Tom Charman

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is a good thing.

If I’m ever again on a train where someone’s Nokia has its ringtone set on the highest possible level and they get SMSes every three stops, I will leap across the carriage, force feed it to them, and flay them just for good measure.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps should not be interrupted by anything, let alone some moron who hasn’t spotted the ‘silent’ feature.

Things I haven’t done, but should have:

• Some Alias, Pirates of the Caribbean and American Psycho reviews.
• Fixed up Grapefruit’s WinIE rendering issues.
• Finished a REALLY GOOD design for Nutech.
• Gone to Tuesday night’s final Parish Development meeting.
• Seen more of my friends.

No, actually, what silly things to do. I’ve had much more fun sitting by the computer vaguely thinking about work but really just chatting away on ICQ/MSN and, of course, sleeping.

See me, I am Mr Efficient.

OK, I appear to have a fully-functioning body now, and no major assessments due, so let me tell you the fun tale of my skiing adventure.

I suffered the incredible agony of waking up at 4am in order to get myself and our esteemed music reviewer, Andrew Coulthurst, to Mt Buller by 8 o’clock. And we made it. The journey went really well until the end when various Buller-people insisted on charging me for everything I did. I was half expecting a ‘swipe credit card here’ device on the toilet.

Andrew helpfully explained to me how to put on skis, and sent me on my merry way. I fell over about three seconds later as I tried to change my direction.

I’m not going to bother repeating that last sentence twenty times, but in fairness I should have.

Once we met up with Neil and his buddies, we went skiing again. I was worried Neil would explode through sheer enthusiasm before actually reaching proper snow, but he just managed. In exciting news, I worked out how to turn, and started to be able to go down a run without falling over three times.

Though always once. Sadly even at the end of the day, I had no idea how to stop properly. See folks, this is what lessons can do for you. Don’t be a stingy bastard like me.

And now it’s holidays, yay! During which I must make a big, classy looking paint website. Boo. But get paid for it. Yay!

Owwwww. Ugh. Oooh. Eh. Tsk.

I’m sore all over! Every part of my body is bruised. I’ve fallen over a lot in my time but never more than fifty times in one day until now, and never at such high speeds…

Tomorrow is September 11. And we all know what that means…

PIRATES! (of the Caribbean)

I’m quite looking forward to it. In other news, I’m getting teased for having the iPod strapped to me 24/7. They’re all just jealous of my precious. We hates them.

I’m particularly enjoying reading on the train currently, as in order to get Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix out of my bag, I have to first remove American Psycho. I’m sure it’s confusing people. Well, no, they probably don’t care. They’re both probably interesting enough to warrant a review, but why would you believe me when I promise a book review? I’m obviously a liar.

I’ve set up a grapefruit forum as well with one of the free features that came with the webhosting. I hope everyone tries it out, I’d love to see some lively critical discussion there. But I accept it’ll probably just be me lamely attempting to start half-arsed conversations all the time… sob.

Due to an unfortunate series of coincidences, the Charman household has ended up with a copy of Daredevil. With 5 HOURS of extras! Yay! I don’t think I’ll be bothering with the Director’s Commentary on that one. I also got Monty Python and the Holy Grail the other day which is considerably more entertaining.

I’m currently reading American Psycho for uni – the excitingly titled subject ‘Art/Pornography/Blasphemy/Propaganda’. Of course, I really should have finished — or at least started — it last week, but I’ve found I’m just a little disorganised this semester, in stark contrast to previous semesters of course, in which I have been a pillar of virtue.

I intend to write a review today, but you never know. In all truth I should really be doing some uni work. But what are the odds of that happening?

Sorry about the downtime today, folks, server issues. Well, obviously it wasn’t banana issues. Silly thing to say really.

iPods are awesome. So much smaller than I expected. I’ve got all sorts of music, news and assorted guff on there now, and my calendar, and all sorts. I’m excited :)

And bizarrely, it looks like we might get the grunt-side of that website contract after all. I’m so confused…

From 1, that is.

Tomorrow is iPod day!

… continued from Part One.

‘Tom!’, you say. ‘That was far far more than a week! How could you leave us hanging, desperately attempting to discern your top ten via such unscientific means as divination and internet research?’

Well, firstly, calm down. And secondly, I’m sorry. I was busy. And at least now I’ve seen all of this next batch of five episodes recently. So sit back, relax, but keep looking at the screen, as I present numbers 10 through 6 of my insanely exciting ‘Top Ten Angel Episodes’. I’m only considering episodes up to and including Season 3, but frankly I don’t think season 4 particularly challenges any of these, so I shouldn’t have to revise my opinions for another year at least. Hopefully this time around my Wesley obsession shan’t be as noticeable.

10 | Darla (207)

Written and Directed by Tim Minear

I’ve been told many a time that flashbacks are cool. This episode is a fine example. Originally transmitted alongside the Buffy episode ‘Fool for Love’, it tells the story of Darla, as well as her relationship with Angel(us). And it’s damn good. All the scenes between Julie Benz and David Boreanaz are great, and Boreanaz does some of his best work here, but the real sizzlers are those between Benz and Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald. Women have informed me that he’s hot, but luckily he’s also a very intense actor, and on recent viewing his moment by the window with Darla was the high point of the episode. If there’s anything holding this back from greatness, it’s that the whole show is a little po-faced. But this is good stuff.

ANGELUS: A real kill, a good kill, it takes pure artistry. Without that, we are just animals.
SPIKE: Poofter.

09 | Hero (109)

Written by Howard Gordon and Tim Minear, Directed by Tucker Gates

Doyle died in this episode. Sadly, I knew before viewing that he would, thanks to an american friend who shall remain nameless. But even after Jess Lonchas spoiled the ending for me, I still enjoyed it. While in some ways it’s probably not as stylish as ‘Darla’ or some other episodes beneath it, it portrays Doyle’s sacrifice brilliantly, reveals what he had to ‘atone for’, and allows him one final brilliant speech to a demon runaway that ranks amongst the finest moments in the series. The late Glenn Quinn did his best work on the series here. Let us not forget Cordy giving him one of the cutest smiles ever near the end, and the final, tearless viewing of his Angel Investigations advertisment.

Also of note in this and surrounding episodes is the discussion of Angel’s heroic nature. Generally well handled through the grudging respect of Doyle and Cordy, at no point does anyone feel the need to start flinging the word ‘champion’ around and not bothering with subtlety at all. It’s a minor beef with later seasons that we’re told what a champion Angel is quite often but rarely have it demonstrated as clearly as back in good old season 1.

CORDY: Maybe if we get him a costume?
DOYLE: A costume?
CORDY: Well, the guy’s a bonafide hero. Would it kill him to put on some tights and a cape and garner us a little free publicity?
DOYLE: I don’t see Angel pulling on tights and… Oh, now I do and it’s really disturbing.

08 | To Shanshu in LA (122)

Written and Directed by David Greenwalt

Still in Season the First, now seeing the exciting finale. At the beginning of the season (which I’ll come to later, just to confuse you) we were shown an Angel cut off from the world, unconnected and solitary. By this stage, the incapacitation of his friends and home almost decimates him. Is this compassion a weakness? You ask Lindsey’s hand. I’m a sucker for setting up complete terribleness and then allowing the hero to find the only way out and save the day, and it’s done here brilliantly, with only half an episode of nastiness so as not to over-egg the pudding. One can look at the entire run of 24 to see how to go overboard with the stacking of odds against protagonists.

Angel ended his first season with two friends he trusted and loved, renewed self-confidence and the first promise of redemption he’d ever seen. And it was fantastic to watch.

KATE: I’m glad we’re not playing friends any more. I’m sick and tired of your attitude. There’s a thing called the law …
ANGEL: This isn’t about the law. It’s about a little thing called life. Now, I’m sorry about your father. But, I didn’t kill your father, and I’m sick and tired of you blaming me for everything you can’t handle. You want to be enemies, try me.

07 | City of … (101)

Written by David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon, Directed by Joss Whedon

Jeez, Tom, how come you like Season One so much? Are you just one of those fans who always pines for the ‘good old days’, before they ‘sold out’ and got ‘writers’ burnout’? Well, I don’t know. I suppose I like focus on individual stories better than those on arcs. And I like beginnings more than endings and middles. In any case — this was one of the best beginnings ever.

Last seen walking gloomily away from Sunnydale into a convenient patch of fog, Angel is now hanging around LA, killing vamps and running away before he scoffs their prey instead. But Doyle offers redemption…

In one episode, ‘City of…’ showed viewers exactly what they could expect from Angel. Cool fight scenes and action. A soulful, introspective tone. Angel getting shot and bandaged a lot. Amusingly tortured yet human British characters. Shock twists. It’s not often a show hits the ground running this hard. While in itself it’s probably not as good an episode as some I’ve put underneath, it gets bonus points for being the first thing they ever did, and being made under pressure.

Although it must be said that some of Joss’ direction in this is shameful. At least two nifty locations are completely wasted, to the point where you can’t see that the scenes weren’t shot in a studio. But then, I only know this because his DVD commentary told me, so full marks to Mr Whedon for his honesty…

CORDELIA: So, are you still…GRRR?
ANGEL: There’s not actually a cure for that.

06 | Reprise (215)

Written by Tim Minear, Directed by James Whitmore, Jr

Things are difficult for everyone in LA. Wes, Cordy and Gunn aren’t getting paid for perfectly good demon-eye-banishing, Kate’s getting suspended from duty for stopping an evil zombie cop plague, Lindsey’s gorgeous demon lover isn’t being entirely honest with him, and Angel remains rather too obsessed on trying to annihilate every last piece of Wolfram and Hart he can find.

I talked earlier about stacking the odds up against our heroes. This episode is more subtle with it than ‘To Shanshu in LA’, but then it has a bit more time to do it in, ending as it does with everything gone to hell in a handbasket. Or on Earth. Whichever. A lot of the pleasure of this episode is generated through the excellent story arc that surrounded it, and in a way it’s standing in for a whole bunch of episodes, but it also contains some very nice touches…

The return of Denver. Kate’s discovery of Angel’s part in the Wolfram & Hart massacre. Wesley’s touching break-up, and the subsequent phone call between him and Cordelia. Angel’s demolition of the Senior Partner. The return of Holland Manners, and the subsequent deliciously evil conversation.

Yes, this was truly one of the best. But we’re not at the cream of the crop yet…

THE HOST: Almost anything that can manifest, in order to move in this dimension, can be killed. Kinda the down side to being here. That, and the so called “musicals” of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Concluded in Part Three…