Watching - October 2024

Arnold (2023)

One remarkable career would be enough, but three is probably unique. But then Schwarzenegger - only four years younger than my father, I was surprised to learn - is a unique person. This short series was obviously going to portray him in a favourable light, but the facts are largely incontestable and astonishing: from multiple world body-building championships to multi-billion dollar movie franchises to two terms as the governor of California. It's hardly a typical career progression. This documentary was interesting and didn't drag at all. Worth a watch!

The Terminator (1985)

Watched with Z, as I thought he'd enjoy a classic. The special effects probably seemed a little cheap at the time - after all, it was quite low budget - but now some look almost comical, certainly to someone raised on Marvel-grade CGI. But the story holds up and even though Z guessed who John Connor's father was within about 30 seconds of him being mentioned (plot twists of old don't work on media-savvy 2020s teens!) he enjoyed the film. As did I, in the first time I've seen it for a long time.

Shooting Fish (1997)

I won't try and claim that Shooting Fish is a lost classic, but it is a bit of a hidden gem in my opinion. I first watched it on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Boston to London, so probably around 1998 or 1999 (but then again, I also remember a scene in it that doesn't appear in the DVD version I now own, so my memory may not be completely reliable - although Wikipedia mentions that the DVD is the shorter US version of the film, so perhaps I'm right). It's a sweet, funny film with a bit of romance and a great soundtrack. Oh, and it has a young Kate Beckinsale in it, looking cute and being smart, which just adds to the charm for me.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

"Arnie month" concludes with Sunday evening cinema with Z, and this sequel was the obvious choice. I was careful not to mention the first twist - that Arnie is the good guy - and, amazingly, Z didn't guess it in nanoseconds like he usually does. He thought the acting was a bit wooden (while acknowledging that, for a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101, this would be appropriate) but enjoyed the film. And so did I - a classic.

Inside Out 2 (2024)

One of the most appealing aspects of Inside Out was it's surprising depth - how it simplified but didn't trivialise real feelings and emotions. Although the sequel is just as enjoyable, with plenty of genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, it is perhaps a smidge shallower. Puberty doesn't just get suddenly turned on, transforming a cute kid into a moody teenager overnight (an amusing five minute sketch for Harry Enfield perhaps, but that was forty years ago ...) and the emotions don't resolve over a weekend either.

Reading - October 2024

Phew, Eh Readers? by Tom Hibbert, ed. Barney Hoskyns & Jasper Murison-Bowie (2024)

I remember Tom Hibbert's "Who The Hell ..." columns from Q magazine very well - always the first article in the magazine, always an amusing read. But I was surprised to find that the Q house style, which I would have credited to Mark Ellen, is attributed by Ellen himself to Hibbert. Perhaps that accounts for the superlatives thrown around by many of the contributors here, who all seem to have regarded the man with much fondness. Sad to say, though, the pieces collected here don't live up to the picture painted by his friends; they're somewhat superficial and not particularly funny. Ideal for a ten minute diversion in Smash Hits maybe, but there's no evidence of the "master satirist" here. The book's all right but by the end - the painful "Pendennis" columns - I was just counting the pages until I was finished.

How to Handle a Heartbreaker by Marie Harte (2014)

Ruining Mr. Perfect by Marie Harte (2014)

The next two instalments in Marie Harte's McCauley Brothers series are basically the same as the first - but that doesn't matter really. They are very readable, contain relatable and enjoyable characters, and plenty of hot sex scenes. Not that I care about those of course.

All Gone to Look for America by Peter Millar (2009)

The title's slight - deliberate? - misquote of Simon & Garfunkel's gorgeous "America" is one of a few odd factual errors that I noticed (who is "Karin" Carpenter?), each of which have me wondering just slightly about the accuracy of the rest of the book. Which is a shame, because it's an entertaining journey across the rail network of the US. Millar is not writing with the same level of effortless wit or wisdom as Bill Bryson, but kept me interested throughout.

All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye by Christopher Brookmyre (2006)

Undemanding fantasy fun. I've said before it would make a great film, but I think the biggest issue with it - for studios - is that the main protagonist is a middle-aged woman, which, sadly, even in this day and age, is not considered to be a marketable proposition. Certainly the plot is no more far-fetched than many thrillers.

In Rides Trouble by Julie Ann Walker (2012)

The second book in the Black Knights Inc series leans even more heavily into the thriller aspect, which has two unfortunate side-effects: firstly, it reduces the romance element to a very simple story arc; but secondly, because it does have the necessary romance, the story is stripped of any suspense, since obviously it's going to end happily. A decent read, but I was starting to lose patience by about two-thirds of the way through.

Awkward Situations for Men by Danny Wallace (2010)

I like Danny Wallace's long-form adventures, but this collection of short columns reads like it's probably culled from a newspaper or magazine and is a bit disjointed. Some decent laugh-out-loud moments but overall a bit disappointing.