the background somewhat. Perhaps this is because it’s not the first tale from the novel and it’s only the first bit of the serial.

Night Witch issue 1 is a cracking bit of urban fantasy overall. The pace is good and the international angle contributes to a freshness that no modern tale of London can do without.

Episode 152:Raiders of the lost ark live

In which Martyn and Gerrod talk about Raiders of the lost ark live, at The Royal Albert Hall.

For more information on upcoming events at the Roayl Albert Hall click here.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 action adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Lawrence Kasdan from a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman.

It was produced by Frank Marshall for Lucasfilm Ltd., with Lucas and Howard Kazanjian as executive producers.

To listen to us review the Indiana Jones saga, click here.

The podcast can be accessed via different places, including Audioboom, Tunein, Miro, Stiticher, Blubrry, Player fm and Itunes.

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The Royal Albert Hall-@Royalalberthall

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Review-Raiders of the Lost Ark live.

I’ve been a long-time fan of the Indiana Jones franchise. I remember being transfixed, aged 8-when I saw my first instalment of the Saga (The Last Crusade). Steven Spielberg’s 1981 movie is still as exciting over thirty-years on.

This event was a world first, John Williams full score was performed by the 21st century Orchestra and conducted by their founder, Ludwig Wicki.

I’ll admit, I was sceptical when I first heard about this film/orchestral mash up. Just how would it work? It turns out, tremendously well.

The film played on a suspended screen, above the musicians. The dialogue and effect sounds were intact, with the Orchestra performing the soundtrack live. It wasn’t always successful, the Orchestra did very occasionally drown out some of the dialogue, but to combat this the film played with subtitles.

Not only are these amazing musicians a sight to behold on stage, but the evening provided a phenomenal audio experience too-that no Blu-Ray can possibly live up to. I’ve watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, a thousand times over but this felt like the first time.

My personal highlight of the evening, was by far the Orchestras performance of The Raiders of the Lost Ark theme, for which they received a four minute standing ovation.

What I took away from this event, is just how beautiful and timeless John Williams’ score is. This is an experience I will cherish for a life time.

I highly recommend attending one of these screenings. Click here to find out information about the next one.

Listen to us discuss the event here.

Watch us discuss the event here.

Review-Doctor Who: The Churchill Years

Reprising his performances during Matt Smith’s era of Doctor Who, Ian McNiece is back as Winston Churchill. Big Finish’s new box set departs from their well-honed format of unmediated aural adventures, with McNiece narrating as well as performing in each episode. The narration does cover a few bits that I felt it shouldn’t, notably an action sequence in the first story and the introduction of a famous historical figure in the third. I mention this to balance what I think has been a refreshing experience and a success overall.

Churchill’s narration includes recounting the words and actions of the first three new series Doctors. This has the brilliant effect of bringing the Christopher Eccleston Doctor to Big Finish, complete with the Ninth Doctor signature tune. The Doctor changes, the title music changes. Across the stories, one can spot the different speech patterns of each Doctor, even as related (and occasionally imitated) by McNiece.

There’s still plenty of full-cast audio action aboard, moved along nicely by the ‘companions’ of Churchill. As his new secretary, Hetty Warner (Emily Atack) leads many scenes apart from Winston and works well with both her employer and The Doctor. Kazran Sardick (Danny Horn) returns from Dr Who’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ and provides a good contrast to the 20th century way in which Churchill reacts to being dropped into Roman Britain. In the final piece, another supporting artist from a Matt Smith Christmas special returns, Holly Earl As Lily Arwell. She looks after Winston at a particularly action-packed point in his twilight years.

The first story is the most conventional, with an alien object dropped into wartime Britain. The second shatters that mould as we find Churchill’s Black Dog – his controversial mental issues – woven into the story. In the third, Winston lives amid the subjects of his own history books and the statesman’s fascination for butterflies is rolled rather surprisingly into the fourth adventure. Additionally, there’s a nice bit of Nick Briggs’ Dalek voice work in this set.

Doctor Who: The Churchill Years brought a delightful, fictionalised Sir Winston into my home over a couple of winter evenings. So pleasant was it that I might just sit down with Churchill’s own writing for just a bit more time with this true-life legend from long ago.

Big Finish review-Torchwood:Uncanny valley

The tale of artificial intelligence has long been a fixture of science fiction, but in this new production, the subject matter is handled with remarkable maturity. The adventure begins with Jack unexpectedly arriving at the secluded home of Neil Redmond, a reclusive billionaire and entrepreneur-celebrity. Suspicious of Jack’s motives, Redmond initially distrusts him until the Captain drops some impossible knowledge. The two men then recount the events that brought them both to the remote Welsh castle.

Redmond had been left wheelchair-bound following a horrific car crash, but a mysterious woman persuaded him to purchase a company that specialises in “living dolls”. As a result, he was gifted an avatar of himself, which he named NJ and would often appear at press conferences in his stead.

Writer David Llewellyn’s deft touch is on full display in this thought-provoking instalment of Torchwood. The story is both mature and insightful, with adult themes that are not gratuitous. But perhaps the standout element of the production is John Barrowman’s performance as Captain Jack Harkness. He slips back into the RAF greatcoat with ease, embodying the charismatic and enigmatic character he knows so well. Barrowman’s portrayal is as captivating as ever, making this production a must-listen for any Torchwood fan.

As a longtime fan of Torchwood, I’ve enjoyed each of the audios in this range for different reasons. If you’re new to the Big Finish audios, I highly recommend giving this one a listen – it’s quintessential Torchwood at its best.