It may surprise you to know that I can be somewhat opinionated at times. Not just about films and books but about everything around me in life – both the trivial and the serious. I tend however to struggle with the big moral questions as I can always see both sides of the argument. The ‘right to die’ issue however is one that I’m quite comfortable with my opinions of…
Gangster Squad
11 January 2013 by 6 Comments
One of my favourite websites is launchingfilms.com, the website of the Film Distributors’ Association. In a few short minutes you can see what films are released each week for months in advance. Sometimes even years in advance – for example How To Train Your Dragon 3 (3D) is scheduled for release on Friday 22 July 2016…
Quartet
10 January 2013 by Leave a Comment
One actor I always think comes across as a (relatively) normal guy is Dustin Hoffman. His performances are always very good and in interviews he is invariably charming and personable. He manages to keep his personal life as private as is possible for a Hollywood star and most of all whenever I see him in discussion he seems, for want of a better phrase, a nice man …
Jack Reacher
8 January 2013 by 4 Comments
I think it’s important I get one thing out of the way before starting this review. I like Tom Cruise. I think he’s funny, I think he’s cute and I think he’s got real charisma. He’s one of the few old-school Hollywood stars we have at the moment and despite the fact he sometimes appears to be as mad as a box of frogs I still have a lot of time for him…
Don’t Tell The Groom
3 January 2013 by Leave a Comment
I keep hearing about women who have been planning their weddings since early childhood. Disney Princess dresses have been adapted in their minds to be their wedding dresses and pillowcases have been used as veils in dressing up games. That was never me…
Insurrection
2 January 2013 by Leave a Comment
For years I was happy reading crime novels and romance and chick-lit stories and I didn’t stray out of my comfort zone very much. I read the odd book from other genres but for the most part I was happy. When I finally did broaden my horizons the biggest surprise to me was how much I enjoyed historical action adventure novels…
Puncture
1 January 2013 by Leave a Comment
There’s something about Hollywood stars who have made their names in blockbuster popcorn films. Despite the adoration, money and massive success that has come their way they appear to be ashamed of the films they have appeared in, they want to turn their backs on the budgets and show that they are serious “actors”…
Pitch Perfect
29 December 2012 by 2 Comments
I am not a Gleek. I’m not saying that as some sort of big statement about the pros and cons of Glee, I’m just not a fan of the show. I enjoyed the first series and kind of liked the second but lost interest after that. Everything seemed a bit same-y after a while and I was beaten down by the moralising …
The West End Front
21 December 2012 by Leave a Comment
Over the past few weeks I’ve been utterly enchanted by Richard E. Grant’s Hotel Secrets on Sky and that’s almost entirely down to Grant himself. He’s bonkers, totally, utterly and wonderfully bonkers and has educated me in the ways of posh hotels around the world…
Love Actually
20 December 2012 by Leave a Comment
In the past couple of years there have been a number of ensemble films released focusing on a specific time of year or time in people’s lives – Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve and What to Expect When You’re Expecting are all been recent examples of the genre…