Archive for the ‘Cultural issues’ Category
A review of the novel “The Rising Tide” by Prashant Vaze
December 28th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
These days, some young adult fiction is so good it should be read by adults themselves and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the the “His Dark Materials” trilogy by Philip Pullman and “The Hunger Games” trilogy by Suzanne Collins. “The Rising Tide” too will appeal to adults as well as youngsters. Like the previously mentioned trilogies, this […]
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A review of the 1946 film “A Matter Of Life And Death”
December 27th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
At the end of the Second World War, relations between the Americans and the British were a little strained as, in the run-up to D-Day, the yanks won local hearts while they were “overpaid, oversexed and over here” and a British Government department suggested the idea of a locally-made film to improve perceptions. Written, produced […]
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Nine questions raised by “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
December 22nd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
If you haven’t yet seen the eighth movie in the “Star Wars” saga, you might want to skip this posting because it involves spoilers. But, if you’ve seen the film and came away with lots of questions, you’ll want to check out the IMDb list of nine questions arising from the plot. And, if you’re […]
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My review of “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi”
December 17th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
The trouble with reviewing the latest episode of a galatic franchise like “Star Wars” is that expectations are so hign. Ever since I saw the first movie four decades ago as a 29 year old who had fairly recently become a father, I have approached each new chapter – usually with my son – with […]
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Word of the year: youthquake
December 15th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
“Youthquake”, defined as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”, has been selected by Oxford Dictionaries as the 2017 word of the year. I like young people. I used to be one once. You can see a fuller explanation of the choice, and the shortlist of […]
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A review of the Japanese film “Blade Of The Immortal”
December 13th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
Apparently Japanese director Takashi Miikwe now has a hundred movies to his credit but I’ve only previously seen one of them: “13 Assassins”. Like “13 Assassins”, “Blade Of The Immortal” is a stylish bloodfest – if that’s not an oxymoron – set in the Edo period of Japanese history (1603-1868), but this film tells a […]
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Peter Bradshaw’s top ten films of 2017
December 12th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
I have previously done a blog posting on the top 20 films of 2017 as chosen by “Empire” magazine. Now I offer you the top 10 movies of the past year as chosen by the “Guardian” film critic Peter Bradshaw. I’ve seen five of the 10.
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20 of the best films of 2017
December 10th, 2017 by Roger Darlington
I’m a big movie fan and see quite a lot of films, but I find it hard to select a set of best works for a list. However, the latest issue of “Empire” magazine – to which I subscribe – has offered this list of the top 20 of 2017 (I’ve seen 13): “Get Out” […]
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A review of the new film “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool”
December 3rd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
In the late 1970s, Academy Award-winning American actress Gloria Grahame – four times married and deeply troubled – struck up an unusual relationship with an actor from Liverpool called Peter Turner who was some three decades younger than her. This British film is based on Turner’s account of their life together and is ably directed […]
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“Song For Guy” by Elton John
December 2nd, 2017 by Roger Darlington
This week, I saw the film “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool” which features the “Song For Guy” by Elton John. The music took me right back …
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