Reviews – Page 19 – The Bad Wilf Network

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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www.twitter.com/LastManOnMoon

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.

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Pete – @BeeblePete

Gerrod – @ingerrodsmind

Email:info@badwilf.com

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.

Twitter:

The Royal Albert Hall-@Royalalberthall

Martyn – @BadWilf

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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.

DVD Review-Legend

Tom Hardy is arguably this generations greatest actor. He’s true method and can become anyone you want him to be. Need a thug? He’s there. Need a road warrior, he’s there. Need a young Jean Luc Piccard? He’s there-although he would probably rather delete Star Trek:Nemesis from his CV.

Legend charts the rise and fall of London’s most notorious gangsters, The Krays. Hardy plays both Ronnie and Reggie.

This isn’t the first time identical-twin performances have been done, but it is the first time it’s been done this well. The visual illusion is perfect and at times, it’s all too easy to forget that both parts are being played by the same man. It’s a flawless blend of special effects, cinematography and great performances. Everyone involved in making it seamless deserves a special round of applause.

Hardy gives a mesmerising performance and at times, very nearly upstage himself. He expertly manages to convey two completely different characters with Reg and Ron, Reg is the suave and smooth talking ladies’ man. Whist Ron is gay and psychotic.

The performance is the most impressive part of the film. At times, it seems as though too much thought has been given to how they would make Tom Hardy play twins. Instead of actually making a decent film.

The narrative is weak and predictable. Supporting characters, don’t get the attention they deserve and subplots are dropped as soon as the become inconvenient. You never quite know why Nipper (Christopher Eccleston) is so intent on bringing them down.

Legend’s biggest problem is that it isn’t the first film the Krays have been the subject of, which means it doesn’t add anything we don’t already know about the infamous twins. A 10-part TV series with this cast would have been so much better.

Legend is out on DVD and Blu Ray on January 25th.

Episode 150:Gwen Stephanie Awakens

In which two mates get drunk on rum and discuss Star Wars:The Force Awakens. They also touch upon the death of Lemmy (RIP) and the disapointing Doctor Who Christmas special, The husbands of River Song.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) is a 2015 epic space opera film produced, co-written and directed by J. J. Abrams.

It is the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the seventh installment of the main Star Wars film franchise, following Return of the Jedi (1983).

The film stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max von Sydow.

The Husbands of River Song is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. First broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2015, it is the eleventh Christmas special since the show’s revival in 2005. It is written by Steven Moffat and directed by Douglas Mackinnon.

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

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Martyn – @BadWilf

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Big Finish review-Torchwood One Rule

Prior to the fateful Battle of Canary Wharf, the indomitable Yvonne Hartman embarked on a captivating escapade in Cardiff, as depicted in Big Finish’s audio spin-off series. As an avid follower of the Whoniverse, I was eagerly anticipating this prequel to both Torchwood and the Doctor Who Series 2 finale ‘Army of Ghosts’/’Doomsday,’ particularly as it delves deeper into the character of Yvonne Hartman, portrayed with gusto by Tracy-Ann Oberman.

While Hartman was a formidable force in her limited appearances, it was refreshing to witness her ideologies explored further in this tale, which sees her venture out of her comfort zone and navigate the quirks and challenges of Cardiff. One particularly irksome obstacle in her path is the boorish and bigoted mayoral candidate, Barry Jackson, whose interactions with Hartman make for entertaining listening.

The narrative is further enriched by its setting on the same day as the broadcast of ‘Rose,’ thereby evoking a wave of nostalgia and poignancy as it references the aftermath of the Auton invasion in the series opener. However, what truly elevates the episode is the exceptional writing of Joseph Lidster, who not only brings a wealth of experience from his contributions to the TV series, but also imbues Yvonne with a multifaceted personality that is both compelling and unnerving.

This feat would not have been accomplished without the impeccable performance of Tracy-Ann Oberman, whose interpretation of Yvonne is so convincing that it feels as though no time has passed since her last appearance in Series 2. With such a commanding portrayal, one cannot help but yearn for a spin-off series that solely focuses on Yvonne’s tenure at Torchwood 1.

Additionally, I must laud Joe Lidster’s superb script, which not only delivers a captivating plot but also delves deep into the psyche of Yvonne Hartman. Lidster’s writing showcases Yvonne’s unwavering commitment to her job, her sharp wit, and her intelligence, while also highlighting the darker aspects of her character that make her a force to be reckoned with. The character development that Lidster brings to the table is truly exceptional, and it is a testament to his skill as a writer. Overall, ‘One Rule’ is a triumph of storytelling that demonstrates the talent of both Lidster and the Torchwood team at Big Finish. This is marvellous addition, that proves Torchwood is one of Big Finish’s most exemplary ranges.