Archive for January, 2015


A review of the film “American Sniper”

January 17th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

The latest directorial offering from the amazing 84 year old Clint Eastwood is this stunning action movie which I have reviewed here.

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Like foreign travel? Thinking of where to go in 2015? Here are 52 suggestions.

January 17th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

Untrammeled oases beckon, once-avoided destinations become must-sees and familiar cities offer new reasons to visit. The “New York Times ” has compiled a list of 52 Places to Go In 2015. My home city of Manchester has secured a huge coup by being named one of the world’s top tourism destinations. It is the only British […]

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The top 20 artificial intelligence films – in pictures

January 16th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

I love the cinema and science-fiction is one of my favourite genres. A recurrent theme of the sci-fi movie is artificial intelligence (AI) and I’m really looking forward to seeing the forthcoming “Ex Machina”. Meanwhile one reviewer lists his 20 top AI films here. I’ve seen all except three (one of which is Ex Machina”).

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North Korea’s family of three dictators

January 15th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

In the global community, no nation is as closed and inscrutable and unpredictable as North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). This is why I am currently reading “North Korea” State Of Paranoia” by Paul French. Throughout its life-time, the DPRK has been ruled with utter totalitarianism by a succession of three […]

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Word of the day: stoma

January 14th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

A stoma in medical terms is an artificial opening between a hollow organ and the outside of the body constructed to permit the passage of body fluids or waste products. Two types of operation give rise to such a stoma: a clostomy which creates an opening for faeces or a urostomy which creates an opening for […]

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What did Jane Hawking think of the film “The Theory Of Everything”?

January 13th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

I was delighted to see Eddie Redmayne win a Golden Globe award for his brilliant portrayal of the scientist Stephen Hawking in the film “The Theory Of Everything” [my review here]. The movie is based on a book by Hawking’s ex-wife Jane who is represented by Felicity Jones. So what did Jane think of the […]

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Let me assure my American readers: I have no problem at all visiting Birmingham (UK)

January 13th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

“There are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim where non-Muslims just simply don’t go in,” This was the absurd comment made at the weekend on Fox News by the so-called terrorism expert Steve Emerson who amazingly has advised all sorts of Congressional committees. Birmingham is not totally Muslim; some 22% identify themselves as Muslim. […]

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Remembering the earthquake in Haiti five years ago today

January 12th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

Exactly five years ago today, the people of Haiti suffered a terrible earthquake that registered a catastrophic 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale. What was the result and what has happened since? The death toll will never be known but estimates vary between 90,000-300,000. The number of people displaced was around 1.5 million. A cholera epidemic […]

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Maggie Gyllenhaal and “The Honourable Woman”

January 12th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

This Christmas, at my request, I was given the DVD box set of the BBC Two mini series “The Honourable Woman” which was screened in the summer of 2014. This weekend, Vee and I started to watch the series and we were very impressed by the performance of American actress Maggie Gyllenhaal in the eponymous […]

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A review of the film “Taken 3”

January 11th, 2015 by Roger Darlington

Liam Neeson can act (think “Schindler’s List”) and late in years has become a surprise action hero, but “Taken 3” [my review here] should be the end of this franchise.

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