Tag archives for Review
Horrible Histories the Movie – Rotten Romans [Review]
The pre-preview Q&A before Horrible Histories the Movie (photo: James Kemp) I went to see Horrible Histories the Movie with my children Lucy and Alexander on Sunday morning at the BFI riverside. They had a preview screening of Horrible Histories the Movie as a combo of their monthly kids shows and also as part of the London Comedy Film Festival (LoCo). Ahead of the screening we had a short Q&A with Caroline Norris (producer & writer), Sarah Hadland and Sebastian Croft (Atti). Horrible Histories the Movie The subtitle to Horrible Histories the Movie is Rotten Romans because the core story is the interaction between Orla (a young celt, played by Amelia Jones) and Atti (a young Roman, played by Sebastian Croft). This story is set in the backdrop of Boudica's revolt against the Romans, see the synopsis below for non-spoilered…
Game of Thrones revisited [Review – NO SPOILERS]
Cover of Game of Thrones Season 1 DVD (Photo: HBO) Long term readers might remember that Game of Thrones is one of only two one star reviews that I've posted. Generally I avoid negative reviews because I don't think they help much, especially when all I've got to say is that it wasn't really my sort of thing. Game of Thrones in video As I said in my original review of A Song of Ice and Fire, there's a lot to like in the story, but there's also a deplorable level of unnecessary misogyny. This didn't sit right for me as when you base a fantasy world on history you can change it. What made me give Game of Thrones another chance was two fold. First there was a chance that the translation from book to screen had changed it…
The Handmaid’s Tale & Failure Modes of Democracy
I've finally caught up with The Handmaid's Tale that Channel Four recently showed. I haven't read the book by Margaret Atwood but I have read some of her interviews about it. I've added the book to my wish list. The Handmaid's Tale The Handmaid's Tale is essentially a piece of speculative fiction about the failure of Democracy in the US. It's scarily plausible, which is sort of the definition of speculative fiction. Elisabeth Moss as Offred in The Handmaid's Tale (photo: Hulu) In the TV series of The Handmaid's Tale we follow Offred (formerly known as June) as she survives in the post-coup Republic of Gilead. That being the survivors of the former US. Elisabeth Moss does a great job playing the main character through both the flashbacks that explain how she got there and the 'present day' parts of…
Dunkirk – A different sort of war movie [movie review]
I went to see Dunkirk with my 11 year old son last week. I'd read some reviews beforehand and chose the IMAX version. It's an amazing movie that I think will bear watching again. I'll try to avoid spoilers. Dunkirk English: Royal Navy gunner covering the troops retreat at Dunkirk (France, 1940). Screenhot taken from the 1943 United States Army propaganda film Divide and Conquer (Why We Fight #3) directed by Frank Capra and partially based on, news archives, animations, restaged scenes and captured propaganda material from both sides. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The movie focuses on three stories, one on Land (over a week), one on the Sea (a day) and in the Air (an hour). The three stories are very personal perspectives and are interwoven, coming together near the end of the movie. There's no overview, or explanation of…
Broughty Castle – A hidden gem you should visit
Broughty Castle from the landward side. 15th century tower with late 19th century outer works. (Photo: James Kemp) Broughty Castle stands guard over Broughty Ferry and it is a gem hidden in plain sight. From the outside Broughty Castle is a forbidding stone thing, as castles should be. Inside though it has interesting displays on the local history and wildlife, as well as arms and armour. Natural History My five year old daughter and niece spent a happy half hour drawing pictures with the paper and crayons provided. They also loved looking at the diaromas with the stuffed animals. Girls having fun drawing in Gallery 3 of Broughty Castle museum (photo: James Kemp) My son was taken by the maps and the geological story. One of the questions I'd asked before we'd seen the maps was why was the ferry…