| Author | Message | ||
     John_l_probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 90.208.48.118 |
I never,ever thought I would say this, especially with the second series being as crap (if not worse) than the first, but... I've just seen last week's Torchwood and it was bloody brilliant. As if it had been made by different people. I don't quite know where to start but we have a shapeshifting alien that resembles a Lamberto Bava 'Demon', an alien pregnancy in a lead character who's getting married, buckets of mayhem at the wedding as the monster turns up to get its baby back and just when you think things can't get any better the groom has to fight Nerys Hughes with a chainsaw. Anyone else see it or did I dream it? | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.70.71.67 |
I did John, and indeed it was fun. | ||
| Mick (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.157.95.136 |
I did see it, John - and agree with you. However, if I'd not seen it, your line:- and just when you think things can't get any better the groom has to fight Nerys Hughes with a chainsaw. Would REALLY make me wish I had! | ||
| Stephen Melling (Steve_melling) Username: Steve_melling Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 87.113.23.170 |
Chainsaw? Someone say....chainsaw? | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 83.98.9.4 |
I was worried this was going to be a carbon copy of the first Cordelia Mystic pregnancy plot from Angel. I was very pleasantly surprised when it wasn't. It was indeed a great episode. The second ever Torchwood was a complete rip from the second ever Angel with a demon/alien that transfers from one host to the next when they have sex. Angel did it really well, Torchwood did it so adolescent it was almost embarassing to watch. We really didn't need to see the security guard with his hand down his pants watching the couple on the video camera. It added nothing to the show and was totally unnecessary. | ||
| Huw (Huw) Username: Huw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 218.168.179.239 |
God yes, that episode was awful, wasn't it? Glad to hear the latest one was better. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 83.98.9.4 |
Anyone like last night's Torchwood? Me thought it were quite creepy. Me liked. | ||
| Albie (Albie) Username: Albie Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.195.236.131 |
I despised it.  Maybe it's just me but are these the right people to be messing with horror? I say kill them. Poor P J Hammond. We'll always have "The Man Without a Face". | ||
| Jonathan (Jonathan) Username: Jonathan Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.143.178.131 |
It was a big steaming pile of shit. Chooses to rip of Bradbury and then does nothing new with his idea. The fact that the mystery wasn't explained didn't deepen it, it showed that the writer had no idea of how to end his story or give it depth. | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.70.94.94 |
Last night's episode irritated the life out of me. Quite right Jonathan and Captain Jack isn't mysterious either - just slack. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 83.98.9.4 |
In what way did it rip off Bradbury? the mysterious carnival? I'm fairly certain that was an old idea when Bradbury used it. I don't remember the stealing breath idea being in Something Wicked - stealing age and life but not breath (best use ever of the idea that I've seen an extraordinarily good short story by Charlie Grant - The Gentle Passing of a Hand). There are only so many storylines possible. It's the way you combine and present the ideas. I don't think that, "I've seen this before in such and such a story" is a worthwhile criticism. I thought it was a nicely done creepy little story. Last weeks episode - which people liked, had Lamberto Bava demons, shapeshifters, mystical preganancies, and chainsaw attacks. Not much originality there either but high praise from several bods here. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 83.98.9.4 |
You might as well say - Someone got kidnapped in that - the writer's ripping off RL Stevenson. Ooh look, someone falls in love - the writer's ripping off Shakespeare. There's a time machine - theyre ripping off HG Wells. Just saying I've seen this plot detail before in something else is not a valid criticism. | ||
| Jonathan (Jonathan) Username: Jonathan Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.143.178.131 |
Tell you what Weber. How about you try to phrase that less aggressively and I might be prepared to have a discussion. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 83.98.9.4 |
I'm at work when I post here. I have to be as brief as I can. Sometimes that can be taken for aggression. It's not intentional (for the most part, depends how well my day's going...) | ||
| Mick (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.159.143.164 |
I quite liked the fairground one - started spookily enough, although it worsened as the show went on. I'm watching these on Beeb3 so I'm a week ahead so far. Plus, they're moving to friday night from this week, so an ep last night and the next tomorrow. Ah well, it'll be all over soon. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
TORCHWOOD DECLASSIFIED, alas, managed to refrain from mentioning Bradbury once. I do believe they thought they were being original. I do think they've been trying this series, though. Improvement has been there. Though OWen being dead and still ont he go is rubbish. The dfact he couldn't give someone the kiss of life the other week and then sighed lamenting the fact cos he'd got no breath could be the funniest thing on TV this year . . . but it's trying. | ||
| Albie (Albie) Username: Albie Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.195.236.131 |
In fact his breath would have been even better for the dying man, because he would be breathing out air rather than mostly co2. Assuming that's how he works. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
He was in the CURSE OF STEPTOE the other night, wearing what I assume was a stuck on beard . . . | ||
| John_l_probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 90.208.214.50 |
Just seen the 'carnival' episode and I can't honestly say I thought it was influenced by Ray Bradbury's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' any more that My Chemical Romance's 'The Black Parade' is. Apart from the odd instance of some very lazy writing I thought it was an above par Torchwood with some fun ideas suffereing the usual poor development and being inadequately followed through. Ie still crap and a bit of a comedown after the delirious pleasures of last week. Besides, we only watch it here at Probert Towers to spot the Welsh locations. This week's hospital looked like Barry Out-Patients Dept to us | ||
| Mick (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.154.242.140 |
You wait 'til the next episode John... It's a "let's see how we all joined Torchwood" round robin, and is the usual poor fare. | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 83.98.9.4 |
Hi all, after a weekend away from the interweb I've decided I'm going to withdraw the half-apology I made. After all the post I was replying to did start with the phrase "It was a big steaming pile of shit" which is more aggressive than anything I said. And I was making a valid point, apart from the mysterious carnival- what was the Bradbury link? There was no mysterious merry-go-round to make people age or get younger depending on if it was ridden backwards or forwards or any of the other ideas from STTWC. If I set a story in a hotel, I'm not ripping off the the Shining. | ||
| Jonathan (Jonathan) Username: Jonathan Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.143.178.131 |
I'm not getting into a petty net argument. I apologise if I offended you. My original post was not personally aimed at you. J | ||
| Albie (Albie) Username: Albie Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.195.236.131 |
Weber. We weren't calling you a pile of shit. Unless your real name is P J Hammond. I know what it's like when someone dumps on something that works for you. As if anyone here knows what makes good horror. We'd all be millionaires. And it wasn't necessarily based on Bradbury. It could just have easily been inspired by Papa Lazarou and gang. And where did Bradbury get the idea from? Actual circus ringmasters and barkers? Did Bradbury make them scary or were they already scary? Who made clowns scary? Spiders? Skulls? tampax? I myself have never read Bradbury. I think he's baby shite.  | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.240.83 |
Lynchy - what did you make of THE CURSE OF STEPTOE? I've just watched it, and thought it was very good. I didn't realise Harry H. Corbett was such a highly regarded stage actor; nor did I realise Wilfred Bramble was gay. Fascinating stuff. Along with Porridge, Steptoe was the greatest sitcom of them all... | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.240.83 |
baby shite?  | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
Alas, I only saw a little of it, Zed. But what I did see was very good. It's Hancock this next time. Ken Stott's having a crack at playing him. Could be funny, as he tends to slip into his normal accent when he tries to play non-Scottish. He was a very Scottish Russian, a la Sean Connery, in a recent movie. And I wonder if in the one starring Trevor Eve, as Hughie Green is it? I forget his name. But I wonder if it will feature his Roswell UFO story. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.240.83 |
Which night are these on? I'll have to make sure I don't miss 'em. Hopefully the wife set a series-link of Sky+. | ||
| Mick (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.161.175.8 |
THE CURSE OF STEPTOE was very good - I thought Philip Davis was as excellent as he always is. Nice to see someone playing the wonderful Sheila Steafel in it, although the production made no attempt at getting the actress who played Steafel to look anything like her, unlike the main two characters. I'm looking forward to the Stott programme, being somewhat of a Hancock obsessive! | ||
| Mick (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.161.175.8 |
Which night are these on? I'll have to make sure I don't miss 'em. Hopefully the wife set a series-link of Sky+. Wednesday 9pm BBC4 matey. | ||
| Mick (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.161.175.8 |
...and I'm not 100% sure series link will get them as they appear to be being broadcast as a series of unconnected films., | ||
| Mick (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.161.175.8 |
...except they seem to be under the "Curse of Comedy" heading so you may be ok:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/curseofcomedy/ | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.240.83 |
Cheers, Mick! Philip Davis (AKA: Yeti) is great, isn't he? | ||
| Mick (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.161.175.8 |
He is - I tend to associate him with Mike Leigh - I first saw him in GROWNUPS and then again a few years later in HIGH HOPES, but he's always watchable - loved him in BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS f'rinstance, and you're obviously a fan of THE FIRM - a film that stars Gary Oldman, Lesley Manville - two other folk I associate with Leigh. "Oi! Prat!" | ||
| Allybird (Allybird) Username: Allybird Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 79.70.62.32 |
I'm 20 mins into the penultimate story and now we get the backstories - if we had them at the beginning we pehaps could have identified with it more. | ||
| Zed (Gary_mc) Username: Gary_mc Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.96.240.83 |
I must admit, I've watched none of the current series of TORCHWOOD. The episodes I veiwed from the first series were enoug to convince me that it's rubbish. Oh, hang on, I caught one episode this season, and, yes, it was crap. | ||
| Griff (Griff) Username: Griff Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.100 |
John Barrowman gets his todger out on set apparantly. Also Billy Pipers pet name for the current Dr Who was TeninchTennant  | ||
| Albie (Albie) Username: Albie Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.195.236.131 |
My name for her is hamster make-up face. | ||
| Griff (Griff) Username: Griff Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.93.21.100 |
Albie, I salute you! | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
Ha! I've just seen that the guy who plays Owen Parsonstein (or did) is called Burn Gorman. Man, can you imagine booking something over the phone with that name: "And who would your partner be tonight, Mister Gorman -- Dale Arden?" Spoilers: Anyway, TORCHWOOD ended last night. Captain Jack was buried for nearly two thousand years but his clothes stood up pretty well, all things considered. Toshiko died and finally got around to doing some acting; Owen died too, again, but decided to pass on the acting and just shouted a bit. But it should get another seires, I think. It's trying. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.44.101.203 |
I thought the last one was very good. Lump in the throat stuff, more moving than the last thirty years of, say, Corrie (not difficult, I know). Best ep in the series - which has been, admittedly, patchy, but like you say, it has heart. | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
I think it deserves another series. And the last episode was better than last night's WHO, I thought. | ||
| Mick Curtis (Mick) Username: Mick Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.168.56.80 |
Do you think it will get another though? There was none of the usual "Torchwood will be returning in a new series in the Autumn" at the end, plus... +++++++++++SPOILER++++++++++++ ...two major characters gone as well... | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
>>Do you think it will get another though? Dunno. The first series got better viewing figures in the US than DR WHO did, so if the second does as well, I'd guess so. John Barrowman's doing a lot of dodgy game show things at the moment, though. So maybe he's not expecting . . . | ||
| John_l_probert (John_l_probert) Username: John_l_probert Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 90.208.214.26 |
Well I don't know. When the lady announcer said 'and now for the final shocking episode of TORCHWOOD' all I could think was that the series as a whole has been pretty bloody shocking. I remember reading somewhere that the last refuge of a tired imagination is to blow things up and we get it here in the first few minutes. To be honest the premise wasn't at all bad but Chris Chibnall desperately needs to read a manual on storytelling because the dynamics of much of this were so wrong that there were a lot of missed opportunities. Could I really be bothered with another series? At the moment I'm not sure | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.74.96.200 |
But there might be another godzilla type monster at the end of the next series, Lord P . . . | ||
| Stu (Stu) Username: Stu Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 86.29.96.160 |
Season 2 of Torchwood was much better than the couple of eps I saw of Season 1. That said, it's still a bit ropey. But if each new series is an improvement on what has gone before it may eventually turn into something decent. I think part of the problem is that different people want different things from the show. Some people just want dumb fun whereas some people want it to actually take its SF scenarios seriously. This schism seems to apply to both the viewing public and the show's creators. Personally, I'd like to see them stop doing bad rip-offs of Buffy and Angel and do something original. | ||
| Albie (Albie) Username: Albie Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 195.195.236.131 |
I'd like to see some women running in sensible shoes for a change. | ||
| Stu (Stu) Username: Stu Registered: 04-2008 Posted From: 86.29.96.160 |
With Torchwood they'd probably keep the women in high heels but make the men wear them as well. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.168.4.162 |
Been rewatching Torchwood over the past few weeks - series one - and think time has been ultimately kind to it. Every episode i've watched has been better than the first time. I dunno what happened, maybe I watched it this time without any expectation, saw it for what it was. Now, hand on heart, at it's best it's as good as Who. Er, not joking. | ||
| Gcw (Gcw) Username: Gcw Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.145.240.86 |
NO! gcw  | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.121.214.11 |
I agree with Tony on this one. Me no joking neither. Joking is Steven Kings son | ||
| Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston) Username: Weber_gregston Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 212.121.214.11 |
And Who at it's worst is worse than anything Torchwood has thrown at us. The Abzorbaloff episode???? | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.168.4.162 |
Yes!!!!! |