Firstly, and with no spoilers for the folks who have not seen it yet, some brief thoughts on the penultimate episode of this season of "Doctor Who".

"The Stolen Earth" was not the best episode I have ever seen. It seems to have been designed to shoehorn as many old assistants and allies as possible into a single story. That would have been fine if the running time had been longer, but in a 50 minute show the net effect was that the cast were falling over one another, with none of them having enough screen time. However, I can forgive that. "The Stolen Earth" did have the greatest "Doctor Who" cliffhanger since the current incarnation of the series started.

Are the BBC really intending to do what it looks like they are going to do? And they managed to keep it a secret? I bet there is a cop out somewhere along the way. However, if I am wrong, good on the BBC for keeping it a secret. I love being surprised.

Roll on next Saturday.

It has been a funny old weekend. There has been far too much drinking by myself. Why else was I so tired on Friday night that I could not string a coherent sentence together on the last post? That post will stand. If this blog was ever intended to be a reflection of me, where I am and what I think, the ugliness has to exist alongside the beauty.

So, lots of drinking, a bit of work, and lots of watching of films on TV and taped off the TV onto the V+ box, while Jennifer was away, because she tends to grab the TV for herself at the weekends.

Films like...

"Fracture". Pure potboiler, and not un-entertaining, but why did Anthony Hopkins' accent keep changing from Welsh to Scottish to mid American twang, often during a single scene? Ah, that would be because he was sleepwalking through the part.

"Evan Almighty". Utter shit. As funny as finding a lump on your bollocks or a turd in your soup. I am surprised that Steve Carell has managed to continue his career after this clunker.

"Savage Messiah". Everybody has heard of the Ken Russell classics "Women In Love", "The Devils" and "Tommy", and although "Savage Messiah" is definitely as good as those, it has been practically forgotten. "Savage Messiah" is a brilliant movie. Full of life, energy and madness, and you also get to see the 27 year old Helen Mirren stark naked, for quite a long time.

"8 1/2 Women". Another impenetrable, obscure and raving mad Peter Greenaway film. Beautiful art design and copious nudity. Unfortunately quite a bit of the nudity was in the shape of the 65 year old John Standing. Nearly enough to put me off my sausages, but luckily Toni Collette and Polly Walker were on hand to even the balance.

"The Shape Of Things". The movie adaptation of the first of Neil LaBute's 'Beauty' trilogy of plays. (The second was the play "Fat Pig", that we recently saw at the Trafalgar studios in London.) It is about love and relationships and wanting to change for somebody that you love. But it is also about art and manipulation. I think that Paul Rudd and Rachel Wesiz are simply astonishing in this film, especially Ms. Weisz in the final 20 minutes.

At the cinema I saw "The Edge Of Love". More about that when I have had a chance to think about it.

Jennifer returns tomorrow. I could try spending the evening with her, but I doubt that will happen. My fear is that she will be more concerned about catching up with work and doing her statistics. We will see how it goes.