THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

I'm watching something called Troll. It's a load of shit to be fair.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

Violent Night

For me a modern Christmas classic, the recipe for this is a dash of Commando and Die Hard a smattering of Christmas cheer, the style from Kingsman and seasoned with a touch of Home Alone!

Sure you could pick faults in it but this film is an unplug your brain, enjoy the action and embrace the sentimental heart that under pins the story. Catch it this Xmas if you can.

The Banshees of Inisherin

Oh my God! This is possibly one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a rare thing for a film to have you laughing out loud at some of the funniest one liners ever committed to celluloid. For example when one of the characters finds a stick with a hook on the end… “Now! What do you suppose you’d do with this? Except hook things that are a stick’s length away”, to having you on the verge of tears with a truly heartbreaking scene. I actually raised my hand to my mouth in shock at one point. It was a true heartbreaker.

Starts off with a simple line that sets the tone for the rest of the movie… “I guess I don’t like you no more”. Reuniting In Bruge's Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, ably supported by a truly outstanding Barry Keoghan, and Breaking Bad’s Kerry Condon, it’s the story of a friendship gone sour. Set on the mythical island of Insherin during the Irish civil war, which to the director’s credit is hardly mentioned, Farrell stars as a farmer, who’s described as both a nice guy, and as dull as ditch water, and Gleeson as a musician, and thinker. Lifelong friends, who suddenly find themselves estranged. And brilliantly, we’re never told why.

There are some truly shocking scenes in this. It certainly didn't go the way I was expecting it to go. Let’s just say that there were no happy endings here. There are actually no bad turns in this. The cast are universally brilliant. As already mentioned, Barry Keoghan gives perhaps one of the outstanding supporting performances ever. He actually puts both the leads in the shade. He really is that good, and Condon isn't too shabby either. And there are a host of others that are wonderful.

I’m a massive Beckett fan, and you could best describe this is Waiting For Godot for the modern audience. Which is obviously no bad thing.

This is an outstanding film, and one that everyone should endeavor to watch. In fact it’s so good that I’m going to watch it again right now.

Nothing to be done.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Dainel Craig’s deep fried southern detective Benoit Blanc makes a welcome return in this highly enjoyable murder mystery romp.

I thought the first one was good, flipped the genre on it’s head somewhat, by telling us who the killer was early, and then we had Craig’s wonderful drawling sleuth trying to disprove what had actually happened. This one does something far more risky.

At well over two hours running time, director Rian Johnson (who also wrote it) does something incredibly brave. For well over the first hour, you’re lulled into thinking that you’re watching yet another Christie tribute act. Set on an island owned by Edward Norton’s tech billionaire (and speaking of tribute acts, Musk anyone) who swindled his partner, a quite fantastic Janelle Monáe, out of her share in the company, we’re all set for a classic whodunit. Wrong! Halfway through Johnson executes a 180 handbrake turn, as he takes us back to the formation of the company in a bar called… The Glass Onion. The action then progresses back to the present day.

Like the original, it’s absolutely jam-packed with A-listers. As already mentioned, Monáe is outstanding. I’ve never seen her in anything before. In fact I just assumed that she was some sort of rapper or something, but she’s fantastic in this. Craig is obviously having a ball throughout. We have one of my current favorite actors in the impressive shape of ex-WWC wrestler Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, and loads of blink and you’ll miss ‘em cameos. Ethan Hawke, Angela Lansbury, Yo-Yo Ma, Hugh Grant, Stephen Sondheim, Serena Williams, and countless others.

Netflix bankrolled this, and you can tell. The first outing was set in a crumbling mansion, lit in shadow. This is all shiny and new, and we’re on a Greek island in full sunlight. But I’m desperately trying to find something to grump about. As I’ve already said, it’s highly enjoyable, and makes for perfect holiday viewing. Watch it, you’ll enjoy it.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

Watched the new avatar. It’s better than the first, it’s still very long. Graphics are good, and the scenery is great, but it is very, very long.

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Most pessimistic poster - 2020

The Pale Blue Eye

Gothic horror/whodunit starring Christian Bale and a truly outstanding Harry Melling (he of Harry Potter fame) as Edgar Allan Poe no less.

If you’re going to watch this, then to do the wonderful cinematography justice, do as I did. Turn the lights off, pour a couple of glasses of red, and immerse yourself in the fantastically maudlin landscape. It’s a great movie for a winter’s evening. Especially when it’s dark and stormy outside, like it was when I watched it.

Set in 1830, Bale plays a detective charged with solving the case of a murdered cadet at the West Point military academy. It takes a somewhat unusual turn halfway through, which the director wanted you to think was clever, it wasn’t. But it’s not bad. It also features a fine supporting cast in the form of the aforementioned Melling, Toby Jones, Gillian Anderson, Robert Duvall, Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall and most pleasingly for men of a certain age, Charlotte Gainsbourg.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

This is good fun. Bond looks like he is really enjoying himself.

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.

All Quiet On The Western Front

Third imagining of Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 anti-war novel.

Four teenage friends, caught up in German propaganda, enlist in late 1917, just as the tide of WW1 is turning against the Germans. Filled with vim, vigour, and the promise that they’ll be entering Paris in mere weeks, the reality of trench warfare hits them on the very first day at the front. It’s unrelentingly grim from the very first scene, to the very last. The opening shows a German attack ‘over the top’ against the French. We see a young man (not the main protagonist, clever that) being killed in no man’s land. His body is subsequently recovered, and stripped of it’s uniform. His uniform, along with countless others is then shown being cleaned, repaired, before being given to Paul, the main protagonist. Unfortunately the previous owners name tag is still in the tunic, a foretelling on what’s to come.

It’s up for 14 Oscars, not sure it warrants that, but it’s pretty good. It looks fantastic, if young men being slaughtered could be considered fantastic. The cast, all German, are outstanding, especially Felix Kammerer as Paul. He starts off all wide-eyed enthusiasm. He finishes hollow eyed, and seemingly without any morals whatsoever.

As a piece of anti-war propaganda, you’d have to go a long way to disagree. The ending is truly heartbreaking. At quarter to eleven on the 11th of November, 1918, the general in command of Paul’s regiment orders them to attack the French as a last battle to ‘Save the Fatherland’s honour’. As an example of the futility of war, it’s the most pointed I can remember.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

I went to The Darts on Sunday night for the semis and the final with a junior Ramone. Great night out. Lots of fun. Super atmoshphere. Very tense final. Well worth the ticket price.

The Arena must have a made an absolute s*dding fortune from the booze sold. £6.50 a pint and £25 for a jug of 4 which most people appeared to spill loads of, getting back to their seats. Having attended such an event previously I (ahem, believe the phrase is...) 'pre-loaded' before hand - but (natch) still contributed to the coffers.

I'm pretty sure I saw Jack Tucker at the bar. He had a bottle of water in his hand and was buying drinks for two mates (?) Not other players. I didn't say anything.

Thoroughly recommend it for next year dudes.

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

Not heard of a film called The Darts. Is it up for any Oscars?

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.