Watching - November 2024

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

It's been a long time since I last saw this, sufficiently so for me to have forgotten much of what happens. I'm quite happy rewatching things I do remember, so it was nice to rediscover this - lots of imagination, great animation and a fun plot.

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

And of course we can't not watch the sequel. Almost as good as the original, with plenty of good jokes about, well, the internet - and most of all, and the reason I rewatched both of these films,  it contains one of my favourite scenes in a Disney film: she is a princess! ♫ (this is a running family joke)

Casino Royale (2006)

Saturday night viewing with Z, who it turned out hadn't seen a James Bond film before. I had wondered about starting him at or near the very beginning with something like From Russia With Love but decided that for someone raised on modern movie-making, it would just look dull, dated and incredibly slow. Bond films have of course been instrumental in creating the action/thriller genre but I don't think Z is interested in the history! He enjoyed this and - for a change - didn't spot the twist at the end (which is straight from the book as well).

Nobody Wants This (2024)

The central relationship of this sweet romcom - a rabbi and a non-Jewish woman falling in love - is a great way to show Judaism but I also like and appreciate the way that it's never presented as odd or unusual, despite being "other" for, I guess, most of the audience - at least, I hope this isn't only being watched by Jews! The central couple, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, are excellent, affecting and realistic (although Brody's character is perhaps a little too nice - but hey, he's a rabbi!), you really want things to work out - and, no, it's not immediately obvious it will. My enjoyment is slightly offset by the secondary Jewish characters: the controlling mother, the bitchy sister-in-law and the idiotic brother. Even though they are all types I recognise, unfortunately, I'm just not sure I want to see them on screen (this great review from Jessica Radloff articulates a Jewish ambivalence about this really well). Ultimately it didn't spoil the series for me though - the secondary characters got better and, of course, we want to see this end well!

Boybands Forever (2024)

Despite being partial to a bit of Take That (mk. 1) at the time - I sat behind them on a plane once, so me and the lads go way back - boy bands of the 90s and early 2000s weren't really my thing, and in fairness I wasn't exactly the target market either. Nevertheless, as a lover of good pop (hint: not Westlife) I was always aware of the better singles, but I couldn't have told you much about their stories. Going behind the scenes reveals nothing that isn't a surprise, sadly. In summary: the band members were all young and exploited and the managers were all pretty ruthless; and now the boys are all men in their fifties and seem sadder but wiser, whereas the managers are mostly richer and unrepentant. All of the band members come across nicely: reflective of their time in the limelight and the enormous toll it took upon them, and somewhat critical of the men and the process that exploited them. The managers fare less well: not only do they largely still not recognise or acknowledge the duty of care that they held over what were at the time mere teenagers, they're prone to saying things like "they got what they wanted, that's just part of the deal" (thank you Simon Cowell, a lost-in-showbiz tool in shades) - easy to say when you haven't got to deal with constant gross invasion of privacy. But award for arsehole of the month - decade probably - goes to one Paul McMullan, "former tabloid journalist", who in articulating his perceived entitlement to any information he wants about anyone in the public eye, clearly has no morals ("I don't see anything wrong with a honey trap") and demonstrates why tabloid journalists can be such bottom feeding parasites.

Taskmaster (season 3, 2016)

We started watching season 3 with the family but only K and me seem to like it, so now it's the thing we do once a week (ish) together, remotely now of course. This is the second season I've watched, so the initial joy at the silliness of the tasks is slightly past, but that doesn't stop it being very enjoyable all the same. A bit hit and miss, but that's part of the format. Only another fifteen seasons to go!

Reading - November 2024

The Martian by Andy Weir (2013)

I found this at work and thought a gap of two years was enough to re-read it. Enjoyable all over again.

What to do With a Bad Boy by Marie Harte (2014)

I remain somewhat sceptical that men or women talk or behave like this is real life, but ultimately this is a fantasy ... I'm just not sure whose fantasy. I could have done with fewer "oh no it's all gone wrong" moments, as we all know there's a happy ending in sight - it says something when I start checking how many pages are left in order to know how quickly it's going to resolve itself. That said, it was still mostly enjoyable and seems to be written with affection for the characters and the genre.

A Sure Thing by Marie Harte (2016)

I really am reading other books, but they're all a lot longer - and physically heavier - than this lightweight thing. This is the kind of thing I save for before I fall asleep: easy-reading, straight-forward and, you know, nice. Except I probably won't bother with Marie Harte again. I'm sure the "New York Times bestselling author" (it says here) knows her market, and I'm sure domineering alpha males are a common fantasy but this one is basically a bit of arse and to my mind it's no use having a self-confident, heroine if she basically becomes a doormat when the hero smoulders at her. Add in a couple of uncomfortably borderline non-consensual sex scenes and an ending that feels like it occurred when the author hit her word count, and it added up to a book I wasn't sorry to reach the end of.

One Day in Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand (2013)

Another slice of idealised American small town life and loves, with a little grit added in the form of an ex-military man with PTSD. Sweet but not particularly memorable (as evidenced by the fact that I started re-reading this a few months later and it took several chapters before I realised I'd already read it).

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.

Watching - September 2024

True Lies (1994)

Something - I don't recall what - reminded me of this and I fancied re-watching it. Still very entertaining.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

I hadn't seen this, which meant that when Z and I watched Deadpool & Wolverine a couple of months ago, he had to explain half of it to me. So we caught up with it one Sunday afternoon. I enjoyed it, there's lots of funny jokes although it gets a bit too meta sometimes - for example, using Domino's luck superpower as an easy get-of-jail-free card (literally) and then saying, "that's such lazy writing" is amusing but still actually lazy.

Reading - September 2024

Swiss Watching by Diccon Bewes (2010)

An interesting and amusing look at a country I'd not really considered much before but which proves - unsurprisingly, really - to have a distinct culture and character of its own. I found the descriptions of the way that democracy is implemented the most interesting as it is probably unique, but there's lots to enjoy here. There's also a newer edition than the one I found at work that contains extra chapters and which I might need to borrow from the library.

Tempting Fate by Stacy Finz (2019)

I needed something enjoyable to read on a train journey and had actually forgotten to take a book - so this was an easy choice via the BorrowBox app while I was on the train. Still a bit contrived in plot terms but a good read.

Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker (2012)

The late, great humourist Miles Kington created the imprint Mills & Bang: "a new publishing house, which will issue novels for men and women – romantic military fiction!" It was, of course, a joke (just read the plot summaries online - they're great). However, Julie Ann Walker - I presume independently - seems to have decided there's potential in this idea. This is an über-patriotic vision of the US, where all men are alpha+ males, all women are feisty and independent while loving high heels and skimpy underwear, and everyone loves their guns and their country. There's plenty of action, both in the romantic sense and the thriller sense, and the book reads well, but I can't help but wonder who this is intended to appeal to. Maybe it is both women and men, since this is the first in a series of, incredibly, twelve books. And yes, before you ask, I probably will read another!

A Wedding in Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand (2012)

I'm looking for something along the lines of Stacy Finz' Nugget novels, which I've enjoyed very much but have read twice each, hence this and my previous choice. In this case, it's much more gentle affair, set in a mythical small-town America that might exist somewhere. Overall, it reads like a pretty typical Silhouette/Harlequin/M&B category romance, but at about twice the length, it does drag a bit at times. Maybe some people like the "suspense" (there's no actual doubt about how it's going to end, of course); still despite this, I enjoyed being in this little world for a while. Again, I'll probably read the next book!

The Troublemaker Next Door by Marie Harte (2014)

Yet another series starter! This time it's enjoyable albeit pretty standard stuff - she's sworn off men and is afraid to commit, he's not looking for a relationship - but padded out with some pretty spicy sex scenes. There's a bust-up that comes out of nowhere and seems designed to bring on the necessary third act, and I wasn't entirely happy about how submissive the heroine was sometimes, which seemed more like a male fantasy than a woman's. But what do I know? I'll probably find some more in this series too. But now it's time to read something a little bit more substantial.

Watching - August 2024

Big (1988)

Finding this in the book exchange at work (it also has DVDs) prompted me to watch it again. Tom Hanks is so good at portraying childlike innocence (he was 32 at the time!) that he carries the whole film and you really can't imagine it with someone else. Sweet and nicely downplayed throughout - the ending could have been a huge set piece but instead is small and more affecting for it. Obviously a sequel would completely spoil things but I do kind of want to know what happened after though!

Taskmaster (season 2, 2016)

K suggested we watch this together and although I'd never been that bothered before, I enjoyed it and it was a nice opportunity to watch something together. Very funny in place, silly in others - which is obviously the point. I find Greg Davies a bit pointless though - it's like someone thought they needed a "famous face", despite Alex Horne having completely developed the idea himself and taken it very successfully to the Edinburgh Fringe. Anyway, we're now watching season 3 (of 17!) with the whole family.

The Velvet Underground (2021)

I spent a lot of time listening to The Velvet Underground in my teens, so about twenty years after the albums were released. It seems like a fairly small length of time now in music terms but then it made them seem like they belonged to a different time. And they did - a completely different sensibility that produced occasional flashes of brilliance and large amounts of self-indulgent nonsense. Obviously no-one disputes the influence of The Velvet Underground, but they only lasted five years and despite the fact that their music holds many memories for me, I think you could comfortably reduce their worthwhile output to about half a dozen tracks. This probably accounts for the fact that this documentary is pretty light on actual material and dashes through all but the first album in about fifteen minutes. It was nice to hear it all again, and to hear the band members talk (everyone was very polite but clearly Lou Reed was a prick), but this wasn't that interesting and it was a bit of a grind.

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Inspired by the Olympics recently, I rewatched one of my favourite films and then spent a very enjoyable few hours reading up the history behind it. Harold Abrahams never actually did the Great Court Run at Trinity College, but I found a video of Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram attempting it, as well as actual footage of Abrahams and Eric Liddell at the 1924 Olympics. I learned that Aubrey Montague was actually known as Evelyn and went to Oxford (not Cambridge), and that as a result he and Abrahams were rivals until later in life when they became friends (and also his letters in the film are almost verbatim from real ones he sent); and that Abrahams and Arthur Porritt, the New Zealander who came third in that 100m final ("Tom Watson" in the film) had dinner together every year on its anniversary for the next fifty years. I found a really interesting early draft of the script, which makes fascinating reading as an insight into how the film developed. And I concluded that the chances are that Eric Liddell would probably have beaten Abrahams in the 100m, although we can't know for sure as they only raced against each other twice, the second time being the 200m at the same Olympics, where Liddell won bronze, while Abrahams was sixth.

Hit Man (2023)

The setup seems far-fetched - university professor moonlights as fake hit man for the cops - but, incredibly, it's based on a true story, with surprisingly little of the inevitable dressing that Hollywood seems unable to resist adding. Glen Powell - who co-wrote, which I was quite impressed by - gets to showcase his versatility and act out a bit of a male fantasy, and it's an entertaining couple of hours without being particularly demanding. Although that said, it's not that many films that quote Nietzsche, Kant and Jung all in the same film.

A Family Affair (2024)

The dated and uncomfortable sight of a famous middle-aged actor playing the romantic lead to a woman twenty or more years his junior, without it ever being remarked upon in the film (i.e. so not technically an age-gap romance), is thankfully much less prevalent these days. I was inclined to regard this film as a step forward in that respect, as it has Nicole Kidman (57) embarking on an affair with Zac Efron (36), but as C said, why is that any better? Well, the age difference isn't ignored in the plot, and Efron isn't some unknown ingénue. In fact, you could argue that these two elements are crucial to the whole story. Efron is very amusing as a spoilt, none-too-bright but perhaps not entirely un-self-aware action movie star who embarks on an affair with his PA's mother. It's all surprisingly wholesome, actually, because I think (usual caveats about my ability to read subtext apply) it's mostly about finding your true love, regardless of what other people think. Funny in places, sweet in others, without being a huge amount of either, this was a pleasant watch.

That Pedal Show: Gibson ES-345 rewire (23 August 2024)

That Pedal Show is my favourite YouTube channel. They release a new video almost every Friday and I watch most of them, although I don't normally note it in this blog. I'm making an exception for this because it's effectively a two hour documentary. Yes, the subject matter is somewhat niche but this is one of the things that YouTube is good at - something that wouldn't be worth making for broadcast TV but that can find a worldwide audience on the internet. Anyway, this is excellently filmed, presented, edited and produced and - assuming you're interested in guitars in the first place - a surprisingly absorbing watch, despite not much happening.