There is the theme park to end theme parks in the Nevada desert whose various attractions provide
amusement for thousands every day. Recent technical glitches have led to one of the technical
designers being asked to return to the park not to correct the problem but to remove the robotics
he installed. He arrives with his daughter on the same day that a criminal group intend stealing the
cash take which is collected by armoured truck, this being in the region of 100,000,000 dollars
though this remains unknown until late in the book. The park is run by the designer's former girl
friend which provides some tension though it is not really required. To cover the theft, a series of
minor sabotage acts have been planned, some of these taking place pre-book, hence the appearance
of the expert. The technical details are presumably feasible and, by and large, do not hamper what
is a fairly leisurely build-up but the pace gradually increases as the incidents escalate. The final
intention of the villains is hidden until near the end to provide a climactic scene in which, despite
the earlier damage and the apparently foolproof planning of the crime, the good guys win. Apart
from the descriptions of the various attractions which make the theme park live up to the name,
Utopia, the character interplay is realistic and these two features add to the unity which is given by
the action taking place during the course of a single day apart from an unnecessary epilogue. The
book is a good read and sits well with the author's better known collaborations with Douglas Preston.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Crackanthorpe, David: The Ravenglass Line
I sometimes wonder why I have certain books but must assume that this one, like numerous others,
was part of the Times/W H Smith half-price series. One of two brothers is arrested in France but
is released on bail put up by his younger brother who wants him to find out how involved their
mother is with a dubious Hungarian entrepreneur. The mother is well to do, having inherited the
family shipping and transport business which the younger son now runs, but she has given the
Hungarian considerable amounts of money and is one of those rich women who do not really give
any thought to the effects her actions may produce. The older brother has an affair with his sister-
in-law in the course of uncovering the Hungarian's illegal transporting of Romanian women and
children who are taken to the empty, dilapidated family mansion in rural Lancashire where the
brother ends his career. The final chapter tidies up in a rather unlikely manner the mother's problem
and the brothers' entanglement. An easy read but no more
was part of the Times/W H Smith half-price series. One of two brothers is arrested in France but
is released on bail put up by his younger brother who wants him to find out how involved their
mother is with a dubious Hungarian entrepreneur. The mother is well to do, having inherited the
family shipping and transport business which the younger son now runs, but she has given the
Hungarian considerable amounts of money and is one of those rich women who do not really give
any thought to the effects her actions may produce. The older brother has an affair with his sister-
in-law in the course of uncovering the Hungarian's illegal transporting of Romanian women and
children who are taken to the empty, dilapidated family mansion in rural Lancashire where the
brother ends his career. The final chapter tidies up in a rather unlikely manner the mother's problem
and the brothers' entanglement. An easy read but no more
Carrisi, Donato: The Lost Girls of Rome
It took me some time to read this 'Italian Literary Thriller Phenomenon' to quote the cover. The
basic story is the search for a missing girl in Rome. Two men talk about this over a coffee with one of them then going to the apartment where she lived; they are members of a proscribed Vatican order, the Penitenzieri, trained to search out evil. At the same time in Milan, Sandra, a police forensics
expert, is looking for answers to her husband's death and this takes her to Rome where her search and
that of the Penitenzieri become entwined. She becomes involved with an Interpol investigator whom
she distrusts as his objective is not just to find out how her husband dies but to unmask the Penitenzieri. The search for the girl is complicated and, as ever, a number of blind alleys before the
man who had already killed other girls was unmasked. Interspersed with this story is one of another
search for a different serial killer which moves from Paris to Prague and Chernobyl though there is
a final coalescing of the three strands by the end of the novel. I found the development of all three
strands was well done as was the linking of the two Roman lines. While the exposing of the primary
villain came as no surprise, the build-up to his capture was effectively done. The end of the book does come as a surprise which I leave you to discover for yourself. A really good thriller well worth
seeking out.
basic story is the search for a missing girl in Rome. Two men talk about this over a coffee with one of them then going to the apartment where she lived; they are members of a proscribed Vatican order, the Penitenzieri, trained to search out evil. At the same time in Milan, Sandra, a police forensics
expert, is looking for answers to her husband's death and this takes her to Rome where her search and
that of the Penitenzieri become entwined. She becomes involved with an Interpol investigator whom
she distrusts as his objective is not just to find out how her husband dies but to unmask the Penitenzieri. The search for the girl is complicated and, as ever, a number of blind alleys before the
man who had already killed other girls was unmasked. Interspersed with this story is one of another
search for a different serial killer which moves from Paris to Prague and Chernobyl though there is
a final coalescing of the three strands by the end of the novel. I found the development of all three
strands was well done as was the linking of the two Roman lines. While the exposing of the primary
villain came as no surprise, the build-up to his capture was effectively done. The end of the book does come as a surprise which I leave you to discover for yourself. A really good thriller well worth
seeking out.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Furst, Alan: Spies of the Balkans
Like the previously reviewed book, this has an unusual setting though not as exotic. The lead is a
policeman based in Thessalonika where he deals with sensitive cases that bypass the standard system
of investigation. He has an affair with an Englishwoman shortly before the 1941 invasion of Greece
and when she leaves with some haste, he finds himself involved in helping Jews get from Germany to
other countries by following routes through the Balkans to Thessalonika, then leaving usually by ship. A short episode deals with his army work against the Italians but most of the book deals with
the help he and colleagues provide for those who can afford it - not that he benefits himself. A major
incident is his being almost forced to help get a valuable English scientist out of Paris which he does
before himself leaving Greece as the Germans invade for a career in Izmir coordinating the work of
those behind what are now enemy lines. The book is well written and the fictional events take place
in real situations without straining acceptance. However, there was a certain air of unreality about
the main character's activities which did, for me, somewhat reduce my appreciation of the book.
policeman based in Thessalonika where he deals with sensitive cases that bypass the standard system
of investigation. He has an affair with an Englishwoman shortly before the 1941 invasion of Greece
and when she leaves with some haste, he finds himself involved in helping Jews get from Germany to
other countries by following routes through the Balkans to Thessalonika, then leaving usually by ship. A short episode deals with his army work against the Italians but most of the book deals with
the help he and colleagues provide for those who can afford it - not that he benefits himself. A major
incident is his being almost forced to help get a valuable English scientist out of Paris which he does
before himself leaving Greece as the Germans invade for a career in Izmir coordinating the work of
those behind what are now enemy lines. The book is well written and the fictional events take place
in real situations without straining acceptance. However, there was a certain air of unreality about
the main character's activities which did, for me, somewhat reduce my appreciation of the book.
Takagi, Akimitsu: The Tattoo Murder Case
Something different for me - a Japanese mystery. Set shortly after the end of World War II though only published here in 1998, the book tells of a murder and the efforts of the medical student narrator
to help is police inspector brother solve the case. The narrator is seduced by a beautiful young woman with a famous all body tattoo who is then murdered and dismembered with her head and limbs missing. She is one of three children of a very celebrated tattoo artist whose sister is believed to have died at Hiroshima and whose brother has not returned to Japan after the war. Various suspects include a senior professor who collects tattoos, i.e. the tattooed skins of the dead, a fellow
student who has taken up with the narrator after some years, the latter's brother whose mistress the
dead woman was and his manager who was infatuated with her. Nothing seems resolved when the 'missing' brother turns up living as a tattooist even though this has been banned. He tells the narrator
that he will produce a solution but asks for time to do so - before he can, he, too, is murdered. At this point with the police baffled, time passes and all leads have gone nowhere. A new character is
introduced who is best described as a young Japanese Sherlock Holmes who proceeds to work out
who the killer is by deduction. The novel was a great success when published and this is easy to
accept. What takes place is clearly set out and there is no need to suspend belief as the events that
are related fall into place - there are coincidences but none startlingly so. The denouement, when it
comes, is surprising and strongly presented. Well worth reading.
to help is police inspector brother solve the case. The narrator is seduced by a beautiful young woman with a famous all body tattoo who is then murdered and dismembered with her head and limbs missing. She is one of three children of a very celebrated tattoo artist whose sister is believed to have died at Hiroshima and whose brother has not returned to Japan after the war. Various suspects include a senior professor who collects tattoos, i.e. the tattooed skins of the dead, a fellow
student who has taken up with the narrator after some years, the latter's brother whose mistress the
dead woman was and his manager who was infatuated with her. Nothing seems resolved when the 'missing' brother turns up living as a tattooist even though this has been banned. He tells the narrator
that he will produce a solution but asks for time to do so - before he can, he, too, is murdered. At this point with the police baffled, time passes and all leads have gone nowhere. A new character is
introduced who is best described as a young Japanese Sherlock Holmes who proceeds to work out
who the killer is by deduction. The novel was a great success when published and this is easy to
accept. What takes place is clearly set out and there is no need to suspend belief as the events that
are related fall into place - there are coincidences but none startlingly so. The denouement, when it
comes, is surprising and strongly presented. Well worth reading.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Fowler, Christopher: Bryant and May and the Invisible Code
Arthur Bryant is asked by Kasavian who is the civil servant trying to close down the Peculiar Crimes
Unit to do him a favour. He is concerned about his much younger foreign wife and wants Bryant to
investigate. Bryant and May meet her and find nothing untoward while officially looking at the murder in St Bride's churchyard of a scientist who had worked at Porton Down before apparently
committing suicide. A paparazzi who had an interest in Kasavian's wife is also murdered and both
Bryant and May follow up their own ideas of what has happened with no immediate success. Of
course, by the end all is revealed with, yet again, a rather unexpected climax. The usual effective
use of London as a background, Bryant's pre-occupation with the occult and the lively interplay with
other unit members keep the story moving most enjoyably.
Unit to do him a favour. He is concerned about his much younger foreign wife and wants Bryant to
investigate. Bryant and May meet her and find nothing untoward while officially looking at the murder in St Bride's churchyard of a scientist who had worked at Porton Down before apparently
committing suicide. A paparazzi who had an interest in Kasavian's wife is also murdered and both
Bryant and May follow up their own ideas of what has happened with no immediate success. Of
course, by the end all is revealed with, yet again, a rather unexpected climax. The usual effective
use of London as a background, Bryant's pre-occupation with the occult and the lively interplay with
other unit members keep the story moving most enjoyably.
Friday, November 21, 2014
A Korean film combination
As well as the recent Korean Film Festival in London, Film 4 have shown five Korean films possibly
in connection with the event. Those on TV were 'In Another Country' (2012) starring Isabelle Huppert, 'Like You Know It All' (2009), 'The Day He Arrives' (2011), Oki's Movie (2010) and 'Hahaha' (2010). Common to all is a connection with film - Huppert is an actress with a director lover and the others all included leading actors claiming to be directors though most of them looked
hardly out of their teens. All were elliptical and rather opaque, wordy and lacking in any cinematic
flair though all are fairly highly rated - possibly Koreans look for other things. The only comparison
that comes to mind is that with some of the lesser Nouvelle Vague efforts of the late 50s and 60s.
In the cinema, 'One on One' starts with a rape and murder in relative darkness and then switches to a
disparate bunch of vigilantes who have agree to punish the ones responsible for ordering and carrying
out the rape. As the bunch of seven work their way through the perpetrators, the level of retributory
violence starts to increase which leads to a falling away of willing participation though the group leader who is older and responsible for both organising the capture of the criminals and their punishing remains constant and increasingly intense. One of those caught early on decides to find out just who did take him and he is seen spying on them in later scenes. As the climax approaches,
it turns out that the raped girl was the daughter of the leading vigilante whereas the others are there
just for the thrill. Following the final capture and punishment (though events in this suggest there
are others higher up), the group disbands and the father is seen on a hilltop overlooking Seoul
mourning his daughter - with the film ending with his death at the hands of the one who was spying
on them. Somewhat patchy but with an interesting story line and a strong central performance, the
film also gets across the seeming inviolability that can come with authority and power.
'Cold Eyes' is a fairly straightforward policier taking the work of a surveillance group in the Seoul
police whose only job is that - they are specifically ordered not to be involved but, when appropriate,
to let armed police take over. The story is told by using a young female recruit and her mentor as the focus with the opening scenes being her observing him. The eventual focus of their work is a killer
played by Jung Woo-sung, who seems to be the current Korean heart-throb (younger, taller and better
looking than Tom Cruise), and his presence at the cinema seemed to bring out the teenage population
of Koreans in London and further afield. The film is mainly well-paced though the middle section
was a little flat (as it was in 'One on One') and enjoyable though far from being anything more than
average. The director, Kim Ki-Duk, who was the featured director of the Festival (apparently the
largest outside Korean for their films) is something of an outsider to the Korean film industry as we
were told at length before the first of the films we saw though he is well-thought of internationally.
in connection with the event. Those on TV were 'In Another Country' (2012) starring Isabelle Huppert, 'Like You Know It All' (2009), 'The Day He Arrives' (2011), Oki's Movie (2010) and 'Hahaha' (2010). Common to all is a connection with film - Huppert is an actress with a director lover and the others all included leading actors claiming to be directors though most of them looked
hardly out of their teens. All were elliptical and rather opaque, wordy and lacking in any cinematic
flair though all are fairly highly rated - possibly Koreans look for other things. The only comparison
that comes to mind is that with some of the lesser Nouvelle Vague efforts of the late 50s and 60s.
In the cinema, 'One on One' starts with a rape and murder in relative darkness and then switches to a
disparate bunch of vigilantes who have agree to punish the ones responsible for ordering and carrying
out the rape. As the bunch of seven work their way through the perpetrators, the level of retributory
violence starts to increase which leads to a falling away of willing participation though the group leader who is older and responsible for both organising the capture of the criminals and their punishing remains constant and increasingly intense. One of those caught early on decides to find out just who did take him and he is seen spying on them in later scenes. As the climax approaches,
it turns out that the raped girl was the daughter of the leading vigilante whereas the others are there
just for the thrill. Following the final capture and punishment (though events in this suggest there
are others higher up), the group disbands and the father is seen on a hilltop overlooking Seoul
mourning his daughter - with the film ending with his death at the hands of the one who was spying
on them. Somewhat patchy but with an interesting story line and a strong central performance, the
film also gets across the seeming inviolability that can come with authority and power.
'Cold Eyes' is a fairly straightforward policier taking the work of a surveillance group in the Seoul
police whose only job is that - they are specifically ordered not to be involved but, when appropriate,
to let armed police take over. The story is told by using a young female recruit and her mentor as the focus with the opening scenes being her observing him. The eventual focus of their work is a killer
played by Jung Woo-sung, who seems to be the current Korean heart-throb (younger, taller and better
looking than Tom Cruise), and his presence at the cinema seemed to bring out the teenage population
of Koreans in London and further afield. The film is mainly well-paced though the middle section
was a little flat (as it was in 'One on One') and enjoyable though far from being anything more than
average. The director, Kim Ki-Duk, who was the featured director of the Festival (apparently the
largest outside Korean for their films) is something of an outsider to the Korean film industry as we
were told at length before the first of the films we saw though he is well-thought of internationally.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
James, P.R.:Death Comes to Pemberley
I have somehow never taken to the novels of P.R. James whom many consider the queen of British
thriller writers though both Ruth Rendell and Val McDermid are likely to be considered her equal or
better by many others. This book is a departure as it is neither contemporary nor a policier. It is
possibly the forerunner of a recent trend to write sequels to classic novels although the most frequently adapted character is surely Sherlock Holmes. James here essays a sequel to Pride and
Prejudice setting the book in the early years of the 19th century with Elizabeth Bennett happily married to Darcy and a proud mother and more than capable chatelaine of Pemberley. The couple
are about to continue the tradition of Darcy's late mother by having an autumn ball but their intention
is thwarted when, the night before the ball, Captain Denny is murdered on the estate while riding with
George Wickham and Lydia to Pemberley where the two men were going to leave Lydia so that she
might be at the ball, uninvited though she was. Wickham, having been found in an incriminating
position, is arrested and tried for murder. Apart from a cursory search around the area of the crime,
no investigation takes place though the trial is delayed and moved to London to ensure fairness. The
bulk of the novel is the reaction of the family members to the crime and how this might have some
effect on their social position. The final outcome is a little hard to accept as it is firmly based in the
social mores of Jane Austen's England which are so different from the present day. Well written with
no noticeable anachronisms, eschewing archaic language, it well deserves its critical acclaim.
thriller writers though both Ruth Rendell and Val McDermid are likely to be considered her equal or
better by many others. This book is a departure as it is neither contemporary nor a policier. It is
possibly the forerunner of a recent trend to write sequels to classic novels although the most frequently adapted character is surely Sherlock Holmes. James here essays a sequel to Pride and
Prejudice setting the book in the early years of the 19th century with Elizabeth Bennett happily married to Darcy and a proud mother and more than capable chatelaine of Pemberley. The couple
are about to continue the tradition of Darcy's late mother by having an autumn ball but their intention
is thwarted when, the night before the ball, Captain Denny is murdered on the estate while riding with
George Wickham and Lydia to Pemberley where the two men were going to leave Lydia so that she
might be at the ball, uninvited though she was. Wickham, having been found in an incriminating
position, is arrested and tried for murder. Apart from a cursory search around the area of the crime,
no investigation takes place though the trial is delayed and moved to London to ensure fairness. The
bulk of the novel is the reaction of the family members to the crime and how this might have some
effect on their social position. The final outcome is a little hard to accept as it is firmly based in the
social mores of Jane Austen's England which are so different from the present day. Well written with
no noticeable anachronisms, eschewing archaic language, it well deserves its critical acclaim.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
58th London Film Festival: 8-19 October 2014
Having missed last year's Festival completely, we possibly saw one or two more films this year than
we would usually do. The basic criterion remained - avoid films probably having a full release here.
Our first film on 9 October was 'Black Coal, Thin Ice', a Chinese murder mystery. Body parts have
been found in a number of widespread locations leaving the police baffled; one lead results in a
shoot-out leaving the lead character injured and a journey through a road tunnel elides to the present
day of the film where he is now a security guard. The murders start up again and suspicion falls on
a widowed laundry worker whom the detective befriends even though she is not that attractive and
he is an unprepossessing heavy drinker. Rather slow-moving but with some fine atmospheric shots
and a strong leading cast, unappealing though they area.
Next came 'French Riviera' on 11 October. Based on a real-life event from the 1970s, it has Catherine Deneuve as a casino owner which she inherits on her husband's death, Guillaume Canet as
the lawyer she employs though they fall out when she does not appoint him as her general manager.
He has been going out with her recently divorced daughter, Adele Haenel, whom he then marries.
The daughter then vanishes but only after she has given her husband an irrevocable power of attorney
which allow him to force the sale of the now failing casino to her main, and shady, rival. Deneueve
is convinced that he has murdered her daughter but has no proof. Time passes and Canet goes to
live in Panama but 20 years later, Deneuve is able to get him accused of the murder. He returns
willingly to clear his name which he does though, on a later appeal, he is finally convicted. The
director, Andre Techine, has a glossy style which is well in evidence here with the naturally scenic
surroundings though the varying interplay between the three main leads does provide the meat - and
rather slowly cooked.
'Cub' on 14 October tells of a camping trip by a small troop whose expected site has been appropriated by two local louts so they end up deep in the woods. The action centres around one of
the cubs who is something of an outcast. On their second day, their camp is ransacked and the local
gendarme is called in but finds nothing. Meanwhile, our outcast cub has found a strange structure up
in the trees which he investigates to find many of the missing items and a wild incoherent young man
who had obviously taken them. That night they are attacked by a man and mayhem occurs with most of the troop being killed. On reflection, a muddled and rather unlikely sequence of events.
'The World of Kanako' finds a fired cop trying to work out what has happened to his daughter, the
Kanako of the title who seems to be a very attractive, polite model student. The almost cartoon-
like efforts of the father to find out what happened with various youths being beaten up and then
returning the favour are intercut with what actually was happening. Far from being a victim, the
daughter was the victimiser. Flashy and not very good.
'Why Be Good' from 1929 was the first Colleen Moore film I have knowingly seen. Very typical
of the time with a threadbare story and hammy acting, it is a curiosity and not the wonderful film
that the BFI curator responsible for the restoration claimed, as she would have to do.
'3 Hearts' directed by Benoit Jacquot has Benoit Poelvoorde as a tax inspector whomisses his train home. He bumps into Charlotte Gainsbourg and, overnight, they fall in love arranging to meet in Paris a few days later but, following an odd scene between him and two Chinese who have no French, he gets to the rendezvous too late. Gainsbourg, distressed, then goes off to the USA with
her boyfriends whom she had effectively dumped a day or so earlier. This leaves her sister, played
by Chiara Mastroanni, to run their antique shop on her own. Lo and behold, who should turn up at
the local tax office offering to help - Poelvoorde. They get engaged and marry with, this time,
Gainsbourg, arriving too late and thus not seeing the groom. Some years pass but she then comes
back again for her mother's (Catherine Deneuve) 60th and her 40th birthdaycelebrations where she
does at last discover that Poelvoorde has married her sister. They keep quiet about it at first but the
attraction is still there and they have a surreptitious affair but everything comes apart with no one
ending up happy.
'The White-Haired With of the Lunar Kingdom' is a remaking of a classic Chinese novel which has
previously been made as 'The Bride with White Hair'. Brilliant fight scenes recall the days of the
classic Hong Kong historical masterpieces and the films stands up well to the comparison with fine
performances in particular from the two female leads. A change from the earlier films which were
very much studio based and limited to the territory of Hong Kong is the use of some magnificent
Chinese scenery as backdrop.
we would usually do. The basic criterion remained - avoid films probably having a full release here.
Our first film on 9 October was 'Black Coal, Thin Ice', a Chinese murder mystery. Body parts have
been found in a number of widespread locations leaving the police baffled; one lead results in a
shoot-out leaving the lead character injured and a journey through a road tunnel elides to the present
day of the film where he is now a security guard. The murders start up again and suspicion falls on
a widowed laundry worker whom the detective befriends even though she is not that attractive and
he is an unprepossessing heavy drinker. Rather slow-moving but with some fine atmospheric shots
and a strong leading cast, unappealing though they area.
Next came 'French Riviera' on 11 October. Based on a real-life event from the 1970s, it has Catherine Deneuve as a casino owner which she inherits on her husband's death, Guillaume Canet as
the lawyer she employs though they fall out when she does not appoint him as her general manager.
He has been going out with her recently divorced daughter, Adele Haenel, whom he then marries.
The daughter then vanishes but only after she has given her husband an irrevocable power of attorney
which allow him to force the sale of the now failing casino to her main, and shady, rival. Deneueve
is convinced that he has murdered her daughter but has no proof. Time passes and Canet goes to
live in Panama but 20 years later, Deneuve is able to get him accused of the murder. He returns
willingly to clear his name which he does though, on a later appeal, he is finally convicted. The
director, Andre Techine, has a glossy style which is well in evidence here with the naturally scenic
surroundings though the varying interplay between the three main leads does provide the meat - and
rather slowly cooked.
'Cub' on 14 October tells of a camping trip by a small troop whose expected site has been appropriated by two local louts so they end up deep in the woods. The action centres around one of
the cubs who is something of an outcast. On their second day, their camp is ransacked and the local
gendarme is called in but finds nothing. Meanwhile, our outcast cub has found a strange structure up
in the trees which he investigates to find many of the missing items and a wild incoherent young man
who had obviously taken them. That night they are attacked by a man and mayhem occurs with most of the troop being killed. On reflection, a muddled and rather unlikely sequence of events.
'The World of Kanako' finds a fired cop trying to work out what has happened to his daughter, the
Kanako of the title who seems to be a very attractive, polite model student. The almost cartoon-
like efforts of the father to find out what happened with various youths being beaten up and then
returning the favour are intercut with what actually was happening. Far from being a victim, the
daughter was the victimiser. Flashy and not very good.
'Why Be Good' from 1929 was the first Colleen Moore film I have knowingly seen. Very typical
of the time with a threadbare story and hammy acting, it is a curiosity and not the wonderful film
that the BFI curator responsible for the restoration claimed, as she would have to do.
'3 Hearts' directed by Benoit Jacquot has Benoit Poelvoorde as a tax inspector whomisses his train home. He bumps into Charlotte Gainsbourg and, overnight, they fall in love arranging to meet in Paris a few days later but, following an odd scene between him and two Chinese who have no French, he gets to the rendezvous too late. Gainsbourg, distressed, then goes off to the USA with
her boyfriends whom she had effectively dumped a day or so earlier. This leaves her sister, played
by Chiara Mastroanni, to run their antique shop on her own. Lo and behold, who should turn up at
the local tax office offering to help - Poelvoorde. They get engaged and marry with, this time,
Gainsbourg, arriving too late and thus not seeing the groom. Some years pass but she then comes
back again for her mother's (Catherine Deneuve) 60th and her 40th birthdaycelebrations where she
does at last discover that Poelvoorde has married her sister. They keep quiet about it at first but the
attraction is still there and they have a surreptitious affair but everything comes apart with no one
ending up happy.
'The White-Haired With of the Lunar Kingdom' is a remaking of a classic Chinese novel which has
previously been made as 'The Bride with White Hair'. Brilliant fight scenes recall the days of the
classic Hong Kong historical masterpieces and the films stands up well to the comparison with fine
performances in particular from the two female leads. A change from the earlier films which were
very much studio based and limited to the territory of Hong Kong is the use of some magnificent
Chinese scenery as backdrop.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Stross, Charles: Wireless
A collection of stories, some novella length, by an author whose novels featuring Bob Howard and his fights against the supernatural I have enjoyed and commented on previously. The nature of the
stories is varied. All are well written and I found most of them entertaining, especially the one with
another adventure of Bob Howard. The P.G. Wodehouse science fiction did not really work for me
and "Palimpsest', the final and longest item in the collection, left me baffled - mind you, that is not
difficult to do as any formal scientific education finished some 60 years ago.
stories is varied. All are well written and I found most of them entertaining, especially the one with
another adventure of Bob Howard. The P.G. Wodehouse science fiction did not really work for me
and "Palimpsest', the final and longest item in the collection, left me baffled - mind you, that is not
difficult to do as any formal scientific education finished some 60 years ago.
Carroll, Jonathan: White Apples
The main character is a philanderer who has died and come back to life. He has an affair with a lovely shopkeeper who has the name of a dead colleague of his tattooed on the back of her neck.
He stops seeing her when the love of his life returns after their having argued over a trivial matter
some time earlier. The novel continues with the two of them keeping ahead of Death which, or should it be who, wants to reclaim him. A number of scenes are captivating - his seeing his parents
naked watching a dog and a deer play in a field outside the inn where they are staying, possibly on the
night he was conceived; his girlfriend spending time with her dead grandmother. She, it turns out, is
the one who brought him back from the dead to be a father to their child which she is carrying. I did
not quite follow the whys and wherefores of this even though the clarity of Carroll's writing is exemplary even at its most poetic.
He stops seeing her when the love of his life returns after their having argued over a trivial matter
some time earlier. The novel continues with the two of them keeping ahead of Death which, or should it be who, wants to reclaim him. A number of scenes are captivating - his seeing his parents
naked watching a dog and a deer play in a field outside the inn where they are staying, possibly on the
night he was conceived; his girlfriend spending time with her dead grandmother. She, it turns out, is
the one who brought him back from the dead to be a father to their child which she is carrying. I did
not quite follow the whys and wherefores of this even though the clarity of Carroll's writing is exemplary even at its most poetic.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Frightfest 2014: Monday 25 August
Alleluia is a Belgian take on 'The Honeymoon Killers' which had so little impact on me that I do not
now remember anything about it.
Nymph has some friends on holiday going to explore an abandoned military fortress on a nearby
uninhabited island. There they find a Siren which leads to most of them being killed either by the
Siren or by a local fisherman who looks after it. A second fisherman, played by Franco Nero, is
actually trying to avenge his son's death and succeeds in killing the Siren in the local harbour but
the ending shows more of them coming to wreak havoc on the community. Attractive cast and
reasonably well done.
Extraterrestrial has a man and woman waking up together after a drunken one-night stand to
discover they are all but alone apart from a creepy neighbour who is infatuated with the woman.
Played out as a comedy, this was probably the most enjoyable of the ones we saw.
My overall reaction to the weekend was that it was rather less scary and more mainstream than
usual though this may reflect our choice rather than the full offering. None of the ones we saw
stood out that much; while a review nearer the time of viewing might have varied in detail, I
think my summary of each day reflects a certain disappointment at our selection.
now remember anything about it.
Nymph has some friends on holiday going to explore an abandoned military fortress on a nearby
uninhabited island. There they find a Siren which leads to most of them being killed either by the
Siren or by a local fisherman who looks after it. A second fisherman, played by Franco Nero, is
actually trying to avenge his son's death and succeeds in killing the Siren in the local harbour but
the ending shows more of them coming to wreak havoc on the community. Attractive cast and
reasonably well done.
Extraterrestrial has a man and woman waking up together after a drunken one-night stand to
discover they are all but alone apart from a creepy neighbour who is infatuated with the woman.
Played out as a comedy, this was probably the most enjoyable of the ones we saw.
My overall reaction to the weekend was that it was rather less scary and more mainstream than
usual though this may reflect our choice rather than the full offering. None of the ones we saw
stood out that much; while a review nearer the time of viewing might have varied in detail, I
think my summary of each day reflects a certain disappointment at our selection.
Frightfest 2014: Sunday 24 August
Faults is an unmemorable film about cult possession and the attempts to de-programme Mary
Elizabeth Winstead which has as its twist the corruption of the deprogrammer. No comment.
The Samurai A German policeman takes a misdelivered package to an isolated cottage whose
occupant shows him the ancient samurai sword it contains. The film then becomes a fight between
the policeman and the sword holder with the latter chased through the village where he kills a lot
of people before himself being killed by the policemen. Quite an enjoyable romp.
Open Windows stars Elijah Wood who is in Austin, Texas, to receive an award which does not
happen as it is a hoax. With elaborate use of modern technology - computers, tablets, smart phones
and the like - what follows is a high-speed chase with Wood tasked with saving Sasha Grey, playing
the movie star who was to have given him the award. I do not much care for split-screen effects but
they were effectively done and the end result was moderately successful.
Elizabeth Winstead which has as its twist the corruption of the deprogrammer. No comment.
The Samurai A German policeman takes a misdelivered package to an isolated cottage whose
occupant shows him the ancient samurai sword it contains. The film then becomes a fight between
the policeman and the sword holder with the latter chased through the village where he kills a lot
of people before himself being killed by the policemen. Quite an enjoyable romp.
Open Windows stars Elijah Wood who is in Austin, Texas, to receive an award which does not
happen as it is a hoax. With elaborate use of modern technology - computers, tablets, smart phones
and the like - what follows is a high-speed chase with Wood tasked with saving Sasha Grey, playing
the movie star who was to have given him the award. I do not much care for split-screen effects but
they were effectively done and the end result was moderately successful.
Frightfest 2014: Saturday 23 August 2014
The Harvest has a fine central performance by Samantha Morton who is trying to find a cure for a
dying son. The film is seen through the eyes of a girl who has moved into the neighbouring house
whose curiosity leads her to find a house-bound youngster whom she befriends until warned off by
Morton. She does not stop and eventually discovers a cellar and the secret it contains, Morton's
actual child. The denouement is rather hurried but, as one would expect, youth comes out on top.
Starry Eyes is possibly meant as a satire on the film industry. The lead actress is always going to
auditions without success while holding down a job in a fast food diner until she is offered a lead
role in a new film which involves her becoming involved in a cult. Although at first repulsed, she
acquiesces to the demands made of her with the final frame showing her transformed from a pretty
girl to a voluptuous beauty. Tedious.
Life After Beth sees a young man devastated by the unexpected death of his girlfriend, Beth. Her
father, played by John C Reilly, consoles him and he seems to spend more time with him than with
his own family until one day he is refused entry to the house - because his girlfriend has come back
to life. She does, however, start to pong and behave oddly, not surprisingly as she is a zombie.
Very mildly amusing.
dying son. The film is seen through the eyes of a girl who has moved into the neighbouring house
whose curiosity leads her to find a house-bound youngster whom she befriends until warned off by
Morton. She does not stop and eventually discovers a cellar and the secret it contains, Morton's
actual child. The denouement is rather hurried but, as one would expect, youth comes out on top.
Starry Eyes is possibly meant as a satire on the film industry. The lead actress is always going to
auditions without success while holding down a job in a fast food diner until she is offered a lead
role in a new film which involves her becoming involved in a cult. Although at first repulsed, she
acquiesces to the demands made of her with the final frame showing her transformed from a pretty
girl to a voluptuous beauty. Tedious.
Life After Beth sees a young man devastated by the unexpected death of his girlfriend, Beth. Her
father, played by John C Reilly, consoles him and he seems to spend more time with him than with
his own family until one day he is refused entry to the house - because his girlfriend has come back
to life. She does, however, start to pong and behave oddly, not surprisingly as she is a zombie.
Very mildly amusing.
Frightfest 2014: Friday 22 August
Rather later than I had hoped, I am dealing with the films we saw at Frightfest this year. Unlike
previous years, we did not buy a complete pass but saw only films selected in advance so it's our
own fault if we did not like them!
Late Phases tells of a blind war veteran moving into a gated retirement community where his
abrasive personality does not go down too well. A series of deadly attacks go unsolved but he
becomes involved and uses his skills to kill what turn out to be werewolves though himself
dying. Excellent central performance by Nick Damici does not outweigh the rather pedestrian
development of the rather hackneyed plot even with the unusual setting.
R100 is a Japanese wierdo of a film with a bored salaryman joining a club which promises
adventure, the only catch being that he cannot resign for a year. He is then attacked by a
number of attractive females, dressed in fetish costumes, who periodically beat him up which
he seems to enjoy. An uninspiring oddity.
previous years, we did not buy a complete pass but saw only films selected in advance so it's our
own fault if we did not like them!
Late Phases tells of a blind war veteran moving into a gated retirement community where his
abrasive personality does not go down too well. A series of deadly attacks go unsolved but he
becomes involved and uses his skills to kill what turn out to be werewolves though himself
dying. Excellent central performance by Nick Damici does not outweigh the rather pedestrian
development of the rather hackneyed plot even with the unusual setting.
R100 is a Japanese wierdo of a film with a bored salaryman joining a club which promises
adventure, the only catch being that he cannot resign for a year. He is then attacked by a
number of attractive females, dressed in fetish costumes, who periodically beat him up which
he seems to enjoy. An uninspiring oddity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)