Archive for April, 2017


Weekend cinema (1): a German horror film from 1919

April 30th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

“The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari” This wonderfully radical German Expressionist work from director Robert Wiene is unusually wordy for a silent film but then it has quite an intricate plot with a surprise ending. It is not just the story that is original; the stage sets are full of disorientating features such as unnatural angles […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


Weekend cinema (2): an American sci-fi movie from 2017

April 30th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

“Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2” In 2014, the original “Guardians”was a surprising hit and, like many others, I was totally won over by its original bunch of characters and fresh tone with rich colours, witty script and zippy action. Three years later, the next outing for these space heroes is again directed and co-written […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


Canadian trial for universal basic income

April 29th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

I’m interested in the political idea for an universal basic income and, a couple of months ago, I blogged about the proposal here. Also I’m a believer in evidence-based decision-making including in the sphere of public policy, so I was pleased to see this news: “The Canadian province of Ontario will launch a trial run […]

Posted in World current affairs | Comments (1)


A review of the 1942 film “Went The Day Well?”

April 28th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

“Went the day well? We died and never knew. But, well or ill, Freedom, we died for you.” This week, a friend persuaded me to join him in seeing a British wartime film at the BFI Southbank cinema in London. “Went The Day Well?” is a British black and white film of 1942 which is […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


I join the start of the Russian Revolution – well, at least the exhibition

April 27th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

As a blogger, I was invited to this morning’s media preview at the British Library of the new exhibition “Russian Revolution: Hope, Tragedy, Myths” which opens to to the general public tomorrow and runs until 29 August. We were shown around the exhibition by the curators Katya Rogatchevshaia and Susan Reed. This fascinating exhibition tells […]

Posted in Cultural issues, History | Comments (0)


Britain’s poorest households pay more of their income in tax than the richest

April 26th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

Britain’s poorest households pay a greater proportion of their income in taxes than the richest, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Analysis of the ONS’ Effects of Taxes and Benefits publication, released this week, found: The poorest 10% of households paid on average 42% of their income in tax in […]

Posted in British current affairs | Comments (0)


Word of the day: pareidolia

April 24th, 2017 by Roger Darlington

Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon in which the mind responds to a stimulus, such as an image or a sound, by perceiving a familiar pattern where none actually exists. Common examples are perceived images of animals, faces, or objects in cloud formations or pieces of food or features in nature, the man in the moon, […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


A review of the novel “Where My Heart Used To Beat”

April 23rd, 2017 by Roger Darlington

This novel by Sebastian Faulks is not a work to cheer the spirits, but it is really well-written and very thoughtful and thought-proving. I can recommend it and I’ve reviewed it here.

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)


A short guide to the French Presidency and how it is filled

April 21st, 2017 by Roger Darlington

On Sunday, the French electorate goes to the polls to vote in the first round of elections for a new President.  Unusually four candidates are doing similarly well, so the results this weekend are very uncertain. If you want to know about the role of the French President and how he or she is elected, […]

Posted in World current affairs | Comments (0)


A review of the new film “The Sense Of An Ending”

April 21st, 2017 by Roger Darlington

Based on the Booker Prize-winning novella by Julian Barnes (which I have read – my review here), inevitably this film adaptation is diffrent from the original work. The structure of the book was a section of the (unreliable) narrator’s time at school and university followed by the present day coming to terms with revelations of […]

Posted in Cultural issues | Comments (0)