Doctor Who: The Complete[ly unofficial] Encylocedia

This book is unashamed tie-in trash. One feels vaguely embarrassed to have spent money on it. Needless to say I enjoyed it immensely and no doubt ruined Bill's concentration (he's currently wading through the Narnia books in Japanese) by giggling inanely next to him.

This is actually the second version/sequel/whatever. The first (The Completely Useless Encyclopedia), also by Chris Howath and Steve Lyons, was probably funnier and also "Official" - for what its worth. Having devoted one book already to making fun of Dr Who via an encyclopedia format they are really only left with the events of the past ten years which gives them a rather smaller range of targets. Their running jokes are limited to the superiority of the extras on American DVD releases, the Space Pig (from Aliens of London), and new Who's supposed "Gay Agenda". The humour is rather more laddish than I recall from the previous version (although in the introduction they complain that its no longer as easy to be funny by simply saying something unexpectedly rude or offensize since the Internet means that fans can now be rude and offensive the whole time). I'm not sure how accessible this is to a casual Who fan and I'm not convinced how much many of the more serious New Who fans would like it (One of its many lists is "Ten Reasons Why Rose is Nowt Special" and it has entries on DAVIES EX MACHINA, 'IT'S NOT BEING MADE FOR US' and FANS, WHIRLING (as in End of the World) and obviously there is a rich seam of humour in the prospect of a sexual Doctor although the book itself seems a little too strenuously in favour of an asexual Doctor (see entries on TEARS and 'I WAS A DAD ONCE'), missing out some good jokes along the way I suspect).

I can't really recommend this book, because, as its previous version acknowledged, it is a blatant cash-in. But if, like me, you must waste your time and money on Dr Who tie-in mechandise then you'll get more value out of it than, frankly, most Big Finish Short Story Collections and Benny Novellas.

Hero (Quentin Tarantino Presents)

I find it hard to view the fight scenes in martial arts movies as fights as opposed to dances. I find I watch them admiring the choreography rather than revelling in the violence in any way. This is possibly why I have no problem when they, almost inevitably, take off and fly about across lakes, jumping between tree tops, etc. etc.

This was more than usually obvious in Hero (or Quentin Tarantino Presents: Hero for Western audiences) which is a visually stunning film throughout. I tried to find an icon that would give a feel for the cinematography but largely failed since its something of a full screen experience. The one you've got is nice enough but fails to convey the sense of composition and colour present throughout the film.

The story is a re-telling of the events surrounding the defeat of three assassins (told first in red, then white then blue - with a side story in green). The implication is that each re-telling gets closer to the true sequence of events but sadly it succumbs to suggesting that the final version is the true one rather than leaving further re-interpretation open.

There are, of course, extremely pretty fight scenes throughout not to mention a certain amount of macho nonsense but I think the film suggests that the macho nonsense is a part of the re-telling not the actual events. It is also a thoughtful exploration of the alternative motives that might drive the three central characters through the same observable sequence of events. On first viewing I also thought the film took an unconventional stance on individualism as opposed to the good of society (especially since I lacked any knowledge at all about the Chinese Emporer at the heart of the film). A bit of googling (for pretty pictures for icons) quickly revealed what should have been blindingly obvious considering the film was made in China, that this is, in part at least, a parable about the virtues of authoritarianism. That said, and lacking any wider context in which to judge its stance, it is an intelligent and though-provoking presentation of an authoritarian regime and those who oppose it and seeks neither to vilify nor mindless praise either side.

Well worth a view, even if you don't normally like martial arts movies.