A Walk among the Tombstones.

It’s not my usual choice of genre but Liam Neeson is always a good reason to watch something out of your comfort zone. Based on a novel by Lawrence Block, adapted for screenplay and directed by Scott Frank. A walk among the Tombstones takes you to a very dark place as crime thrillers go. Liam Neeson plays Matt Scudder a fallen cop.  It opens with a flashback involving a hazy bar and alcohol followed by mindless shooting. The liquor and smoke paints a picture of a hard ass tough guy  for some but all I could see was impairment.

Retired cops often fall into the role of private investigater, at least that’s what I remember from television.  The film itself was set in the 90s  so limited technology by today’s standards, sets the scene for an old style film. Unsavoury characters come together, well the whole damn story was unsavoury. Lots of heavy rain creates the feel of danger lurking in more than one scene. Liam gets caught up investigating a kidnapping and murder for some guy who’s own shady background stops him from going to the police.. It's full of weirdoes and Psychos. You get the impression at first that Matt Scudder is a hardened hero (may be just coz it’s Liam) but unfolding within the story you find vulnerability and by the end you realise he is a bit of a loser trying to establish his own self worth. He attracts a kind of back up crew all with similar issues.

Trust me it isn't a film for the squeamish. I hid behind my hands peeking through barely open fingers at some scenes.

This was an edge of the seat experience with a few turns and twists, nothing too surprising but well knitted together.

There was no room for humour in this tale although some of the characters were potentially comical. I laughed twice much to the annoyance of the silent audience.

A strong plot, corrupt villains and a horrific ending.  If you like a bit of violence, I recommend. 

The Definitive Rat Pack

 I was listening to Frank Sinatra with the Nelson Riddle band as a kid when perhaps I should have been more into Abba. My musician dad had many of his albums and I just kinda got into it. That is how great music lives on. That's not to say I didn't own a few Abba records too. My first experience of the Rat Pack was from a Sinatra compilation called 'A man and his music' released close to his 50th Birthday. These guys were just so swinging cool. They sounded like they were really having fun just joking around then launching into song.

The Definitive Rat Pack sure know how to put a good show together and revive the legendary Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis JR.  

The three guys were original cast members from the West End's 'Rat Pack live from Las Vegas'. They branched off to form their own act which is entirely flexible depending on the audience. I went to see them on Thursday September 18th at the Kings Theatre Southsea. They've spent  many years perfecting their art that they have almost become the Rat Pack.  

To be honest though, in the first half, the music was drowning out the singing a little bit but that got sorted by the second half and didn't spoil the show. 

Stephen Triffitt opened singing Chicago so I recall. He is the Ultimate Frank Sinatra because he has the great voice, remarkable phrasing that the star was so famous for but to top it off,  he looked just like him from where I was sitting. All the mannerisms were there. 

Mark Adams played Dean Martin. He too was very convincing,never out of character. His admiration for the star shows in all his songs, 'That's Amore,''Volare' and 'Ain't that a kick in the head'. I actually thought he looked a little drunk after his break at the bar. That's great acting for you. There were some female backing singers too which gave it added colour. 

Sammy Davis JR was played by George Daniel Long. He was dancing all over the stage when he came in just like Sammy. He sang 'Bye Bye Blackbird and I loved his 'Mr Bo Jangles' he had the right look too. 

The magic really happened when the three of them were on stage together. This was a superb show and I am so grateful that The Definitive Rat Pack, are keeping the music and spirit alive.

All the photos on this blog are from the internet and may be out of date.

http://thedefinitiveratpack.com/

Remember the originals too, for with out them there wouldn't be a show.

Singin' in the Rain UK Tour, Southampton Mayflower

If you're my age then you will remember the 1952 Technicolour movie (although not the first time around) with Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynalds. It was a classic.

What ever your age, this musical will warm your heart and cause you inadvertently to smile and tap your feet. 

The orchestra was placed above the stage rather than beneath for obvious reasons. The production rather cleverly used real water for the rain scene. 12,000 litres to be exact and I'm sure the musicians didn't want to be drenched.

Set in the late 1920's, the story was all about how  silent movies were being taken over by talkies. The opening scene was a film premier at Monumental Pictures. The rich and famous stars of the day paraded around draped in glamorous clothing being idolised by the public.  No change there then. They also had to portray certain public images which were not quite factual to stay popular.

Everything about the show, from the costumes to the cast was ritzy and glitzy. It contained the perfect measure of romance and humour incorporating slapstick into some of the dancing where appropriate. The music and choreography simply transported me to a golden age. .  It included songs like Good morning, Make'em laugh, You are my Lucky Star, Moses Supposes and of course the famous signature tune Singing in the Rain. I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to see it at the Mayflower in Southampton. https://www.mayflower.org.uk/

Take a peek at the trailer below.

http://www.singinintherain.co.uk/

People In Your Neighborhood - Sesame Street

Avenue q

When I was a little kid, my sister and I used to snuggle up on the couch with our eiderdowns to watch  Sesame Street, on a Saturday morning before my folks woke up.  We loved it! It was so cool compared to English T.V. Created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, the street had puppets/muppets produced by Jim Henson, monsters, cartoons, real people and children. It was way ahead of it’s time back then.  There were learning opportunities embedded into it yet it was quite humorous.  Letters, numbers, positional language, vocabulary, spelling and cultural diversity were being dripped into our brains whilst our parents slept.

It featured many regular characters which I will never forget. That was back in the 70’s. Sesame street is still very popular with children today.

Avenue q is a musical parody of Sesame Street but otherwise, totally unrelated. It opened in Broadway in 2003 and has been very successful in the West End.  I went to see it at the Kings Theatre Portsmouth on tour this week.   The writers of Avenue q were inspired to make a show about post graduate life.  It painted a bleaker picture of  how shit life is when you’re a grown up. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the musical was compiled by Robert Lopes and Jeff Marx. It was absolutely hilarious and so well put together. Some of the characters were obviously based on specific ones from Sesame street. If you were a big fan like me you will spot them easily.

At first I didn't know how I was going to focus on the puppets. They were just head and shoulders. The puppeteers were very skilful in the way they operated them and acted alongside. They wore grey so they wouldn't upstage them and with the music, the story and the humour, it was so effective.

All the characters were  cute and cuddly with cringy voices as in any kids show. The songs were jolly and cheesy.  However the content had a subtle shock factor.I guess cute puppets can get away with controversial subjects without being taken too seriously. Each song was more daring than the last. I wondered how much bolder it could get in the second half.

It covered Racism, homosexuality, pornography and schadenfreude which is German for feeling happy at someone else’s expense.  It raised the issue of commitment in a relationship which so typically young men are afraid of. It contained graphic puppet nudity and sex scenes. The second half was actually kind of heart warming as I began to empathize with the characters. 

A really great show but don't take your children or your mother in law to see it.

www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk

Lucy

Human beings only use 10% of their brain and at the top of the food chain, look at everything we have achieved since time began. Whether it’s a good or a bad thing, just imagine what we could do if we accessed 100%. 

This is what French Writer /Director, Luc Besson explores in this mind blowing science fiction thriller, Lucy.

He throws in a combination stunning cinematography, science,evolution and quantum physics, mixes in a corrupt villain and we get an action thriller the perfect result.

 Now you do have to concentrate a little as the story flits between shots of wild life and a lecture on the journey of cells (make sure you take it all in) 

A convincing performance from the gorgeous Scarlett Johansson who plays Lucy, will draw you in. Set in Taiwan, Lucy is with a dodgy guy she met a week ago, and we are given to believe the circumstances were under the influence of heavy partying.

He is the cause of Lucy getting involved with the sinister gangster Mr Jang (Choi Min Sik) and his followers.

There are horrific scenes of violence and bloodshed. Scarlett comes into her own as an actress, when petrified for her life. She’s violated and forced to carry a new drug, CPH4 in her intestines. However the victim becomes the intimidator as she begins to access parts of her mind otherwise locked. Her physical and mental powers become enhanced.

 She seeks out the knowledgeable professor Norm, played by Morgan Freeman. I am always convinced that he really is this calm wise dude. 

The story takes you through fascinating possibilities of the human brain, as Lucy gradually unlocks it in stages. All the while she is being chased by gangsters.

It’s one of those thought provoking experiences that leaves you feeling like you have to watch the whole thing over again. Yes there are moments of darkness and I am a bit squeamish when it comes to merciless killings. Overall a brilliant film.

  

Cheer up.

My Owl handling experience at Birdworld.

I have been an owl freak for as long as I can remember. We all have our favourite animal’s don’t we? Well mine just happens to be an owl. It’s not difficult to explain why. You only have to look around you to see all the depictions of owls, the ornaments, the jewellery and accessories. It seems that these elegant birds of prey are at the height fashion this season and are set to be staying around for the foreseeable future. Why? Obviously there is just something about them.  As the original fan who stuck by them, when Indian Elephants were more popular or other collectables, I will remain loyal, even when they become “So last century!”

So you will understand why I was so thrilled when I was presented with a voucher for the owl handling experience at Birdworld, as a birthday gift from my friends.

It was a dream come true for me and I was not disappointed when the big day came.

I met with the keeper, Chrissy, at about midday. She was really welcoming and she knew her stuff. She walked us through the flying arena to where the birds were kept. This wasn't just about owls, I learnt about kookaburras, parrots and the first birds I got to handle were a friendly pair of horn-bills. They were so tame and not at all unnerved by my presence in the small enclosure.  Immediately one of them jumped onto my arm. This was a warm up for me as I was starting to feel jittery about holding an owl. I mean, what if he didn't like me?

Then I met Bandit, a Burrowing Owl less than a year old. He was so cute as you can see in the photos. Burrowing owls are from North and South America. In the wild, they roost and nest in burrows on the ground which is why they have quite long legs for running. Although they’re active during the day, they hunt from dusk to dawn when their food comes out. I was informed that anyone could own these owls without a licence as they were not from this country. This worried me a little because I also learnt how rigid the care procedures were for their survival.  The keepers had to make notes of their weight every day to calculate how much food they would need. These little birds can die very quickly if over or underfed.  

Bandit flew to me as I fed him mealworms. He was quite excited and very hungry. At one point he jumped into my pot of worms. I later saw in his notes that his weight was low that morning meaning he would need a lot to eat.

Mozart was an Indian Eagle Owl.  I was awe struck when Chrissy brought him out. His large orange eyes were mesmerising. She placed him on a perch to put on his Jesses (little leather straps to keep him from flying off) talking me through how and why they were necessary. It was all very fiddly but Mozart remained unperturbed whist this was going on. He was very tame as he had been hand reared. In the photo he doesn't look real but I can assure you he is.

 He was really soft too. This is because owls need to fly silently to catch their prey so heavy coarse feathers just wouldn't cut it. Owls have very flexible necks so they can turn their heads swiftly. You can tell by the eye colour of an owl what time they hunt. Orange eyes like Mozart’s are from dawn to dusk, dark eyes are night hunters and yellow eyes like Bandit’s are dusk to dawn.  The flat disc that surrounds their eyes acts  like a satellite dish picking up signals, so they have acute hearing and can focus in on a heartbeat. Unfortunately this leaves very little room for a brain. So the myth about them being wise has been shattered for me.

I had a wonderful experience and it was just long enough, Mozart was getting a bit heavy. I got a certificate signed by Chrissy and a cuddly toy owl to remember it by.

After we walked around and saw lots of other fascinating birds. It really is a great day out and I will definitely be going again.

http://birdworld.co.uk/

  

Guardians of the galaxy

 Marvel Studios have done it again with this superb production of ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy.’ Packed with great effects, a brilliantly witty script and lots of action to keep you on edge. Of course this is only to be expected following the last few marvels the studios have produced.  It’s a catastrophic adventure happening in space with new characters for the next generation of inter galactic movie fans.  If you’re as old as me and you enjoyed the original ‘Star Wars’films the first time ‘round, then you’ll love this, unless of course you have lost the ability to run away with your imagination. The story was easy to follow even a little predictable  but that’s ok. A new set of Galactic heroes are formed when Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) discovers  and steals a mysterious metallic orb. To begin with, they are an unusual bunch of misfits who don’t belong together, or even like each other. However, they have one thing in common. The fear of a Ronan, with his reputation for cruelty who wants the orb. He will stop at nothing to get it destroying anything in his way. Not only that but the orb in his hands could mean danger for the entire galaxy in his lust for power. Sound familiar?  Ronan, (Lee Pace) looks much like a dark lord. A deep voice, an English accent and his regal attire, give him that certain aura that makes you want to hiss when he appears.

A wonderfully entertaining film making me laugh, cry and flinch.  There is an open end for a sequel. Hopefully Marvel will keep up the good work.