Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Today we finished watching Chernobyl, the mini-series produced by Sky/HBO. It has rightly been nominated for over a hundred accolades and won 64 so far. I thought this was an incredible series, very well written and paced with excellent performances throughout. Not a binge watch though - you need 24hrs at least between episodes in my opinion! The whole tragic, avoidable incident of the explosion at Chernobyl is quite extraordinary and I still find it hard to believe how recent it was. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Not only do these stories and truth need to be better known, but it proves beyond doubt that cover-ups and lies lead ultimately to tragedy. There is also an excellent podcast which accompanies the series called "The Chernobyl Podcast" which provided some further insight into the filming of the series, but also countless other stories and facts that they didn't have time to fit i...
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Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown I am fortunate to have a job at the moment and I have some annual leave to take before a certain date. I am normally one to hang to my annual leave and not use it willy-nilly, but the date is looming and with no-where to go I am at a bit of a loss with what to do. Personally, I don't fancy going anywhere at the moment. I really don't feel inclined to get on a plane to go anywhere - I don't particularly enjoy flying at the best of times - and the idea of having to wear a mask for the duration of the journey doesn't appeal. In previous years, the idea of just being at home with no-where to be was incredibly appealing, but as that's kind of the status quo at the moment, it's lost some of it's magic. So what to do with my leave - well, I think the garden and a book do still beckon and maybe a whole series on Netflix...
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Yesterday Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested. This is a story which will be continually updated but she is accused of grooming underage girls to be abused by her and Jeffrey Epstein. There is an excellent documentary on Netflix "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich" which provides a timeline and a voice for some of his many victims. I find the arrogance of men like Epstein and the people who enable him like Ghislaine, reprehensible. We see it time and time again. Men in positions of power and with wealth who go around behaving exactly as they choose and getting away with it. The law, it seems, can be bought. Epstein, Maxwell, Weinstein, Nassar. People always know and they help cover it up. Are they as guilty?
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown The beauty of having subscription TV is finding and watching something you always meant to watch but never did. My current binge is Entourage which ran from 2004-2011 and is about a fictional famous actor Vincent Chase and his half brother and two friends who make up his entourage. I genuinely laugh out loud quite a lot and really enjoy the many, many cameos from the Hollywood elite playing themselves, from James Cameron to Scarlett Johansson. Also, each episode is just the right length for a cup of tea and a biscuit, which is kinda perfect.
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown I love a crappy film. You know the kind, usually on Channel 5 in the afternoon, staring people you've never heard of, set somewhere in America that you haven't visited, with a storyline encapsulated in the title. Here are some I've watched recently: Girlfriend Killer Who Stole My Daughter? The Other Mother Cheat Sleeping with my Student Can you guess the plot outline from the title? Of course you can. The thing is, these films aren't that bad. The acting is usually pretty decent, the stories often have a good twist you didn't see coming and the production values are high. So why do they have a bad rap? I've seen plenty of over-hyped, big studio backed crap, with big stars that I'd happily swap for one of these little gems. On a technical note, a title that tells you what the film is about is actually quite a skill. "Four Christmases" - yep I have...
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Theatre is probably going to be one of the last type of venue to open and is going to struggle. The Nuffield in Southampton has already gone into administration. 50 members of the House of Lords have signed a letter urging the government to provide financial support to the performing arts industry. The letter is below. What I find incredibly sad about this, is that there was virtually no reporting of this. At all. Google it, you won’t find much. I know that at a time of economic uncertainty it will be low down the list of priorities of things and people who need money. So, let me just ask you a question. During lockdown, have you watched tv? A film? Read a book? Listened to music? The artists which brought you that work need to be paid and need support now and for the future so that the very entertainment that has helped keep us all sane and t...
Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown New TV obsession "Gangs of London" I have a pretty high tolerance for on-screen violence. I've watched every Tarantino film, I've seen Battle Royale, The Raid among many others and every Final Destination film there is, where the violent deaths are nothing short of inspired! But this is in a league of its own. The fact that it's been created by Gareth Evans of The Raid is unsurprising. I've honestly watched half of it from behind my hands. But I think that's because the whole story is just so well executed (pardon the pun). The stakes are incredibly high for the characters, even for the minor roles and the fight choreography so exquisite and fast that you have to catch your breath. I can only watch one episode at a time, so although it's a binge watch, it's a slow one...