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Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts

26 January 2024

Fool Me Once (NetFlix Series)

I'd never come across author Harlan Coben until recently when his name kept cropping up - his work is all over Netflix. I've not yet read any of his books and, so far, I've seen only one TV serialisation of a book, Fool Me Once, by screenwriter Danny Brocklehurst. This was compelling and I watched the eight episodes over two evenings. 

The book was set in/near New York but the Netflix series was set in England, starring Joanna Lumley, Richard Armitage, Michelle Keegan, Marcus Garvey and Adeel Akhtar. 

The plot has twists and turns and the main storyline is essentially about the rich and powerful buying off (or killing off) anyone who could damage their reputation and therefore wealth. Knowing who to believe and who can be trusted provides the tension. 

A secondary storyline is about the ordinary people whose lives are disrupted by events from the main storyline. This provides the break between the shenanigens of the 'unreal' world of deceit and death, which is as far from the ordinary viewing public's lives as any sci-fi. That said, it's a gripping series and worthy of inclusion in your list of things to watch. 

Feel free to leave a comment if you agree, disagree or wish to add your views in any way. 



Directed by Dexter Fletcher

Born in the mid-1960s in Enfield (now a London borough), Dexter Fletcher is an actor, film director and producer. He is the British equivalent of USA's Ron Howard. Both became famous as actors and have gone on to direct some great films. Fletcher's quirky style brings enjoyment to a mostly family audience, through such movies as:

  • Sunshine on Leith (2013)
  • Eddie the Eagle (2015) 
  • Rocketman (2019) 
  • Ghosted (2023) 

I've just got round to watching Ghosted, which features big stars in small roles (e.g. Anthony Mackie and Ryan Reynolds). It's a love story, it's an action-packed spy film, it's humorous. Summary: a recommended watch; great fun!

I know that I watched Sunshine on Leith and Eddie the Eagle, both of which I enjoyed, but it was so long ago that I can't remember details! Not a fan of Elton John but I may watch Rocketman some day. 

Unrelated quote:
I am constantly mistaken for Ben Elton...' - David Baddiel. 


19 January 2024

Time for more Book Reviews!

Surprisingly, there are very few book reviews on this blog yet I read so many! These have included some by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Ian Cummins and numerous others but I'll just review a couple of these books in this post. 

1. Terry Pratchett's Discworld Novels.

I'm just a couple of books from having the whole set. I re-read the ones I have in 2023. If you know and love Discworld, there is nothing I can add but, if you want to try a few, here is some useful information.

Death appears in many of the books. Obvious when you think about it, really. He is a weary old bag of bones with a strong sense of duty (well, except for that one time...) and has a grand-daughter Susan, a horse named Binky and a manservant, Albert. His speech is denoted in small capitals, such as I COULD MURDER A CURRY

Lord Vetinari is a dictator although that seems a bit harsh, considering how well he runs the main city of Ankh-Morpork by keeping ahead of everone and everything. He is also in many of the books. 

The Wizards of the Unseen University provide the mad-cap element and the Witches from varioius other regions of Discworld are generally practical and helpful within their communities. Rincewind is a failed wizard who travels throughout the Discworld and has many adventures, featuring in several of the books.

The Watch reports to Lord Vetinari, they are responsible for law enforcement and are, for the most part, let by Captain Vimes. There are also guilds who are allowed to control their own (otherwise unlawful) business within parameters set by Lord Vetinari; these includethe assassins guild, thieves guild, etc.. The Watch is featured in many of the Discworld stories, particularly those set in Ankh-Morpork. 

Moist Von Lipwig is featured in three stories. He resurrected the Post Office, ran the bank and was instrumental in the Rail system.

Ankh-Morpork is a truly cosmopolitan city, home to humans, wizards (including one orang-utang), dwarfs, golems, trolls, at least one werewolf and a vampire - you name them, you'll find them there. 

Gods have a following. Between them, they cover everything, including cutlery drawers, but are not usually significant in most of the stories. 

There are many other characters popping up now and then and the themes of stories are parodies of the world we live in but with a quirky, humorous twist.

Discworld

 

2. Neil Gaiman - Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett) and a book of his short stories.

Perhaps you've watched Good Omens on TV? I had already read the original book and subsequently the script of the first story. It was excellent. The sequel (without Pratchett) was not quite as captivating, in my opinion. 

Gaiman's book of short stories illustrates just how many weird ideas are floating around his head - not all happy thoughts, either. He's a good writer and, to be fair to him, I am not a fan of short stories, but if it's your way of escaping your life for a while, by all means give it a go. 

3. Ian Cummins - The Wrong Briefcase, My Time Again, Social Murderer.

Three different novels, three different genres. Take your pick.

The Wrong Briefcase is like a TV drama in that it's about people who you may know through work, the local pub, parents at the school, neighbours, etc.. It focuses on two characters. One is an ambitious man, Mark, whose life is changing; the other is James, a family man and our link to his father Harry's business. The story begins with Harry deciding to invest all his cash for his upcoming retirement to secure his and his wife's future - but he leaves the briefcase full of money in a taxi. The next person to use the taxi is Mark who picks up the briefcase, thinking it's his own, forgetting that he didn't have one with him that day. Harry turns to his son, James, to help find the briefcase but suddenly dies, leaving James to 'tidy up' his affairs. The book follows Mark with his new found wealth and James as their lives change but never cross. Of course, there's a good twist at the end. 

My Time Again is about a man, Graham, who has lived for 70 years when he is transported overnight back to 1970, when he was starting at University in London. His body is now that of an 18 year old but his seventy years of memories are still in his mind. This leads him to make different choices second time around. The author uses real life events to guide the story along, with Graham occasionally trying to change outcomes. But what may happen when his seventieth birthday approaches plays on his mind and he is determined to unravel the mystery before it's too late. 

Social Murderer is darker than the previous two books. Whilst murder-mysteries are the most popular of genres, I prefer less death and more feel-good. That said, however, it's a well thought through story of trying to identify the murderer before he continues his killing spree. Eventually, the detective finds out that victims are randomly chosen from their social media profiles - hence 'social murderer' - with the qualifying criteria being that their names that can be arranged in a specific pattern to solve a simple puzzle. The murderer has promised a huge reward for the first person who solves the puzzle. Will he/she be caught before the puzzle is finished and the prize claimed?

So that's it. You can buy Pratchett's and Gaiman's books practically anywhere; Ian Cummins' books are all available on Amazon books and Kindle.

P.S. I posted this book review years ago and can only remember the first and last books mentioned! Sadly, my Kindle is over ten years old and has stopped functioning.

I Used To Be Famous - British film

A few years after Del-boy put Peckham on the map, along comes Vinnie D. 

Co-written, directed and starring Eddie Sternberg as Vince Denham who used to be in a famous band twenty years earlier, this story is a reminder that people are complicated creatures. 

Vince is down on his luck. Alone in his flat, he reflects on his life choices which led him here, mainly shaped by his inability to stand his ground and visit his younger brother in hospital, who died while the band was on tour. He is not happy with his life and dreams of becoming famous again.

While practising a new song on his electronic keyboard, sitting on a bench in Peckham market, a young man, Stevie, starts drumming along with the song until Stevie's mother arrives on the scene and takes him home. 

Long story short... Stevie is autistic and drums as therapy. Vince joins the therapy group and shows understanding, helping other members gain self-confidence. The two team up (against Stevie's mum's wishes) and get a gig at the local pub. They are well received until some guys wander in and begin to shout derogatory comments about the music and then start picking on Stevie. Vince protects his younger friend and a fight ensues. Obviously he is then banned from the pub. 

With various people posting short videos on social media of Vince and Stevie playing in the market and at the gig, Vince is eventually poised to make a comeback tour... 

AI generated image of drumming

Released 2022, currently on Netflix.

17 January 2024

Indiana Jones - the fifth and final film

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 

Everyone was excited about the next Indiana Jones movie until the studio started to shoot itself in the foot and put out negative vibes. Even after it was released, there was no love for the film at Disney. Unsurprisingly, one of the highest budget films was not a box-office success and, at the time, made huge losses. These factors niggled at an audience who wanted to love Indy's last adventure (bearing in mind that Harrison Ford must be nearly 100 years old by now). 

So we waited. We've now watched the movie and have our own opinion on it. Generally, the public awarded a 3.6 rating and we wouldn't argue with that but we believe it could have been higher with a better final cut. For example, it's a long film at 2h22m and much of the first half dragged on a bit therefore just removing 20 minutes or so from the first half of the film would have been beneficial. Possibly the scenes where old Indy became younger Indy, thanks to CGI, were only kept in to justify the CGI cost? 

That aside, once the action got going, it was entertaining.

Resurrecting the Nazi element as the antagonists was a terrible idea but the fantasy element of the franchise (e.g. Arc, Aliens) was topped by time-travel. The antagonists meet their doom in the distant past as Indy meets with Archimedes who, apparently, discovered how to time travel around 2000 years ago. 

All in all, quite entertaining and a must-see if you've seen the others. 

Personal ratings by release:

  • Raiders of the Lost Arc ~~~ 5* 
  • Temple of Doom ~~~ 4* 
  • Last Crusade ~~~ 5*
  • Crystal Skull ~~~ 4* 
  • Dial of Destiny ~~~ 4*

 



12 January 2024

Movies: Freelance, Witless Protection, About My Father - our ratings

We've watched three more films on three consecutive evenings, wow. 

1. Freelance

Genre: action and humour. If this had been made at the end of the last millenium, it would be starring Arnie and possibly co-starring Antonio Banderas. However, it was released in 2023 and stars John Cena, Alison Brie and Juan Pablo Raba. It's not a new plot but it was entertaining and for that, we give it 4 out of 5 stars. Cena and Brie were good and Juan Pablo Raba was excellent.

2. Witless Protection

Genre: comedy. We nearly abandoned this quite early on as it's cringey rather than funny but we let it run and there was some worthy humour. Added to that, the plot developed nicely, so we can award 3 out of 5 stars. For those of you who know of the comedian 'Larry the Cable Guy', the humour is probably typical but for the rest of us (especially Brits), this is a B-list movie.

3. About My Father

Genre: comedy. Based loosely on the relationshop between the writer/leading actor Sebastian Maniscalco and his father, played by Robert De Niro, this hardly believable plot is entertaining, with characters who you may like or loathe as the story unfolds. It's entertaining, so somewhere between 3 and 4 stars out of 5. 

Click here for more film info.

05 January 2024

Film Review: Uncharted

 "Nuns. Why did it have to be Nuns?" 

I've been looking forward to seeing this film for such a long time. I'm not a gamer but I've watched some of the Uncharted stories from the games plus the fan-made short with Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake - so I know a little but not enough to enrage me if there are deviations from the game plots. 

I watched this with someone who knew nothing about Uncharted at all. For example, he asked what sort of film it is and I said that it was a little bit like Indiana Jones. 

The main characters are Nate (Tom Holland) and Sully (Mark Wahlberg) whose connection is Nate's brother, Sam (missing, presumed dead). The film begins with the brothers as naughty boys, Sam leaves younger brother Nate to be raised in an orphanage by nuns. Eventually Nate comes of age, leaves the orphanage and gets a job as a barman, supplementing his income by stealing stuff. 

Sully finds Nate and, after some cat-and-mouse games, they team up to search for Magellan's gold. Of course, they are not the only ones on the trail so they encounter some rough enemies, including the woman who shot Sam. 

At the end, as with Indy's adventures, there is a wistful but not unhappy ending to the film, followed by a teaser for a sequel which, at the end of 2023, we are still waiting to hear if/when it's to be given the green light. I hope so.

I enjoyed this film and the person with whom I watched it also enjoyed it (possibly not as much as me though). If I had to name one thing that niggled me, it was the destruction of two perfectly preserved, centuries-old sailing ships. But then, I have to remember that it's not real, just a story.

 

15 November 2023

Review: Last Night in Soho

I wanted to watch the film, Last Night in Soho, ages ago because I like the song (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch, 1960s) and I like the Director (Edgar Wright) plus the cast had some good names (Matt Smith, Diana Rigg and a host of other names) but my favourite character, John, was played by Michael Ajao.

Billed as a psychological horror, the film is about Eloise (another 1960s hit song, featured in the film), a teenage girl who is accepted at a fashion design college in London. A quiet personality, she had little in common with girls she shared halls with so decided to find her own lodgings. Around this time, she began hallucinating about events that happened in the past (taking us back to the 1960s again) which were so real that she became part of that life, skilfully taking the movie into a thriller/horror genre. 

It's too difficult to go into details - you can watch the film if you need to know them - but the nightmare eventually ends and you realise that Ellie isn't going insane but is sensitive to the strong psychic vibes of the 'ghosts' in the room (oh yes, There's a Ghost in my House by R Dean Taylor, 1970s, was also on the playlist, as were: A World Without Love by Peter & Gordon, Don't Throw Your Love Away by the Searchers and Wishin' & Hopin' by Dusty Springfield, to name a few). 

'Nuff said. I think I liked the movie. If it's your cup of tea, give it a go. Here's the trailer:


10 November 2023

Review: One Night in Miami

Another one that I'm not sure whether to recommend. It's an account of a fictional evening following Cassius Clay's victory over Sonny Liston in 1964, shared with other icons of the day: Sam Cooke, Jim Brown and Malcolm X. 

In the film, they spent most of the evening in a motel room. The boxing champ, the American footballer, the singer and the activist. Guess which one was the least fun, interrupting the celebrations with his ranting? Malcolm X seemed almost schizophrenic, jumping from rants to normality throughout the film. 

Being British, I'd never heard of Jim Brown who retired from (American) football to become a reasonably successful actor (the character was played by Aldis Hodge who is known for such roles as Hardison in Leverage) but he seemed like a nice, level-headed guy, the best of the bunch. Sadly, Jim Brown died earlier this year. 

And who hasn't heard of Sam Cooke? A great voice, he released many songs during his short time on earth (shot and killed a few months after the film was set), including: You Send Me, Wonderful World, I Can See Clearly Now, Cupid, Twistin' the Night Away, Another Saturday Night, Change Gonna Come... and more. 

Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali shortly after his rise to fame, encouraged to change religion by Malcolm X.  Most(?) people alive today will know who he is, a much loved character who sufferered from Parkinson's Disease in later life. I don't know much about Malcolm X so I don't feel that I have the right to comment here.

The film is an Amazon original. Here's the trailer:

Summary: a well-acted and well made film with light moments and humour. Personally, I am always  uncomfortable with stories from the 1960s/70s that comprise some elements of ugly truth, such as racism, sexism and other prejudices.


06 November 2023

Review: The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

I'm not sure whether to recommend this or not... 

Benedict Cumberbatch is a very good actor and his make-up artist was excellent, taking him from a young man to an old man waiting to die, then an old man who decided to continue living. 

Based on a true story, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is a quaint story of life from late 1800s to early 1900s - the ups and downs of life in an upper middle-class family with very little money. It highlights the absence of free will for many people of the time: the poor and the powerless, women who need to 'marry well' and even the proviledged classes who do not conform to society's rules. In this respect, it perpetuates how a collection of weathly men determined the value of others and it illustrates how harridan leadership spills into everyday two-faced gossip when people don't conform to the ideas of the rich and powerful. This can be accepted as history or, for some, an example of how little things have moved on 100 years later.

That aside, the story is that Louis had to take on the role of head of the household when his father died. With no discernable income, he has to provide for his many sisters and unwell mother and pay for a governess - an educated woman who is appointed by the eldest sister to teach the younger ones.

But this is also a also a love story. Louis Wain is a lovely, if awkward, person who, these days, may be considered to be 'on the spectrum'. He falls in love with the governess, which is frowned upon by people who know the family, as she is someone from 'the servile class'. The couple moves away and Louis takes various artistic commissions to support her, his sisters and his mother. 

There's a lot more to the story and, inevitably, there are sad moments. Go ahead and watch it - especially if you like cats - but be sure to line up some happier viewing to follow. 

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain with Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy and Toby Jones.

Louis Wain wiki

01 October 2023

Film Review: Nobody

Nobody is a 2021 movie with Christopher Lloyd, whose character is the dad of the lead actor, Bob Odenkirk. It begins by showing the dull repetitive life of a family man which is disrupted by a break-in. The man, Hutch, does nothing (explained later in the film) but soon regrets his inaction and decides to track down the perpetrators. During his search, hints of his past life start to creep into the story.

When he finds the couple who broke in, he discovers that they acted out of desperation as they couldn't afford medicines for their sick baby. Hutch leaves, angry and frustrated, and catches a bus. During the journey, some drunks crash their car and catch the bus, still drinking, then begin to harass a young lady travelling alone. Hutch starts a fight.

Afterwards, he learns that the younger brother of a notorious 'baddie' died following that fight - and the elder brother's endless supply of thugs and assassins was sent to hunt down Hutch.

How does it end? You'll have to watch it yourself - it's worth it. Here's a clip:

This will appeal to those who enjoyed John Wick, Seven Psychopaths or In Bruges. Even if you aren't keen on fight scenes and gun battles, it's a good film with humour so it's quite fun!

25 April 2022

Star Trek & Picard

I've been simultaneously re-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and watching Picard for the first time. Still many series to go with Next Gen but, before I begin watching Picard S2, I decided to review S1. 

The first episode was a bit of a struggle as the story was being established but, as the series progressed and the characters were introduced, it became very good. 

Bruce Maddox was featured in Picard and, by coincidence, he popped up in the episode of Next Gen that I was watching. Without giving too much away, there were some 'old friends' from the USS Enterprise popping up in the series, too. 

Picard 'died' in s1 but, obviously, there was no panic over this storyline if watching it now because s2 is already available and s3 has just been wrapped. That, incidentally, will be the final series. 

The new characters bonded throughout series one and now I'm looking forward to the next adventures of Jean-Luc with Chris Rios on his ship, La Sirena, with Elnor, Soji, Raffi, Seven of Nine, and Agnes. 

Meanwhile, lots of re-watching to do for the Next Generation. Then maybe Deep Space 9 and maybe Enterprise. I've never seen Discovery or Voyager - would anyone like to recommend them to me?



UPDATE

I've now watched S2 and it was darker, with Chris Rios bringing a little light relief. It ended OK-ish though. Now waiting for S3...


15 August 2019

Review - Ready Player One - The Book

First of all, it's hard to believe that this is the author's first novel. Secondly - how will Ernest Cline follow that! Almost ten years later, we're still waiting to find out.

For anyone who is not a 'gamer', I'd recommend reading the book before trying the film. I was given this excellent advice because the book explains references to games in the story-line in a way that the film doesn't, because it's focusing on the action. Special effects are a substitute for imagination, I guess. I was totally absorbed in the book - and I'm one of those weird freaks who has never, ever played a video game and I have no intention of doing so.

The story is futuristic, set a couple of decades hence, but the over-riding theme is inspired by the 1980s. There are many references to that era to keep the interest of people born before then. Not just gamers and not just Americans - the story includes British and Japanese culture from around that decade. Rock and pop music, fantasy-world book authors, such as Terry Pratchett, plus many, many film references, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which made me smile - yes I remember the '80s.

The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, was released in 2018. I've not seen it yet but I have discussed it with a couple of people who have watched the film but not read the book... READ THE BOOK! If there is a downside, it's that the font size used in the book is minuscule. It's all small print that required me to use a combination of reading glasses and bright sunlight or, in the evenings, I tried a daylight torch and a magnifying glass - neither of which were ideal. And I don't have enough hands to use both and hold the book open and turn the pages.

It's a well-written book but the genre isn't for everyone. I loved it and I'm looking forward to watching the film in the near future.



p.s. I read Good Omens quite some time ago and recently watched the series on TV. And now I'm going to re-read the book...


21 September 2014

DVD Film Review: I Love You, Man.

I Love You, Man (2009)

A John Hamburg Film

Starring Paul Rudd & Jason Segal
Co-starring Rashida Jones
 


Mike from Friends meets Marshall from HIMYM

Paul Rudd's character is an Estate Agent who proposes to his girlfriend and the wedding planning begins...

The groom-to-be has no male friends and is not close to his much older brother. He overhears the bride-to-be discussing his lack of friends with her friends and he sets out on a quest to find a best man.

After some desperate attempts to 'man-date', he is hosting an Open House to sell Lou (The Hulk) Ferrigno's property and starts chatting to Jason Segal's character about the food. They get along well and, despite Paul Rudd's character trying too hard to be cool, they become good friends but the friendship begins to affect the engagement.

There was a point where we were not quite sure if Jason Segal's character was trustworthy, as he asks for money for an investment but it was a valid, although unusual and interesting, investment.

The girlfriend, played by Rashida Jones, was charming throughout and everything works out well with the wedding going ahead at the end of the film. And we hope they all lived happily ever after.
Beebopalula

Reviews of Recent Films, Summer 2014

Films viewed: A Long Way Down, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Postman Pat, The Amazing Spider-man 2, Captain America: the Winter Soldier.

1. A Long Way Down

Based on the book by Nick Hornby. Starring Pierce Brosnan (007), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Imogen Poots, Toni Collette.

I enjoyed A Long Way Down - despite the story being about suicide attempts which, in real life, are not funny. Four people determined to jump off a roof in London on New Year's Eve are surprised to find that they are not alone. The characters are sympathetic and the dialogue was often amusing. I just wish that I could remember some of the amusing quotes... sorry, you'll have to watch it yourselves.

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel (but not Johnny Depp).

Wes Anderson's quirky film is an interesting recount of the hotel's ownership over 50-ish years and how the current and previous owners came to own it. A gentle, amusing comedy-drama; well acted, well made.

3. Postman Pat: The Movie

You will recognise the voices of David Tennant, Stephen Mangan, Jim Broadbent, Ronan Keating and perhaps Rupert Grint. Quite a few plot holes but the under-7s will probably overlook them. Look out for the guest appearance by a Dalek.

I think I may have become slightly de-geeked, reaching saturation point for superhero films, but here goes...


4. The Amazing Spider-man 2

I really like Andrew Garfield as Spiderman and this is a great film.
Familiar storyline of Peter Parker losing the girl and having to battle with his best friend. If you've not overdosed on Spidey films during the past decade, you should enjoy this one.

5. Captain America: the Winter Soldier

Starring Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford.
High-level shenanigans in the USA as SHIELD is infiltrated by Hydra and can no longer be trusted. The mysterious Winter Soldier emerges to battle with Captain America. Good, exciting storyline but how will they rebuild the city, yet again, in time for the next film - and where's the money coming from? Still, not as much devastation and destruction as in the Superman vs Zod battle.

BP2

12 August 2014

Review - The Butler

On IMDB, The Butler has only 3.5 stars. Forest Whitaker's performance alone is worth another star.

The story is based on a real one and shows how the USA has progressed from apartheid to the election of President Barack Obama, as experienced by the lead character, Cecil. His family worked in the southern cotton fields and were brutalised by the owners. As a boy, Cecil was taken to the house as a servant and subsequently perfected those skills throughout his life to become a respected member of staff at The White House.

The story of his career is interlaced with his family life. He had a long, solid relationship with his wife (played by Oprah Winfrey) and a difficult relationship with his rebellious first son. He was proud of his younger son who was killed in the Vietnam war. Snippets of Cecil's life at The White House reveal insights into the administrations of several presidents over a number of years.

In Cecil's later years, he and his eldest son are reconciled and, towards the end of the film, they celebrate Obama's victory together.

Why Forest Whitaker's performance was incredible: I really believed he had become a frail old man in his 90s and found myself wondering if he was still alive in real life... he's only in his early 50s!

Other films to watch with Forest Whitaker: The Last King of Scotland, Good Morning Vietnam & The Color of Money.


16 July 2014

The Monuments Men - film review

Based on a true story, The Monuments Men (2014) stars just about everybody - George Clooney (who was also co-writer/director), Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean DuJardin, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban, oh and Cate Blanchett who plays a Parisian.

It was like watching an interesting documentary but better, as the actors were masters of under-acting and seemed so natural . It was amazing to learn about the number of artworks that were stolen, stored or destroyed - and there was tons of gold stashed, too.

An enlightening and enjoyable film. If you want to know more, you can decode the following paragraph by pasting it into a text document and changing the font to something readable.

Guess which two of The Monuments Men team died - none of the Americans – just the Brit and the Frenchman!

Recommended. Give it a whirl!

25 April 2014

Back to the Future Rebel without a Cause

Recently, I watched Rebel without a Cause, a 1955 film, the year that Marty McFly travelled back to in the original Back to the Future.

I have to admit that the lifestyles portrayed were getting on my nerves; James Dean played a teenager of 16/17 years of age whose parents bickered constantly and the girl-next-door, played by Natalie Wood, was physically pushed away by her father for hugging him. Both families seemed 'middle-class' and were the antithesis of the usual happy families from films of the era - and maybe that was the point.

The main character, Jim (James Dean) was a good guy whose biggest flaw was that he couldn't resist a challenge if he was called 'chicken' (ring any bells, BTTF fans?) therefore when Buzz / Biff made the call, Jim McFly responded.

There ensued a 'chicken' car driving contest, similar to the duel that was revived in Grease. This one involved driving stolen cars off the edge of a cliff and jumping out at the last second.

Throughout the film, I was appalled that 16/17 year olds were roaming the streets all night with no evidence of parental concern - maybe that was the Wild West legacy - and that didn't seem very realistic to me... until the news reminds me that this is happening in UK inner cities, almost 60 years later.

I'm glad I've finally seen the film and I'd probably recommend that film fans should see it but don't expect to love it. 

More Film Reviews...


19 March 2014

Book Reviews, Winter 2013-14

I can't believe the number of novels I've read in the past three or four months! All these books were available as free downloads for Kindle so do you get what you pay for? Recent readings include:
  • The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
  • The Lost World - Arthur Conan Doyle
  • The Man Who Never Was - Hylton Smith
  • Tuppeny Hat Detective - Brian Sellars
  • The Half-Life of Hannah - Nick Alexander
  • The Christmas Bake Off - Abbey Clements
  • The Fight Before Christmas - Frankie McGowan
  • In a New York Minute - Eleanor Moran
  • Death by Honeymoon - Jaden Skye
  • Licence to Date (Better Date than Never) - Susan Hatler
(there were a couple more but a bit samey)

The Great Gatsby
I've never seen the films, just clips of affluent Americans from 100 years ago so I began reading without any preconceptions. The overriding impression of the book is not the story but the writing of it - it's as much of a struggle as Shakespeare! That aside, it was like reading a narration of the adult life of Jay Gatsby but without much satisfaction, because the story-teller had only known the subject for a few weeks and was unable to address the questions that the readers most want to know, e.g. how exactly did he become so wealthy?

The Lost World
It has adventure and humour and, although the book was quite lengthy, it never failed to entertain. Briefly, the story is about an expedition to a small area of South America that has a micro-climate that has supported a few dinosaurs, millions of years after they ceased to exist everywhere else on earth. Good story, worth a read!

The Man Who Never Was
Interesting detective story spanning two time periods, mid-1940s and 1980s. The '80s CID from 'up north' were trying to solve a 40 year old suspicious death but there were some shenanigans from London's secret services - a cover up! The lives of the early characters were well described and became 'real' to the reader so that we want to know what happened to them later on - and that the complex investigation reaches a satisfactory conclusion. Good story, well written.

Tuppeny Hat Detective
Set in post WWII northern England, a young boy is determined to pursue enquiries relating to the death of a neighbour, while the Police and resident G.P. refuse to recognise clues. Well written tale, also with a satisfactory conclusion.

The Half Life of Hannah
A cleverly misleading title; a family drives to Southern France for a summer holiday, to a rural holiday home that they have rented with some relatives and a friend. A long lost brother returns from the dead (Australia) and upsets the family apple cart. OK for a 'light' read.

The Christmas Bake Off
I seem to remember this as a fairly short story, a pre-Christmas 'filler'. A Readers Digest style simple love story that took place in the few days around the village baking competition. Not particularly memorable.

The Fight Before Christmas
An ordinary story about ordinary people going through a family break-up and the pressures of Christmas - but well told and with happy endings all round - though not the ones you might think!

In a New York Minute
A short and sweet story of a work deadline in New York that results in a missed flight back to London on Christmas Eve but leads to a blossoming friendship with the promise of romance, turning despair into happiness within a minute.

Death By Honeymoon
The perfect boyfriend becomes the perfect husband and the happy couple start their honeymoon in a small beach hotel in a tourist-free spot in Barbados. Unfortunately, the husband is killed in a surfing accident. His wife doesn't believe that it was an accident and spends far too much time pathetically protesting this whilst cocooned back at home before the author decides to get her off her backside and back to the Caribbean to pursue the enquiry herself. She solves the murder and this sparks a new career. Despite the delay in the story getting back to the action, it was a good read and I will consider reading more in the series.

Licence To Date
Enjoyable read, a well written 'nice' story about a young woman finding romance following a break-up on the eve of her wedding day. Best of a 'samey' bunch of girlie stories.
BP2/3BPs

15 February 2014

The 39 Steps - stage play adaptation

I've seen a couple of the film versions, years ago, and recently read the book by John Buchan. Yesterday, I saw the stage play adaptation of The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow, performed in the West End by a cast of four.

It was cleverly funny, with numerous references to Alfred Hitchcock (director of the 1935 film) including his silhouette, some birds, a rear window, vertigo, the man who knew too much and a 'psycho' moment.

One of the many highlights was delivered by 'Mr Memory':

"Who won the cup in 1926? The Tottenham Hotspurs won the cup in 1926 defeatin’ the Arsenal Gunners by Five goals to nil in the presence of His Majesty King George the Fifth. Am I right, sir?"

According to theFA.com, he wasn't:
  • Tottenham Hotspur won the cup in 1921, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0
  • Bolton Wanderers beat Manchester City in 1926, 1-0
  • Arsenal reached the final in 1927, losing to Cardiff, 1-0
But who cares? We'll take that win! ;-)
3BPs