Doctor Who: The Rebel Flesh (Review)

A solar tsunami sends the Doctor, Amy and Rory, within the TARDIS, to a futuristic factory where doppelgangers are being used to mine dangerous acid...

This was an enjoyable episode, even though it felt as though not much happened. But there was some great exploration of relationships between the three core characters, as well as great introductions setting up the characters of the miners working in the factory so that we, as an audience, can relate and maybe even care about their fate.
I'm still absolutely loving all the mystery, with all its accompanying "clues" and/or "red herrings":

• The "Doctor's death" - does he die? Who shot him..?
• Amy's negative/positive pregnancy scan - what's going on..?
• And; Who is the eye-patch woman..?

The interactions between Rory and Jennifer, and those between the Doctor and Cleaves, struck me as the most interesting. The development of each of these relationships made the recently introduced characters (Jennifer and Cleaves) easier to relate to.

Interestingly, the Doctor seemed to know more than he was letting on in terms of his knowledge of the acid being mined, which was then being used to create the doppelgangers from a technology referred to as "the flesh". He referred to the flesh as "the technology."

I thought this was an entertaining episode and I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen next time.

Could the intriguing cliffhanger ending have anything to do with the Doctor being shot on the beach..?

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Wife (Review)

The TARDIS matrix (it's soul) is pulled into a human body and she finally meets her "thief" face-to-face...

The fourth episode in the sixth series of Doctor Who 'The Doctor's Wife' was alive with references to the series' themes and mysteries, so it probably would have been really difficult to not pay attention.

I'm almost certain there were many red herrings amongst the "clues" we were given, but I'm completely uncertain which of the "clues" could have been aimed at throwing the viewer off course. As I've mentioned before, I love mystery, and good writing would have all questions answered in the end - which I'm more than confident will happen in the case of this series of Doctor Who (albeit probably a few loose ends to tie-over until next series).


The transportation of the Doctor's TARDIS matrix into a human body brought us wonderful interactions (and flirtations) between the Doctor and his TARDIS in human form, played by Suranne Jones, as Idris, or 'Sexy' (his name for the TARDIS when they're alone). The inevitable parting of the Doctor and Idris made the exploration of their relationship rather poignant.


There were many moments to love within the episode; for example, Idris telling the Doctor 'I always took you where you needed to go' and her referral to him as her 'thief'.


Amy's pregnancy is a complete mystery; with the "negative/positive" scan, Amy being kidnapped by the Silence, and, now, possibly, the Doctor and his TARDIS planning to make it possible for them to interact again..?

Idris's expression becomes thoughtful when the Doctor tells her 'We are going to build a TARDIS.'

The Doctor also mentions to her, 'Wouldn't it be amazing if we could always talk, even when you're stuck inside the box?!' 

Was this a clue or possibly a "red herring"?


House messing with Amy's head, and making her believe Rory was dead (again) was fun. I also thought both Amy and Rory running from House was fun. These two are easily my favourite companions since the 2005 reboot.


Overall, the episode was highly enjoyable, and fun. I thought the Doctor's TARDIS in human form was brilliant. And; as Idris's body burnt-out, I felt genuinely sad the Doctor would never be able to interact with her again...

Doctor Who: The Curse of the Black Spot (Review)

The Doctor, Amy and Rory find themselves stuck on a pirate ship...

The third episode of series six of the BBC's Doctor Who felt a little flat if I'm being perfectly honest.

The episode felt a bit too much like filler - killing time so that no mystery can be solved too soon -, which can be great, but with so many question having been raised so far, I suspect this may have left the viewer feeling impatient and perhaps a little bored.

The second appearance of the behind-a-hatch, with-an-eye-patch lady was, for me certainly, the most interesting part of the episode. Who is this woman?

The theme of reflections and "mirror-universes" felt significant and relevant to the rest of series six, but how it is relevant remains unclear.

Although I did enjoy parts, such as Amy dressing-up as a pirate and I know it was meant to be fun, but the plot of the episode felt a bit silly. And with minimal references to the overlying themes and mysteries I found myself becoming slightly bored at times.

The Curse of the Black Spot has not been my favorite episode of the series so far, but it was still a great (almost) hour of television.

Doctor Who: Day of the Moon (Review)

Day of the Moon was the second half of the opening two-part episodes in series six of the BBC's Doctor Who...

Episode two of series six of Doctor Who - Day of the Moon - added more questions to the viewers mind, whilst the already existing questions remain all but answered.

Is Amy pregnant, or not?

Who is the little girl?

Who was in the spacesuit, and who shot the Doctor?

Also; who was the eye-patch lady behind the hatch? 

All of the "clues" and possible red herrings left me confused, but most certainly intrigued.


I loved the interactions between the Doctor and River in this episode. And wouldn't be completely opposed to a romantic type relationship between these two characters.

The Doctor's "You've just ordered your own execution" speech was brilliant and fun, especially when he follows the speech with "Oops. Run. Guys, I mean us, run!"

Day of the Moon posed many more questions and answered none, but I do love a mystery!

Anyway, I'm off to paint my walls "TARDIS blue..."

Doctor Who: The Impossible Astronaut (A Review)

Early yesterday evening the first episode in the sixth series of Doctor Who aired on BBC1 - The Impossible Astronaut - the first of a two-parter...

Last night's episode of Doctor Who, TIA, made me emit so many audible gasps one could be forgiven for thinking I was having serious trouble breathing. The Silents/Silence literally had me whimpering - in fact, if my sofa wasn't right up against the wall, I would have been well and truly behind it!

The comedy and the dark elements of the episode felt well-balanced. The episodes opening sequence - scenes of the Doctor (Matt Smith) drawing attention to himself through history - made me chuckle, but the apparent significance of the sequence wasn't lost, even if I'm still not entirely sure of the significance of everything that happened.

As for the darker elements of the episode - The Silence - were very creepy. Seeing this alien for the first time was a real treat as they did look intense; but, like every great Doctor Who monster, it's the psychology of the way this Who villain affects the Doctor, his companions and the Whoniverse as a whole which I find the most unsettling (in a good way!).

Steven Moffat seems to have a penchant for creating fantastically scary Who monsters/villains: the Vashta Nerada, Weeping Angels and gas-mask children - all of which give me the chills more than any horror movie ever could!

Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) work brilliantly alongside The Doctor. Amy is still a bit of an enigma, which - for me - makes her character all the more intriguing; and her flaws make her a character who isn't completely unrelatable. The increased involvement of Rory as a companion pleases me to no end as I feel he brings the heart to the group dynamic.

Smith is brilliant as the Doctor; he had me convinced he's an alien, a Timelord, The Doctor(!), less than five minutes into The Eleventh Hour - his performance as an alien from Gallifrey has not failed to impress me since. His performance in The Impossible Astronaut was, in my opinion, consistently first-rate. Smith showed his range, going from being slightly goofy and pulling off the more slapstick elements, to being serious and cold with River (Alex Kingston) in the TARDIS when she asks for his trust and he responds to by inquiring into who she really is.

Mind you, when it comes to the question: Who is River Song? I would give my right arm to know the answer! But, as it stands, I wont have to do that, so I'll keep watching and wait patiently as the mystery of River starts to become clear.

All-in-all, I would have to say that I thought TIA was a great series opener and a fantastic opener for a two-part episode. It raised many questions, and answered very little - this, coupled with the teases of what's to come, have certainly wet my appetite for more!

Roll on part two, Day of the Moon!!!

Day of the Moon airs on BBC One at 6pm BST/GMT+1 Saturday 30th April 2011.

Free Your Mind: Should interviewer have given Charlie Sheen "bipol...

Unfortunately, I haven't blogged on here for ages. But I'll be back to it very soon! Promise.

And when I do start blogging about film and television on here again, it's going to be even better! (Certainly couldn't be any worse, could it?)

No matter.

In the meantime, I present for your scrutiny the most read post from my mental health anti-stigma campaign Free Your Mind's blog.

My views on the "irresponsible" Sheen interview(s) - my blog post focuses on just one interview, but my viewpoint could be applied across the board to all of the interviews - along with other non-Sheen related issues. Why not have a look. Hopefully you'll get what I'm jabbering on about...

Nicola Edwards

Free Your Mind: Should interviewer have given Charlie Sheen "bipol...: "Recent events involving Charlie Sheen have really disturbed me - when I say this I am actually talking about not only the media treatment of..."

What a Frightening Sight! Part Two.

Titch-Films

Hello guys and ghouls, and welcome back to a SELECTION of some of my favourite horror films. My movie picks may not be the best, they may not even be scary, but I am almost certain they will entertain.

We begin with...

Scream (1996)
One of director Wes Craven's slasher classics in which a serial killer is stalking a group of teenagers in the same way as in a horror film.

This film is guaranteed to make you both jump and laugh. For me, personally, Scream is one of the best slashers out there.

Trick 'r Treat (2007)
This movie features four interwoven stories that take place on Halloween: A woman who hates Halloween has to deal with her husband who is obsessed with the holiday; an ordinary high school principal leads a secret life as a serial killer; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a college virgin may have found the man she has been waiting for.

Trick 'r Treat pokes fun at the horror genre, and finds success in delivering the laughs.

Pontypool (2008)
A psychological thriller in which a deadly virus infects the inhabitants of a small Ontario town called Pontypool.

Most of the action takes place inside a radio station studio; as the story unfolds for the characters, it does so for the audience at the same time. This film will have you with the characters and impending danger right until the very end.

Cube (1997)
Before there was Saw, there was Cube.


Seven total strangers with widely varying personality traits are involuntarily placed in an endless Kafkaesque maze containing deadly traps.

Yes there is blood and gore, but there is also plot and story. Believe me, this movie will keep you gripped.

Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010)
I'll probably be slated for sneaking the third Lost Boys into my favourites, but that's my decision and I'm sticking with it.

Why?

One word.

Fun.

If you don't believe me, see for yourself.

Resident Evil (2002)
Based on a computer game, Resident Evil is about a special military unit sent to fight a powerful and out-of-control supercomputer, as well as hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.

Pounding soundtrack. Zombies being blown to pieces. Pure adrenaline rush!

I hope I've inspired you if you're planning to hide behind the sofa this Halloween.

What did you think of my picks? Which ones were hit? And, which ones were a miss?

Read PART ONE.