Month: May 2004

  • Champions’ League Final TV Coverage

    So Porto beat Monaco in a pretty average Champions’ League final last night, in what was Mourinho’s last match before he joins Chelsea. But much more entertaining for the home viewer was the “matrix-stylee” bullet time effects. Known as “Eye-vision“, it was first used, I believe, for the 2001 Superbowl (The Matrix was released in…

  • Threat Level

    It seems that maybe I should have two charts in my hysteria meter: Rhetorical threat, and Actual threat. That way, every so often in a presidential election year when things aren’t going too well and Americans need to be scared to their senses, I can reflect that, while at the same time show the true…

  • 24

    I’ve got to say that this series of 24 has been a real disappointment. Yes, I know I shouldn’t be downloading it in advance, but I have – couldn’t be bothered to wait. The final episode in particular had nothing going for it. Well one thing – but I wanted…. My mouth is sealed. I…

  • Digital Switchover

    A couple of stories. First off, Mediaguardian has the story (free registration reqd.) that a couple of small Welsh villages are the first in the land to become digital-only. In many respects, it’ll be areas like this that’ll be the most problematical in the fullness of rollout. It’ll take a lot of transmitters to get…

  • Digital Radio and “Broadcast Flags”?

    A worrying development for digital radio in the States. Incidentally, unless their getting a totally different form of digital radio in the States (i.e. not DAB), then they really shouldn’t be suggesting that digital radio is CD quality.

  • ITV Wants to Limit It’s Public Service Commitments

    ITV’s MD, Mick Desmond is reported (Free registration required) as wanting to scrap its commitments to religion and arts. I have problems with the fact that they want to get out of something they signed up to in the first place. If Granada and Carlton, or ITV plc as it is now, don’t feel that…

  • Mistaken Identity Report

    Mistaken Identity at the The Old Theatre, London School of Economics – 19 May 2004 So here finally, are my notes from Mistaken Identity, which was described as a public meeting on the proposed national identity card. Note that I can’t do shorthand, and if I’ve misquoted anyone, or misinterpreted the points that they were…

  • Fahrenheit 9/11 Wins Palm d’Or

    Michael Moore’s won at Cannes!

  • Cycle Guides

    Must get my copies.

  • The Shield

    This week’s (US) episode of The Shield was directed by David Mamet! In some respects I’m always a little uncertain about big name guest directors on TV series, particularly those with a noticeably stylised approach. The Shield does fall firmly into that category with roaming “un-steadycam” work and the like. But the scenes with Dutch…

  • Teatime

    Isn’t 3.11pm a little early for tea? That’s the time that tea’s coming in the first test between England and New Zealand.

  • Sky Captain

    Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow sounds fascinating….