Mental health under the coronavirus lockdown

There are some aspects of the lockdown that are pleasant. The return of animals moving into habitats that are no longer massively frequented by humans. The air quality over lots of cities has improved. The much lower levels of road traffic. The quietness of weekend mornings especially but mornings in general are quieter.
Then there are aspects that are unpleasant. Shopping for groceries is stressful to me. I hate it. I know I am exaggerating here but it feels almost like airport security. Stress. So I go as little as possible but with a family to feed one of us has to go once a week at least, if just to buy milk, bread and teabags.
Not going out so much means we are closer as a family than before the lockdown but this has brought with it some difficulties of its own. There are times when we get on each others nerves. I think it must be especially difficult for those who are living with abusive partners. Man, that's got to be tough.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his partner have a baby boy now, born last weekend. In some ways that's brighter news for the whole country.
It has also been a week in which President Donald Trump suggested that disinfectant be injected into the blood to cure coronavirus and that also the virus doesn't like light, so bringing a dose of light into the body should be investigated. These are things that anyone might ponder in private or ask the professionals about however, you just don't do these things in a press conference watched by millions of Americans and the rest of the world. Of course its not the first time he has spouted off about the benefits of unproven treatments, while at the same time let's not forget he has cut WHO funding from the USA. The man is an absolute tool! And yet, even though the video footage is clear, what we get told is that his words are taken out of context. His words were just sarcasm to see how the negative press would report him. So the next day he leaves the press conference without taking any questions. He describes any challenge from the press as fake news. He does not like to be challenged by the press but excuse me have I missed something or isn't that their job? He'd rather hide behind his Twitter account and bully and snipe at people. He's a shockingly bad president. I just hope that the Americans can see him for what he is. He complains about fake news, well here's news: he's a fake president!

Easter under lockdown

It's Easter Monday now, the fourth and final day of the Easter holidays. I have started playing Skyrim, learned how to use Frequency Separation in Affinity Photo, edited some photos from a photo shoot that I thought were beyond salvage and reclaimed them. I have spent time outdoors in the garden, mowed the lawn, eaten meals outside with my family and completed the reading of a book. Prior to the Easter break the fear was that the general public would not heed the government's warning about lockdown but it turns out that the vast majority has heeded the government's warnings and has stayed home. Last Sunday I was shocked to hear that Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital and I was even more shocked when the day after we were told he was in the Intensive Care Unit. At that time I couldn't imagine what the outcome would be but I'm glad to know that he has now been released from hospital: must have been a very unsettling time for him and his partner/family. The country needs Boris, I didn't think I'd ever hear myself say this but it does.

Getting used to the new reality

So, after nearly a week of the so called Lockdown Measures the UK is more of less complying but it will be 2-3 weeks before we know the extent of the effect this is having. I am fairly impressed at the moment of the response of the British in general. Supermarkets are limiting people in stores and people in queues outside are keeping to 2m apart. The staff are providing sprays to wipe down trolleys and baskets and in some larger stores there is a routing system to follow once you are indoors.
All of this is SO STRANGE. It’s like waking up in the middle of a nightmare and realising it’s life now and not fiction. All of my colleagues work from home now, I used to work form home 3 days a week, that was too long but the whole time working from home is just bizarre.
I can’t even think about the end of this because there is so much we must all do before we get to the end of it. Only by keeping on acting responsibly like we have been will we beat this horrid disease.
I am VERY GLAD not to be living in America now. Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister has tested positive for the virus and I wish him a speedy recovery. President Trump just this weekend has not signed off quarantine of New York. When challenged about America having now the largest number of infections even after China, he said it was testament to the rapid and large scale testing efforts being extended. Well, its not just about the testing. The reason for not quarantining New York, where the virus seems to be out of control? Economics. I don’t think families of victims who die will appreciate that view at all. It shows a blatant disregard for human life. Did he close stores except for essential supplies? Nope. He allowed gun stores to remain open. This is stupid. People buying guns is not going to help the situation. That’s just common sense I’m afraid, something that President Trump does not have a monopoly on, although he would say he does if you asked him. A reporter asked him a question about scared Americans and instead of answering the question or providing reassurance what did Trump do? He took offence at the reporter asking the question and said to the world that the man was a terrible reporter. This is the way Trump behaves. Like a sore loser. Like a spoiled brat. He definitely is NOT the adult in a situation. So for these reasons I’m glad I don’t live in America. Wonderful country although it is, it’s not for me under the helm of such a tyrant.

Coronavirus COVID-19

The third week of March 2020 has seen the government take increasingly drastic measures to suppress the COVID-19 virus from transmitting person to person amongst the general population. Measures have gone from advice to ordering people to avoid social gatherings and the pub and restaurants, travel only when necessary on public transport and to work from home where possible. Schools are closed now until further notice except for the children of keyworkers and those who are classed as vulnerable. While the majority who get the disease will get it in a mild form, not everyone will. This is the dangerous thing and those who have less ability to get over it will succumb and go downhill rapidly.
These orders have increased the sense of panic in the population and shoppers are stripping the supermarkets of food and other essentials.  I couldn't even buy bread on Tuesday night, even before the more stringent orders were issued. It is market day today in town and the fruit and vegetable stall had long queues either side of it. I've never seen it like this in my lifetime.

Day off

Had the day off today. Had a very nice walk with my puppy in the local woods, this morning it was cold but sunny. Great weather for dog walking. This afternoon less so but I walked between 2-3pm and the rain didn't start until after 3, so I timed that right.
This coronavirus is a worry. My son needs some hand sanitiser for a school trip in April and we can't get any anywhere. Well, that's not quite true, we did find some in Aldi but some people don't think it is good enough. The information is a bit unclear on what will be ok and what won't, the % of alcohol content in the gel I mean.
Well the good news is that I am now the proud owner of a Canon 7D camera. I had to trade in my other cameras in to buy it though. Ah well, I will use it more than those. I still have a Panasonic Lumix, a Nikon and now a Canon. I also have a Fuji bridge camera.

Week off

I have the week off. The weather has been pretty dreary for weeks now and this weekend is no exception with Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis battering the UK with wind and rain. In some parts of the country there are red weather warnings meaning there is a danger to life.
I have to plan what I'm going to get up to this week. I would really like to acquire a camera but in order to do that I may need to sell some equipment I've already bought. I'm interested in getting hold of a Canon 7D or Canon 70D, either would be great. Just can't afford one at the moment.

Caroline Flack

Looks like another celebrity suicide hits the headlines, this time the sad news that Caroline Flack is dead. Lots of other celebrities are referenced in the news stories, making comments on Twitter and other social platforms, about her. Shame that she felt she had to escape by taking her own life at age 40. A tragedy really that it should come to that. Being a star you might imagine that she has people around her all the time, calling her and talking to her. She was in court recently over an apparent domestic with her boyfriend. I'm sure that the stress that must have involved was playing its part in her mental wellbeing. I wished that mental health was given more time and money in this country. I think a lot of people are left to struggle without the help they need when they need it. It's not good enough.

The Bridge (starting 2011-)

As the days are short and the nights are long, what better way to pass the time than with watching some Scandi-noir! That's why my wife and I have been enjoying the TV series called The Bridge. The one we're watching is I think the original with English subtitles and the audio in Swedish and Danish - well I can't be sure about that as I speak neither. There are 4 series of this that I have watched and enjoyed. The central character is Saga Norén, a detective with the Malmo police in Sweden. Over the course of the 4 series we see her with 2 main partners, Martin and Henrik.
The Bridge in the series is the Øresund bridge that spans between the 2 Scandinavian cities Copenhagen (Denmark) and Malmo (Sweden). Saga's partners are both Danish detectives and during the course of the series we see some of the relations between the detective's superiors.
What is interesting is that Saga continues to fight crime with a form of autism that means she doesn't empathize at all with victims or suspects, she is also working out how she has relationships involving more than just sex. She has a somewhat liberated attitude to sex I'd say. Seeing her grapple with how a partner can provide more than just the regular availability of sex is quite amusing. Despite being a serious crime story the personal stories of the characters involved is what makes the series special. Saga also has a past with her sister committing suicide at 14 and a mother with undiagnosed Munchhausen Syndrome. Martin is unfaithful to his wife and has a son from a first marriage and children from his current wife who is pregnant again. Henrik is haunted by his wife and children who disappeared 7 years ago and haven't been found. He asks Saga to help him find them off to the side of their normal cases.
So during the course of the different series there is a lot going on. The plots are intricate and somewhat confusing in some cases but as each series goes on then more and more is revealed, so the viewer is kept interested. At least I was! So, in my view this is a great series and definitely worth seeing if you like Scandi-noir style stories.

Saga and Martin

Saga with Henrik

Happy New Year 2020!

It is January 1st 2020. The start of a new decade. It sounds so futuristic to type 2020, easy to type. This blog has been going for 15 years now, albeit with a pause over the last few months of 2019. Life has been a little bit hectic with work and concentrating on photography and simply trying to relax and not worry so much about time passing but enjoying the moment. We have been living with a new family member since the 10th December, a puppy. The pup is a pedigree Hungarian Vizsla, a beautiful dog with a short brown coat and thin floppy ears. Quite big and strong.
So, in terms of plans for 2020:
Reading challenge - I have done this for the last few years and will continue with it again this year. I have read more this year due to buying a new kindle paperwhite prior to the cruise we went on.
Photography - I have spent the last couple of years developing my understanding of the basics. I would like to do more advanced things and be more creative. I have photographed models and formed a friendship with a cosplayer and would like to keep on branching out in portraiture.
Physical activity - in February 2019 we joined a gym and have been attending regularly, albeit with a pause in December. Over the last 3 weeks I have gained some weight I want to lose and now we have the pup I want to start getting out and about with him and the family.
Film & TV - I would like to complete watching things I start and watch more of the things I know I like, actually enjoy the time watching things rather than seeing it as time lost.
Videogaming - rather like my TV viewing, I would like to use the time playing games to play ones I enjoy and give a better experience.
Music - I think 2019 was good for music, I expanded the bands I listen to and bought a number of new albums. I know that new Nightwish and Delain albums are due out this year. I hope there will be a new Arch Enemy album out this year also but I haven’t heard this is planned.
Holiday - we have a cruise booked for the summer. It’s a 2 week adventure in the Mediterranean and should be a highlight of the year. One experience I haven’t blogged about was a trip to Bergen in Norway I did for work. It was a good experience and I would like to use some leave to visit another country with my wife.

That’s the first post of this year completed. Have a great 2020!!!!

The Innkeepers (2011)

I watched this film this week. It's the story of the last weekend of a hotel that is supposedly haunted, it is closing down and the last two members of staff are caretaking. They also have an interest in the paranormal and are interested in capturing proof of the paranormal activity in the hotel. There is a ghost in the hotel and it is a ghost of a woman called Madeleine who hung herself after she was left stranded at the altar of her own wedding. During the course of the film a woman (played by Kelly McGillis) checks into the hotel, she used to be an actress and she is recognised by one of the staff who is a massive fan. However, the woman explains she gave up acting to become a medium. Lots of weird things happen and the female hotel employee bares the brunt of the strange phenomena. Unfortunately she also has asthma and this is not good news. Worthy of a watch but not a great film, a little bit slow to begin with and I didn't know whether it would be a comedy horror or a scary film - from the first 20 minutes you might be confused into thinking it was a comedy.

No One Lives (2013)

This film is an entertaining thrill ride. It moves along at a great pace and has a good cast. The characters are enjoyable to watch. It concerns a gang of murderous crazies who stumble on a couple having a meal in a bar. One of the gang members starts to harass them but is told to cool it by the gang leader, he cools it for a while but later smashes the window of the couple’s car forcing them to crash off the road. When the man in the couple wakes up he finds himself chained up in a garage with the girl he was with in the bar.
Meanwhile the gang member is searching the car and discovers a panel underneath it with holes. On closer inspection he sees someone in the car. From now on the tables are turned and the gang becomes the hunted.
It all plays really well. The deaths are bloody and just as vicious as you would expect. Some interesting touches here and there and I’d say it was directed very well. Very enjoyable to watch, if you like this sort of thing.

Active noise cancelling headphones

So a friend at work was telling me a few weeks ago how he bought an expensive pair of headphones and feels it was one of his best investments ever. He bought a pair of Bose headphones, one of the expensive makes. I was talking to my wife about the music volume at the gym being very loud and sometimes overpowering the music I’m listening to with my earbuds and headphones that I wear there. She was saying the same thing and we decided we would both buy a pair of noise cancelling headphones for the gym. She opted for ones similar to the folding Sony headphones we bought for travelling to the States last year. Hers are wired and she has to put an AA battery in one of the ear cups for the noise cancelling feature. I read a few Amazon reviews and opted for a pair hat were compared very favourably to the Bose headphones but for a fraction of the cost. My headphones are made by Boltune and they are quite brilliant. The noise cancellation works really well and they are ideal for the train. They claim to have a 30 hour battery life and have a feature whereby 5 mins of charge time gives 2 hours use. I haven’t tested this out but I am very happy with the comfort, sound and build quality. I haven’t been able to compare hem to the Bose, I would. Hope that the Bose offer something in the audio quality department that I’m not getting with the Boltunes, especially considering the price. I expect that Bose have a wider audio spectrum in the treble area and that their sound separation is better: BUT I don’t know this for sure.

Autumn equinox

So today marks the autumn equinox. The date when the amount of day and night are equal. After today until late in December we get fewer hours of daylight than night time. Part of me likes this time of year. I like the aspect of being snug in bed when the temperature starts to fall. I don’t like being out in the cold so much, especially when its cold and raining. I also dislike having colds this time of year. It’s bound to happen when children return to school and all pass their germs around.

I’ve not much else to say on the subject but just wanted to make a comment on the time of year. Happy autumn equinox folks!

Bound to vengeance (2015)

Finished watching this film tonight. It doesn’t seem to have won over any critics on Rotten Tomatoes and I think I can see why. It is a film that concerns females held captive by men who want to keep them as sex slaves I think although it’s a bit ambiguous how much sexual abuse the women in the film have suffered. The female lead escapes and turns the tables on her captor and she forces him at gun point to take her to other houses where other women are being held so that she can rescue them. She learns that he is not in the captor game alone and has to confront other men. There are flashbacks sections told through home movie footage of her life before being held as a prisoner. In these we see with her boyfriend at a fun fair. The boyfriend in question turns out to be involved in some way too. The subject matter of the film is unpleasant (no surprise there) but I think as drawn some criticism for trivialising the suffering of the main character through the suddenness of her turnaround from captive to captor herself. I think this is fair criticism. Many things about the film just do not stack up and it leaves the unpleasant thought in the viewer’s mind that this kind of story somehow trivialises the real world slave trade. As a film the plot moves fairly well and the acting is alright, the dialogue doesn’t seem too far fetched even though the story is weak and lacks compassion for the victim’s plight. Not a film to watch on a date certainly. I don’t really understand who this film is aimed at.

Primal (2010)

I began watching this film several weeks ago I think, I’d forgotten I hadn’t finished it until I resumed watching this evening.It was clearly not a priority to finish it back then and not today either but I did. It concerns a group of young Australians who want to take a trip into the outback to investigate an old cave painting. One of the young women is claustrophobic and doesn’t want to go into the cave, which is bad news because going through the cave is a massive shortcut to the camp site.
So the cave is not a dormant thing as they thought it was. I can’t remember all of the details now to be fair but because they are young and horny a couple decide to go skinny dipping. Unfortunately the water is full of leeches and the girl has to be rescued. During the night she gets progressively worse. She eventually turns into some kind of animal with a mouth full of teeth. The special effects in this film are not that great to be honest. Towards the end of the film there are some decidedly bad effects, almost cartoonish I old say - but in a bad way. One by one they drop, until left with one girl at the end and you guessed it, the survivor was the girl who was claustrophobic and yep, she had to go through the cave to escape. All a bit staid and predictable. I can’t really say there was much to enjoy in the story but the setting and something about the colour grading in the film were pleasant to watch. Ther acting was alright but the script they had to work with was pretty poor.

Wind River (2017)

This film was surprisingly good. It has Jeremy Renner in it as the main star and Elizabeth Olsen as a rookie FBI agent who is the closest agent on the scene and has been sent to check out a murder of a girl found on the snowy mountain of a native Indian reservation.
This film builds slowly to the climax, which is exciting and dramatic. Overall, quite a classic story and told in a pacey and stylistic way. Very heartily recommend this as a good watch.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

This is one of those films that has been quite influential in the genre of horror by a director that has been influential throughout his career, Wes Craven. Like it or loathe it as a film, it has some pedigree. I have seen parts of it over the years but never really sat down to watch it from beginning to end and I'm glad I did because it is not a bad film overall. You have to accept that some of the acting is not great but move past that and it is an interesting little film. I watched it on the Horror Channel, as most of the films I review and because of that I might be missing some parts due to cuts but even so, I really like the ending. It's quite bleak and surprising for its time.

Nothing left to fear (2013)

This film tells the tale of a family moving from the big city to a small town where the father is to become the new pastor of the church. One of the first scenes sees the family pulling in to a farm because they are lost. One of the teenage daughters sees a farmhand bleeding out a sheep on the back of a truck. Still, it doesn’t put her off that much as she tries to pull him a few mins later into the film.
The town seems welcoming at first. However, there is a dark secret in the town. One of the family’s daughters is soon in serious trouble.
I can’t say I enjoyed this film very much, although it isn’t terrible. It’s just not very scary and nothing is really explained - maybe that’s what it should have been called!

Sad news of Emily Hartridge’s death

I heard some shocking news yesterday. A video blogger I have enjoyed watching for a few years was killed in a road traffic accident on Friday. Emily Hartridge was her name and she was beautiful and funny and a genuinely nice person. Such a shame and a terribly sad loss to everyone who knew her and those who thought they knew her through her open and honest and funny videos. She was in her early thirties and had so much more to give the world, such a tragedy we have lost her. Terribly sad for her family and sisters, who she was very close to. Such a terrible shock for them, a shock for us all but especially her beloved ones.

Find her work here:
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/emilyhart

Instagram and Twitter
@emilyhartridge

Stung (2015)

Started watching this film and after 30 mins or so, I turned off because I as tired and needed sleep. It wasn’t great and certainly wasn’t engaging enough for me to want to watch it all in one sitting. Over the next couple of days though I did find myself kind of wanting to see what was going to happen. A pair of young caterers were working on a remote country estate and guests were arriving as the wasps started to get bigger.
It’s a kind of monster horror film with big wasps with barbs that pierce flesh. Nothing out of the ordinary really. I couldn’t work out if it was all being played for laughs or not. There are sequences that are more light hearted than horror. Nothing I’d watch again but it was fairly entertaining mainly through the relationship between the young caterers. Not a scary film though.

British Summer Time

This weekend we have unusually hot weather from Europe, France recorde it’s highest temperature since records began, hitting just over 45 degrees Celsius. It is probably going to reach over 30 degrees here, I can feel it is starting to get uncomfortable and is only 9:58am.

I’ve got the garden furniture out and intend to be in the garden as much as possible, in shade of course.

The reason for this post though, is that during the summer I think the government (the nation as a whole) should compensate us for the rest of the year. Here is what I propose:

June and July - weekend extension to include Fridays (a 3 day weekend)

August - weekend extension to include Thursdays (a 4 day weekend)

These two simple change would, I believe, improve the health and productivity of the nation. I don’t believe we would lose anything by making these changes. They would give us more time to do stuff, without having to rush around in the hot weather. There would be more time to relax, so we would be less stressed and more motivated when we are at work.

The changes above would be much more useful and meaningful than the hour the clocks change.

Please, someon with any political power - MAKE THIS A CAMPAIGN PROMISE and I guarantee you’ll be elected!

Boogeyman (2005)

I watched this film this week and largely had the feeling it was. Fairly decent premise that was eventually let down by not being scary at all. I don’t think the actors were particularly awful or wooden. The story was just watered down and the psychological aspects of a child with night terrors was just not very scarily conveyed. Yet we all know that night terrors can be horrific for parents and children. I think one of the big problems with the film was that there was no real development o the relationship between the father and son. Yet we are expected to believe that a child who sees his father pulled into a closet at such a young age has affected him for the rest of his life. He seems to trust all the counselling he has had to convince him that it was just his processing of the trauma of his father simply leaving his mother - and not a result of the supernatural. Another issue is that, with a lot of Hesse sort of films, there was no explanation of what it was that was in the closet. It seemed to resemble a toy figure he had on his bedside table but why? Ultimately disappointing but I kept watching hoping for something interesting to happen. It didn’t.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

I watched this Canadian horror with a feeling of growing disappointment. I watched it through to the end though and have to say it felt like a long time had passed. I could have been doing something better than watch this.
It is a sort of a modern day take on the werewolf genre, with two sisters who don’t fit into the typical teen stereotypes. They make horror photographs with decapitated body parts. The sister who isn’t ginger is a lot more introverted than her sister Ginger. Something is mutilating local pets. Ginger gets attacked by it and gets infected. She starts to grow hair and a tail. She attacks a boy who fancies her and he starts to turn too. Her sister and her drug dealing friend find a cure and use it on the infected boy not knowing if the consequences will lead to death or cure or nothing at all. Fortunately, the cure works on him. Ginger eventually fully mutates into an animal and we don’t get to see if she is ever cured. Of course not, as it is the first in a trilogy of films. I am not going to bother with the others.

Easter Sunday 2019

The wonderful aroma of a fine Sunday lunch is drifting from downstairs as I write this post from my bedroom. Our guest, my mother in law, is expecte any minute. So, I’m snatching a few seconds to write this down.
Changes are sometimes subtle, since Valentine’s Day we’ve been regularly attending the gym we joined and to my surprise we have kept it up through the cold nights. My weight was starting to trouble me because I wasn’t eating well and wasn’t exercising and could not see the situation improving without taking action. We had been discussing joining the gym since November 2018 but had been waiting for the right time. I thought it was now or never back in February. I was struggling to tie my own shoes, bending down I could feel my belly getting I the way. So after two months of regular exercise and eating better I am happy with progress. I was over 75kg in weight and for my height that wasn’t where I should have been, my BMI was into the orange and would be heading towards the red if I didn’t do something to arrest the decline. I was also worried about the amount of sweets I was eating and diabetes. Now, my weight is 66.9kg, that’s almost a loss of 10kg. I want to get my weight under 64kg, so I still have some work to do but the great thing is I feel better. I can bend to tie my laces without my belly preventing me. I can wear shirts without feeling they are bulging around my middle. I can even get into and button jeans I thought were lost to me. So, I am happy with my progress!

Spring update

It’s been a while since I posted here. I haven’t really been watching many horror films this year, the films I’ve been watching have mostly either been on TV or they are on a scratch-off poster of 100 greatest films we bought my son.
My interests continue to be mainly music, video games and photography, a lot more on the photography side though to be fair. Films and reading have been the biggest losers in this. I also do more drawing now I have an ipad and the Apple Pencil.
During February half term I also joined a gym, along with my wife. We go to the gym 3 times a week and that eats into my time too. I don’t exactly enjoy the gym but I do want to lose some weight and I know that I have to go if I am going to do that.
I suppose the time I would have sent watching films is also taken up by watching concert footage of my favourite bands - either on DVD/Blu-Ray or YouTube.
Not much of an update I know, but there you go. The one thing I haven’t mentioned is BREXIT. There has been non-stop news coverage of it and I’m quite sick of it all. So I won’t bother saying anymore about it here. Suffice to say that a right load of bollocks is spoken on all sides.

Emelie (2016)

An interesting little film that I quite enjoyed. It concerns a baby sitter who a couple hire based on good feedback. Problem is, the babysitter turns out to be a total psycho. It builds up slowly and develops very well. I’d certainly watch this again and hav no problem recommending it.  Sarah Bolger plays the central character and does a great job. She doesn’t overplay the character and because of that she is more believable - a great attribute if you’re in a horror film.

Happy New Year

The year 2018 is over and 2019 has begun. The weather is dry at least, so the year is not starting with drizzle as it has in previous years. I slept in, have been sleeping later in the mornings during the holidays so that will stop in the morning when I have to return to the work routine and have to catch a train.
I don’t really do new year resolutions but I do have plans for the year in my head, which I just need to turn into reality. It will not be easy to achieve some of the plans but some are ongoing things I just want to start and then keep up. Not giving up or slipping back are good goals to have for the year ahead.
I hope 2019 is a better year in terms of health for my family. There have been some setbacks and operations and treatments but I hope everyone gets better this year.

New Year’s Eve

Just reflecting on the season, the Christmas Holidays are nearly over and I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I’m sorry that the Christmas bubble of present giving and socialising/drinking/indulging is over. On the other hand, I feel like it’s good to get back to normal life and living. We do over-indulge at Christmas, so you can’t do that for long without it having some kind of negative impact. I feel I drank more than I ought to have last night, for example, when we had friends over. And tonight it will be the New Year celebrations so I will have a new year drink as well. I’ve drunk a little Prosecco, a little Tia Maria, a little 43 and a fair amount of Carlsberg lager. That’s quite enough for a week and a half.

ATM (2012)

This film reminds me of the style of thrillers that have been made in the last few years where the setting is confined to one place and the situation keeps getting worse for the characters remaining. This film is a good example of these kind of films, which I personally don’t mind watching. The setting for this one is an unstaffed banking room in the middle of a car park. I don’t know why any bank would build one of these in the middle of a car park but that’s maybe something common in America? 3 Office workers, who just happen to work for a bank, stop off at the ATM to allow one of hem to get some cash to buy pizza on the way home from an office Christmas party. Personally, I would have told the idiot to get a cab. The other passenger is a girl that the other guy wants to ask out on a date and has offered to take her home. Instead of being a good friend, the other guy insists on being driven home and then insists on stopping for some cash to buy pizza, oh my God, why? It’s early in the morning. Hasn’t he had food at the party? It makes no sense.
So in the ATM there is a problem with his card and all 3 enter the room. Then things start to go bad. Between them and getting back to the car is a guy wearing a black coat whose face they can’t see. He looks mean and when a stranger appears walking his dog, this guy in the coat kills him in plain sight of the 3 in the room. This freaks them out. Instead of making a run for it, they stay in room. I told you it makes no sense. Things do indeed get worse as is the case with all of these sort of films. I won’t spoil it for you but needless to say that they don’t all make it out. There’s no happy ending, that’s a spoiler for you. I enjoyed watching it to see what would happen but a large part of me was frustrated with their behaviour.

Knowing (2009)

Now, this is a film starring Nichols Cage so my expectations were not high and I very nearly didn’t even start watching knowing that he was in it! Did you see what I did there? I got past my prejudice and started to watch. It’s a convoluted story about a school child who writes down a load of numbers 50 years ago instead of a drawing of the future (like the rest of the class), which all get buried in a time capsule. 50 Years later the capsule is opened and Cage’s son, called Caleb, is given the envelope with all the numbers in it. He takes it home wrongly. Cage as a father isn’t much good. He hasn’t got over the death of his wife and drinks heavily. So, what does he do but pick up the sheet of numbers and start analysing it! All night, he doesn’t even sleep. He connects series of numbers to major accidents that have happened around the world. It’s strange and hedoesn’t know what to do with it. It seems to predict something will happen in the future. He tries to prevent a couple of major accidents that just happen to be near where he lives. He narrowly misses getting killed by a large airliner crashing into the ground. Then he is involved in runaway subwa train derailment and crash. It gets worse but you’ve already probably lost the point. There is no point. The Earth is going to be incinerated by a solar flare and his son (with his new friend female friend: don’t ask!) are taken by aliens who have been trying to tell them the whole time. Fanciful, pointless twaddle. There is. No reason anyone should watch this film.

December update

I haven't really been actively watching new films for this blog channel, so there hasn't been a lot to post about. I'm not on a break, I've just put a lot of energy into other endeavours this year. It's been mainly photography of one kind or another but I haven't felt the need to post about that here.
At this time of year I end up watching films I've already seen, rather than new ones. I've recently  watched Gremlins, Home Alone, White Christmas, It's A Wonderful Life, A Night To Remember and Ready Player One. I'm sure there have been others but they come to mind most readily.
The last 3 days have been the Christmas bubble, so have felt a bit slow, vegetative and naturally full of just eating and drinking. My family have played Scrabble and cards in-between the TV programmes and meals. I must try to do something interesting before I return to work in a week from today.

David Brent: Life on the Road (2016)

I don’t normally post films on here that aren’t horror related but there are exceptions and since I haven’t been watching many films at all I thought this was another exception worth making. The story follows on from the TV series docu-drama of the live of David Brent an ex-regional sales manager for a paper supply firm based in Slough, Berkshire. David is no longer a manager and now works for another company called Lavichem, which I think is still in Berkshire but not sure which town it is supposed to be, maybe Slough still. This time the focus is on his attempts to make it in the music industry and land a record deal. He gets a band together, Foregone Conclusion II, and goes on the road with a friend who is supposed to be an up and coming rapper.
To cut the story short, there are few laughs in this extended piece. The formula feels tired and it lacks strength in the other characters around David, which was what made the TV series watchable. You could dislike David in the TV series and laugh at him, but here he is a sad and pathetic figure that doesn’t make you dislike him. You just feel a sense of desperate pity. I didn’t think this film was very successful, it’s a fate suffered by other funny TV series when they change to the big screen format.

Dracula (1958)

This is a Hammer Films production starring the enigmatic Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Dr Van Helsing. I have seen this film a few times and still really can’t believe how old it is now, it’s 60 years old and still a great film. They have played around a lot with the original story to make it fit the big screen format. It is still recognisably Dracula though. I can’t imagine how audiences might have originally received it and whether they were frightened by it. I’ve never found the Hammer films very scary personally but I still enjoy watching them. Dracula is one of their classics, I can recommend this to everyone and especially anyone who hasn’t seen it previously.

The Driller Killer (1979)

This film is in the public domain and I watched it this week streaming over the internet. The reputation of the film in the UK is a bad one but I think it was one of a series of VHS titles that got labelled as Video Nasties which the BBFC cut or banned, I think it was banned here in the UK. I don’t know why really. The film is not as low quality and just plain nasty as I was expecting. It is based around a male artist who is driven mad and who goes on a killing spree with a drill powered by a battery pack on a belt. He lives with two beautiful women who are struggling to pay the rent. He hopes to sell a large painting for a lot of money to a gay art dealer and use the money to buy whatever he and the girls want. Their relationships seem to be bi-sexual. The art dealer hates the painting. A band move in downstairs and practice their songs all night so the artist can’t think straight. He resents the fact that one of the girls seems to be able to find some money for the rent from the husband she is separated from. The killing is the culmination of this downwards spiral, so I don’t think it is as gratuitous and as nasty as it was portrayed at the time. It isn’t even very graphic apart from one scene when a man’s head is drilled in to. Worth a watch if you’re intrigued but it certainly isn’t a classic or anything to get worked up about.

The Hexecutioners (2015)

I watched this film last night. It follows the journey of a young woman who is starting a new job as a euthanasiast. The film starts with a bit of text that says that euthanasia has been legalised and this sets the scene. So we follow the character on her first solo job and everyone she meets is creepy in one way or another. The patient she puts to sleep suddenly sits up, vomits and then calls out the word “murderer” and the patient’s husband grabs a pillow and puts it over her face. Not a great start. She goes back to her flat and her landlord is also very creepy. In the middle of the night she get up and opens her door to find him reading the bible loudly on the stairs. He tells her he has a message from God for her: that the people she puts to sleep don’t go to him. He tells her she has to leave.
The second part of the film has her team up with another euthanist who has been doing it longer. So they go to this mansion house and the rest of the film is set there. I do have to confess I fell asleep for some of the later stages in the mansion. I did wake up for the climax and it is good. Not a bad film overall really.

Doctor Who returns with a new series

So the obvious thing to say is that Dr Who has returned with a different actor playing the character, I believe its the 13th actor to play the character but I’m sure a Dr Who nerd will point out if I’m wrong about that. Jodie Whittaker has stepped into the shoes left by Peter Capaldi. Two episodes in and I would say she has made a better start in the role already, so things are looking up I think for the remainder of the season. I never subscribed to the viewpoint that the character had to be played by a male actor, in fact it sees quite ridiculous to even type it now. But that seemed to be the controversial thing about the casting of the new Dr. I think Jodie Whittaker has a wide appeal and great acting talent, which at the end of the day is what you need in the role. Well done Jodie, long may you reign!
A quick word on the companions: Bradley Walsh is entertaining but I’m not so sure about the others. They still have to find their feet I think.

Returning to Apple

I looked into replacement tablets. I considered seriously the Windows Surface Go but ultimately it was vey expensive when I factored in things like the pen and a keyboard. I watched a few videos and weighed up the Windows Surface against the Apple iPad. The 2018 ipad has some significant improvements over previous generations of ipad. One of the most important for me personally is pen support: specifically the Apple Pencil. Perhaps another factor was that we recently bought my daughter a large 12” iPad Pro and this was very impressive when it was demonstrated to my wife and I. So, being able to FaceTime with her while she is at University is certainly an advantage. There are other video calling technologies I know but FaceTime works so easily. However, this wasn’t the only reason. I considered the price and my wife could get me a slight educational discount, so I made my mind up and we went to the Apple store. I don’t like the fact that even on a Sunday the Apple store is incredibly busy. It’s not even that close to Christmas, the new iPhone was obviously very popular.
I bought an iPad with the gold back, it’s a little bit like the Rose Gold of a couple of years ago.
The Apple Pencil works very well. I’ve had the iPad for two weeks and I’ve enjoyed using it very much. I’ve done some drawings on it and have to say that the experience of drawing on the screen isn’t like drawing on paper but you do get used to it. If its good enough for David Hockney, it’s good enough for me.
Today I received a Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad. I purchased a cheap 3rd party protective cover. I purchased a sling for the pencil to go around the iPad and included with the sling is a grip for the Apple Pencil. I have yet to try a drawing with the new grip. I’m a very happy chap with my purchases: I’ve only spent about £20 on the accessories.
I’ve been using my new keyboard and listening to SoundCloud while I type. It’s all pretty good so far. I’m feeling that this new iPad could replace a lot of my laptop needs. It doesn’t have a CD player, so there are some things I still need a laptop for.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Tablet Failure

Back in January 2015 I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 version 3 tablet that was on sale. There was a new version that was a lot more expensive but the older version was still a great device so I bought one, it cost £146 exc. VAT which was a bargain. The thing about it that was unique was the S Pen, a very good pressure sensitive pen for drawing based on Wacom tablet technology. I bought accessories for it including a Samsung flip cover and a new stylus for it called a Bamboo Stylus. For nearly four years the tablet has served me well but I had noticed it was starting to slow down a bit, probably after several system upgrades. I hate how manufacturers can issue updates that affect the performance of older devices. They are only thinking of their latest kit and just assume everyone is rich enough to always be buying the latest gear. Anyway, up until a few weeks ago I was perfectly happy with my tablet. Then suddenly one morning, the splash screen came on as usual but didn't disappear. The tablet didn't boot past the splash screen. I've read many posts on various forums and it appears that there is no fix for this issue. I took the tablet into a Samsung store today and they told me they can't repair it because they don't make the parts anymore. I am very disappointed with this poor support. I have a laptop and a phone but the tablet fit into my lifestyle as a device in the middle of those things. Having a camera and a pen was great because I could do things with my tablet that I couldn't do on any other device.
So, I'm now in the market looking for a new tablet. I quite fancy the 2018 6th generation iPad with Apple Pencil. It's an expensive replacement for a £150 tablet but the Microsoft Surface Go is not priced competitively enough. There are other tablets out there that run the Android operating system and my last two tablets have been Android: the Nexus 7 and the Samsung Note 10.1 but I need something reliable and both of these previous tablets slowed after installing updates. I used to use an Apple iPhone 4 until I swapped for a cheaper and much larger Motorola phones which have worked well, particularly the Moto G4 I currently use. So tomorrow I may visit the Apple shop and see what my wife's educational discount can get me.

Shrooms (2007)

I watched Shrooms this week, having been aware of the film for many years now I thought I'd finally give it a go. Well, it is a pretty standard mid-budget horror set in some woodland in Ireland. To be honest, it could have been set anywhere. A group of obnoxious American students are on holiday to collect and eat some magic mushrooms. They have a young good looking male guide who seems to be connected romantically with one of the American girls but not in a very clear way. The plot is fairly standard and one by one the Americans meet their fate. The blonde girl eats a mushroom she shouldn't and has a fit. The guide tells them not to eat the type of mushroom she ate and says that victims have been known to see the future. Well sure enough, she seems to be able to predict the demise of them all. This is also connected to a scary campfire story that the guide tells them about. An old borstal school property nearby had a bad reputation, one particular teacher their used to torture the boys before he killed them. This gets interwoven into the blonde girls hallucinations. None of this is scary in the least by the way, so don't expect this to be an exhilarating thrill ride. It isn't. Not a film I can easily recommend, if you're not feeling well and its raining with nothing else to see or do but eat mushroom soup, this one might be for you. The ending is supposed to be a twist but it was all quite predictable.

Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema

I've been a Mark Kermode fan for a good many years now, first encountered him on radio 2 in the evenings during the 90s when Mark Radcliffe had an evening show before John Peel's programme. There are 5 programmes in this series: the romcom, the heist, coming of age, science fiction and horror. He has interesting things to say about each genre and his wide knowledge of films references a lot of films I have not seen or heard of but want to now explore. Very well worth a watch if this link to the iplayer programme information still works.

Unintentional blog break

I've had an unintentional break from blogging. I don't seem to have watched many films recently - although I did manage to see Ant Man and The Wasp last week at the cinema. My main sources of entertainment for the summer months has been videogames, books and photography. The latter has been a growing source of entertainment and education for me for a while now. It is taking over my other hobbies and is getting me out and about a fair bit.

Hatchet 3 (2013)

So I saw Hatchet 2 and didn't think much of it so my expectations were not high for this film. I thought it was slightly less objectionable than Hatchet 2. Still has the swamp environment and lots of other clichés. Danielle Harris reprises her role from the 2nd in the series and this carries on from where the last one left off. There are some gruesome deaths where body parts are pulled apart. The story brings in a sheriff who happens to be married to a journalist who believes she knows how to kill Victor Crowley. Her head is pulled off her shoulders. She didn't get everything right and it cost her. Only Marybeth Dunstan can kill Victor Crowley by reuniting him with his father, who has been cremated and is actually a pile of ashes in an urn. Marybeth does work out how to kill Crowley but she is impaled on a tree trunk, so isn't up to much at the end of the film. If you liked the previous films you might like this, otherwise I'd say avoid.

Night of the Living Deb (2015)

This is a comedy romance film involving an awkward single girl called Deb and a handsome guy called Ryan, played by Maria Thayer and Michael Cassidy respectively. The film is very silly but has a bit of charm usually lacking in these types of film. I liked the Deb character mostly because of Maria Thayer's quirky portrayal. It's not a film I would recommend for people who just want horror - there is no sense of threat in the film, the zombies could be replaced with something else equally unthreatening. A silly film but OK for a rainy day when you want cheering up.

The Return (2006)

I had no idea what to expect from this movie. It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar of Buffy fame. It turns out to be a pretty good film. Sarah plays a character called Joanna who is haunted by visions that get worse when she has to go into Texas for her work. She slowly starts to piece together a narrative from the visions, as does the viewer, and this eventually leads her to discover the truth about a murder several years before. It is all put together very competently and I'd say works very well.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

I saw this on its release day here in the UK. The first two Avengers films were very good I thought and this is also a good film. There is a lot happening in the film and it does a good job of keeping track of all the characters and events that are happening. I could mostly follow the plot all the way through - except for the last 20 minutes. The ending, which I'm not going to spoil, was a little bit confusing and an obvious setting up for the next film. All of the characters I've enjoyed so far appear in the film, Ant Man was referenced but didn't make an appearance. Dead Pool made no appearance either. But Black Panther was in it and so was Black Widow. I liked the Scarlet Witch character, who seemed more powerful than Doctor Strange. the Guardians of the Galaxy were cool also. Thanos was played well. But that ending!

Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

I didn't see this at the cinema, having instead watched it on Netflix yesterday. I did enjoy the story and watching Brian Cox play an older coroner with his son as an assistant. I liked the setting, the coroners examination rooms were in the cellar of an old house and were all done out in wood and older materials. The setting was awesome and really helped the ambience of a story that was about a witch without the viewer ever seeing the witch as anything other than a girl on the autopsy table. It was shot very well and acted even better. Easy to recommend this.

Virus (1999)

This was quite ridiculous but in a strangely good way. A Russian navy ship with 3 huge satellite dishes on it is communicating with a Russian space station when something from space disrupts the communication. Its bad for the people in the space station and bad for the people in the ship. Some time later, a salvage ship escapes from a hurricane by sailing into the eye of it where they encounter a stranded and apparently deserted Russian navy ship. They board, their tug is sunk and they have to stay on board, where the crew have been turned into cyborgs. Donald Sutherland is in this film as a drunk Irish captain of the salvage vessel, he bears his teeth a lot but generally looks like he doesn't want to be in the film. Jamie Lee Curtis is also in this film. Nothing about this film really stands out apart from a cyborg version of Donald Sutherland, done very badly. I read its become something of a cult classic, I can see why but won't be rushing to watch it again.

A Quiet Place (2018)

This film was directed by John Krasinski who was an actor I remember from the American version of The Office. He played the character Tim that I think Martin Freeman played in the UK version. John stars in the film along with his real life wife Emily Blunt. The family are living some time in the future when creatures stalk the Earth and who kill anything that makes a loud sound. If that sounds corny then it is a credit to the filmmakers that it works as a film. The acting is great and the plot moves on well after the initial slow start. I'm glad I saw the film at the cinema, my wife didn't think it would translate as well to the small screen.

The Relic (1997)

The Relic was a mildly entertaining monster romp set in a museum of natural history. There is a mayor who has been warned a monster is on the lose but who thinks the opening night of a new exhibit is more important than peoples safety. There is a damsel who is a master on computers. There is a tough cop. All very clichéd and not enough substance to really move this film into anything other than the C grade I'm afraid. Even the monster feels a bit of a derivative off of the Predator series.

Inbred (2011)

This is a strange one to classify, a British horror/comedy I would say. There are a lot of special effects in this film and they are done to a very high standard. However, they are completely over the top and exaggerated. I found the film entertaining to watch though, it reminded me a lot of Cockneys vs Zombies crossed with League of Gentlemen. A group of troubled teens are taken into the country by 2 social workers and while there have to dismantle and strip old trains for anything valuable that can be sold. However, things take a turn for the worse when they antagonise the locals and the locals start killing them off in grotesque ways.

Annihilation (2018)

An interesting film I watched on Netflix, this. It was recommended by a friend and didn't disappoint me. I thought it was different to see a cast of mostly female actors who had most of the action roles. There were a few male characters but not many. The story was very intriguing, based on a book that was by Jeff vanderMeer and adapted for the big screen by Alex Garland. There were certainly some standout moments in this tale. Can't give too much away but visually this film is a pure joy. It is the story of something extra-terrestrial that comes to Earth and hits a lighthouse by the sea. The land surrounding the lighthouse becomes enveloped in a strange phenomenon known only as the Shimmer. Those who have gone in to the shimmer don't come back out again. Well, one person does. I thought it was very intriguing the whole way through. Very worth a watch.

The Abandoned (2006)

I saw this last night and it only made sense after I read what the plot was supposed to be on Wikipedia. That's not a good sign is it? The film is set in Russia and revolves around a character who is returning there after 40 years ago she was abandoned as a baby (along with another baby, who she finds out was her brother). An official tells her he tracked her down and that there is a house and some land for her in rural Russia. She is American. She goes to the house and it is creepy and dilapidated and she meets a man who claims he is her brother. They both want to know about their mother. The film uses time shifts to change the appearance of the house, I suppose its a clever device but it is a bit confusing also. Some scenes are set below the house in what looks like a military tunnel, which is odd. The actors in the film don't really engender much sympathy. Is it a scary film? To give some credit, it doesn't rely on jump scares and tries to use the situation to creep the audience out. It is partly successful but I feel the main problem is that it isn't clear what's happening.

The Signal (2014)

I watched this last night, it was an interesting film. It's a low budget sci-fi film and follows three US college students as they intercept a hacker named NOMAD and track him down. At the same time a sub-plot is that two of the friends are lovers and one of them is going away to study. So there is something of a break-up subtext going on. I liked the film, Nomad turns out to be something unexpected. Laurence Fishburn plays a character, in the way he always does. I am not sure I want to watch it again anytime soon but thought it was reasonably interesting. It's been a film I have wanted to watch for a while now.

Ready Player One (2018)

I read the novel a couple of years ago and enjoyed it very much. The film is a good version of the story, there are differences but the essence is the same. I loved all of the references to the pop culture of my generation. There are lots of action sequences and I enjoyed that I didn't really know who the actors were, all apart from Simon Pegg who (I think) is over-used in films. It was refreshing and visually exciting to watch. Lots of things were happening on screen at the same time and it was easy to miss things, especially if you are stuck in the story and not watching closely.

The Sentinel (1977)

I watched this film last night, it's another of those horror films from the 1970s that stars some actors who go on to become massive, thinking here of Christopher Walken and Jeff Goldblum - both of whom hardly have any lines. The main part is played by Cristina Raines. She is a model moving to New York and who finds a cheap apartment with a good view of the Manhattan skyline and only 20 minutes from the centre of New York. She starts to rent the apartment and hopes it will help her recovery from an attempted suicide. Unfortunately, she starts to experience physical neuropathic episodes causing her to feint. She meets the other residents of the apartments, all of whom seem very odd. There are two ladies downstairs who exhibit some strange sexual behaviour. An older man looks after a cat and a bird. Upstairs there is a priest who sits at the window. She is in contact with her ex-boyfriend who becomes worried for her as her health declines. He is a legal man and becomes interested in the history of the apartment. When he is present, he tries to make logical sense of what is happening to her. The apartment is apparently owned by the Catholic church. He decides to break into the Catholic Diocese offices and finds a file on the people who have previously lived at the property. They have all attempted suicide and then became priests or nuns. In the file he also finds a page with a photograph of the model but there is a blank next to where she would be a nun, of the pattern were to be followed.
This was an interesting film, very much in the same vein as other 70 horror movies, I found it similar in tone to a film like Phantasm but making a bit more sense. It's not in the same league as The Exorcist or The Omen, so don't go in expecting that level of scare. Infact, the effects are okay for the time but are fairly minimal. There are some prosthetics to deform a group of people at the end of the film, something which wouldn't be allowed in this day. At the time, I can imagine it being really scary though - I would have been 9 when it was released so too young to watch it.

May (2002)

Yet another film I came to cold this week. For the first half of the film I was wondering why this was called a horror film. The character called May, played brilliantly by Angela Bettis, seemed like a sweet dorky girl with a talent for making her own clothes and looking after sick animals in the animal hospital. As the story evolves you get to understand the character a little better. Her "best friend" is a doll in a glass case given to her by her mother when she was a little girl. It was made by her mother and she gave it to May saying "if you can't find a find a friend, make one". May has a lazy eye, which gets corrected during the film. She changes from wearing glasses to contact lenses and starts a relationship with a guy who she thinks has beautiful hands. Another relationship she has is with a female colleague at work who she tells has a beautiful neck. There are other smaller characters in the film who are liked by May for a specific part of their body: legs and a tattoo. Well, I won't spoil the plot but you can see where it might be going. I found it an entertaining film and one that kept me guessing right up until the end. I liked the characters and the way they were portrayed, Anna Faris plays the colleague who seems slightly unhinged in a sexual way. An intriguing film, I'm not sure who will enjoy it though as its hard to think of anything like it.

Suicide Squad (2016)

I watched this film this weekend, not expecting very much. Everyone I had spoken to had panned it very severely, so my expectations were very, very low. I thought I'd heard somewhere that the extended version was better than the theatrical release: now, I'm not sure where I'd heard that or even if I had in reality. However, I decided to watch the extended edition because I had it on the blu ray. The films starts by introducing all the characters, the characters with bigger parts were more interesting. I thought that perhaps there were too many to remember. I like the way time was handled with flashbacks, I didn't have any problems understanding what was a flashback and what was now. The best character by far was Harley Quinn, stole the movie I thought as I wanted to see more of her. A great anti-hero character with the vulnerability of loving The Joker. Which brings me on to that which cannot be ignored: The Joker. Any new interpretation of The Joker will be "difficult". Think Joker and I cannot help think of Heath Ledger's terrifyingly unhinged vision, or Jack Nicholson's darkly comic version or Cesar Romero's slapstick version from the 1960s series. It is mainly a question for the casting team and sadly, I think the casting was poor. Nothing against the actor, who does his best, but sometimes it is nothing to do with script or the actor's ability - it's just down to believing that the person in the role has a believable amount of life experience to portray the character. I am more divided about Will Smith's portrayal of Deadshot. He plays it as Will Smith, who is a very likeable actor but it doesn't stand out as being any different from other characters Will has played. Yes we see the backstory and understand he loves his daughter but the character has to show complete disregard for human life and the desire to die in some spectacular fashion: neither of which were achieved.
So my verdict for this film is: watchable, but you will probably be left feeling it was a missed opportunity.

#MeToo, #TimesUp and the film industry

The media coverage of the Harvey Weinstein accusations and the #metoo Twitter campaign have been lauded as a sea change within the film industry. This has to be set against a new post-Yewtree culture where there is more tolerance and understanding towards the victims of sexual crime who feel that they can now come forward, challenge their abusers and be believed. I wish it were so but I wonder how many other abusers are living in plain sight and allowed to continue their sex crimes?
There is also a new impetus for gender equality between men and women, the recent UK government committee hearings about pay inequality at the BBC are proof that the voices of women are being received more favourably. But again, I wonder how much the response is really going to tackle the problem?
Last night I watched most of the BAFTA awards ceremonies. I found it striking how many of the gong winners were men and not particularly young men at that. I'm not talking about the gongs for actors and actresses, in their own gender category they can hardly be equal. I'm talking about the other types of award, how few women went up on stage - asides from those who were brought out to read out the nominees.
I am sceptical of the ability of the film and fashion industries (and UK politics for that matter) to reform themselves. The views of the women choosing to support each other and the sentiment as a whole must be applauded. I just don't think this can be a quick change - the whole world has to make changes and be willing to do that. I fear there are too many old men in positions of power and influence to let that happen.

Dunkirk (2017)

The last of the films I watched and the one I didn't manage to finish due to running out of time. I was also part-relieved to turn it off, I admit. The small size of the screen was a disadvantage to my enjoyment of this film but I was also put off by not really liking any of the characters. I can appreciate the art of trying to depict the war earnestly and not over-glamorise or create superheroes out of acts of military necessity. For me though, I just felt the plot went too far the other way. Maybe a second watch would change my mind but I doubt it will get that as I can't foresee a need to see this again and complete it.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Finally got to watch this film also while on my flight (yes, it was a long one). I enjoyed the film but I'm not going to rave about it. I found it rather long and a little bit slow and plodding in the plot department. The visuals are stunning even on a small screen I could appreciate them but viewing on a bigger screen would only magnify the visual splendour. It is a sequel to the original film and manages to marry itself well to the original's aesthetic. I didn't particularly like the fact that Dekker was in it again (played of course by Harrison Ford): that's a personal opinion but I think the plot justified it well. I am not a super fan of the original, having watched it probably only twice but I think this film stands on its own merits as well.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

This was another film I watched while in flight over the Atlantic. I watched this film first and was really excited about watching it. It was a film I missed at the cinema, the big screen is probably the only place to see this film. I struggle to remember anything about the film's plot other than to say the visuals were stunning. That's pretty much what this film boils down to. I like Scarlet Johansen as an actress but the story and characterisation seemed none existent. The anime I love but this was just meh! And pretty forgettable all told.

Atomic Blonde (2017)

I didn't watch this just because Charlize Theron was in it, I didn't know she was until I saw the credits. Its not a title I was familiar with but it was available on a recent flight and I decided to give it a try - it would at least pass the time. Boy oh boy does this film pass the time: the excitement and action is intense. The fight scenes steal the day and they are all excellent. I mean really good. If you like the Bourne and Bond style fight scenes of recent movies then you will love the ones in this film.
It is a very violent film and depicts men striking a woman and even strangling one. So its not a film for the feint hearted but the story behind the action is not too bad either. I wouldn't say its a complex spy thriller but its good enough to serve as something the action hangs off of. There is some sexual content but it is a lesbian scene between Charlize and a French spy (played by the beautiful Sofia Boutella). A thumbs up for this film from me.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Having purchased this on DVD for my son last Christmas (Dec 2016), this is the first time I have watched the film - my son hadn't even taken off the cellophane wrapped around it! That tells me what he thinks of it. He's more of a Marvel fan and thinks DC have gone off the track with their film adaptations. I started watching this film with a great deal of scepticism. However, the film I watched had some good qualities. I liked the Batman suit and gadgets (like his car and plane), especially the heavy lead alloy suit he wears when fighting Superman. I liked the female senator who attempts to bring everyone to Capital Hill to tell the truth.
I didn't like Batman's butler Alfred at all, I didn't enjoy Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I found it hard to accept the motivation for Bruce Wayne to fight Superman. The fight scene is good however and mitigates my disbelief while it lasts, although it doesn't last long enough. You could get away watching the special feature for 10 minutes rather than the whole film if that's what interests you.
I like the Wonder Woman character played by Gal Gadot.
Better than I expected but still largely silly.

Dark Feed (2013)

I watched this film this week and was less than impressed. It took a long time to get to the point and when it did reach the climax, there were no surprises. Standard fair here, setting the making of a horror film in an old mental hospital. Seen it many times before and done better, the acting was below par with absolutely no characterisation. I just didn't care for anyone who played a part in the movie - either in the crew or cast. There are no redeeming qualities that make me like this film.

Inferno (2016)

The latest in the trilogy of the Dan Brown film adaptations, I watched this the next evening after Angels and Demons. It is the least likeable of the three films and pushes even more at the limits of plausibility than the other two. As such it will seem more ridiculous to sceptical audiences. I'd only recommend to fans invested in the character of Robert Langdon, of which I consider myself. I am less harsh about the film as others might be because of this, I do recognise the silliness of it all though. This film concerns a billionaire who believes that the planet is over-populated and needs an extreme extinction event to save humanity from its own destruction. So Robert Langdon and the WHO have to prevent a weapon of extreme biological terror from being released in Istanbul.

Angels and Demons (2009)

After seeing the Da Vinci Code film, the following evening we watched the sequel called Angels and Demons. The sequel also features Robert Langdon as the main character. The first film was about the search for the Holy Grail. This film is about stopping the release of an anti-matter bomb. It has a faster pace than the first film and is also more of a typical thriller film. It is an enjoyable ride, if also implausible and silly at times. I enjoyed it and anyone who liked the first film would probably like this also.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

I watched this film for the first time last week. I must admit it was more captivating that I thought it was going to be. Most people I know who have started to read the book have just given up. That may say more about the writer though, Ron Howard directed this film and I think he is a safe pair of hands generally in films. Tom Hanks plays the main character Robert Langdon, an academic from Harvard University who is a professor in religious symbology and iconography. It is nice to have a hero who is academic rather than one who shoots guns and kills people. I must admit though, Tom hanks with long hair is hard to get used to. The film is long but it is quite good overall, the score by Hans Zimmer is worth mentioning in the way it plays on you.

Hannah (2011)

This film was probably the last one I watched in 2017. It was better than I thought it might be, I didn't know of the film and wasn't expecting to be impressed. I was impressed however. The suspense was good and the story was better than the usual fair for a thriller. Hannah is the daughter of a CIA operative who has gone dark somewhere in the wilds of Finland. He brings her up, teaching her self defence and more. There is a secret though. He leaves her to decide whether she wants to stay in the wild and be self supporting or whether to go into society and live in the city. She decides the latter but things aren't as simple as that. He can't return in plain sight as he would be identified and the CIA would be after him. They agree to separate and meet in Berlin. Well, Cate Blanchett plays a good character and she plays a baddie well. A good film for lovers of thrillers and suspense.

Happy New Year

I hope you have a fantastic and utterly brilliant 2018! My Christmas was short and not so great - I was stricken with cold/flu and so was the rest of my family. So a lot of the week was spent feeling ill and lying down or not feeling up to going out or seeing people. Not the greatest, at least I can say I didn't do much and mean it. I did see a few old films at The Rex cinema in Berkamsted. I saw Die Hard, It's A Wonderful Life and Pretty Woman. I enjoyed them, even Pretty Woman, I think it is better on a bigger screen than on the TV at home. Not on my favourite films list though. I'm looking forward to watching lots of films again in 2018.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

I took my son to go and see this film, he said he enjoyed it a lot. I was not so sure I enjoyed it. I like the fact that there is a strong female lead character but as a film in its own right I just felt that something was missing. It felt too formulaic and unoriginal to me. A battle between Rey and Kylo Ren seems ends with a rebellion battle cruiser splitting the master Imperial star destroyer in two and in a later scene Rey appears in the Millenium Falcon with no explanation of how she got there. I was also confused by not really knowing the backstory of Supreme Leader Snoke or not having it explained - my son says he appeared as a hologram in The Phantom Menace, a fact I had fogotten. So, overall there was plenty of action in the film but not much of it was new. I also don't really enjoy the character of the pilot Poe Dameron - he had potential to be a good character with a touch of the Han Solo hustler about him but he is played too straight for my liking.