...and breathe

[alexsarll]

Friday: an excellent night at Black Plastic, which augstone has already written up pretty much perfectly, but then locked. Bah. A dreamlike quality to events, right from the start where I walked past the venue three times in spite of having been there before. More space than at the Star, which I know is always more of a benefit for the crowd than for the promoters, but nor did it feel empty - and crucially, of the people who were there, emphatically unlike the Star, they were all the right sort. I approve.
Saturday: out to Epping for one of the more rural Tubewalks, complete with bunnies, a friendly horse and a huge amount of butterflies. Plus, a peculiar gate, my first nettling of the year (symptoms totally eradicated by the quick application of Vaseline Intensive Care, so that's one to remember) and a fun time walking around the Theydon Bois perimeter defences. Also, did you know there are cattle grids to stop cows walking on to the the M25? Which is handy, but no obstacle to a Tubewalker (in your face, cows), so I went down and briefly stood on the M25, just because. In the evening I was planning to have a quiet night in, or maybe just the one. Or two. Or oh no, not gin too.
Sunday: a very pleasant day, but one which ended early on account of my being dead.

So, I'm assuming we've all seen the eleventh Doctor's outfit and the new companion's name now (Amy Pond? Between this and River Song, does this mean we can also expect him to meet Veronica Lake in the next historical?). But, were we all aware that Tom Baker is finally reprising the role of the Fourth Doctor in a new run of audios by Paul Magrs? And in Who related news, Sherlock Holmes (a fictional creation of Arthur Conan Doyle's inspired by his meeting with the Fourth Doctor, as well as a real person with whom the Seventh teamed up - don't ask) is getting a new TV series written by Who's Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. Only problem being, it stars the rather bland Benedict Cumberbatch and will be "remaking Holmes as a “dynamic superhero” figure" - apparently the exact same take as the forthcoming Robert Downey Jr film, but with a vastly less charismatic lead and presumably a far smaller budget. Wouldn't a more distinctive approach be a better idea?

Comments

Moo

[stu-n.livejournal.com]

I can remember seeing cows walking the wrong way down the middle lane of the M11, back in the days when there were cows in Wanstead. I miss those cows.

I rather like Benedict Cumberbatch — the blandness is more in the characters he's played than in his acting, I think. Still pointless for anyone to play Holmes while you can still see Jeremy Brett's performances, though.

Re: Moo

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The problem with something like the Rupert Graves performance is that it was essentially Jeremy Brett, But Less So. Which, yes, totally pointless. But taking an entirely different slant on the character is another matter, which is part of why I'm looking forward to the film.

I've given up on a couple of shows starring Cumberbatch but the clincher in terms of my not much liking him was South Pacific, where his voiceover was so characterless it was at times almost jarring.

Re: Moo

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

I miss those cows too. They were a big part of my childhood. if only because no one believed me for years.

There are ones near hollow ponds where neen had her party too because there used to be cows that were allowed to graze on free land. I believe this is still the case but no one feeds cows there. A lady in Cambridge has started having cows again. I vaguely have this down as a thing To Do.

Re: Moo

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Oddly, in spite of all the other animals and the grid, we did not see any actual cows.

I think scholars at come colleges were entitled to keep cows, but I never knew any who did. Maybe now home farming is more fashionable, that has changed.

Re: Moo

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

the lady was not an acidemic. she was just a lady. and she ran after cows when they escaped. Once I had to cycle over a cattle grid and I was scared of death.

I saw the horse, it seemed friendly. I want to keep chickens but I think the dog next door will be sad.

Re: Moo

[stu-n.livejournal.com]

She was an incredibly posh and rather odd lady, it has to be said.

Re: Moo

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

she was a bit nuts. I am not posh but I am a bit nuts so I think I would be good at looking after cows.

Re: Moo

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Surely cattle grids are designed to be fine for wheels? Although I think they might trap the legs not only of cows but of Martian war machines, which has to be a bonus.

I think dog would be less unhappy with chickens than with Ginny.

Re: Moo

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

yes but if I did some twisting or something I might have DIED ALEX DIED! Ahem.

Does this mean if the martians land in Wanstead I will be fine? I think this is reassuring.

I might ask the lady next door who owns betsy what she thinks. I could give the chickens names.

Re: Moo

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Such as Fillet and Nugget!

HG Wells did suggest that the Martians showed a particular tendency to land in the Home Counties, so it is worth knowing about such safe spots.

Re: Moo

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

Jeff and Angela.

Like Ben's Zombie plan video?

Re: Moo

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Sort of, though personally I would never put my preparations online in that way. After all, it's not the zombies you really have to worry about...

Re: Moo

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

who should I worry about? Alexes?

Re: Moo

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

The other survivors, generally. But not me, because I like you.

Re: Moo

[stu-n.livejournal.com]

The lady in Cambridge with the cows was on 'What To Eat Now' last week, and I was wondering whether anyone in Wanstead saw it. I'm sure there are still free grazing rights.

[xandratheblue.livejournal.com]

Eee! The next assistant looks probably hidiously young, but also, rather more importantly, utterly worth perving on! And I'm glad they changed Doctor Emo's outfit, though it is worrying close to what I consider normal streetwear. (No, I haven't been keeping up)

Sunday: Noooooo, not deaaad :(

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I'm better now.

My first thought was 'Maximo Park' but I am still repeating to myself that I trust Moffat implicitly and everything will be fine. And Karen Gillan is indeed rather pretty.

[xandratheblue.livejournal.com]

Well, at least that's got to be better than Catherine Tate who was annoying and not worth perving on.

It's not Maximon Park, it's *whisper it* deepest darkest Hoxton wear!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

But then half of the aliens in the series' history would also look quite at home in Hoxton. Especially the Movellans. (http://imdoctorwho.blogspot.com/2009/03/movellans.html)

I never considered Catherine Tate totty, but she did become considerably less annoying as the series progressed. I just hope RTD doesn't bring her back for the finale as that would totally invalidate everything done with her over the course of her season.

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

Catherine Tate was amazing in the last few episodes, I was genuinely devisated by what occured.

Am a bit concerned about RTD, he's got it in him to completely fvck everything ever up.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Likewise (on both points). But if RTD is unable to resist temptation to bring back Rose, Donna, the Slitheen et al, it will at least be made more bearable by knowing that Moffat will have the sense to move on and never, ever refer to such a clusterfvck again.

[johnny-vertigen.livejournal.com]

Always time for Gin, old boy.

I hadn't seen the 11th Doctor's outfit. He looks like a nonce, this could have potential.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

When you're a thousand years old and the last of your species, surely it's all cradlesnatching unless you finally give in to Captain Jack's advances?

[missfrost.livejournal.com]

walked past the venue three times in spite of having been there before.

Ditto! And only spotted it the final time because some likely looking people had come out for a smoke.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

With hindsight, I had only found it the first time because of that, and it was foolish to assume that this would always be the case, even given how much some of my friends smoke.

[pippaalice.livejournal.com]

It has a sign with the name on the board outside. But I cannot complain as I went to the wrong street.

[returntosender.livejournal.com]

Benedict is my boyfriend :(

We quite naturally watched the trailer for the Holmes film and Joanna pointed out that it looked like a fake trailer, in terms of sheer ridiculousness. I'm just impressed Guy Richie has finally made a gay film.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

What have you seen and liked him in?

It does look a bit faketraileresque (it's very like that one with Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern which I posted a week or two back), but surely there was already plenty of homoeroticism in past Guy Ritchie films? Well, the first two, anyway - I somehow missed his more recent efforts. Lock Stock has one man beating another to death with a dildo, and Snatch has topless Brad Pitt fights!