(courtesy IMP Awards) SNAPSHOTMaster Chief John-117 (Pablo Schreiber) leads his team of elite Spartans against the alien threat known as the Covenant. In the wake of a shocking event on a desolate planet, John cannot shake the feeling that his war is about to change. John risks everything to prove Continue Reading
Streaming
Doctor Who specials 2023 review: “The Star Beast”, “Wild Blue Yonder”, and “The Giggle” + Christmas special “The Church on Ruby Road”
(courtesy BBC) To commemorate Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary – the show premiered on 23 November 1963 with William Hartnell in the role of the eponymous Time Lord – the BBC released three specials in late 2023. These specials, “The Star Beast”, “Wild Blue Yonder”, and “The Giggle”, not only brought Continue Reading
Graphic novel review: Heartstopper volume 5 by Alice Oseman
(read at Pindari cabin, Yeranda Cottages, Dungog, 2-9 January 2024) Charlie and Nick are in love. Really and wonderfully, deeply and assuredly in love, and free from does-he, doesn’t-he vibes of earlier volumes of Heartstopper where the attraction was clear but the certainty of connection was not, the two guys Continue Reading
Stream, stream my televisual dream: Top 25 TV / streaming shows of the year
(via Shutterstock) It’s weird watching TV these days. There’s so much great content around that getting to it all, or honestly, just some of it because realistically that’s all you can manage, that you pretty much have to schedule time to watch what you want. Easy enough I guess if Continue Reading
Two retro festive episodes of Frasier (“Miracle on Third or Fourth Street” and “Perspectives on Christmas”) + bonus Frasier 2023 review (S1, E7-10)
(courtesy CBS) If there is one thing that the classic sitcom excelled at, it was not pretending that everything in life was perfect. Oh, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and his equally dandy brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) aspired to that superlative state of being with their eyes always on the just-so Continue Reading
On 9th day of Christmas … I watched A Storm for Christmas
(courtesy IMDb (c) Netflix) Finding the perfect anything in a very imperfect world is a challenge at the best of times, but even more so at Christmas, ironically because it’s at this time of year, when people yearn the most for this flawlessly elusive state, that they seem to miss Continue Reading
On 6th day of Christmas … I put 15 more pop culture ornaments on my tree incl. ABBA, Parks and Recreation, Ziggy and Goofy
(via Shutterstock) What, what, you say, you have yet more ornaments to place upon the tree? Why yes, yes I do; every year I tell myself I’ll stick to 9 or 10 new ones, just the best of the best and yet every year, 50 to 60, sometimes more make Continue Reading
On 3rd day of Christmas … I watched Claus Family 3
(courtesy IMDb (c) Netflix) In the third instalment of the Dutch Christmas film series – read reviews of Claus Family 1 and Claus Family 2 – it becomes increasingly apparent that, rather joyfully the grief that marked the first entry in the series and its lingering effects in movie number Continue Reading
On 1st day of Christmas … I put 15 new pop culture ornaments on my tree incl. Ted Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, Shazam, Peter Pan, Peanuts … and more!
(via Shutterstock) Take one look at this blog and you realise I love pop culture. LOVE IT! So while the first ornaments I bought for my own grown-up tree in 1992 were relatively standard baubles and department store trinkets, soon followed by Hallmark ornaments by the metric ton, I soon Continue Reading
Love and pirates: Thoughts on Our Flag Means Death season 2
(courtesy IMP Awards) How often do we really get to follow our heart? Quite a bit if we’re so inclined in this far more freedom enabled age but back in 1717 at the height of the Golden Age of Piracy? Not as much as you’d think. Sure, as Stede Bonnet Continue Reading