Mike Carroll Reviews

Desperate Housewives: The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened (2009) Season 5, Episode 13

Best episode ever, in my opinion.

[10/10 · 28 January 2009]

I was completely blown away by this episode. Desperate Housewives has consistently been good - often excellent - but this episode was one of the most moving things I've seen on TV in a very long time.

In the space of around forty minutes they introduced a new character and made us believe that he'd been an important part of Wisteria Lane for years. The way he touched everyone's lives - and, ultimately, the way his own life was touched by theirs - was presented and handled with remarkable skill and sensitivity.

The writers deserve an Emmy - at the very least - for this one, a stand-out episode in an already stand-out season (skipping ahead five years seemed like a gimmick at the end of last season: to successfully pull off something like that takes genuine talent, but they managed it!).

But most of the praise has to go to Beau Bridges as Eli Scruggs. Frequently an overlooked actor stuck with minor roles and bit parts (though his occasional appearance as Carl Hickey in My Name is Earl is always a joy), his performance here proves that he is at least his brother's equal.

I know it's easy to dismiss Desperate Housewives as just a soap opera with a bigger budget, but episodes like "The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened" clearly illustrate why it's much, much more than that.

The Simpsons: Tennis the Menace (2001) Season 12, Episode 12

Ask not for whom the bell tolls...

[1/10 · 5 November 2008]

This was the episode that killed The Simpsons for me.

Up to this one, I has happy enough to keep believing that The Simpsons was the greatest show ever. But thanks to this truly unfunny and pointless episode I was able to finally see that the emperor was, in fact, naked, and I'd been fooling myself for years.

Now, it's possible that there have been some excellent episodes since, but I wouldn't know because I don't care any more. Every couple of months I'll watch a new episode just in case, but it's been many, many years since I've seen one that contains actual jokes. Most of them are painful to watch - though of course that could just be because I'm remembering how good the show used to be, when it was genuinely funny and not merely "funny-esque" (that is: it has all the set-ups, punch-lines and slapstick of actual humour, but without all that tedious laughing and enjoyment).

I realise that The Simpsons is a cash cow for everyone involved, but I just wish that that Mr Groening and co. could see that said cow isn't producing milk of any noticeable quality.

There is an old comedy adage that goes "Leave 'em laughing" - the idea being that it's better to go out on top than to out-stay one's welcome. Too late for that now, of course, but perhaps it would be better if The Simpsons was to stop now and leave us disappointed, before it gets to the stage where we actually start to get angry at it.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Spectacular, fun, inventive and... wholly credible!

[9/10 · 13 June 2008]

This is a half-sequel / half-reboot of Ang Lee's 2003 movie, ditching the well-meant but ponderous art-house stuff and keeping the "smashing things up" stuff. It's a tremendously likable movie with Ed Norton in great form, Tim Roth and William Hurt clearly having lots of fun as the bad guys, and Liv Tyler giving a very solid performance.

As with most superhero movies, of course, the action sequences are what will make or break it, and in this case they make it. As any fan of the comic will be aware, the Hulk can't help but get involved in wholesale property destruction and this movie has that in bucket-loads. The action is inventive, spectacular and absolutely thrilling.

Despite the title, the Hulk is a remarkably credible character, much more realistic and sympathetic than his 2003 counterpart and definitely the movie's strongest point. On top of that there are plenty of subtle moments to make the die-hard Marvel fans (of which I am one) more than happy.

Plot-wise, the movie mostly ignores the 2003 version (a reworked version of the origin appears in the opening credits) and focuses on Banner's search for a cure for his condition. It's this search that brings him to the attention of the US military and that's when the fun really begins...

Overall The Incredible Hulk isn't quite up there with Iron Man, but it's very close (certainly a lot closer than Spider-Man 3 which cost twice as much to make and isn't even half as good).

Shock Video (2001– )

Excellent show from Adam & Joe (hey, that rhymes!)

[9/10 · 3 August 2006]

Thoroughly enjoyable, but little-seen, series in which Adam and Joe (of Adam and Joe fame) narrate clips from some very odd videos and movies.

It's very much a late-night show, as many of the clips aren't suitable for younger people. Some of them aren't even suitable for older people...

Actually, let's be honest here, a lot of the clips are rubbish. But you don't watch Shock Video for the clips; you watch it for the commentary, which is invariably hilarious.

At times, Adam and Joe will completely ignore a clip and talk about something irrelevant, which - if you turn on for the first time in the middle of the show, like I did - lends the show a very surreal quality.

Definitely recommended viewing for fans of late-night comedy. Or just fans of weird stuff in general.

The Panel (2003– )

Brilliant topical news show!

[7 November 2005]

The Panel is an absolute gem; it's got the wit of "Have I Got News for You?" at its best, and not being a game-show it's not restricted to any format other than the trotting out of the guests. In fact, the guests are the only problem with the show: while most of them are fun, occasionally there'll be a guest who's undergone a humourectomy (generally a politician or a sports star).

The show also benefits from not being as obviously scripted as others in the genre; there genuinely does appear to be pure spontaneity from the panelists - an incredibly rare thing on television! Of the regular panelists, it's hard to pick a favourite: Colin Murphy is always on top form (his show The Blizzard of Odd is a masterpiece), Neil Delamare always amuses with his "cheeky kid at the back of the class" mode, and Ed Byrne's surreal raging is a joy to watch. Andrew Maxwell can at times be brilliant, but his humour misses as often as it hits. Fiona Looney... Well, let's just say that she can't always keep up with the others.

But the real star is the host himself, Dara O'Briain. The man is a true comic genius, especially when he's egging on the others! Definitely the best thing RTE have ever done.

Serenity (2005)

Shiny!

[10/10 · 24 August 2005]

Go and see Serenity! It is a seriously excellent movie - absolutely flawless. It's been a long time since I last saw a movie that had me on the edge of my seat like this one did! It's funny, thrilling, scary, engaging... This is the stuff of which good movies are made! The writing, direction, acting, visual effects, audio and - well, basically everything else - are truly top-notch: Joss Whedon should be very proud of himself.

Firefly - the show that was prematurely cancelled - was always head-and-shoulders above any other TV science fiction, and now the movie version has surpassed even that. Even if you don't consider yourself to be a Joss Whedon fan, I'm sure you'll love Serenity!

Songlines (1989 Video)

Superb collection of independent movies set to the music of Alphaville!

[10/10 · 12 July 2005]

With the Songlines project, top German group Alphaville handed over tracks from their third album The Breathtaking Blue to a number of highly-acclaimed independent movie directors, and basically said "Make whatever movie this song inspires in you." The results are stunning; even if you're not a fan of the group's music, the nine movies in the collection are well worth viewing... There's a great variety of different styles: Susanne Bier's "Summer Rain" is composed of a sequence of black and white photos, "Middle of the Riddle by Christoph & Wolfgang Lauenstein is a stop-motion movie (which, renamed "Balance", went on to win an Oscar for best short feature), "Patricia's Park" was created by Godfrey Reggio by carefully cutting together footage from his award-winning movies Koyanisquatsi and Powaqqatsi. Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City and I, Robot) directed "Mysteries of Love".

Unfortunately, despite very positive previews and reviews, Alphaville's record company chose to release Songlines without any publicity, so very few people have seen it. Surely it's time it was released on DVD?

The Adventures of Lano & Woodley (1997–1999)

Excellent, unmissable comedy

[10/10 · 25 March 2005]

I became aware of Lano & Woodley by accident; trawling through the channels late one night I discovered this bizarre comedy and was hooked from the first second.

The next week, I set up the VCR, taped the show, and... That was it! I never saw it again, until last Monday when my wife gave me the DVD for my birthday.

Lano & Woodley are, in short, comic geniuses. They successfully combine slapstick, pathos, word-play and, well, pretty much every other form of comedy. They do it a lot, and they do it very well.

I'm normally not a fan of physical comedy (Charlie Chaplin and The Three Stooges just leave me cold), but Lano & Woodley have mastered it.

10 out of 10!

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Superb adaptation!

[10/10 · 23 December 2001]

Incredible! Peter Jackson has managed to create a stunning, exciting, fast-paced movie out of - let's be honest here - a rather ponderous book.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Lucas, Spielberg and Cameron were getting a little worried...

The Big Tease (1999)

Charming, hilarious, brilliant!

[9/10 · 25 November 2001]

There's something indefinable about this movie that I adore... I don't know whether it's the superb performances by Ferguson and Langham, or the great script, or the wonderful camoes (Larry Miller is a genius)...

Whatever it is, this is a great movie - one of those movies that you want to watch over and over. Why isn't Craig Ferguson a bigger star? Just comparing his role in this movie with his "Mr Wick" character on the Drew Carey show proves that he's one of the most versatile and engaging actors around.

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Best movie ever...? Quite possibly!

[10/10 · 19 August 2001]

One of those rare movies that gets better with each viewing... Shearer, Guest and McKean are absolutely perfect.

Just one question: Why doesn't the IMDB voting scale for this movie go up to eleven?