DVDs I Got For Christmas 2010

Just finished unwrapping my Christmas presents which included some DVDs. Love getting DVDs!

Doctor Who - Kamelion Tales I love my Doctor Who and the two stories contained in this set (Planet of Fire and The King's Demons) are two that I've not seen since they were originally transmitted. Planet of Fire marked Nicola Bryant's debut in the show and this set also includes a special edition of this story. I liked Peter Davison as the Doctor and I hope he takes part in the audio commentaries: he's usually good value in them.

Being Human (Series One) and Being Human (Series Two) 
I had mentioned these show in my review for the SFX Vampire Special magazine earlier this year. However, I'd not previously seen the programme. To put that right, I rented both series, but my series two experience was ruined because the second episode would not play properly (the disc was very badly scuffed). I knew enough by that time, though, that this would be a show that I could happily watch again. And now, thanks to my generous brother, I can!

DVD Review - Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide

I originally posted this review on the Killer Reviews website, but they recently removed their movie reviews forums. So, for what it's worth, I thought my review may as well live on here . . .


Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide contains three DVDs with material as follows:

Disc One: A documentary about the video nasty controversy. This has a running time of approximately 72 minutes. There are also 50 minutes of company idents which will give some of us UK citizens of a certain age pangs of nostalgia. This disc ends with an image gallery containing cover art of the 80 titles that were on the Department of Public Prosecution’s section three list. These films were not liable for prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act, but they could be seized by the police. Some of the titles on this list were: The Hills Have Eyes, Friday 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Zombies: Dawn of the Dead.

Disc Two: Introductions and trailers from the 39 “nasties” that were successfully prosecuted in the UK courts and deemed liable to deprave and corrupt. Anyone found supplying these titles could face a fine or a prison sentence. Some of the titles on this list were: Cannibal Holocaust, I Spit on Your Grave, The Burning and Driller Killer. The running time for this section is approximately 4 hours and there’s an option to view the trailers only. There’s also an image gallery containing cover art for the 39 titles.

Recent DVD Buys

Here are some recent DVD buys that I've added to my collection.

The Human Centipede is a film that I enjoyed much more than I thought I would. It's one of those films that I think I'll watch over and over. Dieter Laser gives a fabulous performance as the misanthropic surgeon whose motivations are a little cloudy. Given the film's advance publicity, I'd convinced myself that it was going to be a mindless tale of tasteless excess. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I think some may be disappointed with how clean the whole thing looks.


Splintered is a the first full-length feature from director, Simeon Halligan. It's a British film that is part teen-slasher movie and part psychological horror. A low-budget affair with a talented cast, it does what it does very well. The basic storyline is that late-teen, Sophie and a group of friends go to rural North Wales where a mysterious creature is allegedly on the prowl. While on its trail, Sophie comes upon an abandoned building where she is captured and held in a cell by a strange man who claims he has locked her up for her own safety. Unfortunately, too much of the film takes place in darkness and the twist in the tale is a little disappointing. It's worth seeing, but it's a DVD that you'd probably rather rent than buy. 

Audiobook Review: Doctor Who - The Ring of Steel by Stephen Cole

Doctor Who - The Ring of Steel by Stephen Cole (Rating: 3/5)

The Doctor and Amy arrive on Orkney in the near future. The locals are involved in a protest against a power generating company over the erection of unsightly electricity pylons. As it turns out, these are no ordinary pylons and this is no ordinary power company. At the protest site, the road ruptures for no apparent reason, swallowing several demonstrators into the resulting chasm. Amy and the Doctor are separated by this incident. To make things worse, the pylons are coming to life . . .

Arthur Darvill’s steady yet compelling delivery of Stephen Cole’s prose is one of the highlights of this release. He certainly has some fun with the Scottish accents that, given the story’s location, are to the fore. He is also spot-on with the eleventh Doctor’s manner of speech. The descriptive prose is nicely evoked with plenty of alliterative phrases adding to the pleasing narration. The sound effects that accompany the narration give the story some additional oomph without becoming overbearing to the listener.

Book Review: Doctor Who - Nuclear Time by Oli Smith

Doctor Who - Nuclear Time by Oli Smith (Rating 2/5)

I read this novel twice. This was not because I enjoyed it so much that I had to go back for a second helping, though. No, the reason for the repeat was that I found the narrative too complicated to cope with first time around. Unfortunately, the second attempt proved to be just as confusing. The source of my bewilderment is the Doctor’s yo-yo time line in this story.

Now, I know that this novel has received a good number of favourable reviews, and I’m perfectly happy to accept that the fault for my bemusement is my own: plenty of other readers have not had a problem with the story’s non-linear structure.

Magazine Review: SFX Special Edition - Vampires the Ultimate Undead Celebration

SFX Vampires - Front

“Any money left after buying this magazine?” Well, considering that this tasty offering will set you back almost £8, it’s a fair question. It’s asked on a page of this magazine which gives examples of the sort of vampire merchandise you may be interested in. A vampire Willow figure, perhaps? Or what about a Bela Lugosi Dracula figure? I believe the price of the usual monthly SFX magazine is £3.99.  Perhaps the doubled price for this special is because of the plethora of free gifts that accompany this publication.

SFX Vampires - Back

SFX Vampires Magazine

Being Human Coasters

Classic Vampire Tales

Vampire Lovers Poster

In all fairness, this is an attractive package. The sturdy card envelope contains the magazine, a book and some poster art - all good. The stuff that I could have done without are four rather cheap-looking coasters featuring portrait art of the characters from Being Human, and a coffin which you can assemble from pop-out cardboard, “If one of your Star Wars figures is looking a bit worse for wear why not put him or her in their very own little coffin?” the magazine asks. But, really, why would you? The free book is a collection of short stories about vampires and is a little over 100 pages in length. Amongst the writers in this collection are HP Lovecraft, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker. As I mentioned earlier, there is also some poster art. It’s double-sided, too. One side features artwork from Hammer’s Vampire Lovers which I like very much. The other side has artwork for True Blood.

Book Review: Doctor Who - The King's Dragon by Una McCormack

Doctor Who - The King's Dragon by Una McCormack (Rating: 4/5)


The pre-industrial city of Geath comes as something of a surprise to Amy. Her preconception about alien planets is that they come complete with flying cars and rockets. The Doctor is surprised for another reason. Geath is famed for its hospitality towards strangers, but when they arrive at the city’s gated entrance, the Doctor, Amy and Rory find it locked. However, our heroic trio gain access thanks to the always handy psychic paper.

Inside the city, the Doctor receives another bolt from the blue. Geath’s fiercely democratic traditions have been usurped by the arrival of a king. And with the king comes a golden statue of a dragon. It soon becomes apparent that this dragon is the cause of Geath’s new introspection. The dragon emits an illicit substance called Enamour: a spangly material that induces feelings of wealth and well-being in its owners.

Magazine Review: DVD & Blu-Ray World (issue 86)

DVD & Blu-Ray World Magazine issue#86

DVD & Blu-Ray World is my favourite magazine, and, although I don’t have a subscription with it, I rarely miss an issue. It’s a magazine that mostly focuses on horror, exploitation and adult films. Reviews of anime DVDs, games and martial arts films can also be found regularly within its pages. I suppose it’s fair to say that the subject matter usually leans towards films that would appeal more to men than women. DVD & Blu-Ray World usually has a free DVD with the magazine although it has been published on a number of occasions as a magazine only. Last year, for example, a couple of issues came out at a lower price without a DVD. However, this proved to be an unpopular move and the DVD was reinstated with issue 77 and each subsequent issue has had a DVD with the magazine.

Recent Book and Magazine Buys

I admit it: I’m addicted to buying books and DVDs. One of this blog’s uses will be as a kind of shopping diary. This entry is for some of my recent book and magazine buys. Buying these books and magazines doesn’t necessarily mean they will get read anytime soon. Like most book buying addicts, I have a mountain of a “to be read” pile.

DOCTOR WHO - THE KING’S DRAGON by Una McCormack

I have read this novel and I thought it was pretty good. A review is imminent. The Doctor, Amy and Rory visit Geath, a town and pre-industrial society on an alien planet. Geath is known for its hospitality, so the Doctor is surprised to find the town locked. Furthermore, the inhabitants' fabled hospitality seem to have been replaced by materialism.

DOCTOR WHO - NUCLEAR TIME by Oli Smith

A tale of androids, nuclear attack and weird timelines. The reviews I’ve read have been favourable, but I have to confess that on first reading I didn’t enjoy this novel very much. However, this maybe my fault because I read it in very small chunks over several evenings. I think this is a story that needs more concentration than I have given it, so I am currently re-reading this book.

DOCTOR WHO - THE GLAMOUR CHASE by Gary Russell

I haven’t read this yet, but Gary Russell usually delivers the goods with his Doctor Who novels. The plot involves an archaeological dig in 1936 that unearths relics from another planet. But why has Rory never heard of this momentous event? And why does Amy suddenly think the Doctor comes from Mars? Sounds intriguing and I’m looking forward to reading this.

STEPHEN ROMANO’S SHOCK FESTIVAL

“One hundred and one of the strangest, sleaziest, most outrageous movies you’ve never seen.” The reason you’ve never seen them is that they don’t exist! Full of fabulous poster art and text for a ton of non-existant exploitation films, this is a big (too big to fit properly in my bookcase), heavy tome. A DVD set featuring mock trailers for these gems is also available. Some examples of the titles found within this book’s pages are: They Made Me - “Sweet Cindy was an innocent teenage runaway. She was about to learn the facts of life the hard way from the Sisterhood of the Scar!” Then there’s Inferno of the Nazi Witch Hunters - “The hell of the Third Reich is about to get a lot hotter.” And who wouldn’t want to see a film called Berserk Joe and Unfriendly Flo?

What I Bought at the LFCC

My recent visit to the London Film and Comic Con at Earl’s Court yielded these goodies.

Road Closed, Leigh Russell’s second crime novel featuring DI Geraldine Steel. I’d already read this novel and reviewed it on Amazon about a month ago. Still, it’s always nice to have a signed copy and, as the author was at the LFCC, I was happy to buy another copy. If you’re into crime thrillers, this is highly recommended along with the author’s first novel, Cut Short.

The Skull (DVD) is a 1965 film from Amicus. Peter Cushing stars as a collector of all things occult. He gets more than he bargained for when the skull of the Marquis De Sade comes into his possession. 

Visit to the London Film and Comic Con.

Went to Earl's court at the weekend to visit the London Film and Comic Convention. As always, a large number of celebrity guests were on hand to sign autographs and have their photographs taken with fans.

In attendance were a number of actors associated with Doctor Who - Nicholas Courtney being the most well known from the classic series. The new series was not represented by any regular participants. However, Russell Tovey, who appeared in Voyage of the Damned and part two of The End of Time, was probably the most well-known among those who have appeared in the new series.

The usual array of Star Wars characters roamed around outside the hall keeping those in the queue on their toes. Inside the hall, there were plenty of fans who posed for photographs with these masked men. I'm not much of a Star Wars fan myself, so I studiously ignored these chaps.


I did not ignore Leigh Russell (left), however. She very kindly signed a copy of her latest novel, Road Closed, for me. It's a highly recommended read for those who enjoy crime thrillers, as is her first novel, Cut Short.

The First Post

Great. Just what the world needs: another blog. After all, everyone is just dying to know what I think about things.

Oh, all right, I admit it: not everyone is dying to know what I think about anything. In fact, nobody is in the slightest bit interested in knowing what I think.

But you know what I think? I think that millions of other people have blogs, so why shouldn’t I have one, too?