PODCAST OF THE WEEK

Nominated for Best Podcast of a Blog at the 2006 Bloggie awards, The Movie Blog keeps its audio edition witty, interesting and, since it happens thrice-weekly, regular. The editor John Campea marshals such contributors as stand-up comedian Doug Nagy and Edinburgh native Richard Brunton in discussing leaked footage of the British-set Basic Instinct sequel (“basically porno”), disturbing news about King Kong having three DVD releases, and “the news that Paris Hilton may be up for the lead role in a movie about the life of Mother Teresa”. Lately, they have added video as well as audio, as if imitating those slightly pointless US morning radio shows that are also filmed for cable channels. But one thing is certain: these guys know and care about movies.

www.themovieblog.com

SOUND ADVICE

For all the talk of MP3s and illegal or legal downloading, it is easy to conclude that the practice is restricted to the young and their taste in rock, pop or alternative music. The website Ubuweb offers the kind of MP3s that more mature and refined arts fans will love. Dedicated to “all strains of avant-garde, ethnopoetics, and outside arts”, it offers a free service for anyone likely to be intrigued by Samuel Beckett BBC radio plays, films of the sound poet Henri Chopin, or a 1972 recording of John Cage’s work Mureau. Other actors, artists and musicians featured include Klaus Kinski, Joseph Beuys and Glenn Gould. There is not an Arctic Monkey in sight.

www.ubu.com

BLOG OF THE WEEK

After the failure of his TV series Firefly and spin-off sci-fi film Serenity, Joss Whedon’s once stellar career looks as if it is dimming somewhat. But, don’t worry Joss, the people who contribute to the blog Whedonesque still love you. All the latest news items, rumours and sightings concerning the one-time wonder boy and the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are logged daily by the kind of people who appreciate smart, sophisticated dialogue and plotting.

whedonesque.com