Winter has arrived

Well it has been threatening for some time now but today winter struck. The school had a daft policy of if you turn up you can stay but if you think there will be problems later take your child away. It would be of more use if they said at 8 o'clock "We are open" or "We are closed".

Yesterday Thomas and his team mates travelled to Otley RUFC. Otley are the only team to beat Huddersfield u9s this year and are quite a useful team. It had been arranged that there would be two games going on simultaneously (i.e. there will be 4 games). Tom was selected in Team 2 which is not a demotion or anything like. His team have two sets of forwards, two scrum halves, two outstanding backs who can change games and two fairly useful sets of backs. Team 2 proceeded to demolish their opposite team 2 45 - 15. They then beat Team 1 15 - 0. Tom spent a good deal of time in tears but played through it to tackle hard, be instrumental in two tries in the first match. Huddersfield Team 1 had close games in both of their matches. Getting photos is not easy as different clubs have different attitudes on the subject but photos will follow. All the onlooking spectators - well the ones from Huddersfield anyway were amazed and proud at the demonstration of the team. The 6 nations beckons.

Films of the week is an intriguing bunch. This is largely down to my own inefficiency. The best film of the week has already been on but let me heartily recommend it to you shortly. Had I posted in time I would have recommended the remake of Planet of the Apes for Saturday night. Personally I watched Diamonds Are Forever and recorded the remake for later. I also recorded Underworld Evolution which has universally been slated but which I thought I would give a look. Underworld was a ronseal film and was more style than substance. The classic of the night, and I use the term advisedly was Nosferatu the Vampyre. This is the remake of the classic 1920s film.

On Sunday we had On Her Majesty's Secret Service. This is an oft kicked Bond film which desn't deserve the kicking it gets. George Lazenby is not as bad as everyone suggests and the plot is largely faithful to the book which is a rarity.

In the evening we had several choice offerings. Wallace & Gromit's latest offering - A Matter of Loaf And Death. This is quickly followed by Shrek. There is also League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Disowned by its author, who disowns every film made of his work but probably does very nicely. Murder in the First (left) is the film of the week without equal. It is based on a true story and unlike other such films is brilliantly acted. Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon and Gary Oldman are outstanding. This is a courtroom drama par excellence. If you can see this do you will not regret it. The final Sunday night offering is Die Hard 2 which whilst probably at the weaker end of the franchise is still not a bad film.

Tonight I will be looking into Inherit the Wind which is another highly rated courtroom drama. Thursday night sees Sleepy Hollow on our screens. This is Tim Burton let loose again. The result is excellent. Johnny Depp is the lead and is ably supported by a largely British cast.

Overall not a great week for films on TV so watch DVDs instead.

The week ahead

Well greetings one and all. Film reviews shortly but what do we have to look forward to this week. Firstly I am about to finish Nation by Terry Pratchett. It isn't one of his best books but is still easily readable and accessible for all readers. Tomorrow I return to my weekly routine of standed beside a frozen sports pitch watching other people run around - yes Tom starts back at rugby. On Monday the students start back at uni so stress levels will rise as parking spaces will disappear.

On to the films now. Sunday has the film of the week and two notable mentions. Blazing Saddles is one of the funniest films ever made. In my opinion it is not the best Mel Brooks film ever, that honour goes to Young Frankenstein. It is filled with lots of visual gags as well as some outrageously funny moments. Whilst Cleavon Little is excellent in the lead role it is Harvey Korman who is in my opinion the outstanding performer as Hedley Lamarr the scheming force behind Governor LePetomane. Those who make bad taste comedy films today would do well to watch this and see how it should be done. The cast is excellent but I feel the Busby Berkeley ending does let the film down somewhat but that may well be just me. Earlier on in the day we have Krull. This is swords and sorcery stuff done with a British cast except for one American, Ken Marshall. Like most offerings of this type it is unlikely to provide you with any great insight into the world but it is good entertainment. Look out for appearances from Liam Neeson, Todd Carty, Bernard Bresslaw. Now for the low brow end of Sunday. On Deadly Ground is one of Steven Seagal's last bearable offerings. Seagal is to acting what Ronseal is to advertising campaigns. This is the first Seagal film where he starts to get a bit preachy. Now I may happen to agree with what he is preaching about but he is just irritating beyond belief when he does it. Michael Caine looks totally out of place here and this is probably one of those films that he did for the money. John McGinley is solid in support as is R Lee Ermey (the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket). Also we have Joan Chen in yet another film where she is just a bit part player. If you heed my advice avoid Once Upon A Time in the West which made watching paint dry seem like speed dating when I watched it.

On Monday night we have Unbreakable. This is M Night Shymalan's second significant film following The Sixth Sense. Again he teams up with Bruce Willis. It is worth a look if there is nothing better on. It is not as good as its predecessor but it does keep you guessing for a while. Another film to look at is Patriot Games. This marks Harrison Ford's debut in the role of Jack Ryan. The plot is largely preposterous much like Sean Bean's Irish accent. Even Richard Harris' accent is dodgy and he WAS Irish. There is some debate as to who plays Ryan best but everybody now associates Ford with the role.

Tuesday has probably the most films of the week worthy of note. On BBC 1 we have Dead Poets Society. This film is a marked contrast to another Robin Williams film of the period, Good Morning Vietnam. This is a quiet, slow paced film with Williams delivering an excellent performance. Many other people hate this film but I do like it. The supporting cast is excellent and it is certainly worth a look if you like your films with less bang for your buck. Also on Tuesday is A Few Good Men. This is rated by some legal types that I know as one of the best courtroom dramas ever. Jack Nicholson steals the show but he has a job on. Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland are all on top form. On the same night we have Jaws. This is one of Spielberg's best films and it is now almost mythological in its status. However, I doubt many sharks will be watching as it does give them something of a bad press. Some Kind of Monster is a documentary charting the creation of the Metallica album St Anger. The album marks a lowpoint in the band's output, in many fans opinions. Watching this compelling documentary you can see why it was as bad as it was. Possibly the most interestin bit in it is when the band meet up with Dave Mustaine who was thron out of the band just before they became huge. The film is one of the best music documentaries I have ever seen. Lastly on Tuesday there is another film which I personally have trouble with but which is hailed as an excellent film. Memento is by Christopher Nolan who has since gone on to revive the Batman franchise. It is a tale told in reverse chronology and I just found it a bit difficult to cope with.

Thursday has two offerings. First is Black Rain which stars Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia. It is very much of its time but is certainly worth a look. Another film which is of its time is Enter the Ninja ( late night on Dave). The plot and the acting are daft as I recall but they are positively Shakespearean when compared to that of Seagal.

Photos are coming soon of family events - really they are!!!

Enjoy

Happy New Year

Welcome back one and all to the 2009 slog that is reading my reviews. We start with a clean slate and as such you may well see previously reviewed films in these pages. This week is particularly good for films and if you look at the list of quality films listed on the right hand side you will see what I mean. The more observant amongst you will have noted that I have changed my reading matter since my last post. Redcoat will not go down in my memory as one of Bernard Cornwell's better offerings. I had got some way through the book and really just lost interest in the characters. By the high standards set by many of his other offerings this didn't quite cut it.

So before we move onto matters filmic an update since my last post. Christmas this year has been somewhat trying. A couple of days before Christmas the DVD/HDD recorder broke down which precipitated a dash to Argos to replace it. On the same day Jenni showed up with chickenpox. I also nearly passed out from a lack of breath brought on by Rab C Nesbitt, so you should consider yourselves lucky to have these words.

This Saturday you can see three absolutely marvellous films each in their own right would be a film of the week which is why I have wimped out from choosing one above the rest. The Princess Bride (left) is one of the greatest films ever made. It manages to be a film which children will love whilst adults will appreciate some of the more sarcastic lines and some of the wonderful cameos. It is all at once a love story, a comedy and a boys own adventure. Cary Elwes is a great leading actor in this role and is supported by Mandy Patinkin (now of Criminal Minds), Christopher Guest (of Spinal Tap etc), Wallace Shawn, Chris Sarandon and Peter Falk. The cameos come from Peter Cook and Billy Crystal. Anybody who says that they don't like this film should not be trusted under any circumstances. Later on we have The Untouchables. Kevin Costner is one of those actors who polarize opinion. From what I have seen when he gets it right we have this and when he gets it wrong we have Waterworld. This film has a number of advantages. First we have Brian de Palma as Director. Frequently when Costner is in charge he doesn't quite manage both roles. The second advantage is the supporting cast Sean Connery, Robert de Niro and Andy Garcia. We end Saturday with a laugh. Still Crazy is the tale of a 70s rock band reuniting to relive their greatest (and last) performance. The film is stolen by Bill Nighy but the British cast is excellent - Stephen Rea, Jimmy Nail, Billy Connolly, Tim Spall and Frances Barber. If you want a good laugh and some good music then you won't go far wrong with this film.

Sunday night has one outstanding offering and a couple of notable mentions. The outstanding offering is Narrow Margin. This is a remake but an excellent one. Gene Hackman plays the agent whose job is to get a witness safely across country so that she can testify in a mob trial. Hackman is as ever excellent and his nemesis is James B Sikking (the SWAT commander from Hill Street Blues). This is a well made modern thriller. It is followed by the comic book film The Shadow which is actually much better than I think it is given credit for. The other is also a sort of comic book film. Van Helsing is what my wife calls a ronseal-film (it does what it says on the tin). Kate Beckinsale provides the eye candy here and the male lead is Hugh (huge action) Jackman. It isn't going to give you any deep insight into the world but it will pass a couple of hours.

On Monday night there is one of those films which quietly passed most people by but which is critically acclaimed and is actually a fabulous film as well. After Buffy the writer Joss Whedon tried his hand at Sci-Fi. The short lived series Firefly was the result. Never one to be deterred Whedon made this film involving the characters. It is a masterpiece of science fiction action. None of the cast is a 'star' Chiwetel Ojiofor is probably the closest there is to one. Nathan Fillian starred in the last series of Buffy. As ever there is a totalitarian state, a suave bad guy, a rugged good guy, an assorted crew and friends and a girl who is a killing machine. This will be one of the best couple of hours you will ever spend.

On Tuesday there isn't anything of note. Watch out during the week for the first two 'Mummy' films and the spin off 'The Scorpion King' There is also From Dusk Till Dawn for all you vampire movie nuts. I found it strangely unsatisfying despite the stellar cast and fantastic effects. For those of you into macho posturing at its 1980s best on Wednesday there is Top Gun. The best acting comes from none of the leads but from Michael Ironside and Tom Skerrett (I think).

On Thursday night we have one of the finest comedies of recent years. Bowfinger is about a down on his luck producer who needs to make a film and does it by stealth. The leads are Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy. These two have a tendency to be very hit and miss in there offerings. This is undoubtedly amongst the best films either of them has made. Some of the scenes had me howling with laughter which for a comedy is always a good thing. This is without doubt one of the best comedy films of recent years.

Also on Thursday we have Equilibrium. This tale is a hotchpotch of a variety of science fiction classics. Whilst not well received critically it does have an appeal particularly the Grammaton clerics. It is never going to be a film classic but it is a good diversion. The cast is excellent and it is a shame that the film is seen by some as a cut price Matrix rip off. This is unfair as it probably has a lot more going for it than a lot of other films of its type - Ultraviolet, Aeon Flux and Ballistic to name but three.

That's all for now and I will post again soon.

It's Christmas week

Well gentle reader we have reached Christmas week at last. Over the next few days I will be running a taxi service to meet the needs of my childrens social diaries. I have survived the office Christmas dinner and have been contemplating the week's film offerings.

Tonight is a veritable feast of entertainment if you love film with no less than 8 films worthy of attention. But before I get on to those I watched A History of Violence which I recommended as being worth a look a couple of weeks ago. On watching the film myself for the first time this week I have to confess to being a bit disappointed. It isn't that it's a bad film it is just not as good as everybody else seems to think it is. Also I was reading The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn which is to be made into a film. I couldn't really recommend it to anybody else as I lost interest in the story part way through.

All evening will see you battle with deciding what to watch and what to tape, always assuming that you have the option. At about seven o clock the choice comes between a quirky little Australian number and an American classic. The Dish (c4 7pm) is the story of how a small remote radio telescope played a part in the moon landings. Sam Neill is the 'star' of this piece but it is just a gentle film and more than worthy of note. However, it is up against The African Queen. This is one of those marvellous films which just transcends time. The two stars Bogart and Hepburn are just outstanding. The film White Hunter Black Heart is loosely based on the filming of this masterpiece.Look out for cameos from Richard Marner of Allo Allo fame, Walter Gotell (General Gogol in the Bond films) and Theodore Bikel (Rabbi Koslov in Babylon 5).

At about 9 o clock there are two more films. One I have never managed to see all the way through and the other is pure 80's class. A Knights Tale is the film that many would argue brought Heath Ledger to international notice (certainly to me). I hope to give this one a look. The other option is Gremlins. This is just a classic comedy, horror, christmas story. It does look a bit dated but the story is great. It is rated 15 and would probably be a 12 today but it is certainly not one for the kids.

The late shift features 4 films which clash with each other. Geronimo is a brilliant adaptation of the tale featuring Robert Duvall and Wes Studi. Again I have never managed to see this through to the end due to technical problems. MI2 whilst being a diverting film is not a patch on the first cinematic release. Fans of the X Men movies rejoice at the fact that Dougray Scott was delayed making this and so was unable to play Wolverine. V for Vendetta is something that I watched on DVD recently and although it is disowned by its creator Alan Moore is still worth a look and is certainly entertaining. Also Cliffhanger is on. Stallone is no great shakes as an actor, although he is much better than people give him credit for. This is one of his better offerings. He is acted off the screen by John Lithgow. In addition Janine Turner provides a welcome diversion.

Sunday brings us Finding Nemo which is OK if you like that kind of thing. The new version of King Kong which I haven't seen but which everybody says is not as good as the original with Fay Wray. Also there is Road House featuring Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliot.

Monday has Brothers Grimm which was slated but then Gilliam films frequently suffer this fate. I haven't seen it and so can't comment. There is also Pan's Labyrinth. Again I haven't actually managed to make it all the way through this film. Whilst being visually stunning which is undeniable I found the actual story slow and difficult and it wasn't because of the subtitles.

Tuesday brings us a sci-fi classic with 20000 leagues under the sea featuring Kirk Douglas and James Mason. This is well worth a look. There is wuirky comedy Overboard featuring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. I caught this by accident once and found it to be mildly amusing. The film of the night though is Con Air. The cast in this film is just outstanding. Admittedly JOhn Malkovich steals the film, which he usually does, but Nick Cage, John Cusack, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi and Colm Meaney all provide excellent entertainment. This is Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking of the highest order.

Early on Christmas morning we have a rare treat. Nothing says peace and good will to all men like a Chuck Norris fight fest. I will be keeping a look out for Good Guys Wear Black. In the afternoon there is Bill Murray at his laconic best in Scrooged. As an adaptation of A Christmas Carol it is extremely well done. However the best adaptation is the one by the Muppets and Michael Caine which was on last week.

Boxing Day brings Crocodile Dundee which is really starting to show its age but is still good fun. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 gets its terrestrial premiere. Also the surprise of the season is black comedy Death Becomes Her. The cast is terrific with marvellous performances from Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis and 'Muriel Strepsil'. Also Ingrid Bergman's daughter, Isabella Rossellini, features.

So seasons felicitations to all readers and family photos will make an appearance in the next couple of weeks.

The pre Christmas build up

Well everybody it's nearly that time of the year when people pig out, drink too much, do things they really wish they hadn't and then detox in the new year hoping that nobody noticed the previous month.

Unfortunately for this group there are people like me who don't drink, notice a lot and have a photographic memory to use at the most appropriate times.

It is also the silly season for TV listings I currently have three this week and will have a fourth by early next week. So as I haven't indulged my reviewing skills for a while I thought I would go for it again particularly as the film world is a reviewer short at the moment. I believe he said something that a lot of people didn't like.

So what delights do we have for next week. There is nothing filmwise on Saturday that I can recommend either because I haven't seen the films that are on or because I've only recently recommended the films anyway. However, I would like to heartily recommend a documentary and a comedy program. On BBC2 we have the second part of Boris Johnson's documentary After Rome. Whatever you think about London's mayor he is an excellent broadcaster and this documentary is yet another wonderful offering. It is immediately followed on BBC1 by Outnumbered. I caught the second episode of this second series a couple of weeks ago and haven't laughed so much in ages. Andy Hamilton can always be relied upon to come up with something funny Drop The Dead Donkey and Old Harry's Game being my personal favourites. I never saw the first series but if it is as good as this one has been it will be a joy. Go on have a laugh.

Sunday night has a couple of films and one must see TV show. The films are Just Cause with Sean Connery. I will probably be giving this a look as I love legal dramas and haven't actually seen this one. However, it clashes with an excellent film. Master & Commander. I am told that the books are better than the film and have to admit that when I first watched it I wasn't expecting much as I am not a great lover of this period of history. But I was pleasantly surprised at the film as a whole and of the performances of both Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. On TV is Top Gear a program for the grumpy old man in all of us. It is not PC and never claimed to be and that is its key.

Monday night, when I can actually get to the TV after people in our household have watched the same episode of Dr Who for the 200th time is full of some great documentaries. There are also a couple of films of note. Channel 4 has Niall Ferguson's The Ascent of Money. It is a fairly dry subject but it is crucial that we understand the subject if we wish to understand our way out of the current difficulties. It is followed on the same channel by Catastrophe. Tony Robinson looks at the science behind how we actually got here at all. Horizon it isn't but as ever Robinson makes his subject accessible and understandable. At the same time on BBC2 is WWII Behind Closed Doors. Whilst it is an excellent documentary featuring the ever popular Bob Gunton as FDR I have to say that I don't think it is the best of Laurence Rees' WWII documentaries. Personally I think The Nazis: A Warning From History is the best and one of the most chilling series I have ever watched. It is still worth a look though. At 10 on C4 is A History of Violence. I haven't seen this film but it has had excellent reviews and the cast of Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris and William Hurt would under usual circumstances guarantee a good film. Also later on is Tim Burton's first Batman movie. Stolen by Jack Nicholson as The Joker I have to admit that I think Michael Keaton has been the best Batman (other than the animated series) until Christian Bale. If you happen to have Sky Movies Sci/Fi then also check out Raising Cain. It is one of the best films I have ever seen.

Tuesday is a night for the film buff if you don't like football. The one drawback is that you will need some new fangled equipment or a helpful friend to enjoy it all. On ITV2 it is an Arniefest. We have Total Recall and Termonator 2 Judgment Day. The former is one of the best Arnie films I have seen. It is Arnie doing what he has always done best which is blowing things up and shooting people. It is based on a Philip K Dick story called We Can Remember It For You Wholesale. On the whole this author's work is very hit and miss when it is filmed. For every much vaunted Blade Runner there is a Minority Report. I personally think this is more the former than the latter. I also would like to say that I actually don't like Blade Runner that much. Arnie is supported as usual by people who can act. Namely Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside and Ronny Cox all of whom are excellent. This is then followed by the highly acclaimed sequel to The Terminator. This is just Arnie at his best and even if you don't like sci-fi or Arnie is a good film. At the same time on Film4 is The Transporter. Now I actually saw the sequel to this a few weeks ago and the plot, such as it is, is just a vehicle for moving from one fight sequence to the next. If the first film is as laugh out loud enjoyable it will be a treat.

Wednesday is Heroes. If you are so inclined you can also watch the aforementioned sequel to The Transporter and also Lucky Number Slevin which received some good reviews when it was released. Thursday is Jason Bourne night. Well at least the first two. ITV 2 is showing Ultimatum and Supremacy back to back. These are both excellent films with an excellent cast and are the reason Bond changed direction with Casino Royale. These are both good friendly violent fun. The only thing of note on Friday night which I haven't already recommended today is Judge Dredd. I know critics and comic lovers hated it but then they were always going to. This is a role which Stallone was ideally suited for and despite the panning it got it is still visually great and fantastic fun. Rob schneider spoils it but then he has that effect on most films he is in. As is the case for most action heroes they surround themselves with excellent support. Here we have Max Von Sydow and Jurgen Prochnow to name but two. Also keep an eye out for a cameo from Ian Dury.

Until next time enjoy.

Well there really is no hope

Well we had barely a centimetre of slush here this morning and as expected normally good drivers left their common sense behind and the traffic system in Huddersfield came to a grinding halt. It is always the same the slightest bit of bad weather and all sense of reason or ability disappears and the country shuts down.

I remember when we had proper snow drifts not this namby pamby stuff we had this morning. As I recall the country coped reasonably well certainly much better than it seems to nowadays. It also depresses me that every time this happens we have the same outcome - chaos. I wonder what the Scandinavians, Canadians, Alaskans, Americans, Germans and Russians must make of our inability to deal with what to them are minor inconveniences. These countries do not grind to a halt they struggle on in spite of the conditions.

They probably have a version of You've Been Framed showing videos of traffic jams in the UK when there is barely a millimetre of snow on the ground. How they must laugh?

I hate driving in snow but I at least try and drive with common sense as far as is possible but find it frustrating that people driving Chelsea tractors can't cope largely because they have never been near a field in them.

Well rant over for now. Graduation piccies and post will be coming soon. Well as soon as I can find the camera with the photos on it.

The Joys of Travel

Many years ago there was an advertising campaign which said, if I recall correctly, 'Let the train take the strain'. Well if my trip last weekend was anything to go by I'd really rather not thank you very much.

In fact the weekend was a contrast of two train companies. My trip north was on Virgin Cross Country (amongst others). I happen to like Virgin Trains and would recommend them to anybody because the trains are modern-ish, the staff generally helpful and the journey usually relatively benign. Virgin were not helped on Friday night that their staff on the train I caught had failed to take action against the morons who had stuck their cases and luggage where they shouldn't. There was nearly a chance of us not getting on the train and the staff at Leeds Station didn't seem to care. More worrying than this was the possibility that my nine year old son might have been separated because of this crush. If that had happened I would have taken somebody's head off.

The journey was uneventful, however it felt like I was in an oven. Train carriages are airless places and I hate long journeys. Added to that the cost involved. Whatever politicians and train companies might say we are being overcharged for what we get which is generally poor service, lousy food, long journeys and staff who really don't give a monkeys about customers. The trains don't run on time. In my opinion the train fares should be coming down until we get a decent level of service.

The journey on Scotrail was pure comedy gold and I will be writing my first novel based on that short trip. If the intelligence services have trained artists as interrogators then god help us all. It was like watching a trained interrogator prise information out of their subject whilst given nothing away themselves. And as for the man with his ipod who appeared to be on another planet based on the gyrations he was making well...

But Virgin are almost at Japan-like levels of customer service compared to National Express who are really GNER by another name. In fact one member of staff was still carrying his GNER bag. He will clearly have to be sent to the salt mines for reeducation. A trip from Edinburgh - York which should take under three hours took the better part of 4 as we went South West and then back South East going to Newcastle via Carlisle. A man with his guide dog and a route map could have got there quicker.

As a taxpayer I feel that I am entitled to expect a good level of service, trains that run on time and reasonable fares. When cheap fares are advertised they are never actually available. Ladies and gentlemen we are being conned by the Government and businesses.

Off to design my own Maglev.