Humans

Channel 4’s new drama next week looks quite inspiring. It’s all about synthetic humans in the regular household; designed to complete domestic tasks. It will be interesting to see just how much labour the machine is asked to undertake. The robotic slave is the next step in our future for the rich elite; but it is doubtful that the common man can afford one as what we witness here. Perhaps that’s a reason for them to take over by making them so readily available. Will the machines copy the humans by creating relationships of their own; with either each other or other desperate humans? There’s a lot of ways in which this storyline can move forward; the machines could just destroy our own relationships or go further and annilate us for the domination of the planet. It will also be interesting to witness Catherine Parkinson in a new domestic role; her next major appearance since the IT crowd.

Battle Los Angelos

At first glance; this film doesn’t offer much in the way of a storyline. There’s a war in Los Angeles; with aliens who are attempting to colonise our planet with tech that’s quite similar to our own. There’s little in the way of a background plotline; it’s all done through speculations by the media, and there are no presidents hiding in bunkers making heroic plans. It’s actually a tale of heroic bravery; showing that despite conflict within the squadron; people really can pull together to save the day and get the job done. It’s all about the marines doing what they can and never giving up despite the odds. There is loss and the depravity of human nature looking to blame each other; which comes up in a strange climax before the end of the final scene. But if the aliens were exchanged for a realistic enemy alongside a more topical battlefield, this would actually make a good film. Because marines don’t quit.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The books are getting bigger, but Rowling’s Premier wizard is still as novel as ever. After an entertaining and scary prologue where we witness Voldermort making his plans for his return to a physical form, Rowling treats us to an entertaining  look into the muggle world from a wizarding point of view. There’s also high school rivalary aplenty as Harry and Ron struggle to cope with the pressures put upon them by the wizarding world, and indeed their friendship is tested once again. The Death Eaters are introduced as they re-emerge to seek their Dark Lord in their attempt to gain power in the world. The climax to the story is again wonderfully inventive, and no-one would suspect the final outcome; simply because of the novel ways in which Rowling’s characters utilise their magic to get the job done. And of course, as well as the detective moments; there’s also plenty of action as Harry battles to survive in the Tri-Wizard tournament.

Good Bottled Beer Guide

It’s great to see the expanding range of beers in our country. But bottled beer is a difficult one. Bright beer has a very low shelf life, making it easy to take round to a friend’s house to enjoy is of course the most versatile of choices; but instead Evans has chosen to limit his selection to bottle conditioned beer. The text itself is mostly a list of what Evans has drunk this year; and there is very little in the storytelling of each beer as the jacket suggests. Neither does Evans supply any personal recommendations. To be perfectly honest; you may as well buy the Good Beer Guide instead as it will tell you the exact same thing; and you can always get in touch with the brewer or a wholesaler to see if bottles are available. Hopefully this guide will be more useful in future editions; perhaps with a more robust guide to on-line retailers or wholesalers available which can be recommended.

In Cold Blood

Dawson’s first outing with Beatrix Rose is gripping yet mesmerising; but also unbelievable. She faces astronomical odds in her encounters with the enemy, and we are given little background material to come to terms with the skills that she is blessed with in order to survive. We are thrust into the plot line of what could be her final hour as she battles with her terminal illness; and that's just alongside the combative action we witness in this title. I also felt that this was way too short to be a stand-alone novel; in that there so many unanswered questions to Beatrix’s background. If this book was to made into a film (and I sincerely hope so; there are loads of action sequences here); it would only last about half an hour. However, the real time information and pace of the narrative is so detailed that it really is addictive. More please. 

Scavengers Space Finale Part 1

Just before the clock reached zero, a screen flickered on a console near the end of the viewing platform to reveal Kent Brockman, the fictional  newsreader from the Simpsons.

‘We interrupt this world domination takeover to bring you this breaking announcement.’ The screen went blank as the opening words of Donna Summer’s ‘I love you always forever’ plays through the speakers. Flint looked round the room at his commanding officers, baffled. They returned the gesture; shrugging their shoulders right back at him. At the words ‘Discovering You’, a single message in a small white font is displayed on the screen. It reads simply; Scavengers Rule.

Through the window into the depths of space, lights flicker on to reveal a long oval-shaped silver zeppelin with large wings and fins. However, Flint’s attention is focused on his cydroids as their feet have started to tap in time with the bass line of the music.

Frasier

I do enjoy watching Fraser but it does have its ups and downs. I prefer the situational comedy that the characters get into rather than the reflective monologues that occur more often. It’s often a self-centred comedy about its chief character and his quest to be a desirable Ladies man rather than of a radio psychiatrist. There are some classic moments that I love such as throwing his father’s chair out of his apartment building or refusing to pay the two dollar parking toll after three minutes of parking. My absolute favourite moment has to be when the brothers agree to open their own restaurant. I think that one of my main problems is that I always watch each episode out of perspective; so I am never aware of which timeline each plot relates to. I have absolutely no idea as to how the series concludes. One day I shall have to watch it from scratch and get my head round it.