Serene

A while since my last post, it seems. So much for twice a week. Hell, I can barely manage twice a month. Anyhoo... Serenity kicked ass. Admittedly, you're going to get far more out of it if you have seen Firefly but if you haven't, then you'll still enjoy it - as my boss and his fianceé would tell you, along with my flatmate and a couple of other people I've convinced to see it. For fans of the series, it pulls no punches. There are some nasty moments in there, and I came out reeling from one particular turn that set up the final half hour to be the most heart-clenching 30 minutes I've seen on screen for some time; I've never felt as tense watching a film since Phone Booth. Joss certainly did a great job transferring the characters to the big screen, but it's just a shame that he was forced to condense a full season's worth of story into two hours. The potential is right up there, every plot thread, every possible arc, all of it. It's just a shame that (it looks like) it's not going to generate the box office sales needed for either a sequel or a new series. I hope I'm proven wrong. Damn you, Fox.

Since it's Autumn, all the big shows are making a return to the small screen. Here's a rundown of what I've been watching (spoilers ahead):

The West Wing - the seventh and final series is an improvement of last season's mundane storyline, but then that's not saying much. Toby's betrayal in the last episode seems a bit too easy for my liking, especially since he makes an appearance in the first episode AFTER the new president is elected. We shall see. There's mutterings of Rob Lowe coming back for the final few episodes, and Aaron Sorkin too - but I think both of these are wishful thinking on the part of those people that remember when The West Wing was actually must-see TV.

Lost - Talking of must-see TV, the show that gripped me earlier this year is back, advancing its plot as slowly as ever yet still making for compelling viewing. Little wonder it's been a hit in the UK. I really hope they advance beyond the "pushing a button for no apparent reason" storyline sometime soon, though.

Joey - Still dumb, still fairly funny.

Alias - Now there's a quandry. Garner gets knocked up after dumping her co-star boyfriend and getting together with Ben Affleck, then gets her co-star ex-boyfriend removed from the show. Result: one less bland character on an increasingly band show. She probably did him a favour. Not really sure what happened after series 2, but the changes were not good.

Ah, for the good old days...

Gilly took me to see my first ever Gilbert and Sullivan play on Saturday - Pirates of Penzance. Superb. She's going to be appearing in Iolanthe with her drama and music group at uni next March. Can't wait to see that! Hopefully she'll get a big part, and I can be the proud boyfriend when I watch her on the final night. :)

George R R Martin's latest book A Feast for Crows is in stores - I'm waiting for it to get stocked at Play.com. Even Borders can't match the £10.99 inc. delivery price.

On the gaming front, I'm up to Chapter 8 in The Longest Journey, trying to catch up with Gilly who is racing ahead. Curses. I also finished Vice City and moved on to San Andreas - a grittier game, but I'm still undecided whether it's an improvement. Time to find out!

Bon nuit.