Something finally got the better of the moronic Crocodile Hunter. Unfortunately it didn’t finish him off, but it was captured on film for all to enjoy
The bounds between fantasy and reality can be a bit thin at times, but the lads behind the iron curtain got a bit carried away when they saw James Bond on the big screen for the first time
Kevin ‘Kay’ Goodwin is a teenager with a smart mouth and too much imagination. He is stuck in Cole Bay during the early 70s, a grey little seaside town that is slowly decaying around its inhabitants — a place of high unemployment and little prospects.
Kay has always been set apart from his peers. He has little interest in their activities, preferring instead to research extinct civilisations — a hobby that endears him to his history teacher, but nobody else at school.
Running in fear from the school bully, Kay flees down the pier and onto a condemned sea level platform. His world lurches and he opens his eyes to find himself in Calabash — an idyllic village that seems an amalgam of all the ancient civilisations Kay has studied.
The population greet him with open arms, treating him like a long lost friend and he is welcomed with equal enthusiasm by the Sultan of Calabash and his lovely daughter, the Princess Rosamunde.
Kay travels between these two worlds at will. The real world of Cole Bay with its bullies, boredom and drudgery — where his family is falling apart and his friends are moving away. And his imaginary world of Calabash — with people who respect him, beautiful women adore him and the weather is balmy and warm.
As he starts to grow up and contemplates leaving school, he is forced to recognise his Eden as a part of his childhood that should be put to rest. Calabash may be more real than Kay thinks, but it could also be the start of decent into madness akin to that of his late father.
Kay is the central character and everything is written from his point of view. All of the Calabash characters have the sketchy quality of remembered dream, but took me a while to realise this same quality was also in effect on the Cole Bay characters as well. Kay’s immediate family have a little more substance, but overall are still second string players to Kay. Cleverly written characters against the backdrops of the dull and monochromatic Cole Bay and the bright and colourful Calabash make for memorable read.
Christopher Fowler, a man with a talent for seeing the dark underbelly of England, takes a step into the light with Calabash. It is a warm and dryly comic look at the painful business of growing up — taking place at the crossroads of youth, where childhood dreams are lost to the realities of living in an adult world.
If you’re unfamiliar with Christopher Fowler, this first foray into mainstream fiction is a good introduction to his writing. His characterisations and storytelling abilities have always been incredible, but this book proves his talent isn’t confined to the realm of horror and should be the impetus needed to bring his work to a wider audience. Although, if you like your books dark and clever, Christopher Fowler’s other work is well worth taking a looking at.
I don’t know how easy it will be to find Calabash. Christopher Fowler is a London based author and not all of his books are available in the US. I would expect that any big book store could order his work in, but if that fails try Internet Bookshop or Amazon in the UK.
Published WrittenByMe — 13.02.2001
Published Epinions — 24.03.2002
Book available from Amazon UK
In rock and roll nobody grows old, but the generation who grew up with the music are now having to face up to middle age. Still Crazy is a wry commentary on how a bunch of ageing rockers dealing with their impending mortality, try to capture the spirit of their youth and learn to take the odd risk again.
Strange Fruit had it all: fame, money, groupies, bickering band members and a singer who overdosed. As Hughie puts it, the reason lightning struck at the Wisbech open air festival to stop their set, was that God was sick of 70s excess. When a public request to reform and play their final venue comes they find themselves back on the road again.
Tony Costello [Stephen Rea] is the keyboard player, nobody’s quite sure what he’s been up to swanning about Ibiza with a metal case in hand — turns out he’s been running the condom concession at a major resort. He is one sets out to put the band back together, and his first hurdle is tracking them all down. Tony is the stablising force in the band, solid and dependable, he is all that held the band together in the past and may be all that keeps them together in the present.
Karen Knowles [Juliet Aubrey] was a Strange Fruit groupie who was, and still is, in love with Brian. She was adept at managing the band — currently using those skills as a hotel clerk — and so becomes Tony’s first port of call in getting the show on the road once more. Knowing that one show and nostalgia won’t be enough convince the other members to come along for the ride, she organises a potential record deal at the end of a European tour.
Les Wickes [Jimmy Nail] is the bass player. Now running a successful, if boring, roofing business, he jumps at the chance to relive past days. Along with ex-singer Keith, he was songwriter and soul of the band. Himself a frustrated singer, he frequently came to blows with the new singer Ray, who just didn’t get rock. While he has the talent and drive to make a reunion a success, his dislike of Ray could signal an early end to the venture.
Ray Simms [Bill Nighy] is the singer and front man for the band — although the position of front man is assumed and not earned. He is an unmitigated poser, living beyond his means to keep up appearances while trying to put a solo album together. With band rifts over direction, the only glam element is Ray whose more misogynistic urges are kept in line by his wife, Astrid [Helena Bergström].
Astrid: Karen will get plane tickets, just give her your credit card number.
Ray: I don’t know my credit card number.
Astrid: It’s on your credit card, Ray.
David ‘Beano’ Baggot [Timothy Spall] is the drummer. Discovered in a nursery — working with plants, not kids — he is on the run from the tax man and being doggedly pursued by a mysterious woman in black. For him, Tony and Karen’s arrival is serendipitous and he can’t wait to play again. Beano is the band clown, a little slow on the uptake at times, but always there for his mates. If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, then drummers are from Pluto.
Hughie [Billy Connolly] is the band’s roadie. More of a spiritual protector for group — if Karen is their mother, then Hughie is their father. He was in it for laughs in the beginning and things haven’t changed now. He is something of a chronicler of the band’s adventures and narrates much of the movie.
Beano: Are you still a road dog, Hughie?
Hughie: Nah. The last tour I did was ten years ago. It was Aerosmith, but they’ve gone and cleaned up their act. It’s all wheatgrass juice and fuckin’ pumpkin seeds. I hope you guys are still crazy, or I’m outta here.
With their guitarist Brian [Bruce Robinson] unaccounted for, Karen insists on a younger replacement to give the band more of a connection with the younger audiences they’ll be playing to and the talented Luke Shand [Hans Matheson] is hired on.
So piled aboard a tour bus that last saw the Psychedelic Furs, the Fruits hit the road once more. The gigs are small, the crowds unappreciative, the band rusty and, predictably enough, Les and Ray are still getting up each others noses.
Even though she ended the relationship because she didn’t want to see him kill himself with drugs, Karen is still deeply in love with Brian. Tony has always loved Karen and determined to protect her. Meanwhile, Karen’s daughter Clare [Rachael Stirling] is along for the ride and finds herself repeating her mother’s actions in falling for Luke.
Strange Fruit were cut short as the worst of the 70s glam rock excesses were about to be overshadowed by punk and still seem searching for some kind of closure. This reunion is a wonderful tribute to the days of classic rock.
The film works due to the care and attention of the people behind the scenes. Brian Gibson directed What’s Love Got To Do With It, writers Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais co-wrote The Commitments and the songs were co-written by Foreigner’s Mick Jones. Also thrown into the mix is singer Jimmy Nail, who created, wrote, produced and starred in Crocodile Shoes, a series about the music business. These people have a love for music, know what they’re talking about and, in several cases, have collaborated in the past.
The drama is a little iffy in places, but is nicely propped up the great music, fine writing and the amazing cast. As a reunion film, it is far more sophisticated that Spinal Tap, but also far more light hearted — witty, yes, but biting satire it isn’t. This isn’t comedy, for comedy’s sake, it is a complete package deal and very British in its execution — so don’t expect a laugh-fest of one liners.
If you loved the music, you’ll get a kick out of Still Crazy. Even if you don’t, this is well worth checking out for the amazing cast alone.
Published Epinions — 05.12.2000
DVD available from Amazon US, Sendit UK and DevotedDVD AU.
I guess most of us have seen the film version of The Princess Bride, it is a timeless classic and a surprisingly good adaptation of the book. The casting is superb and reading the book only underlines this point, as I found it difficult to see the characters as anything other than their film counterparts — they were perfectly chosen. So if you’re worried about losing the film’s charm when you read this book, don’t because it’s all there and more.
William Goldman frames Simon Morgenstern’s classic fairy tale with the story of his father, who came from Florin, and how he read only the good parts of the book to his son during a bout of pneumonia. Now, Goldman has undertaken an abridged version, interspersed with commentary on the parts he left out, why they were dropped, arguments over cuts, the state of Florinese affairs and the occasional insight into the Goldman family itself.
Westley [As you wish] is the handsome farm boy who will face any hardship to be with Buttercup, the woman he loves. He is a talented swordsman and a fearless adventurer, but he is blind to all women other than his beautiful Buttercup.
Buttercup is a simple farmer’s daughter who develops into the most beautiful woman in the world. She is also shallow and extraordinarily self centred — something that Westley overlooks during their early years. When she finally comes to her senses and sees Westley as her one true love, he departs to America to seek his fortune. Fortunately for Buttercup, she does gain emotional depth as she grows up, otherwise you’d happily pitch her into the nearest moat. On hearing of her Westley’s death at the hands of the Dread Pirate Roberts, Buttercup realises she will never love again.
Prince Humperdinck is the ruler of Florin, a great barrel of a man with an insatiable desired to hunt. When forced by his father’s ill health to seek a bride and continue the family lineage, Buttercup is brought to his attention by the evil Count Rugen. With Buttercup’s heart still broken by her beloved Westley’s death, they agree to a loveless union.
Buttercup is kidnapped in a plot to launch a war with Florin’s neighbouring Guilder. Her captors are; Vizzini [Inconceivable] the Sicilian, a more cunning and conniving man has never walked the earth, Inigo [Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya; you killed my father; prepare to die] the Spaniard, the greatest swordsman in all the land, who lives to avenge his father’s death at the hands of the six fingered man, and Fezzik the Turk, a giant with the power to uproot trees and a fondness for rhymes. Hot on the heels of this intrepid trio of kidnappers is a mysterious man in black — the Dread Pirate Roberts.
There’s love, loss, death, marriage, almost death, the Cliffs of Insanity, miracles, the fire swamp, madness, kidnapping, intrigue, royalty, the Zoo of Death, plots within plots and whole lot more. Everything you could want in a fairy tale.
Throughout the story are snippets on Goldman’s life, both as a boy and an adult. He goes into much detail about his wife Helen; a brilliant child psychologist, but a flawed and shrewish wife. And his son Jason, a youngster of Sumoesque proportions who is neglected by his mother and alienated from his father. These are elements that are eerily echoed throughout the story.
The 25th anniversary edition includes an introduction by William Goldman about the impact of the book and details of the casting of the movie. It also includes the first chapter of the sequel ‘Buttercup’s Baby’ and an explanation, of sorts, as to how it came about. Goldman explains his legal problems — who knew that the long dead Morgenstern would have an estate — and the threats and litigation he has been involved with since the book’s release. If you ever wrote in to the publishers requesting the missing reunion scene, the letter outlining the book’s legal problems that was sent out instead, is also included here. Apparently the lawyers involved in the case have agreed to drop all charges as they want an abridgement of the sequel released — on the condition that Stephen King writes it due to his Florinese descent. After a near breakdown on King’s doorstep, King agrees to let Goldman have a crack at the first chapter. And the resulting text is a great teaser for another cult story.
If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll love the book. All of the characterisations are far richer than the limited length of film allows and the background details adds to the charm of this well known story. If you’ve got kids, you’d be hard pushed for a better example to follow than Goldman’s father, this is well worth sharing with your children. An awesome read and a book to be treasured.
If you haven’t read The Princess Bride, be off and grab yourself a copy now. If you have read it, the following probably isn’t going to come as a surprise — but consider yourself warned in any case.
At face value The Princess Bride is a fun read, but it becomes even more so when you realise that this isn’t an abridgement at all. Simon Morgenstern is William Goldman’s pen name and this original novel is all his work — apparently based on suggestions from his daughters who demanded that princesses and brides must play a part in it.
All of the background, of both the mythical Morgenstern and his country of origin, are part of the story too. If you were wondering, Florin and Guilder are units of currency, not countries — but it is that foreign familiarity that lends itself to lulling the reader into the belief that they are real small warring nations.
The interwoven story of Goldman’s family makes a nice point — while everything may work out in fiction, it doesn’t always have a happy ending in real life. Goldman and his fictional son do reconcile, but his marriage ends in divorce.
Goldman’s comments on cuts and changes are enormous fun, especially in hindsight. But the introduction is a brilliant, with Goldman’s claims of offending the scholars of Florinese history and the success of the movie condemning Florin to a deluge of tourists — all eager to see the landmarks mentioned in the book and film.
This good parts
fairy tale is not only fun for children, but the cleverness of its overall construction as well as its mockumentary similarity to another cult classic — This is Spinal Tap — make it a must read book for grown ups too. If all of this has come as a bit of a shock, well it will make the book all the more fun to read a second time around.
Published Epinions — 06.11.2000
Book available from Amazon and Amazon UK.
The roads are clogged with people fleeing from the ravages of an anonymous European war, when two of the refugees come to the notice of a young lieutenant.
Abel is the narrator of the story. Fallen gentry, finally abandoning the family home — a smallish castle — he shared with his companion, Morgan, in favour of a safer life elsewhere. After his encounter with the lieutenant and her troops, he is forced to return home with a small group of guerillas as his new house guests.
This is an odd story, both in plot and the manner in which it is told — completely from Abel’s point of view. At first his detachment is both forgivable and understandable — after all, he is in the middle of a war — but as the story unfolds he is revealed to be an intensely dislikable character. He is obsessed with the past and far happier to wallow there in self pity than confront his captors (he may lose, oh the embarrassment) and regain his freedom.
The story is quite blatant in the way it colours everything from the one perspective, never giving a real overall look at how the war was started, when it started, who’s fighting whom, where the tale is set or any background information of import. Abel doesn’t seem to care, so it isn’t considered an important story element — to him the war is a minor inconvenience that will eventually go away, allowing him to return to his decadent life.
Facets of Abel’s past life are slowly revealed throughout the narrative. A child of troubled parents, there are hints that his father may have been another man, as his father is less than enamored with his son. Raised among servants who cater to his every whim, he goes out of his way to rock the society of his peers with debauchery and a scandalous relationship. He is a man cast adrift from life and living in his own private world of sex and scandal. The extended interludes of Abel’s past sexual exploits are extremely tedious, serving more to bore than to titillate.
Watching Abel’s effete self centred world unravel and seeing him spiral deeper into self destruction is interesting, but because of the character’s nature he is totally inaccessible. In fact, none of the characters are. Morgan is even more self obsessed than Abel and the lieutenant is just as bad in her own way.
If you’re an Iain Banks fan you may enjoy this book. But while I’ve found some of his other books to be distant and missing that certain undefinable something that grabs me as a reader, this book may as well be on another planet. The dialogue style of the text just made me want somebody to shoot Abel and be done with it — but perhaps that was Iain Banks’ intention all along.
Published Epinions — 23.10.2000
Book available from Amazon and Amazon UK.
Are you familiar with the work of Dennis Potter? If not, then when I describe this series as a musical comedy where rock and roll collides head on with the fall of the British Empire, you should be running for the hills about now. As odd as is sounds in premise, this six part mini series is not to be missed.
Set during the Suez Crisis of 1956, two young Russian language translation clerks are counting down their days to freedom while trapped in the marble halls of the War Office in Whitehall.
Private Francis Francis [Giles Thomas] is a sweet but rather gormless young Welsh lad. Saddled with an unimaginative name, a nervous stammer, all the grace of a landlocked walrus and a nationality known for its fondness of sheep bothering, Francis is not prepared for Army life. He has a love of Russian poetry and a crush on his upstairs neighbour, Sylvia, who happens to be the wife of his new Corporal — a dangerous combination.
Private Mick Hopper [Ewan McGregor] is a dreamer. With six weeks of his National Service stint to go, his mind is far from the job. His office hours are whiled away in daydreams where the entire office joins in his song and dance routines of 50s songs. This was Ewan McGregor’s first role out of drama school and he plays Mick perfectly.
Sylvia Berry [Louise Germaine] is the beautiful young wife of Corporal Pete Berry [Douglas Henshall]. Beaten by her husband, tormenting and tormented by Francis’ aunt and uncle downstairs, idolised by Francis and lusted after a mad organist. She is surface fluff that no man, not even Francis, can see through.
With the Suez crisis threatening, the senior staff members are fearful of another war, while the junior staff are more worried about never escaping the Army. Francis has to deal with insane relatives and a beautiful damsel in distress on the home front. Hopper is escorting the daughter of a colleague to the theatre. Sylvia is flirting with Francis and fighting off a colleague of her own. In the end the core cast gets what they were looking for, even if it turns out not to be found where they originally started looking.
The musical scenes are all mimed to the original numbers and get more surreal as the series progresses. This puts any Hollywood musical to shame, this is how music should be used.
The writing, like all of Dennis Potter’s work, shows what film and television should be. It is imaginative and original, realistic and fantastic, and so utterly insane in its concept that only the British could have produced it.
Music is the heart of this show and it is used to the hilt. Much of the music for me is now so identifiable with the series that it has an oddly hypnotic effect on me. As soon as I hear it, I have to see the show again. Look out for Blue Suede Shoes, The Great Pretender, Little Bitty Pretty One, Lover Boy and the unforgettable theme of the show; Connie Francis’ Lipstick On Your Collar.
The lighting is superb and particularly eerie throughout the musical numbers in the office. It sets the scene beautifully without the viewer getting lost in the jump from reality to dream.
Don’t be led astray and think this is something you can plonk the kids down in front of. This is an adult show and quite raunchy in parts. It also has some very adult ideals with spousal abuse, homosexual references, racism, death, prostitution, sex and war all featured to various degrees — some are blatant, but others are quite subtle. And then there’s the naked angel that cavorts through Mick Hopper’s musical fantasies.
This is Dennis Potter’s masterpiece. Far superior to the later contemporary Karaoke and futuristic Cold Lazarus, it is to be classed with the wonderful Singing Detective and Pennies from Heaven. This is television at its best. If you love the music or are a fan of Ewan McGregor this is a must for your collection.
Published Epinions — 15.10.2000
Published WrittenByMe — 29.04.2001
Video available from Amazon.
Opening on an archaeological dig in Egypt in the early 20th century, the resting place of the fifth element is about to be discovered when the Mondoshawans, fearing its safety on Earth, arrive to take it away. 300 years later the Earth is facing a mysterious evil that will destroy all life in the universe and the only thing that can prevent it is the fifth element.
Korben Dallas [Bruce Willis] is a cab driver who drives much like he used to fly for the military judging by the lack of points on his license. He still has his street savvy, shown when he deals with a less than competent burglar, and his flying skills have not deteriorated as he evades the police after a fare drops into his lap. Bruce Willis is in full action man mode and a joy to watch if you’re a fan of his work.
Leeloo [Milla Jovovich] is the fifth element, the supreme being given the task of preventing the oncoming evil. Her Mondoshawan escort is attacked and her subsequent reconstruction leaves her lost and unable to communicate with her rescuers. A headlong flight lands her in the back of Korben Dallas’ cab with half of the city’s police force in pursuit. Milla Jovovich’s take on her Leeloo character is a little odd at first. She comes of as astoundingly stupid in parts until her rather charming half smile breaks the illusion. Leeloo’s increasing grasp of English is fun and her fight scenes are awesome. Milla Jovovich excels with her interpretation of the divine language spoken by Leeloo. It was invented by director Luc Besson and further refined by the actress, and by the end of filming they were able to converse fully.
Priest Vito Cornelius [Ian Holm] is the Mondoshawan contact on Earth. A member of a religious sect charged with protecting the knowledge of the five elements that will save the Earth in its moment of need. He fully expects the five elements to arrive as four stones and a sarcophagi but when a beautiful young woman turns out to be the fifth element he is a little out of his depth. Ian Holm does a wonderful job portraying Cornelius as a fish out of water, getting involved in physically saving the world is something he seems to have a knack for after all.
Ruby Rhod [Chris Tucker] is an effeminate talk show host with an annoyingly high pitched voice, a high camp wardrobe and an unbelievable magnetism for the opposite sex. As annoying as he is, he does work surprisingly well. I just would have preferred that the part was played with testicles intact.
Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg [Gary Oldman] is the villain of the piece. An utter monster who lives to make money no matter what the consequences. Gary Oldman delivers another over the top performance, not that far removed from his role of Stansfield in Leon. He is nasty and malevolent with absolutely no redeeming features — exactly what you want in your comic book bad guy.
The Fifth Element is, at first glance, a big departure from what most people have come to expect from Luc Besson. But underneath it is an energetic and colourful retelling of the traditional good against evil tale.
The plot is engaging, dealing not only with the fight for life over death, but also picking up on the problems of an overcrowded future and an even wider gap between the rich and the poor.
Luc Besson’s direction is strong, but frantic as he moves the story along at breakneck speed. The sense of urgency is palpable and adds to the film rather than detracts.
The look of this film is amazing. Bright primary colours add to the comic book feel and sense of fun. As do Jean-Paul Gaultier‘s incredible costumes. From street wear to the high fashion Fhloston Paradise soiree, his touch is unmistakable.
Eric Serra, a long time collaborator of Luc Besson, outdoes himself with the music. It adds a visceral impact to the film, highlighted by the choreography of the Diva’s performance and Leeloo’s fight with the Mangalores.
The basically aliens come in two flavours. The good guys are the Mondoshawans, big shiny guys with teeny little heads and an abundance of fins. And the bad guys are the Mangalores a mercenary bunch of shape shifters whose human counterparts are played by the stunning Vladimir McCrary with military aplomb and British actor Richard Leaf with a more indigestible feel. The costumes, makeup and effects used to achieve these creatures is remarkable and the effects team scored a well deserved BAFTA for their efforts.
The sets are magnificent. From Dallas’ cramped apartment, to the futuristic New York, the shuttle and liner — especially the opera hall.
For the most part the casting is superb and if you’re a fan of British films you’ll see a lot of familiar faces. Comedian Lee Evans, the X-Files’ John Neville, the wonderful Brion James (whose presentation of the sturdy Major Iceborg to Dallas is hilarious) and the cameo from Luke Perry in the opening scenes. My only complaints are the casting of Tommy Lister Jr as President Lindberg because it looked like they were trying for a Ving Rhames look alike, and the absence of Jean Reno is unforgivable.
Overall this is a fun film that I enjoy immensely. If you go in looking for two hours of escapist fun, you’ll love it, but if you’re looking for something with the gritty reality of Leon and Nikita I’d suggest giving it a miss.
Published Epinions — 09.10.2000
Published WrittenByMe — 25.03.2001
DVD available from Amazon US, Sendit UK and DevotedDVD AU.
Remember those cartoons from your childhood? The ones where a character runs through a screen door before falling into neatly cubed chunks? Welcome to the opening sequence for Cube. While the film is mostly a dialogue between the characters, there are still a few scenes of rather graphic violence that are not for the squeamish.
Seven seemingly disparate people wake to find themselves alone in a 4m cube, that for all the world looks like the inside of the Lemarchand puzzle box from Hellraiser. There is a small door in the floor, the ceiling and each of the walls. Each person is wearing a utilitarian tunic with their name stencilled on it. There is no food or water. They have no idea of how they ended up in their individual cells and their only choice is to stay where they are or explore.
Alderson [Julian Richings] is the first inhabitant of the cube to start exploring. While he doesn’t get to meet any of the others, he does serve to point out to the audience that while the rooms of the cube may look similar, some hold nasty surprises.
Five of the remaining captives stumble into each other in the course of their own explorations. The manic Rennes [Wayne Robson] recruits the others to follow him. He’s a man with a history of successfully escaping from prison and his reasons for helping the others is purely for the use of their boots as a means of testing for booby traps. Rennes has an ability for detecting traps, but his demise comes about when he triggers a trap he couldn’t sense. Now the four are left to ponder how they are going to be able to get out if a professional escape artist can’t.
Quentin [Maurice Dean Wint] is a cop who uses his skills in dealing with the public in stressful situations to coalesce the four individuals into a rough group. He also questions if perhaps they each have a skill that could help the whole.
Holloway [Nicky Guadagni] is a doctor, a sceptic and a conspiracy nut, she believes that the government is behind their imprisonment.
Leaven [Nicole de Boer] is a schoolgirl with a knack for maths and a talent for calculating large numbers in her head. She discovers that the numbers in the doorways of the cube are indicators of whether a room is a trap.
Worth [David Hewlett] is a quiet engineer, quiet in a sense of almost gibbering in fear as he realises they may well be doomed. He argues with Holloway over her conspiracy theories, claiming that nobody is in control. A argument finally backed by the revelation that he was commissioned by an unknown client to design the shell of the cube, he knows that there is only one door out, but not where it is. His knowledge gives Leaven the means to work out that the cube has 26 rooms to a side, making a total of 17576 rooms. While this information does little to calm Worth, it does allow Leaven to make the leap that the door numbers are in fact co-ordinates that mark their position within the cube.
Kazan [Andrew Miller] literally drops on top of the other four captives. He is a young retarded man, possibly autistic, but definitely withdrawn. Kazan becomes a trigger for some changes in the others. Holloway gains humanity in his presence, but Quentin starts to lose his when he proposes that they leave him behind. Kazan’s inclusion in the group seems a mystery until they discover he is a savant with the ability to calculate enormous numbers that far outstrips Leaven’s.
Vincenzo Natali‘s direction is crisp and sharp as he follows his characters through the cube. Each character has an ability that can help the group escape the cube, but none of them can do it alone. They must work together if they hope to escape their prison. He captures their urgency, panic and fatigue as well as their personal progress as some of them grow, while others unravel.
The single room set is a masterpiece, colour changes signify the movement from one cell to another and serve to empathise the audience with the characters plight — it is both claustrophobically small and mind bogglingly huge at the same time. Sound is well utilised to give the cube a solid feel and the ominous rumblings add to the general menace of the environment.
There is some gore in this movie. It is used sparingly and does serve to illustrate the dangers the group face in the cube. The effects are dramatic and very well done. They are graphic enough to shock the audience, especially when contrasted to the austere nature of the rooms.
If you’re looking for answers, forget it. These people are rats in a maze and it is their interaction that is the story and not the environment they find themselves in.
This is a film that was recommended to me and I found that I really enjoyed it. I liked the mystery of the cube and the fact that it isn’t explained. I also like the ending, but it will definitely disappoint some viewers. It’s a smart science fiction thriller that easily overcomes its budget limitations. While not a film that will please all, this is definitely worth a look.
The characters are named after prisons, a little trivia I didn’t twig to immediately. Although I was wondering why they sounded familiar.
Published Epinions — 02.10.2000
Published WrittenByMe — 08.04.2001
DVD available from Amazon, Amazon UK and DevotedDVD.
While wandering through the Internet Movie Database a while back, I found myself looking up one of my favourite movies, the incredible La Reine Margot (Queen Margot). I was surprised to find it was based on a story by Alexandre Dumas — unfortunately I got lumped with Shakespeare instead of Dumas in school. I’d always meant to read his books and this decided me. So off to the bookshop I go — discovering that it’s not one of his easier books to get hold of — eventually finding a copy online.
In 1572, with Renaissance France torn apart by a religious war, an alliance between the warring factions is proposed with the marriage of Marguerite de Valois — sister of the reigning Charles XI — and Henry of Navarre.
With so many Protestants in Paris to celebrate the marriage, Charles XI is persuaded that they pose a threat to the throne and orders the massacre of St Bartholomew’s Day — an ethnic cleansing of epic proportions.
The newly married couple, aware that one, if not both, of them were to have been victims of the general carnage, form a political alliance — to support each other above all else.
This is the incredible introduction to a 22 month period of French history, filled with intrigue, murder and duplicity, that Alexandre Dumas has immortalised in La Reine Margot.
From the conniving Catherine de Medicis — a powerful woman who held the reigns of power in France as regent during the minority of both Francois II and Charles XI — who fears Henry of Navarre will succeed her sons for the crown of France.
To the beautiful and learned Marguerite de Valois — called Margot by her brother Charles — a woman torn between duty to her husband and King and loyalty to her lover.
And the loyal de La Mole — Margot’s lover — a man willing to go to any lengths to serve his Queen and mistress.
Dumas characters are unforgettable. Margot and Henry are heroic in stature, yet plagued by ambiguities and character flaws that both humanise and endear them. And it is these flaws that make them even more memorable.
The society of the Royal court is fascinating. The women of the court were notorious predators — being a mistress was likely the only way of gaining power and directly influencing current politics — and often had multiple lovers. But it is the youth of the people that caught me by surprise; Margot is 20, Henry of Navarre is 19, Charles XI is 22 and Catherine de Medicis, portrayed as a crone, is only 54, yet managed to produce ten children for her husband, Henry II, prior to his death.
Dumas takes great poetic license with the history, blending fact, drama and fiction together in a captivating story that will leave you breathless.
La Reine Margot was original published in serial format between 1844 and 1845 — that’s a quarter of a million words over a three month period. An impressive enough feat, rendered even more so when you consider his other commitments of The Count of Monte Cristo, Le Guerre des Femmes and Twenty Years After that were concurrently in production.
My only real complaint is the frightening politeness of dialogue between the characters, which I assume to be a style very much in vogue in the 19th century. It’s perfectly understandable and nothing is lost in the reading, I just found it a little disconcerting during the violent and bloody battle scenes. It is very reminiscent of dialogue in Musketeers movies — funny that — instead of the very graphic atrocities depicted in the film version, Queen Margot.
For a novel written a century and half ago, this is a surprisingly easy and compelling read. The characterisations are strong, the plot intricate and the historical and cultural references give an in depth view of 16th century France.
If you’ve seen the movie, or are a Dumas fan by way of The Three Musketeers or his other works, you will love this book. And if it’s your first dabble into the world of Dumas, like me, you’ll find yourself eager to get your paws on more of his books.
Published Epinions — 12.09.2000
Book available from Amazon and Amazon UK.
Bridge on the River Kwai has been a favourite of mine since I first saw it, I only have to hear the familiar whistled theme to instantly recall the movie. Having been raised on a steady diet of westerns and war movies, this film ranks as one of the best.
Colonel Nicholson [Alec Guinness] is the British commanding officer of a group of prisoners captured following the fall of Singapore. He is incensed that the British officers are being forced to work as slave labour for the Japanese and becomes locked in a battle of wills with the Japanese prison camp commander, Colonel Saito [Sessue Hayakawa].
Nicholson’s determination to build the Japanese a better bridge starts to blur the line between obsession and collaboration. Although Saito is an equally strong and sympathetic character, Nicholson begins to match his counterpart in stature and, as the film progresses, to even overshadow him.
Shears [William Holden] is the cynical American soldier, not at all at ease with Nicholson’s stiff upper lip form of leadership. He escapes from the camp only to find himself volunteered — in true understated British fashion — to join a daring mission, led by Major Warden [Jack Hawkins], back into the jungle to destroy the bridge.
As the film approaches its spectacular finale, Shears fights against time to lay charges on the bridge amid tight Japanese security as the ammunitions and weapons laden train approaches. Nicholson, immensely proud of his achievement of completing the bridge on time, discovers the plot and races to stop the demolition. It’s only as the dying Nicholson falls on the explosive plunger, saying, ‘Good heavens, what have I done?’ that he realises his obsession with finding victory in defeat has instead slipped into self delusion.
While Bridge On The River Kwai is a brilliant movie, it does take liberties with actual history. The true story of the bridge and railway built by the prisoners of war is far more brutal and horrifying than what is presented in the film.
The jungle — with Ceylon, now Sri-Lanka, taking the place of Burma — is visual perfection, with its hot and steamy atmosphere. This is further impressed on the audience by its sharp contrast to the cool and comfortable extravagance of the British headquarters.
The demolition of the bridge and the subsequent train wreck at the end of the film are spectacular.
The superb acting by the entire cast — Guinness won an Oscar for his role — and David Lean‘s excellent direction make this a brilliant film.
My only quibble with the film is William Holden’s character. Depending how I feel at the time, he is either trivial and shallow in comparison to the rest of the solid cast. Coming off as something of a compromise to placate the film’s financers — or possibly as a marketing ploy to lure an American audience. Or a brilliant counterpoint to the similarities between the main British and Japanese characters and their shared sense of honour and duty.
That aside this is a memorable film highlighting the absurdity of war.
Published Epinions — 24.08.2000
Published WrittenByMe — 20.02.2001
DVD available from Amazon, Amazon UK and DevotedDVD
Jack Parlabane is a freelance investigative journalist with a nose for trouble. Back in Scotland from a not exactly self imposed exile in Los Angeles, his return having been prompted by the discovery of a hitman in his flat one morning. Awakening on his first morning back, he battles through jet lag and a hangover to try and discover the source of the appalling smell that has permeated his bedroom. Looking further afield reveals the smell to be coming from his downstairs neighbour, well the remains of his downstairs neighbour.
Jenny Dalziel is a young DC who first encounters Parlabane standing barefoot in the less than sanitary midst of the crime scene. She escorts the journalist down the nick for a quiet word and finds herself surprised to discover she actually trusts his judgement in the case. Her superior, Inspector McGregor, believes the case to be a burglary gone wrong, but Dalziel believes otherwise.
Dr Sarah Slaughter is the ex-wife of the deceased, Dr Jeremy Ponsonby, and a doctor in servitude to the NHS. She first encounters Parlabane after her own midnight reconnoitre of the crime scene and after exchanging details agrees with Parlabane that not everything is smelling of roses.
Quite Ugly One Morning starts off with a rather horrific murder and follows the people involved with its investigation as they start to uncover things even uglier than the remains of the late Dr Ponsonby.
I wouldn’t class this as a classic medical mystery, while it shares a similar medical horror story to something like Coma, that story itself is background. Nor does it follow Agatha Christie’s style, where you hit the last page and discover that the butler did it.
As the story progresses, all of the characters are revealed and their involvement to one level or another. It is the characterisations that get you — you may have all the background on a character, but that doesn’t mean their subsequent behaviour is going to be expected, usually it’s not.
Christopher Brookmyre shoots straight from the hip with a first novel that launches into a scathing political attack on the NHS — a system that sees hospitals run by petty bureaucrats, who have more interest in lining their own pockets than caring for the patients (and doctors) they are meant to be administering. It also targets the appalling treatment of medical staff and some of the socially inept people the NHS pushes through the system.
I seem to have started reading Christopher Brookmyre’s from the wrong end, it hasn’t detracted from the stories and it is kind of nice to see familiar characters popping up, but in retrospect, it would have been better to follow the characters as they developed on their progression through the different books.
Jack Parlabane, Jenny Dalziel and Sarah Slaughter play a major part in Country Of The Blind, a retired and reluctant Inspector McGregor is the one man cavalry in One Fine Day In The Middle Of The Night and a minor player in the form of Larry Freeman takes the lead in Not The End Of The World.
This is a fast and darkly humorous look at the life of medics and journalists, but the depictions of casual violence may be a bit too much for some readers. This book doesn’t use as many local Scottish colloquialisms as Christopher Brookmyre’s later efforts, but there’s more than enough to confuse the unwary.
I’ve loved all of Christopher Brookmyre’s books and this is no exception, so if you’ve read his other work, you’ll love this. Also if you’ve run across Irvine Welsh, you’ll probably find this book more accessible.
I don’t know how easy it will be to find Christopher Brookmyre’s books, as he is a fairly new author. And being a Scottish lad, not yet with the cult following of Irvine Welsh, probably doesn’t help in immediate US distribution. I would hope that any big book store could order his work in, but if that fails try Internet Bookshop or Amazon in the UK.
Published Epinions — 07.08.2000
Book available from Amazon and Amazon UK
The frighteningly rich and appallingly mannered Lady Schrapnell has invaded Oxford University’s time travel research project, promising to endow it if they help her rebuild Coventry Cathedral, which was destroyed during an air raid in World War II. The University thinks this is a great idea, until Lady Schrapnell seconds every staff member and student in the department, packing them off all over the past with little concern for their safety, well-being or the preservation of the space-time continuum.
Ned Henry is a young man suffering severe time lag. He has been dispatched to jumble sales all over the 1940s, before ending up scavenging through the bombed remains of Coventry Cathedral, all in an effort to locate the Bishops Bird Stump — a hideous example of Victorian art that changed Tocelyn ‘Tossie’ Mering’s (Lady Schrapnell’s great-great-great-great grandmother) life and in so doing prompted Lady Schrapnell to embark on her Cathedral rebuilding project. After over ten jumps in one week, Ned is hauled back to the present of 2057 and sent off to 19th Century Victorian England for two weeks of rest. He only has to perform one task and the rest of the time is his, unfortunately his time lag has resulted in a difficulty in distinguishing sounds and he has no idea what that task is meant to be.
Verity Kindle inadvertently brought something forward from the past — something that scholars thought impossible due to Net safeguards — and while the repair of the potential incongruity has been passed on to someone else, she is sent back to Victorian times. Her mission is once again on behalf of Lady Schrapnell, and she is attempting to find Tossie’s diary to uncover the possible whereabouts of the missing Bishops Bird Stump.
Ned’s arrival in Victorian times is somewhat unceremonious as he lands on a set of railroad tracks. Things really don’t improve to much for him from here on out, as he interrupts an intended meeting and mistakenly assumes one of the contemps, Terrence, is his contact. He then finds himself on a rowboat with a mountain of luggage, his new friend and a bulldog named Cyril.
Along the way they rescue an eccentric Oxford professor from the river and run into Terrence’s new love interest, Tossie. A deeply confused Ned now meets up with his real contact, Verity, who is posing as Tossie’s distant cousin. When she asks if Ned is in possession of Princess Arjumand, Tossie’s cat that Verity rescued from a watery grave and brought back through the Net, Ned has no knowledge of the cat.
The three men, to say nothing of the dog, head back downstream on the river, where Terrence announces his plan to head for Muchings End to try and meet up with Tossie once more. Ned discovers the missing cat in his luggage and hides it until he can hand it over to Verity at Muchings End. Unfortunately the boat capsizes and they arrive at the Merings’ soaked to the skin.
After being invited to stay on to help with a church fete, Ned and Verity are handed the task of trying to keep Tossie and Terrence apart so that she can meet and marry her mysterious Mr C — mysterious due to a water-logged diary that is still trying to be deciphered by the History department.
Verity and Ned are trying to solve a mystery using 19th century detective novels as their lead — a mystery that I didn’t manage to solve myself until near the end of the book. Ned has been thrust into the past with no preparation and is constantly trying not to offend anybody, while coping with his time lag and the odd behaviour of the people around him. They have to deal with the Victorian penchants for horrible breakfasts, jumble sales, penwipers, spiritualism, the seriousness of engagements, the importance of good manners and the general cluelessness of the contemporary population.
The only problem you may encounter is an initial confusion about what is going on, as the fact that Ned is a time traveller from 2057 who is visiting 1940 is not immediately apparent. I had this problem with The Doomsday Book, but after the first chapter, I soon got the gist of the situation.
If you’ve read Connie Willis earlier The Doomsday Book, you’ll enjoy To Say Nothing Of The Dog. It is definitely a romantic comedy of errors that, while straying from the seriousness of The Doomsday Book, shares much of its predecessor’s feel.
To Say Nothing Of The Dog is an hilarious romp through Victorian times. With references to Dorothy L Sayers, Wilkie Collins, and Arthur Conan Doyle, and an encounter with Jerome K Jerome, whose subtitle of Three Men In A Boat provides the name of this book. It’s a fun read that I enjoyed immensely. It is a well deserving of its Hugo Award.
Published Epinions — 30.07.2000
Published WrittenByMe — 05.06.2001
Book available from Amazon and Amazon UK
Lucy Muir finds herself widowed at the relatively young age of 34. During her period of mourning, when she is given the space by her family to grieve, she discovers that the life she has led so far has not been her own. All of her decisions have been made for her; by her father, then her husband along with his mother and two overbearing sisters. Once making this realisation, she makes her first decision on her own and promptly heads off to the seaside in search of a house for herself and her two children; Cyril and Anna.
She finds a house on the market for a pittance and insists upon seeing it even though the agent tries to dissuade her. The house turns out to be Gull Cottage, placed on the market by an owner who has departed for South America. It has had several tenants, but none have stayed for long.
Lucy Muir strikes a bargain with Gull Cottage’s former owner, the late Captain Daniel Gregg — she can live in the cottage as long as she buys it and wills it as a home for retired sailors. Lucy has very little money, her husband having gambled it away on poor investments, but the Captain shows her a cache of gold hidden in the house and the deal is stuck.
Mrs Muir and Captain Gregg deal with many situations over the years; a cad interested in the lovely young widow from Gull Cottage, a visit from Lucy’s interfering sister-in-law Eva and her children’s differing temperaments — Cyril wishes to join the church and Anna wants to be a dancer.
It is during a period of tight finances that the Captain suggests that Mrs Muir write his biography. She struggles along with the new skill of handling a typewriter, hearing about the Captain’s colourful past in extremely colourful language and the condescending comments of her house-bound son who assumes his dear, little mother is penning poetry for a polite society tract. With the fear of scandal hanging over her head, Mrs Muir has the book published anonymously and it garners with overwhelming popularity — making Mrs Muir quite a wealthy woman.
The Ghost And Mrs Muir was written in 1945 by Josephine Aimee Campbell Leslie under the pseudonym of RA Dick. Its film rights were immediately snapped up, and in 1947 the film version starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison was released. The book also spawned the 1968 television series starring Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare. Sean Connery is the current holder of the screen rights, so I guess we can expect a remake in the near future, starring Sean Connery as Captain Gregg.
The book doesn’t mention a time period (although the film is set in 1900) and seems a little scattered. Lucy Muir’s upbringing and subsequent marriage is very Victorian in nature, but her initial trip to secure a rental property as a single woman seems to contradict this. Also her children are both fairly well educated and seem to be finishing school some time prior to WWII in my estimate.
The book is quite a charming read, very much a romance story with a twist. The interplay between the crusty old sea dog and the shy Victorian lady is wonderfully written, as are the changes from their initial characters. Captain Gregg loses his distrust of all women and comes to love and respect Mrs Muir, and Lucy Muir learns to stand up for herself in the face of a domineering family and the society of her time.
I enjoyed the book immensely. If you’re a fan of the movie (which is a reasonably faithful reproduction) or series (which though more contemporary, still takes a few elements from the book) then you’ll love reading this book.
The book is still in print on the Buccaneer imprint, but as it is currently only available as a library edition (cloth bound hard cover) it is quite expensive. There is an out-of-print paperback edition from 1975 that was published under Josephine Leslie instead of RA Dick that may be worth keeping an eye out for too.
Published Epinions — 25.07.2000
Book available from Amazon and Amazon UK
I saw David Cronenburg’s The Fly on the big screen when it was first released. I enjoyed then, and I still enjoy it now, so it has withstood the test of time — certainly far better than its predecessor has.
Seth Brundle [Jeff Goldblum] is a scientist who is so far out of the cutting edge of research that he’s become something of a joke to colleagues. He is attempting to prove his theory that instantaneous matter transference is possible. If it is possible it would change the world — imagine being able to transmit packages and people instantly anywhere in the world, it would be the end of cars, public transport, airlines, the postal system, but would probably just open the door to new and interesting forms of junk mail.
Veronica Quaife [Geena Davis] is an investigative journalist for a scientific trade magazine, whom Seth Brundle offers a scoop on his theory. The process is almost complete and in the final stages of bug testing, and Veronica Quaife agrees to document the final stages of the project that include the transmission of a living creature.
Stathis Borans [John Getz] is Veronica’s editor and ex-boyfriend, who thinks Brundle is just another crank.
The film starts off as something of a love story, with Veronica falling for the withdrawn and eccentric Seth and wooing him.
As Seth gets closer to completing his project and fears having it ripped out from under him when he is so close to a result, he forgets about scientific detachment and uses himself as a test subject. A fly accidentally enters the teleportation chamber and the computer, not receiving any other instruction on what to do with extraneous objects, slices the human and fly genes together.
Seth doesn’t realise the accident has occurred, but his increasingly erratic behaviour gives Veronica cause for concern. She discovers the anomaly first and forces Seth to face the truth, but by this time he has started to change physically.
Veronica fears her pregnancy to Seth may result in a similarly mutated child and seeks a termination with Stathis’ help, only to be prevented by Seth.
The film is extremely dark — both in tone and visually — and as Seth starts to physically change, quite gruesome. Cronenberg is not afraid to push his audience to extremes with graphic violence, such as Seth breaking a punters arm in a pub.
The actors are superb, making their characters fully dimensional and believable. You do feel for them as they are put through the wringer as the plot carries them along. The set design is incredible, especially the teleportation pods and the visual effects are very impressive, if heading towards less palatable arenas as the film progresses.
If you’re familiar with other David Cronenberg movies, like Scanners and The Brood, you’ll probably know what to expect. But if you’re more familiar with the campy 1958 version of The Fly you will be in for quite a shock. Cronenberg’s Fly takes a silly Saturday morning cartoon style science gone mad concept and drags it into the far more frightening and realistic light of modern science.
David Cronenberg’s work is very polarising and The Fly is no exception, you will either love it or hate it. And basing it on his other work is not a very good yard stick either — one one end you have his wonderfully understated depiction of Stephen King’s The Dead Zone and on the other end you have Dead Ringers, which is probably the most disturbing movie I have ever seen.
So go and grab a copy on video and decide for yourself. And watch out for David Cronenberg in a cameo as a gynaecologist during Veronica’s nightmare.
Published Epinions — 23.07.2000
Published WrittenByMe — 11.05.2001
DVD available from Amazon, Amazon UK and DevotedDVD
I’m an X-Men fan from way back. My love of comic books was inadvertently encouraged on one of my work experience sojourns in school — Don’t touch anything while you’re here, kid, and to keep you out of our hair, here’s some comics. A delightful attitude on the behalf of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) but one that led to me discovering the X-Men all those years ago.
So being a fan, I’ve been exposed to — and actively sought out — a huge amount of hype surrounding this film from its production stages.
The film opens with a young Magneto [Ian McKellen] being separated from his parents in a concentration camp, crosses to the present with Rogue [Anna Paquin] discovering her powers when a first kiss puts her boyfriend in a coma, then to Jean Grey [Famke Janssen] addressing a committee on the subject of mutant registration.
The tie with the opening concentration camp sequence is there, but too diluted for my liking. On the other hand, the continuing theme of how all mutants are dangerous, is far too heavy handed. All mutants are classed as super powered, with no consideration for what would be the vast majority of mutants who have utterly pointless skills — Look at me, I can magically change my hair colour without the help of Clairol. Cute, but it’s not going to save the world now is it.
Wolverine’s [Hugh Jackman] meeting with Rogue and subsequent introduction to Professor Xavier [Patrick Stewart] and the X-Men works far better. Wolverine’s character is well developed, they’ve opted to keep his humanity and concern for the young Rogue instead of heading off into the darker realms of his dangerous past. That they left to Sabretooth [Tyler Mane], a growling, strutting, cardboard cut out with a nasty attitude.
Xavier’s School itself was far more of a pleasant surprise to me — as it actually is a school with a lot of students, mostly runaways, who are now learning to deal with their powers in a safe environment. The school scenes are probably going to upset a lot of the hard core fans. Jubilee [Katrina Florece] and Cannonball [Jon Davey] are in evidence, but so are a very out of place group of old favourites in Iceman [Shawn Ashmore], Shadowcat [Sumela Kay], Pyro [Alex Burton] and Colossus [Donald Mackinnon].
The X-Men themselves seem a little lean, with only four members and that’s with the addition of Wolverine. Jean Grey has the most depth of character, even if she has lost her much of her highly vaunted telepathic abilities, gained a doctorate and looks like a Julia Roberts/Sandra Bullock clone minus the charm and talent. Storm [Halle Berry] is played to wooden perfection in a truly hideous plastic wig. And Cyclops [James Marsden] is as anal retentive as ever, never really seeming to come off as a leader worth following — and really making me wonder why Jean Grey goes out with him in the first place.
Magneto’s brotherhood of mutants is a bit of a joke, as all of the characters seem lifeless. Sabretooth never seems truly dangerous, Mystique [Rebecca Romijn-Stamos] really looks wrong in her shiny plastic fetish suit and miraculously develops amazing fighting skills that allow her to stand her ground with Wolverine. Toad [Ray Park] is minor comic character that is at least played with a bit of fun.
As a fan, I found the inconsistencies between the X-Men I know and what’s on screen to be annoying. The age discrepancies and relationships between many of the characters are quite distracting. Most of the casting is atrocious, with nobody looking right for their roles, but fortunately the bimbo model aspect of the cast is kept in the background with their mouths firmly duct taped shut.
Hugh Jackman may not look the part — he’s a foot too tall, 15 years too young and has pretty boy good looks — but he does play Wolverine extremely well. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Anna Paquin are the standout actors in the cast, these are the people that keep the movie afloat with their great acting and the depth they give to their respective characters. But it is Hugh Jackman’s performance that makes the film work — this is really his movie.
Ray Park looks like he’s having a ball as Toad. He takes one of the dullest comic book characters and makes him fun. If for no other reason, it’s worth catching the film for Ray Park’s performance.
The story moves along briskly. It’s standard comic book fare, but it has some added depth with the mutation of Senator Kelly [Bruce Davison], the attraction between Wolverine and Jean Grey, the brief look at the workings of the school and Wolverine’s protectiveness of Rogue. There are some nice references to the comic made in dialogue, most notably Wolverine’s disdain of the X-Men uniform and Cyclops comeback asking if he expected yellow spandex.
While some of the costuming is dodgy, specifically Storm’s hair, Magneto’s helmet and whatever that blue goop is that covers Mystique. The X-Men uniforms work well, Xavier’s mansion is excellent and Cerebro is spot on. The effects are amazing, really working for the movie instead of distracting from it. From Storm’s lightning and Cyclops’ force beam to the perfection of the sound of Wolverine’s claws being extended.
Bryan Singer hasn’t done too bad a job in his direction of X-Men, it’s nowhere in the league of The Usual Suspects, but it’s still not as bad I expected. I went into the theatre expecting a complete debacle, and while it’s not going to win Oscars, I did enjoy the film on an escapist level. It was fun and I enjoyed it immensely, but these guys are still not my X-Men.
Published Epinions — 15.07.2000
DVD available from Amazon US, Sendit UK and DevotedDVD AU
Dutch media mogul Roland Voss is a self-made man, a larger-than-life character who looms large over the lives of the UK population through his monopoly of the media. His principle contribution to the world journalism has been to turn legitimate newspapers into gutter press tabloids, written for the intellectual equivalent brain damaged chimpanzee.
Voss, his wife Helene and their two bodyguards, have been found brutally murdered inside Craigurquhart House. Four men attempting to open the bedroom safe, have been captured fleeing the scene, literally red-handed.
Thomas ‘Tam’ McInnes, his son Paul, Robert Hannah and Cameron ‘Spammy’ Scott have been whisked away from the scene and held under the prevention of terrorism act. The elder McInnes and Hannah have a history of country manor break-ins from the mid-80s.
Nicole Carrow is a young English lawyer, serving her time as a public defender in Scotland. Two weeks prior to the break-in and murder, Thomas McInnes paid her a visit and left an envelope with her for safe keeping. Her initial reason for disbelieving the damning evidence against the four men in custody is based on a gut feeling — well that and the fact that Mr McInnes makes a nice cup of tea.
Jack Parlabane is a freelance investigative journalist, more of the undercover, dressed-in-black, midnight break-and-enter variety than your snap-happy paparazzi. Roland Voss was no longer on Parlabane’s christmas card list, after Voss had planted a large amount of drugs in his apartment and called the drug squad after a disagreement with Parlabane. He has a knack for smelling a cover-up and the opportunity to uncover Voss’ seamy side is a huge bonus.
The plot moves quickly and draws in a huge cast including politicians, their various flunkies (legal and otherwise), hard core newspapermen, doctors and a heap of policemen from every branch of the service.
The story is a classic tale of the little guy suffering at the hands of the overlord, handled with typical Brookmyre in-your-face attitude.
You are constantly reassessing your list of good guys and bad guys through the first half of the book. And as you get further in, you get to see what makes the characters tick and what forces their hand to murder.
Christopher Brookmyre draws some interesting political parallels in this book. I found the media and political feeding frenzy that the murder caused is more frightening than the actual crime. It certainly gave me pause for thought as I watched some of the same empty political gestures and media sensationalism take place in reality as I was reading the book.
I don’t know how easy it will be to find Christopher Brookmyre’s books, as he is a fairly new author. And being a Scottish lad, not yet with the cult following of someone like Irvine Welsh, probably doesn’t help in immediate US distribution. I would hope that any big book store could order his work in, but if that fails try Internet Bookshop or Amazon in the UK.
Published Epinions — 10.07.2000
Published WrittenByMe — 04.03.2001
Book available from Amazon UK
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