No sign of Stormy
Last night saw the start of the latest series of Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother. Supposed to be joining the likes of Cheers star Kristie Alley, Emmerdale actress Roxanne Pallett and infamous trader Nick Leeson was Stormy Daniels who has shot to worldwide attention through her claims of having an extra-martial affair with Donald Trump before he came to be US President. However she did not turn up and early this day she was supposed to appear ITV's This Morning to explain her absence however again she did turn up. It was left to presenter Jane Moore to explain after having an off screen conversation with Daniels. The reason relates to a child custody battle she is currently engaged in. How CBB does without Daniels remains to be seen.
Friday, 17 August 2018
Thursday, 16 August 2018
One bodyguard too many?
In a couple of week BBC1 will start showing Bodyguard the latest much hyped drama by writer Jed Mercuio. It stars Richard Madden as a soldier turned Special Branch bodyguard who finds himself protecting a Home Secretary (played by Keeley Hawes) whose polices he despises. Just as the first episode ends Channel 5 will be showing The Bodyguard the 1992 film starring Kevin Costner as an ex US Secret Service agent protecting a Pop star played by that real life one Whitney Houston. Houston's cover of the Dolly Parton song I Will Always Love You topped the charts around the world.
In a couple of week BBC1 will start showing Bodyguard the latest much hyped drama by writer Jed Mercuio. It stars Richard Madden as a soldier turned Special Branch bodyguard who finds himself protecting a Home Secretary (played by Keeley Hawes) whose polices he despises. Just as the first episode ends Channel 5 will be showing The Bodyguard the 1992 film starring Kevin Costner as an ex US Secret Service agent protecting a Pop star played by that real life one Whitney Houston. Houston's cover of the Dolly Parton song I Will Always Love You topped the charts around the world.
Wednesday, 15 August 2018
Book Review: Spymaster by Brad Thor
After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 many people felt that the clock and dagger genre however It turned out that other real life conflicts such as the War on Terror would replace the Cold War as the source for Stories. However with such real life events as the Salisbury Poisoning bringing relations between Russia and the West back to Cold War levels so have thriller writers have gone back to that source of conflict. One such writer is Brad Thor, all but 1 of Thor's novels have as their lead character Scot Harvath ex US Navy Seal turned Secret Service agent turned Black ops man. Spymaster sees Harvath and his team on the trail of a terrorist organisation committing attacks in NATO countries. Harvath sees it nothing more than a Russian plot to destabilise NATO and of course he is right. Thor keeps a brisk pace as along with Harvath's investigation we get scenes of the terrorist attacks, diplomatic wrangling and the Russian mastermind keeping check on his operations. There an number of gunfights that keep the plot ticking along. Anyone who found Jack Bauer's interrogation techniques somewhat troubling then they are nothing compared to Harvath's. Anyone in the mood for a good old fashoned spy thriller can do no wrong with Spymaster.
After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 many people felt that the clock and dagger genre however It turned out that other real life conflicts such as the War on Terror would replace the Cold War as the source for Stories. However with such real life events as the Salisbury Poisoning bringing relations between Russia and the West back to Cold War levels so have thriller writers have gone back to that source of conflict. One such writer is Brad Thor, all but 1 of Thor's novels have as their lead character Scot Harvath ex US Navy Seal turned Secret Service agent turned Black ops man. Spymaster sees Harvath and his team on the trail of a terrorist organisation committing attacks in NATO countries. Harvath sees it nothing more than a Russian plot to destabilise NATO and of course he is right. Thor keeps a brisk pace as along with Harvath's investigation we get scenes of the terrorist attacks, diplomatic wrangling and the Russian mastermind keeping check on his operations. There an number of gunfights that keep the plot ticking along. Anyone who found Jack Bauer's interrogation techniques somewhat troubling then they are nothing compared to Harvath's. Anyone in the mood for a good old fashoned spy thriller can do no wrong with Spymaster.
Tuesday, 14 August 2018
A star for Carrie?
A campaign has started for the late Carrie Fisher to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One of the most famous and iconic landmarks of Los Angles has the biggest names in Showbiz immortalised with a star bearing their name on the streets of the city. 2 of the stars involved with the campaign are Fisher's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill and William Shatner. Other big names who do not have stars include Robert de Niro, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Prince. It will take at least 5 years for a decision to be made.
A campaign has started for the late Carrie Fisher to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. One of the most famous and iconic landmarks of Los Angles has the biggest names in Showbiz immortalised with a star bearing their name on the streets of the city. 2 of the stars involved with the campaign are Fisher's Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill and William Shatner. Other big names who do not have stars include Robert de Niro, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Prince. It will take at least 5 years for a decision to be made.
Monday, 13 August 2018
No blood for the Mouse
An new report suggests that as a result of the Disney takeover of 20th Century Fox any adult targeted films from the latter studio will not enter production. This is because Disney is keen to maintain it's family friendly reputation, another example of this was the firing of James Gunn as Director of the third Guardians of the Galaxy film. What this means for such adult fare as the Die Hard, Alien and Predator series of films is hard to say. This represents a bit of a change for Disney has through many subsidiaries like Touchstone, Miramax and Dimeson released such films as Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Con Air and From Dusk Till Dawn. Many cinephilies are following this with interest.
An new report suggests that as a result of the Disney takeover of 20th Century Fox any adult targeted films from the latter studio will not enter production. This is because Disney is keen to maintain it's family friendly reputation, another example of this was the firing of James Gunn as Director of the third Guardians of the Galaxy film. What this means for such adult fare as the Die Hard, Alien and Predator series of films is hard to say. This represents a bit of a change for Disney has through many subsidiaries like Touchstone, Miramax and Dimeson released such films as Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Con Air and From Dusk Till Dawn. Many cinephilies are following this with interest.
Sunday, 12 August 2018
Where no Chris wants to go
Problems have struck the fourth of the rebooted Star Trek film seres. Not only Chris Pine who plays the iconic role of James T Kirk is in a pay dispute with producers but Chris Hemsworth who played his farther in the first film and has been lined up to reprise the role for the new entry is locked in one as well. Pine and Hemsworth have both found success in comic book films. Hemsworth became a house hold name as Thor in six MCU films with a seventh on the way while Pine played Steve Trevor the love interest to the titular character of Wonder Woman a role that he will reprise in next year's follow up. Hemsworth's presence in the next is a response to the disappointing preformace of 2016's Star Trek Beyond which some blamed on an advertising campaign which gave away a plot twist. Whether Messrs Pine and Hemsworth get their demands met remains to be seen.
Problems have struck the fourth of the rebooted Star Trek film seres. Not only Chris Pine who plays the iconic role of James T Kirk is in a pay dispute with producers but Chris Hemsworth who played his farther in the first film and has been lined up to reprise the role for the new entry is locked in one as well. Pine and Hemsworth have both found success in comic book films. Hemsworth became a house hold name as Thor in six MCU films with a seventh on the way while Pine played Steve Trevor the love interest to the titular character of Wonder Woman a role that he will reprise in next year's follow up. Hemsworth's presence in the next is a response to the disappointing preformace of 2016's Star Trek Beyond which some blamed on an advertising campaign which gave away a plot twist. Whether Messrs Pine and Hemsworth get their demands met remains to be seen.
Friday, 10 August 2018
The return of Nuclear Man
This week saw the debut of one of the most ridiculed villains in Super Hero movies. Nuclear Man was the creation of Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor in the much derided Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The film that saw the Man of Steel bring an end to the arms race only for his old enemy to create an new foe. The film was crictised for it's cheap special and inchompisarble plot. The latter being the result of major edits to the film. One of these was concerning Luthor's first attempt at creation only for it to produce a rather dumb brute who was played by Clive Mantle best known for his role as Little John in Robin of Sherwood and in appearing in other TV shows like Casualty, Game of Thrones and Sherlock. Cinema goers got the second successful attempt as played by in his only acting Mark Pillow an ex Chippandale dancer and Hackman providing the voice of Nuclear Man. Superman defeats Nuclear Man by dumping him in an nuclear reactor. And for the last 31 years the character has been an embarrassment in the Superman canon. That was until current comic writer Brian Michael Bendis accepted a challenge to put the character in the pages of his current run and Bendis accepted. Nuclear Man is found to be in the Phantom Zone the prison where Krypton put it's criminal element. Current Superman foe Rogol Zaar find Nuclear Man and the pair then have a fight to the death with Zaar emerging the winner. This time Nuclear Man has more bierf but more respectable appearance
This week saw the debut of one of the most ridiculed villains in Super Hero movies. Nuclear Man was the creation of Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor in the much derided Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The film that saw the Man of Steel bring an end to the arms race only for his old enemy to create an new foe. The film was crictised for it's cheap special and inchompisarble plot. The latter being the result of major edits to the film. One of these was concerning Luthor's first attempt at creation only for it to produce a rather dumb brute who was played by Clive Mantle best known for his role as Little John in Robin of Sherwood and in appearing in other TV shows like Casualty, Game of Thrones and Sherlock. Cinema goers got the second successful attempt as played by in his only acting Mark Pillow an ex Chippandale dancer and Hackman providing the voice of Nuclear Man. Superman defeats Nuclear Man by dumping him in an nuclear reactor. And for the last 31 years the character has been an embarrassment in the Superman canon. That was until current comic writer Brian Michael Bendis accepted a challenge to put the character in the pages of his current run and Bendis accepted. Nuclear Man is found to be in the Phantom Zone the prison where Krypton put it's criminal element. Current Superman foe Rogol Zaar find Nuclear Man and the pair then have a fight to the death with Zaar emerging the winner. This time Nuclear Man has more bierf but more respectable appearance
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