My Review of Tip Toe: "Episode 1"

 

Written by Russell T. Davies

Directed by Peter Hoar

Melba (to Leo): "I used to walk to into a room and go "Ta Da". Now I tip toe, just in case."

Now, this is the Russell T. Davies we know and love. If there's a project that best suited his feelings on the current political climate, it's this show. The first scene alone didn't hold back with delivering a shocker.

While I suspected that lead character Leo (Alan Cumming) might have been a goner, I didn't think the first scene would be him hanging from a lamppost with neighbour Clive (David Morrissey) appearing responsible for the death itself. Of course we had to go backwards from that moment.

Yup, the animosity between Leo and Clive stemmed from the former having a one night stand with a man named Eddie (Andrew Moss). Eddie also stole Leo's laptop and a barely clothed Leo locked himself out of his own house, forcing Clive to show some hospitality. Clive repaid it with some passive aggressive bullshit with a safe key box and thinly veiled homophobia.

While Clive almost seemed to derive a childish pleasure in being critical of Leo's lifestyle and lack of a relationship, his own home life wasn't anything to write about. Clive was constantly cheating on his fed up wife, Marie (Pooky Quesnel) and his sons Saul (Joseph Evans) and George (Jackson Connor) also had their own secret lives that Clive definitely wouldn't approve of.

There's a lot of talk of homophobia and transphobia being on the rise. Some of it had Leo attempting to downplay it until he got something of a wake up call from his friend, Melba (Paul Rhys) and trans employee Zee (Iz Hesketh). You can argue that it's not delivered in a subtle way but perhaps that's the point.

Leo's bar staff are an interesting enough bunch. Zee had to get out of a house of abusive roommates but I found Judy (Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo) and Hanna (Shakeel Kimotho) a little more interesting. There's bar staff lads in both Mikey (Gabriel Clark) and Freddie (Jolyon Benson). The former didn't get much to do but the latter knew his employment rights, which didn't please Leo in the slightest.

Circling back to the politics of course, I find that both Leo and Melba are something of a dual representation of RTD. Melba felt like the political activist that RTD absolutely feels like he needs to be while Leo would be the one he's more like than he'd care to admit to being. That conversation at Canal Street felt revealing on that front.

- Channel 4 released the first two episodes online after the first one aired. The remaining three will be online from Sunday.

- Leo and George realised they were both on the same hook up app, Saul was silent sex camming, Marie was getting off to Slow Horses erotica and Clive was watching death videos.

- Leo moved to Manchester from Scotland in 1994 and contracted HIV from a former boyfriend who died six years later. Melba has an unrequited crush on Leo and went off on a conservative drag queen.

- Leo's former boyfriend Curtis (Charlie Condou) left him for a woman. Leo's friend Stephanie (Elizabeth Berrington) was revealed to be gender critical. She also appeared dead or unconscious in the opening scene.

- Standout music: The way Sam Smith's Unholy was used in that particular scene.

- Chronology: Most of the first episode took place ten days before Leo's death. Leo was 59.

This opening episode exposed RTD's strengths once again as a writer and it's clear as day that this was the type of thing that he'd rather be writing these days. Both Alan Cumming and David Morrissey are great but I actually thought that Paul Rhys kind of stole the show from them. 

Rating: 8 out of 10 

DCU Blog - May 2026 Edition: The Batman Pt II Casting, Super Summer Mark 2

Yup, this month certainly delivered on the front of casting news, among other things. Without further ado, let's get into it.

In addition to Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan, The Batman Part II (October 1st 2027) has added Charles Dance, Brian Tyree Henry and Sebastian Koch to the cast. Dance will play Christopher Dent.

James Gunn confirmed on Threads that between General Zod, Doomsday, Doctor Fate, Black Adam, Ultraman and Darkseid that two of them will be showing up in the DCU soon.

Tom King has been hyping the casting for his upcoming Mister Miracle animated show. Casting should be revealed soon enough.

As of now, there are no directors being talked to about Teen Titans.

Matthew Lillard has joined the cast of Man Of Tomorrow (July 9th 2027) in an undisclosed role. Sinqua Walls has also been cast.

Volker Bertelmann will score Clayface (October 23rd 2026).

Greg Mottolo is seemingly in the mix to direct the Deathstroke And Bane movie, which has yet to be officially greenlit.

The arrival of Supergirl (June 26th) is close and we've been getting plenty of TV spots and interviews from Milly Alcock herself. She'll reprise the role in Man Of Tomorrow.

Absolute Wonder Woman has concluded it's current arc and is now moving into a new one with Barbara Minerva becoming the latest Cheetah.

Nicole Maines will be writing this year's DC Pride titled Justice League: Dream Girls - A DC Pride Event. The four part series will be released throughout the month of June.

Darren Criss will voice the role of Superboy for the third season of My Adventures With Superman, which premieres on Adult Swim from June 13th. Jessica Cruz will also feature.

Lanterns has officially been confirmed for August 16th on HBO with the latest trailer also confirming Laura Linney's casting. Chris Cantwell has been hired for the second season.

DC Animation/Warner Brothers will premiere Knightfall at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival among upcoming DC animated shows.

The second season of Creature Commandos will premiere on HBO Max after Man Of Tomorrow. The first episode is titled Starry Night.

And that's your lot for this month. Hope you liked. 

My Review of Ex-Husbands (2023)

 

Written And Directed by Noah Pritzker

Mickey: "With everything you're going through, you present yourself as a bit needy."

Peter: "That's interesting. I don't see myself that way."

As I'm heading into Pride Month, there will be a lot of LGBT themed movies I'll be covering during that month and over the summer in general. This was one that recently came to my attention.

It's not so much a gay themed movie but one of the three main characters happened to be gay and his love life was given a bit of focus. Mostly, it's a film about fathers and sons and divorce/separation. 

The father in question was dentist Peter Pearce (Griffin Dunne). At the start of this movie he wasn't happy about his own father, Simon (Richard Benjamin) divorcing his mother, Eunice (Marcia Jean Kurtz) after sixty five years of marriage. Simon on the other hand believed that he could love again.

The opposite happened and Simon ended up in a nursing home while Peter himself was now getting divorced from his own wife, Maria (Rosanna Arquette). On top of that, he was kind of seen as a bit of an inconvenience to his grown sons, Nick (James Norton) and Mickey (Miles Heizer). Neither of them were thrilled when apeter announced he was going to Tulum, Mexico during Nick's bachelor party.

I thought once the movie shifted to Mexico that Peter would be a source of contention for his sons but he actually tried to keep his distance. He even befriended a couple named Otto (Nate Mann) and Hewette (Zora Casebere). There was even a hint of a possible romance with Hewette's godmother, Eileen (Eisa Davis) but it fizzled out too quickly.

Among the bachelor party, it turned out that Nick and Thea (Rachel Zeiger-Haag) broke up and Mickey hooked up with the straight Arroyo (Pedro Fontaine). Some of Nick's friends such as Lowry (Simon Van Buyten), Chris (Echo Kellum) and Aaron (Lou Taylor Pucci) are there to make up the numbers while Simon's eventual death became something of a bonding experience between Peter and his sons.

- Arroyo definitely came across as more bisexual than straight. I'm guessing he's got an arrangement with his wife about hook ups.

- Simon's favourite movie was To Be Or Not To Be. Peter had gotten him a huge poster.

- Both Nick and Mickey and even Arroyo all seemed to have forms of depression and were taking medication for it.

- Chronology: Present day New York City and Mexico, though there's a six year time jump early in the film.

Ex-Husbands (or Men Of Divorce) presented itself as a charming enough story, looking into themes of divorce, loneliness, male mental health and even coming. There's an easy going rapport with Griffin Dunne, James Norton and Miles Heizer and the three work very well together.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Over Your Dead Body (2026)

 

Written by Nick Kocher And Brian McElhaney

Directed by Jorma Taccone

Lisa (to Henry, re Dan): "I will give you one million dollars to shoot him in the fucking face!"

Last night, I went for another recently released movie and this one was something of a dive into what would happen if a couple decided divorce wasn't an option.

Miserable pair Dan (Jason Segel) and Lisa Burton (Samara Weaving) go to a cabin in the middle of nowhere for the weekend. Within a few minutes, it's revealed that he's a director who never hit the big time and she's not a very good actress. Oh and he's a controlling manchild and she's a cheat.

Truthfully, they're both terrible people who seemed to have more in common than they realised. While their intended methods differed, both Dan and Lisa thought murdering each other was the best way to solve their problems. They're both equally crap at trying to kill each other as well.

Even with the inclusion of Dan's idiotic friend, Henry (Jake Curran), the former couldn't succeed in killing Lisa and her attempts of murder weren't any better. They're both so inept at killing each other, it's comical.

Of course the inclusion of fugitives Allegra (Juliette Lewis), Pete (Timothy Olyphant) and Todd (Keith Jardine) complicated matters for the warring couple. Instead of trying to kill each other, we had both Dan and Lisa realising they didn't want the other and had to survive their captors trying to kill them.

The second half was the most entertaining, even with the brief inclusion of Dan's reckless father, Michael (Paul Guilfoyle). The gore got upped, body parts were lost, one relationship ended messily and the other got saved. That last bit was predictable but fun.

- Kumail Nanjiani played the Hollywood version of Dan while Lisa got to play herself. Andy Cohen also appeared.

- Lisa's plan for Dan was to have him accidentally shoot himself. Dan's for Lisa was much more darker and complicated. 

- Standout music: Chromatics Kill For Love and Barenaked Ladies One Week.

- Chronology: There's a lot of time jumps within the movie itself. It's a little disorienting.

There's a lot of fun to be had with Over Your Dead Body. Both Jason Segel and Samara Weaving are on fine form as were everyone else involved. Throw in some inventive enough moments of violence and gore and you've got a good offering here.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Half Man: "Episode 6"

 

Written by Richard Gadd 

Directed by Eshref Reybrouch

Ruben (to Niall): "You love me, don't you?"

In a different reality, Ruben Pallister would've gotten his shit together, worked through the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, made amends for the abuse he inflicted on so many people and likely been a decent father to Baird and an ally to Niall.

That's a different reality. In this one, it was revealed early into the episode that Niall got both Mona and Ava pregnant but the focus on Baird being his and not Ruben's was a factor into the events of the whole show. Niall's proof that confession isn't always good for the soul.

Ruben was in prison for his attack on Benji, who miraculously actually survived. During that time, Maura finally died, Ruben suspected that Niall and Mona were keeping secrets from him and then the latter went all confessional during a prison visit.

The best part of the confessional was having both Niall and Ruben being honest with each other. Niall finally admitted that he was gay and in a relationship with Alby. Both of these things Ruben had no problem with. Ruben even opened up the fact that he was abused by his father. That was something suspected from the start of this miniseries.

Of course Niall had to go and make the whole situation worse by admitting to Ruben that he slept with Mona and was Baird's actual father. Needless to say Ruben didn't take that information well at all.

Thematically, it made sense for both Ruben and Niall to be the death of one another. Niall had managed to stab Ruben before the latter strangled him. It was probably the only way this show could end. Saying that, I'm still mixed on it as an outcome, inevitable as it were.

- Niall and Ava had split. We didn't even find out what his kid with her was called. Niall was also contracting STDs and getting arrested for indecency.

- I really liked seeing Alby in his own work, positively trying to help Niall before they got together. 

- I'll give a shout out to Tom Andrews as Niall's friend and lawyer, Butch. I thought he had some great moments in this episode.

- Niall used his own father's knife to stab Ruben. Lori had given it to him earlier in the show.

- Standout music: There's a rather haunting version of Danny Boy by Shane McGowan and the Pogues used in this episode.

- Chronology: 2014 for most of the episode.

While I don't think the finale was as satisfying as it could've been, I still really liked it a lot. Richard Gadd really did deliver one hell of a conversation piece about masculinity with this six episode show.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Forbidden Fruits (2026)

 

Written by Lily Houghton And Meredith Alloway

Directed by Meredith Alloway

Cherry: "Are we still best friends?"

Apple: "You know I don't believe in hierarchy in female relationships."

If Gen Z were ever going to get their own version of The Craft (1996), then I guess they couldn't do too shabbily with this one. It's a feminist take on sisterhood or a smackdown of performative sisterhood. I think it's ultimately both.

Set in a shopping mall, the Free Eden employees have mobilised their own after hours witchy femme cult. They're led by the dominating Apple (Lili Reinhart) but there's an opening for a new member to the ranks.

This was where newcomer Pumpkin (Lola Tung) found herself. She made an impression on Apple but also Fig (Alexandra Shipp) and Cherry (Victoria Pedretti). Following a few rituals and rules, Pumpkin got herself into Apple's little cult and she took little time in attempting to unravel it as well.

Pumpkin had an agenda for joining. She needed to get closer to Apple for later reasons that made enough sense. Pumpkin was also smart enough to exploit Cherry's sex addiction and Fig being involved with a man named Norman (Siddharth Sharma) to her advantage and then there was former member, Pickle (Emma Chamberlain).

Apple really hated the idea of her cult members being involved with men and resorted into performing hexes in order to deal with snakes. Pickle fell victim to two hexes with the latter killing her and then a hurricane really turned the group against each other.

These movies thrive on a final girl but what happened when it's the villain who actually survived? Yup, it's Apple that was the last "witch" standing. Both Cherry and Fig are given some rather grisly deaths and the half sister connection between Apple and Pumpkin (same father who Apple killed) didn't exactly save Pumpkin. Now you've got Apple on the loose and ready to form a new performative sisterhood.

- The movie's based on Lily Houghton's stage play Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die. That's an extremely long title.

- A mid credit scene revealed that Apple's boss, Sharon (Gabrielle Union) was an undercover detective, aware of Apple's antics.

- Standout music: Scantily Clad by Haute & Freddy.

- Chronology: Took place over the course of a month in Dallas, Texas. Apple fled to Arizona by the end of the film.

Forbidden Fruits started off as a bit of a slog with some really cringe Gen Z dialogue but as the movie progressed, I found it improved. The four leads are mostly great and there's some good ideas that are a little underdeveloped but overall, a breezy watch.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

My Review of Obsession (2026)

 

Written And Directed by Curry Barker 

Nikki (to Bear): "You wished for this."

Well, I got around to watching the most hyped horror film this year with a character that's now generated her own official Wikipedia page. Nikki Freeman (Inde Navarrette) your impact has emerged here.

Let's be honest, Nikki has been the character that has been very front and centre and given so many deep dives. Did anyone really think she was a villain? Yes, she did some truly shocking things in this movie but it's also clear from the start that she's more a victim than villain of the piece.

Nikki being a victim came down to a wish from her co-worker and friend, Baron "Bear" Bailey (Michael Johnston) wanting a romantic relationship with her and resorting to a supernatural toy in order to make it into a reality. It would be a wish that Bear wouldn't live to regret given the ending for this one.

If you ever happen to find something like the "One Wish Willow" before you snap it in half, maybe take a long think about the kind of wish you want to make. Bear thought that Nikki being in love with him would be a dream come true but it turned into a living nightmare for both.

Nikki became obsessed with Bear and despite being disturbed by her change in personality, Bear also dated her. This caused some tension with their friends Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless), neither of whom approved of Bear and Nikki being a couple. Both would also become collateral damage as a direct result.

If this movie could have an influenced Nikki lie about her father having cancer, kill two people, use cat remains in a sandwich and self harm herself but still underline that's she's a victim, why would anyone see her as a villain? I mean she's genuinely scary at times but there's also those glimpses of the old Nikki at times to remind audiences that her agency had been taken from her.

As for Bear, there are moments of sympathy and even attempts to undo the damage his wished had caused. You can feel almost a little bad for him while being appalled with the way his behaviour darkened. In the end, he did do the right thing to free Nikki of being obsessed with him but even his exit left Nikki in a horrible position.

- Nikki's screams were all down to Inde Navarrette. It's amazing how quickly certain scenes of Nikki have become viral.

- Curry Barker has another horror movie called, Milk & Serial. After watching this movie, I'll definitely look it up before Anything But Ghosts gets released.

- Nikki putting some of Bear's cat remains into his sandwich was by far the most disgusting thing in the film. Nikki had also been sleeping with Ian and Sarah had a crush on Bear.

- Both Curry Barker and Andy Richter have small roles in the film.

- Standout music: Rock Burwell's Make Believe.

- Chronology: Present day Los Angeles. 

I'll admit, I was worried that Obsession might not have lived up to the huge hype that surrounded it but I'm pleased to say that it did. There's a Star making performance from Inde Navarrette undoubtedly but Michael Johnston also played his part brilliantly and the two of them together made for a brilliant and tragic look at one sided love.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

Doctor Who - Christmas 2026 Special Shelved? 30th Anniversary of TV Movie

I didn't think I'd be doing two Doctor Who blog posts this month but here we are. A part of this of course is celebrating a certain piece of the show's history but most of this will look at the show's future and in the latter case, I'm starting to worry.

On Monday, The Sun newspaper (yes that infernal rag) posted that the upcoming Christmas special could be delayed to Easter 2027, due to casting availability. On top of that, they've also claimed that the show is currently struggling cast an actor to succeed Ncuti Gatwa (who recently hosted the UK version of Saturday Night Live). Apparently the role has now become a poison chalice.

For months, most viewers/fans, etc naturally assumed that the upcoming special, written by Russell T. Davies would be lead by David Tennant and Billie Piper. There was also the possible chance of the actor cast as the 16th Doctor would likely factor at the end of the special. How naive we were?

We're about to head into the summer months and we're still none the wiser with what's going on. In the past the show could film close to time and get a Christmas special on the air. With rumours of a September filming, it's unlikely the special would be complete, post production wise to make the Christmas Day slot of old.

Adding to the frustration, when the Radio Times pressed the BBC for confirmation, they declined to comment on the matter. As much as I'd rather not be negative, I think the writings on the wall with this one. Until confirmed otherwise, I have a horrible feeling the special will be moved to Easter 2027 and that the show at the moment is struggling to find a new actor.

I was hoping with AMC+ recently acquiring the 2005-2022 era for their streaming service that maybe we were due a more positive announcement but alas, it wasn't meant to be for now.

On a brighter note, today marks the 30th anniversary of The TV Movie or The Enemy Within. It's been thirty years since we first met Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor and while the movie wasn't initially a fan favourite, it's something that's grown in love overtime. Eight things I loved about it.

• The actual interior of the TARDIS. It's gorgeous.
• Paul's performance as the Eighth Doctor. 
• Eric Roberts as the Master. This one took a while but I do love his take on the Doctor's best enemy.
• Daphne Ashbrook as Dr. Grace Holloway. 
• Setting the events over the course of New Year's Eve.
• I actually liked Chang Lee the more I've rewatched this film.
• The Eight/Grace romance was nicely handled.
• "I always dress for the occasion" - that line cracks me up.

I'll definitely be watching the movie over the weekend. I imagine many Doctor Who fans will be doing the same.

Hopefully answers surrounding the show's future will be confirmed soon because right now, I think we should all be a little concerned.

My Review of Heartbeats (2010)

 

Written And Directed by Xavier Dolan 

Francis: "I love you. I really want to kiss you. I don't know why I'm telling you this."

Last week, I finally watched I Killed My Mother and I thought it was an impressive debut from Canadian director, Xavier Dolan. This follow up certainly proved that he wasn't a one trick pony.

Once again, Dolan cast himself in a lead role and tbh, I kind of like that he's cast himself as characters that while not entirely likable, they can at least merit a decent amount of sympathy for them.

In this one, he's playing the role of Francis. Francis and his friend Marie (Monia Chokri) were at a dinner party with other friends when Nicolas (Niels Schneider) came into their orbit. Both Francis and Marie were taken by Nicolas and both were determined to get him.

There's a fun, passive aggressive way in which both Francis and Marie pursued Nicolas throughout the movie. Both tried to derail the other and both got their moments with the curly haired guy. Nicolas also seemed to be egging both Francis and Marie on as the movie progressed.

There's a whole segment where the three of them ended up at the vacation home of Nicolas's aunt. For a guy who was happy to make Francis eating a marshmallow into seduction play, even I was a tad surprised when Nicolas eventually spurned his advances. Oh and Marie didn't get lucky with him either.

I guess the lesson to be learned here would be that it's never a good idea to be friends with someone who shares the same taste in men. This however would be a lesson that both Francis and Marie would fail to learn if that last scene was anything to go by.

- Anne Dorval had a small but amusing role as Désirée. Louis Garrel also played the party guest that both Francis and Marie lusted for at the end of this movie.

- There's also a scene with a cherry that's more effective than the marshmallow one.

- Standout music: Dalida's Bang Bang was used effectively a few times here.

- Chronology: It took place over the course of a year in Montréal.

Heartbeats (2010) was definitely a strong second director outing for Xavier Dolan. A fun and slightly complicated love triangle that temporarily frayed a friendship between two characters. I found this rather entertaining.

Rating: 7 out of 10