SIGUR ROS – HEIMA (released Nov 07) reviewed by John Connors
Listening to Sigur Ros is an acquired taste; there are plenty who find their unusual sound off putting, boring or even silly. Yet if you like them, you are transported to another place and what this film illustrates is that the place is Iceland (the country not the shop!). Ostensibly a documentary about a series of small scale homecoming concerts the band played din 2006, Heima is a lustrous piece of work. Mixing artfully shot concert sequences, wonderfully filmed looks at Iceland' s unique landscape and some additional performances in unusual settings, the result is a visual and aural triumph. As their lyrics are in Icelandic and sung in a high pitched voice, you could easily be listening to music from another planet so you can imagine they are about whatever topic you choose. The film has another layer too beyond the music; many of the remote places the band performs in are derelict reminders of industries of the past. There are abandoned boats, derelict factories and a feeling expressed by the members in interviews that not all change is a good thing. One appearance takes place in a protest camp against a large dam that has been built and it may well be the case that Sigur Ros' music reflects as much the relationship between Icelandic people and their island as it does the landscape of the place itself. Certainly the community feeling is strong throughout and the likes of a traditional singer or a local brass band join in. It is most peculiar to see the group members sitting down for a meal in a church hall with the audience before playing. There seems to be no gap between both parties and a need to share the experience. Atmospheric, reflective and occasionally startling in its mix of sound and vision, Heima is like no tour film you've seen and in placing the musicians amidst the people and places that inspire their music is close to perfect.
Back to topTHE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES (BBC1 / CBBC Oct – Nov 07) reviewed by John Connors
Eye of the Gorgon
This is better stuff, raising the bar from the slightly too childish Slitheen episodes. Investigating sightings of a spooky nun at a retirement home, Sarah and the kids discover an alien talisman that ends up in Luke's possession and which a band of decidedly hostile nuns are after. Helped by Phil Ford's busy dialogue the momentum is ushered along by some old school performances from the likes of Doreen Mantle as one of the more alert residents, Beth Goddard as sinister Sister Helena and best of all Phyllidda Law as former explorer's wife Bea Nelson-Stanley with working knowledge of Sontarans amongst other things. Lis Sladen puts in a very focussed and Doctor like performance raising her game to match her veteran co-stars while the mystery is well balanced by a sub plot involving Maria's family. Ford gets a great handle on the latter navigating tricky waters for the younger audience in some well played scenes. The episode climax is shocking too as Maria's Dad is turned to stone by the gorgon-nun. That it is that act, rather than the unveiling of the monster itself, that the episode ends on shows how well landscaped it is and how in touch with the more human side that Doctor Who itself now leans on. In fact, the way the kids emerge from Sarah's tiny car suggests TARDIS like dimensions and it seems as if this series may yet prove to be better on the inside than we expected. Part 2 follows through even if it's a bit more of a runaround and leans a little too heavily on a race against time but is defined by a selfless act by Sarah that is right out of the fourth Doctor's armoury. If it hasn't entertained you enough there is a lovely coda that encapsulates how well measured a story `Eye of the Gorgon` turns out to be.
Warriors of Kudlak
This story has a very familiar plot- aliens stealing people to fight their war – roughly shoehorned into some contemporary laser gaming and the end result has more than a little of The Tomorrow People about it. Its big flaw is that surely the aliens would choose adults rather than kids for their ongoing war but even accepting that they don't, Sarah's mob makes such short work of their captivity on a big spaceship that you wonder why none of their predecessors ever thought of escaping. Also, if the war was over decades ago, as is revealed in a `Hand of Fear` style twist, where have all the other kids been sent to exactly? General Kudlak himself acts far less convincingly than his mask moves- in episode 1 he is a growly intimidating warlord but presumably in an attempt to make us empathise by episode 2 he is sighing and going on about feeling tired. His volte face at the end allows the story to trickle away – it might have been more satisfying for him to have launched into an Eldrad style rant of revenge but he is talked out of lifelong convictions in a two minute conversation.
For a show that strives, mostly successfully, for internal realism this story fails in that respect and with too much time spent watching laser tag gaming and some uneven guest roles would probably stretch the attention of its target audience. However, matters are partly redeemed by the acting of the regulars, especially Lis Sladen who is becoming Doctoresque with each passing week. Plus the scene where they share a view of the Earth from above is a welcome respite from the stories failings.
Whatever Happened To Sarah Jane?
Good enough to be a story from the parent series, WHTSJ pivots on a time spanning narrative yet never loses its emotional senses and pushes all concerned to their best. Gareth Roberts' script delivers surprise and restraint in equal measure, knowing just when to deploy. His Trickster is a finely moulded villain in the tradition of the classic series. He has the voice and demeanour of The Shadow, with a couple of lines nicked from the Black Guardian and a love of chaos that would give Sutekh a run for his money, clearly we know which era of Doctor Who Roberts loves. Yet he uses what could be a generic scenario and a cloak waving enemy to splendid affect, focussing on just how it all affects Maria. Jane Asher is riveting, as she tries to keep her secrets but slowly finds her life unravelling while Maria's Dad , hitherto a none the wiser foil for his sussed daughter, really comes into his own here. Lis Sladen again, is brilliant showing the sort of acting that should get her a wider variety of roles in the future which she thoroughly deserves. All told, an accomplished 50 minutes and this series' first classic.
The Lost Boy
Luke is the focus for the last story as his apparent real parents show up desperate to be reunited with their long lost son. Of course, you know full well they're aliens (and rather tediously Slitheen yet again) that's not the surprise. The humdinger comes at the end of episode 1 when Mr Smith, yes Mr Smith - who is always summoned with familial call of “I need you” - is really some cruel alien. Having only just recovered from the Professor Yana shock, is the nation ready for such a twist? It's an occasion just as surprising to this series as the famed Yana fob watch scene was to Doctor Who though there is a clue, way back in an earlier episode when Clyde is messing about with the switches and we hear Mr Smith's real voice for a moment.
Episode 2 lets rip in series finale style. Having already switched the Sun off, this time we get the Moon being dragged towards the Earth (hopefully after Martha's hospital has been put back where it belongs) and a battle inside Sarah's attic to sort out bad Mr Smith. Of course we'd all forgotten about K9 in the oven and it is the tin pooch that comes to the rescue here. There's a lot going on and the pace can be too frantic but the cast are uniformly strong, even the Slitheen this time, and a real sense of clock ticking danger emerges.
On the whole The Sarah Jane Adventures manages to create its own iconography and tone as it progresses. It is prone to the occasional over the top moment but is strong enough to cope without having to freeze the Sun or have the Moon crashing. Compared to nearest rival MI High , this is a series that will make its younger audience think a little as well as have fun. Roll on season 2…
Back to topLEAVE US KIDS ALONE (BBC3, Oct 07) reviewed by John Connors
“I'm a wanker!” declares 17 year old Liam in the middle of giving a class of 12 year olds a sex education lesson in the midst of BBC3's October series, Leave Us Kids Alone . Yes, this is the sort of programme that Angry from Basingstoke would be calling their MP about. A group of teen volunteers who felt ill served by the education system they'd just been through were invited to take control of a group of 30 12 year olds for three weeks and do as they pleased. The aim was to see how different a school run by teenagers would be as the staff would only be 5 or 6 years older than their charges. A couple of adult experts are on hand to keep an eye on things plus there's a real schools inspector popping in to assess them.
Things take a while to settle down after the teens vote for confident `business placement` Sam to be their head and start to organise things conventionally even if the delivery is a little more casual. However in a pivotal moment Sam, the only one with a job, can't take the strain or the criticism and quits the school altogether leaving his laid back deputy Liam to be voted in as replacement. His deputy is go getting Hannah and despite tensions between them it is their flexibility and support for doing something more radical that results in the hitherto traditional timetable being ripped up and replaced by something different. Separate subject lessons are jettisoned in favour of themed days and despite a feeling that some of the work is too easy for the kids, enthusiasm is ignited at every turn. Eventually Liam stands aside to allow Hannah to reach the pinnacle she clearly was made for and it is she who guides the School In The Woods to its successful finishing line.
The series plays on two levels, as a social experiment it's fascinating to see how the teens adapt to their responsibilities and the attempts at their informal timetable does confuse some of the kids but it also stimulates learning amongst others who normally struggle to engage. As kids never like being bored, the lively atmosphere and off the wall teaching methods using amateur props, jokey routines and participation keep them interested. Each of the teen teachers also develop their own styles; some like Liam's aforementioned lessons rely as much on his personality, others can convey their love of the topic while sometimes it's the community spirit that's evoked which works a treat. Winning a glowing final reports and achieving a higher than average result in the final test means that the project ends on a successful note. Yet it's just as interesting to see these teens, who are the age when they think they know everything, adapting to the situation and to each other. There are plenty of rows and clashes but the longer things go on, the more they are about the school rather than themselves. There's a rewarding coda too, when interviewed later, it seemed that the experience had inspired the teen teachers into pursuing goals that hitherto they had dismissed or avoided, though if he really does become a policeman, Liam may one day regret his lively sex education lesson was broadcast on national telly!
Politicians and education gurus could do themselves s service by studying this series because after all the theories and proposal here is a working model in action. Its not perfect- and some of the familiarity is toe curling especially the teachers high fiving the pupils as they leave each class- but there are nuggets of new ways of engaging children and making education a more lively, relevant discipline that could be easily developed. As a programme it's fascinating to see the interplay between staff and pupils and the sometimes long winded way by which the teens achieve something worthwhile. The response of the schools inspector is also interesting.
As a TV program Leave Us Kids Alone showed that so called reality television can still be valid and interesting.
Back to topAFTER YOU'RE GONE SERIES 1 DVD reviewed by John Connors
It's weird that people dismissed My Family yet the very same people lapped up any number of very similar US comedies. Is it that we can't take Brit comedy unless it's cutting edge and left field? Well, I always thought My Family was OK till Kris Marshall left and Fred Barron's new series has it's own gem in the form of Ryan Sampson who plays a similar role, ie the eccentric son and makes it his own. His character- Alex Venables may be about 16 but is clearly an alien (I doubt this was intended or it would be a left field series) and Sampson, who's actually in his 20s plays with the offbeat lines he gets the way Marshall used to do as Nick Harper. Then there's Tracey Beaker , or rather Dani Hamer tv's Tracy Beaker who is the sarkiest, annoying teenage girl and therefore quite realistic. Between them, the kids get most of the best lines along with the imperial Celia Imrie, who can never be rubbish even in Kingdom. She is the grandmother who ends up living with the kids and their father after mum goes to Africa; this premise is actually flimsy and when I saw the title I thought it referred to after the mum had died or something, which would add a serious side that might help. The father is Nicholas Lyndhurst whom Barron has written as a builder but in all honesty you can more easily imagine Celia Imrie as a builder rather than Lyndhurst who seems unable to cut loose. Jimmy Venable is supposed to have been an alcoholic but you look in Lyndhurst 's eyes and you see a decent but dim sort who would probably be a great Dad so it's unconvincing casting. He makes it work by carrying a paint brush or something and occasionally doing builder-y sort of things but it doesn't matter. So you see I rather like After You're Gone though I'm not sure if that's just because other people don't but when Ryan shows up in the most silly – and impractical- fancy dress costume ever I think; what's not to like. Barron and the other writers struggle to pull together a narrative- and when you get to season 2 you wonder why Jimmy's girlfriend hasn't moved in to provide more tension – and the pub scenes don't work but every few minutes, something rather good happens. And that's worth watching it for.
Back to topDR WHO - The Time Warrior Dvd reviewed by Jingo Jones
With his velvet clobber and old fashioned English character, it's surprising that Jon Pertwee's Doctor only occasionally appeared in a historical setting but no surprise that these are also amongst his best performances in the part. This story is class Doctor Who and contains many of the elements that had hitherto made the show popular but which had rarely appeared all together. It's also significant in kicking off what became a popular destination for the TARDIS- the pseudo historical.
`Lowly` Sontaran soldier Linx is forced to land in the Middle Ages from where he pulls people and equipment from the future to repair his stricken spaceship while also giving the local robber baron advanced weapons to keep him sweet. And before you ask; yes, the script manages to make all of this plausible. Into the mix comes Sarah Jane Smith, possibly the show's finest companion and certainly the first to both keep and develop her character as she went along. Just like a certain Rose Tyler thirty years later, Sarah is every bit the Doctor's equal here and gets plenty to do; her feisty liberated journalist more than a match for shouty Irongron, posh Lady Eleanor and even Linx himself. The Sontarans were the last of the great returning monsters the old series created and thanks to Kevin Lindsey's performance Linx is more than just monster of the month. If you watch the dvd with the CGI option on, it'll tidy up all those cheap looking effects too and enhance the experience though with Holmes' wordy script there's plenty to entertain. His dialogue is familiar in it's painting of archetypes- bloodthirsty Irongron and his dim henchman Bloodaxe, weak willed Sir Edward and his pushy wife, the battle hardened alien and the dotty kidnapped professor but each is given sparkling lines and an edge of humour to make them interesting. The top notch cats helps, while the script also focuses on the differences between the conflicting characters each of whom is adjusting to a strange situation and this comes alive in some memorable exchanges between Linx and Irongron and involving Professor Rubiesh. The Time Warrior is a fine story and if you want to see what all the fuss about old Doctor Who is about then this would be a great place to start.
Back to topMUSIC: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS: THE ELSE (Idlewild/Zoe Records only available on import or download) reviewed by John Connors
TMBG twelfth album may not bother the charts or NME or even Mojo, but it is yet another superb collection of diverse styles, oddball lyrics and hummable tunes from a duo who have done this for more than twenty years now. Johns Flansburgh and Linnell enjoyed a flurry of mainstream attention circa 1990 follwing their only big hit `Birdhouse In Your Soul` but both before and since they continue to know no musical borders nor lyrical bounds and each of their releases contains more variety than most artists manage in a career. Its this facet that has made them an acquired taste. In terms of their canon this new album most resembles `Mink Car` and is probably a better collection than 2004's `The Spine` which seemed a little rushed. Stand out tracks include `Careful What You Pack`, the mini epic `With the Dark`, `Contrecoup` (surely the only song ever written with the word “craniosophic” in it and `Upside Down Frown`. Witty, intelligent words and great tunes. What more could you ask for?
Back to topBOOK: FABLES: SONS OF EMPIRE reviewed by DJ Tyrer
This is the ninth and most recent book in the Fables series, collecting the issues of this popular comic. For an overview of the previous eight volumes, see the last issue of THIS WAY UP. This volume mainly takes place in the Homelands as the leading lights of the Empire gather together to plan a counterattack against Fabletown and Bigby takes his family to visit his father, the Northwind. The attack plans and their flaws, as picked out by Pinocchio, are discussed at length whilst Bigby unexpectedly encounters figures from his past.
An ambassador to Fabletown from the Homelands has arrived and the newshound Kevin Thorne, the only person to notice the battle of Fabletown, attempts to try and learn something about the mysterious inhabitants of Bullfinch Street . There are also several short side-tales, including those from the special 'Answers' issue, in which a few lucky readers had their burning questions about characters and events answered, revealing further facets of the series.
This volume is very much for long-time readers : if you have not been following the various strands you will likely be left confused, especially by the answers to questions you'll never even have pondered in passing. So, if FABLES is still a closed book to you, go back and open the first volume, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. If you are a long-time reader, this volume maintains the high standards of the previous eight collections. Some readers may find it a little disappointing as it doesn't really advance the plot : much of it exists to tie-up loose ends, answer (seemingly) unimportant questions and set the stage for the next story arc. But, that's not to say it is dull or boring : there is still plenty of excitement and unexpected twists. I very much enjoyed this latest instalment of my favourite comic and am looking forward to the next collection in the new year!
Back to topBOOK: HARRY TURTLEDOVE: SETTLING ACCOUNTS: IN AT THE DEATH reviewed by DJ Tyrer
Harry Turtledove is an excellent author. If you disagree with that statement, don't bother reading on. His novels have examined time travel, alien invasion during World War II and a fantastic version of Byzantium ,
amongst others. But, perhaps his crowning glory is the alternative history series that began with HOW FEW REMAIN in which the USA lost the Civil War for a second time and the disgraced Abraham Lincoln became a Socialist.
That timeline continued in the Great War trilogy in which the USA and CSA fought it out for a third time. Then came the interwar AMERICAN EMPIRE trilogy. Now the four-volume SETTLING ACCOUNTS comes to an end with both bangs and whimpers. If you haven't read the earlier books skip to the next paragraph now : having suffered defeat in the Great War, the CSA had returned to a position of power under Hitler-analogue Jake Featherston. However, despite wiping out most of the black population and making deep
inroads into the USA 's heartland, the underpopulated CSA has found itself unable to keep the momentum up and are now being pushed back. Now, it is a race for atomic weapons to see who might emerge victorious - and it may not play out quite as you'd expect. Inevitably, there can only be one victor and we see something of the aftermath and the war crime trials that follow. Given how events tie-up, whilst time will continue to move on, it is probably unlikely that Turtledove will write a Cold War continuation.
Harry Turtledove is a master of alternative history and is adept at showing the darkside of humanity - not just what was but what could all-too-easily have been. He unravels events so that you can see just how people can slide down the road to mass murder : it is disturbingly easy. We see the horrors of war and how almost all those fighting it are normal people who don't really want to be there. IN AT THE DEATH ties-up all the ongoing storylines so that we learn what has happened to recurring characters : many survive to see the post-war world that rises from the ashes of conflict, but Turtledove is not shy about killing his characters off, sometimes in unexpected ways. He also avoids slavishly transferring the events of the real Second World War to North America and things do not go exactly as you might expect which makes the book extremely enjoyable. Highly recommended!
FILM: ROCKET SCIENCE (released Oct 07) reviewed by John Connors
Thumbsucker is one of my favourite films so I was initially concerned that this was something of a copycat version. However, while Jeffrey Blitz's film doesn't reach such heights it is nonetheless a worthwhile addition to a peculiarly American strand of film making that appears to take place just one step to the left of reality. Lonely stuttering high school student Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson) falls in love with school debating queen Ginny Ryerson( Anna Kendrick) but is seems to be a matter that will be unrequited till she ropes him onto the team, despite his speaking problems. Yet delightfully matters do not take what you might imagine is the likely course, especially once Ginny's reasons for choosing him become clear. There are some eccentric characters and incidents while a couple of twists throw enough curveballs to keep you interested. One suspects a little more work on the characters, particularly Ginny might allow us to understand them more though the acting is strong enough to cover this. Thompson and Kendrick are both great and spark well together while Blitz's askew sense of place is not dissimilar to that of Wes Anderson, albeit on a less ambitious scale. And there are lots of funny bits and anyone whose seen the film will smile when anyone mentions cellos (which I know doesn't happen often!) and when ordering pizza too. Probably Rocket Science is most likely to be remembered as the starting point of several strong careers rather than in its own right but if you like your films understated and a bit odd, then it's certainly worth a look.
Back to topTV: NCIS reviewed by David McGowan
I'd assumed, running my eyes over my cheapo TV listings mag a year or so ago, that this 'NCIS' thing was a CSI rip-off. TV cop shows, especially American TV cop shows, have never exactly been in short supply, but those high-tech boys and girls in Grissom's mob have inspired more than just a few clones in their wake. The initials that make up the title of 'NCIS' are misleading, though - they simply stand for 'Naval Criminal Investigative Service'. And although a smart cookie forensic scientist makes up one of their number, this series has very little to do with cutting edge CGI modelling and sticking up bullet-pattern wires all over UV-lit crime scenes, and has far more to do with good old fashioned TV cop archetypes.
The NCIS is (and I assume this is a real-life organisation, but for all I know it could be entirely fictional) the branch of the US Navy that takes care of all its internal criminal investigations. Rather pleasingly, given the nature of episodic television, this gives the impression that every week somebody in the US Navy is killing somebody else in the Navy, or blackmailing a commanding officer, or kidnapping their wives, or attempting to spread anthrax, or otherwise conducting themselves in an un-US navy-like manner. Heading the team is archetypal 'grizzled veteran' type Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, aka Gibbs, aka the Silver Fox (just don't call him that to his face). All the personality traits are present and correct - he's been married and divorced (three times), is usually referred to by his surname alone, has 'seen action', is gruff and no-nonsense, can't stand red tape, is out of touch with pop culture references and can wither a suspect (or a hapless member of his team) with a look. And he likes his coffee hot.
Devoid of long-running story arcs per se, the joy of the series lies in the manner in which Gibbs' team solve the cases. Technology is certainly at their disposal, and often Abby, their resident cute goth forensic scientist (surely every leading law enforcement agency has a cute goth forensic scientist?) will pull off some dazzling feat of criminology thanks to her online database of shell casing impact speeds or whatnot, but that is not the point of the stories. The point is seeing the team rollick about like schoolchildren on a day outing to a big city. It's about the banter, and the one-upmanship. Gibbs broods intently in the background, snapping "get on it" or "the point, Abby", whilst his underlings bicker about getting the crappy jobs, interview (or chat up) suspects , and generally get up to mischief. This is one way in which Five's near-endless, and mixed-up, repeats schedule actually works in the series favour - there are brief moments when events become mixed up chronologically, but it matters far les than such a thing would if it happened to, say, 'Heroes'... instead, you just sit back, relax, and watch how Gibbs and co. are going to save the day (or not) this week.
So what of the team? There's Kate, the sensible-headed one who looks up to Gibbs as a sort of father figure. There's DiNozzo, a throwback to the days when every cop show had a sexist chauvinist pig as standard, only here part of the point is that he's a sexist chauvinist pig, so he can trade barbs with whatever woman he happens to be paired with (usually Kate). There's McGee, the cute geeky probationer (who has no sea legs!), who basically IS The New Boy At School, getting things wrong, trying his hardest to fit in, and usually ending up with a smack round the head from DiNozzo for his trouble. There's the aforementioned Abby, and her vast collection of goth day and office wear. There's The New Woman Whose Name I Can Never Remember, on loan from Mossad who brings an ambivalent edge to the team with her hints about being trained in torture techniques. And there's Doctor Mallard, aka 'Ducky' (geddit??!?!) played with perfect charm by David McCallum, who is like every dapper bow-tied urbane mortician in fiction all rolled into one, always rambling off on asides about the derivation of archaic terminology whilst he's arm-deep in a corpse. There are a few other recurring characters but these are the guys you keep tuning in to watch.
The formula isn't the most revolutionary, but in an era when it seems every big US show is specifically attempting to be so (or at least, looking vaguely like it), the old-fashioned approach of 'NCIS' is what gives it is unique and amiable charm. It's notable that when the BBC tried its own 'innovative cop show' earlier this year (the miserable 'Holby Blue') audiences reacted negatively because its claim to being "the cop show for our generation" were so blatantly false - it was in fact stuffed full of the sorts of characters even 'The Bill' had given up on years ago, including you guessed it, the Comedy Sexist teamed up with the Enthusiastic New Girl. If it had deliberately marketed itself as being an unpretentious greatest-hits package ('Life On Mars' without the postmodernism?), then it might have gone down better.
And this is what 'NCIS' does - the antics of Gibbs and company aren't out to bend our minds with way-out new plots or fantastic new gadgetry and hardware, and it isn't trying to offer us any amazing new insights into gender politics. It's a formulaic, safe, humour and action-packed show with one goal only - to entertain. Which is no bad thing. It's something many more US shows, especially crime-based ones, should attempt more often. It is, as DiNozzo might say in his overgrown frat-boy voice, "awesome!"
Back to topSOUNDTRACK: TRANSFORMERS – THE MOVIE (1986) reviewed by DJ Tyrer
Going back long before the recent TRANSFORMERS movie there was THE MOVIE, the 1986 animated feature with planet-devouring Unicron. The Soundtrack has just been re-released with four bonus tracks, and is a must for every fanboy's music collection. Before I go further let me explain : I am not a fan of soundtrack albums. I've got a compilation of SF film and TV themes and one of Star Wars music - both bought for a couple of quid - and this. I've got friends who have albums for nearly every film they've seen. To encourage me to buy a soundtrack album said soundtrack has to be something special. This is. I originally bought the soundtrack as a child, not too long after seeing the film and enjoying the music in the cinema; it has managed to exert its hold on me into adulthood. With the cassette at risk of dying from overuse, it was only natural that I would seek out a CD replacement - so I was pleased to find this re-release going cheap on Amazon : it's not long since it has arrived and I've played it many times without it losing the magic.
The soundtrack is a combination of '80s rock and electronic instrumentals, with a 'Weird Al' addition. The re-release also contains four bonus tracks that weren't on the original cassette or CD. Three of these are additional instrumentals and the other is an alternative (and not quite as good) version of the theme.
Although I prefer the rock songs, Vince DiCola has also provided some great music and there is not a bad track on the disc. Stan Bush entertains with the upbeat Autobot anthems THE TOUCH and DARE, Lion provide the theme, NRG the menacing INSTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION and Spectre General NOTHIN'S GONNA STAND IN OUR WAY and HUNGER. There are better songs out there – although I'm keen to investigate Spectre General further - but whilst there is a touch of nostalgia in my enjoyment, this a solid album with much to commend it and definitely my favourite soundtrack by far. The tenth - and, formerly, final - track, DARE TO BE STUPID was my first exposure to the wacky lyrics of 'Weird Al' Yankovic, something for which I'm grateful for. More than just the Junkion theme it is a brilliantly surreal song in its own right. If you are a fan of the old TRANSFORMERS comics or cartoon of a lover of SF soundtracks then you will probably already own this. If you don't, stop dithering and buy it! If you're not, but you like music from the '80s, you may still be interested in sampling this, thankfully re-released, classic.