Amber Poppitt

Writer / Blogger / Artist / Photographer / Gamer / Runner / Film Lover / Fitness Fanatic

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'Transient Catalysts' - Doctor Who 1.6: Rogue

Broadly speaking, when it comes to Doctor Who, episodes typically arrive in one of two guises: traditional or radical. The former leans into a familiar, comforting structure. The Doctor and their companion land in a new environment, a threat emerges, and our hero outsmarts the villain before zipping off into the cosmos. While these traditional episodes span various subgenres, such as a base under…

'Transient Catalysts' - Doctor Who 1.6: Rogue

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'The Beast in a Romp Suit' - Doctor Who 1.5: Dot and Bubble

On the surface, Dot and Bubble looks like a more standard, fluffy instalment of Davies era Doctor Who. Murray Gold’s score is as bubbly as it often is, the colour palette more vibrant than James Cameron’s Pandora after sunset, costumes as camp as can be, and cinematography so crisp it would make a pork scratching envious. Even the monsters are as barmy as this show likes to make them on occasion.…

'The Beast in a Romp Suit' - Doctor Who 1.5: Dot and Bubble

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'An Alternative Era' - Doctor Who 1.4: 73 Yards

73 Yards is an episode of television that confuses me to no end. And no, I’m not referring to the obvious ambiguity perched at the heart of this story, but rather my subjective opinions toward the script itself. Whenever asked whether I like this one, I can’t quite land on a definitive or confident answer. I’m caught between shifting thoughts that alter depending on what part of the episode I’m…

'An Alternative Era' - Doctor Who 1.4: 73 Yards

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'Man's Intergalactic Best Friend' - Project Hail Mary

Spoilers Ahead I went into Project Hail Mary with high expectations, although those expectations were triggered largely by its trailers than anything else. I’ll admit, for as much as I love to read, I wasn’t familiar with the source material prior to the film entering its promotional cycle. Sure, I was aware of Andy Weir, what with The Martian getting a Ridley Scott adaption during the previous…

'Man's Intergalactic Best Friend' - Project Hail Mary

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'Smouldering Dreams' - Avatar: Fire and Ash

Spoilers Ahead There’s a peculiar missionary zeal that comes with being a lifelong James Cameron fan. For as long as I can remember, I have desperately wanted to bring others into the fold, yearning for them to feel exactly the way I feel when confronted by his storytelling. Ever since I was a young child, Cameron’s films have evoked a joyous alchemy of wonder and melancholy that other directors…

'Smouldering Dreams' - Avatar: Fire and Ash

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Ctrl Alt Critique - Batteries Not Included (1987)

Prepare yourself, gorgeous Critters, for this week the Ctrl Alt Critique crew are resisting eviction and plugging themselves into Matthew Robbins’ 1987 sci-fi fantasy, Batteries Not Included. Join the trio for some high-voltage absurdity. Bailey reveals his twisted blueprint on how to deter Mr Lacey’s contractors, pitching a disturbing method of getting the adorable ‘Fix-its’ to execute some…

Ctrl Alt Critique - Batteries Not Included (1987)

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Ctrl Alt Critique - The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

Sharpen those fangs, perfect your most brooding of stares,and try not to break any treaties while you’re at it. That’s right, lovely Critters, Ctrl Alt Critique is emerging from the misty forests of Forks for a third time! Amber, Ad, and Bailey are sinking their teeth into the 2010 cultural phenomenon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and as is tradition, they are not alone! This week, they’re joined…

Ctrl Alt Critique - The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

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Ctrl Alt Critique - Life (2017)

Scrub down your intravehicular medical garments, secure the lab, and prepare for quarantine, because Ctrl Alt Critique is capturing a new specimen this week! That’s right, darling Critters, Amber and Bailey are floating free from the airlock to tackle quite the organism; Daniel Espinosa’s 2017 sci-fi shocker, Life. Join the crew for a spot of zero-gravity chitchat. Amber shares her terror of the…

Ctrl Alt Critique - Life (2017)

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Ctrl Alt Critique - Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

Grab your Mül converter, plot a course for Alpha, and prepare to phase-shift with Amber and Bailey. That’s right, Critters, this week the Ctrl Alt Critique gang are firing up their Astroship and diving headfirst into Luc Besson’s 2017 visual buffet, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets!

Amber channels her inner Bubble, unpacking the pros and cons of Rihanna’s shape-shifting cabaret act,…

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

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Ctrl Alt Critique - Arachnophobia (1990)

Lock up your wine cellars and check those slippers of yours, for Ctrl Alt Critique has scuttled back into sight! Amber, Bailey, and Ad are emerging from the barn rafters to unleash a venomous second series on their unsuspecting critters, and they’re starting matters off by spinning a fresh web around the 1990 Amblin classic, Arachnophobia. Join the trio for their signature chittering…

Ctrl Alt Critique - Arachnophobia (1990)

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‘Ella’s Quest: The Rage Room'

The universe sure does have a mischievous sense of humour when it comes to derailing my plans. One moment I’m innocently pottering about my local supermarket, contemplating that evening’s dinner options, the next, a ghost from my past appears, shattering my tranquillity. I’d just finished up at the coffee shop, dragging myself away from the delightful Tyson  before lust got the better of me.…

‘Ella’s Quest: The Rage Room'

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'A Corporate Tightrope' - Alien: Earth 1.1: Neverland

Moving franchises forward can be a tough nut to crack. It sometimes feels as though those working both in front of and behind the camera have a near-impossible task. How do they carry on and revitalize a legacy when the decision to either look ahead or glance back risks generating opposition from its fanbase? A more recent example of this challenge can be seen in the Star Wars sequel trilogy,…

'A Corporate Tightrope' - Alien: Earth 1.1: Neverland

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The Road to E.T Chapter Two - 'A Boy's Life'

It’s June of 1980, and director Steven Spielberg is prepping himself for his upcoming project. Despite his work with Ron Cobb, Rick Baker, and John Sayles, Night Skies is still far from ready to begin filming. The feature needs more time to gestate before entering production. But that’s fine, as Spielberg has another feature lined up at the ready; the George Lucas penned Indiana Jones and the…

The Road to E.T Chapter Two - 'A Boy's Life'

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'A Familiar Ghost' - Doctor Who 1.3: Boom

Following a seven-year absence from the show, Saturday the 18th of May 2024 saw one of the program’s most long-serving showrunners return to write for the second RTD era. Much like Davies, it was assumed that once Moffat exited the series, it would be unlikely that he’d be back anytime soon. Regardless of his love for the program, not to mention the fact that it’s one of the things that got him…

'A Familiar Ghost' - Doctor Who 1.3: Boom

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You can do Anything' - The Fantastic Four: First Steps

As far as features go, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a lot of fun. It’s grandeur in its scale, unwavering in its confidence, and unique in terms of how much it feels like an adaptation of a story from another time. This is a movie that embraces the retro-futuristic aesthetic of a version of the science fiction genre from a bygone age, resulting in a feature that pays homage to a type of…

You can do Anything' - The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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'Out There is the True World' - Avatar

James Cameron’s Avatar is a movie that’s often discussed in the context of its envelope-pushing CGI or unoriginal screenplay. These criticisms are hardly surprising when you consider the broader history of its director. After all, Cameron is known for pioneering groundbreaking special effects to tell stories, and for delivering several science fiction films noted for their narrative qualities. Therefore, it was natural to…

'Out There is the True World' - Avatar

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'Destroying the Flesh' - The Substance

Following the success of 2017’s Revenge, director Coralie Fargeat began working on what would become her next feature. At the time, Fargeat had not long entered her 40s, a transition that brought with it a whole host of anxieties. Negative thoughts concerning her relevance crept into her mind, tormenting and taunting her with voices that whispered problematic notions. “When I had passed my 40s,…

'Destroying the Flesh' - The Substance