Author: Martyn

Review: Ghosts series 2-The Grey Lady

In the first episode of the highly anticipated second series of Ghosts. Alison and Mike try to find new money-making ventures to fund the restoration of Button House.


When a photographer takes a photo of the property, for a potential wedding venue. He spots a blurry Lady Button (Martha Howe-Douglas) in the upstairs window. The photo of the house goes viral, with social media users dubbing her “the grey lady”. When paranormal fans from far and wide show up at the house, Mike spots a lucrative opportunity. He convinces Alison they should give people an authentic haunted house experience. Unfortunately, Julian (Simon Farnaby) has convinced the rest of the ghosts to go on strike.

Made by most of the creative minds behind Horrible History, Ghosts was a personal highlight of 2019. With so many comedies nowadays having a bleak edge, It’s refreshing to see a family-friendly comedy, that reminded me of the type of shows I watched with my parents as a kid.


An unspecified amount of time has passed since we were last with the residents of Button House. As soon as she wakes up in the morning, Alison checks the bathroom is clear of specters, so Mike can use it. She then attends to the Ghosts needs. She starts records, helps with crosswords, turns pages in books, opens laptops, and, times the Captain (Ben Willbond) running a lap, he feels he isn’t achieving his best. This was a great way to show the passage of time and just how comfortable the residents have gotten with each other. Mike even has a board, with photos and sketches of the ghosts. So he can picture who Alison is talking to.



Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe have such great natural chemistry and remain totally believable as a kind-hearted couple, who are completely out of their depth. They also deal with the disbelief young home-owners experience, when they tell visitors they own the house.
The rest of the cast are all equally outstanding, everyone involved with this is at the very top of their game. There’s even a great guest turn from Colin Hoult, who never disappoints. My personal highlight was Pat (Jim Howick) and Thomas (Mathew Baynton) pretending to be 80s disc jockeys.

2020 has been a dark year for us all, it’s great to finally see some light.

Ghosts returns tonight at 8:30 pm on BBC One. With all episodes on iPlayer after that.

Stars Charlotte Ritchie, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, and others.


⭐⭐⭐⭐



Review-Bill & Ted Face the Music

Reuniting the magic of a successful franchise after a long hiatus can be a daunting task, especially in comedy films where societal sensibilities change over time. However, Bill & Ted Face the Music manages to deliver a new and innovative instalment that pleases both lifelong fans and new audiences.

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves seamlessly slip back into their titular roles, 29 years after their last film. They are still the kind-hearted characters we fell in love with in 1988, now on a quest to write the song that will unite the world.

The outstanding script by franchise creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon allows Bill and Ted to grow and evolve while remaining true to their beloved characters. The film offers enough callbacks to the previous films to please fans, while also welcoming newcomers.

The late George Carlin’s Rufus is respectfully handled, and William Sadler as Death remains a highlight with his absurd and uncool portrayal.

In addition to Bill and Ted’s adventures, we also follow their daughters, Billie and Thea, played by Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving, respectively. They are completely believable as the daughters of Bill & Ted, and a spin-off with these two leading the way would be highly entertaining.

The film’s runtime of 91 minutes means that some characters, such as Bill & Ted’s wives, Elizabeth and Joanna, are underserved. However, the overall message of love, hope, unity, friendship, and joy for music shines through.

Reeves and Winter’s natural chemistry and understanding are apparent throughout the film, showcasing their trust and friendship after all these years.

2020 has been rough for everyone, Bill & Ted Face the Music is a shining beacon of pure unadulterated pleasure. It delivers a message that might just save the universe, and the end credits are a must-see.

Bill and Ted Face The Music will come to UK cinemas on September 16th.



Episode 232: New Mutants

Martyn and Gerrod discuss the 13th film in the X-Men franchise, they also discuss the latest Bond trailer and, John Boyega’s recent interview with GQ.

The New Mutants is a 2020 American teen-horror, based on the Marvel comics of the same name. It is the thirteenth and final installment in the X-Men franchise.

The film was directed by Josh Boone, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Knate Lee.

It stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt, and Henry Zaga.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to; Amazon Music, Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

Check out our Youtube.

Check out We Sound Familiar.

Check out Comedians talking football.

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Gerrod –@InGerrodsMind

Pete – @BeeblePete

Sam-@Sammichaelcomic

Chris-@ChrisWalkerT



The Rock had COVID-19

Everyone’s favourite wrestler turn action movie star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says he and his family had all contracted Covid-19.

He said he, his wife and two daughters caught the virus despite being “disciplined” about health protection.

He also said they contracted it, after being in contact with a loved family-friend.

He added: “We’re on the other end of it and no longer contagious. Thank God, we’re healthy.”

“Testing positive for Covid-19 is much different than overcoming nasty injuries, or being evicted or even being broke, which I have been more than a few times.

“My number one priority is to always protect my family.

“We are counting our blessings right now because we’re well aware that it isn’t always the case that you get on the other end of Covid-19 stronger and healthier.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEppiNRlpvs/?igshid=1wvvau4wo7khs

Episode 231:Big Finish-Doctor Who: Out of time

In which Martyn, Sam, and Chris discuss ‘Out of time’ the latest Doctor Who release from Big Finish.

Out of Time 1 stars David Tennant and Tom Baker. It was written by Matt Fitton and directed by Nicholas Briggs.

Read Martyn’s written review here.



The Big Finish Chris appears on can be bought here.

Check out Chris’ adaptation of Sleuth here.

The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to;

Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

Check out our Youtube.

Check out We Sound Familiar.

Check out Comedians talking football.

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Gerrod –@InGerrodsMind

Pete – @BeeblePete

Sam-@Sammichaelcomic

Chris-@ChrisWalkerT

Doctor Who: Out of Time 1 is now available from the Big Finish website.



Episode 230: Backwards Boys (Tenet)

In which a couple of backwards boys give a spoiler-free review, of a film about a couple of backwards boys (Tenet).

They also pay respect to the late great Chadwick Boseman and Norm Spencer.

They talk about Sylvester Stallone’s director’s cut of Rocky 4, as well as discuss the wrath of Bob McLeod, Christopher Eccleston joining Big Finish, Bernice Summerfield, series 2 of The Umbrella Academy, DC Fandome, Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam, The Snyder Cut, and a quick spoiler-free review of Bill & Ted face the music.



The podcast is available from all good podcast services, such as but not limited to;

Podchaser, Player FM, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.

If you’d like to support the show, then please shop via our Amazon link. A small percentage goes our way, at no extra cost to you.

Check out our Youtube.

Check out We Sound Familiar.

Check out Comedians talking football.

Twitter:

Martyn – @BadWilf

Gerrod –@InGerrodsMind

Pete – @BeeblePete

Sam-@Sammichaelcomic

Chris-@ChrisWalkerT



Review-Doctor Who: Out of time

Covid 19 has been an utter horror, but it has given Doctor Who fans content we wouldn’t have gotten without it. Not only did we get a Sarah Jane Smith finale written by Russell T Davies, we also got the news that Christopher Eccleston has signed up to Big Finish.

It also enabled Big Finish to bring forward their release of Out of time 1. This was recorded entirely in lockdown and only happened because the events of this year cleared out David Tennant’s insane schedule.

Out of Time is the first, in a trilogy of original audio adventures that sees the Tenth Doctor pit himself against his most iconic foes, with a former Doctor by his side. In this story he’s joined by The Fourth Doctor, played by the legendary Tom Baker.



Multi-Doctor stories are nothing new, but this is the first time these two incarnations have met and it’s absolutely joyous. There’s the standard bickering we get when two Doctors meet, however there’s more love and mutual respect between these two.

Writer Matt Fitton perfectly manages to balance the tonal difference between two entirely different eras of the show. Ten and Four bounce of each other spectacularly well. Both lead actors absolutely soar in their respective roles.

Howard Carter’s music perfectly compliments the drama, punctuating the actors performances. The supporting cast are all on top form and Nicholas Briggs takes on a dual role as actor and director, he does both with absolute vigour. This is clearly a passion project for all involved, a love letter to Doctor Who and its fans.

Out of time may well be the best multi-Doctor story yet. I can’t wait for the second and third instalments.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cast:

Listen to our podcast discussion about ‘Out of time’ here.

Doctor Who: Out of Time 1 is now available from the Big Finish website.

Big Finish review-Torchwood Soho Parasite

Since he was first introduced in 2016’s Ghost Mission, Norton Folgate (Samuel Barnett) has popped up in several Torchwood audios. His self-serving ways fast cemented him as a fan-favourite. So much so, it’s difficult to imagine the Torchwood cast without him.

In Torchwood Soho: Parasite, we catch up with Norton, as he investigates strange happenings in post-war London. There’re Nazi packages, a man who should be dead, a time-traveling pub and, Torchwood fan-favourite Sergeant Andy Davidson (Tom Price).

Writer James Goss blows me away, with each release. This is no exception. What’s interesting about this box set, is it’s comprised of six half-hour episodes. I loved this format and I hope it stays. It enables the story to be lean and flow at an incredible pace, there’s no filler here.

The story has a non-linear format, but thanks to Scott Handock’s smooth direction, you’re never lost. You know exactly where every character is and their motivations are always clear.



What can be said about Samuel Barnett and Tom Price at this point? They have such great natural chemistry, Norton and Andy are the perfect Big Finish odd-couple. It’s always a joy to hear them interact.

Rounding off the team are Torchwood new-comers, Dervla Kirwan and Joe Shire. Kirwan instantly shines as Lizabeth Hayhoe, she makes the role her own and establishes the character as a force to be reckoned with. Shire is equally charming as Gideon Lyme, a journalist, and love-interest of Norton. There’s also Belle Epoque (Franchi Webb), the immortal landlady of ‘The Stagnant Pond’ pub. All three characters are brilliant for Torchwood, I hope we see them again.

All-in-all, Torchwood Soho: Parasite is a strong release. Highly recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cast:

Torchwood-Soho: Parasite is available to purchase directly from Big Finish.



Sleuth – Act I by CWT Audios

Our very own Chris has kept himself busy during lockdown, by making an audio adaptation of Sleuth, by Anthony Shaffer.

The audio stars Chris and his ‘we sound familiar’ co-host, Elliott Crossley.

Chris plays the role of Andrew Wyke, whilst Elliot plays the role of Milo Tindle.

The plot revolves around young Milo Tindle being invited to the manor of his lover’s husband and crime novelist, Andrew Wyke, to bury the hatchet, a criminal plan is hatched, but is it all part of some deadly game?

The audio is totally free and can be watched on YouTube or downloaded via band camp.

Produced for entertainment purposes only, independently of the Estate of Anthony Shaffer. No profit is being made from this production.

New Trailer! Doctor Who Time Lord Victorious #1! Tenth Doctor! Daleks!

Time Lord victorious, is a thrilling new multi-platform adventure for the Tenth Doctor (as played by fan-favorite David Tennant) that sees the shocking return of his deadliest enemies: the Daleks! But things aren’t what they seem – time is all wrong, and something is coming that terrifies even the Daleks…

The first of two oversized issues kicking off the BBC’s highly anticipated multi-platform Doctor Who epic, Time Lord Victorious!